U.S. Women [#3]: Skating Clean

[Sylvia]

Forgot to post this tidbit earlier... Bradie demonstrated for Benoit Richaud at the PSA Conference in Chicago last week and afterwards shared Zakrajsek's selfie photo with her as an Instagram story with the added caption "Can't wait to start training again!!"

I dislike this headline but here's an article on Isabeau Levito, published by GS today, that reveals she is huge Medvedeva fan :

America's new hope: Isabeau Levito

With World bronze medalist Alysa Liu retiring at age 16 from competitive skating, the hopes for the future of the American women rest mainly on newly-minted World Junior Champion, Isabeau […]

www.goldenskate.com

Speaking of Richaud, he has been working (again) with Lindsay Thorngren at her rink in New Jersey.

Fan Zone article on Lindsay Thorngren (May 31):

Lindsay Thorngren Finds Personal Bests at Junior Worlds - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Tears glistened in Lindsay Thorngren's eyes as she bowed and skated off the ice after her senior ladies' free skate program at the 2022 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Congrats to Paige Rydberg on her graduation from University of Colorado at Colorado Springs this past Friday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdOg7uZrwlx/

Paige Rydberg Q&A to help promote the 2022 U.S. Collegiate Championship taking place July 22-24 in Richfield, Minnesota:

U.S. Collegiate Championships Spotlight: Paige Rydberg - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

The 2022 U.S. Collegiate Championships & Invitational are taking place July 22-24, 2022, in Richfield, Minnesota. The U.S. Collegiate Championships are an opportunity

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[Sylvia]

Isabeau has shared an on ice photo with Carolina Kostner at her home rink in New Jersey : https://www.instagram.com/p/CecZA14LPnG/

Levito recently vacationed in Italy - some pics: https://www.instagram.com/p/CecYVIGrcmh/

 

[Sylvia]

Amber just shared this clip! (filmed at the rink in Artesia, CA) https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeuJrkhlAFw/
2022/23 Freeskate “ Without you “ by Ursine Vulpine & Annaca
Choreography & music editing by @mishage8

ETA link to her tweet with the same clip:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1536137011509141504

 

[kalle]

I cannot help thinking how much I will miss Alysa out there.. It would have been wonderful to have seen her develope after such a successful first year on the Senior circuit
I know there are other US skaters that have both talent and artistry but I did not expect feeling so down after Alysa's retirement!
Hopefully, we will see Amber in fine form this season and perhaps Mariah and Karen will continue?

 

[aml78]

Ambers IG bio says TX/CO. Does anyone know who she is training with? Has she left the Cains entirely?

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Polina's latest podcast is an interview with Isabeau Levito:

The Iron Butterfly: Fresh on the Scene (ft. Isabeau Levito)

I sit down with 2022 US Bronze Medalist and Junior World Champion Isabeau Levito to chat about her career thus far! We talk about her start in skating, her coaching team, her timeline of learning jumps, her artistry and the dance classes she takes, competing on the JGP circuit last season, her...

bleav.com

 

[Jammers]

I cannot help thinking how much I will miss Alysa out there.. It would have been wonderful to have seen her develope after such a successful first year on the Senior circuit
I know there are other US skaters that have both talent and artistry but I did not expect feeling so down after Alysa's retirement!
Hopefully, we will see Amber in fine form this season and perhaps Mariah and Karen will continue?

Yeah i think we didn't see Alysa at her full potential she would have hands down been dominate for US Ladies over the next couple of seasons if she had stayed healthy.

 

[Sylvia]

Yeah i think we didn't see Alysa at her full potential she would have hands down been dominate for US Ladies over the next couple of seasons if she had stayed healthy.

But skating is not only about maintaining physical health -- the mental aspects are just as important and the desire/drive has to be there as well. Alysa made absolutely clear in her IG Lives (during & right after the Stars on Ice tour) that she is OVER the daily grind that competitive skating entails. She has shows in Japan in late July (Mariah is also doing "The Ice" with her) and one final show in Sun Valley on September 2. She wants to try new things besides skating/training and I hope she has a blast!

Hopefully, we will see Amber in fine form this season and perhaps Mariah and Karen will continue?

Phil Hersh tweeted on June 15 that Mariah may continue/do the Grand Prix (she had hinted that it was a possiblity in an interview during the SOI tour):

Mariah Q&A before the Hershey SOI show:

After ‘fulfilling’ season, Mariah Bell is having fun in her first Stars on Ice tour – Figure Skaters Online

" I don’t think I’ll go for another four years, but another year is definitely a possibility..."

