What is your opinion on Emily Hughes?

[Scarlett21]

When she only appeared she became a star. Do you think she's talanted or not? And if compairing her with her elder sister Sarah? Is she able to become a champion?

[VegasGirl]

How are you going to put her down?

[icedtea]

How are you going to put her down?
Quick to jump, aren't we?

Scarlett, in answer to your question, I think Emily does have some name recognition advantage, but she'll have to step up her game to really capitalize on it.

She's in a formative period of her style (borrowing perhaps a little heavily from her sister) but if she can retain the enormous self-confidence she seems to have I think she will develop her talent and be on the scene for quite a few years.

She's not one of my favorites personally, but with consistent training and a good choreographer I think she can be a legitimate contender on the world stage.

[VegasGirl]

Ofcourse, after the PM I got from her following her recent Sasha Cohen thread...

[Mel On Ice]

Emily is emerging as one of my favorites, which is surprising since she shares the spotlight with Sasha and Kimmie.

TV doesn't do her skating justice. She skates with speed, power, flair and charisma. She lets you know she's having a ball. I don't mean this in a negative way at all, but she skates like a man in the fact her speed and power are pretty explosive, amazing traits that don't come across well on TV.

There are limitations to her skating, and I'm curious to see if/how she corrects it. Her style is not condusive to skating GFB, a flaw I see in her exhibitions. I'd be interested to see if she will work to improve her presentation so it IS possible for her to emote to more gentle pieces of music.

[Kristin]

Emily is refreshing to watch. I look forward to seeing more of her smiling face on TV in the future.

I do not compare Emily to Sarah.

[Darrell H]

She reminds me a bit of her sister, mixed with early Irina.

[flippet]

She reminds me a bit of her sister, mixed with early Irina.

That's a great way to put it! She does remind me of early Irina! I enjoy Emily's power--she seems less gawky than her sister was at around the same stage.

[Schmeck]

Isn't Emily older than her sister was when she won Oly gold? I thought Sarah was 16, or was she 18?

ETA - Sarah was 16 3/4 at the Olys, Emily was just barely 17. So who is at the more advanced stage at this age, the Oly gold medalist, or the top ten finisher? I'd say Sarah was more advanced, and less gawky at this stage.

[flippet]

Isn't Emily older than her sister was when she won Oly gold? I thought Sarah was 16, or was she 18?

ETA - Sarah was 16 3/4 at the Olys, Emily was just barely 17. So who is at the more advanced stage at this age, the Oly gold medalist, or the top ten finisher? I'd say Sarah was more advanced, and less gawky at this stage.

Sorry, I guess I thought Emily was just slightly younger than that...plus I was probably comparing more like a year ago to Sarah before her Olys.

But, I've always thought that Sarah was less than smooth, even as the OGM. I like her just fine, but her style has always seemed long-limbed and awkward to me. It's just not my taste, is all.

[Schmeck]

Well, she is the little sister, so I'd be thinking along the same lines except I did the age thing before the Olympics. I really haven't watched the two of them skate for a while - I guess I'll have to bump one of the kids off of a TV and get my tapes out, LOL!

[loveskating]

Emily has really high quality spins, including good layback, IMHO and nice, deep edging -- and she has great technique on her jumps. Her spiral sequence could improve IMHO and I'd like to see her more stretched out.

I love her intense, exuberent, luminiscent style but she needs a bit more security, definition and control.

Somehow, she reminds me of early Plushenko...the same sort of vibrant, very present intensity.

[icedancer2]

I really like Emily!!

To me she's a classic-looking skater -- not teeny-tiny -- just a regular girl with excellent technique and such exuberance!

I very much look forward to her competitive career!:lol:

[fmh]

but if she can retain the enormous self-confidence she seems to have
The self confidince thing is what something that you should have as a skater on the ice, it doesn't mean she's like that off the ice. If anything, it's making her skating better.

[mike4444]

If Emily returns next season have to see if her skating improves if she can skate
without falling especially in the long program where it counts maybe should place better than 7th or 8th, i don't see her even medaling through.