Jonathan calling it like it is and saying how awful the state of US Ladies skating is right now was my moment of the week lol. I couldn't care less who is gonna make the team when the ladies skaters from other countries are just so undeniably better than any of our top 5 US ladies. We're gonna need to light a dozen candles in the hopes that US Ladies skating is better next quad.
La! I'm glad she's back. Satoko's favorite is pineapple so fans give her pineapple plushies like Yuzuru with pooh. Marin also got Pikachu rain in CoC. Shoma got a cabbage plush in IDF as joke cos he is known not to eat vegetables. Someone also gave him a giant chicken leg plush in SkCan. Boyang gets spiderman plushies and Han Yan said he wants money thrown at him so he got money plush.
Han Cong also got onion plushies. Someone said it's because his name sounds like a Chinese word for spring onion. We've got a bit of a produce theme going.
Yeah, I believe she was hurting, but girl: you got through the practices, the short program, the 6-minute warm up, three jump passing passes, and two spins before you decided that the last 3 minutes would just be too much? If it were a sprain or a fracture, I could see that, but.... I think she decided to call it a day when she realized she would finish behind Bradie Tennell. If you withdraw, you haven't actually been beaten, right?! For we all we know, she would have won if it hadn't been for the topical infection, right?!
You could tell on the last spin that Ashley was struggling to get up off of the injured ankle. I don't think she's exaggerating it, we know she fights through programs and it was shocking to see her stop. I understand why she tries to shut down rumors about injuries, because people assume she uses them as excuses so she tries to keep them a secret.
Ashley and Karen have both been bombing their competitions this year. Mirai has the second highest ladies scores. I think she will be on the Nationals podium and the Olympic team.
Yes, I think the body of work criteria won't come into play so much (though 4cc medals from last season are equal to Grand Prix medals this season in the selection criteria, so who cares if Mirai hasn't been medaling on the Grand Prix when the other US ladies haven't exactly been sweeping it), it more will affect how certain people are given that extra boost in the Nationals scoring. I think that USFS would prefer to avoid the 2014 scenario with anyone at all costs, it was justified, but the every 4 years crowd just couldn't seem to get it.
I feel bad for Karen. The first year after becoming national champion is obviously stressing her out. And on top of that she has this new book to peddle out, which I would find a little embarrassing at the moment. At this point the only thing she has going for her was her 2017 worlds performance (4th place). I think the pressure is only going to get worse so it will be interesting to see how she performs at Nats.
I was there for the entire event and she looked to be in great shape during the practice on Friday. What happened after that I have no idea but, the Ashley that showed up on Saturday for the SP was not the same Ashley from the practice. She has never strucked me as a quitter so I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
Sorry but rewatch the video again. It has typical delays where a few of the speakers are talking without their mouths moving. Or they are moving their mouths and there is no speech ie no audio. This is very very common in remote chats. This issue is ancient. The chap on the right has a varying buffering delay. It really is minor if you do not look at any faces. If you think there is no delay then you might as well say Hockey skates are the same as Figure skates! :) For some they are! :) Delays like this are common on web chats with video. I guess your point is delays are not existent or that it is minor? The chap on the right gets ignored in a few responses since the buffering delay varies. ie his audio had such a long delay a few times that he got walked on by another. The Internet service providers often throttle bandwidth with streaming videos. This is a good video, but saying there are no delays is comical. Thus go watch it again. Background noise reduction can be reduced with directional mikes, by closing doors too. Kids crying is hard to filter out, thus mike type and placement helps
Re: the guy on the right saying Mirai hasn't gotten close to getting a GP medal. She was 4th at NHK (in a field including Medved and Kostner) and her (mostly clean) performance there would have gotten a silver at Skate Canada (above Ashley). True, she hasn't gotten the heralds and accolades this year which affects optics but in terms of scores she is getting up there.
Ashley just lucked into that bronze at SC. I have to say, I'm disappointed in her this season. I think that she should have pulled out of SA if there was any chance she couldn't complete the competition. She knew about her injury. I'm not questioning whether she was in pain, but it just looks bad. Also, her comments about focusing Nationals were bizarre. Nationals placements are no longer determinative. A good showing at SA would have boosted her up--like she was boosted up in 2014.
Yes, I hope that scores and not just placement are considered (I know they say "can't compare across events"..but that's how these girls get compared!). Plus Mirai's NHK and 4cc scores are above what Ashley got at worlds, and at NHK she defeated the SA gold medalist. I love Ashley and respect her for carrying the weight of us ladies over the years, but I hope her technical calls (and everyone's!) are fair and accurate at Nationals.
I'm not asking you to be nice, but could you at least not make things up about Alexa & Chris. They certainly haven't had "two really rough Worlds". 3 of their 4 Worlds had no falls or anything rough. And they set a US record SP score at the other Worlds. And 2017 Worlds was not "just ok"- it was absolutely a strong Worlds for them and they scored over 200 points. They have been in the top 10 every time, & they are the only US pair with top 10 World finishes in the past 5 years. As for them making the GP Final "in part because of what happened with France that year", you seem to be grasping at straws to try to discredit their accomplishments. They qualified fairly easily in 5th and it's unlikely that anything would have happened in the LP in France that would have knocked them out. And even if they somehow hadn't made it, so what. Even James & Cipres couldn't get in the GPF this season with huge numbers. Alexa & Chris aren't from a country that is a traditional powerhouse in pairs, to say the least, so I think it's important to look at their accomplishments from that perspective. Also, you're still not acknowledging that Chris is dealing with a recent injury situation. It was mentioned in an article yesterday that it was his left knee, which I don't think is the same knee as the injury from yrs ago that you mentioned. I don't mean to sound like an uber fan, but I like accuracy.
True. And there was also the comment that they got a score bump because it was the American GP, which I saw no evidence of. They get PCS and tech scores like this in every country and at every type of event. Their free skate PCS have been good all season, and their PCS were slightly lower in the US than in Japan, which makes sense given the 3S error was worse. Dave pretty much glanced over M/M's fall in the SP, but really chewed Alexa/Chris out and shot down everyone who replied that Chris had an injury and that Alexa rarely misses the sal. I'm not sure if Alexa saw those comments, but if she did, I wouldn't be surprised if it affected her for the LP because it was the first time she has ever missed two 3S in a competition. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but there is only so much ridiculous badgering you can take before it affects you. She should probably avoid reading that stuff. I think Jonathan's theory that Chris's struggles/injury might have affected her is a possibility, but it has never seemed to bother her in the past.
Yeah I find some of the comments reasonable and accurate but then some I'm just like, what? Not even exaggerations, but also made up things to make them look bad or create a story that isn't there. Basically, Alexa & Chris should be going to this Olympics as long as they are physically able to skate. There should be no drama here.
Junior Japanese ladies Rika Kihira and Mako Yamashita both have the same "hide behind the hands, peek around" move in their FS that Kaori does. I find it a... perplexing choice.
Thanks for another great recap! Telemarking is a word just not one used in skating... Telemark : a turn in skiing in which the outside ski is advanced considerably ahead of the other ski and then turned inward at a steadily widening angle until the turn is completed
I love you guys! So please don't be mad at me. After the French event, Jonathan and Dave you seemed on board with the idea of a skater not putting it out there that they're injured and all the reasons why. It's been 2 years since Boston, you were right, but Ashley had the right not to talk about it. Lets move on from that. But at THIS event, I agree had she landed her 3-3, and been skating well she would NOT have stopped. She has not looked trained this year, given the infection she probably should have pulled out before the free, not during.
I agree that Ashley needed Gracie. I find that I'm so uninterested in Ashley now that I don't get to root for her against Gracie. Ashley had a soul and personality and fire in her eyes whereas Gracie did not and frankly upset me. Now Ashley is just, Ashley, and I don't think that it's a good look for her.
Savannah Ridout Maybe you’re bored because she’s done the same programs for three years and her spins and footwork are as lackluster as they’ve ever been.
Beyond the Ashley drama of the event etc, I agree with Jonathan about how that female PA announcer was trying a bit "to hard" to get the audience to respond!
even less people stick around for the medals, it's kind of sad. and they don't even give out medals anymore. they look like plastic circle participation trophies and they all are identical
At these events it takes so long to setup for the medal ceremonies and your just thinking about getting to your car and getting home. When World's was in Los Angeles I skipped all the medal ceromonies to avoid the traffic.
