U.S. Women [#3]: Skating Clean

[Sylvia]

Also, she's made two Olympic teams and finished top 5 at Worlds twice, so as a fan, I can't complain.

Karen finished 4th at Worlds twice.

Isabeau Levito and Lindsay Thorngren will begin their international season this week in Aston, PA, according to IceWorks' press release today (August 1): https://iceworks.net/junior-world-champion-headlines-philadelphia-summer-international-competition/

Link to the competition thread (international & club comp. combined) in the Kiss & Cry section: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-club-competition-august-3-7-aston-pa.109818/

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

What?!!! Where did this happen?

tee-hee...

In my dream last Thursday evening

 

[Sylvia]

Sonja Hilmer's touching post with photos from Glacier Falls: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cgutk_tPT4e/

About 6 years ago you might have come across a junior girl named Sonja Hilmer at her first competition after moving to Colorado. It was called Glacier Falls Summer Classic, and she arrived with a double axel, hopes, and dreams. It then became a yearly tradition to stay late with all her friends and watch the senior events after everyone else was done competing. The stands would be packed and the energy would be high. If you had told her that the first medal she would ever win at Glacier would be a gold in that senior ladies event, with 7 clean jumping passes, she'd think you were nuts

If you love what you do, you'll never "work" a day in your life

"Late bloomer" Sonja is 23 years old.

From the Glacier Falls competition thread in Kiss & Cry:

GOLD Sonja Hilmer, Centennial SC 54.44 (6) 123.28 (1) 177.72 - new personal bests (FS & total) and her final jump combo was 3S to reverse 2S - very to see! She kept her self-choreographed program & dramatic/dark music from last season - Champion Theme of Viego, The Ruined King from League of Legends made by Riot Games

Hilmer's 1st place FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BlcMRPHBTcI

Sonja performed her 3S (RBO landing edge change to RBI edge takeoff) to reverse/clockwise 2S combo better in her Peggy Fleming Trophy program (clip is after her first 3 photos): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cfap89CuBLK/

A snippet from @mtnskater's PFT report from the Kiss & Cry:

I made it down to Colorado Springs to see the Peggy Fleming Trophy in person. The event was a lot of fun.
...
Sonja Hilmer was absolutely mesmerizing. What a creative artist with solid quality skating. She did fall twice. Once on a reverse camel spin and the other on her final triple loop. I’m pretty sure she did a triple salchow and then immediately jumped a reverse double axel out of it. But I’d like to review video to be sure what she did. The audience applauded loudly for the element.

 

[Sylvia]

@mtnskater also wrote this about Alena Budko's 6/29/22 Peggy Fleming Trophy performance to "Send in the Clowns" (by Faultline feat. Lisa Hannigan):

Alena Budko... Her presentation was absolutely stunning and beautiful. She clearly felt the music, took her time with her movements, no rushing. Everything so well done including some triples. Outstanding!

Budko's PFT program as filmed from the stands in the World Arena: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zNENtDbA9c8
She changed her FS music to this song after PFT (she had skated to "Send in the Clowns" at the Novice level).

Two bronze medals ended up being awarded at the 5th edition of the Peggy Fleming Trophy - Hilmer won the bronze at the conclusion of the competition and, after a scoring revision, Budko moved up to 3rd from 5th and was presented with her own bronze a week later at Skate Milwaukee.

Budko, 16, won the Senior SP at Glacier Falls (finished 3rd overall to Hilmer and Hanna Harrell) and skated to Madonna's Vogue Remix: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lXOhbBivaoM

Alena's coach in Oregon, Sofia Inthalaksa, choreographed this program; her other coach, Ikaika Young (former ice dancer with his sister), did the step sequence (3 judges gave her +4 GOE on her level 4 step sequence).

 

[Sylvia]

Hanna Harrell's short program concept this season was described back in February by her coach & choreographer, Misha Ge, as "Beauty vs. Beast": https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ2g-wKhRxv/

Hanna's SP begins with Mendelssohn’s Violin Concerto no. 2, played by Itzhak Perlman, and her level 4 step sequence at the end, set to "iDynamite" by Tha Trickaz x Apashe, received +4 GOE from 6 of the 7 judges: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPs026w14DI

Hanna kept her Puccini's Turandot FS from last season and landed both 2A as well as two 3Lz & two 3F out of 7 triples attempted in winning the silver at Glacier Falls -- this video was filmed from the audience side by @cheremary: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LscvlBaFgB8

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the Glacier Falls competition thread:

Looks like it was a great skate by Elyce Lin-Gracey in junior ladies, including a 3z-3t combo in I think the second half of the program. I've only seen her compete a few times but this is the first time I've heard of her doing a 3-3.

