U.S. Women [#6]: The More the Merrier!

[layman]

Nebelhorn SP:

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Nebelhorn LP:

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I have nothing but praise for Elyce Lyn-Gracey! Her jumps are big, high and airy (and fully rotated). They cover a great deal of ice...just spectacular! She hits really beautiful spin positions, I like her sensitivity to the music and I like the way that she commits to the character in her programs.

She is one of the prime examples of the improvement in technique that we have seen amongst the younger women since the ISU raised the age limit for senior competition to 17.

 

[mtnskater]

So exciting for Elyce to skate two basically error free top notch programs at Nebelhorn. And she is not a serial under-rotator like many of Tammy’s skaters. Excellent all-around technique. Better spins than Everhardt and slightly more polish. Hopefully Elyce can soften her arms more and splay her fingers less. I’d like to see more expression from both Elyce and Sarah. Hopefully that will come as they gain more experience. Very exciting to have more U.S. ladies that don’t under-rotate. Say what you will about Isabeau’s technique but she usually fully rotates..as did Alysa when she was last competing. And Amber as well. Senior U.S. women are getting very exciting!

 

[jlai]

Alysa had some underrotation calls in her day but I enjoyed her skating post_Abbott switch

And well done to Isabelle and Elyce! I thought Isabelle looked less hesitant going into her jumps but could just be me

 

[mtnskater]

Standing ovation from me for Isabeau’s free program at Nebelhorn!!!! Haven’t seen the protocols yet, but she looked like the world silver medalist and was not hesitant in her jumps. Gorgeous, mature, beautifully delivered program!

 

[mtnskater]

Alysa had some underrotation calls in her day but I enjoyed her skating post_Abbott switch

And well done to Isabelle and Elyce! I thought Isabelle looked less hesitant going into her jumps but could just be me

But I wouldn’t consider Alysa a serial under-rotator, like some of the more recent U.S. women.

 

[Karen-W]

Bringing this on over from the US Men's thread where I called ANL out...

Totes

She brought the goods and look great, completely different than last season. And I think she scored a point higher in total than Amber. So yes. Bring her to skate America, I have a feeling she’s going to win it.

Yup - Elyce now, currently, occupies the #1 spot on the SB list (once the ISU updates on Monday, lol).

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wow, even Isabeau skated like a world champion out there today.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Two American women went gold and silver at Lombardia.

And then two different American women went gold and silver at Nebelhorn

Wow.

And then there is still Alysa, Bradie, Ava, Lindsay, Josephine, and Starr!

Right there is 10 skaters, wow the last two flights of nationals is going to be a nailbiter. I think Karen‘s going to host us for dinner that night. Let’s email her our requests.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

And then did cranberry have US skaters in the gold and silver spot as well?

 

[Karen-W]

And then did cranberry have US skaters in the gold and silver spot as well?

No. We had gold-silver-bronze at Cranberry.

And we could very easily have another medal again at Denis Ten Memorial in two weeks if Starr skates there like she has at her NQS events - Gubanova, Gutmann, and Samodelkina are the only realistic competitors there.

 

[Debbie S]

Do we know if Ava will be able to compete this season? If she wouldn't be recovered from whatever injury she is dealing with in time for her GPs, it seems doubtful she would be ready to compete at Eastern Sectionals.

 

[Karen-W]

Do we know if Ava will be able to compete this season? If she wouldn't be recovered from whatever injury she is dealing with in time for her GPs, it seems doubtful she would be ready to compete at Eastern Sectionals.

DL mentioned on last Sunday's TSL that she had hip surgery. Who knows what her recovery time is or whether or not she'll be able to compete at Sectionals.

 

[Rukia]

oh hey isabeau skated a much stronger long just like many of us said was a possibility lol

Congrats to her and elyce these challengers are making me think us women are going to give us a fun season

 

[Belsornia]

I don't think she's going to change coaches this season. And I don't think she'll change in an Olympic season. I do think she would benefit from talking to Jason about coaching changes, though, and about working with choreographers and maybe a spin specialist.

Moving on from a coach you've outgrown but are personally close to is tough, so I agree it could help to have a chat about this with Jason, who seems to have embraced the role of mentor to the younger team USA skaters. It will be a wrench, but I suspect that Isabeau will move coaches if she continues competing after Milano (and I suspect that USFS will encourage her to do so).

I mostly enjoy Kuznetsova's choreography (the new SP seems a bit dated to me but I'll hold judgement - I liked Libestraum a lot more second time out) but I think trying a different choreographer would be an easier win than a coaching change; as you say, even with an excellent technical coach she's not going to try to rework her toe jump technique before the Olympics. But working with a top choreographer could help her to really maximise her PCS score, where she has loads of potential.

 

[Frau Muller]

So exciting for Elyce to skate two basically error free top notch programs at Nebelhorn. And she is not a serial under-rotator like many of Tammy’s skaters. Excellent all-around technique. Better spins than Everhardt and slightly more polish. Hopefully Elyce can soften her arms more and splay her fingers less. I’d like to see more expression from both Elyce and Sarah. Hopefully that will come as they gain more experience. Very exciting to have more U.S. ladies that don’t under-rotate. Say what you will about Isabeau’s technique but she usually fully rotates..as did Alysa when she was last competing. And Amber as well. Senior U.S. women are getting very exciting!

I agree with all of this. I also like how Elyce’s two costumes mask her relatively short neck. Beaded chokers help!

 

[cailuj365]

I was pretty pessimistic about the US Women 5 years ago, and now the depth is incredible. The women are going to be the event to watch at US Nationals for me.