I’ve always disagreed with Dave and now also Jonathan about the Shibutanis vs H/D and who should be the top team, and for the most part it’s whatever. It’s a preference. Jonathan has a point about the Coldplay programs being obvious. But I really cannot with the idea that Maia and Alex show a distasteful amount of emotion at the end of their programs. They aren’t drama queens. Maia cried at the GPF because Alex had been so ill with food poisoning and she seemed like she’d been worried and overwhelmed. That’s not normal for her. They and especially her are almost too reserved if anything. ON THE OTHER HAND, Hubbell and Donahue are routinely, dramatically emotional upon the conclusion of their performances! Pretty sure Charlie White even shaded them two Nationals ago talking about preferring teams who leave the emotion on the ice and don’t save anything for the K&C because they were so melodramatic.
I agree. I feel that usually when skaters get emotional at the end of good performances it's because of certain pressure that they have been baring, and I really don't think we should judge that when we don't exactly know what they might be going through in their lives.
I just dawned on me, Dave --how appropriate your new theme song is ... wasn't that also the theme song from "As the World Turns", a long-running "daytime drama"/soap? ;-)
I think Ashley was in actual pain and needed to get off the ice. I think she is also under trained which is part of it. Now she should just rest and heal that ankle. I still like Ashley. Even if she can be a train wreck
Fun episode on a crazy event. Though I’m more in the camp that Ashley Wagner is smart and experienced, and wouldn’t bail in the middle of the program with a fake excuse-no one that savvy is that much of an ass. Sometimes, the shock of pain overwhelms the body (stress flooding your system)-so I’m doubting it was even a pain threshold issue.
After the short, when Ashley saw the score, her facial expression spoke volumes. Ashley hasn't done well this year, or the end of last season. I think the writing's on the wall as far as Ashley''s future in competitive skating is concerned and she wants to do well in Nationals so she can go to the Olympics. I think Ashley is playing her usual dramatics, and she is no more injured than I am. Second: Bradie Tennel reminds me a lot of Gracie of 2014, in looks, ability/talent, style, etc. Now --she needs a choreographer, costuming and to get rid of that tiara. I'd like to see Bradie in the Olympics. She seems to be a cool cucumber under pressure. Karen is a sweet girl, but she's weak under pressure. Mirai is a sweetheart and is truly great skater --but not in competition Unfortunately, I agree with La as far as Ashley is concerned; however, Ashley destroyed Gracie in her quest. True that Gracie had some issues lurking, but Ashley didn't do her any favors. In my opinion, we really don't have any "ladies" who are qualified to go to the Olies.
The only thing I can think of is after World's Gracie had to go on tour with World Silver medalist Ashley Wagner and at every Stars on Ice show they played this little Star Wars themed video stated that after a 10 year drought that Ashley "saved" US Figure skating and she was the Luke Skywalker of the skating world. Honestly it was in poor taste and really cringey.
Natasha Estrada Gracie didn’t ‘have’ to tour...it’s a $ thing. And it was painful to watch Gracie at SOI 2017. Her facial expressions and speed of her skating clearly indicated she wasn’t too interested in performing well.
I think you can read a lot from Ashley's expressions and performances last year: Skate America won with a non extraordinary free program, Cup of China bad outing, Nationals outclassed by Karen Chen, and then Worlds that was kinda rough. My theory is that Ashley after that silver medal at Boston isn't enjoying skating as much as it was before: she wanted one medal at Worlds, she fought all these years for that, once that she got it she is staying for the Olympics, but she already knew last year that she has very few chances to medal.
I tend to agree about Ashley. It's common knowledge that she doesn't like to travel overseas for competitions, preferring to stay home and train. I think she didn't want to travel all the way to Japan for the GPF in an Olympic year, and this got her out of it.
I like the comments and insight of the pro skater guy - would be great to have him back some time. But can I suggest just 3 people max? May help the conversation to flow less awkwardly. And get him to sit closer to the camera like everyone else. (Being able to see someone's lips moving actually helps with comprehension). Thanks for a great job all! X
Dave, I was watching Kurt Browning on a facebook live and he made a prediction that one of the top ice dance teams won`t go to the GPF. What do you think, heard any rumors? If it`s true I`d think it would be Tessa and Scott not wanting to go head to head with the French until Olympics. Any thoughts on this?
Saw that too but would be really shocked if VM pulled out. They always went head to head against Davis and White even when things weren't going well for them, I mean they knew they weren't winning GPF in 2013 and still went. This doesn't seem like them.
I've been thinking about this for a while and I think if one of them wd it won't be their decision but their fed's. My two cents are: if the team wd because they need to tweak a program then it would be VM. But if we're thinking about a strategic decision I think it's more likely to come from the french fed. I think for VM it would be a suicide to not show up for the GPF because 1. they need the points in the ranking to be in the last flight for the olys (this doesn't apply to PC because they have euros). 2. VM need to go head to head with PC before the olys to demontrate that they can beat them. I don't know if it could be a good choice to skip GPF for PC either but it won't be crazy as much as it would be for VM: they don't need the points in the ranking and right now they're the team to beat (for the judges) so showing at the GPF they have something to lose. I don't think their scores from IDF can keep up when on the same ice with VM, it will be closer. Obviously showing up and winning would be huge for them but between not showing up keeping the WR as their last result in the fall and showing up seeing their scores lowered and losing to VM what's the worse scenario? If they don't show up and VM win with a WR the narrative could very well be "PC competed last time 1 month ago so you can't really compare scores". So between the two teams I would say it's more absurd and crazy for VM to wd. I just want to clarify that I don't think it would be PC's or VM's choise but a SC or French fed's choice.
oh I forgot this: not giving VM a chance for a head to head comp before olys is a good way to psych them out. I don't see PC doing this on purpose but unfortunately I can see a certain someone in the french fed to do that.
This is spot on. If this rumor turns out to be true I really think it would be PC to withdraw and it would be Didier's decision for strategic reasons even though I personally think it would look cowardly for either team to withdraw.
VM should go to the GPF and so should the French. Assuming that the judging panels are different at each of the events, it would be beneficial for VM to see if they are truly lagging behind the French team. If they get negative feedback about their programs at the GPF, maybe they too will go back to old programs. I cannot lie and say I really want to see their Hip Hip Chin Chin program and Funny Face programs again.
Telemark is many things including a place in Norway (which something famous happened at during WW2 I wanna say), a waltz step and a ski jumping landing technique. I don’t think it’s a skating thing 😂
I feel like there weren't many Ashley and Gracie comps where both of them did very well though (maybe we got close in 2016 worlds) and were pushing "each other" specifically, so I don't know. I feel like it's more of a rivalry that we wanted to happen- did they ever finish 1-2? They would often kind of be behind after the short together, like at 2015 worlds and the 2015 gpf. I remember how Jenny used to say that she thought Gracie thinks of herself as the better skater than Ashley, it's when she gets around the other international ladies that the head games/questioning herself happens. Ashley did probably like having someone else who the media was so into on the US scene (aka, I don't think visa is coming for Bradie, but we'll see). I was really interested to see what kind of jump calls Ashley would get in the long here...
Ok, answering my own question, they finished 1-2 at Nationals a few times, but I was more talking about at international comps. Ashley has been out scored in her LP scores for the last year by Mariah, Mirai, Karen, and Bradie, so she should technically be fired up, but I also get LA's point.
La saying Satoko's jumps are "around" is just about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. At this event alone, go back and look at her jumps in the long. The opening triple loop almost landed forward, the triple flip was way over a quarter short, and the second triple lutz was a HALF cheated. I am shocked at how bad the calling was at this event and the inconsistency is gross.
I agree. The score came out rather quickly, which means the tech panel didn't review any of her jumps. Well, as Dave said, she is JSF's darling. The 3Lo in her SP was underrotated as well.
