U.S. Women [#2]: The Unbearable Lightness of Beijing

[DreamSkates]

I think people forget that the USFSA reason for existence is to organize and promote the sport. You promote the sport with skaters. Historically women skaters have been the most successful in terms of results and also due to the fact that until relatively recently women's options in terms of sport's participation were relatively limited, skating was one of two or three sports in the US where the women garnered more attention than the men and therefore women skaters garnered the most publicity. To suggest that the USFSA shouldn't 'hype' or 'promote' a skater who has been successful at some level seems to be asking them to go counter to their primary purpose.

They could work harder at having several skaters to "hype" rather than one or 2 in each discipline thereby putting all the pressure on those skaters. Alyssa L for example.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Some athletes stay back as long as possible so they can train - more opportunities at home than at the venue.

I think it was a mistake in 94 when Tonya Harding came so late.

 

[olympic]

I think it was a mistake in 94 when Tonya Harding came so late.

Wasn't she also late in 1992?

 

[Frau Muller]

Wasn't she also late in 1992?

Yes, she was.

 

[Frau Muller]

CBS article & filmed interview with Alysa, as she prepares to head to Beijing!

U.S. figure skater Alysa Liu is living her Olympic dream

The teenager laced up for the first time at 5 years old. Now she's going for gold at the 2022 Winter Olympics.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Jammers]

Yes, she was.

Tonya was as undisciplined as she was talented.

 

[Sylvia]

CBS article & filmed interview with Alysa, as she prepares to head to Beijing!

Thanks - also on CBS' youtube: Figure Skater Alysa Liu is living her Olympic dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbhzUG3QfSQ

ETA that I'm glad she said this in her interview:

Liu feels confident that her mind is in the right place heading into these games. And in a sport where the pressure is high, she's learned to tune out the noise and negativity that filters through her social media accounts.
"It's so weird to have so many people watching me. And a lot of times they say a lot of things that they wouldn't say to you in person. And I feel like social media either helps them say more bold things, which can be good. But also, if they're negative comments or really weird comments, then it's a little strange," she said.

I saw glimpses of Alysa in 2 different Team Toyota commercials recently.

 

[Frau Muller]

Thanks - also on CBS' youtube: Figure Skater Alysa Liu is living her Olympic dream: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JbhzUG3QfSQ

I saw glimpses of Alysa in 2 different Team Toyota commercials recently.

Yes…jumping among hockey players, with helmet & hockey stick! Very cute!

 

[Carolla5501]

Why did she wait so long to go to Beijing? She missed out on walking in the opening ceremony with her USA teammates.

Actually there are a lot of athletes to choose to miss out on walking in the opening ceremonies. If you watch the ceremonies last night on NBC you heard Lindsey Vonn talking about how she generally didn’t walk. It’s several hours in the cold, it’s just not really good to do this right before you have a major event. She probably would have missed out even if she had been there.

 

[Sylvia]

In case you didn't see the news posted in the Kiss & Cry section (starting here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-beijing-olympics.108082/page-48#post-6184194), Karen will skate #9 of 10 in the Team Event Women's SP on Sunday morning (Feb. 6) in Beijing and tonight East coast time (ETA link to USFS' press release):

U.S. Team Event Participant Announced for Women’s Short Program | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

I'm rooting for Karen to skate a satisfying performance for herself - no pressure or anything!

 

[CassAgain]

Yay, Karen! 10s for Chens!

 

[VGThuy]

I had forgotten that with Wakaba doing the SP instead of Sakamoto, Karen will now be skating second to last instead of third to last. I hope she’ll skate well with a fiery and inspired skate with jumps that are as rotated as they can be just for herself. I really want Karen to have a positive Olympic experience compared to her stressful one last time.

 

[olympic]

Without Team KOR, BEL, POL, AZE and BLR, Karen should be 3rd if all women go clean, which would keep the US 1st for the moment. She has a ceiling of 2nd only if Wakaba royally screws up the 3A, but she could also slide down a bit with a mistake and Maddie Schizas and / or GEO girl (ETA - Anastasia Gubanova) nail it. Some volatility. She needs to rotate and land upright!

 

[shuilee]

Karen is toast with this strict tech panel. Jakupecevic (CRO) and Cruicksank (CAN) worked together at GP France, and they gave Karen (and Wakaba) many "q", "<" and "e" calls. Karen got the dreaded "e" and "q" for her 3flip, for example. Double whammy.

Only Eteri girls (Anna in particular) was able to escape with generous calls. Those 2 tech callers seem really strict on the American and Japanese ladies during GP France.

 

[Rukia]

Karen is toast with this strict tech panel. Jakupecevic (CRO) and Cruicksank (CAN) worked together at GP France, and they gave Karen (and Wakaba) many "q", "<" and "e" calls. Karen got the dreaded "e" and "q" for her 3flip, for example. Double whammy.

Only Eteri girls (Anna in particular) was able to escape with generous calls. Those 2 tech callers seem really strict on the American and Japanese ladies during GP France.

Anything can happen at an Olympics. I have faith in Karen's ability to do her best.

 

[Skibean]

She candidly admits to seeing a therapist. While there should be no stigma to this, it is not a normal thing for a teenager to do.

Most teens today see mental health counselors- especially during Covid. There’s no shame in it

 

[Willin]

I think Alysa arriving late is a good strategy. All of the media (except apparently CBS) have moved to Beijing and are focusing on the team event, other events, and the athletes in Beijing. By staying in the US all the pressure and spotlight gets put on Karen and Mariah and not on her, allowing her to fly under the radar for now. She'll have enough stress in Beijing, so why start it early?

