Day 2 Review

Chilly8

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Oct 21, 2012, 8:38:53 AM10/21/12

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Here is a summary of Skate America Day 2.

In the ladies, Ashley Wagner has improved quite
a bit over the past year. Might she make her
first ever appearance in the Series Final this
season. She has never appeared in either a
Grand Prix or Masters Final.

While she still has a lot of work to do, Rachael
Flatt at least does not have the kind of splatfest
she once had.

Lurking on FSU and Goldenskate, I do not
like some of the comments saying she is
overweight. Rachael has developed more
of than athletic build. She is NOT
overweight, though some people on
GoldenSkate say she is.

This is very much like when commentary
in the Usenet groups, in the late 80s and
early 90s, called Tonya Harding "a little
porkball". And yet Tonya won Skate
America twice, as well as winning two
Australian and one US title (later revoked),
and the 1991 world silver.

Given Rachael's score after the short, I
do believe that the Skating Establisment
is trying to push Rachael out, because her
more athletic build does not project the
kind of image that they want. I do believe
that is the one common thing between
Tonya and Rachael.

Cristina Gao has quite improved her
skating, being third after the short
program.

In the short dance, I very much liked the
program by the Cuban couple of Kriegenraut
and Shmidt. I like their number to Chris
Issak's cover of Ring Of Fire.

In Pairs, America gets is FIRST EVER
medal in either a Masters or Grand Prix
event and Denney and Coughlin get the
bronze medal. Could they be the first
Americans to medal in Pairs since
1950? If they were to win a medal
at Worlds, they would be the FIRST
Americans to win a pairs medal
in 63 YEARS, since Peter and Carol
Kennedy did it in 1950.

While Takahiko Kozuka broke the
record for the short program score
on Friday, his overall total of 251.44
is still way short of the world record on
that one. The curent mens world record
was achieved at the 2009 senior level
CIS championships when Evgeni
Plushenko scored 271.59.

Jeanne Douglas

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Oct 21, 2012, 9:00:52 PM10/21/12

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In article <k60qct$tkq$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

v

--
JD

"Osama Bin Laden is dead and GM is alive."--VP Joseph Biden

Chilly8

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Oct 31, 2012, 2:55:44 AM10/31/12

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"Chilly8" <chi...@hotmail.com> wrote in message
news:k60qct$tkq$1...@speranza.aioe.org...

>
> Here is a summary of Skate America Day 2.
>
> In the ladies, Ashley Wagner has improved quite
> a bit over the past year. Might she make her
> first ever appearance in the Series Final this
> season. She has never appeared in either a
> Grand Prix or Masters Final.
> While she still has a lot of work to do, Rachael
> Flatt at least does not have the kind of splatfest
> she once had.

One poster on GoldenSkate does get something
right. That person is effectively saying she cannot
balance skating and school. And they are right.
Given the combination of injuries, as well as the
impossibility of balancing skating and school,
she could be ka-put for quite a while.

Might we have seen the last of Rachael in
competition? Some people in that GoldeSkate
thread seem to think so. With Rachael possibly
ka-put for good, I do think the top US skaters
going into the Olympics are going to be
Ashley Wagner and Cristina Gao. They will
be the top Ameican ladies going into Sochi.

Jeanne Douglas

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Oct 31, 2012, 3:27:33 AM10/31/12

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In article <k6qi1l$hk1$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

You mean the Christina Gao who is going to Harvard, thereby juggling
skating and school? That Christina Gao?

Chilly8

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Oct 31, 2012, 4:51:26 AM10/31/12

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"Jeanne Douglas" <hlwd...@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
news:hlwdjsd2-E0DDEF...@news.giganews.com...

She might not be taking as heavy a course load as
Rachael.

Cristina has obviously learned watching Rachael's
skating self destruct , and likely
does not take as heavy a course load. If it takes
her a little longer to get through college, so be it.
Better for Cristina to take a little longer getting
through college, as opposed to biting off more
than she can chew, a la Rachael.

