U.S. Women [#8]: Meet Me in St. Louis

[Sasha'sSpins]

Agree. The Jesuits wanted to protect the culture and land of the people, not eliminate them. The Catholic faith had many different groups so they often disagreed.

In real life the Guarani resisted the religion that the Jesuits imposed on them. And from what I've read, the Jesuits ultimately ordered the Guarani to surrender to the conquerers. I do remember that in some articles of the time some Indigenous groups weren't happy at all with the film's passive, almost accepting portrayal of the conquered Natives, as if they hadn't tried to put up a fight against what was being forced on them by the Jesuits. In real life, the Jesuits were no saints. But that's Hollywood.

Getting back OT, I don't agree with anyone who thinks that Amber doesn't have a champion's mentality! Someone who worked hard, learned how to master an Ultra C element practically out of her teens (like Mirai Nagasu before her), beat down her demons and who went on to have a winning season during last year's GP season with a top 5 finish at Worlds DOES have a champion's mentality!

As to Alysa, should she add the 3L-3R to her FS? And move it to the bonus? She's been getting called on the 3L-3T anyway. Jackie Wong said that he felt it was good strategy for Alysa to keep it in her SP in the bonus just in case her combo does get called. I guess with the 10% bonus the damage wouldn't be as bad as for a called 3L-3T? And since Alysa is keeping her "Promise" SP through the Olympics, I hope that she gets a new dress for the Games! Same with her MacArthur Park FS if in the end she decides that she must keep it too for the Olympics.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Wow - keep coming back and finding more posts on Bradie`s MOVIE music. Isn`t there another place here for non-skating discussion?

 

[Bulletsdad]

So, it looks like Alysa is locked into 5th place in the WR for the Olympics (I assume she will skip 4CC). Gubanova, Pinzarone and Kim still cannot catch her, even if they win Euros/4CC.

https://results.isu.org/ws/ws/wswomen.htm

 

[Debbie S]

I believe the SP draw within each group is random.

 

[tony]

I believe the SP draw within each group is random.

Yes, it's separated into two - if there are six in a warm-up, it's the lower-ranked three drawing for spots 1, 2, and 3 and the higher-ranked three drawing for spots 4, 5, and 6. In other words, Alysa could skate anywhere from 25th to 27th.

 

[Bulletsdad]

Yes, it's separated into two - if there are six in a warm-up, it's the lower-ranked three drawing for spots 1, 2, and 3 and the higher-ranked three drawing for spots 4, 5, and 6. In other words, Alysa could skate anywhere from 25th to 27th.

Oops, my bad. Corrected.

 

[Bulletsdad]

I believe the SP draw within each group is random.

Corrected.

 

[olympic]

Just a Q - Who is Alina Bonillo? I saw her ranked on skating scores dot com, but don't see her on the list of entries for Nationals although skating scores notes that she is eligible for Seniors as of last year.

 

[Sylvia]

Just a Q - Who is Alina Bonillo? I saw her ranked on skating scores dot com, but don't see her on the list of entries for Nationals although skating scores notes that she is eligible for Seniors as of last year.

https://usfigureskating.org/sports/figure-skating/roster/alina-bonillo/1282

COMPETITIVE HISTORY

• 2025 Tallinn Trophy – 3rd (her ISU CS debut)
• 2026 Midwestern Sectional Singles Final – 5th
• 2025 Tayside Trophy – 1st
• 2025 Maria Olszewska Memorial – 6th
• 2025 U.S. Championships – 15th [she attempted 3A in practice in Wichita]
• 2025 Midwestern Sectional Singles Final – 1st
• 2024 Cranberry Cup International, Junior – 14th
• 2024 U.S. Championships, Junior – 13th ...

 

[olympic]

https://usfigureskating.org/sports/figure-skating/roster/alina-bonillo/1282

COMPETITIVE HISTORY

• 2025 Tallinn Trophy – 3rd (her ISU CS debut)
• 2026 Midwestern Sectional Singles Final – 5th
• 2025 Tayside Trophy – 1st
• 2025 Maria Olszewska Memorial – 6th
• 2025 U.S. Championships – 15th [she attempted 3A in practice in Wichita]
• 2025 Midwestern Sectional Singles Final – 1st
• 2024 Cranberry Cup International, Junior – 14th
• 2024 U.S. Championships, Junior – 13th ...

Thanks.

