U.S. Ladies [#24]: Starr-Ting Order/Detailed Classification

[becca]

Considering what's happening to USA gymnastics at the moment I'm not sure there is an rush from the USFSA to try and emulate that process

I think they are two different scenarios no one is talking Secret camps. Plus it is fairer to those who skated Junior and Senior events to be compared directly.

The US historically has done a terrible job of selecting juniors for JGP spots. They just need to look at Russia who competed their kids more.

 

[Bonjour Sherry]

Fair enough. I did not know about Hanna's injury. She does seem both technically sound and has a charisma similar to Karen Chen's.

Of the relative newbies.... Alyssa, Ting and Hannah H I think I might say now I am most exited for Ting by a fraction. Her physique and artistry are so exquisite. She has the consistency issue atm but when she hits it is a showstopper. I like Alyssa a lot too. I feel the most confident with Alyssa and Bradie's jumps (even tho Bradie had a fall. ) Say like with Ash and Mirai sometimes I usually had to look away when they did a jump.

Ting's long program reminds me of Nikodinov's Giselle program as well!

I think Alyssa and Bradie are the most consistent at jumps. Ting, Hanna and Megan have the best jumps - combination of good technique, minimal cheating, distance and/or height.

We still haven’t seen how high a clean Ting will score internationally. If a Ting Cui with bobbles and falls on her combos can score nearly 200 internationally, one can only imagine how high the judges will push her.

I think a clean Ting will score in 210s internationally, 220s domestically.

Ashley Lin had a promising PB this season although she didn't compete at Nationals. What do people think of her odds next year?

 

[Erin]

But Hanna did not do well on the Junior Grand Prix, historically she is just as much of a headcase as many of the other American ladies.

Harrell finished 7th in her only GP, not that different than Cui (5th and 7th) or Izzo (6th and 9th).

I’m surprised they are bothering with the camp. Cui and Harrell are the only skaters with the difficult triple-triples and they had the highest scores at nationals and no one had any JGP finishes that would suggest the nationals results shouldn’t be followed. This seemed like it would have been an easy decision even with Cui’s bad SP.

 

[Frida80]

Harrell finished 7th in her only GP, not that different than Cui (5th and 7th) or Izzo (6th and 9th).

I’m surprised they are bothering with the camp. Cui and Harrell are the only skaters with the difficult triple-triples and they had the highest scores at nationals and no one had any JGP finishes that would suggest the nationals results shouldn’t be followed. This seemed like it would have been an easy decision even with Cui’s bad SP.

Maybe they just want to be sure all skaters are have fully prepared short and long programs. The layout Is different for the FS. Maybe a "test" will let them get the cobwebs out of programs they haven't used since fall.

 

[Finsta]

I was mostly shocked by Harrell. So much hype of Ting, Cui and Alysa and Harrell was overlooked. She is a delight.

 

[haribobo]

I also think the camp could be a nice experience for an upcoming skater to have rather than just ending their season at Nationals. It is time to honor some of these Junior National champions with some kind of recognition even if they don't make the team. I just hope it is structured as a fun and uplifting experience even for the ones who don't make it.

 

[NAOTMAA]

I was mostly shocked by Harrell. So much hype of Ting, Cui and Alysa and Harrell was overlooked. She is a delight.

Unless you're talking specifically online then you're right but I think Ting barely got anymore mention from NBC then Hanna did. I don't think she was hyped at all by them. They raved about her when she performed and talked about her potential and inconsistency but that was it from what I can remember. I don't even think her silver in Belarus was mentioned, was it? If it was it was very quick.

Neither Ting or Hanna were really given any pre-skate talk when they could have. And even when it was all over they were only mentioned in passing because they finish top 5. It was all the Alysa show with of course Bradie and Mariah thrown in (because they had to). Ting and Hanna are part of the future too but watching NBC you would think the future lived and died all on the shoulders of Alysa alone. Maybe that's an exaggeration but that's what it felt like.

 

[Finsta]

Like all little jumpers Alysa might not even be a factor in 2 years. The hype is so outrageous. Love that she does 3a, but she is a baby. Let’s see her in few years

 

[Frau Muller]

But Hanna did not do well on the Junior Grand Prix, historically she is just as much of a headcase as many of the other American ladies..

I wonder why not just send Cui and Harrell to JW and that's it? I know they aren't the most consistent, but even Izzo's PB this season didn't reach 160. Cui/Harrell is still way more reliable than Cui/Ma from last season.

Hannah’s doing great now. True beauty...Cha Cha blah blah blah!