 

[Evgeniafan]

I was pretty pessimistic about the US Women 5 years ago, and now the depth is incredible. The women are going to be the event to watch at US Nationals for me.

The junior women are good too.

 

[jlai]

The junior women are good too.

 

[Rubies]

I agree with all of this. I also like how Elyce’s two costumes mask her relatively short neck. Beaded chokers help!

What kind of comment is this?!?

 

[Karen-W]

What kind of comment is this?!?

Just ignore Frau the past few days. She's been making some extremely blunt posts all over the place.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

The junior women are good too.

Say what now?

 

[Bulletsdad]

Wow. It looks like Nationals will be a fight for the top of the podium. Amber should win if she can manage two clean programs with clean 3a. However, it's really wide open between her, Elyce and Isabeau. Alysa is a wild card. Budapest will show how much she's progressed since St. Moritz. I think her spin levels will be back.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

However, it's really wide open between her, Elyce and Isabeau.

And Sarah!!

 

[natsulian]

With a 213.33, Elyce displaces Amber, who scored 212.89, as the highest scoring U.S. woman this season so far (she also has the highest score of any women right now). A bit behind are Sarah with a 201.90 and Isabeau with 198.13. In terms of scoring potential, here is how the U.S. women fare against each other based on their personal bests (without taking into account Team Trophy scores):

1. Bradie Tennell, 222.97 (2020 4CC)
2. Alysa Liu, 219.24 (2021 Lombardia)
3. Isabeau Levito, 215.74 (2022 MK John Wilson Trophy)
4. Elyce Lin-Gracey, 213.33 (Nebelhorn 2024)
5. Amber Glenn, 212.89 (Lombardia 2024)
6. Sarah Everhardt, 201.90 (Lombardia 2024)
7. Ava Marie Ziegler, 201.19 (2024 4CC)
8. Lindsay Thonrngren, 199.42 (2022 Junior Worlds)
9. Starr Andrews, 191.26 (2022 Skate Canada)

This week, we will see Cleo Park’s Junior Grand Prix debut.

 

[Private Citizen]

I was pretty pessimistic about the US Women 5 years ago, and now the depth is incredible. The women are going to be the event to watch at US Nationals for me.

I agree the women have gotten better, but they’re still light on triple axel and quad attempts. Would any of them be competitive against Russia’s top 3? And are they prepared for the wave of Japanese and other juniors who already have these elements?

I’m not sure if this is a true improvement or a temporary blip.

 

[Karen-W]

I agree the women have gotten better, but they’re still light on triple axel and quad attempts. Would any of them be competitive against Russia’s top 3? And are they prepared for the wave of Japanese and other juniors who already have these elements?

I’m not sure if this is a true improvement or a temporary blip.

I'm not sure Russia's top 3 are landing many 3As or quads these days. And I'm certainly not confident that ANY of the Japanese or Korean juniors who have those jumps will be able to carry them into seniors - Shimada is already struggling with her 4T, and most of those who "had" the jumps as juniors a few years ago lost their consistency as their bodies matured.

 

[PRlady]

I'm not sure Russia's top 3 are landing many 3As or quads these days. And I'm certainly not confident that ANY of the Japanese or Korean juniors who have those jumps will be able to carry them into seniors - Shimada is already struggling with her 4T, and most of those who "had" the jumps as juniors a few years ago lost their consistency as their bodies matured.

That’s right. Yoshida has kept her 3A and I guess Rion has as well, haven’t seen her yet this season. Young You’s disappeared. Kihira is basically over. Kaori never had them. Who else? Rinka’s seems AWOL.

As for the Russians, who cares. Whatever 17-year-olds manage to keep their jumps will be 20 before Russia skates internationally again, the way things are going.

 

[Karen-W]

That’s right. Yoshida has kept her 3A and I guess Rion has as well, haven’t seen her yet this season. Young You’s disappeared. Kihira is basically over. Kaori never had them. Who else? Rinka’s seems AWOL.

As for the Russians, who cares. Whatever 17-year-olds manage to keep their jumps will be 20 before Russia skates internationally again, the way things are going.

Yoshida's 3A isn't as consistent as any of her other triples, same for Rion.

I'm just not of the opinion that adult women's bodies are aerodynamically designed for quads and 3As on a consistent basis or that we will see them become much more common than they currently are. Look at the evolution of the 3A or quads for men compared to women. It was 35-ish years ago that Kurt Browning landed the first quad toe - nowadays, there's at least a dozen US men alone who have a semi-consistent 4T, and there are similar numbers coming out of Japan, Russia, etc. Contrast that with Midori Ito who landed the first 3A for women 35-ish years ago and we have 2 US women who have a semi-consistent 3A, Japan has 3, South Korea has 2, there aren't any Euro women with a 3A outside of Russia. And, as the women mature, their attempts at the 3A fade away - See Lindsay Thorngren and Inga Gurgenidze as the most recent examples of this phenomenon. The only country where these jumps were becoming ubiquitous to the point of necessity for women was Russia and... well, doping aside, all the success was coming from one, very specific body type that does not, naturally, last.

 

[her grace]

Any thoughts on final two JGP spots? I’m thinking Kalin for Slovenia and Bezkorovainaya for China.

 

[viennese]

DL mentioned on last Sunday's TSL that she had hip surgery. Who knows what her recovery time is or whether or not she'll be able to compete at Sectionals.

She's a super talent. I hope she recovers well and we see her competing soon.