Recent content by layman

Thank you...that was a memory lapse on my part. Let me just state here and now that Angela Nikodinov was never my "fridge break." I found her skating exquisite...even before she worked with Elena Tcherkaskia, who really, really brought out her artistry (I loved Angela's program set to...

Why does Yaroslav Paniot never get any love (or Grand Prix or Challenger Assignments) from the USFSA? He's been doing well at Nationals for quite a number of years now. I love his Quad flip and he's a natural entertainer.

Yes indeed...Ava and Lindsay and Sarah Everhardt, who reminds me of Sarah Hughes...they could all be darkhorses (just like Sarah Hughes was).

The early 2000s was a Golden Age for the US women...when Deanna, Sarah, Angela, Jenny, Michelle, Sasha, Ann Patrice MacDonough...were all competing at the same time and pushing each other to be better and better. It's not a co-incidence that the last US Women's Olympic Champion was Sarah Hughes...

I remember back in the day (late nineties, early 2000's) when many young American women would routinely skate their programs cleanly...Sarah Hughes, Jenny Kirk...I remember a 15 year old Deanna Stellato skating both her short and long programs cleanly at a televised Campbell's competition (if I...

Green/Parsons debuted in 6th place in their 1st senior Worlds last season, which considering how difficult dance is now, is as good as a podium finish in my book. I wish them the best.

This is what worries me about what has happened with Green/Parsons. When the Shibutanis were knocked down in the standings, it took them years to climb out of that hole. I just hope that Green/Parsons have that same kind of perseverance.

Here's the ill effect...to put it simply, after the USFSA's knee-capping of Green/Parsons (move over Tonya Harding), we are running out of American Dance teams who can place in the top ten at Worlds (Green/Parsons have proven that they can); we are one retirement away from the whole US Dance...

I was actually awe-struck by Chock and Bates...there were a couple of scary moments in their Free which they totally saved...that's experience. If you look at their feet on the ice, you can see that they skate extremely close together, their blades are almost touching (thank goodness they do...

Chock and Bates were outskated at Nationals as well. With the (shaky) skates they put out, they probably deserved 4th or 5th place, but I would have still put them on the World team because of their body of work. At least the USFSA got that right. Green and Parsons deserved the same consideration.

I said that Bratti and Somerville would not make the top 10 at Worlds (after they were put on the team). Turns out they did not even qualify to skate the free. This was predictable and shows what a colossal error the USFSA made in not sending Green and Parsons to Worlds (despite their strong...

Congratulations to Isabeau Levito! It looks to me that she used the disappointment of Nationals to go back home and train, train, train...for Worlds. This was the most prepared that I have ever seen from her. Well done!

Valieva has been dropped from the Russian National Team. https://www.reuters.com/sports/russian-national-team-drops-banned-figure-skater-kamila-valieva-ifx-2024-03-07/

I am thrilled with Alysa Liu's decision to return competitive figure skating! I was deeply impressed with her commitment and grit to improve during the last four seasons that she competed. I saw that she was making tremendous progress from season to season and even from competition to...

Gracie Gold has talked (and written) about not being able to fit into the Ice Princess, Grace Kelly mold that the Skating Establishment and Frank Carroll wanted her to be. How do you think Surya Bonaly felt? To me, that fully justifies a breakdown (or two).