Speaking of Amber, she has a fun cameo in this TikTok video shared by Sofia Frank (U.S.-born skater representing the Philippines as of this past season) on the ice in Colorado Springs with Young You, Haien Lee, Clare Seo, Emilia Murdock & others: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce42ZkygETC/

 

[coppertop1]

Yeah i think we didn't see Alysa at her full potential she would have hands down been dominate for US Ladies over the next couple of seasons if she had stayed healthy.

Except she didn't want to compete
So, she won't be missing out because she's happy.

 

[layman]

Except she didn't want to compete
So, she won't be missing out because she's happy.

It seems that the USFSA/American Media hype machine really crushed Alysa Liu (crushed her spirit), as it has so many other female skaters who did not live up to the expectations and hype (Gracie Gold, Caroline Zhang, Agnes Zawadski, Jenny Kirk, Tiffany Chen...).

I wonder who the hype machine will move onto next. It seems it will be Isabeau Levito. I wish her the best.

 

[Karen-W]

It seems that the USFSA/American Media hype machine really crushed Alysa Liu (crushed her spirit), as it has so many other female skaters who did not live up to the expectations and hype (Gracie Gold, Caroline Zhang, Agnes Zawadski, Jenny Kirk, Tiffany Chen...).

I wonder who the hype machine will move onto next. It seems it will be Isabeau Levito. I wish her the best.

Yes, it does seem like it will be Levito. Fine by me if it lets Lindsay Thorngren fly under the radar a la Sarah Hughes.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

It seems that the USFSA/American Media hype machine really crushed Alysa Liu (crushed her spirit)

I disagree, Alysa doesn't seem seemed crushed at all. She met her goals, is happy with her accomplishments, and is simply ready to do other things. That girl's got spirit to spare.

 

[Willin]

I disagree, Alysa doesn't seem seemed crushed at all. She met her goals, is happy with her accomplishments, and is simply ready to do other things. That girl's got spirit to spare.

Exactly. There are a lot of skaters her age that quit to try new things. She's just a lot more well known than most.

 

[layman]

I disagree, Alysa doesn't seem seemed crushed at all. She met her goals, is happy with her accomplishments, and is simply ready to do other things. That girl's got spirit to spare.

They put a good spin (and a bow) on it but Alysa just retired in her senior debut season! Even Tara Lipinski had two seasons as a senior (and a World and Olympic title to show for it).

Alysa's desire to compete just seemed to evaporate mid-senior debut season. The hype surely did not help.

 

[VGThuy]

I mean all sports give their best athletes some promotion. I would think the USFS were incompetent if they didn’t try to make their top athletes household names. As far as pressure goes, that’s just part of competition and that’s why being a champion isn’t easy. I don’t think Liu got any more hype than warranted. They just made a big deal out of her that first senior debut at Nationals when she was too young to compete at Worlds and then it seemed to die down after every season. By Nationals 2022, there was way more attention on Nathan and other skaters. Even Mariah for more attention. If there was any pressure put on Liu, it seemed to be from forces beyond mere sport…like that strain put on her family from that weird Chinese spy incident(s), her having to move bases, missing family, etc.

Yes, it does seem like it will be Levito. Fine by me if it lets Lindsay Thorngren fly under the radar a la Sarah Hughes.

If Sarah flew under the radar, that wasn’t from the USFS’s lack of promotion or hype. Even from when she was 13, she was invited to so many USFS/ISU-sanctioned pro-ams, made for tv competitions, and had so much camera focus on her from 1998-99 on. For the 2002 Olympics, she had a lot of hype and press, including being on the cover of Time Magazine. It was just that she was always competing against Kwan, who was a gold medal-level superstar by 20002 and either Nam, Cohen, or Nikodinov, who all stole the thunder at 1999, 2000, and 2001 Nationals respectively.

 

[sk9tingfan]

They put a good spin (and a bow) on it but Alysa just retired in her senior debut season! Even Tara Lipinski had two seasons as a senior (and a World and Olympic title to show for it).

Alysa's desire to compete just seemed to evaporate mid-senior debut season. The hype surely did not help.

IMO, her struggle with injuries and the abrupt changes in her body due to the onset of puberty just literally and figuratively weighed her down. The pandemic and the Chinese stalking her father/Alysa didn't help. I agree that she has an indomitable spirit but when one's safety is in jeopardy, it isn't worth it.

 

[Deleted member 221]

They put a good spin (and a bow) on it but Alysa just retired in her senior debut season! Even Tara Lipinski had two seasons as a senior (and a World and Olympic title to show for it).

Alysa's desire to compete just seemed to evaporate mid-senior debut season. The hype surely did not help.

Lipinski didn't have to deal with age limits. Liu would have had three full seasons on the senior circuit (+ a fourth where she'd have been at Worlds), if not for age limits and a pandemic.

