2019-20 Canadian ladies news and updates

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

I miss Alaine. It's strange not having her on the scene. The second spot is anyone's guess. As long as Gabby's healthy enough, she will go to Worlds.

It must be so hard on some skaters that once they exhibit potential, decisions made by their support network somehow remove every ounce of control and joy from their personal journey.

 

[danafan]

I didn't get to see it, but Dawson managed to get the 4CC minimums in the free at the Volvo Cup. So now we have a whopping 5 skaters eligible for the three spots (not counting Chartrand). Hopefully there will be two more after the Warsaw Cup next week!

 

[haribobo]

If I had to name a top 10 for Nationals based on what we have been seeing, I'd go with Daleman, Cotop, Mallet, Bausback, Schumacher, Decelles, Bulawka, Deguise-Leveillee, Orzel, and Pineault. Because 4 of these likely won't get a senior assignment, I imagine 4cc and Worlds will be fought for among the other 6, assuming Warsaw goes ok next week.

 

[danafan]

Bausback and Schumacher both got the worlds TES minimums in Poland! Rewind the live stream while you still can to catch them https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Eoqos79LsnM

Shumacher bailed on the triple toe in the combo but stayed up right. I thought her program was absolutely beautiful today and she got a new ISU personal best.

 

[danafan]

Alison SCHUMACHER CAN SP 2019 Warsaw Cup

Alison SCHUMACHER CAN SP 2019 Warsaw Cup

youtu.be

Emily BAUSBACK CAN SP 2019 Warsaw Cup

Emily BAUSBACK CAN SP 2019 Warsaw Cup

youtu.be

 

[danafan]

Wow what a great day for the Canadian ladies! Bausback and Schumacher skated terrific free skates in Warsaw, both easily got the TES minimums for worlds, and they are now leading the Canadian ladies on the ISU season best list! Nationals just got a heck of a lot more interesting.

 

[danafan]

It's really a shame that Cotop did not get to skate internationally this season so we don't have ISU scores to compare. She scored 162 at Bavarian Open (not on the ISU season best list) and that is below what Bausback and Schumacher got this week-end. I do think though the three of them will be in a battle for the second worlds spot. I predict/hope that two of them will go to 4CC with Daleman, one will go to worlds with Daleman, and one will go to jr worlds with Ruiter.

Now I really want/need/hope that Schumacher and Bausback will go 1-2 at the Challenge so they can skate in the final group in the short at nationals.

 

[Rock2]

I hope this is a turning point for Bausback. She tends to be fairly consistent with the jumps but doesn't skate much like she believes in what she's doing. The judges haven't given her much of a sign to date - until today. She looked truly shocked (join the club - I hate the program) and overwhelmed by her score. I hope this pumps some energy into a thus far lacklustre career for a skater who does have some talent.

 

[euterpe]

Emily Bausback has technical chops, but unfortunately, her 3/3 jumps are UR, and she doesn't relate much to her music. Perhaps if she got left Joanne McLeod for a better technical and performance coach, her scores would rise even more. As it is, her PCS languishes in the mid 6s.

 

[coppertop1]

Emily Bausback has technical chops, but unfortunately, her 3/3 jumps are UR, and she doesn't relate much to her music. Perhaps if she got left Joanne McLeod for a better technical and performance coach, her scores would rise even more. As it is, her PCS languishes in the mid 6s.

I think the same thing. She had potential but Joanne McLeod doesn't have the best track record, especially with the her ladies figure skaters. See Mira Leung and most recently, Sarah Tamura.

 

[fsfann]

Agree. If she wants to improve she has to get away from Joanne McLeod.

 

[mag]

Agree. If she wants to improve she has to get away from Joanne McLeod.

Is Joanne doing much coaching these days? I am under the impression she is not but maybe that is just a rumor.

 

[overedge]

Is Joanne doing much coaching these days? I am under the impression she is not but maybe that is just a rumor.

I am not sure either, but she's still in charge of the program at the rink, and IME most of the coaches that work there (the singles coaches) have adopted her training methods and attitude.

 

[coppertop1]

Reynolds has retired, what about Sarah Tamura? Is she still around? I know she's not really a factor.

