U.S. Women [#5]: Remain on the Dance Floor

[layman]

To give even more credit (where it is due), I saw a dramatic improvement from Mia Kalin on the recent Junior Grand Prix. I saw way more speed. Her ice coverage and flow have improved 1000%. It looks like they (I heard a rumor that she is working with Jeremy Abbot and Massimo Scali) have revamped her basic stroking technique because it looks to me like she is getting more push and power off the blade and it's starting to pay off with her jumps, which look more secure and less prone to URs now. Plus, they have taught Mia to bend her knees in the jump landings (something that she had not previously mastered), which is a huge accomplishment. I am impressed with what Mia and her team have achieved (in a very short time)!

 

[Sylvia]

To give even more credit (where it is due), I saw a dramatic improvement from Mia Kalin on the recent Junior Grand Prix. I saw way more speed. Her ice coverage and flow have improved 1000%. It looks like they (I heard a rumor that she is working with Jeremy Abbot and Massimo Scali)

I don't know about Abbott but Mia's Team USA bio lists Evgenyia Chernyshova (she coached Nathan in SLC when he was young and before he switched full-time to Arutunian) & Massimo Scali as new additions to her coaching team this season: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/sports/figure-skating/roster/mia-kalin/824

 

[Allskate]

Agree Isabeau needs to improve her jump technique but let's keep in mind that everyone can have a bad day.

Yeah. I don't get the sudden freak out over her jumps and scores today. Her jumping technique didn't cause her to miss that final spin and get no points for it. She had an off day. (The reigning world silver medalist didn't have her best day either.) And even on her off day, Isabeau ended up third in the long program. Yes, she needs to improve some of her jumping technique. But I'm sure it's not news to Isabeau and her team that she should improve her jumps. She's been losing points to the higher ranked skaters because of the quality of her jumps. But, her jumps today were different from her jumps in all her other programs this season, including yesterday. In those programs, it actually looked like her jumping had improved a little since last season despite her recent growth spurt.

At the beginning of the season, Isabeau set a goal for herself to win a gold medal at a Grand Prix event. I think she might have wanted it a little too badly today and tightened up.

On the bright side, I thought her short program this week was her best performance of that program to date. It looks like she's got a better handle on the choreography and interpretation.

 

[layman]

Yeah. I don't get the sudden freak out over her jumps and scores today. Her jumping technique didn't cause her to miss that final spin and get no points for it. She had an off day. (The reigning world silver medalist didn't have her best day either.) And even on her off day, Isabeau ended up third in the long program. Yes, she needs to improve some of her jumping technique. But I'm sure it's not news to Isabeau and her team that she should improve her jumps. She's been losing points to the higher ranked skaters because of the quality of her jumps. But, her jumps today were different from her jumps in all her other programs this season, including yesterday. In those programs, it actually looked like her jumping had improved a little since last season despite her recent growth spurt.

At the beginning of the season, Isabeau set a goal for herself to win a gold medal at a Grand Prix event. I think she might have wanted it a little too badly today and tightened up.

On the bright side, I thought her short program this week was her best performance of that program to date. It looks like she's got a better handle on the choreography and interpretation.

Did you mean reigning World bronze medalist because the only World silver medalists that I saw competing here were the Italian dance team who won this event?

Oh...I see you mean't the Korean skater.

Forgive me, I am still in shock that the World bronze medalist in the men's event was just dethroned.

 

[tony]

Did you mean reigning World bronze medalist because the only World silver medalists that I saw competing here were the Italian dance team who won this event?

.... the reigning World silver medalist in the women's event was competing here and did not medal after a rough free skate.

 

[layman]

.... the reigning World silver medalist in the women's event was competing here and did not medal after a rough free skate.

Honestly I would not have known who she was even if she did well at this event. The Korean women may have good technique (on their best days) but they have no personality. I can't tell one from the other. All I (vaguely) remember is that a Korean skater is the reigning world silver medalist. I did not even know that she was skating at this event.

 

[On My Own]

I can't tell one from the other.

Fair, that's me about Levito and Shcherbakova.

 

[Allskate]

Did you mean reigning World bronze medalist because the only World silver medalists that I saw competing here were the Italian dance team who won this event?

Oh...I see you mean't the Korean skater.

Yes, Haien Lee. I usually like her presence on the ice, but she was off today. None of the skaters are on all of the time. That includes all three of the reigning women World medalists. On the bright side, Isabeau did really fight for those jumps.

People make silly mistakes. Ilia had a silly fall in the footwork in his short program. He and Isabeau hopefully both learn from their mistakes this week. I do think Isabeau needs to work on that final spin a bit. As I recall, it wasn't great at Nebelhorn.

