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

[Vagabond]

Johnny and Tara are two old fuddy-duddies.

 

[Sylvia]

NBC Nightly News' 2/14/22 broadcast today featured Alysa & her dad (includes a taped interview at the Oakland Ice Center):

Skating sensation Alysa Liu is ready to reach new heights at the Olympics

Team USA figure skater Alysa Liu became the youngest women’s national champion in history at just 13. Over the last three years, she’s faced the challenges of changing coaches, growing up, and testing positive for Covid. Competing in Beijing is personal for Liu, whose father was a student...

www.nbcnews.com

 

[Coco]

Current GOE guidelines https://isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/24665-isu-communication-2334/file


FOR + 1 : 1 bullet
FOR + 2 : 2 bullets
FOR + 3 : 3 bullets
FOR + 4 : 4 bullets
FOR + 5 : 5 or more bullets

FOR + 4 and +5 THE FIRST THREE bullets highlighted in bold must be present

1) very good height and very good length (of all jumps in a combo or sequence)
2) good take-off and landing
3) effortless throughout (including rhythm in Jump combination)
4) steps before the jump, unexpected or creative entry
5) very good body position from take-off to landing
6) element matches the music

 

[AYS]

Johnny and Tara are two old fuddy-duddies.

It happens to the best of us.

 

[Wyliefan]

Ting Cui is going to Middlebury College: https://www.instagram.com/reel/CZ8Nzm4gR6T/?utm_medium=copy_link

 

[Sylvia]

Ting had mentioned last year she planned to start college at Middlebury in VT in February - glad to see she's there now & still skating!

Kristi Yamaguchi narrated USFS' short Olympic preview video for the 3 women: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CZ-p4ygJUbt/
Also tweeted by USFS: https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1493380536546390018

 

[Stephanie]

Katie Shen has been added to the roster for Challenge Cup in the Netherlands It will be her international debut.

https://www.schaatsen.nl/media/52991/gepubliceerd-schaatsen-nl_entries-by-name_15feb.pdf

She shares a coaching team with Soho Lee so it makes more sense to me that they would go to the same competition than one to Challenge Cup and the other to Egna Spring Trophy

 

[olympic]

FWIW, Alysa Liu is the best scoring US lady in the SP at any Olympiad. She scored higher in the SP than Bradie in 2018, Gracie in 2014, Flatt in 2010, and Sasha in 2006. Cheers!

 

[feraina]

FWIW, Alysa Liu is the best scoring US lady in the SP at any Olympiad. She scored higher in the SP than Bradie in 2018, Gracie in 2014, Flatt in 2010, and Sasha in 2006. Cheers!

I thought she skated great. Her 3F was a beauty. Does she normally get a ! for it?

 

[VGThuy]

To be fair, this scoring system is different with the +5/-5 system and we know GOE and PCS have gradually risen since 2006.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I've been hoping US could get one in the top 10. It's going to be tough.

 

[Coco]

My heart goes out to Karen. I hope she tries to repeat the Salchow instead of the loop in her FS.

Am I remembering her jump layout right? I dunno... something is physically wrong, imo, this is not a mental thing.

 

[concorde]

My heart goes out to Karen. I hope she tries to repeat the Salchow instead of the loop in her FS.

Am I remembering her jump layout right? I dunno... something is physically wrong, imo, this is not a mental thing.

Karen had really bad luck in the draw - to be right before KV.

 

[Allskate]

My heart goes out to Karen. I hope she tries to repeat the Salchow instead of the loop in her FS.

Am I remembering her jump layout right? I dunno... something is physically wrong, imo, this is not a mental thing.

According to Jackie Wong, Karen has been struggling with the loop in practice. And Mariah has had problems with the 3/3 in practice. Alyssa's biggest problem in practice has been the 3 axel. It's hard to know how much of Karen's loop problems are mental because of her mistake in the team short. According to Jackie, Alyssa already had decided days ago that she would not do the double axel in the short. Karen and Mariah decided not to change their short programs. Especially for Karen, given the entrance to the loop, it is not that easy to change the layout of her program the week of the competition.

