U.S. Women [#1]: The Contenders Unmask Themselves

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Erik, I think I understand where you're coming from, but I wish you would stop being dismissive of everyone else's opinions. We all look at things thru our own lens - where you see someone who is unhappy/stuck, I see someone trying to work thru a mental block and being frustrated. Neither of us is Gracie or the people around her, and both opinions can be valid. The difference is that I'm not mocking you for expressing your opinion (and that's how your post cam off).
 
beckab81 said:
Erik, I think I understand where you're coming from, but I wish you would stop being dismissive of everyone else's opinions. We all look at things thru our own lens - where you see someone who is unhappy/stuck, I see someone trying to work thru a mental block and being frustrated. Neither of us is Gracie or the people around her, and both opinions can be valid. The difference is that I'm not mocking you for expressing your opinion (and that's how your post cam off).
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The only opinions I am dismissive of are that I'm mean, nasty, a scorned uber, etc. Those are complete BS and should be dismissed. I'm totally okay with someone who only wants to post how great Gracie is, but expect someone to say "Well, this wasn't so great" in my opinion. I'm not being rude to any posters, which is quite the opposite from others here. I don't think my opinion is the "correct" one, but I want to be able to give my opinion without being called nasty things. It's what people in real life do outside of social media. Hopefully Gracie will show some fight and maybe even skate well today. I hope so. But if she goes out there, listless, disinterested and pops everything, there should be a conversation about her commitment to the sport. Without any posters being rudely picked at for just being realistic. I'm not a "yes" person, nor do I like being surrounded by "yes" people. I want my feelings, thoughts and opinions to be challenged and welcome criticism provided it's constructive. I don't know everything about everything, so I just want to be correct. If I'm wrong about something, I gladly accept it and am then thankful for not being wrong anymore on the issue. I'd rather read the comment sections on RW sites instead of hearing everyone agree with me on LW sites. If someone thinks I'm wrong, then convince me. Then the matter is solved. It's public debate/discourse. Is that not a "thing" anymore?
 
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ErikWilliam said:
Hedwig, first of all, calm down. I believe you are far too emotionally invested in this than you should be. NO ONE, I repeat NO ONE is telling Gracie how to live her life or thinks that Gracie owes us ANYTHING. That notion is all a concoction in your mind. You should disabuse yourself of that notion immediately. You need to stop acting like some self-righteous defender of Gracie with your incorrect notions.

Yes, I have struggled with depression and anxiety. But I know when it's time to pick yourself up off your @ss and PRODUCE, and not just coast on decent people's sympathy. No one wants an 'emotional vampire' who sucks you dry emotionally, especially an Empath like me. I was a professor and we had a "problem" student who was going through a rough personal time and was on probation. I asked to be assigned to her so that I could encourage her and not be that "malignant" attending you'd dread having to spend the day with. Her heart wasn't in it, and I suggested that she take a LOA if she can't even TRY to look or act interested. I wanted so much to write her a stellar evaluation to get her off probation, but she just didn't do anything to help herself. It broke my heart, but that's life. Gracie has now had three years in this comeback. I wonder that she is only doing this because she feels obligated to skate through the Olympic season. And I'm also concerned what will happen to her after this season when this whole "skating to get my mental health back" project is over. She won't be able to use the rink as an excuse not to move forward with her life anymore, if that is what she is doing. I almost feel that this lengthy comeback is not all that good for her mental health and future. Just my opinion. I'm not "hating" on anyone, no matter what you squawk.
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Didn't you be called Erik Felton?
 
Amber has posted an Instagram story explaining her WD from the FS at Cranberry Cup - here's a summary from the FS play-by-play thread:
Rukia said:
Amber just posted that she's having medical issues with her right leg/foot and her team + USFS decided that she should be safe and withdraw.

Hope she heals quickly!
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BTW, many of us are watching the Cranberry Cup women live and posting in the Kiss & Cry section -- I'm sure there will be lots of lively post-event discussion here later. ;)
 
I know we all have our favourite skaters, but I'm surprised how harsh some people still are on Gracie Gold. We don't know what goes on in her head and therefore we shouldn't judge her on whether she's "happy" to be there or "struggling". Let's keep the discussion on their skating skills and how they're performing.
 