 

[Willin]

To give even more credit (where it is due), I saw a dramatic improvement from Mia Kalin on the recent Junior Grand Prix. I saw way more speed. Her ice coverage and flow have improved 1000%. It looks like they (I heard a rumor that she is working with Jeremy Abbot and Massimo Scali) have revamped her basic stroking technique because it looks to me like she is getting more push and power off the blade and it's starting to pay off with her jumps, which look more secure and less prone to URs now. Plus, they have taught Mia to bend her knees in the jump landings (something that she had not previously mastered), which is a huge accomplishment. I am impressed with what Mia and her team have achieved (in a very short time)!

I can't confirm these rumors, but I do know that they had previously stated Kate Wang was the only skater they were coaching together as they did with Alysa. Perhaps both are consulting, but it would make sense that only Scali has a main role in it. AFAIK Scali goes between Sharks rinks while Jeremy mostly stays at SF.

 

[mtnskater]

Fair, that's me about Levito and Shcherbakova.

Sounds like you meant that as an insult, but Scherbakova is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist

 

[On My Own]

Sounds like you meant that as an insult, but Scherbakova is the reigning Olympic Gold Medalist

With how Levito's and Malinin's scores went here, I'm sure they will be too

 

[melanieg]

I can't confirm these rumors, but I do know that they had previously stated Kate Wang was the only skater they were coaching together as they did with Alysa. Perhaps both are consulting, but it would make sense that only Scali has a main role in it. AFAIK Scali goes between Sharks rinks while Jeremy mostly stays

I don't know about Abbott but Mia's Team USA bio lists Evgenyia Chernyshova (she coached Nathan in SLC when he was young and before he switched full-time to Arutunian) & Massimo Scali as new additions to her coaching team this season: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/sports/figure-skating/roster/mia-kalin/824

I don’t know about Jeremy, but Massimo has been seen working with Mia in Oakland pretty frequently over the last year, and Chernyshova also has come to Oakland to work with her.

She skated a pretty clean freeskate to win King’s Cup with her 4T, although she didn’t have a great result in Osaka. Mao Shimada actually talked about Mia in an interview after the JGP there, saying Mia’s consistency of the 4T and also the 4S in practice was inspiring to her. I will try to find the article. It was a Japanese publication (I saw an English translation).

 

[Sylvia]

Eastern Sectional Junior Women's event just finished in Coral Springs, Florida:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1721196184138645770

14-year-old Sophie Joline von Felten's 3A was called clean (1.00 bonus + 10.40 = 11.4 points; 13th after SP & had to skate 1st today) and the 7 triples landed by Sofia Bezkorovainaya (turned 13 on August 4) were all called clean.
Maria Platonova skated well in her home rink (won SP yesterday with 3T+3T, 3Lz & 2A) and is coached by Artem Torgashev, Andrew's dad.

ETA:

Senior Women's FS will livestream on Peacock from 11:50 AM to 2:40 PM Eastern time.
Final group skating order (vying for the guaranteed 2 spots to Nationals today with 3 more TBD after the 3rd & final Sectional, Midwestern, finishes on Nov. 19):
Jill Heiner 49.09
Alex Evans 55.03
Courtney Hicks 55.28
Ting Cui 57.89
Sarah Everhardt 58.72

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Sophie Joline von Felten's 3A was called clean

So is she now the eighth American women to land a triple axel?

 

[melanieg]

So is she now the eighth American women to land a triple axel?

Good for her! And the rest of her elements seem to be coming along too.

Is it safe to imagine a senior nationals soon (maybe not this year but next?) with Mia nailing her
quads and Sophie and Amber hitting their 3As, and doing a couple of real (and really good) 3-3s! This is the kind of progress in tech content the US is going to need to make in order to have some competitive depth internationally.

ETA that Japanese-language pub interview with Shimada, page 3: https://number.bunshun.jp/articles/-/858998?page=3
“
“[Mia]… was practicing her quad toe loop and quad Salchow in preparation for her free skate. Seeing this, Shimada did not hesitate and chose to move forward.
``It was very inspiring to see Ka[l]in practicing her quadruples.In particular, her quadruple toe loop was so stable that she never failed, and she also landed the quadruple salchow many times. So, I think it's amazing. I think I have to practice more, and I have to do it."

 

[Sylvia]

The first 2 Senior women's qualifying spots for 2024 Nationals go to the top 2 finishers in the Eastern Sectional Singles Final - congrats to Sarah Everhardt (placed 13th in Junior last year in San Jose) and Alex Evans who will make her 2nd trip to Nationals at the Senior level (finished 16th at Greensboro 2020).

2024 Eastern Senior Women final standings: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2023/30615/CAT009SEG017.html

Top 5:
Sarah Everhardt 162.05 1 2
Alex Evans 159.70 4 1
Ting Cui 147.02 2 4
Courtney Hicks 143.12 3 5
Jill Heiner 140.83 5 3 (only her 2nd competition of the season due to injury)

Top 2 in each of the 3 Sectionals qualify for Nationals; 3 spots TBD after other 2 Sectionals are done.

