Figure skating

[MassageDrew]

I am so disappointed with the US women’s team. It’s like they’re not even trying. If all it takes is raising an arm to get extra points or waiting til after the midway point of the program then do it. They could finger themselves if needed to earn that extra point for crying out loud. They need to hire Brian Orser or foreign coaches to train them. The American coaches are basically has-been. They still train that way they train using the old scoring system.

[dinboston]

they'd also have to stop falling first

[YOUNG_LA_DOM]

I LOVE ICE SKATING

[Populist Fury]

Alinamazing skated like a champ & won me some $ on top of that, couldn't be happier with the outcome tonight <333

 

All 3 girls on the podium slayed me, best final in a long time, maybe ever(?)... Russian girls were on a whole other level.

[Populist Fury]

Honestly, the best thing the USFSA can do at this point is fire themselves after these disastrous Olympic results. All 3 US girls performed even worse tonight than they did 2 nights ago. Disgraceful.

[dcguy20]

Worst showing for US Ladies figure skating for as long as I can remember.

[luv2rim]

Honestly, the best thing the USFSA can do at this point is fire themselves after these disastrous Olympic results. All 3 US girls performed even worse tonight than they did 2 nights ago. Disgraceful.

 

I think they think Tennell is the new star to replace Gracie Gold. But she is just an inferior clone.

[Populist Fury]

I think they think Tennell is the new star to replace Gracie Gold. But she is just an inferior clone.

 

An inferior clone of an overrated skater, not good for the future of US FS :/

[510guy]

The two Russian girls made it seem so easy. But really the talent pool for the girls has not been there for a few years.

 

The guys were a bit disappointing but at least you can see the star power in Nathan Chen and even Vincent Zhou.

[MassageDrew]

Do you guys like Kostner? I think she’s way overrated. Just an opinion.

 

But yes, they need to focus on the jumps and techniques first. Artistry comes later

[YOUNG_LA_DOM]

This dicscussion makes me to go ice skate nude

[+ Hoover42]

Did you guys see Yuzuru Hanyu? That skater was amazing! And such a good sport at the medal ceremony. I was in tears; and I'm not even a fan of figure skating.

[body2body]

Do you guys like Kostner? I think she’s way overrated. Just an opinion.

 

But yes, they need to focus on the jumps and techniques first. Artistry comes later

You have to remember that Kostner won the silver medal at the Grand Prix finals Junior Division in 2002, the same year Zagitova was born. She has had a very long career by skating standards, appearing at 4 Olympic Games (taking the Bronze at Sochi), she made the podium 5 times at Worlds (gold medal at Nice 2012), 9 European Championship medals (5 golds). Her ability to adapt to the changes in the Sport are pretty remarkable. She has superb musicality, but has always been inconsistent. However, at 31 she cannot keep up with technical elevation that the young Russian (and Japanese) skaters are bringing to Skating. Still, she managed 5th place at Pyeong Chang 4 places ahead of the best performance by a U.S. Skater. Kostner is going to retire after these games, but what the hell are Bradey Tennell, Karen Chen, and Mirai Nagasu going do. They cannot compete with either the Russians or the Japanese on either an Athletic or Artistic level at this point.

[Populist Fury]

^ All 3 US girls should retire at this point, they don't have the technical ability/talent to ever become competitive with the Russians, Asians, or anyone else... USFSA needs to start developing new talent.

 

This post-Olympics article is the most real & honest I've read so far on the subject:

 

http://www.espn.com/olympics/winter18/story/_/id/22551742/winter-olympics-2018-state-figure-skating-strong-united-states

 

Nagasu's statement was a shocking admission from an athlete who doggedly refused to give up after being overlooked for the 2014 Olympic team, but it also was fitting. She and Rippon have thrown themselves into internet stardom, courting attention from celebrities on social media and lining up post-Olympics opportunities. Their skating took a backseat.

 

Everything she says is true, Rippon & Nagasu became desperate media whores, more concerned with landing TV jobs than with actually skating to win a medal for our country. </3

Edited February 25, 2018 by Corporate Shill

[Populist Fury]

This RT docu shows how brutal training is for the Russians, their coach is a militant b demanding only excellence from them. She clearly knows what she's doing tho, not knocking her, just sayin' she's not easy on them, the way I suspect american coaches are with their athletes...

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YuBsOOGDL0E

 

 

5:37 - 11:45 completely destroyed me :'/ The right girl defo won the other night <3

[body2body]

Ms. Nagasu may not find DWTS too receptive, the majority of the Olympic Athletes on the show have been Gold Medalists. The exception was Nancy Kerrigan ( silver 1994) and she was on the show more than 20 years later. Mirai may have wait a long time.