I agree it's irritating when we jump the gun and start hyping ladies after one or two good competitions. People went overboard with the Mariah hype after one GP medal. I think Bradie might be a little different though because she seems to avoid under-rotation calls. But she still has things to work on. I'm surprised they picked such cutesy, Disney music for a girl who would be 20 yrs old at the Olympics. And as for why Deanna & Nate score that low... their elements are small and the height difference isn't big. Nate is short with short legs, not much extension, etc. They kinda do the bare minimum on the elements like the triple twist and throws. The throws are small enough that she can basically use her singles background to get through them, which has helped enable her to compete pairs practically overnight, but it's not going to help them in a good field. I recognize the announcer's voice from previous competitions and wonder where they get her from and why she still can't read names. She's very awkward, and I didn't think it was possible to screw up names as simple as Moore Towers and Marinaro.
Yes, Jonathan said exactly what I think about the USFSA's willingness to jump on the newest bandwagon. Bradie skated well but her PCS was too high--didn't she get a 67 (average over 8) in the long? What was that for, smiling? Last year, it was Mariah. Didn't pan out. Then Karen Chen--faltering. Before that, Polina. She was given the great honor of going to the Olympics as a recent junior who had never won or even medaled at the senior level. Four years later, she still hasn't done much internationally and hasn't been able to manage a growth spurt. Kimmie Meissner. Won Worlds, but also had problems with growth and increased competition once Mao and Yuna arrived. Even Gracie--her talent was undeniable, but the pressure on her to be the next US World Champion was too much. I hope the USFSA thinks twice or three times about putting Bradie on the Olympic team if, for example, she is the bronze medalist at Nationals. A lot of factors should go into that decision.
I'll take Mariah's 2016 SA over Bradie's 2017 SA anyday. I actually love Mariah's Chicago SP and her East of Eden was majestic at that competition... To me Bradie's a purely technical skater who can land the jumps... Reminds me of Gracie. Snooze.
Dave, your candle worked! Yeah to Satoko! LOVE HER! BTW, I did see 'Strawberry Ice' with Toller Cranston. Mushrooms and 'good'smoke. A very bizarre dream! But I must say he was way ahead of his time and he was so limber! Did this program air on American TV or just on Canadian TV?
Forgot to mention this last night (can't resist late uploads so I was basically half-asleep 😂), what was up with Bradie's pecking hen choreography in her LP? She bends over a lot and it looks so strange. This was my first time watching her and I thought she was lovely, I just wish she wasn't bent over for half of her step sequence and choreography.
Abby Atwood agreed! It just wasn’t pretty. Why would they repeatedly put her in a hunch back position (the pecking hen choreography made me laugh). Too bad she doesn’t have more time so they could get her new programs and packaging cuz the girl can rotate jumps!
I bet all pantomiming looks same to these guys. I love Kaori's Amelie, so does Daisuke Takahashi. In a recent interview, he said he wanted to work with Benoît Richaud, the choreographer.
Ok, and Jonathan! When pairs/ ice dancers do that spin thing it's to gain more momentum. A lot of times a pair will spin in the opposite of their natural rotational direction first, then pull out to get more of a push for rotational velocity (sorry, I did poorly in physics, lol, but the point is valid)...then by pulling in after being spread outward they gain momentum. It's physics. I failed physics the year my mom passed away but eventually passed and graduated from college, ha.
I watch US ladies figure skating but lets face it. Ladies figure skating outside of a few skaters is full of inconsistent skaters who bomb programs over the last several years. I like Ashley, I don't think she's faking. She has not withdrawn from a competition ever to my knowledge. So I am going to believe her based on her previous behavior. Bradie Tennell god bless her has the jumps but the program to Cinderella seems "lacking in depth" compared to the other medal contenders. She's the same age as Satoko Miyhara and look at Satoko's programs over the last two years compared to her. Hey, look at 16 year old Wakaba Higuchi's programs compared to Tennell. She needs to turn up the maturity, artistry and get better programs next season. US ladies have to let to let these "princess" juvenile programs go.
Did you look at all those +3s and +2s for the Knierims' twist and throws though, Dave. It sounds like Chris had a knee injury coming into this season and is just starting to get over it. But I guess it's more fun to just ignore his injury and say something snarky every time he doubles a jump and spread false information about the Knierims' past history (they didn't have "2 really rough World Championships"). The US should feel grateful they have a pair that can score consistently well without relying heavily on the jumps (all pairs botch or underrotate jumps sometimes, there's no escaping it). It's very important to excel at the pair stuff in pair skating. Go figure.
I can’t deal with Adams programs,,,the club scene and the bird,,,maybe I’ve just seen the same programs too many times...it’s intended effects are lost on me now.
usually I'm ambivalent about the shade TheSkatingLesson brings, but some of the commentary regarding Ashley feels mean and unnecessary, like malicious gossip.
The withdrawal didn't make sense and Michael also said as much. So, it was worth bringing up and querying why she made the choices she made. Valid... and they were only speculating about the other factors at play for her, which are also valid. Gossip is when you position something as the truth and share secrets, which was not happening. I got no issues with it.
Why did the USA only qualify one team for the pairs event at the Olympics but two for the next worlds? Wasn't 10th place at last years world championships enough to qualify two at the Olympics?
It’s 2024 and I’m still annoyed by La’s inability to find the mute button. Baby sounds adorable but was basically drowning out and distracting. 😤Booooo
@@TheSkatingLesson I should never comment when I’m feeling petty (I started to defend it but what’s the point). It was still a great episode. And you are a generous host.
TSL instagram comment by Momma Tai on Ashley @ Andy Cohen; "Okay, it's time to focus ~" Truth, I think Ashley knowing how slim her chances are of getting an individual medal has been trying to cash in commercially before the public realizes that this duck isn't hunting(competitively, without catastrophic happenings). So, I think she likely has been slacking off on training and is hoping for personality to carry her where her skating even at its best likely cannot. Hey, to each their own. It's her life, but she maybe needs to just start owning up to it and stop with the contradictory excuses.
As usual, amazing show guys! Love the foursome, lol. You make some excellent points. Too bad about Ashley's ankle. I am inclined to believe her, especially now that she posted on Instagram about how the padding slipped in her LP after the first jump and after that every time that foot touched the ice it sent searing pain up her leg. Adam picking up dead flies was my moment of the week (just kidding - though it was stellar). And kudos to Adam for popping his shoulder back into place on the fly. Nathan's short was my moment. Oh, and thank you for pointing out how slow Serafima was. No wonder her spins looks SO fast to my eye. La, you have the cutest baby!!
I hope that Ashley's self-confidence isn't the reason for stopping in the middle of her program & withdrawing. There's part of me that just feels like it could be partly confidence, and not wanting to disappoint, so decides to just stop and use her ankle as an excuse. I do hope she is better and competes well at Nationals, but hopefully she gets past whatever is in her head right now. ALSO, Skate America was cursed. So many things went wrong, the event was terrible and a bit of a sh*t-show 😂
I LOVE this panel, but would it be too much to ask that whoever has the baby (La, I’m assuming) please MUTE their mic whenever they are not talking and the baby is active? It’s terribly distracting to the discussion. I love all of you guys; I just did find that bothersome. :-/
It was not about being rude. It’s VERY EASY to click the “mute” button when you’re not talking. The problem was when other people were talking, the software favors THEIR mic. But when the baby starts crying/talking/making noises, the Google Hangout software favors the baby’s mic and lowers the others. So I frequently missed many points. It’s not about anything other than POLITELY muting your mic.
Brent's Lucky (& Gay) Slot Channel I actually agree. I know it may be hard to find a babysitter or whatever, but I really liked these guests and wanted to hear what everyone had to say. There were entire sentences that I didn't hear.
Sorry (I`m Canadian) we are supposed to say that : ). BUT, The German team of Aliona and Bruno, well Bruno, remind me of a character from game of thrones, Hodor, who had one purpose HOLD THE DOOR...and I feel like Bruno has one purpose in this pair, Hold & Lift and toss catch Aliona....Like a village idiot...Damn, I`m going to hell for saying such mean shit...lol
I am done with TSL... This Dr. Evil laughter about Wagner is where I have to draw the line. For the better part of a year I have listened to them pick apart every single skater/team, from Jason Brown's enthusiasm to Madison Chock's dress, and I am over it... There is a difference between entertaining snark and fucking slander. Jenny Kirk kept things more respectful and could also back up her commentary with experience and expertise. I almost feel bad for Dave -- instead of gaining success as a skater, and rather than contributing thoughtful commentary like Christine Brennan or Phil Hersh, this's how he's chosen to be a part of the figure skating world. Some unsolicited advice: Tone it the fuck down, add some instructional commentary about skating technique, and contribute to the world of skating. You can turn this around, but at this point TSL has become a sad joke.
