2025 US Nats Womens FS PBP - Wiches, I Am Coming For All Your Medals

[PRlady]

Amber is her own worst critic and boy do I empathize.

 

[Simone411]

I'm happy for Amber, Alysa and Sarah. The judges got it right, and I got it right. I knew that Amber would get over her disappointment and toss it in the garbage can. That triple axel was superb. Her program was jam packed, and her spins were immaculate. She made a couple of mistakes, but she fought back, didn't give up and kept going. That's the Amber I've seen all throughout the Grand Prix.

I'm so proud of Alyssa. I would say that she did pretty damn good considering she came back after 2 years. She is very smooth, eloquent, and if she wouldn't have messed up on that spin, she could have possibly won the gold medal. I think it's awesome that she is our silver medalist.

Sarah was spot on and I believe that she may have a chance for Worlds. She could be going to Worlds instead of Isabeau. Either way, I think the U.S. has a team that's amazing and could be the athletes to look out for at Worlds! Congrats to Amber. Alysa and Sarah! And I can't forget Starr! She was fabulous!

 

[Theatregirl1122]

The group hug at the end was very sweet.

 

[Karen-W]

FS protocols - https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2025/35539/SEGM015.html

1	16	Amber Glenn, Dallas FSC	3	70.91	1	145.88	216.79
2	18	Alysa Liu, St. Moritz ISC	1	76.36	2	138.97	215.33
3	15	Sarah Everhardt, Washington FSC	4	70.72	3	136.64	207.36
4	17	Bradie Tennell, SC of New York	2	71.23	4	128.71	199.94
5	14	Sherry Zhang, Glacier Falls FSC	5	67.42	7	121.06	188.48
6	7	Starr Andrews, Los Angeles FSC	12	59.45	5	126.52	185.97
7	9	Josephine Lee, All Year FSC	10	60.10	6	122.59	182.69
8	11	Elyce Lin-Gracey, Pasadena FSC	8	61.47	9	117.75	179.22
9	8	Sonja Hilmer, Centennial SC	11	59.57	8	118.97	178.54
10	13	Logan Higase-Chen, Broadmoor SC	6	63.23	10	112.59	175.82
11	12	Mia Kalin, St. Moritz ISC	7	62.07	11	106.36	168.43
12	10	Lindsay Thorngren, SC of New York	9	60.99	12	98.89	159.88
13	4	Alexa Gasparotto, Arctic FSC	15	52.61	13	98.85	151.46
14	5	Brooke Gewalt, Wagon Wheel FSC	14	52.84	14	94.85	147.69
15	6	Alina Bonillo, DuPage FSC	13	56.42	16	87.86	144.28
16	3	Michelle Lee, Broadmoor SC	16	48.71	15	90.89	139.60
17	1	Ting Cui, Baltimore FSC	18	43.94	17	82.69	126.63
18	2	Alex Evans, SC of New York	17	45.43	18	76.28	121.71

 

[peibeck]

All the talk of standings aside, I have to say I didn't think @genevieve was thinking "Bitches, I AM COMING FOR ALL YOUR MEDALS" would really pertain to Starr, and had she not been in 12th place after the SP, she might have pulled it off.

 

[pollyanna]

Aww, bless Tina Noyes, who never won the US title because she skated against the likes of Peggy Fleming and Janet Lynn. Nice she got to give out the medals and is being inducted into the US Hall of Fame.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Amanda was vice president, so she's now interim president.

That's how she was introduced by the rink announcer.

I'm sure Ashley Wagner will have something to say about how She. Does. Not. Agree. With. The. Group. Hug. on the Nationals recap on The Runthrough.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

That's how she was introduced by the rink announcer.

I'm sure Ashley Wagner will have something to say about how She. Does. Not. Agree. With. The. Group. Hug. on the Nationals recap on The Runthrough.

Are skaters only allowed to hate each other or something?

I feel like she’s barking up the wrong tree with all 4 of these women.

 

[Matryeshka]

I think we'll get the same number of spots with either Isabeau, Amber, and Alysa or Amber, Alysa, and Sarah. I think any combination of the top three, with or without Isabeau, will be a good team that will do USFS proud.

The real handwringing will be Sunday and I for one cannot WAIT for CHAOS to absolutely reign in the men's event. Jason Brown pulling out but wanting to be on the World's team is just pure mayhem and I love it. LOVE IT.