[MassageDrew]

And that’s my problem with American skaters. They’re too focused on cashing in. Other countries actually try to win it for them and for the country. Americans only have $$$ in their minds. Instead of training they’re out somewhere filming for an advertisement or something.

[BSR]

And that’s my problem with American skaters. They’re too focused on cashing in. Other countries actually try to win it for them and for the country. Americans only have $$$ in their minds. Instead of training they’re out somewhere filming for an advertisement or something.

I think you're being too harsh. Figure skating is an insanely expensive sport. Skaters not only have a "head coach," like Brian Orser for Hanyu & Fernandez, but also assistant coaches (Tracy Wilson), "specialization" coaches (Javi worked with a different coach specifically to work on his spins, plus with someone from the Ballet Nacional to work on posture & positions), and choreographers (David Wilson). Plus they have to pay a fortune for ice time, travel expenses, equipment, and costumes. Yes, the US Olympic Committee and the US Figure Skating Association do give skaters some money, but apparently it's not much, not nearly enough to cover all those staggering expenses. Yes, American figure skaters are looking to make money, because that's their financial reality.

 

I don't know in-depth the financial situation of skaters from other countries, but I'm willing to bet the Russian Olympic Committee and Skating Federation provide a lot more financial assistance to their skaters than we give to ours.

[dinboston]

And that’s my problem with American skaters. They’re too focused on cashing in. Other countries actually try to win it for them and for the country. Americans only have $$$ in their minds. Instead of training they’re out somewhere filming for an advertisement or something.

 

Yuna and Mao were both filming commercials. I've seen Evgenia doing Dance Dance Revolution segments on talk shows. The US skaters definitely don't have the same discipline and aren't at nearly the same level of talent, but I'm never going to begrudge any skater anywhere a way to make money and fund their training. It's not cheap. Still would personally blame the USFSA if I had to point a finger.

[Topman2017]

I am so disappointed with the US women’s team. It’s like they’re not even trying. If all it takes is raising an arm to get extra points or waiting til after the midway point of the program then do it. They could finger themselves if needed to earn that extra point for crying out loud. They need to hire Brian Orser or foreign coaches to train them. The American coaches are basically has-been. They still train that way they train using the old scoring system.

 

The US ladies use to medal all the time in the Olympics, but since 2006 we haven’t. I agree they need to look at what the ladies from the other countries are doing with regards to putting more jumps later in the program to get that extra 10% bonus. Also, they need better music and ballet classes to build up the artistic component.

[MassageDrew]

They just need to overhaul the whole ladies and pairs skating programs period. They should train like their next meal depended on it. The US team’s motivation is slightly misplaced or misguided almost. I still think they should look outside the country for coaching. Most of the US coaches are too old and coach as if it’s still the old scoring system. I’m looking at some of the newer coaches and I recognize them as former skater who haven’t won a single event. They don’t know how to win or what it feels like to win.

[Populist Fury]

I liked Scott Hamilton's response to someone asking why the US ladies division sucks so much right now compared to past eras:

 

Participation Trophies! Sometimes creating a tougher road is the best way to get results.

Make the skaters want it more. Ambition drives commitment. You need not look further than the Gold & Silver Medalists in The Ladies competition. https://t.co/nHj1Bp01zX

 

 

Also liked Alina's response to Alex Wagner's jealous criticism of her FS program:

 

Wagner’s outbursts “only spurred me on to be stronger and made me want to prove that this is not true,” Zagitova said, adding that she was ‘above this.’ “But there's no proving anything to such people,” the 15-year-old Olympic champion said. “She could try skating such a program at the Olympics and I'll be happy to watch her do it and I won't give the same reaction.”

 

Asked if she would agree that Wagner – who missed the Olympics – was not really in a position to criticize, Zagitova said: “I think everyone can express their opinion. But perhaps not so rudely.”

 

https://www.rt.com/sport/419813-zagitova-wagner-criticism-backfire/

 

 

Also, that Christine Brennan hag from USA Today needs to get a life. She's been obsessively hating on the 15y/o for weeks now just because she's Russian... clearly one of the many hysterical #Russiagate goons in mainstream media these days </3. Like, I can understand people being unpleased with the back loading of jumps in her program, but to suggest that she should be punished for it when it's perfectly legal w/in the rules is moronic. I bet a lot of these American "journalists" wouldn't be shitting as much on that gold medal program if a US skater had performed it. They'd be calling it brilliant strategy or something even more dramatic.

[+ sniper]

The reality is that figure skating as a pursuit has just about the worst reward to effort ratio out there. It's basically playing the lottery with your entire life.