The problem with Adam's opening pose is that the poster of that would work for the Paralympic Games, as well. (there, I just said that). #awkward I recommend La disable her mic when she's not talking to mute the baby. When the baby talked or made noise it cut out everyone else's mic. Good job managing with 4 people!
Natasha Estrada I think so, in figure skating nothing that’s part of your costume should end up on the ice (whether it’s rhinestones, bobby pins, hairpieces, etc.). If it happens, it is considered a costume violation.
According to the video it’s because the pants were too tight or smtng about the costume not sitting well with the judges- but it needs to be voted by the majority in order to be counted as a deduction. If it isn’t (like in this case), it’s only printed because it was “brought up”.
Men aren’t supposed to wear leggings: I assume that was the deduction. He was asked to pick up bugs from ice. There were lots of flying insects in the stadium.
Ashley's ankle was in a compression wrap, not bandaged. Are all four of you quite sure of your facts? I doubt it. If you had even bothered to look at the slow motion pictures of her spins, you would see when the wrap slipped and her foot could no longer support her. Did Ashley have a choice as to color of the compression wrap? Why would anyone believe your slander against her ... and why do you want to put such garbage out there, anyway? How dare you attack her integrity and impugn her motives? You have no idea what was in her head or when her pain escalated to prevent her continuing. This show is disgusting. Jenny Kirk was the class of TSL; she should rue the day she used her reputation and experience to launch Dave into what this has now become.
Love the intro music. Ashley's face when she stopped did not have an ounce of pain on it? Seriously, does Tara really have the right to point out someone for small jumps! Nathan Chen"s outfit is just fine. Please, please schedule your next program when baby is asleep! Love this show. Also, Mirai needs to change the facial...scrunch!
It's obvious enough that Adam was selected for Olympic team cause he went for competition and shine under that situation, Ashley made excuses to drop out of an important competition like that . Wow, it is too obvious to say anything else. I am sorry, it was a mistake that you decided to withdraw which I believe is the main reason cause you being not selected in USA Olympic team. Though I do think Ashley fits better for Olympic team, but Karen is much younger and she can choreograph herself, it is quite an unique talent! The bottom line is that, Karen Chen was very sick in USA National, but she still frighted for i. Karen always smiles and tries the best she could no matter what situation, never withdraws. This is Olympic, it requires Olympic spirit.
Mike Okubo When she's "on" she's my favorite of the Russians by a mile, but, given Helsinki and Skate Canada and her ongoing injuries, I don't think Russia can afford to risk sending her and having her plow head-first into the ice. And now I'm reminded that Dave and/or Jonathan previously all-but-accused her of intentionally injuring herself with her falls. Because we all know elite athletes intentionally try to concuss themselves. "When they go low, they go lower."
Queen Mao Asada well yeah I guess Russia(more like the neutral team) won't like sending a risky candidate. But remember 2015NHK she was just so bad but was on fire at nationals. Also year after year new faces appear from Russia but yet she's the only one that stays on the team for the past four seasons. It proves how mentally strong she can be! I bet she has the strength to pull of a great performance at nationals ( if her injuries are better though). Also a question, do you know Viktor one of Anna's coach. Is he out of her coaching team? Just was wondering since her coaching team is normally all over the place. It makes me wonder maybe getting a different coach might really help her with her falls and stuff....
jason & nathan are going unless they get injured. i think the 3rd spot will be between adam and vincent honestly. would be a shame not to give it to adam since vince will probably peak by next olympics if he stays healthy. the mens event will be the hardest decision of all
snofagun1814 Hahahaha Yes, Gracie... They should break her outta eating-disorder rehab, force her to starve herself and overtrain, and then send her to Korea.
Steve D (I assume you are talking about the LP dress) I like it because it is from the movie, but it would only really work with Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. It's a beautiful dress but doesn't go with the mood of the LP.
....mmmm You can tell the jealousy by how they put the youngest and best looking guest the farthest back from the camera. Solonoski was the one who gave the least biased interpretation. We know TSL is getting back door payment. Sad that it is so apparently against accomplished veteran skaters.
Matthew Hines he was on an iPad. It is how the software splices it. We spent a long time trying to get everyone lined up and it didn’t work. And the aesthetic bothers me. I gladly would trade places and be farther back.
That's ridiculous. You can hear there is no jealousy between them and they seem to be having a pretty balanced discussion despite not agreeing on all points. Being too close or far from the camera might be a technical thing, not some envy thing. They're not five years old or something.
Your best T & T of the season. More concise and less bitchy (regardless of gender) and better group. Any chance we can keep the additions and loose Jonathon like an extra Russian Skater who doesn't qualify?
Queen Mao Asada yes I agree. I just found what I listened to in the post so negative and catty. What was the point to trash everyone that way? I couldn’t continue listening beyond the first minute.
John Doyle I know... Ridiculous. I feel like Jenny Kirk maintained civility and brought cred to this endeavor, and that with each consecutive non-Jenny recap they descend deeper and deeper into middle-school brats trying to cyberbully the jocks they could never be. I'll be honest -- at times I've found their commentary very entertaining. But accusing Wagner of faking an injury, with those smug smirks and giggles, marks the end of my journey with Dave and Jonathan. Considering how underrepresented this sport is, it'd be really nice to have a legit podcast/program that gave commentary on technique and choreography and the sociological aspects of figure skating (e.g., the impact of the coach/choreographers' fame on the skaters' scores), training schedules, struggles to maintain slim weight, career ups-and-downs, etc.... Something INFORMATIVE -- not just 1.5 hours of snickering. I also have to say: I think there's a double-standard. I think Dave and Jonathan still have "fans" because they are men, and snickering gay men are seen as "funny"; can you imagine how few viewers they'd have if they were two women tearing down every world-class skater? Everyone would call them catty bitches and no one would watch.
I still live for this introduction.
When Skate America was so f***** up you need 4 people to dissect this dumpster fire.
This is still my comfort episode of TSL. Literally put this on maybe once a month 😹
Jonathan calling it like it is and saying how awful the state of US Ladies skating is right now was my moment of the week lol. I couldn't care less who is gonna make the team when the ladies skaters from other countries are just so undeniably better than any of our top 5 US ladies. We're gonna need to light a dozen candles in the hopes that US Ladies skating is better next quad.
Aliona truly is the Queen of Pairs Skating. Like this is gonna be her what 5th Olympics? Give her all the awards.
I love the four way guests! You guys were so good at breaking down this event! And there's perfect amounts of shade.
I think La's Gracie/Ashley theory is correct. Also, Adam probably bought the bracelet himself. The Kardashian's do that too. :-)
Nice to hear the Ice Cream Stand get a mention! La is looking well. Miyahara is indeed a hummingbird. LOL.
I am HERE FOR THIS OPENING 😂😂😂😂😂😂
I LOVE LISTENING TO THESE GUYS.
Mirai should go to the Olympics this year.
La! I'm glad she's back. Satoko's favorite is pineapple so fans give her pineapple plushies like Yuzuru with pooh. Marin also got Pikachu rain in CoC. Shoma got a cabbage plush in IDF as joke cos he is known not to eat vegetables. Someone also gave him a giant chicken leg plush in SkCan. Boyang gets spiderman plushies and Han Yan said he wants money thrown at him so he got money plush.
Han Cong also got onion plushies. Someone said it's because his name sounds like a Chinese word for spring onion. We've got a bit of a produce theme going.
lol as long a no one throws carrots, it's all good.
pajamaparty01 True. Cong in Mandarin Chinese sounds exactly the same as green onion.
This intro is everything. I had to watch it twice. Please make an extended version for the Olympic preview, if you get a chance.
I'm so glad I'm not the only one who's skeptical of the Ashley situation.
Pei-wen Tan I think she was pretty clearly in pain, but I don’t know why she didn’t WD before the LP. The drama was unnecessary.
