U.S. Women [#4]: How Dare You

[Frau Muller]

Karen might show up at Nationals to obtain her Olympic Team medal…Gold? I was thinking that the earlier announcement might relate to that. It’s probably still too early, though.

 

[Karen-W]

Karen might show up at Nationals to obtain her Olympic Team medal…Gold? I was thinking that the earlier announcement might relate to that. It’s probably still too early, though.

Way too early and not really an option per the IOC Charter. Hopefully Paris 2024.

 

[VGThuy]

Way too early and not really an option per the IOC Charter. Hopefully Paris 2024.

At this rate, by the time they finally get their medals, it would have been so long that they would have forgotten they actually won them.

 

[Sylvia]

Senior Women

• Elsa Cheng (senior sectionals)

Junior Women

• Adele Zheng (junior sectionals)

These two name typos (listed as Chang and Zhang, originally) have been corrected now.

 

[Karen-W]

These two name typos (listed as Chang and Zhang, originally) have been corrected now.

Thanks - I edited the original post so their names are listed correctly.

 

[ice coverage]

Karen might show up at Nationals to obtain her Olympic Team medal…Gold? I was thinking that the earlier announcement might relate to that. It’s probably still too early, though.

To show support for her brother Jeffrey as well as for her hometown Bay Area skating community, it would make sense anyway if Karen attends Nationals as a spectator. (Disclaimer that I have no idea what Cornell's schedule will be at that time.)

BTW, Karen and Polina Edmunds will be special guests at the Dec 10 holiday ice show at the new Tech CU Arena, which Sharks Ice San Jose was proud to add to its facilities.

Sparkle Twinkle Jolly Holiday Show | Sharks Ice San Jose

www.sharksiceatsanjose.com

Sharks Ice on Instagram: "This is a show you don’t want to miss! The Sparkle Twinkle Jolly Holiday skating extravaganza will be the highlight of your Holiday season. 🎟️ on sale now! Link in Bio"

50 likes, 2 comments - sharksice on November 15, 2022: "This is a show you don’t want to miss! The Sparkle Twinkle Jolly Holiday skating extravaganza will be the highlight of your Holiday sea..."

www.instagram.com

(Another BTW is that the event includes a tribute to Rudy Galindo.)

Fan Zone article on Karen Chen: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...hen-returns-to-the-ice-to-compete-for-cornell

She's enjoying college life and will be competing this weekend at an intercollegiate comp (not in singles, though) with the Cornell team.

The Fan Zone article about Karen in Debbie's post on Oct 31 had been taken down by the time I first clicked on the link a couple of days later. I still hoped to read it, so I kept going back days/weeks thereafter to see whether it was restored, but it never was, AFAIK. I never knew what to make of the removal of the article.

Water under the bridge, but my overall take is that Karen perhaps did not want to completely shut the door to competing at Nationals until the formal deadline to accept/decline a bye -- which I believe is sixty days before Nats, if I recall the USFS rulebook correctly. (I'm not questioning her prerogative.)
My guess(?) would be that before publishing the pre-sectionals document, USFS had made a non-binding unofficial status check on skaters who had earned byes?

Anyway, I'm glad that Karen is enjoying intercollegiate competition.
And that Michelle Lee can make her (ETA: senior) Nationals debut.

 

[Coco]

It would be nice if Karen and Polina were invited to the Nationals Gala, but I don't recall non-competing skaters participating in the past, so won't hold my breath.

 

[Jarrett]

It would be nice if Karen and Polina were invited to the Nationals Gala, but I don't recall non-competing skaters participating in the past, so won't hold my breath.

They could skate at the opening. I remember a few skaters doing that over the years.

 

[Stephanie]

Great video interview with Starr Andrews by Tatjana Flade and IFS Magazine: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jRaqtH1i99Q

Starr is so poised and well spoken

 

[Sylvia]

Fan Zone article on Lindsay Thorngren (by Grace Knoop who used to compete in pairs) before her 2nd GP in Espoo:

Thorngren is Determined for Success in Espoo - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Lindsay Thorngren is just your average teenager whose passions include reading, hanging out with friends and hitting the running trail with her dad and sister. But

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

 

[sk9tingfan]

Fan Zone article on Lindsay Thorngren (by Grace Knoop who used to compete in pairs) before her 2nd GP in Espoo:

Thorngren is Determined for Success in Espoo - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Lindsay Thorngren is just your average teenager whose passions include reading, hanging out with friends and hitting the running trail with her dad and sister. But

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Hope she holds it together. She has so much potential.