Looking forward to seeing her on the JGP

Here's Elyce's Glacier Falls 1st place Junior SP (yes, this was her first 3Lz+3T in competition and it was called clean in the second half): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-eZEECkQGI

Lin-Gracey and Mia Kalin are confirmed for the second JGP in Ostrava CZE on USFS' International Assignments page and their ISU bios are updated - Lin-Gracey: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00113178.htm
Kalin: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00111285.htm

 

[Bouffantrex]

For that's poster's sake, I really, really hope so.

There's nothing wrong with dreaming (and drinking) big during the offseason. Anything can happen.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

There's nothing wrong with dreaming (and drinking) big during the offseason. Anything can happen.

why thank you.

And because my dream was ISU sanctioned the score counts!

 

[Sylvia]

Isabeau Levito and Lindsay Thorngren will begin their international season this week in Aston, PA, according to IceWorks' press release today (August 1): https://iceworks.net/junior-world-champion-headlines-philadelphia-summer-international-competition/

Link to the competition thread (international & club comp. combined) in the Kiss & Cry section: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-club-competition-august-3-7-aston-pa.109818/

USA women's entries listed today in the starting order:

Gracie GOLD (unofficial hearsay info is that she's likely not competing in Aston, PA but could at the Cranberry international, like she did last year)
Lindsay THORNGREN (eta: whoops, momentarily forgot she did 2021 CS Warsaw Cup & 2022 Challenge Cup )
First senior international comp. for:
Jill HEINER
Isabeau LEVITO
Maryn PIERCE
Ava ZIEGLER

Listed for the junior international:
Mia BARGHOUT (debut)
Sarah EVERHARDT (assigned to JGP #1 in Courchevel)
Katie KRAFCHIK (debut)

ETA that ISU technical minimum scores (TES) can be attained here in the senior & junior events.
The top 5 finishers in senior should be able to get ISU World Standings ranking points (minimum of 8 competitors are listed from at least 4 countries).

 

[Wyliefan]

Good lineup -- fingers crossed that there are minimum withdrawals!

 

[Willin]

The Ladies field here is packed with a lot of future potential. I could see all 5 of the ladies making their Senior debut making Nationals at the Senior level.

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

USA women's entries listed today in the starting order:

Gracie GOLD (unofficial hearsay info is that she's likely not competing in Aston, PA but could at the Cranberry international, like she did last year)
Lindsay THORNGREN (eta: whoops, momentarily forgot she did 2021 CS Warsaw Cup & 2022 Challenge Cup )
First senior international comp. for:
Jill HEINER
Isabeau LEVITO
Maryn PIERCE
Ava ZIEGLER

Listed for the junior international:
Mia BARGHOUT (debut)
Sarah EVERHARDT (assigned to JGP #1 in Courchevel)
Katie KRAFCHIK (debut)

ETA that ISU technical minimum scores (TES) can be attained here in the senior & junior events.
The top 5 finishers in senior should be able to get ISU World Standings ranking points (minimum of 8 competitors are listed from at least 4 countries).

While I would never cast any doubt on anything Sylvia would report, I am here at Iceworks and Gracie Gold was at practice this morning, warming up and reportedly landing her jumps.

 

[Sylvia]

Yes, I was told last night that Gracie will compete today. That's why I was careful to write "unofficial hearsay info is that she's likely not competing" in my post on Wednesday... it's often a fluid situation re. summer competitions.

