U.S. Women [#2]: The Unbearable Lightness of Beijing

[Kateri]

I hope Gracie skates really well at nationals and is happy. I hope she then finishes her season, and tells the media to leave her the hell alone. The last thing I want is for all her progress to get sabotaged by yet more pressure and impossible standards.

 

[Carolla5501]

I hope Gracie skates really well at nationals and is happy. I hope she then finishes her season, and tells the media to leave her the hell alone. The last thing I want is for all her progress to get sabotaged by yet more pressure and impossible standards.

She’s got sponsors and endorsement deals. Telling the media to leave me the hell alone would be probably a bad move if she’d like to keep those deals.

 

[Frau Muller]

Gracie is ….if she places in the top six, she may have a shot at 4CC. I don't where she would be able to get the minimums at this late date.

Between US Natls and 4Cs, there’s the CS Lumiere Cup in the Netherlands, Jan 13-16 (still on?) Imagine zipping from Nashville to Eindhoven to Tallinn…

Between Natls and Olympics are:
CS Marie Lundmark, Finland, Jan 29-23
CS French Cup Rouen, Feb 4-5…just as the Games start…for “Hail Mary”
minimums for those not skating in the Team Event.

 

[tony]

Between US Natls and 4Cs, there’s the CS Lumiere Cup in the Netherlands, Jan 13-16 (still on?) Imagine zipping from Nashville to Eindhoven to Tallinn…

Between Natls and Olympics are:
CS Marie Lundmark, Finland, Jan 29-23
CS French Cup Rouen, Feb 4-5…just as the Games start…for “Hail Mary” minimums for those not skating in the Team Event.

If she's planning on being a synchronized skater instead

The Challenger Series for figure skating always runs between August and December.

 

[Frau Muller]

If she's planning on being a synchronized skater instead

That’s a good one!

 

[tony]

That’s a good one!

You're looking on an ISU event schedule for all disciplines and those competitions will not have any figure skaters. They are synchronized skating events.

There is the Bavarian Open, however, but it's at the same time as 4CC.

 

[ross_hy]

According to Jackie Wong on Twitter, Tom Z has confirmed that Bradie will not try to petition onto the Olympic team. She has not been able to train flip or lutz consistently.

Not surprising to hear, but still sad. Hope she takes this time to get the answers and treatment she’s been wanting.

 

[Frau Muller]

You're looking on an ISU event schedule for all disciplines and those competitions will not have any figure skaters. They are synchronized skating events.

There is the Bavarian Open, however, but it's at the same time as 4CC.

I didn’t know, Tony! My goodness, thanks. I just copied down all “CS” dates onto a little slip of paper that I keep by my TV. It seemed so weird that one of them was happening during the Oly Team Event…
DUH!!!!!!

 

[Karen-W]

Gracie doesn't have the TES mins and I don't think the USFS plans on assigning any of our skaters to Bavarian Open in the hopes they will get them so they can be named to the Olympic team if they place high enough at Nats. The way the Selection Criteria is written, even if Gracie (or Jill Heiner, Finley Hawk, or Rena Ikenishi) were to finish Top 3 at Nats and land themselves in Group 3, they would be behind both Karen and Mariah for consideration because their international scores are so much higher. Realistically, there are only 5 skaters in the mix for the Olympic spots - Alysa, Mariah, Karen, Amber and Lindsay.

 

[carriecmu0503]

Gracie is to be commended for how well she is skating this season - we've only seen her at regional competitions. Bless her spirit, but she has zero chance of making the Olympic team. However, if she places in the top six, she may have a shot at 4CC. I don't where she would be able to get the minimums at this late date.

Just as Gracie does not have the required international minimum scores required to compete at the Olympics, she also does not have them for 4CC, which requires the same minimum required international scores as the Olympics. Gracie is not qualified to compete at any IOC or ISU international championship event at this time.

 

[Frau Muller]

Found on Yahoo news-
Preview of US Nationals Sr women:

U.S. Figure Skating Championships women’s preview: who delivers under pressure?

For the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a look at six contenders to make the three-woman Olympic team for Beijing.

www.yahoo.com

 

[Rubies]

Found on Yahoo news-
Preview of US Nationals Sr women:

U.S. Figure Skating Championships women’s preview: who delivers under pressure?

For the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, a look at six contenders to make the three-woman Olympic team for Beijing.

www.yahoo.com

Sounds like the author(s) read FSU...