My thoughts on Gracie (after watching her practices, her SP and her LP from the Cranberry Open)...she has tremendous talent and potential and she is so close to success (that she can probably smell it) but...if you want to know how Gracie will do in competition, just look at her practices. She competes exactly like she practices.

In the practices, I see her do sections but never full run throughs. It's obvious that she does not do full run throughs. She goes after an element with full force and when she makes a mistake she stops...goes after the next element...mistake...stop...next...mistake...stop...next...mistake...stop.... She just does not get the mileage that she needs to get from practice to be able to compete better and she is such a perfectionist that one mistake throws her completely off.

Yet, I have tremendous respect for her for trying. She could have withdrawn too, but stayed and she fought and she went after everything. That takes a lot of guts.

I see so much potential. The height that she gets in her jumps is just amazing. She jumps so high sometimes that she throws herself off, get's lost in the air and/or fails to pull-in to complete the rotations. I understand now why Frank was trying to make her jumps smaller...to improve the consistency. Yet, I just love marveling at the sheer power she gets from her stroking and the incredible push she has off her entrance edge that allows her to soar up into the air. If she practiced full run-throughs more, she would get more comfortable with the feeling (of flying) and her consistency would improve (without having to make her jumps smaller).

I don't know what it will take to get Gracie to practice better but if she ever does, then I guarantee she will compete better too. She has all the talent necessary to succeed.
 
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Well, the Nebehorn spot is all but guaranteed to go to Alysa, Amber WD after a bad SP due to injury, and Mariah was ok in the SP (with horrendous music) but had a complete meltdown in the FS. Since I assume one spot at the Olympics team is also pretty much guaranteed to go to Alysa, the fight for the other two spots will be interesting and will probably depend a lot on how the ladies will do during the GP season.
 
I still think they should send an alternate to Nebelhorn, given the stakes and the possibility of a + crud test. After this competition, I really don't know who I'd send.
 
Sylvia said:
Amber has posted an Instagram story explaining her WD from the FS at Cranberry Cup - here's a summary from the FS play-by-play thread:

BTW, many of us are watching the Cranberry Cup women live and posting in the Kiss & Cry section -- I'm sure there will be lots of lively post-event discussion here later. ;)
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Ugh, this poor woman is cursed with injury and misfortune. ?
 
peibeck said:
Ugh, this poor woman is cursed with injury and misfortune. ?
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I know.... this would have been a good opportunity for her to have had at least a win over Bell this season, working on the BOW. Too bad. She does seem cursed with bad luck. :(

ETA: IANAC (I am not a coach), but do you think anyone has presented to Gracie the idea of doing her difficult triples in the first half and put her two 2axels in the back half? Her last competition in her LP she didn't complete even one triple cleanly. This one only two. So maybe her Team should think about a layout like: 3Lutz-(2/3)Toe, 3Lutz-eu-2/3Sal, 3flip, 3loop >>>>>> 3toe, 2a-2Toe, 2a. She pretty much pops everything in the back half, so popping 2axels wouldn't be as costly point wise, and a 2axel should not be hard for her in the back half. Maybe?
 
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Hedwig said:
I think your problem is that you cannot believe that someone skates for the joy of it. You probably don't skate yourself. I do and I will never make an Olympic team but I still love it and do every camp and every hour I can get.
Gracie herself said in an interview that (I paraphrase) the pressure is more off for her than before because she does not need to prove anything anymore. She can just stop if she does not enjoy it anymore.

There are a thousand reasons to skate and to start at competitions and none of them are about making the Olympic team.

Maybe she will make it - I doubt it very much - but that is no reason to stop skating. Ask Midori Ito ;-) Ask the thousands of people who get up at 5 a.m. to get an early morning skate session because that is the only time they get ice. Just because they love it. Ask the people in adult competitions why they compete - they just do it to have something to work towards, to show their programs, to compete. I don't pretend to know Gracie well enough to know what drives her and what are her reasons to skate but I am pretty sure it is not just about a tiny chance to skate at an international event or make the Olympic team.

I think she is an inspiration in her fight against mental health struggles and that she is doing what she wants even though she gets criticised for about every thing under the sun. More power to her. ?
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To each their own. If this is Gracie being joyful.....well that's a pitty.
 
marysy said:
This YouTube channel has uploaded Alysa, Mariah, and Gracie’s FS and Alysa, Mariah, and Amber’s SP from Cranberry. Since the livestream lagged a lot especially during the FS, I appreciated being able to see the entirety of the free programs.

