2018-2019 Canadian Ladies News and Updates!

coppertop1

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,958
For Gabby this is about just getting back in competition. I'm glad she can end this season on a positive note. It's never easy getting back into competition after a long absence. Hopefully, it will be the start of her comeback. Since winning the bronze in 2017, she hasn't been able to catch a break. Great that we kept that second spot.
As for Alaine, I thought she had a chance of a decent result but it seems like the pressure of being the Canadian champion is too much for her.
 

Rafter

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,696
Alaine...you know, as much as she’s a headcase, it must require real fortitude to keep putting herself out there year after year when she almost always bombs.

You’re so right. The talent is there, she just is not cut out for this mentally.

Skate Canada should thank their lucky stars Daleman was well enough to come back to compete this year.
 

mag

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,198
I think Chartrand’s biggest problem, and this goes back for years, is not enough money and the support (and the support money can buy.) I know it is something that people don’t like to think about, but in Skating it is, IMHO, one of the most important factors in success. She needed better coaching and more of it at an earlier age.

Money buys extra private time early on to ensure good technique. It buys the ability to move coaches, it buys the hours and hours of program time that can be a huge determining factor in consistency and having the “it” factor. A few skaters may be born with some innate “it” factor, but for most it is learned or at least developed long before we see them at the Senior or even junior level. Lots of program run throughs with a skilled program coach can make a huge difference in competitive nerve as well as polish.

For Alaine, the money was never there. It is too bad because she certainly could have been much better than she is. That said, she is a two time National Champion and, I believe, a full time university student, and top 24 in the world. Not bad really!
 

fsfann

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,549
So proud of what Gabby did out there in both her Short and Long. I have to admit I was worried that we might have a repeat of Nationals, and she certainly exceeded all of my expectations. She should be thrilled with her effort out there. And, as a bonus, she can walk away knowing that she landed a fantastic 3Lutz-3Toe! This was a HUGE moral victory for her, and I"m looking forward to seeing what she comes up with next year.
 

Rock2

Well-Known Member
Messages
3,725
I'm just breathing a sigh of relief that we didn't have worse case scenario for our ladies.

I hope Gabby's issues are in her rear view mirror and as for Alaine, I'm not sure what to say. So many factors could be contributing to what we're seeing (money, motivation, pressure, etc) so I can't even begin to say what the fix is. I'll leave it at I hope she herself knows what the issues are and finds real inspiration and resources to attack them next year.

If there's a silver lining, I highly doubt we'll see the 1995 jump content at nationals again next year. Ladies won't be able to back their way onto the slimmed-down world team; I'm expecting grown-up planned TES across the board among the contenders.
 

Colonel Green

Well-Known Member
Messages
13,930
I think Chartrand’s biggest problem, and this goes back for years, is not enough money and the support (and the support money can buy.) I know it is something that people don’t like to think about, but in Skating it is, IMHO, one of the most important factors in success. She needed better coaching and more of it at an earlier age.

Money buys extra private time early on to ensure good technique. It buys the ability to move coaches, it buys the hours and hours of program time that can be a huge determining factor in consistency and having the “it” factor. A few skaters may be born with some innate “it” factor, but for most it is learned or at least developed long before we see them at the Senior or even junior level. Lots of program run throughs with a skilled program coach can make a huge difference in competitive nerve as well as polish.

For Alaine, the money was never there. It is too bad because she certainly could have been much better than she is. That said, she is a two time National Champion and, I believe, a full time university student, and top 24 in the world. Not bad really!
I don't think money is the issue. It's not like we're talking about stuff that Alaine never developed, it's stuff did have at one point and has since lost. She used to be much better than she is now.

If there's a silver lining, I highly doubt we'll see the 1995 jump content at nationals again next year. Ladies won't be able to back their way onto the slimmed-down world team; I'm expecting grown-up planned TES across the board among the contenders.
The size of the team wouldn't have a correlation to the technical content used. These programs are laid out with an eye for international, not just national, competition, and the most important consideration is what the skaters themselves are able to do at that time. Veronik not have a Lutz or flip was a necessity of circumstances, same with Aurora's more limited content. Now hopefully they're both on track to bring more heavy artillery next time around.
 

mag

Well-Known Member
Messages
12,198
I don't think money is the issue. It's not like we're talking about stuff that Alaine never developed, it's stuff did have at one point and has since lost. She used to be much better than she is now.

