Alysa Liu Switches to Colorado Coaching Team

[genevieve]

ambivalent.

good news for Alysa!

 

[kwanfan1818]

What would USFS' leverage be? It's not as if they have Women who can sweep the podium plus a few extras in their back pocket. Whereas, her dad can decide an end to her skating career, unless she willing to.defy him and breach their relationship and USFS comes up with a way to pay for her skating.

 

[Maximillian]

What would USFS' leverage be? It's not as if they have Women who can sweep the podium plus a few extras in their back pocket. Whereas, her dad can decide an end to her skating career, unless she willing to.defy him and breach their relationship and USFS comes up with a way to pay for her skating.

This. The USFS has no leverage whatsoever because Alysa is currently their top skater, if anything I would think they would be afraid of alienating her since, they need her for the team event because Tennell is not around, Glen is ridiculously inconsistent, and Chen and Bell are both inconsistent but also haven't shown the difficulty in their programs that Liu has.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Even if Tennell were to come back and skate the lights out, or Bell and/or Chen to skate blinders at Nationals, it's not something you could predict or count on in advance, especially given this Fall's results.

 

[Aceon6]

This far into the GP series, I’d send her to Mr. Kagiyama. His kid is sorted and he might have time.

 

[viennese]

If she shows up to US Nats with two clean quads and triple axels while doing 100 leg kicks skating to a mix of Gymnopedie No.1/Saving Private Ryan Soundtrack/good 4 u [explicit] in a dance length skirt, then yes, I will feel foolish.

That music mix is kind of awesome. Crazy crazy awesome.

 

[Rukia]

That music mix is kind of awesome. Crazy crazy awesome.

Feel free to send it to Danny G the skating choreographer of your choice.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Her senior debut has been confusing. She wins Lombardia (with a very big FS score) and Nebelhorn. People talking about all her progress. Many, including me, thinking she might have a chance at Olys. Then she hits the GP and suddenly her jumps are dinged all over the place and she has no GOE.

I can understand the panicked feeling. Someone above said the problem is expectations; they're on to something. Get inside the top 10 at Olys a big if, never mind a podium finish. I didn't get the Abbott/Scali choice but this jump to Colorado won't make much difference. US ladies' chances at Olys are small. Alysa's had a spot light on her at a very early age - one of the problems of child stars. Will she really want to hang around for another 4 years? I think what's happening her says no. Someone wants success right now - Alysa? USFS? her dad? Who knows. Tough on a 16yo.

 

[tony]

There are some questions whether I misinterpreted information, and the answer is simply no. I honestly fully expected to wake up today and have all of the normal crew reporting on this. Alysa's father absolutely fired the coaching team and hastily moved her to Colorado. I don't know if the official coaching situation has been sorted there, but the previous one is over. Also, as much as I think the USFS is sometimes ill-informed or behind the times, I am sure they were not any influence in the decision and I'd venture to guess that they would have strongly advised against this- at least at this point in the Olympic timeline. (ETA- that isn't to say they never have influence, but we are 6 weeks away from Nationals).

We shall see how it goes.

 

[Wyliefan]

Top 10 at the Olympics shouldn't be THAT tough. She could finish behind all the Russians, all the Japanese, Loena Hendrickx, and a Korean or two, and still be top 10.

 

[Karen-W]

Top 10 at the Olympics shouldn't be THAT tough. She could finish behind all the Russians, all the Japanese, Loena Hendrickx, and a Korean or two, and still be top 10.

I don't see her finishing behind all of the Japanese women - two, yes, but the top US lady is NOT going to finish behind all three of the Japanese women, nor will she finish behind BOTH Korean women. At worst, we are talking about 8th and, if the tech panel is generous/she goes clean, she could be the highest non-Russian finisher (ie 4th).

 

[MacMadame]

There are some questions whether I misinterpreted information, and the answer is simply no.

I think it's more questions as to your source(s) misinterpreting things. I have assumed from the beginning that you are reporting exactly what you heard.

 

[canbelto]

It's a little strange that her team has a "medal or bust" mentality bc I didn't think she was quite there yet. Like Nathan or Hubbell/Donahue probably do have a medal or bust mentality, but I didn't think Alysa was at that level.