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I really like Alysa's new LP (and SP). Choreographed well to her strengths. She's ready for Nebelhorn.

Mariah- She's a very pretty skater, and if all she did was skate around and spin she'd be amazing. Unfortunately she has to jump, and she can't. So it's hard to invest in her performances. Oh well, maybe Raf's two year plan will finally kick in after five years for her. Her jumps just seem to be getting worse and worse. Even her 2axel looked weak. Hopefully she'll improve over the season.
 
Jammers said:
Mariah looks like she's hanging on a bit like Ashley did in the last Olympic season in 2018. Older skater with declining jumps and technical skills having to make it up for it with performance ability and programs people aren't happy about.
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And even less BOW to support putting her on the team if she finishes behind Liu, Tennell and Chen.
 
Jammers said:
Mariah looks like she's hanging on a bit like Ashley did in the last Olympic season in 2018. Older skater with declining jumps and technical skills having to make it up for it with performance ability and programs people aren't happy about.
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Not surprised at Miriah. I would be surprised if the stars aligned for her again.
 
Top US Summer Scores 2021

SENIOR WOMEN FS/TOTAL
Alysa Liu 139/205
Gabriella Izzo 125/197
Lindsay Thorngren 129/195
Sierra Venetta 133/186
Isabeau Levito 116/183
Mariah Bell 112/179
Paige Rydberg 110/175
Audrey Shin 112/174
Emily Zhang 110/170
Maxine Bautista 114/168
Sonja Hilmer 105/165
Starr Andrews 105/158
Maryn Pierce 100/158
Rena Ikenishi 104/158
Finley Hawk 98/151
Jessica Lin 98/151
Gracie Gold 89/149
Jill Heiner 95/148
Violeta Ushakova 102/146
Hanna Harrell 91/145
Heidi Munger 87/144
 
AxelAnnie said:
Not surprised at Miriah. I would be surprised if the stars aligned for her again.
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Perhaps there is something else going on in the background. I remember when Ashley split up with her boyfriend at the time, she only said a long time afterwards how difficult it had been for her during that period. I don't say that Mariah and Romain have split up but perhaps, there is something else that makes it hard for Mariah to get it all together just now. I hope she will be back strong and ready for her GP's later this year. She is a wonderful skater and after all these years competing on top level, it would be fantastic if everything could click for her and to earn one of the Olympic slots.
 
haribobo said:
Top US Summer Scores 2021

SENIOR WOMEN FS/TOTAL
Alysa Liu 139/205
Gabriella Izzo 125/197
Lindsay Thorngren 129/195
Sierra Venetta 133/186
Isabeau Levito 116/183
Mariah Bell 112/179
Paige Rydberg 110/175
Audrey Shin 112/174
Emily Zhang 110/170
Maxine Bautista 114/168
Sonja Hilmer 105/165
Starr Andrews 105/158
Maryn Pierce 100/158
Rena Ikenishi 104/158
Finley Hawk 98/151
Jessica Lin 98/151
Gracie Gold 89/149
Jill Heiner 95/148
Violeta Ushakova 102/146
Hanna Harrell 91/145
Heidi Munger 87/144
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Thanks! Although it might be worth nothing that some of these scores are domestic competitions versus internationals and that there is a difference in scoring between the two.
 
I don't think a bad performance from Mariah is anything to look at in terms of declining or whatever. She was in excellent condition at the 2019 Grand Prix and 2020 Nationals, and even in the early 2021 season. Yes, she fell apart at Nationals and we all know that her free skate was a complete miss as it is, but this is early August we are talking about.

That being said, the short program really, really does not work for me again. I had such high hopes because Chromatica is awesome, but the tons of edit and sound effects send it straight into cheesy cheerleading competition music, and the choreography could've been something amazing-- but it's not.
 
tony said:
I don't think a bad performance from Mariah is anything to look at in terms of declining or whatever. She was in excellent condition at the 2019 Grand Prix and 2020 Nationals, and even in the early 2021 season. Yes, she fell apart at Nationals and we all know that her free skate was a complete miss as it is, but this is early August we are talking about.
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Agreed. I know it's the offseason and everyone is ready for skating to start, but people are putting a lot of weight on August. Skaters aren't supposed to be at their best in August.
 
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