 

[Frau Muller]

I was mostly shocked by Harrell. So much hype of Ting, Cui and Alysa and Harrell was overlooked. She is a delight.

You’d better believe it! All of the hype = Cha Cha blah blah blah!!!

 

[Frau Muller]

Like all little jumpers Alysa might not even be a factor in 2 years. The hype is so outrageous. Love that she does 3a, but she is a baby. Let’s see her in few years

Lest we forget an overhyped “future Kwanette” Caroline Zhang.
Cha Cha Cha. Blah blah blah!

 

[missing]

My guess is NBC sees Alysa as a female Nathan Chen and their hope is they can ride her into the Olympics as they did Nathan Chen.

What Alysa also has to offer is an unusual backstory. Since 13 year olds are not inherently interesting, that helps.

 

[natsulian]

I'm more excited about Junior Worlds than the Senior one, simply because of Ting and Hanna. Ting has the "IT" factor and is the total package. Ting's rippon jumps cover great distances and the height she gains is stunning. Additionally, Ting's understanding of the music and her ability to emote and carry the weight of the music is innate, it's not something you can teach. It is not very often that we see a skater who is able to mold the technical AND performance aspects of figure skating and Ting seems to have the potential to do so. As for Hanna, she is... a jumping bean and a sassy performer who could pull off big show tunes AND soft, melodic music; she's very versatile. I cannot wait to see these two skaters make huge splashes when they debut as Seniors internationally. Alysa has the right mindset to dominate the Junior level next season, so that's also very exciting. We've got medal contenders for both Junior and Senior competitions for the first time in what feels like forever.

 

[DimaToe]

The Tutberidze trio will be hard to beat at junior worlds. Having the U.S. place anywhere from 4th-7th will be a good competition for them. I feel like the main story of this Olympic cycle will be the U.S. ladies VS. the S. Korean ladies for the bronze at the big events. Everybody seems to be forgetting about the S. Koreans.

 

[sk9tingfan]

She's 13, that's the minimum age - she'll be 14 by next year's Grand Prix events.[/QU

Like all little jumpers Alysa might not even be a factor in 2 years. The hype is so outrageous. Love that she does 3a, but she is a baby. Let’s see her in few years

The lurking Puberty Monster(making the sign of the cross even though I'm Jewish), pew, pew

 

[DimaToe]

I just don’t understand. People are thirsty for the next best thing. A talent comes along but she’s too young, too immature (she’s 13 ) too this and not enough of that. I just feel like U.S. ladies fan LOVE to complain. Nothing is guaranteed in this sport. Just embrace the unexpected riches that have come out of these nationals. Y’all want a Carolina Kostner but someone like her would have never achieved what she did skating for a country like the U.S.

 

[Sylvia]

Why didn't anyone over-hype Hanna Harrell coming into Nationals?

I was mostly shocked by Harrell. So much hype of Ting, Cui and Alysa and Harrell was overlooked. She is a delight.

I think some fans who have been following Hanna's competitive career wanted to let "her skating do the talking" and were hoping she would surprise at Nationals.

Nov. 30:

Fun practice video of Hanna Harrell demonstrating that she can land 3 consecutive triple flips (with both arms overhead each time) down the ice: https://www.instagram.com/p/BqvovrGnWkY/

Dec. 13:

Cross-posting this link here and in the U.S. Men's threads... USFS' Mitch Moyer and Justin Dillon spoke about Ting Cui, Hanna Harrell, Pooja Kalyan and Alysa Liu of the Emerging Athletes Program in this reprinted article from the November issue of SKATING magazine: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...-expectations-high-for-emerging-athletes.aspx

BTW, the World Junior camp for singles skaters was first held last year and Hanna attended as an alternate along with the two ladies who were selected at Nationals -- Ting and Emmy Ma (who replaced Starr Andrews after she decided to focus on 4CC only).

 

[wickedwitch]

My guess is NBC sees Alysa as a female Nathan Chen and their hope is they can ride her into the Olympics as they did Nathan Chen.

Yeah. That's what scares me. Nathan was already a JGPF champion and several years older when he finished 3rd at Nats.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Like all little jumpers Alysa might not even be a factor in 2 years. The hype is so outrageous. Love that she does 3a, but she is a baby. Let’s see her in few years

Yes, she may not be a factor... even in a week... and (hopefully not of course) get a serious injury by tripping on back cross overs or a 2-toe during warm up.... But as of TODAY and forever, she is a) US National Champion, and b) first US woman to land three clean 3A's in competition..