 

[Carolla5501]

Way too early and not really an option per the IOC Charter. Hopefully Paris 2024

Personally, I think we should recognize a skaters and tell the IOC where they can take. Letting the Russians drag this out while the IOC is sitting there with their thumb up there you know what is Inexcusable.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Just going off the short program technical score at Espoo did Bradie just miss the minimum with 29+ points?

 

[Karen-W]

Just going off the short program technical score at Espoo did Bradie just miss the minimum with 29+ points?

See this pinned thread here in GSD regarding TES mins...

Minimum Total Element Scores (TES) for 2023 ISU Championships

Creating a thread for the new season... https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28828-isu-communication-2488/file New MTS per ISU's latest communication: The Council determined that the Skaters/Couples participating in the ISU Championships 2023 must have reached the...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

See this pinned thread here in GSD regarding TES mins...

Minimum Total Element Scores (TES) for 2023 ISU Championships

Creating a thread for the new season... https://www.isu.org/inside-isu/isu-communications/communications/28828-isu-communication-2488/file New MTS per ISU's latest communication: The Council determined that the Skaters/Couples participating in the ISU Championships 2023 must have reached the...

www.fsuniverse.net

oh crap I was going off that the ladies short program minimum was still 30. Did not realize they raised it two points. The sport needs to be more inclusive. I know they want to make sure they are challenging skaters but as I just said this sport needs to be more inclusive

 

[On My Own]

Can someone tell Bradie she needs to remove the voiceovers from her LP, please?

 

[VGThuy]

Can someone tell Bradie she needs to remove the voiceovers from her LP, please?

IMO, that’s the best part. I nearly died of hilarity when all the posters kept writing “How Dare You!”

 

[Karen-W]

Can someone tell Bradie she needs to remove the voiceovers from her LP, please?

IMO, that’s the best part. I nearly died of hilarity when all the posters kept writing “How Dare You!”

Without the voiceovers then we'd be lost with the purpose of the finger-pointing at the judges!!!!! It's amazing and perfectly absurd!

 

[Vagabond]

Can someone tell Bradie she needs to remove the voiceovers from her LP, please?

How dare you?!

 

[PRlady]

Honestly I kinda like it when mature skaters like Kaori and Bradie put some advocacy in their programs, but that’s me.

 

[On My Own]

I mean here's a breast cancer awareness dance: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x5_AOURS5lE

At least it's not absurd, and people aren't making fun of it lol

 

[Deleted member 221]

Honestly I kinda like it when mature skaters like Kaori and Bradie put some advocacy in their programs, but that’s me.

Skaters who think man-made climate change is a serious problem can lead by example by retiring from the sport . I can't think of a more climate unfriendly sport than figure skating, not to mention flying all over to compete, etc. I like Tennell's skating, and I even like the program aside from the voiceovers, but she's a complete hypocrite. She ought to point her finger in the mirror instead of at the judges. It's always easier to ask others to make sacrifices, and to exempt yourself from the change you'd like to see.

 

[On My Own]

Well now who wanted to learn all that from figure skating.

 

[bladesofgorey]

I can't think of a more climate unfriendly sport than figure skating

Golf, autoracing, just about any professional team sports with lots of players where travel to games is constant, etc. etc. etc

 

[On My Own]

I suppose "I am a complete hypocrite but still less hypocritical than I would be if I were competing in golf, autoracing, just about any professional team sports with lots of players where travel to games is constant, etc. etc. etc" is a more interesting message, and gives the program a nicer touch. I would go 8 on choreography.

 

[bladesofgorey]

I suppose "I am a complete hypocrite but still less hypocritical than I would be if I were competing in golf, autoracing, just about any professional team sports with lots of players where travel to games is constant, etc. etc. etc" is a more interesting message, and gives the program a nicer touch. I would go 8 on choreography

This comment is like the opposite of clever. But anyway, lots of rinks (and the NHL) have been tackling this issue and there's been a surge in more sustainable and energy efficient rink upgrades and designs, including some rinks that are are close to energy neutral. Do you think that only people who never drive are the ones who have been lobbying for greener emission controls on vehicles? Or agitating for less reliance on gas?

 

[On My Own]

This comment is like the opposite of clever.

Why? I would say a stupid program, turned into an even stupider "debate" is the opposite of clever, to be honest.

Do you think that only people who never drive are the ones who have been lobbying for greener emission controls on vehicles? Or agitating for less reliance on gas?

Where did I take this stance?

