U.S. Ladies [#30]: Cover Girls

[bladesofgorey]

People are equating junior with age and not skill level like intended.

Good point. Although it does get confusing when "Novice" is a higher level of skating than "Intermediate".

 

[Maximillian]

Good point. Although it does get confusing when "Novice" is a higher level of skating than "Intermediate".

This was always confusing to me as a kid back in the 1980s and then you could 'age out' of Intermediate as I don't think you were allowed to compete in that category if you were over 13 years old. Not sure if that's still the case.

 

[Debbie S]

This was always confusing to me as a kid back in the 1980s and then you could 'age out' of Intermediate as I don't think you were allowed to compete in that category if you were over 13 years old. Not sure if that's still the case.

Skaters age out of Juvenile at 13. They age out of Intermediate at 18.

 

[Sylvia]

Who is coaching Cui?

From the recent podcast interview she did that included a transcript, Ting said Linichuk "is my head coach now along with Priscilla Hill and Roland Burghart. The three of them are forming a team.":

Midnight Blues and Other Musings -- a new blog & podcast (available on Spotify) -- conversed recently with Ting Cui for just under one hour - audio on YT: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f-W1UXf4uy0
Transcript is here:

Interview with Ting Cui

[Trigger Warning: This interview contains mentions of eating disorders and engages in conversations about injuries and the psychological impacts they have on one's psyche.]Ting has had an illustrious junior career, receiving the bronze medal at the Junior World Championships in 2019, and...

midnightbluesandot.wixsite.com

Excerpt:

Ting comes across to me as being very realistic about her skating at this point in time - excerpts from the podcast transcript:

I’m excited to see what I can do for the rest of the season. It’s really just been a new chapter in my skating. With what you just said with judgement you feel when you're trying to come back after an injury, ...It depends how big the mental block is but at times you won’t even want to come to the rink because you’re so scared of what people will think of you. In my case I went from getting bronze at junior worlds to not being able to do a single axel. Coming back the second time from injury, in my mind people were expecting the best version of me that i had ever skated and this was so far from it. The disappointment I had anticipated that I expected would come from them would build on top of my own. I did not need to put myself through that mentally! Getting over that was huge. I still have that mental block at times but I'm skating for myself and realizing that this is what I can do now. And so I’m going to hone it. I’m not going to be in this position forever.

When I wasn’t able to jump, letting myself have creative moments to blast music I like and do a little bit of improv on the ice was completely freeing. Saying it now, it’s such a minor change but it was the biggest switch in my head. Like skating doesn’t have to be this one way that I've done my whole life. Skating can be fun and I really love it. I love skating now, it’s what I like to do so I show up to the rink everyday and have a good time. Regardless of how many times I've fallen in practice or if it was a terrible day, I’m still happy to be there. I know what the alternative is now, not being able to skate, so I’m just happy to be able to train and do what I want to do.

My short is going to be This Bitter Earth by Dinah Washington and Max Richter. It’s really cool, my choreographer [Colin McManus] suggested these pieces. The lyrics from the Dinah Washington piece over Max Richter’s instrumental is so chilling, it’s so beautiful. It's hard to skate to because with most Max Richter pieces, they're more on the mellow side. They don’t necessarily build but they are so powerful so I have to embody the music and compose it a little bit with my skating. I can’t follow the melody the whole time because it is slower paced. I have to bring that power and excitement to it in a way that is fitting. That’s been a little bit of a challenge to just not blend in with it. If you hear it it’s just mellow and slow until the footwork, then it starts to pick up. It’s cool and I’m excited to do it. I wasn’t sure about it at first because I didn’t think I could do it justice. But I really like what we have done together so far on the program and will continue to work on to see what goes on with it.

Re-posting the Skate Milwaukee debut of her SP that I really enjoyed watching (SO glad Colin McManus suggested this music! ):

Ting Cui 2021 Skate Milwaukee SP

Ting Cui 2021 Skate Milwaukee SP

www.youtube.com

 

[Vagabond]

Is it time for me to start a new thread entitled "U.S. Women"?

Yes, it is. And I have.

 

[gkelly]

Good point. Although it does get confusing when "Novice" is a higher level of skating than "Intermediate".

This was always confusing to me as a kid back in the 1980s and then you could 'age out' of Intermediate .

It confused me too as a kid. When I came back to skating as an adult and started researching the history, it helped to think of "novice" as meaning "newcomers to the elite levels."

This made sense in the US when Nationals consisted of novice, junior, and senior events, which was the case from 1930 until whenever they added juveniles and intermediates to regular nationals about a decade ago, before removing all three of those middle levels.

Of course the international use of the same names for age-based rather than skill-based distinctions between groups is even more confusing. I'm not sure when that started.

 

[Bulletsdad]

Right now, US figure skating is all about Junior Women. Wow. USA finally has a chance to make a dent on the Eteri Russian stranglehold in a couple of years time, if all stay fit & healthy. Maybe about in 2023-24 or so? Of course, Eteri & the Russians won’t stop their surprises coming up the ranks...

I would not count out the US women for the Beijing podium. Let's see what happens at the Cranberry Open.

 

[Frau Muller]

I would not count out the US women for the Beijing podium. Let's see what happens at the Cranberry Open.

Of course. That’s why I said 2023 or 24 as the possible start of resurgence of US women in Sr Worlds or the 2026 Olys. Health of the skaters is also a big factor...could an Eteri-style factory system even be allowed here?

 

[Jammers]

Of course. That’s why I said 2023 or 24 as the possible start of resurgence of US women in Sr Worlds or the 2026 Olys. Health of the skaters is also a big factor...could an Eteri-style factory system even be allowed here?

Well we did it in US ladies gymnastics and have built a dynasty but we know at what cost.