IMO we'll see more skaters retiring after one senior season due to age limits. I suspect many or even most Olympic champions in the future will have 0.75 (retiring right after Olympics) to two complete senior seasons. More careers will see their best moments in juniors. Not saying it's right or wrong (although I am against age limits beyond 16), just saying it is.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Alysa's desire to compete just seemed to evaporate mid-senior debut season. The hype surely did not help.

But her joy was back by the end of the season. Her spirit was intact.

She retired after her debut year because that single year was all she needed to meet her goal of making the Olympics. Not everyone is a Savchenko - once is enough for a lot of skaters.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Amber just shared this clip! (filmed at the rink in Artesia, CA) https://www.instagram.com/reel/CeuJrkhlAFw/
2022/23 Freeskate “ Without you “ by Ursine Vulpine & Annaca
Choreography & music editing by @mishage8

Ohhhhh Im loving it!!!!!

Thanks!

Side note: I know wrong thread, can someone DM me and let me know when they r doing GP assignments! Thanks.

 

[Sylvia]

Side note: I know wrong thread, can someone DM me and let me know when they r doing GP assignments! Thanks.

@AngieNikodinovLove, June 30 is the date Hersh tweeted - link to @Karen-W's compilation of skaters likely eligible for GP selection:
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...n-do-they-come-out.109729/page-2#post-6267037

 

[Karen-W]

Hmmmmmm... looks like Karen Chen is leaving her training base and coaching team at the OTC. Seems like she would stay there through the summer before heading off to Cornell if she was planning on competing this fall...

Watch this story by Karen Chen on Instagram before it disappears.

187k Followers, 995 Following, 695 Posts

instagram.com

 

[oubik]

@AngieNikodinovLove, June 30 is the date Hersh tweeted - link to @Karen-W's compilation of skaters likely eligible for GP selection:
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...n-do-they-come-out.109729/page-2#post-6267037

Should be moved to first days of July since the last GP (for cancelled China) is not decided yet. So last GP first and then the GP Organizing Group is sitting around table (or WiFi) and selecting skaters/teams.

 

[Karen-W]

Should be moved to first days of July since the last GP (for cancelled China) is not decided yet. So last GP first and then the GP Organizing Group is sitting around table (or WiFi) and selecting skaters/teams.

Ugh. Any word on whether or not they received any bids for the cancelled China GP? Also, the order of the GPs was as follows this year:

SkAm
SCI
IdF
China
NHK
RC

Phil Hersh seemed to think that Finland was getting Russia's vacated host spot, which would make it the last one, but your comment seems to imply that Finland is going to follow IdF and they're still looking for a host for the last GP, in order to keep the continental rotation going with 2 NA, 2 Europe, then 2 Asia/Oceania?

 

[oubik]

Ugh. Any word on whether or not they received any bids for the cancelled China GP? Also, the order of the GPs was as follows this year:

SkAm
SCI
IdF
China
NHK
RC

Phil Hersh seemed to think that Finland was getting Russia's vacated host spot, which would make it the last one, but your comment seems to imply that Finland is going to follow IdF and they're still looking for a host for the last GP, in order to keep the continental rotation going with 2 NA, 2 Europe, then 2 Asia/Oceania?

Sorry, I do not have those inside infos so can't precise.

 

[leilaofpaper]

I know it’s a long shot but I’m hoping Sydney pulled out of 4CCs to put their hand up for a GP event

 

[ice coverage]

OMG ... Kate Wang is part of Steph Curry's new Snapchat original series, "Level Up with Stephen Curry."

So far, Kate is seen in the trailer.

Level Up With Stephen Curry

Watch Level Up With Stephen Curry on Snapchat

story.snapchat.com

Also tweeted by Steph: https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30/status/1539784388111568896 (Jun 22)​

And on Snapchat's YouTube channel: https://youtube.com/shorts/ABs60Ui0pvw​

Kate's individual episode is yet to come.

"Stephen Curry, NBA superstar, mentors and empowers up-and-coming athletes to raise their game—both on and off the court—in ways they never thought possible."
"Watch Stephen Curry become Coach Curry"

A glimpse of Kate also is seen on a huge wraparound electronic billboard promoting the series, as seen in today's tweet from Steph:

https://twitter.com/StephenCurry30/status/1543368518149623808 (Jul 2)​

(Maybe it is this billboard in LA? https://www.digitalsignagetoday.com/news/sna-displays-brings-wrap-around-led-wall-to-downtown-la/ )

Congratulations, Kate!

 

[Ena Grins]

Cool!! I love Kate. Lots of potential there.

 

[Coco]

Love her sense of style on the ice.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Is Gracie continuing this season?

 

[Sylvia]

Gracie is listed in USFS' ISP but hasn't announced anything about her skating plans. She appears to be focusing on her "Road to Gold" training camps - Vail, CO is July 27-31 and Juneau, Alaska is planned for September 10-11: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfhWpsFJybz/