US Ladies LP ** Spoilers **

[MQSeries]

Just finish watching it on TV. The whole thing was sort of Zzzzzzzz to me. No one made me want to jump up and cheer.

Flatt's problem is that she's rather boring even if she hit all of her planned technical elements. Must be frustrating to be bridesmate again.

Zhang skated clean, but she was slow and methodical. It didn't moved me.

Czisney. I don't know. I didn't think the program as a whole was that great. I don't get the praises that Bezic and Hamilton heaped toward that LP. What "nuances" throughout the program were they talking about? It's kind of odd to have her as National Champion with an arguably flat performance, but I guess that's the way the IJS works.

Note to all ladies skater: When you take your starting pose please take a few second to make sure your skirt in the back isn't stuck on some sequine on your back. I was annoyed throughout Allisa's skate because the back of her skirt was caught in the sequine along the waist, LOL.

So Ashley's LP was the best LP of the night? Yeah, the whole competition was lackluster.

I don't feel good about the U.S. women changes of doing really well in L.A.

[xofivebyfive]

I just want to say that I was SO proud of my little Mirai getting out there and skating her best, with all the emotions that were going through her head, I was sure she was going to bomb. So I was so happy for her that she skated a clean performance, even if it didn't win her a medal.

[sk8ergalgal]

Well I have to agree about the whole sequence thing.. You would have thought her coach would have said something? I am just glad for her to have some sucess.

As for Flatt well you can count on her to have the technical side but I want to see more from her performance. Her face when she skates quite annoys me.

Caroline well she just does not skate fast enough. Her double axel really annoys me. Why does she always go into it so slow??!!

Mirai deserves alot of praise for skating as well as she did considering everything she has been through. I think this year was a year of growth for her and we will see her back in the spotlight next season for sure.

[Schmeck]

I felt honored to watch Katrina Hacker's last USFSA skate. She should feel very proud of herself, and best of luck at Princeton!

Someone needs to tell Rachel Flatt that the ice is not going to disappear, so she does not have to keep looking down at it. It's still right there, honey, keep your head up! And put the shoulders down and back, they do not look good up at your ears.

All the ladies looked pretty darn miserable, didn't they? I miss Michelle Kwan.

[Virtualsk8r]

Wow - I thought it was just me! I kept the tv on in the background and decided to sort through my dvd's during the performances -- I was so disenchanted with it all. However, I did record the ladies just in case there was something magical I wanted to revisit.

I've seen quite a few of these skaters in person, and the tv did not convey their speed or elegance as much as it could. However (yawn) it was hard to concentrate, especially with all the commercials and idle chit chat between skaters!

Message to my skaters - not all phenoms are consistently 'special' and eventually everyone has to deal with the demons of growth, pressure of performing and consistency. But - as Alissa shows - there is light at the end of a very long tunnel.

[Isk8NYC]

Why is Hacker retiring? To go to college? Best of luck - that was a great performance.

I was very impressed that Czisny pulled it off, I wasn't sure if it was enough with the two jumps that went awry, but give her credit for staying focused on finishing the program well.

I love her artistry - those "nuances" include things like not balling her hands into fists or leaving them flapping, turning her head to catch/redirect the audience's attention. I appreciate that very much in a skater because those gestures draw my attention rather than distracting.

I didn't find anyone "annoying" from what I saw on TV.

Wagner did a wonderful job of "coming from behind" with a good performance.

I thought the NBC commentators (as always) talked too **** much. I prefer Icenetwork's Nancy Kerrigan's commentary.

[herniated]

I was kind of inspired by the whole thing.... I guess I'm in the minority here.:lol: I did watch the pairs/dance events also in the afternoon and was equally impressed.

I felt it was the best ladies skating I've seen in years with a lot of potential for the future.

Zhang's jump technique does bother me (like mine is so perfect :lol:) hopefully her coaches will correct that, and she will gain speed.. in time. Flatt's performance was great but I understand what the other poster said about her looking down. She has good presence but not connection with the audience. That too will come in time. They are all so young. Mirai.. I was almost crying watching her struggle with her young emotions and then performing so well. And as for Alissa, I always found her skating to be very moving and beautiful. She seems to skate with her heart. Just my two cents.

OT- what about Davis and White's free dance. Brought me to tears.

[TreSk8sAZ]

I have to agree with everyone who said the long wasn't much to be excited about. I'm thrilled that Czisny finally put two programs together. Yes, she had a couple mistakes, but she didn't blow the entire program after the first one.

Flatt I find, well, flat. She seems so careful. She is definitely solid and dependable, but where is the life in her programs and the connection to the audience?

