U.S. Women [#5]: Remain on the Dance Floor

[kwanfan1818]

The last time ISU prize money was announced was in Communication 2516 -- dated and sequenced as October 22, 2022 on the ISU site, but dated February 24, 2023 in the document -- for the 2022/23 season:

4C's/Euros singles placed 1-6 earned:
1-21K
2-16K
3-11K
4-7K
5-5K
6-3K

Pairs/Dance:
1-30K
2-20K
3-12K
4-10K
5-7K
6-5K

According to the 4C's Announcement, only expenses for the athletes and Team Leader are covered. So if they were comparing the budgets, it would be two people's expenses to travel to and stay in Columbus vs. one's to/in Shanghai, and possibly flying direct from Columbus. Coaches expenses are generally split among skaters, but I'm not sure how many Ziegler's coach(es) have at Nationals vs. 4C's.

 

[Willin]

So basically if she finishes in the Top 6 she might get a small profit or break even. If she gets in the Top 4 she'll basically be guaranteed a profit - and possibly a very big one. At US Nationals she's in the hole win or lose.

 

[Carolla5501]

That is one idiotic decision. So 4CC is more important than a National title i guess. Good luck for her trying to make the World team now. Other skaters are doing both events so what is she and her team thinking?

It’s not any more idiotic than people with little to no knowledge of her current situation assuming that they know more than her and her team

 

[Private Citizen]

I think people are missing the most obvious explanation re: Ziegler: time. Four Continents is a week after Nationals, and she gets an extra week to heal from her injury and prepare. If Nationals were a week after Four Continents, she'd probably make the opposite choice.

The original article was misleading because it did not mention the injury. Once the news broke that Ziegler was recovering from injury, the decision made more sense: too taxing to do both, and 4CC gives her one more week to recover.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

AFTER ROLLERCOASTER GRAND PRIX SEASON, AMBER GLENN KNOWS WHAT SHE’S CAPABLE OF​

Excerpts…

As she turned from skating backwards to forwards, she collided with another skater’s elbow, suffering a concussion and a left orbital bone fracture where her face hit the ice.

Glenn went from feeling prepared and confident to having it all yanked away from her. By the time she was fully recovered, she’d withdrawn from two competitions and had a week to prepare for Skate America.

“And it was so loud in the arena. I was also thinking, ‘I can’t hear my music!’” she said with a laugh. “The best part was afterwards, getting to see my family’s reaction. That was amazing. But it’s a moment I will never forget.”

At the end of the day, she finished third, winning her second career Grand Prix medal after the largest jump in the standings in Grand Prix history.

Now that she’s gotten the kinks out, has a successful triple Axel under her belt and has had some time to both relax and grind through her programs, she’s a very real threat for the top of the podium.

After Rollercoaster Grand Prix Season, Amber Glenn Knows What She’s Capable Of | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

 

[peibeck]

USFSA finally getting behind Amber? Guess there was some sense in transplanting herself to Colorado Springs.

 

[Karen-W]

USFSA finally getting behind Amber? Guess there was some sense in transplanting herself to Colorado Springs.

I think it's more a matter of cooling a bit on Isabeau and being willing to let the chips fall where they may with regard to the women. Whomever skates best on Thu & Fri will come out the winner.

 

[Coco]

Let's hope so!

 

[peibeck]

I think it's more a matter of cooling a bit on Isabeau and being willing to let the chips fall where they may with regard to the women. Whomever skates best on Thu & Fri will come out the winner.

Why would they be cooling on Levito? She's generally our most consistent female skater.

 

[skatingguy]

Why would they be cooling on Levito? She's generally our most consistent female skater.

She didn't win a medal last year.

 

[Karen-W]

Why would they be cooling on Levito? She's generally our most consistent female skater.

She didn't win a medal last year.

And she didn't medal at the GPF this year. Plus whatever the hell it was that happened at 4CCs last year...

 

[peibeck]

She didn't win a medal last year.

Well that's because she was outskated. I certainly don't think Hae-in Lee to take silver was greatly expected, and Loena to barely eek out a medal (and not even place in the top three in either program) after a strong early season.

 

[Willin]

I think she's starting to see the diminishing returns we all knew she would with that jump technique. Obviously she's still succeeding and arguably the top US lady, but there's no longer a need to put all their eggs in one Isabeau-shaped basket.

You have a few great juniors coming up. Lindsay and Ava are showing both superior jump technique and increasing ability to medal internationally. Amber has proved some staying power - and even the ability to beat Isabeau internationally (in the SP at least).

 

[peibeck]

And she didn't medal at the GPF this year. Plus whatever the hell it was that happened at 4CCs last year...

She buried herself in the SP, no doubt, but she was third in the free at the Final.

She was sick at 4CC, and possibly burned out after six comps already prior to that event, all of which she medaled at.

 

[skatingguy]

Well that's because she was outskated. I certainly don't think Hae-in Lee to take silver was greatly expected, and Loena to barely eek out a medal (and not even place in the top three in either program) after a strong early season.

She buried herself in the SP, no doubt, but she was third in the free at the Final.