I'm not skeptical of her injury, I was kinda expecting Mao's last GP event performance here, but then the really skeptical drama happened.
Yeah, I believe she was hurting, but girl: you got through the practices, the short program, the 6-minute warm up, three jump passing passes, and two spins before you decided that the last 3 minutes would just be too much? If it were a sprain or a fracture, I could see that, but.... I think she decided to call it a day when she realized she would finish behind Bradie Tennell. If you withdraw, you haven't actually been beaten, right?! For we all we know, she would have won if it hadn't been for the topical infection, right?!
Pei-wen Tan Indeed!
Agreed
Here's my theory on Ashley, She's old and can't get jumps around, when she was younger she was known for the same problem, the end.
You could tell on the last spin that Ashley was struggling to get up off of the injured ankle. I don't think she's exaggerating it, we know she fights through programs and it was shocking to see her stop. I understand why she tries to shut down rumors about injuries, because people assume she uses them as excuses so she tries to keep them a secret.
Abby Atwood yeah I analyzed where it went wrong and I caught at he change of spin position it looked labored like she was having trouble with it.
Agreed. She was in severe pain.
I agree as well. Too bad the majority of the panel thinks she faked the injury! 😥
Ashley and Karen have both been bombing their competitions this year. Mirai has the second highest ladies scores. I think she will be on the Nationals podium and the Olympic team.
Yes, I think the body of work criteria won't come into play so much (though 4cc medals from last season are equal to Grand Prix medals this season in the selection criteria, so who cares if Mirai hasn't been medaling on the Grand Prix when the other US ladies haven't exactly been sweeping it), it more will affect how certain people are given that extra boost in the Nationals scoring. I think that USFS would prefer to avoid the 2014 scenario with anyone at all costs, it was justified, but the every 4 years crowd just couldn't seem to get it.
Mirai's 4th place scores at NHK were also higher than Ashley's bronze medal scores at Skate Canada.
I feel bad for Karen. The first year after becoming national champion is obviously stressing her out. And on top of that she has this new book to peddle out, which I would find a little embarrassing at the moment. At this point the only thing she has going for her was her 2017 worlds performance (4th place). I think the pressure is only going to get worse so it will be interesting to see how she performs at Nats.
Karen's team seems very usfs connected (Justin Dillon), which will probably help come Nationals.
They can avoid the 2014 situation simply by not sending Ashley if she doesn't get in the top 3.
I was there for the entire event and she looked to be in great shape during the practice on Friday. What happened after that I have no idea but, the Ashley that showed up on Saturday for the SP was not the same Ashley from the practice. She has never strucked me as a quitter so I will give her the benefit of the doubt.
hey guys some microphone problems ... otherwise still the best analytic show of the web ... thank you
jean luc Charbonnel the delays are often due to internet speed. Thus some of the four have lip sync not the same as the audio.
sorry but no it wasn't a delay pb ... but the singing baby was cute ... maybe you need to watch it allover again
Sorry but rewatch the video again. It has typical delays where a few of the speakers are talking without their mouths moving. Or they are moving their mouths and there is no speech ie no audio. This is very very common in remote chats. This issue is ancient. The chap on the right has a varying buffering delay. It really is minor if you do not look at any faces. If you think there is no delay then you might as well say Hockey skates are the same as Figure skates! :) For some they are! :) Delays like this are common on web chats with video. I guess your point is delays are not existent or that it is minor? The chap on the right gets ignored in a few responses since the buffering delay varies. ie his audio had such a long delay a few times that he got walked on by another. The Internet service providers often throttle bandwidth with streaming videos. This is a good video, but saying there are no delays is comical. Thus go watch it again.
Background noise reduction can be reduced with directional mikes, by closing doors too. Kids crying is hard to filter out, thus mike type and placement helps
ok ok ok not a big deal ... have a nice day and thank you for your patience !!!
jean luc Charbonnel qq
Re: the guy on the right saying Mirai hasn't gotten close to getting a GP medal. She was 4th at NHK (in a field including Medved and Kostner) and her (mostly clean) performance there would have gotten a silver at Skate Canada (above Ashley). True, she hasn't gotten the heralds and accolades this year which affects optics but in terms of scores she is getting up there.
Ashley just lucked into that bronze at SC. I have to say, I'm disappointed in her this season. I think that she should have pulled out of SA if there was any chance she couldn't complete the competition. She knew about her injury. I'm not questioning whether she was in pain, but it just looks bad. Also, her comments about focusing Nationals were bizarre. Nationals placements are no longer determinative. A good showing at SA would have boosted her up--like she was boosted up in 2014.
Yes, I hope that scores and not just placement are considered (I know they say "can't compare across events"..but that's how these girls get compared!). Plus Mirai's NHK and 4cc scores are above what Ashley got at worlds, and at NHK she defeated the SA gold medalist. I love Ashley and respect her for carrying the weight of us ladies over the years, but I hope her technical calls (and everyone's!) are fair and accurate at Nationals.
I was just about to say the same thing!
Love you guys! This made my day!
Satoko likes to eat pineapples so that's way.
Shoma hates vegetables so his fan made veggie plush to encourage him to eat more vegetables.
Origami S Can we throw plush rotated triple/triples and good spins at Ashley to encourage her to do better?
I'm not asking you to be nice, but could you at least not make things up about Alexa & Chris. They certainly haven't had "two really rough Worlds". 3 of their 4 Worlds had no falls or anything rough. And they set a US record SP score at the other Worlds. And 2017 Worlds was not "just ok"- it was absolutely a strong Worlds for them and they scored over 200 points. They have been in the top 10 every time, & they are the only US pair with top 10 World finishes in the past 5 years. As for them making the GP Final "in part because of what happened with France that year", you seem to be grasping at straws to try to discredit their accomplishments. They qualified fairly easily in 5th and it's unlikely that anything would have happened in the LP in France that would have knocked them out. And even if they somehow hadn't made it, so what. Even James & Cipres couldn't get in the GPF this season with huge numbers. Alexa & Chris aren't from a country that is a traditional powerhouse in pairs, to say the least, so I think it's important to look at their accomplishments from that perspective. Also, you're still not acknowledging that Chris is dealing with a recent injury situation. It was mentioned in an article yesterday that it was his left knee, which I don't think is the same knee as the injury from yrs ago that you mentioned. I don't mean to sound like an uber fan, but I like accuracy.
True. And there was also the comment that they got a score bump because it was the American GP, which I saw no evidence of. They get PCS and tech scores like this in every country and at every type of event. Their free skate PCS have been good all season, and their PCS were slightly lower in the US than in Japan, which makes sense given the 3S error was worse. Dave pretty much glanced over M/M's fall in the SP, but really chewed Alexa/Chris out and shot down everyone who replied that Chris had an injury and that Alexa rarely misses the sal. I'm not sure if Alexa saw those comments, but if she did, I wouldn't be surprised if it affected her for the LP because it was the first time she has ever missed two 3S in a competition. Maybe it was just a coincidence, but there is only so much ridiculous badgering you can take before it affects you. She should probably avoid reading that stuff. I think Jonathan's theory that Chris's struggles/injury might have affected her is a possibility, but it has never seemed to bother her in the past.
Yeah I find some of the comments reasonable and accurate but then some I'm just like, what? Not even exaggerations, but also made up things to make them look bad or create a story that isn't there. Basically, Alexa & Chris should be going to this Olympics as long as they are physically able to skate. There should be no drama here.
I enjoy the skating of some of the top ladies. But gurrrrrrl! The pantomime tho, I just can’t
Junior Japanese ladies Rika Kihira and Mako Yamashita both have the same "hide behind the hands, peek around" move in their FS that Kaori does. I find it a... perplexing choice.
Yeah I think only Medvedeva can get away with that, and even that only because she was the first one to do it.
Thanks for another great recap! Telemarking is a word just not one used in skating...
Telemark : a turn in skiing in which the outside ski is advanced considerably ahead of the other ski and then turned inward at a steadily widening angle until the turn is completed
I love you guys! So please don't be mad at me. After the French event, Jonathan and Dave you seemed on board with the idea of a skater not putting it out there that they're injured and all the reasons why. It's been 2 years since Boston, you were right, but Ashley had the right not to talk about it. Lets move on from that. But at THIS event, I agree had she landed her 3-3, and been skating well she would NOT have stopped. She has not looked trained this year, given the infection she probably should have pulled out before the free, not during.