 

[Deleted member 221]

Realistically, there are only 5 skaters in the mix for the Olympic spots - Alysa, Mariah, Karen, Amber and Lindsay.

Looking at the field of contenders v. their international counterparts.... Perhaps a controversial prediction, but I'm thinking Nicole Bobek's ignominious record of worst-ever finish for a U.S. lady (17th) could fall. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if one of the three doesn't qualify for the free skate.

 

[peibeck]

Looking at the field of contenders v. their international counterparts.... Perhaps a controversial prediction, but I'm thinking Nicole Bobek's ignominious record of worst-ever finish for a U.S. lady (17th) could fall. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if one of the three doesn't qualify for the free skate.

NBC will probably be demanding part of their 7.75B contract money back if that happens. (Yes, I understand that's not how it works. )

 

[Coco]

Beyond the 5 @Karen-W mentioned, there aren't that many more with worlds minimums.

 

[toddlj]

Looking at the field of contenders v. their international counterparts.... Perhaps a controversial prediction, but I'm thinking Nicole Bobek's ignominious record of worst-ever finish for a U.S. lady (17th) could fall. I wouldn't be entirely shocked if one of the three doesn't qualify for the free skate.

I wouldn't be shocked either, but perhaps a bit surprised. If you take a look at season's best scores, removing extra Russian and Japanese skaters who won't be there, all 5 of the US women mentioned are still safely in the Q range.

 

[Karen-W]

Beyond the 5 @Karen-W mentioned, there aren't that many more with worlds minimums.

There are actually 5 other US women (excluding Bradie) with 4CCs/Olympic mins and I think they all have the Worlds mins - Starr Andrews, Hanna Harrell, Gabriella Izzo, Audrey Shin, & Sierra Venetta (she's the only one I'm not sure about Worlds mins).

 

[Coco]

You are correct about those 5, but I don't think 5 is that many more. Barely 1/2 the field at Nationals is eligible. Not sure how this compares to previous years, but it seems a bit sparse. Perhaps I'm being overly negative.

Here is - I think - the current list, organized by country.

https://results.isu.org/isujsstat/tes3/stswjustsen3.htm

Ting Cui and Paige Rydberg have minimums but didn't qualify for Nationals.

Finley Hawk needs just her SP minimums.

 

[VGThuy]

I am choosing to stay positive because I'm just grateful we have competitors with the crud and like it or not, these are the skaters we have. I'll be proud so long as they do the best they can - and don't skate like say...Jeremy Abbott. It might be a bit infantilizing but there's more than enough depression about the state of US ladies to make up for that.

 

[her grace]

I am choosing to stay positive because I'm just grateful we have competitors with the crud and like it or not, these are the skaters we have. I'll be proud so long as they do the best they can - and don't skate like say...Jeremy Abbott. It might be a bit infantilizing but there's more than enough depression about the state of US ladies to make up for that.

I know Jeremy Abbott is one of your favorite whipping boys, but you know, he also won nationals several times, earned gold at the Grand Prix Final, and finished top 5 at worlds twice. He was a worthy skater, if not a consistent competitor.

 

[VGThuy]

I know Jeremy Abbott is one of your favorite whipping boys, but you know, he also won nationals several times, earned gold at the Grand Prix Final, and finished top 5 at worlds twice. He was a worthy skater, if not a consistent competitor.

He's not one of my favorite whipping boys so slow your roll on that bs. I actually rooted for him to make the team in 2014 and defend his selection. I'm just saying if Karen Chen or Mariah end up skating like either of his Olympic appearances, they wouldn't be applauded. They already get enough grief for being ladies skaters who seemingly underperform.

 

[Deleted member 221]

While I'm making predictions, Karen Chen could also go down in history as the weakest two-time Olympian in US figure skating history if she's named to the team and finishes outside the top 10 again.

(I guess Alexa Knierim is also in contention, if we consider pairs and potential two-time Olympians with different partners.)

 

[Coco]

The general inability to contend for medals on the GP currently seen amongst US ladies is not, in my opinion, on any of the skaters. This is collectively on the coaches, judges and the federation. And it's been compounded by economic factors as well.

Unfortunately, though, the skaters are on the front line of public criticism.

IJS and the growth of the sport in other countries has changed the landscape so significantly, it's pointless to compare our current Olympians and likely Olympians with US Olympians from the past. You might be right when looking at Karen's results, but not her actual skating. And in the sport, results can be as dependent on the skater as they are on the results of the skaters' competitors.