I actually wasn’t assuming. Money is/was an issue. There are ways to get around the lack of a huge budget - Austman got a sponsor and also had huge support both in time and coaching from her home club - but the reality in skating at the elite level is that money is probably at least tied for the most important ingredient in success.

What many on this board call “mental toughness” is often actually lack of skilled preparation. Yes, skaters can practice on their own with limited lesson time. Yes skaters can practice on busy sessions. Yes, skaters without big budgets or big fed support can and do make it, but I would argue they are the exception that proves the rule. High quality coaching, high quality planning, and high quality help preparing, cleaning, and maintaining programs makes a huge difference. All of that costs money and lots of it. Money does not guarantee success but succeeding without it is extremely difficult. Finally, money allows the skater to focus on skating. It allows for equipment upgrades and replacement when needed rather than we it can be afforded. It buys sleep time because the skater isn’t waiting tables late into the night.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,797
You're probably right. Too bad, she has talent but not to competitive grit.

I think she has lots of competitive grit, to come back and to keep going as she has - especially with the pressure that all the top Canadian ladies must be feeling right now. Having up-and-down results in competitions is not the same as not having competitive grit.
 

Colonel Green

Well-Known Member
Messages
13,930
I actually wasn’t assuming. Money is/was an issue.
I don’t deny she’s had financial issues compared to other skaters, but I don’t think that’s the primary consideration here. It certainly would be a factor in her not progressing past a certain point, but we’re talking about someone who has actively regressed, and done so after reaching peaks of real success.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
Messages
35,797
I guess I just don't like the word "deserve". We may be hard pressed to medal and even place top ten, but I think we certainly have skaters who do not look out of place at a worlds. The way to success is to get out there and compete.

^^This X 10,000. No country "deserves" anything at Worlds or at any other competition. And if a skater has scored the minimum qualifying points, they're qualified to be there.
 

Moustaffask8r

Well-Known Member
Messages
768
I think Chartrand’s biggest problem, and this goes back for years, is not enough money and the support (and the support money can buy.) I know it is something that people don’t like to think about, but in Skating it is, IMHO, one of the most important factors in success. She needed better coaching and more of it at an earlier age.

Money buys extra private time early on to ensure good technique. It buys the ability to move coaches, it buys the hours and hours of program time that can be a huge determining factor in consistency and having the “it” factor. A few skaters may be born with some innate “it” factor, but for most it is learned or at least developed long before we see them at the Senior or even junior level. Lots of program run throughs with a skilled program coach can make a huge difference in competitive nerve as well as polish.

For Alaine, the money was never there. It is too bad because she certainly could have been much better than she is. That said, she is a two time National Champion and, I believe, a full time university student, and top 24 in the world. Not bad really!
Where did you heard about money problem... parents are following her everywhere in a motorhome!
 

Rafter

Well-Known Member
Messages
11,696
I actually wasn’t assuming. Money is/was an issue. There are ways to get around the lack of a huge budget - Austman got a sponsor and also had huge support both in time and coaching from her home club - but the reality in skating at the elite level is that money is probably at least tied for the most important ingredient in success.

For all we know Chartrand and her team may have looked for a sponsor.

I would add talent and work ethic to your last point. In fact, I’d have it higher than money. There have been plenty of Canadian skaters who did not come from money but went on to have success.

Definitely Chartrand has a very intense father from what I’ve heard. I also think she made a mistake going to Michelle Leigh for coaching and then staying with her for as long as she did.
 

danafan

Canadian ladies über
Messages
9,799
So is it too early to talk about next season?

