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

[Frau Muller]

Isabeau Levito withdrew from Leesburg event. Is she ok? Thorngren still on; coming up soon.

 

[Karen-W]

Isabeau Levito withdrew from Leesburg event. Is she ok? Thorngren still on; coming up soon.

No idea. She might have decided to wait until the Atlanta event (I believe she's on the start list for that one, IIRC). She already has a bye to Nats by way of the JGPF.

 

[Coco]

Gracie's sp is around the 1:37 mark of the replay on peacock. Really nice jumps and spins and nice quality of movement in between elements. She didn't do any steps after the fluke fall, but from protocols it looks like they considered it to have happened during the element. It looks like she caught the heel of her blade but who knows. She seemed in good spirits after the skate, clearly annoyed at the fall but not overly upset.

I have to say, watching her skate so well is a huge treat. Wow.

 

[Rukia]

Gracie's sp is around the 1:37 mark of the replay on peacock. Really nice jumps and spins and nice quality of movement in between elements. She didn't do any steps after the fluke fall, but from protocols it looks like they considered it to have happened during the element. It looks like she caught the heel of her blade but who knows. She seemed in good spirits after the skate, clearly annoyed at the fall but not overly upset.

I have to say, watching her skate so we'll is a huge treat. Wow.

Yeah I just watched it. She looked so much calmer than in the past. Beautiful fw up until the fall, and even a smile or two. Good for her.

 

[mtnskater]

Kudos to Alysa going for the triple axel in her senior Grand Prix international debut short program. I could tell she was quite nervous as her performance was a bit more tight and less free and joyful than I’ve seen it. But putting that down after Valieva got a massive score was super gutsy!
Her skating skills also seemed a little bit less effortless and jumps tighter. But great job in an absolutely stacked field. Her program is packed with transitions and interesting choreography.

 

[Jarrett]

Good skates from both Karen and Alysa. Too bad about Karen's combo. Everything else was ++++++++goe

 

[zigzig]

Alysa has the best short program of the entire women's field this season!!!! Judging was bull$hit as usual but I’m glad she had a clean skate.

 

[olympic]

Alysa in her first Sr. GP event hanging w/ Russia's A team (yes, they are a little ahead but she has a shot at the podium). That is good enough for me!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Well so far looks like Amber has the highest free skate score at the Grand Prix circuit. About a half point higher than Alysa

And Karen not being consistent at skate Canada and coming in 10th in the free and overall. I think this is going to make an exciting US nationals and I actually think it could be any mix of US Lady skaters making up the team.

And we have not even seen Bradie or much of Mariah yet

 

[Karen-W]

Well so far looks like Amber has the highest free skate score at the Grand Prix circuit. About a half point higher than Alysa

And Karen not being consistent at skate Canada and coming in 10th in the free and overall. I think this is going to make an exciting US nationals and I actually think it could be any mix of US Lady skaters making up the team.

And we have not even seen Bradie or much of Mariah yet

FS score is irrelevant. It's the total score that matters and Alysa still has Amber beat by a wide margin on that front.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

FS score is irrelevant. It's the total score that matters and Alysa still has Amber beat by a wide margin on that front.

I know I know.... just let me toot my horn for Amber… I watched eight straight hours well except for the gym of figure skating so I can toot my horn if I need to



And I live in Hollywood so I’m just trying to add drama and intrigue for US nationals, LOL

And Alysa only beat Amber by about five points in total result

And Amber still the only US lady skater without any under rotations, q, !, <, << or symbols of any sort in the free. Lol

Now can I pleaseeeee get an Amen up in here????

 

[Karen-W]

I know I know.... just let me toot my horn for Amber… I watched eight straight hours well except for the gym of figure skating so I can toot my horn if I need to



And I live in Hollywood so I’m just trying to add drama and intrigue for US nationals, LOL

And Alysa only beat Amber by about five points in total result

And Amber still the only US lady skater without any under rotations, q, !, <, << or symbols of any sort in the free. Lol

Now can I pleaseeeee get an Amen up in here????

Fair, fair! None of the US ladies save Alysa are really making a case for selection to the Olympic team so I'm down with Amber making the squad as long as she starts trying that 3a in every single competition.

 

[sjs5572]

Fair, fair! None of the US ladies save Alysa are really making a case for selection to the Olympic team so I'm down with Amber making the squad as long as she starts trying that 3a in every single competition.

This. Alysa only got a net of .65 points for the LP 3a. She basically gave up 3.5 points for the attempt over a clean 2a that she can do in her sleep. Getting these attempts out there are important for commiting the 3a to muscle memory under pressure.

 

[Frau Muller]

Congratulations to Alysa Liu for a creditable 5th place finish at Skate Canada - her Senior GP debut! Fourth in the SP and 7th in the LP. Not shabby, against an ultra-tough field of Russian & Japanese wonders. Alysa showed that she “can play with the big girls”! Yeah!!!

 

[olympic]

Congratulations to Alysa Liu for a creditable 5th place finish at Skate Canada - her Senior GP debut! Fourth in the SP and 7th in the LP. Not shabby, against an ultra-tough field of Russian & Japanese wonders. Alysa showed that she “can play with the big girls”! Yeah!!!

You are right. It is easy to forget that she is making her Senior Debut. But 5th in that field which included some of the best from JPN and RUS is a big accomplishment

 

[Coco]

I thought the 2a<1/2Eu 3sal< for Karen was a bit harsh.

 

[skatingguy]

I thought the 2a<1/2Eu 3sal< for Karen was a bit harsh.