Zhang is good, but again, no connection to anything. Her face was completely blank the entire time, unless it was super-concentrating on the next element. There's no connection to the audience, and she is way too slow. The music suits her, but I think it encourages the slowness.

I actually quite liked Alexe Gilles' performance. I think she may have actually been my favorite - the program had life to it and she enjoyed herself.

[Isk8NYC]

OT- what about Davis and White's free dance. Brought me to tears.
I'll start a new thread - I loved it! I don't usually watch dance, but theirs was worth waiting for, wasn't it?

[icedancer2]

I was kind of inspired by the whole thing.... I guess I'm in the minority here.:lol: I did watch the pairs/dance events also in the afternoon and was equally impressed.

I felt it was the best ladies skating I've seen in years with a lot of potential for the future.



Ii agree - I have enjoyed this whole competition (on television - NOT icenetwork...) - I don't usually like Pairs or Ladies but I saw a lot that I liked in both competitions. I am happy to see less 14-year-old children out there flailing around and more grown teenagers or young women like Czisny pull off good performances.

I think something has to change about the step-sequences and the spins with so many changes of position - some of the positions are really quite ugly and the step sequences are slow and poorly executed (unless you are Lambiel, lol) - like a skater should have a choice of either a step-sequence or a spiral sequence or a contortion-spin but not have to have all of that in one program - I liked programs back before there were requirements I guess and I don't like seeing cookie-cutter programs with all elements and no choreography - BUT I liked what I saw last night for the most part and thought the result was awesome.

Now onto the men, where I will pray that Johnny will make the World team but I kinda doubt it...

[Isk8NYC]

I watched the junior ladies SP on IceNetwork. I don't remember the skater, but she did a double or triple jump with her hands over her head! That's what the system should encourage instead of the "gumby" spins. You never get to see the spin held long enough to really enjoy the positions.

[TreSk8sAZ]

World Team:
Alissa Czisny
Rachael Flatt

1st Alternate: Caroline Zhang

[Isk8NYC]

Too bad we only had two slots for the upcoming Worlds.

[sk8ryellow]

I felt very sorry for Miri Nagasue. She went out to skate literally in tears. In my opinion her coach should have let her skip Nationals. The girl is only 15 and skating is supposed to be fun. When she went out for her long program she did not look like she was having fun at all. On top of that she was skating on an injury. I really do hope she takes the season to work on her technique and get used to her new body. If she does that she'll be ready for nationals by this time next year to go to the Olympics.

[Mel On Ice]

I see lots of potential from US ladies, there were some exciting, though flawed performances throughout the whole event. Too bad Angela Maxwell got chacked from the broadcast, that kid's a firecracker.

I get the feeling this may be the last of Bebe Liang. Never once cracked a smile in the LP. She just looked like she wanted it over.

Lots of controversy surrounding the Czisny vs. Flatt for the title from what I've heard. I gave it to Czisny on everything but the jumps. Flatt's spins were bleh, and I need some emoting. Zhang made us all feel her presentation with her. I gave 3 standing o's - Alissa, Caroline and Ashley.

[MQSeries]

Wasn't Zhang skating to Swan Lake earlier in the season? I think she switched back to last year program, Ava Maria, for Nationals. I find Zhang's whole performance to Ava Maria to be too methodical and slow to be enjoyable.

Watching Ritzo and Hack was like watching skating back in the 80s with only toes and sals as the hardest triples performed (well Hack was able to squeek out a 3loop).

I think Liang is done also unless she just want to hang in there for one more year for the fun of it. She had her chances but was never able to capitalize. It's way too late now.

The USFSA should pray that Czisney has a good track record for clean SP this year. If she falters in the SP in L.A. then craps are going to hit the fan.

I hate the back-came-catch-foot-inside-edge spin of Flatt. She doesn't have a good stretch for it so the thing looks rather unattractive.

[TreSk8sAZ]

Wasn't Zhang skating to Swan Lake earlier in the season? I think she switched back to last year program, Ava Maria, for Nationals. I find Zhang's whole performance to Ava Maria to be too methodical and slow to be enjoyable.



She was skating to Sleeping Beauty, but it wasn't being received well so she switched back to Ave Maria.

I actually was happy that Katrina Hacker had a good program since it was her last one (I assume that's who you mean by "Hack"). I would say the majority of senior ladies do not have a full arsenal of triples, but they skate nicely and earned their way there so good for them.

[Schmeck]

Rizo is new to senior this year, isn't she? Hopefully she'll get another triple or two this year.