 

[sundayspirals]

There are some questions whether I misinterpreted information, and the answer is simply no. I honestly fully expected to wake up today and have all of the normal crew reporting on this. Alysa's father absolutely fired the coaching team and hastily moved her to Colorado. I don't know if the official coaching situation has been sorted there, but the previous one is over. Also, as much as I think the USFS is sometimes ill-informed or behind the times, I am sure they were not any influence in the decision and I'd venture to guess that they would have strongly advised against this- at least at this point in the Olympic timeline. (ETA- that isn't to say they never have influence, but we are 6 weeks away from Nationals).

We shall see how it goes.

Jack Gallagher confirmed the information (he doesn't name the source though):

https://twitter.com/sportsjapan/status/1462335465936224259

Also, I was curious enough to watch an episode of TSL and they said Alysa has been training with Viktor Pfeifer and Drew Meekins this week (although Tom Z and Tammy have been traveling so they didn't know if the plan is to switch to one of them). They didn't name their source.

 

[overedge]

I think Tony has essentially said that this was not because of USFSA.....

I wasn't responding to what Tony said. I was responding to the suggestion that her dad was being singled out simply because FSU likes skating-parent drama.

 

[overedge]

@sk9tingfan If Alysa's dad is looking at her skating outcomes in terms of "return on investment " and how he can support his other kids - he would have gotten a lot better return on investment to not have her skate at all, and put that money into long-term savings instead.

Any parent who supports a child in a sport with the expectation that the child will earn $$$ from the sport some day - like the thousands of hockey parents who think their kid is going to be in the NHL - is being unrealistic.

 

[annie720]

Jack Gallagher confirmed the information (he doesn't name the source though):

https://twitter.com/sportsjapan/status/1462335465936224259

Also, I was curious enough to watch an episode of TSL and they said Alysa has been training with Viktor Pfeifer and Drew Meekins this week (although Tom Z and Tammy have been traveling so they didn't know if the plan is to switch to one of them). They didn't name their source either but said it came from a USFS official.

I'm pretty sure I saw Viktor in the K&C at Spokane but that may have taken 3 days at the most.

 

[sk9tingfan]

@sk9tingfan If Alysa's dad is looking at her skating outcomes in terms of "return on investment " and how he can support his other kids - he would have gotten a lot better return on investment to not have her skate at all, and put that money into long-term savings instead.

Any parent who supports a child in a sport with the expectation that the child will earn $$$ from the sport some day - like the thousands of hockey parents who think their kid is going to be in the NHL - is being unrealistic.

I really didn't mean to coldly refer to it as an absolute ROI equation but a previous poster used that term. However, I have had a long conversation with a skating parent whose overall investment was staggering. They knew that at a given point in time, the continued pouring out of money was just not sustainable both on an absolute basis as well as providing an equitable future for the other siblings. Unfortunately, the degree of USFSA funding is a tiny fraction of that for other countries, some of which have never really departed from their previous governing models.

 

[overedge]

@sk9tingfan totally agree. And I know that many skating parents struggle with supporting their kids in skating - emotionally, financially, and logistically - with being "there" for their other kids too. I hope that Alysa gets to leave skating when she wants to leave skating, not when that's decided for her.

 

[bardtoob]

I did like Christy Krall and what she did with Patrick Chan. She took a previously very inconsistent Patrick and turned him into a model of consistency - which he promptly lost again when he left her. If it’s her I think it could be a good fit.

I liked Krall's very grounded coaching, from what I heard in the Kiss & Cry.

I didn't get the Abbott/Scali choice but this jump to Colorado won't make much difference.

I thought Laura's approach of farming out to specialists while managing her development was working for Alysa. I thought Scali taking over was just a power grab pulled off via promises of political connections.

Alysa's had a spot light on her at a very early age - one of the problems of child stars.

This type of thing often happens to child stars. Somebody thinks their decision making power over the child caused the child's success and so they try pulling strings, which destabilizes a winning formula . . . then has too much pride to put it back together.

 

[sk9tingfan]

@sk9tingfan totally agree. And I know that many skating parents struggle with supporting their kids in skating - emotionally, financially, and logistically - with being "there" for their other kids too. I hope that Alysa gets to leave skating when she wants to leave skating, not when that's decided for her.

ITA. I adore Alysa from many perspectives including her courage and joy and hope she continues on.