I'm so relieved to have two spots for 2020. I'm glad Daleman was healthy enough to compete and I think she did a great job. A top 12 should give her two grand prix assignments next year if the rules stay the same. Based on season best scores, I think it's doubtful we'll have any non host picks on the grand prix. Chartrand is 54, Mallet 56, Austman 68. No one else is in the top 75. However Chartrand was picked as a replacement last year despite being low on the list, so you never know. Still we won't have a big prescence on the grand prix (we didn't last year either, especially after Daleman withdrew).

I wonder who will get the Skate Canada host pick(s). With the new national team rules (they were posted here or in the pairs thread?) where top three at nationals and grand prix skaters get named - well it makes it even more important. So I guess the national team will be Chartrand, Cotop, Mallet, and Daleman (Daleman will be guaranteed grand prixs).


7 JGP spots is also good.

Now what do you do with Schumacher? She could be a contender on the JGP, but she should get her senior opportunity as well. I hope Skate Canada will be smart about this. She could compete only senior internationally and still be eligible for junior worlds. I think Skate Canada should assign JGP skaters who are competing senior domestically to the Autumn Classic and schedule their JGPs around that.

It's actually great how things worked out with two spots each at worlds and junior worlds. I mean anything can happen in a year, and Schumacher is already doing 5 different triples and a triple triple. She's doing more technically than Osmond did the year she competed at junior worlds. It will be interesting to see how she and Cotop develop over the next few years.
 

WanderlustTO

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,079
Daleman really delivered in the first half of her free skate, including a clean (I think?) triple lutz triple toe, a first for her in international competition. So there will be two Canadian ladies at worlds 2020 Montreal! Yippee!

This is such a key. I know I hammer on about it endlessly...but when you get stuck with that one spot it can be really hard to reclaim a second one.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
It's a good thing Gabby was able to pull out decent performances to land in 11th which apparently will keep two spots, which is more reasonable than three, since Skate Canada has no depth in their ladies division. Without Gabby braving it to come back for Worlds, Canadian ladies would have lost more than one spot.
 

wickedwitch

Well-Known Member
Messages
15,993
Now what do you do with Schumacher? She could be a contender on the JGP, but she should get her senior opportunity as well. I hope Skate Canada will be smart about this. She could compete only senior internationally and still be eligible for junior worlds. I think Skate Canada should assign JGP skaters who are competing senior domestically to the Autumn Classic and schedule their JGPs around that.
Skate Canada's not fond of this, but she should do JGPs + at least one Challenger series event. I think 2 JGPs, where she could probably place fairly well, would be better than finishing towards the bottom of the field at Skate Canada.

Skate Canada has done their older junior skaters no favors by not giving them Challenger events or other fall senior Bs. I hope that trend changes ASAP.
 

kwanfan1818

RIP D-10
Messages
37,644
Both Cotop and Schumacher are buried in WS, which would be buried for SO for senior GP, and championships. Besides the experience and, critical for Canada, having Ladies with qualifying TES, going to the combo of CS, senior internationals, and junior events will help them to get up the list.
 

IloveFS

Well-Known Member
Messages
424
I do expect 2020 Nationals to be very different from this year.

Hopefully, Mallet will have a year injury-free and she does have some technical ability.

I think Chartrand should gain some confidence that she qualified for the free program. Everyone has to keep in mind that there were some ladies (who competed at the 2018 Olympics) failed to qualify for the free program.

I also think that the best performances from Gabby Daleman are yet to come and she hasn't reached her full potential.

Cotop will have spent more time with Ravia Walia --- let's hope she continues to develop technically and artistically.

I'm not sure about Schumacher yet as she didn't have the best result at Jr Worlds.
 

danafan

Canadian ladies über
Messages
9,799
I'm not sure about Schumacher yet as she didn't have the best result at Jr Worlds.

Wow I couldn't disagree with this more. First Canadian since Chartrand in 2014 to make top 10 at junior worlds and thanks to her we will have two spots in junior ladies for the first time since 2015. And she also landed more clean triples in her free skate at jr worlds than Daleman did at worlds.