I was in the stands and people started to leave after Ashely withdrew lol
I agree that Ashley needed Gracie. I find that I'm so uninterested in Ashley now that I don't get to root for her against Gracie. Ashley had a soul and personality and fire in her eyes whereas Gracie did not and frankly upset me. Now Ashley is just, Ashley, and I don't think that it's a good look for her.
Savannah Ridout Maybe you’re bored because she’s done the same programs for three years and her spins and footwork are as lackluster as they’ve ever been.
Gracie was real competition for the media attention and sponsorships, whereas Karen is still not nearly as recognizable as Ashley.
Yeah I think this is it. Would have much rather seen a sloppy LaLa Land than a watered down Moulin Rouge at this point.
I love Ashley as a skater, but I will never understand her obsession with Moulin Rouge.
Beyond the Ashley drama of the event etc, I agree with Jonathan about how that female PA announcer was trying a bit "to hard" to get the audience to respond!
it's hard when there's only 50 people in the audience. they were probably exhausted lol
+snofagun1814 Was attendance that low for the medal ceremonies? If so that is quite sad.
even less people stick around for the medals, it's kind of sad. and they don't even give out medals anymore. they look like plastic circle participation trophies and they all are identical
At these events it takes so long to setup for the medal ceremonies and your just thinking about getting to your car and getting home. When World's was in Los Angeles I skipped all the medal ceromonies to avoid the traffic.
Love the guests! I'd love to see more of them!
I think that Mirai, Braddie, and Ashley would make the Olympic Team.
Ii love the four way traffic, but Dave as chairman has to refer questions to individuals so that all of them have an equal chance to comment.
I’ve always disagreed with Dave and now also Jonathan about the Shibutanis vs H/D and who should be the top team, and for the most part it’s whatever. It’s a preference. Jonathan has a point about the Coldplay programs being obvious. But I really cannot with the idea that Maia and Alex show a distasteful amount of emotion at the end of their programs. They aren’t drama queens. Maia cried at the GPF because Alex had been so ill with food poisoning and she seemed like she’d been worried and overwhelmed. That’s not normal for her. They and especially her are almost too reserved if anything. ON THE OTHER HAND, Hubbell and Donahue are routinely, dramatically emotional upon the conclusion of their performances! Pretty sure Charlie White even shaded them two Nationals ago talking about preferring teams who leave the emotion on the ice and don’t save anything for the K&C because they were so melodramatic.
I agree. I feel that usually when skaters get emotional at the end of good performances it's because of certain pressure that they have been baring, and I really don't think we should judge that when we don't exactly know what they might be going through in their lives.
I just dawned on me, Dave --how appropriate your new theme song is ... wasn't that also the theme song from "As the World Turns", a long-running "daytime drama"/soap? ;-)
I think Ashley was in actual pain and needed to get off the ice. I think she is also under trained which is part of it. Now she should just rest and heal that ankle. I still like Ashley. Even if she can be a train wreck
Fun episode on a crazy event. Though I’m more in the camp that Ashley Wagner is smart and experienced, and wouldn’t bail in the middle of the program with a fake excuse-no one that savvy is that much of an ass. Sometimes, the shock of pain overwhelms the body (stress flooding your system)-so I’m doubting it was even a pain threshold issue.
As Don Rickles would say..."Im a friend Ashley.....its over!!!!!" LOL
Just want to tell - Satoko loves pineapple - that's well known fact in Japan.
I didn't know so I googled it.
Any predictions for the GPF? Is everyone going to show up?
PS ...if you're in such pain that you can't finish your program, then when exiting do you skate back to pick up some trinkets on the ice???? Please...
Amazing intro ... suits all the dramas of Skate America well.
Btw am I the only one who wishes Adam's long program to be less bird-like?
IDK man she looked pretty genuine in the rinkside reaction. All I can say is there are situations where givin her personality this is real.
After the short, when Ashley saw the score, her facial expression spoke volumes. Ashley hasn't done well this year, or the end of last season. I think the writing's on the wall as far as Ashley''s future in competitive skating is concerned and she wants to do well in Nationals so she can go to the Olympics. I think Ashley is playing her usual dramatics, and she is no more injured than I am.
Second: Bradie Tennel reminds me a lot of Gracie of 2014, in looks, ability/talent, style, etc. Now --she needs a choreographer, costuming and to get rid of that tiara. I'd like to see Bradie in the Olympics. She seems to be a cool cucumber under pressure.
Karen is a sweet girl, but she's weak under pressure. Mirai is a sweetheart and is truly great skater --but not in competition Unfortunately, I agree with La as far as Ashley is concerned; however, Ashley destroyed Gracie in her quest. True that Gracie had some issues lurking, but Ashley didn't do her any favors. In my opinion, we really don't have any "ladies" who are qualified to go to the Olies.
The only thing I can think of is after World's Gracie had to go on tour with World Silver medalist Ashley Wagner and at every Stars on Ice show they played this little Star Wars themed video stated that after a 10 year drought that Ashley "saved" US Figure skating and she was the Luke Skywalker of the skating world. Honestly it was in poor taste and really cringey.
Natasha Estrada Gracie didn’t ‘have’ to tour...it’s a $ thing. And it was painful to watch Gracie at SOI 2017. Her facial expressions and speed of her skating clearly indicated she wasn’t too interested in performing well.
I think you can read a lot from Ashley's expressions and performances last year: Skate America won with a non extraordinary free program, Cup of China bad outing, Nationals outclassed by Karen Chen, and then Worlds that was kinda rough. My theory is that Ashley after that silver medal at Boston isn't enjoying skating as much as it was before: she wanted one medal at Worlds, she fought all these years for that, once that she got it she is staying for the Olympics, but she already knew last year that she has very few chances to medal.
Yes TJ Nyman is in the video hahaha
I tend to agree about Ashley. It's common knowledge that she doesn't like to travel overseas for competitions, preferring to stay home and train. I think she didn't want to travel all the way to Japan for the GPF in an Olympic year, and this got her out of it.
The point of the Grand Prix was to kill professional skating competitions and keep the amateurs in the mix longer.
I like the comments and insight of the pro skater guy - would be great to have him back some time. But can I suggest just 3 people max? May help the conversation to flow less awkwardly. And get him to sit closer to the camera like everyone else. (Being able to see someone's lips moving actually helps with comprehension). Thanks for a great job all! X
Dave, I was watching Kurt Browning on a facebook live and he made a prediction that one of the top ice dance teams won`t go to the GPF. What do you think, heard any rumors? If it`s true I`d think it would be Tessa and Scott not wanting to go head to head with the French until Olympics. Any thoughts on this?
Saw that too but would be really shocked if VM pulled out. They always went head to head against Davis and White even when things weren't going well for them, I mean they knew they weren't winning GPF in 2013 and still went. This doesn't seem like them.
I've been thinking about this for a while and I think if one of them wd it won't be their decision but their fed's. My two cents are: if the team wd because they need to tweak a program then it would be VM. But if we're thinking about a strategic decision I think it's more likely to come from the french fed. I think for VM it would be a suicide to not show up for the GPF because 1. they need the points in the ranking to be in the last flight for the olys (this doesn't apply to PC because they have euros). 2. VM need to go head to head with PC before the olys to demontrate that they can beat them. I don't know if it could be a good choice to skip GPF for PC either but it won't be crazy as much as it would be for VM: they don't need the points in the ranking and right now they're the team to beat (for the judges) so showing at the GPF they have something to lose. I don't think their scores from IDF can keep up when on the same ice with VM, it will be closer. Obviously showing up and winning would be huge for them but between not showing up keeping the WR as their last result in the fall and showing up seeing their scores lowered and losing to VM what's the worse scenario? If they don't show up and VM win with a WR the narrative could very well be "PC competed last time 1 month ago so you can't really compare scores". So between the two teams I would say it's more absurd and crazy for VM to wd. I just want to clarify that I don't think it would be PC's or VM's choise but a SC or French fed's choice.
oh I forgot this: not giving VM a chance for a head to head comp before olys is a good way to psych them out. I don't see PC doing this on purpose but unfortunately I can see a certain someone in the french fed to do that.