 

[MacMadame]

Jack Gallagher confirmed the information (he doesn't name the source though):

https://twitter.com/sportsjapan/status/1462335465936224259

Also, I was curious enough to watch an episode of TSL and they said Alysa has been training with Viktor Pfeifer and Drew Meekins this week (although Tom Z and Tammy have been traveling so they didn't know if the plan is to switch to one of them). They didn't name their source.

This reminds me, we are all caught up in the speculation of "who will she go to" that we forgot to speculate as to why Liu's whole team was fired without a new situation lined up. That seems like something that would happen after a big blowup so it leads me to wonder what caused the rift?

I mean if you are just unhappy with how fast your kid is progressing, you might still leave the coach but you'd line something up that you think will work better first.

 

[Braulio]

Kiss the Olympics goodbye

I fear this switch wont work, not at this time and not with that Team

 

[bardtoob]

Kiss the Olympics goodbye

I fear this switch wont work, not at this time and not with that Team6

I think Liu can still make the Olympics by winning Nationals and being affirmed by the selection committee. However, at the Olympics she will probably get 6th.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Kiss the Olympics goodbye

I fear this switch wont work, not at this time and not with that Team

Well now that Bradie is out of Golden spin I wonder if she’ll even go to nationals. If so some good opportunities for US ladies

 

[Karen-W]

Kiss the Olympics goodbye

I fear this switch wont work, not at this time and not with that Team

Alysa is in Group 2 thanks to her Lombardia score. As long as she finishes Top 5 at Nats then she will remain in Group 2 and, at this point, I don't think any of the Group 4 skaters (Mariah, Bradie, Amber, Lindsay) clawing their way into Group 2 by Nats, so Alysa's trip to the Olympics is all but assured, regardless of the coaching switch.

 

[Bulletsdad]

I think Liu can still make the Olympics by winning Nationals and being affirmed by the selection committee. However, at the Olympics she will probably get 6th.

Liu is going to the Olympics unless she places out of top 5 at Nationals. Her BOW puts her in Group 2.

 

[olympic]

Well now that Bradie is out of Golden spin I wonder if she’ll even go to nationals. If so some good opportunities for US ladies

Whoa. Bradie out ?

 

[RoseRed]

Her senior debut has been confusing. She wins Lombardia (with a very big FS score) and Nebelhorn. People talking about all her progress. Many, including me, thinking she might have a chance at Olys. Then she hits the GP and suddenly her jumps are dinged all over the place and she has no GOE.

I can understand the panicked feeling. Someone above said the problem is expectations; they're on to something. Get inside the top 10 at Olys a big if, never mind a podium finish. I didn't get the Abbott/Scali choice but this jump to Colorado won't make much difference. US ladies' chances at Olys are small. Alysa's had a spot light on her at a very early age - one of the problems of child stars. Will she really want to hang around for another 4 years? I think what's happening her says no. Someone wants success right now - Alysa? USFS? her dad? Who knows. Tough on a 16yo.

I don't think you can consider Lombardia and Nebelhorn to be the same. At Lombardia, she got a 219 score. At Nebelhorn, she had 207.40. Then at SC, she had 206.53. Pretty similar scores between the two. Then 202.90 at NHK. She also had at 205 score at Cranberry. At this point, it looks more like Lombardia was an outlier score-wise, rather than them regressing. Though I do think they looked less sharp (maybe tired) by NHK than earlier in the season.

 

[layman]

I think Liu can still make the Olympics by winning Nationals and being affirmed by the selection committee. However, at the Olympics she will probably get 6th.

I think people are saying that this type of disruption so close to Nationals will weigh negatively on her chances.

Realistically, the time until Nationals is very, very short. There simply is not enough time (left) to work on technique. The best a new coaching team could provide would be a supportive environment in which to stabilize her existing technique.

Her previous coaching team (Jeremy and Massimo) were changing her technique (little by little) in stages...getting her to use her legs more...getting her to approach her jumps with speed (rather than crawl into them). The new coaching team might continue her work towards these goals, but in so short a time (and with so much uncertainty and being unfamiliar with a new training environment), my fear is that Alysa will just revert to old habits...slow down...eke out rotations (often on the ice) and continue to get dinged by technical panels.

That could really hurt her, even if she makes it to the Olympic games. I think the USFSA would be doing her a favor by scoring her correctly at Nationals (and paying attention to under-rotations). The ISU judges surely will be.