 

[Jarrett]

I feel like the final results are correct. Alysa was really crawling out there towards the end of the program if she hadn’t missed the last spin, I think her lead should have kept her winning, but with that final spin, she did lose points and it just continued to show that she was winded at the end. Amber didn’t slow down towards the end. She might’ve had some mistakes, but she still had some speed and strength. I’m looking forward to seeing them both at worlds and Alysa continues to build. I think Levito going to world is the right choice as long as she shows that she is healthy enough. Sarah’s program
(Choreography/music) and jumps should have had people jumping out of their seats towards the end but nope she is even more boring in person unfortunately.

 

[once_upon]

I tried to research why US has a pewter medal. All I could find was it was added in 1988. Anyone know why?

 

[MacMadame]

Jason Brown pulling out but wanting to be on the World's team is just pure mayhem and I love it. LOVE IT.

It's not mayhem. It's disrespectful. He's pulling out because he's not ready. He's not injured. He's not sick. He could come. But he knows he won't do well and won't make the team. I am sure there are tons of skaters who would like to just not show up at Nats and make the team anyway.

 

[Matryeshka]

Are skaters only allowed to hate each other or something?

I feel like she’s barking up the wrong tree with all 4 of these women.

She didn't like that the Japanese women did Amber's ending pose in the FS as a tribute to her at the GPF. Ashley and Adam both felt that it shows a lack of attack in figure skating today, that if it were them, they'd be nice and congratulatory towards Amber but would be mad at themselves for allowing her to beat them. Her thing was they are competitors not friends and while you should be gracious when you lose, but you should be focusing on what you can improve on to win more than anything else.

I see that argument, but I personally don't agree with it. I don't think fostering an extremely competitive environment has helped any of the Korean ladies. Maybe part of the secret to Marie Universe's success is that all of her ice dancers seem to genuinely like each other--they're all each others bridesmaids and shopping buddies and roommates.

 

[MacMadame]

I tried to research why US has a pewter medal. All I could find was it was added in 1988. Anyone know why?

The story I have always heard is that there used to be four spots at Worlds. So there was a medal for each spot.

 

[Rukia]

I tried to research why US has a pewter medal. All I could find was it was added in 1988. Anyone know why?

freedom


no i don't have a real answer i just love it with all my heart

 

[kwanfan1818]

Are skaters only allowed to hate each other or something?

In the episode where she and Rippon discussed the Grand Prix Final, she went off on the Japanese skaters for doing Glenn's final pose as a funny tribute to her and a friendly sign of respect. I assume this was in the place they put the top three skaters to wait out the rest of the competition, but I only heard and read about it.

According to Wagner, you're supposed to be competitive to the tips of your fingers, which means no playing authentic nice. She didn't quite say that you should want to rip their hearts out and skate over them at mid-ice, but I got the feeling that's what she meant.

 

[Jarrett]

She didn't like that the Japanese women did Amber's ending pose in the FS as a tribute to her at the GPF. Ashley and Adam both felt that it shows a lack of attack in figure skating today, that if it were them, they'd be nice and congratulatory towards Amber but would be mad at themselves for allowing her to beat them. Her thing was they are competitors not friends and while you should be gracious when you lose, but you should be focusing on what you can improve on to win more than anything else.

I see that argument, but I personally don't agree with it. I don't think fostering an extremely competitive environment has helped any of the Korean ladies. Maybe part of the secret to Marie Universe's success is that all of her ice dancers seem to genuinely like each other--they're all each others bridesmaids and shopping buddies and roommates.

I think it fine for her to dislike the skaters supporting each other. She probably never received supprt like that and was hurt. Adam didn’t seem to have a lot of support either.

I think the Japanese actions show that figure skating isn’t their life. I think it is healthy. They are going to school and doing other things AND excelling at skating. I would not enjoy seeing the Japanese looking like Ashley when she lost.

 

[Sally1214]

What a great competition. Good night to you all. "See you" tomorrow for the FD, Men's SP and Pairs FS. What an AWESOME way to spend a weekend!!

 

[Vagabond]

I tried to research why US has a pewter medal. All I could find was it was added in 1988. Anyone know why?

The story I have always heard is that there used to be four spots at Worlds. So there was a medal for each spot.

Federations did occasionally have four spots at Worlds, but that was back in the 1950's. USFS didn't start awarding pewter medals until 1988.

