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

[Tavi]

I’m really sorry Sonia Hilmer didn’t make it. She’s so creative and talented, and has made so much progress technically in the past few years. Hope she keeps going and makes it next year!

 

[Lacey]

Gracie shared a podium photo of her with the silver, bronze & pewter medalists in Alpharetta, GA (Violeta Ushakova, Ting Cui & Jill Heiner) today, along with photos of her support team: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWoiJ5Jp2ZM/

I am so happy to see Gracie so happy.
HAPPY HAPPY CLAPPY.
And PROUD OF HER!

 

[olympic]

Anyone notice that US pairs have had a higher success rate on the GP circuit than US ladies? Even in terms of 4th place finishes not just medals

 

[AxelAnnie]

Anyone notice that US pairs have had a higher success rate on the GP circuit than US ladies? Even in terms of 4th place finishes not just medals

ET live in unusual times. And its weird too. I'm all my imagination I never would have imagined this.

I hope we send a youngin to Olys. It would be nice to have one or two seasoned girl in our arsenal for the next quad. It does American ladies no good to go. Karen and Miraha won't win anything....and most likely be able to get through 2 clean skates.

Maybe Sasha and Michelle would like to come back and give it a shot. Nikki

 

[PRlady]

Anyone notice that US pairs have had a higher success rate on the GP circuit than US ladies? Even in terms of 4th place finishes not just medals

The technical standard in pairs hasn’t really changed now that they’ve abandoned quad twists and throw 3As. While in women, it’s shot up so much that having a 3-3 is the floor, not the ceiling. Ours haven’t caught up.

 

[AxelAnnie]

Genius idea: A couple of the Russian Ladies should change countries and skate for us!!!

 

[skatingguy]

Genius idea: A couple of the Russian Ladies should change countries and skate for us!!!

With the long process for US citizenship, and the short shelf life of most of the Russian women's skaters you'd have to recruit the 5 & 6 years-olds for that plan to succeed.

 

[olympic]

The technical standard in pairs hasn’t really changed now that they’ve abandoned quad twists and throw 3As. While in women, it’s shot up so much that having a 3-3 is the floor, not the ceiling. Ours haven’t caught up.

Well, true. I didn't think of that. Although, I see a change in US pairs re better SS, choreo (generally) and the ability to skate bigger. I mean take a look at where we were a decade and a half ago

 

[olympic]

BTW, props to Audrey and Misha for making the final group in the LP at RC! Granted, there were mistakes from some top pairs, but they got a PB (or SB, not sure).

 

[olympic]

...and Mariah Bell 3rd after the SP at RC!

 

[alexikeguchi]

Unless Bell pulls off a miracle at RC, won’t this be the first season ever that an American lady has not medaled on the GP?

I don't want to jinx her, but....

 

[Coco]

After messing up her combination again, I expect we will see the same 6 triple FS layout we saw in France.

I wonder if she should just go for 3f2l in the SP and try to maximize GOE on that element. Puts her on the bubble for top 6 in the SP at Nationals, but no more so than if she doubles the 3t in her combination.

 

[honey]

I’d be curious about what the 3/3 looks like in practice every day for Mariah. The jumps she has put out in competition the last two weeks have been pretty solid and strong. Much stronger IMO than the last two seasons when the landings were often quite squirrelly. So it’s a bit strange to me seeing her struggle so much with the 3/3 right now. Is this just a competition nerve issue or is the combo missing in practice as well? Based on the competition and warm up attempts I’ve seen in France and Russia I’m thinking it’s not working in practice either unfortunately.

To me, that beautiful snap in her jumps that she had when she was younger is back now, so I’m hoping that she can get the +3T combos working again in the next month.

 

[VGThuy]

Rewatching 1998 Nationals and Duck Button said every American Olympic champion was born on a month that began with “J”, and it was true until Sarah Hughes! If only Kwan had won in 2002, that piece of trivia could have continued and then we’d be looking for any promising young skater that was born on a month that begins with “J”.

 

[sheetz]

I've heard Mariah has been really struggling with 3F3T even in practice. Pretty sure she can do 2A3T, which would squeeze an extra triple into her FS. But that doesn't fix the problem with the SP.

 

[Karen-W]

After messing up her combination again, I expect we will see the same 6 triple FS layout we saw in France.

I wonder if she should just go for 3f2l in the SP and try to maximize GOE on that element. Puts her on the bubble for top 6 in the SP at Nationals, but no more so than if she doubles the 3t in her combination.

Mariah? Her SP score today was the 2nd highest of any US woman internationally this season:

Alysa - 74.31 CS Lombardia, 70.86 CS Nebelhorn, 73.63 SCI, 67.72 NHK
Mariah - 60.81 IdF, 69.37 Rostelecom
Karen - 58.01 CS ACI, 67.50 CS Finlandia, 68.74 SCI, 64.67 IdF
Amber - 60.76 CS Finlandia, 67.57 SkAm, 63.43 NHK
Gabriella - 63.93 US Classic, 55.56 CS Warsaw
Audrey - 58.80 CS Lombardia, 62.82 SkAm, 54.58 CS Austria
Starr - 59.21 CS ACI, 61.94 SkAm, 53.78 CS Austria
Sierra - 61.60 US Classic
Lindsay - 60.75 CS Warsaw

She's more than competitive for top 6 in the SP at Nats.

 

[Coco]

But redo those results with a generous caller and add a clean Gracie in there, it will be a tightly bunched group.