And we have missed Bradie more than we realize this season.

 

[Karen-W]

While I'm making predictions, Karen Chen could also go down in history as the weakest two-time Olympian in US figure skating history if she's named to the team and finishes outside the top 10 again.

(I guess Alexa Knierim is also in contention, if we consider pairs and potential two-time Olympians with different partners.)

I wouldn't consider Alexa to be one of the weakest two-time US Olympic figure skaters if she and Brandon can manage a top 6 finish, not especially when you factor in the fact that she already has an Olympic team bronze by virtue of being the only US pairs team in 2018, with the strong likelihood of adding another team medal this year.

 

[overedge]

She’s got sponsors and endorsement deals. Telling the media to leave me the hell alone would be probably a bad move if she’d like to keep those deals.

She does? The only ones I see mentioned on her Instagram are something called MuscleTech, and a link in her bio to a women's bra company.
In any case, I would hope that her sponsors would understand the importance of her putting her mental health first.

 

[carriecmu0503]

He's not one of my favorite whipping boys so slow your roll on that bs. I actually rooted for him to make the team in 2014 and defend his selection. I'm just saying if Karen Chen or Mariah end up skating like either of his Olympic appearances, they wouldn't be applauded. They already get enough grief for being ladies skaters who seemingly underperform.

So, being trained as well as he ever was, and having a devastating, PAINFUL fall right off the top that he knew meant the end of his Olympic dreams, but GOT UP anyway and finished the program, is not to be applauded? I am extremely proud of the way Jeremy Abbott handled the adversity of that situation, and applaud him for not giving up when perhaps others would have! What he did is what role models do, and trashing him for what happened is not cool.

 

[Lemonade20]

So, being trained as well as he ever was, and having a devastating, PAINFUL fall right off the top that he knew meant the end of his Olympic dreams, but GOT UP anyway and finished the program, is not to be applauded? I am extremely proud of the way Jeremy Abbott handled the adversity of that situation, and applaud him for not giving up when perhaps others would have! What he did is what role models do, and trashing him for what happened is not cool.

So true! He didn't have a meltdown or cry snot bubbles. It was unfortunate but can't do anything about it.

 

[peibeck]

While I'm making predictions, Karen Chen could also go down in history as the weakest two-time Olympian in US figure skating history if she's named to the team and finishes outside the top 10 again.

And yet, Karen is the one who got the US ladies the opportunity to have 3 Olympic slots.

The general inability to contend for medals on the GP currently seen amongst US ladies is not, in my opinion, on any of the skaters. This is collectively on the coaches, judges and the federation. And it's been compounded by economic factors as well.

Unfortunately, though, the skaters are on the front line of public criticism.

The sheer force that the Russian ladies have had (2-3 powerhouses) at each GP event also severely limited US ladies (and ladies from other feds as well) to contend for medals on the GP.

 

[Karen-W]

And yet, Karen is the one who got the US ladies the opportunity to have 3 Olympic slots.

Can we stop with this misconception that any one skater alone afforded the US 3 Olympic spots in either Men or Women? It is a combined effort, from 2-3 skaters, to achieve that and while Karen's 4th place at Worlds certainly contributed, just like Jason's 7th place helped the Men, neither of those results alone made 3 spots possible. The only time a US skater or team in the last quad has been able to say that an additional spot was by their efforts alone was C-G/L's 9th place finish at 2019 Worlds to get the US Pairs a 2nd spot again.

The sheer force that the Russian ladies have had (2-3 powerhouses) at each GP event also severely limited US ladies (and ladies from other feds as well) to contend for medals on the GP.

I agree. It also doesn't help that, despite the limited fields of just 12 skaters in each discipline, countries can have up to 3 entries at any GP.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The criticism against Abbott in 2014 began with his 7th place finish in the Team Event SP and his subsequent comments:

Abbott slipped up after his disastrous short program by calling it a “positive step” in his overall Olympic experience—despite the fact that it had left his team stranded in seventh place. “Positive” didn’t seem the best word choice at such a moment.

He was hardly the only skater to be skeptical about the Team Event, especially the first one, but the "all about me" tone, plus frustration with how well he skated at pre-Olympics Nationals followed by not-great Olympic SP's in the TE or individual event, left a sour taste in many fans' mouths. Especially after seeing the commitment and jubilation of the Russian team in Sochi, which really elevated the importance of the TE, if in retrospect.