The only plausible explanation I have ever seen is that it used to be that the top four finishers at Regionals advanced to Sectionals and that the top four at Sectionals advanced to Nationals.

 

[thvu]

I can confirm that she is extremely kind and pretty much exactly as she comes across here. To the point it doesn't surprise me that she seems to have major imposter syndrome.

That speaks to me so hard and tracks. I remember a Skate America in Las Vegas where I ended up in an elevator with her and some other skaters. I was just feeling completely paralyzed. I could tell that she could tell. As I left she told me to “have a good night” in just the sweetest, nicest, and most kind way. It was such a small thing that she didn’t have to do, but did a lot to make me feel less like an anxious mess around the athletes. She could have let me just be a weirdo and exit the elevator in silent shame.

 

[PRlady]

Well judging by Gracie’s careful treatment of Ashley in her book, Ashley lived her truth.

Personally I think in a sport like this you compete against yourself and your vision of a perfect skate, although given judges’ favoritism I’m sure there are many “why her” moments.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

In the episode where she and Rippon discussed the Grand Prix Final, she went off on the Japanese skaters for doing Glenn's final pose as a funny tribute to her and a friendly sign of respect. I assume this was in the place they put the top three skaters to wait out the rest of the competition, but I only heard and read about it.

According to Wagner, you're supposed to be competitive to the tips of your fingers, which means no playing authentic nice. She didn't quite say that you should want to rip their hearts out and skate over them at mid-ice, but I got the feeling that's what she meant.

Interesting. And did that work for her? Because whatever Kaori is doing seems to be working a lot better.

 

[Theatregirl1122]

The real handwringing will be Sunday and I for one cannot WAIT for CHAOS to absolutely reign in the men's event. Jason Brown pulling out but wanting to be on the World's team is just pure mayhem and I love it. LOVE IT.

Has he said he still wants to be on the world team? When he withdrew, he didn’t comment on if he would petition and neither did his reps.

 

[Wyliefan]

She probably never received supprt like that and was hurt.

I think you may have hit it. It's wonderful that the new generation of skaters are so good at being friendly and supportive -- but if you're from an earlier generation and didn't have that, it must feel really strange and bewildering and, yes, it may bring up some old wounds.

 

[skateboy]

Jason Brown pulling out but wanting to be on the World's team is just pure mayhem and I love it. LOVE IT.

He knows he has no shot at making it.

 

[Karen-W]

Sarah’s program (Choreography/music) and jumps should have had people jumping out of their seats towards the end but nope she is even more boring in person unfortunately.

Strange, the audience seemed pretty enthusiastic from my sofa. They were cheering quite loudly when she finished as far as I could tell.

He knows he has no shot at making it.

Ehhhhhhh... I wouldn't say he has no shot of making it - the rest of our men after Ilia have never been the most consistent or are just coming up from juniors. Let's see what things look like on Sunday, lol.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Most people genuinely dislike some people they're around, and skaters wouldn't be immune, and sports aren't the only place people play head games to get what they want. It sounds like Wagner and Gold, for example, didn't really gel as people, aside from competing against each other.

As for the competitive part, Brennan made the point in one of her books: Witt and Sumners were given boxes of chocolates, maybe at a banquet. Witt ate hers, and Mueller, the Karolyis' role model, demanded to see the box. Sumners gave her unopened one to Witt, so that Mueller couldn't punish Witt. Of course that just confirmed to Witt that Sumners didn't have the killer instinct she needed to beat Witt at the Olympics.

 

[Jarrett]

Has he said he still wants to be on the world team? When he withdrew, he didn’t comment on if he would petition and neither did his reps.

I haven’t seen anything, but people are posting about it in this thread. I would be surprised if he thinks he deserves a spot at worlds besides a program in the exhibition as a special guest.

 

[emason]

Federations did occasionally have four spots at Worlds, but that was back in the 1950's. USFS didn't start awarding pewter medals until 1988.

The only plausible explanation I have ever seen is that it used to be that the top four finishers at Regionals advanced to Sectionals and that the top four at Sectionals advance to Nationals.

It was considered churlish to advance 4 skaters to the next round but not give the 4th place skater, considered a podium finisher, a medal, so the pewter medal was born.

 

[MacMadame]

I haven’t seen anything, but people are posting about it in this thread. I would be surprised if he thinks he deserves a spot at worlds besides a program in the exhibition as a special guest.

It was only one person and then I responded. If it's not true, I take back what I said.