This is spot on. If this rumor turns out to be true I really think it would be PC to withdraw and it would be Didier's decision for strategic reasons even though I personally think it would look cowardly for either team to withdraw.
VM should go to the GPF and so should the French. Assuming that the judging panels are different at each of the events, it would be beneficial for VM to see if they are truly lagging behind the French team. If they get negative feedback about their programs at the GPF, maybe they too will go back to old programs. I cannot lie and say I really want to see their Hip Hip Chin Chin program and Funny Face programs again.
Telemark is many things including a place in Norway (which something famous happened at during WW2 I wanna say), a waltz step and a ski jumping landing technique. I don’t think it’s a skating thing 😂
didn't D/R do the throw quad in the FS? but agreeing with what La said anyways
I feel like there weren't many Ashley and Gracie comps where both of them did very well though (maybe we got close in 2016 worlds) and were pushing "each other" specifically, so I don't know. I feel like it's more of a rivalry that we wanted to happen- did they ever finish 1-2? They would often kind of be behind after the short together, like at 2015 worlds and the 2015 gpf. I remember how Jenny used to say that she thought Gracie thinks of herself as the better skater than Ashley, it's when she gets around the other international ladies that the head games/questioning herself happens. Ashley did probably like having someone else who the media was so into on the US scene (aka, I don't think visa is coming for Bradie, but we'll see). I was really interested to see what kind of jump calls Ashley would get in the long here...
Ok, answering my own question, they finished 1-2 at Nationals a few times, but I was more talking about at international comps. Ashley has been out scored in her LP scores for the last year by Mariah, Mirai, Karen, and Bradie, so she should technically be fired up, but I also get LA's point.
La saying Satoko's jumps are "around" is just about the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. At this event alone, go back and look at her jumps in the long. The opening triple loop almost landed forward, the triple flip was way over a quarter short, and the second triple lutz was a HALF cheated. I am shocked at how bad the calling was at this event and the inconsistency is gross.
I agree. The score came out rather quickly, which means the tech panel didn't review any of her jumps. Well, as Dave said, she is JSF's darling. The 3Lo in her SP was underrotated as well.
I agree it's irritating when we jump the gun and start hyping ladies after one or two good competitions. People went overboard with the Mariah hype after one GP medal. I think Bradie might be a little different though because she seems to avoid under-rotation calls. But she still has things to work on. I'm surprised they picked such cutesy, Disney music for a girl who would be 20 yrs old at the Olympics.
And as for why Deanna & Nate score that low... their elements are small and the height difference isn't big. Nate is short with short legs, not much extension, etc. They kinda do the bare minimum on the elements like the triple twist and throws. The throws are small enough that she can basically use her singles background to get through them, which has helped enable her to compete pairs practically overnight, but it's not going to help them in a good field.
I recognize the announcer's voice from previous competitions and wonder where they get her from and why she still can't read names. She's very awkward, and I didn't think it was possible to screw up names as simple as Moore Towers and Marinaro.
Yes, Jonathan said exactly what I think about the USFSA's willingness to jump on the newest bandwagon. Bradie skated well but her PCS was too high--didn't she get a 67 (average over 8) in the long? What was that for, smiling? Last year, it was Mariah. Didn't pan out. Then Karen Chen--faltering. Before that, Polina. She was given the great honor of going to the Olympics as a recent junior who had never won or even medaled at the senior level. Four years later, she still hasn't done much internationally and hasn't been able to manage a growth spurt. Kimmie Meissner. Won Worlds, but also had problems with growth and increased competition once Mao and Yuna arrived. Even Gracie--her talent was undeniable, but the pressure on her to be the next US World Champion was too much. I hope the USFSA thinks twice or three times about putting Bradie on the Olympic team if, for example, she is the bronze medalist at Nationals. A lot of factors should go into that decision.
I'll take Mariah's 2016 SA over Bradie's 2017 SA anyday. I actually love Mariah's Chicago SP and her East of Eden was majestic at that competition... To me Bradie's a purely technical skater who can land the jumps... Reminds me of Gracie. Snooze.
Dave, your candle worked! Yeah to Satoko! LOVE HER! BTW, I did see 'Strawberry Ice' with Toller Cranston. Mushrooms and 'good'smoke. A very bizarre dream! But I must say he was way ahead of his time and he was so limber! Did this program air on American TV or just on Canadian TV?
Forgot to mention this last night (can't resist late uploads so I was basically half-asleep 😂), what was up with Bradie's pecking hen choreography in her LP? She bends over a lot and it looks so strange. This was my first time watching her and I thought she was lovely, I just wish she wasn't bent over for half of her step sequence and choreography.
Abby Atwood agreed! It just wasn’t pretty. Why would they repeatedly put her in a hunch back position (the pecking hen choreography made me laugh). Too bad she doesn’t have more time so they could get her new programs and packaging cuz the girl can rotate jumps!
Last year Nathan’s final costumes didn’t show up till the grand prix final/ nationals.
I bet all pantomiming looks same to these guys. I love Kaori's Amelie, so does Daisuke Takahashi. In a recent interview, he said he wanted to work with Benoît Richaud, the choreographer.
Ok, and Jonathan! When pairs/ ice dancers do that spin thing it's to gain more momentum. A lot of times a pair will spin in the opposite of their natural rotational direction first, then pull out to get more of a push for rotational velocity (sorry, I did poorly in physics, lol, but the point is valid)...then by pulling in after being spread outward they gain momentum. It's physics. I failed physics the year my mom passed away but eventually passed and graduated from college, ha.
sashimi73 sorry to hear about your mom. But your physics lesson makes sense. Just time it with the music!
I watch US ladies figure skating but lets face it. Ladies figure skating outside of a few skaters is full of inconsistent skaters who bomb programs over the last several years. I like Ashley, I don't think she's faking. She has not withdrawn from a competition ever to my knowledge. So I am going to believe her based on her previous behavior. Bradie Tennell god bless her has the jumps but the program to Cinderella seems "lacking in depth" compared to the other medal contenders. She's the same age as Satoko Miyhara and look at Satoko's programs over the last two years compared to her. Hey, look at 16 year old Wakaba Higuchi's programs compared to Tennell. She needs to turn up the maturity, artistry and get better programs next season. US ladies have to let to let these "princess" juvenile programs go.
topazgirl170 Agree Agree Agree
La!!!!💜💜💜
Did you look at all those +3s and +2s for the Knierims' twist and throws though, Dave. It sounds like Chris had a knee injury coming into this season and is just starting to get over it. But I guess it's more fun to just ignore his injury and say something snarky every time he doubles a jump and spread false information about the Knierims' past history (they didn't have "2 really rough World Championships"). The US should feel grateful they have a pair that can score consistently well without relying heavily on the jumps (all pairs botch or underrotate jumps sometimes, there's no escaping it). It's very important to excel at the pair stuff in pair skating. Go figure.
I can’t deal with Adams programs,,,the club scene and the bird,,,maybe I’ve just seen the same programs too many times...it’s intended effects are lost on me now.
usually I'm ambivalent about the shade TheSkatingLesson brings, but some of the commentary regarding Ashley feels mean and unnecessary, like malicious gossip.
I agree! Thank God they have an actual professional skater who can tell them what's up!!
The withdrawal didn't make sense and Michael also said as much. So, it was worth bringing up and querying why she made the choices she made. Valid... and they were only speculating about the other factors at play for her, which are also valid. Gossip is when you position something as the truth and share secrets, which was not happening. I got no issues with it.
Why did the USA only qualify one team for the pairs event at the Olympics but two for the next worlds? Wasn't 10th place at last years world championships enough to qualify two at the Olympics?
Long live Tonya Harding
Is a skating coach having a stone abnormal? My coach stoned my skates all the time, lol.
lexi smith I didn’t think it was that abnormal.
It’s 2024 and I’m still annoyed by La’s inability to find the mute button. Baby sounds adorable but was basically drowning out and distracting. 😤Booooo
It's 2024. It is time to accept and move on.