I'm not going to get into PCS because I'm already so ticked off about this event.

I'm hoping that all three of them have long programs that make them happy.

 

[Maximillian]

FWIW, Alysa Liu is the best scoring US lady in the SP at any Olympiad. She scored higher in the SP than Bradie in 2018, Gracie in 2014, Flatt in 2010, and Sasha in 2006. Cheers!

Considering how many changes scoring has undergone since 2006, plus inflation in terms of PCS and GOEs (not to mention the move from 1-3 GOE to 1-5) I would say that information has about as much relevence as an 8 track cassette tape.

 

[olympic]

Considering how many changes scoring has undergone since 2006, plus inflation in terms of PCS and GOEs (not to mention the move from 1-3 GOE to 1-5) I would say that information has about as much relevence as an 8 track cassette tape.

That is why I said 'FWIW' ...

 

[Spikefan]

Article on Alysa with a cute tidbit that Hubbell did her makeup for the short.

https://olympics.com/en/news/alysa-liu-16-shines-in-olympic-figure-skating-debut-beijing-2022

 

[Karen-W]

Article on Alysa with a cute tidbit that Hubbell did her makeup for the short.

https://olympics.com/en/news/alysa-liu-16-shines-in-olympic-figure-skating-debut-beijing-2022

Good for Madi stepping up and helping glam Alysa up.

 

[Coco]

Lol, God forbid a us lady not conform to hetero normative standards of femininity.

 

[Spikefan]

Alysa clearly thought it was fun to be made up, I don’t think it’s that deep.

 

[Karen-W]

Lol, God forbid a us lady not conform to hetero normative standards of femininity.

Oh, please. She's wearing a glittery dress with a fair amount of Swarovski crystals, made by Mathieu Caron. Isn't she already halfway there?

I don't have a problem with any of these ladies going sans makeup for practices but if you're putting on the pretty dress for competition, you're already setting the expectation that you are trying to conform to hetero normative standards of femininity. So, you might as well go full throttle and have your makeup and hair done well - it wasn't excessive or overdone either. But, it did look nice, clean and neat. Same for Mariah Bell, who also was decidedly un-glam at Nats with her hair and makeup.

 

[skatfan]

Good for Madi stepping up and helping glam Alysa up.

Alysa looks properly tiffed and thank goodness no bangs

 

[Sonata]

That’s nice to hear that Karen and Mariah went to watch Alysa to support her and that Madi Hubbell did her make up. Sounds like she’s surrounded by some big sister energy during Olympics. I was glad to see her look so happy during the short.

 

[Vagabond]

I just watched Liu's SP. While there may yet be long-term benefits from the coaching change, it's hard to see any short-term ones in her actual skating.

 

[Baby Yoda On Skates]

I actually wonder if some of Arthur's comments are coming from the place of feeling like he screwed up by uprooting Alysa completely in a quest to make her competitive with what is now a known doper.

 

[Sylvia]

"The families of @MariahBell96, @Karebearsk8 and Alysa Liu have some sweet messages for them before they skate tomorrow! " (video): https://twitter.com/USFigureSkating/status/1494107325589688326

 

[clairecloutier]

A nice article about Karen Chen’s mom—who apparently makes all of Karen’s costumes, and also Wolfkostin/Chen’s too.

‘I Just Feel the Best When I Wear Them’ (Published 2022)

The American figure skater Karen Chen performs in glittering dresses designed and sewn by her mother.

www.nytimes.com

The article says that Karen “plans to retire soon from international competition and return to her pre-med studies at Cornell University.”

 

[VGThuy]

Well checking the results and…nice for the US to have two ladies in the top 10. While Karen…the best I can say is that she seems to be mirroring Kostner’s career during her first two Olympic cycles (and no I’m not saying Karen should go for a third or fourth one!).

 

[tylersf]

Congratulations on a nice effort from all the USA Ladies! Alyssa=7, Mariah=10, Karen=16.
We also got a Team Silver!

 

[Carolla5501]

Lol, God forbid a us lady not conform to hetero normative standards of femininity.

God forbid a poster not judge a teenager so they can feel superior!