Here's a Vail Daily article on Gracie's coaching, among other topics, at the camp this past weekend in Colorado with quotes by Eddie Shipstad:

Vail Skating Festival summer camp teams up with Gracie Gold

Eddie Shipstad’s goal of “bringing great figure skating back to Vail,” is right on track. The Vail Skating Festival producer collaborated with Olympian Gracie Gold’s Road to Gold training camps to host Destination Vail, a...

www.vaildaily.com

Relevant excerpts:

The Vail Skating Festival producer collaborated with Olympian Gracie Gold’s Road to Gold training camps to host Destination Vail, a four-day training camp enjoyed by approximately 80 youth and adult skaters from July 27-31 at Dobson Arena. [...]
Enter Gracie Gold, whose resume and background form the perfect bridge from the innocent beginner youth to the seasoned Olympic hopeful.
“Boy, I think she’s seen it all,” Shipstad said when asked what Gold provides in regards to the camp’s vision. [...]
“Just dealing with being successful, struggling and then getting over that,” Shipstad described of the 26-year-old’s career.
“I think she is very open with the skaters and parents and coaches with what she’s learned from the sport, both good and bad, and makes it a real positive for the athletes.”

Shipstad said his highlight, however, was seeing Gold interact with the younger generation.
“It was very powerful seeing Gracie talk with the kids off the ice,” he said.
“I think it’s an amazing experience for them to work with her and receive her technical knowledge on the ice. But then being able to sit in the stands and ask her questions about her journey in the sport, I thought was really positive.”
Gold also spoke directly to parents in a talk titled “What every parent should know about skating.”
“It was a very open conversation,” described Shipstad.
“She talked through what role she feels the parent should have and how they need to be supportive.”

 

[aml78]

2022 Philadelphia Summer Championships

Event Results for 2022 Philadelphia Summer Championships

ijs.usfigureskating.org

Im confused. Is this not the start order for the Sr Ladies? I don’t see Gracie or Isabeau. Am I looking at the wrong thing?

 

[tony]

2022 Philadelphia Summer Championships

Event Results for 2022 Philadelphia Summer Championships

ijs.usfigureskating.org

Im confused. Is this not the start order for the Sr Ladies? I don’t see Gracie or Isabeau. Am I looking at the wrong thing?

You're looking at the regional qualifying competition.

Gracie and Isabeau are competing at the ISU international competition. Same location, different events.

2022 Philadelphia International Championships

Event results for 2022 Philadelphia International Championships

ijs.usfigureskating.org

 

[mtnskater]

Here's a Vail Daily article on Gracie's coaching, among other topics, at the camp this past weekend in Colorado with quotes by Eddie Shipstad:

We happened to arrive in Vail yesterday for a long weekend and to attend the Vail Dance Festival. I picked up the Vail Daily and was so happy to see the long cover article on Gracie teaching at the camp! Wish I had known about the camp because I would have attended the adult part. I skated at Dobson arena on the public session today

The article also made a big deal about Nathan Chen coming to Vail in December to skate in the ice show. You can bet I’m going to try and get tickets!!

So thanks for posting the article Sylvia! I think fans will enjoy it.

Also very glad Gracie is continuing!

 

[Sylvia]

Thanks to @ptvvibezz for finding/posting links to the top 3 short programs (via LiveBarn ) in the competition thread for Philly:

Isabeau (70.72): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0orKU0j3laY (" Una Noche Mas")
Lindsay (69.57): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DYlDJbwxkZQ ("Concierto de Aranjuez" arranged by Cédric Tour)
Gracie (67.01) kept "East of Eden": https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OG8GyeH0l0g - ETA found a fan cam for Gracie, filmed from the stands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq5ERcsWCtc

 

[Bouffantrex]

At first glance, going to three component scores has done little to encourage more nuanced judging of presentation. Disappointing, but not surprising.

I'm happy for Gracie's strong performance.

 

[Sylvia]

Sonja Hilmer has posted a better quality practice clip of her 3S edge change to reverse 2S with this explanation: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cg4mXKTj473/

Soooo maybe you've heard... This combo has been going around quite a bit, so I thought I'd share what I actually get for it. I've talked to quite a number of officials about it In competition it counts as a two jump combo, 3S+2S, because I don't put my foot down. The reduction for edge change within a combination jump is not applied or highly unlikely to be applied, because it relates to how the jump has to be executed rather than a way to get an advantage for the second jump's takeoff.