Yikes. THAT is why she won't be at Nationals

 

[Sylvia]

Yikes. THAT is why she won't be at Nationals

3A practice clips of Alina Bonillo and Alexa Gasparotto at Nationals last year in Wichita: https://x.com/SylviaUnseen/status/1882811957889397182
Gasparotto was 8th in the deep Senior women's field at Mids this year.
ETA that Alexa shared this impressive 3A clip in September: https://www.instagram.com/p/DO9G-sLEbbO/

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Agree. As the unofficial VP of the Amber Fan Club (we all know what title goes to @AngieNikodinovLove (ANL) )...he and I talk often how she looks defeated after almost every performance, no matter how strong it was, and how we want to her sell it as the best thing ever to dare the judges not to give her all the points!

Allskate reminded us of something important. No matter how much armchair coaches think we know best, we need to remember each skate Amber does is a victory for herself because of all the things she battles with. She's grown so much to hold things together, and that in itself, is incredible.

It's probably not something you can just change overnight. While some may criticize her for not having a champion's mentality, she is a champion for overcoming so many issues to put the pieces together.

Bestie!!!!

Awwwww. just got back from PV last night and did not go to the boards here at all I was gone. Was enjoying it too much. Although covered in mosquito bites as per usual.

Catching up now. Lots to do today. Big kiss and hug.

Ohhhh they had Krispy Kreme’s there but not the Charlie Brown ones.

 

[Sylvia]

Cross-posting from Alysa's fan thread yesterday:

Came across this really great interview with Alysa and Phillip from KCRA in Sacramento.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DJ4B-HWydnQ&pp=ygUOYWx5c2EgbGl1IGtjcmE=

Thanks! Here's the article version: https://www.kcra.com/article/dying-to-ask-podcast-alysa-liu-burnout-comeback/69483799

Alysa started skating for fun, and it wasn't long before she got the itch to skate more seriously. She called a former coach, Phillip DiGuglielmo, and asked him what he thought about her coming out of retirement. At first, he wasn't a fan.
"I said, 'Please don't. I really did.' I said, 'Please don't. Respect your legacy,'" DiGuglielmo said. "We had a Zoom call for two hours. The story is I had a lot of glasses of wine over those two hours. And she talked me into a comeback."

 

[Sylvia]

Sept. 9:

Ting had ankle surgery in May. She's been posting clips of her PT rehab and it looks like she is recovering well but I don't think she's back on the ice yet.

Ting is graduating from Middlebury College this month (Class of '25.5) and did not compete at Eastern Sectionals in November (she's been listed in USFS' ISP for this season). I just created this thread in TV Alerts: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/holding-an-edge-a-documentary-about-ting-cui.113422/

Thread 'Holding an Edge: A Documentary About Ting Cui'

Yesterday at 5:42 PM

Holding an Edge | A Documentary About Ting Cui (Middlebury College Class of '25.5)
Directed, Produced, and Edited by Lucy Curtis-Cherry (Middlebury College Class of '26.5)
December 2025 / 24 mins: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cG1_kJfSGok

ETA Ting's closing words in her documentary: "... Something is still pulling at my heart. I think my default is always skating. Part of the hope that I still have for my own skating career is that I've finally found really great coaches and I'm really excited about the potential that's there. It almost feels like a...

• Sylvia
• Replies: 3
• Forum: TV ALERTS

• 

ETA: Ting had posted an Insta story showing herself at Skate America in Lake Placid last month with a NBC staff credential (Olympic research duties) - you can see her SkAm credential draped over her blue costume at the end of the documentary which ends with clips from her final ice show performance at Middlebury before she graduates.

 

[Sylvia]

Ting's closing words in her documentary: "... Something is still pulling at my heart. I think my default is always skating. Part of the hope that I still have for my own skating career is that I've finally found really great coaches and I'm really excited about the potential that's there. It almost feels like a beginning, because this is my first performance since surgery and so it almost feels like a start, a different approach to it that I'm taking. If I'm doing it again, I don't want to do it to just to be there and be someone in the list of names. Not just doing it because this is what I've always done, 'cause if I want to continue to push myself in my sport I can't have that same mentailty then. I want to do it if I have a shot to accomplish something that I haven't yet. So, I don't know... let's see what happens next."

 

[Skaterbob]

Wish nothing but health and happiness for Ting. I hope she can rid herself of the constant injuries.