The Salchow could have been a q, but both were definitely under. Chen really started to tire toward the end of the program as seen by the two falls, and the snap had definitely gone out of the jumps.

 

[missing]

Over at the Championship Series, Lindsay Thorngren outscored Amber Glenn's SA score.

I don't know if that's an apples to oranges comparison, and it may well be a Granny Smith to Macintosh one. But no matter which way it's looked it, to me it indicates that any discussion of top US women should include Thorngren in the mix.

 

[Coco]

Mmmm ..apples

 

[Frau Muller]

Over at the Championship Series, Lindsay Thorngren outscored Amber Glenn's SA score.

I don't know if that's an apples to oranges comparison, and it may well be a Granny Smith to Macintosh one. But no matter which way it's looked it, to me it indicates that any discussion of top US women should include Thorngren in the mix.

I just watched the last eight Sr Women/Leesburg on Peacock. You’re right. Lindsay is stepping things up with her 3 axel (landed but with a quick knee down, facing in the right direction).... Even though she’s still skating an LP to Queens Gambit, it seems to have much new music, very different to the Junior version. Not just the extra 30 seconds or so. No longer the “tick-tick” after the car crash at the start, for ex...more voice overs from the TV series. I need to compare the Jr and Sr programs.

2nd - Jill Heiner of Annapolis came in 2nd. Absolute delight & bundle of energy. La la land.

3rd - Rena Ikenishi of NY fabulous in one of the better of several 007 programs this year.

Gracie Gold 4th but strong in a gorgeous gold dress, to Daphnis et Chloe. Energy & oomph...but 3lutz combo at the start not as good as in the SP. She didn’t stick around to listen to her scores.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Over at the Championship Series, Lindsay Thorngren outscored Amber Glenn's SA score.

I don't know if that's an apples to oranges comparison, and it may well be a Granny Smith to Macintosh one. But no matter which way it's looked it, to me it indicates that any discussion of top US women should include Thorngren in the mix.

SHe’s on my radar as well. However that was a US competition with all US judges correct? That was not an international panel of judges though right

 

[Karen-W]

SHe’s on my radar as well. However that was a US competition with all US judges correct? That was not an international panel of judges though right

Yes. She scored 193 at her 2nd JGP to win the bronze there. Add in another jumping pass and the choreo sequence for senior and she is in the 202+ range like she earned yesterday. Plus, she had some fairly major errors on her first 3 jumping passes yesterday. She is very much in the mix for the Olympic team. She makes her senior international debut in 3 weeks at Warsaw Cup.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Yes. She scored 193 at her 2nd JGP to win the bronze there. Add in another jumping pass and the choreo sequence for senior and she is in the 202+ range like she earned yesterday. Plus, she had some fairly major errors on her first 3 jumping passes yesterday. She is very much in the mix for the Olympic team. She makes her senior international debut in 3 weeks at Warsaw Cup.

It’s getting exciting in US ladies

 

[Karen-W]

It’s getting exciting in US ladies

I'm telling you, honest to goodness, as much as I snarked on Amber last week for not going for the 3a in both the SP and FS, I really would love nothing more than a US Olympic team made up of Alysa, Amber and Lindsay because at least they are TRYING the element and trying to push the US women into doing the harder tech content necessary to be competitive internationally.

 

[DreamSkates]

As of today I would ALMOST say Liu is a shoe-in for the Olympic team. Except she must get the 3A back and fix the URs.

Glenn - strong performances so far, so keep it up and maybe depending on finish at Nationals.
Tennell - in danger unless she has an outstanding performance at Nationals as there is nothing to go on from the GP series.
Chen - not strong performances esp. SC, with a LP score in a downward direction.
Bell - haven't seen her yet but she must outdo herself vs. last year.

 

[DreamSkates]

I'm telling you, honest to goodness, as much as I snarked on Amber last week for not going for the 3a in both the SP and FS, I really would love nothing more than a US Olympic team made up of Alysa, Amber and Lindsay because at least they are TRYING the element and trying to push the US women into doing the harder tech content necessary to be competitive internationally.

Except that we haven't see what a Bradie has to offer yet. She was working on 3A.

 

[Karen-W]

Except that we haven't see what a Bradie has to offer yet. She was working on 3A.

Well... Sure. But did we ever see a 3A attempt from her even in practices before her current injury? In theory, she was working on one but she didn't even put it on practice ice at any competitions as far as I'm aware, which would classify her 3A in a very hypothetical realm. Jason's 4S is more real than Bradie's 3A at this point.

 

[tony]

To be fair, Glenn's triple Axel at this point is as real as Tuktamysheva's quad toe. It's one thing to keep teasing practice clips and reports about how it has great consistency in competition practices and another thing to not go for it at all when it's primetime. Skate America was the time to see how it goes. Still keeping my fingers crossed for next time, but we will see.

I don't know what condition Bradie is in right now nor can anyone predict how she will be by January, but a healthy Tennell IMO is still the most competent of the US women if she skates very well. I don't want to sound like a broken record but Liu's new toe pick jump technique is asking for technical panel floodgates to open.

 

[canbelto]

I don't think Karen will make the Olympics. Lovely skater but she got absolutely hammered yesterday by the judges.

 

[tony]

I don't think Karen will make the Olympics. Lovely skater but she got absolutely hammered yesterday by the judges.

She was 4th at Worlds and she's had other bad skates in her life, particularly in the Grand Prix. Yes, many of the jumps were tight and underrotated, but the final two falls with << were the score killers. Early-season performances aren't indicative of anything with her, we should all know this by now