A lot of people have also asked me why I decided to do this in the first place, and the plainest most honest answer is because I didn't want to do a combo with a double loop However I have been spinning in both ways for over 6 years and did a few opposite double jumps for fun and always wondered what would happen if I did it in competition. @rohenew [Rohene Ward] was the first one to encourage me to try a reversing combo, and I had first planned it for the @peggyflemingtrophy, so when the new rule changes came out this season it only seemed right to try it out

Here's to breaking the mold
Vid by @courtney_kuhn001

Hilmer is listed for the Cranberry Open club competition next week... wonder if she has a chance to get upgraded to the International there?

 

[4rkidz]

I really enjoyed Gracies program, great ice coverage and lift on her jumps. I hope she can gain some consistency this season.

 

[karmena]

Who is coaching Gracie?

 

[Sylvia]

Who is coaching Gracie?

Pasha Filchenkov and Alex Zahradnicek have been coaching her since she moved to IceWorks in Aston, PA (site of the annual Philadelphia comp.). Jeremy Abbott choreographed her "East of Eden" (last season's) SP that she skated yesterday. I believe she has a new FS? ... We'll find out later today.

 

[haribobo]

Updated top 5 summer scores-

SENIOR WOMEN
Isabeau Levito 207.67
Lindsay Thorngren 203.62
Clare Seo 185.10
Gracie Gold 180.26
Sonja Hilmer 177.72

JUNIOR WOMEN
Soho Lee 188.35
Elyce Lin-Gracey 180.45
Clare Seo 172.55
Mia Kalin 171.47
Logan Higase Chen 170.38

 

[Sylvia]

SENIOR WOMEN
Isabeau Levito 207.67
Lindsay Thorngren 203.62
...
Gracie Gold 180.26

For those without Kiss & Cry access, TSL has posted fan cams of the top 4 free skates from the Philadelphia Summer International.

FS scores & music:
Levito 136.95 - "Dulcea Si Tandra Mea Fiara" (lyrics set to Doga's "My Sweet and Tender Beast" waltz)
Thorngren 134.05 - An Amalgamation Waltz / Often a Bird / Nostos (arranged) by Cédric Tour [from her ISU bio]
Gold 113.25 - Rachmaninoff's Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini (thanks @TanithandBenFan for confirming the music is all from that piece)
Ava Ziegler 99.60 - Adele's "Love In The Dark"

 

[Sylvia]

Gracie (67.01) kept "East of Eden": - ETA found a fan cam for Gracie, filmed from the stands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq5ERcsWCtc

Same person has uploaded Gracie's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WmJUI4Pmj4

ETA: Apparently this program was only completed about 2 weeks ago!

Filming credit for both of Gracie's videos: https://twitter.com/riverofchange/status/1555758801437036544

 

[layman]

Same person has uploaded Gracie's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WmJUI4Pmj4

ETA: Apparently this program was only completed about 2 weeks ago!

That was a beautiful, classic and classy program from Gracie to Rachmaninoff's "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini." This was a fantastic competition for Gracie...a clean short and a long with five clean triples (and not a carrot in site)! Well done! I knew she could do it! I knew it last season, after seeing all the progress that she was making from competition to competition.

Besides her marvelous jumps, I love Gracie's edging and flow and the speed that she carries across the ice. I love watching her skate. Her technique seems so pure and text-book. It just makes me feel good to watch Gracie stroke across the ice.

 

[layman]

I like Isabeau's programs but I am fearful for her jumps. They seemed even more of a struggle than they normally do and she can't stay tiny forever. I don't like the way she drops her back in the landings of some of these jumps and the way that she cranks her upper body to eke out the rotations. It's not strong technique.

 

[layman]

Lindsay Thorngren has grown a great deal...both physically and on the ice. Her artistry seems to have improved 1000%! Seems like Lindsay got the memo that to move ahead of Isabeau, she will have to work harder on her artistry and she has big time! I have never seen her skate like this before. I loved both her programs and I loved the way that she performed them. I love the way she listened to and used her music. Her expressiveness was beautiful to watch and I like the fact that she was aggressive technically.

 

[Ena Grins]

Nothing would make me happier than to see Lindsay totally lose herself and go full throttle in a performance. Everything - the technique, posture, flow, precision - is there. Scoring 130+ and 200+ early in the season is hopefully a good sign.

 

[Sylvia]

I like the naturalness of expressions in this Philadelphia Summer International women's podium pic (taken & tweeted by the person who filmed both of Gracie's videos linked in post #565): https://twitter.com/riverofchange/status/1556072334653624320