 

[Sylvia]

Sarah Tamura competed recently at BC Sectionals (3rd of 3) & should be at Challenge: https://www.skatinginbc.com/sites/default/files/results/SEC20SeniorWomenCR.pdf

ETA: Megumu Seki (male coach from Japan now based in Burnaby) sat in the kiss & cry with her.

 

[puglover]

I believe Joanne also coaches two young men of note - Aleksa Rakic who won the silver medal at the recent Junior Grand Prix in France and also Beres Clements who is the current Canadian Junior Mens silver medalist.

 

[cgirl8]

Thought I would post this since, unless I missed it, hasn't been mentioned yet.

Véronik Mallet has moved to train in Oakville, Ontario with Bruno Marcotte after 11 years with Annie Barabé. It is a very short article but she said she had been thinking about it since Autumn Classic and it was a very difficult decision but she felt like she had plateaued in her old training environment. She has been in Oakville since the first weekend of November.

Véronik Mallet prend une décision importante pour sa carrière - Le Nord-Côtier

Véronik Mallet a pris une décision importante dans le but de donner un second souffle à sa carrière de patineuse artistique. L’athlète de 25 ans se tourne vers un nouvel entraîneur et un nouveau milieu après onze ans avec Annie Barabé. La Septilienne s’entraîne depuis une semaine à Oakville, en...

lenord-cotier.com

 

[Colonel Green]

Thought I would post this since, unless I missed it, hasn't been mentioned yet.

Véronik Mallet has moved to train in Oakville, Ontario with Bruno Marcotte after 11 years with Annie Barabé. It is a very short article but she said she had been thinking about it since Autumn Classic and it was a very difficult decision but she felt like she had plateaued in her old training environment. She has been in Oakville since the first weekend of November.

Véronik Mallet prend une décision importante pour sa carrière - Le Nord-Côtier

Véronik Mallet a pris une décision importante dans le but de donner un second souffle à sa carrière de patineuse artistique. L’athlète de 25 ans se tourne vers un nouvel entraîneur et un nouveau milieu après onze ans avec Annie Barabé. La Septilienne s’entraîne depuis une semaine à Oakville, en...

lenord-cotier.com

Wow, that's interesting. I've kind of wondered if Véronik wasn't eyeing the exit in the near future, but with a move like this evidently she wants to make a real go of it.

 

[skatingguy]

Mallet needs a lutz, and, hey, Meagan Duhamel has a very good lutz.

 

[danafan]

I had noticed that Mallet had tagged Oakville on recent Instagram stories. Interesting that she plans to skate at Challenge.

 

[danafan]

Mallet needs a lutz, and, hey, Meagan Duhamel has a very good lutz.

If Meagan and/or Bruno could teach Mallet a proper lutz at this stage in Mallet's career - wow that would be amazing.

 

[honey]

Interesting choice for Mallet. I wish her the best, but feels like a little late in her career for this kind of thing.

It’s a bit like when Phaneuf went to Orser at the very end. I always wished she had gone there right after the 2010 season and had had some more time with him.

 

[coppertop1]

Interesting choice for Mallet. I wish her the best, but feels like a little late in her career for this kind of thing.

It’s a bit like when Phaneuf went to Orser at the very end. I always wished she had gone there right after the 2010 season and had had some more time with him.

Mallet has been so plagued by injuries that she hasn't had a chance to develop. It's unfortunate. Had she been health for more of her career, she would have been in the running for the third Olympic spot in 2018. It's unfortunate.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

With Bausback and Schumacher earning the required TES for world qualification, I'm concerned that Daleman may be in danger of not making the world team. Canada only has two spots for Montreal.

Coping with injuries and concussion have been a real test for her so far this season.

After struggling last year in St John, I am worried that she will need to skate well at the National Championships in order to prove to Skate Canada she is worthy of selection.

 

[haribobo]

After struggling last year in St John, I am worried that she will need to skate well at the National Championships in order to prove to Skate Canada she is worthy of selection.

The same could be said of the 17 other ladies. Sport is sport. If you want to advance you need to show up and do well. I wish Gabby luck but if she doesn't make the team the world will keep spinning...

 

[Colonel Green]

With Bausback and Schumacher earning the required TES for world qualification, I'm concerned that Daleman may be in danger of not making the world team. Canada only has two spots for Montreal.