 

[Coco]

Fingers crossed for Ting!!

 

[Sylvia]

14-year-old Sophie Joline von Felten's 3A was called clean (1.00 bonus + 10.40 = 11.4 points; 13th after SP & had to skate 1st today) and the 7 triples landed by Sofia Bezkorovainaya (turned 13 on August 4) were all called clean.

So is she now the eighth American women to land a triple axel?

7th according to USFS today:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1721594036086005870

 

[Sylvia]

The first 2 Senior women's qualifying spots for 2024 Nationals go to the top 2 finishers in the Eastern Sectional Singles Final - congrats to Sarah Everhardt (placed 13th in Junior last year in San Jose) and Alex Evans who will make her 2nd trip to Nationals at the Senior level (finished 16th at Greensboro 2020).
...
Top 5:
Sarah Everhardt 162.05 1 2
Alex Evans 159.70 4 1
Ting Cui 147.02 2 4
Courtney Hicks 143.12 3 5
Jill Heiner 140.83 5 3 (only her 2nd competition of the season due to injury)

Top 2 in each of the 3 Sectionals qualify for Nationals; 3 spots TBD after other 2 Sectionals are done.

Pacific Coast Senior Women finished today - top 3:
Josephine Lee 186.78 5 1 (129.13 in FS) - already had a bye to Nationals; she's looking better at this point in the season, IMO
Katie Shen 185.21 1 2 (119.55 FS) Qualified for her first Nationals in Sr. (after missing last season)
Mia Kalin 174.29 4 3 (115.44 FS with clean 4T) Qualified for her first Nationals in Sr. (after missing Nationals in Jr.)
==
Soho Lee 170.76 3 4 [currently #1 "next best national score"] with new coaching team of Sean Rabbitt & Junichi Takemura at Great Park Ice
Lindsay Wang 159.15 2 6 [#2]
Sonia Baram 154.34 8 5 [#3]
Alena Budko 154.19 6 7
Hannah Herrera 145.91 7 8

3 spots TBD by "next best national score" after next week's Midwestern Sectional (main contenders are Clare Seo, Sonja Hilmer & Wren Warne-Jacobsen, all of whom scored over 170 in a NQS comp.) - we'll know on Saturday afternoon, Nov. 18.

 

[dancing_on_ice]

Pacific Sectionals Playlist

Videos of the top junior and senior women in the short and free skate are in this playlist for when the replays get deleted from Peacock

 

[Frau Muller]

Pacific Sectionals Playlist

Videos of the top junior and senior women in the short and free skate are in this playlist for when the replays get deleted from Peacock

Thank you! I was particularly impressed with Soho Lee’s FS (all aspects) & the tech skills of Jacqueline Josephine Lee…huge improvement since the early season! Despite the quad jump, I’m not impressed with Mia Kalin’s artistic crudeness.

 

[zigzig]

Thank you! I was particularly impressed with Soho Lee’s FS (all aspects) & the tech skills of Jacqueline Lee…huge improvement since the early season! Despite the quad jump, I’m not impressed with Mia Kalin’s artistic crudeness.

Yeaaaaah...kudos to Mia for getting full credit on a nice quad but her homage to Katarina Witt ending pose just reinforced how bland and bloodless her Carmen was.

 

[Sylvia]

Nitpick: It's Josephine, not Jacqueline, Lee.

For anyone who'd like to rewatch a "feel good moment" breakout program, Josephine shared her entire Nationals free skate (4th place and 5th overall following her disappointing 11th in the SP) at the end of her vlog 8 months ago: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uDA1mdYM7_o&t=839s
ETA: This senior version of her FS features a longer version of the "In Trutina" section of Orff's Carmina Burana (orchestral & vocal in the middle of her program) that I really enjoy.

 

[mtnskater]

Josephine had a great free skate at Sectionals! She was really attacking, performing and emoting this time. Nice to see. Hope she can find consistency with that!

Mia has really improved following her work with Massimo. She is very watchable now. More work needed, as with all the women in this field. The quad toe was great! Everything looked very good except her flip jumps were MIA.

Soho has grown a lot, but still delightful in her style and managing the jumps. She could be glorious if Sean helps her fix that posture!

Katie Shen is new to me. Some very nice solid jumps. Program was a bit strange as was her costume.

Sonia Baram has such a cute expressive style. She has clearly grown since last spring but still handling it well.

 

[melanieg]

Josephine had a great free skate at Sectionals! She was really attacking, performing and emoting this time. Nice to see. Hope she can find consistency with that!

Mia has really improved following her work with Massimo. She is very watchable now. More work needed, as with all the women in this field. The quad toe was great! Everything looked very good except her flip jumps were MIA.