 

[baramin]

Part of the reason climate change continues to be a growing issue is that people are willing to pretend that fighting it is primarily about individuals making personal lifestyle choices. Obviously everyone can do a little bit, but the major changes need to come from 1) governments and 2) corporations. That is the level at which notable improvement is possible. Bradie may make any number of environmentally friendly choices in her own life while still being cognizant of the fact that her not getting onto a commercial flight to Finland wouldn't actually make much impact at all.

In terms of skating...She looked a lot stronger in the short here than in England, but the lingering injury has clearly had an impact on her conditioning. This season might be more about getting back into competition mode than about actually being competitive. She does still have 2 months until nationals, but it doesn't look like she'll factor into the world team selection.

Isabeau really does seem to have the national title all but locked up. The only one I think who has a chance at a surprise victory absent an uncharacteristically poor showing from Levito is Amber. It would be unexpected, but if she does hit both programs, her overall skating is better than Isabeau's, and if she could land her 3a she'd have the technical advantage as well. Even with good skates, I don't think Lindsay or Ava Marie would get enough second mark to overtake Isabeau, and Starr doesn't have the TES this season. I've loved seeing how much Gracie is continuing to improve on her comeback & her 3z3t has been surprisingly consistent this season, but at this point she looks like she's a potential contender for a 4CC birth, not necessarily a top 3 medalist.

It's funny--even knowing that the US doesn't have the depth of, say, Japan right now, we do still have a really good competition to look forward to with quite a few skaters who all bring something different to the table.

 

[Coco]

Concerned about the frequency of q and < calls Bradie has received. Once you have that reputation, it is very hard to shake.

Perhaps a less ambitious jump list until the 3z comes back all the way?

Maybe 2z3t to start, put a 2t after the first 3sal and replace 2nd 3z with 3sal?

I wonder if 3sal3t is possible for her. If so, it might be more reliable than 3z3t.

 

[VGThuy]

Part of the reason climate change continues to be a growing issue is that people are willing to pretend that fighting it is primarily about individuals making personal lifestyle choices. Obviously everyone can do a little bit, but the major changes need to come from 1) governments and 2) corporations. That is the level at which notable improvement is possible. Bradie may make any number of environmentally friendly choices in her own life while still being cognizant of the fact that her not getting onto a commercial flight to Finland wouldn't actually make much impact at all.

In terms of skating...She looked a lot stronger in the short here than in England, but the lingering injury has clearly had an impact on her conditioning. This season might be more about getting back into competition mode than about actually being competitive. She does still have 2 months until nationals, but it doesn't look like she'll factor into the world team selection.

Isabeau really does seem to have the national title all but locked up. The only one I think who has a chance at a surprise victory absent an uncharacteristically poor showing from Levito is Amber. It would be unexpected, but if she does hit both programs, her overall skating is better than Isabeau's, and if she could land her 3a she'd have the technical advantage as well. Even with good skates, I don't think Lindsay or Ava Marie would get enough second mark to overtake Isabeau, and Starr doesn't have the TES this season. I've loved seeing how much Gracie is continuing to improve on her comeback & her 3z3t has been surprisingly consistent this season, but at this point she looks like she's a potential contender for a 4CC birth, not necessarily a top 3 medalist.

It's funny--even knowing that the US doesn't have the depth of, say, Japan right now, we do still have a really good competition to look forward to with quite a few skaters who all bring something different to the table.

Thank you.

Every time someone tries to advocate for just a little bit of awareness and change in thinking about various important issues, the people who want to pretend these issues don’t exist always go for the hypocrisy angle as an excuse to keep their heads in the sand and do nothing. The truth is, people do have real world considerations so we can only ask people do what they can (and really do what they can), and if they fail to meet some standard, oh well. At least they’re acknowledging an actual problem. Undermining them just because you want to pretend there is no problem or letting “good” or “ok” be the enemy of “perfect” is the reason no progress or improvement will ever be made in a sustainable way. It’s also an underhanded tactic with evil intentions.

All that being said, it’s really a macro problem that needs macro-level solutions and it does need to come from entities with actual power how we live our lives…not based on small-scale individual choices.

But those with money don’t care. They think their money will keep them safe even as the entire world goes into chaos and kills off the human species. Or they think that’s their grandkids’ (real or just rhetorical) problems. Let me enjoy my life of excess luxury and waste.

That said, figure skating is a funny way to express such messages because it kind of falls under interpretive dance and spreading message through dance can be really strange and hilarious unless you got the performance quality and unironic sincerity of, say, the Duschenays.