 

[sk9tingfan]

Karen is toast with this strict tech panel. Jakupecevic (CRO) and Cruicksank (CAN) worked together at GP France, and they gave Karen (and Wakaba) many "q", "<" and "e" calls. Karen got the dreaded "e" and "q" for her 3flip, for example. Double whammy.

Only Eteri girls (Anna in particular) was able to escape with generous calls. Those 2 tech callers seem really strict on the American and Japanese ladies during GP France.

I'm still waiting for a pre-rotation rule to happen down the line....

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Karen is toast with this strict tech panel. Jakupecevic (CRO) and Cruicksank (CAN) worked together at GP France, and they gave Karen (and Wakaba) many "q", "<" and "e" calls. Karen got the dreaded "e" and "q" fo

That’s it!!!!! I’m calling Darlene and Peter and having Amber Sent in

Then I’m speaking with the manager

 

[Vagabond]

Most teens today see mental health counselors- especially during Covid. There’s no shame in it

I have already posted a link to statistics that support what I said. Neither you nor anyone else has backed up claims to the contrary.

 

[Sylvia]

I saw glimpses of Alysa in 2 different Team Toyota commercials recently.

Here's one I saw: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFUM3DqtGww
@skatingguy posteed the link to one that has Alysa jumping over hockey players : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pIVLAmH_9lg

 

[thvu]

I have already posted a link to statistics that support what I said. Neither you nor anyone else has backed up claims to the contrary.

What I take issue with is how you use the word “normal”, as if seeing a counselor or a therapist is “abnormal”. In schools across the country, this is a common occurrence. Saying something isn’t normal applies a stigma to it, as if there’s something wrong with a kid who needs to talk with someone; that there’s something wrong with a kid who is going through a hard time; that there’s something wrong with a kid who is feeling overwhelmed by school, life, or family.

I feel like what you’re trying to say is not “common”, but instead you’ve dug in your heels and won’t see why your terminology and defense of it is dangerous and pernicious, and speaks to old-school stigmas that prevent kids from getting help.

 

[VGThuy]

Karen is toast with this strict tech panel. Jakupecevic (CRO) and Cruicksank (CAN) worked together at GP France, and they gave Karen (and Wakaba) many "q", "<" and "e" calls. Karen got the dreaded "e" and "q" for her 3flip, for example. Double whammy.

Only Eteri girls (Anna in particular) was able to escape with generous calls. Those 2 tech callers seem really strict on the American and Japanese ladies during GP France.

I saw that and I actually have faith Karen with a 3/3 attempt, something she didn’t do in GP France SP, will do as expected or better. If she’s hit, then so will everyone else be outside of Eteri and she can have a chance of placing 2nd or 3rd, the latter of which is what we expected and the former is better than what we expected. Her LP score at GP France was actually pretty good with this panel considering how she skated that LP (with a fall) as well.

 

[bytheriver]

I saw that and I actually have faith Karen with a 3/3 attempt, something she didn’t do in GP France SP, will do as expected or better. If she’s hit, then so will everyone else be outside of Eteri and she can have a chance of placing 2nd or 3rd, the latter of which is what we expected and the former is better than what we expected. Her LP score at GP France was actually pretty good with this panel considering how she skated that LP (with a fall) as well.

I agree. And it wasn’t like Mariah or Alysa would fait much better with a judge that’s tough on URs.

 

[Trillian]

I have already posted a link to statistics that support what I said. Neither you nor anyone else has backed up claims to the contrary.

Lots of people disagreed about the importance of the statistics, though. It only takes a very basic understanding of social dynamics to recognize that it doesn’t require a statistical majority of people to be doing something in order for it to be considered “normal.” Lots of celebrities talk publicly about mental health and therapy now, and because of that, young people are attuned to these conversations and don’t react with the same surprise or stigma when their peers bring it up. Whatever percentage of teens are actually seeing therapists doesn’t change the fact that it’s culturally normalized - or the fact that it would be irresponsible if a teenager in Alysa’s position didn’t have a therapist, frankly.

 

[BittyBug]

Dead. Horse.

 

[SidelineSkater]

I saw that and I actually have faith Karen with a 3/3 attempt, something she didn’t do in GP France SP, will do as expected or better. If she’s hit, then so will everyone else be outside of Eteri and she can have a chance of placing 2nd or 3rd, the latter of which is what we expected and the former is better than what we expected. Her LP score at GP France was actually pretty good with this panel considering how she skated that LP (with a fall) as well.

I know practice is not competition, but Jackie Wong said Karen did several 3/3s in practice and in her SP run through. He usually notes if a skater urs.

Hopefully she’s peaking and has a great skate tonight (here)/tomorrow there.

 

[Karen-W]

I know practice is not competition, but Jackie Wong said Karen did several 3/3s in practice and in her SP run through. He usually notes if a skater urs.

Hopefully she’s peaking and has a great skate tonight (here)/tomorrow there.

Yes, I've noticed that Jackie hasn't been calling into question the rotation on any of Karen's jumps in practices. He's usually really good about that, so I'm hoping we get great Karen tonight/tomorrow.

 

[Rukia]

Yes, I've noticed that Jackie hasn't been calling into question the rotation on any of Karen's jumps in practices. He's usually really good about that, so I'm hoping we get great Karen tonight/tomorrow.

A small note to this is that Jackie did say the angle in the practice rink the media has is not very good for seeing rotations very well. However by this point I'm pretty sure she's practiced on the main rink as well.

 

[Jayar]

She also has the advantage of being able to be strategic. She needs to finish in3rd place. If others are meh, so can do a 3-2 and get third.