Anyway I really hope Skate Canada will get Schumacher senior experience - especially if Autumn Classic is hosted in Ontario again, it would cost them nothing to have her compete there. A huge pet peeve of mine is that other countries who host events enter tons of their own skaters, and Skate Canada never does. Let her stay on the JGP to gain ranking points and give her a senior B to get the tech minimums so she is an option for worlds. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top two at nationals next year.

I wonder if Chartrand will continue. She must be pretty discouraged at this point :(
 

IloveFS

Well-Known Member
Messages
424
Wow I couldn't disagree with this more. First Canadian since Chartrand in 2014 to make top 10 at junior worlds and thanks to her we will have two spots in junior ladies for the first time since 2015. And she also landed more clean triples in her free skate at jr worlds than Daleman did at worlds.

Anyway I really hope Skate Canada will get Schumacher senior experience - especially if Autumn Classic is hosted in Ontario again, it would cost them nothing to have her compete there. A huge pet peeve of mine is that other countries who host events enter tons of their own skaters, and Skate Canada never does. Let her stay on the JGP to gain ranking points and give her a senior B to get the tech minimums so she is an option for worlds. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top two at nationals next year.

I wonder if Chartrand will continue. She must be pretty discouraged at this point :(
Wow I couldn't disagree with this more. First Canadian since Chartrand in 2014 to make top 10 at junior worlds and thanks to her we will have two spots in junior ladies for the first time since 2015. And she also landed more clean triples in her free skate at jr worlds than Daleman did at worlds.

Anyway I really hope Skate Canada will get Schumacher senior experience - especially if Autumn Classic is hosted in Ontario again, it would cost them nothing to have her compete there. A huge pet peeve of mine is that other countries who host events enter tons of their own skaters, and Skate Canada never does. Let her stay on the JGP to gain ranking points and give her a senior B to get the tech minimums so she is an option for worlds. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top two at nationals next year.

I wonder if Chartrand will continue. She must be pretty discouraged at this point :(
Wow I couldn't disagree with this more. First Canadian since Chartrand in 2014 to make top 10 at junior worlds and thanks to her we will have two spots in junior ladies for the first time since 2015. And she also landed more clean triples in her free skate at jr worlds than Daleman did at worlds.

Anyway I really hope Skate Canada will get Schumacher senior experience - especially if Autumn Classic is hosted in Ontario again, it would cost them nothing to have her compete there. A huge pet peeve of mine is that other countries who host events enter tons of their own skaters, and Skate Canada never does. Let her stay on the JGP to gain ranking points and give her a senior B to get the tech minimums so she is an option for worlds. I wouldn't be surprised to see her in the top two at nationals next year.

I wonder if Chartrand will continue. She must be pretty discouraged at this point :(
We agree on one thing --- Skate Canada should host and send skaters to more Sr B events to give the younger skaters more competitive experience.
 

coppertop1

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,958
I think our ladies did what we had expected and maybe more. We were all worried about Gabby but she came through. When she is at her best, she can contend with the top in the world. I hope she will be healthy. I would love to see her do quad. Don't count her out.

I think both Schumacher and Cotop have a lot of promise. I look forward to seeing how they develop and I hold Schumacher gets a chance to obtain the TES minimum. Hopefully Mallet can stay healthy and continue to build. It's ironic to have two women but only one berth for men next season.
 

danafan

Canadian ladies über
Messages
9,799
It was posted on the Fans of Alaine Chartrand Facebook page that she got very sick after the short program at worlds. It also reported that she will be competing at the World Team Trophy and plans to compete next season.

https://www.facebook.com/fansofalainechartrand/

Alaine was so excited and proud to compete at her 5th World Championships in Saitama, Japan as Canadian Champion. You can't tell from this beautiful photo but unfortunately she became ill following the short program and despite treatment from the team doctor she was not recovered in time for the long program and this was evident in her performance. Thank you everyone for your support this season. We're very proud of how Alaine has handled all the changes in her life as an independent skater and student. Wishing Alaine a strong comeback at World Team Trophy next month and look forward to continued success next season!
 

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