She was sick at 4CC, and possibly burned out after six comps already prior to that event, all of which she medaled at.

All reasonable explanations as to why she didn't meet the expectations, but she didn't meet the expectations, and that's enough for the USFS to pull back on their support. Not the point where she won't go to Worlds this year, but to the point where she isn't the overwhelming favourite for US Nationals which is where she started the season.

 

[peibeck]

All reasonable explanations as to why she didn't meet the expectations, but she didn't meet the expectations, and that's enough for the USFS to pull back on their support. Not the point where she won't go to Worlds this year, but to the point where she isn't the overwhelming favourite for US Nationals which is where she started the season.

And yet, she's won more medals than any other American lady during the past two seasons. So I don't really see USFS dampening support for her. ?‍

 

[skatingguy]

And yet, she's won more medals than any other American lady during the past two seasons. So I don't really see USFS dampening support for her. ?‍

But they have already - Jackie Wong doesn't write an Amber Glenn prediction article if the USFS was all in on Levito.

 

[jlai]

But they have already - Jackie Wong doesn't write an Amber Glenn prediction article if the USFS was all in on Levito.

Let’s hope competition results aren’t dictated solely by federation support

 

[skatingguy]

Let’s hope competition results aren’t dictated solely by federation support

I wouldn't say dictated, but skating competitions are often decided by the momentum of the skaters going into an event. Do the judges have a favourable view of your skating? If they do that could add small amounts to scores that they give, and those small amounts add up, and if they don't then that can have the opposite effect.

 

[jlai]

I think there are enough ladies who did well in the fall that the ‘momentum isn’t just for one skater. That’s what makes this exciting.

 

[ChillSkate]

Remember when Ashley Wagner withdrew from Skate America and her support diminished (though she had some other things going against her that season like changing her programs at the last minute).

Even though Isabeau was sick at Four Continents, I don't think USFS likes it when American skaters withdraw from US-based ISU events.

 

[Karen-W]

But they have already - Jackie Wong doesn't write an Amber Glenn prediction article if the USFS was all in on Levito.

And they had Lindsay & Ava on NBC Today to promote Nats this morning. Surely, if they were still hot on Isabeau they would have had her take the train up from Philly to NYC last night to do the show.

Jackie also made a point of predicting Lindsay for bronze with the qualifier that she could easily finish 1st or 2nd and called it a close race between the three (Amber, Isabeau, Lindsay).

And, FWIW, Dave Lease said the same thing on TSL's Nats prediction show yesterday - Isabeau has lost support and Amber has the political momentum at this time.

It'll certainly be interesting to see how the marks come in and what the tech panel does.

 

[Frau Muller]

The Arabic Cobra SP, with the f-ugly dress, may not leave the best flavor nowadays. Just sayin’.

 

[skatingguy]

The Arabic Cobra SP may not leave the best flavor nowadays. Just sayin’.

That for sure is not a factor what so ever.

 

[jlai]

I am not sure it’s a case of one person losing support as multiple skaters showing capability in fall and worthy of support, and if I were a judge I would want to see it play out in Ohio and not put all eggs in one basket

 

[BittyBug]

Here are some other possibilities:

• Jackie Wong is not owned or controlled by US Figure Skating, and perhaps his predictions reflect just that - his predictions, based on how people are skating
• Figure skating is a cesspool of rumors which are sometimes started with an intended outcome
• Maybe Levito didn't appear on The Today Show because she wanted to concentrate on her training (how often have fans pilloried skaters about focusing too much on media events and not enough on the ice?)
• Sometimes tea leaves just read "tea"

No doubt Levito has struggled a bit this season, but rumors of her impending demise may be premature. Nonetheless, it should be an exciting competition for the podium spots and I just wish that Ziegler was part of it.

 

[PRlady]

If we have four good skaters with international medal potential instead of one, surely that’s a good thing for USFS and fans alike. I like Isabeau but she’s going to need to fix that jump technique at some point. And most of the US great lady skaters had serious domestic competition: it made them better.

 

[Tesla]

If Isabeau isn't going into Nationals as the favorite, that could be good, as there is less pressure on her.

 

[Wyliefan]

I love how seriously people are taking Jackie's predictions. I love Jackie, and he's great at live-tweeting practices and competitions, but he's never been good at predictions.

 

[BlueRidge]

I love how seriously people are taking Jackie's predictions. I love Jackie, and he's great at live-tweeting practices and competitions, but he's never been good at predictions.

If I were betting I'd hesitate to put money on Amber for gold without really good odds in my favor because as we all know Amber is inconsistent. No one can possibly predict that she is going to be at her best at a particular competition and given how she has skated when she has not been at her best she's not going to be held up by the judges if another skater skates well. Its exciting to go into it thinking Amber is going to have two great skates but no one can know that!

Its a good time to bet against Isabeau given the problems she has had. But who knows about that either.

Ava Ziegler could have won this if both Amber and Isabeau had off comps which is certainly a significant possibility. So I don't get her choosing 4CC over Nationals. Isn't winning or medaling at Nationals a bigger deal than 4CCs?