Coping with injuries and concussion have been a real test for her so far this season.

After struggling last year in St John, I am worried that she will need to skate well at the National Championships in order to prove to Skate Canada she is worthy of selection.

Contrarily, I think that last year established that, as long as Gabrielle wants to/is deemed physically and psychologically able to go, Skate Canada will always send her, no matter what happens at nationals. The competition is for the other spot.

It will remain that way until one of the other senior ladies really establishes herself internationally.

 

[haribobo]

I don't know that to be exactly true, I think Nationals will matter...last year was strange because Larkyn, Gabby, and Veronik all pulled out of the GP series. Chartrand and Pineault did skate but placed pretty low, and Aurora had one JGP event where she finished 11th. So then you look at 2018 Worlds where Gabby finished 7th and Larkyn didn't make it out of QR. And Gabby had the bronze from 2017 Worlds also...it was kind of a no brainer to send Gabby over Larkyn and Veronik given the circumstances. Cotop's selection as the up and comer and silver medalist from Nationals made sense, and Chartrand won Nationals.

This year Daleman, Mallet, and Pineault competed at SC and took 10, 11, and 12. Veronik also finished 10th at SA. Cotop withdrew from everything with an injury, and Alaine and Larkyn are out of the picture. Gabby also finished 13th at Finlandia, Veronik 12th at Autumn Classic (where Michelle Long finished 8th), and Dawson and Pineault had some tough skates at the B/Challenger events. To me, these results scream that its time to turn the page and see what else is out there. At the same time, it is hard to ignore Gabby's world class skating quality, but I don't think a 5th at Nationals this time will garner another Worlds berth when only 2 spots are available. This year, it makes sense to just go with top 2 from Nationals regardless of who that is, because nobody slam dunked this season or did anything close to that. And Kaiya's solid junior results make her selection to Jr Worlds pretty obvious, so we that frees up one of Bausback, Schumacher, or Orzel to do 4cc and/or Worlds if they find themselves on the podium at Nationals (Amelia would need a senior B to get the score).

I would like to see Worlds and 4CC spots spread among the top 5 at Nationals, now is the time to spread the wealth and see where some of the newbies finish, not just send Gabby and Veronik to everything and hope one of these times it works out.

I have to say that the Canadian ladies puzzle in the off years when there's no Rochette or Osmond around has always fascinated me, it is fun to me that any of 10 ladies could end up on the podium at Nationals.

 

[fsfann]

I have to say that the Canadian ladies puzzle in the off years when there's no Rochette or Osmond around has always fascinated me, it is fun to me that any of 10 ladies could end up on the podium at Nationals.

I guess we could say that we are just going back to our roots? haha. Nothing will ever compare to the 1995 era I hope...but at the end of the day, our ladies are not top 10 material, other than a couple of outliers (Osmond, Rochette and for a couple of years - Daleman).

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Nothing will ever compare to the 1995 era I hope...but at the end of the day, our ladies are not top 10 material, other than a couple of outliers (Osmond, Rochette and for a couple of years - Daleman).

Here's hoping whomever is selected for the World Team in Montreal, can hold it together and skate a reasonable competition. My biggest fear is one or both ladies falling apart in the short and not making the cut for the free.

 

[Colonel Green]

This year Daleman, Mallet, and Pineault competed at SC and took 10, 11, and 12. Veronik also finished 10th at SA. Cotop withdrew from everything with an injury, and Alaine and Larkyn are out of the picture. Gabby also finished 13th at Finlandia, Veronik 12th at Autumn Classic (where Michelle Long finished 8th), and Dawson and Pineault had some tough skates at the B/Challenger events. To me, these results scream that its time to turn the page and see what else is out there. At the same time, it is hard to ignore Gabby's world class skating quality, but I don't think a 5th at Nationals this time will garner another Worlds berth when only 2 spots are available. This year, it makes sense to just go with top 2 from Nationals regardless of who that is, because nobody slam dunked this season or did anything close to that.

But we know what else is out there, basically. Nobody comes close to Daleman in terms of international reputation and overall quality, when skating well. Since nobody "slam dunked this season", it makes much more sense to send the person who, if they're on, actually would place in the top ten.