 

[wickedwitch]

Mariah? Her SP score today was the 2nd highest of any US woman internationally this season:

Alysa - 74.31 CS Lombardia, 70.86 CS Nebelhorn, 73.63 SCI, 67.72 NHK
Mariah - 60.81 IdF, 69.37 Rostelecom
Karen - 58.01 CS ACI, 67.50 CS Finlandia, 68.74 SCI, 64.67 IdF
Amber - 60.76 CS Finlandia, 67.57 SkAm, 63.43 NHK
Gabriella - 63.93 US Classic, 55.56 CS Warsaw
Audrey - 58.80 CS Lombardia, 62.82 SkAm, 54.58 CS Austria
Starr - 59.21 CS ACI, 61.94 SkAm, 53.78 CS Austria
Sierra - 61.60 US Classic
Lindsay - 60.75 CS Warsaw

She's more than competitive for top 6 in the SP at Nats.

Lindsey got 70+ at a JGP event.

 

[Karen-W]

But redo those results with a generous caller and add a clean Gracie in there, it will be a tightly bunched group.

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. One clean SP at an NQS does not a contender make.

 

[Karen-W]

Lindsey got 70+ at a JGP event.

Right, and Isabeau also scored 70+ at her JGP but I deliberately left out the JGP scores for them since everyone is quick to remind me over in the Men's thread that we can't really expect the same PCS for junior skaters when they move up to seniors...

 

[Coco]

LOL, I think GG has broken 60 points in the SP two times this season.

And what if Bradie makes it back? I'm not expecting it, but stranger things have happened.

 

[Willin]

Let's not get ahead of ourselves here. One clean SP at an NQS does not a contender make.

Not only that, but it's one competition. We don't know if she'll be able to get the tech minimums at an international competition. I love Gracie and way to get her to the Olympics, but I'm not sure it's possible.

I'm elated to see Mariah do well. The new material made a huge difference, as did the focus being on everyone but her. With Bradie's injury I feel like a big door opened for Mariah and she looks like she's not ready to let it close yet.

 

[mtnskater]

I’m enjoying the moment with Mariah sitting in third after the short. That’s the highest SP placement for a U.S. lady on the Grand Prix. I hope she has a great free and can keep herself strongly in the conversation for the Olympic team! I just love her mature presentation and overall lovely skating.

 

[Karen-W]

Not only that, but it's one competition. We don't know if she'll be able to get the tech minimums at an international competition. I love Gracie and way to get her to the Olympics, but I'm not sure it's possible.

I'm elated to see Mariah do well. The new material made a huge difference, as did the focus being on everyone but her. With Bradie's injury I feel like a big door opened for Mariah and she looks like she's not ready to let it close yet.

I don't think that Gracie will have an opportunity to get the international TES minimums. I know there is Bavarian Open the same week as 4CCs but I just can't see the USFS naming her to the team, even tentatively should she land in the top 3 at Nats. The competition would have to be incredibly poorly skated by Chen, Bell, Glenn, Thorngren, and even Shin & Andrews, who have both scored higher at international events this season than Gracie managed at the Alpharetta NQS. Yes, a top 3 at Nats would get her into Group 3 but if Mariah manages to score 194+ at Rostelecom and Golden Spin then she will also move herself into Group 3 and I don't see Gracie being picked for the Olympic team over both Karen and Mariah. She would be in the exact same position as Ross Miner was in 2018 and we all know how that turned out.

I agree about Mariah. I really love her new SP and going back to Hallelujah for the FS was a very good decision. Slow and steadily, she can put herself in this Olympic team conversation.

 

[Coco]

I don't see Gracie in the top three at nationals, but I do see her as a possibility for the top six for the short program. I suppose it's possible for someone to make the Olympic team if they don't finish in the top six in the short program, but it would be rather unprecedented.


ETA: My concern is that Mariah, with a botched combo, would be at risk of placing 7th or lower, if everybody else goes clean.

It's an Olympic season, and I need to verbalize my anxieties. I am realizing that I want Mariah to be an Olympian. Wasn't aware of this until recently, but...emotions.

 

[peibeck]

I wish she had more one more chance at the wheel before nationals

She's been dealing with a leg injury this season. I'm glad she has time to rest and heal without another competition.

 

[VGThuy]

Things are interesting now that Mariah Bell is the only ladies skater to hit the 2021 World top 5 score since the GP started. Liu hit it at Lombardia while Chen’s score at 2021 Worlds is what they’re trying to hit…and Chen herself hasn’t been able to hit it.

 

[olympic]

I'm relieved to see a US woman besides Alysa Liu score above 210 internationally.

Question - Just for strategic purposes, Mariah is only completing 6 triples. Why not substitute out one of the 2As for a 3T? A couple more points might mean something significant in a future comp ... If she intends to back-end one of her passes w. a 3T, she can always switch back.

 

[Karen-W]

Things are interesting now that Mariah Bell is the only ladies skater to hit the 2021 World top 5 score since the GP started. Liu hit it at Lombardia while Chen’s score at 2021 Worlds is what they’re trying to hit…and Chen herself hasn’t been able to hit it.

Yup, and I kind of expect the Golden Spin scoring to be generous since it's the last Senior B before Euros/4CCs for skaters to get their TES minimums so we'll see if she can go clean and maybe turn one of her 3-2 combos into a 3-3 combo - might be enough to get her over the Worlds Top 3 mark of 217.20 and into Group 2.

US Women's Olympic race at least has gotten a little more interesting. FINALLY. I'm hoping Thorngren can match her JGP Ljubljana score and also jump into Group 3 at the JGPF.

 

[DreamSkates]

...and Mariah Bell 3rd after the SP at RC!

She can be proud of herself for her LP result and take that confidence into Nationals. And possibly make the Olympic team.