Because... there are 100's of skaters who stopped skating because of serious injuries from all sorts of major and minor on the ice elements and accidents, before they reached juniors or seniors and before they won ANY medals.

Today she is the BEST and is a STAR. Then she can go to Harvard.. with a GOLD national medal and money she'll make this years.

(America is losing its mind ... so much resentment of unusual, unique, successful, and anything "mediocre others can't do"!... really people, when Pope Francis said "empower the weak, weaken the powerful" he meant give the choir boys a switch blade to fight the horny priest.. not "destroy your national champions".)

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

b) first US woman

Congrats to her, but last time I checked 13 is not a woman. She does not look like a woman, does not skate like a woman, neither do any of the other children her age. This is nothing personal against Alysa or any of them, just a criticism of the direction of the sport in general. I can't help but make the observation that most people are not interested in watching little kids do gymnastics on ice.

Sorry to say that figure skating has lost yet another fan and interested party, at least for the time being.

 

[missing]

Yeah. That's what scares me. Nathan was already a JGPF champion and several years older when he finished 3rd at Nats.

Rightly or wrongly, Nathan was hyped well before he was old enough to compete as a senior. I'd been referring to him as "Nathan Chen The Future of American Men's Figure Skating," at least from the time he won Juniors.

I remember seeing his Godfather program, which he skated as a junior in the 2011-12 season. Since he was born in 1999 (thank you Wikipedia) that would have made him about Alysa Liu's age.

 

[DimaToe]

Congrats to her, but last time I checked 13 is not a woman. She does not look like a woman, does not skate like a woman, neither do any of the other children her age. This is nothing personal against Alysa or any of them, just a criticism of the direction of the sport in general. I can't help but make the observation that most people are not interested in watching little kids do gymnastics on ice.

Sorry to say that figure skating has lost yet another fan and interested party, at least for the time being.

So then blame the judges and the governing body that award what you do not like. To make it clear. The “children” are not performing gymnastics on ice, if they did they would be breaking themselves.

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

So then blame the judges and the governing body that award what you do not like.

I did that. I would never blame the skaters at all. My criticism was entirely directed at the judges and the governing bodies, and the direction of the sport.

 

[VGThuy]

How is this much different from when Tara-Michelle were dominating and then the baby ballerinas with 16 year old Sarah Hughes winning the OGM? When did Mao and Yuna Kim become women? Right when they became age eligible?

 

[Vagabond]

Congrats to her, but last time I checked 13 is not a woman. She does not look like a woman, does not skate like a woman, neither do any of the other children her age. This is nothing personal against Alysa or any of them, just a criticism of the direction of the sport in general. I can't help but make the observation that most people are not interested in watching little kids do gymnastics on ice.

Sorry to say that figure skating has lost yet another fan and interested party, at least for the time being.

Sorry to see you go. Perhaps, however, you might stick around and watch international Senior competition, from which thirteen-year-olds are banned.

 

[Tinami Amori]

Congrats to her, but last time I checked 13 is not a woman.

Shakespeare and many doctors and historians would disagree .. and when wasthe last time when you checked if a female is a woman..

 

[Deleted member 53443]

I love the Alysa story from beginning to...right now. I hope it will last for a long time.

 

[ToFarAwayTimes]

How is this much different from when Tara-Michelle were dominating and then the baby ballerinas with 16 year old Sarah Hughes winning the OGM? When did Mao and Yuna Kim become women? Right when they became age eligible?

It has been a dubious trend starting back to around that time, and one I have become increasingly uncomfortable with.

Sorry to see you go. Perhaps, however, you might stick around and watch international Senior competition, from which thirteen-year-olds are banned.

I don't agree with banning anyone. I think the answer would be to incentivize the scoring system differently, to emphasize more mature qualities in skating compared to the present. Yes, technical skills and jumps are important, but let that be the deciding factor after a girl has at least matured into a young woman, and developed her other skills.

 

[wickedwitch]

Rightly or wrongly, Nathan was hyped well before he was old enough to compete as a senior. I'd been referring to him as "Nathan Chen The Future of American Men's Figure Skating," at least from the time he won Juniors.

But not by NBC. And I think that makes a big difference.

And I'm not sure they hype did Nathan any favors at the Olympics.

 

[Vagabond]

But not by NBC. And I think that makes a big difference.

It was NBC's very own Andrea Joyce who interviewed him for NBC at Nationals in 2010 and elicited from him that he expected to be at the Olympics in 2018.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=URek0bwdakY&t=0s&list=PL57BtwH1UbTp4OwX63ohV0jTQFDsbfaSM&index=52

You are rewriting history here.