Soho has grown a lot, but still delightful in her style and managing the jumps. She could be glorious if Sean helps her fix that posture!

Katie Shen is new to me. Some very nice solid jumps. Program was a bit strange as was her costume.

Sonia Baram has such a cute expressive style. She has clearly grown since last spring but still handling it well.

Agreeing and adding to this!

Josephine is skating with more and more power and finesse every year. If she cleans up her jumps and adds a bit more tech, she can disrupt the other seniors in the top four for sure. Very excited for her! Josephine has struggled with some ur’s and consistency over the last couple years but that’s what happens when you’re a young determined athlete and you push yourself to get better. I think I like watching Jospehine skate more so than Isabeau because I get more of a “put it all out there” vibe from Josephine.

Mia didn’t just land and get credit for the 4T, it had great quality with +3s across the board, and it looks bigger and more effortless than ever. I don’t think any other US woman has sustained, not to mention improved, an ultra c over three years and counting (Sylvia is this right?) and with considerable growth too — she looks a LOT taller now. And she always plans two triple triples and jump combos in the second half. Like @layman and others are saying, her skating skills and goes on everything have improved a lot and judges are starting to acknowledge it. Instead of tearing her down for not being a totally complete package at 15, I hope she is encouraged to keep getting stronger!

Katie is no surprise to those who remember her placement at junior nats a couple years ago before she got injured and went through a coaching change. She reminds me a lot of Alysa in some ways and she has made an impressive return showing real determination and grit. Looks like she keeps getting an e on her flip but hopefully that can be fixed and she can add to her technical. She is really fun to watch and Laura as her coach seems like a great match.

Soho has lost some ground in a rocky year following coaching changes, and if she can get her triple triple back, she can also continue developing into a contender.

I’m really impressed with these girls and love the variety they bring!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I don’t think any other US woman has sustained, not to mention improved, an ultra c over three years

Beg pardon?

 

[mtnskater]

Agreeing and adding to this!

Josephine is skating with more and more power and finesse every year. If she cleans up her jumps and adds a bit more tech, she can disrupt the other seniors in the top four for sure. Very excited for her! Josephine has struggled with some ur’s and consistency over the last couple years but that’s what happens when you’re a young determined athlete and you push yourself to get better. I think I like watching Jospehine skate more so than Isabeau because I get more of a “put it all out there” vibe from Josephine.

Mia didn’t just land and get credit for the 4T, it had great quality with +3s across the board, and it looks bigger and more effortless than ever. I don’t think any other US woman has sustained, not to mention improved, an ultra c over three years and counting (Sylvia is this right?) and with considerable growth too — she looks a LOT taller now. And she always plans two triple triples and jump combos in the second half. Like @layman and others are saying, her skating skills and goes on everything have improved a lot and judges are starting to acknowledge it. Instead of tearing her down for not being a totally complete package at 15, I hope she is encouraged to keep getting stronger!

Katie is no surprise to those who remember her placement at junior nats a couple years ago before she got injured and went through a coaching change. She reminds me a lot of Alysa in some ways and she has made an impressive return showing real determination and grit. Looks like she keeps getting an e on her flip but hopefully that can be fixed and she can add to her technical. She is really fun to watch and Laura as her coach seems like a great match.

Soho has lost some ground in a rocky year following coaching changes, and if she can get her triple triple back, she can also continue developing into a contender.

I’m really impressed with these girls and love the variety they bring!

Enjoyed your comments. Can’t agree with you about Isabeau v Josephine since I’m an uber and love her ballet style the most Though I will agree about wanting to see more attack from her. Josephine did not attack her short program at Pacs. The free was the first time I think I’ve seen that very fierce side of her. Hope to see it at Nationals!

Like you, I really appreciate a skater that works on a weakness and shows visible improvement. Not easy…takes time. Big props to Mia for the improvements! Can’t wait to see her continued improvements with Massimo.

Thanks for the info about Katie. Didn’t remember those junior nationals. She looks quite talented. Lindsay Wang’s jumps also impressed….forgot to mention her.

 

[HaNguyen]

I was hoping that some of these top skaters could be sent out this year to represent US in international competitions, since our only consistent representative is Isabeau. Unfortunately, the top skaters in the world earn over 200 points and none of these skaters were all that close. So, maybe next year?

 

[Frau Muller]

Sorry fellow posters but I find Mia Kalin’s style horrendous…as if she’s auditioning for Sambo-70/Eteri acceptance. An arm up and an arm down when the Carmen drums beat? No, no, no; нет, нет, нет! Even the onesee red & black costume is total Sambo-70. For the glory of USA women’s skating at Pacifics, look at Josephine, Soho, Katie, Sonia or even fabulous 7th-placed Aliona Budko, with true Russian glide and flow in her White Crow.

 

[Sarah]

Bradie is out for the season. Broke her ankle on a bracket.