As far as GP or Masters events go, even if Rachael
does remain in competitive skating, I don't
expect US figure skating to assign her to any
Masters or GP events, next season, even
Senior-B events usually at the beginning of the
season.

While the US will likely have 3 ladies
at Skate America, the question is
who the third lady might be next
year. While Ashley and Cristina will
likely be there, for sure, the third
US lady in the event will likely be either
Agnes Zawadski or Gracie Gold. With
Rachael possibly ka-put for good, the third
spot at Skate America, will likey be either
Agnes or Gracie. I think Alissa is also
ka-put, on account of her injury, and we
will not likely see her back in competitive
skating after this year, though she is in one
of the laster Masters events, this year.

She on the list right now for the NHK
Trophy, the final stop on the Masters
tour, though I don't see her getting a medal
in that event. I think that Sendai may well
be her Swan Song. Since 2006, Alissa
is the only US lady to have been national
champion more than once, and won the
Masters final a couple years ago.

Rachael and Alissa are both history, and
Ashley, Cristina, and Gracie will be the
top US ladies heading towards the Sochi
Olympics.

Jeanne Douglas

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Oct 31, 2012, 5:29:29 AM10/31/12

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In article <k6qoqj$1iq$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

"Chilly8" <Chi...@hotmail.com> wrote:

> "Jeanne Douglas" <hlwd...@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message
> news:hlwdjsd2-E0DDEF...@news.giganews.com...
> > In article <k6qi1l$hk1$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,
> > "Chilly8" <Chi...@hotmail.com> wrote:
> >>
> >> Might we have seen the last of Rachael in
> >> competition? Some people in that GoldeSkate
> >> thread seem to think so. With Rachael possibly
> >> ka-put for good, I do think the top US skaters
> >> going into the Olympics are going to be
> >> Ashley Wagner and Cristina Gao. They will
> >> be the top Ameican ladies going into Sochi.
> >
> > You mean the Christina Gao who is going to Harvard, thereby juggling
> > skating and school? That Christina Gao?
>
>
>
> She might not be taking as heavy a course load as
> Rachael.

Where's your evidence for this?

> Cristina has obviously learned watching Rachael's
> skating self destruct , and likely
> does not take as heavy a course load. If it takes
> her a little longer to get through college, so be it.
> Better for Cristina to take a little longer getting
> through college, as opposed to biting off more
> than she can chew, a la Rachael.

And your evidence for this fantasy?

Chilly8

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Nov 2, 2012, 5:23:53 AM11/2/12

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> "Chilly8" <Chi...@hotmail.com> wrote:

>>
>> Rachael and Alissa are both history, and
>> Ashley, Cristina, and Gracie will be the
>> top US ladies heading towards the Sochi
>> Olympics.

I am afraid that Rachael and Alissa are
both history. Now I know that fans down
in Baja, who tune in to our broadcasts, do
not want to hear this, but Rachael and Alissa
are both history.

Jeanne Douglas

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Nov 2, 2012, 4:45:46 PM11/2/12

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In article <k703fk$fq8$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

Why WOULD fans in Baja give a shit about either of them?

Chilly8

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Nov 2, 2012, 6:25:48 PM11/2/12

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"Jeanne Douglas" <hlwd...@NOSPAMgmail.com> wrote in message

news:hlwdjsd2-F5C881...@news.giganews.com...

>>
>>
>> I am afraid that Rachael and Alissa are
>> both history. Now I know that fans down
>> in Baja, who tune in to our broadcasts, do
>> not want to hear this, but Rachael and Alissa
>> are both history.
>
> Why WOULD fans in Baja give a shit about either of them?
>

They were both born in Baja to American parents. Alissa
was born in Villa Del Mar and Rachael was born in
Puerto Nuevo

Jeanne Douglas

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Nov 2, 2012, 6:59:52 PM11/2/12

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In article <k71h9n$6qk$1...@speranza.aioe.org>,

Of course, everyone knows that's not true.