@@TheSkatingLesson I should never comment when I’m feeling petty (I started to defend it but what’s the point). It was still a great episode. And you are a generous host.
TSL instagram comment by Momma Tai on Ashley @ Andy Cohen; "Okay, it's time to focus ~"
Truth, I think Ashley knowing how slim her chances are of getting an individual medal has been trying to cash in commercially before the public realizes that this duck isn't hunting(competitively, without catastrophic happenings). So, I think she likely has been slacking off on training and is hoping for personality to carry her where her skating even at its best likely cannot. Hey, to each their own. It's her life, but she maybe needs to just start owning up to it and stop with the contradictory excuses.
As usual, amazing show guys! Love the foursome, lol. You make some excellent points. Too bad about Ashley's ankle. I am inclined to believe her, especially now that she posted on Instagram about how the padding slipped in her LP after the first jump and after that every time that foot touched the ice it sent searing pain up her leg. Adam picking up dead flies was my moment of the week (just kidding - though it was stellar). And kudos to Adam for popping his shoulder back into place on the fly. Nathan's short was my moment. Oh, and thank you for pointing out how slow Serafima was. No wonder her spins looks SO fast to my eye. La, you have the cutest baby!!
We have dead US Ladies figure skaters on the ice, not flies.
#noonestryingtoflytolakeplacidtoseealivedumpsterfire
As soon as she withdrew I thought. Oh no. She's going to withdrawal from Nationals, Mirai will come in 3rd and won't get to go . . .again. 💀
Kat's POV 😂
Kat's POV This statement is (1) silly and (2) makes absolutely no sense.
It's almost like she forgot where she was in the program and then didn't know what to do.
The best TSL evah!!!!
Next time add Emily Tuttle
Oh please no... last time she was all about Satoko Miyahara, praising to see Evgenia failing.
As far as I now the pineapple thing is just fans on twitter starting to relate to her for no reason, but I'm not sure
Satoko loves pineapple :) She always uses pineapple emoji along with her name that's why fans always relate it to her.
I hope that Ashley's self-confidence isn't the reason for stopping in the middle of her program & withdrawing. There's part of me that just feels like it could be partly confidence, and not wanting to disappoint, so decides to just stop and use her ankle as an excuse. I do hope she is better and competes well at Nationals, but hopefully she gets past whatever is in her head right now.
ALSO, Skate America was cursed. So many things went wrong, the event was terrible and a bit of a sh*t-show 😂
No, it seemed like she was genuinely injured.
How do you know that those are not Nathan’s costumes? Just because they aren’t flashy and sequined doesn’t mean they aren’t costumes
There was an article about it on icenetwork earlier this season.
I LOVE this panel, but would it be too much to ask that whoever has the baby (La, I’m assuming) please MUTE their mic whenever they are not talking and the baby is active? It’s terribly distracting to the discussion. I love all of you guys; I just did find that bothersome. :-/
It was not about being rude. It’s VERY EASY to click the “mute” button when you’re not talking. The problem was when other people were talking, the software favors THEIR mic. But when the baby starts crying/talking/making noises, the Google Hangout software favors the baby’s mic and lowers the others. So I frequently missed many points. It’s not about anything other than POLITELY muting your mic.
I think La can be cut some slack. lol It was one time, not a big deal.
Brent's Lucky (& Gay) Slot Channel I actually agree. I know it may be hard to find a babysitter or whatever, but I really liked these guests and wanted to hear what everyone had to say. There were entire sentences that I didn't hear.
Sorry (I`m Canadian) we are supposed to say that : ). BUT, The German team of Aliona and Bruno, well Bruno, remind me of a character from game of thrones, Hodor, who had one purpose HOLD THE DOOR...and I feel like Bruno has one purpose in this pair, Hold & Lift and toss catch Aliona....Like a village idiot...Damn, I`m going to hell for saying such mean shit...lol
The Shibs do everything as if they are dancing Waltz.
I am done with TSL... This Dr. Evil laughter about Wagner is where I have to draw the line. For the better part of a year I have listened to them pick apart every single skater/team, from Jason Brown's enthusiasm to Madison Chock's dress, and I am over it... There is a difference between entertaining snark and fucking slander. Jenny Kirk kept things more respectful and could also back up her commentary with experience and expertise.
I almost feel bad for Dave -- instead of gaining success as a skater, and rather than contributing thoughtful commentary like Christine Brennan or Phil Hersh, this's how he's chosen to be a part of the figure skating world. Some unsolicited advice: Tone it the fuck down, add some instructional commentary about skating technique, and contribute to the world of skating. You can turn this around, but at this point TSL has become a sad joke.
The problem with Adam's opening pose is that the poster of that would work for the Paralympic Games, as well. (there, I just said that). #awkward I recommend La disable her mic when she's not talking to mute the baby. When the baby talked or made noise it cut out everyone else's mic. Good job managing with 4 people!
Why did Adam get a costume prop violation? Not a deduction but it was on the protocol sheet. Were those his rhinestones he was picking up?
Natasha Estrada I think so, in figure skating nothing that’s part of your costume should end up on the ice (whether it’s rhinestones, bobby pins, hairpieces, etc.). If it happens, it is considered a costume violation.
According to the video it’s because the pants were too tight or smtng about the costume not sitting well with the judges- but it needs to be voted by the majority in order to be counted as a deduction. If it isn’t (like in this case), it’s only printed because it was “brought up”.
He was picking up bugs.
Men aren’t supposed to wear leggings: I assume that was the deduction. He was asked to pick up bugs from ice. There were lots of flying insects in the stadium.
does anyone have the time stamps?
CuriosityKilledTheCat it’s kind of hard to make time stamps because they are all over the plave
Ashley's ankle was in a compression wrap, not bandaged. Are all four of you quite sure of your facts? I doubt it. If you had even bothered to look at the slow motion pictures of her spins, you would see when the wrap slipped and her foot could no longer support her. Did Ashley have a choice as to color of the compression wrap? Why would anyone believe your slander against her ... and why do you want to put such garbage out there, anyway? How dare you attack her integrity and impugn her motives? You have no idea what was in her head or when her pain escalated to prevent her continuing. This show is disgusting. Jenny Kirk was the class of TSL; she should rue the day she used her reputation and experience to launch Dave into what this has now become.
Carla Iris I literally just said almost the same thing... To the point where I was wondering if I'd commented twice. AGREE AGREE AGREE.
Love the intro music. Ashley's face when she stopped did not have an ounce of pain on it? Seriously, does Tara really have the right to point out someone for small jumps! Nathan Chen"s outfit is just fine. Please, please schedule your next program when baby is asleep! Love this show. Also, Mirai needs to change the facial...scrunch!
Dave Coker jonathan was up until 2 am filming this with us in Germany. We made it work.
Oh ok sorry didn't realize, it was a little distracting but yes you did make it work.
It's obvious enough that Adam was selected for Olympic team cause he went for competition and shine under that situation, Ashley made excuses to drop out of an important competition like that . Wow, it is too obvious to say anything else. I am sorry, it was a mistake that you decided to withdraw which I believe is the main reason cause you being not selected in USA Olympic team. Though I do think Ashley fits better for Olympic team, but Karen is much younger and she can choreograph herself, it is quite an unique talent! The bottom line is that, Karen Chen was very sick in USA National, but she still frighted for i. Karen always smiles and tries the best she could no matter what situation, never withdraws. This is Olympic, it requires Olympic spirit.
Alexander Zhulin. Omg !! Looking not so good
Hoping for Pogorilaya to get the third spot:-)
Mike Okubo When she's "on" she's my favorite of the Russians by a mile, but, given Helsinki and Skate Canada and her ongoing injuries, I don't think Russia can afford to risk sending her and having her plow head-first into the ice.
And now I'm reminded that Dave and/or Jonathan previously all-but-accused her of intentionally injuring herself with her falls. Because we all know elite athletes intentionally try to concuss themselves.
"When they go low, they go lower."
Queen Mao Asada well yeah I guess Russia(more like the neutral team) won't like sending a risky candidate. But remember 2015NHK she was just so bad but was on fire at nationals. Also year after year new faces appear from Russia but yet she's the only one that stays on the team for the past four seasons. It proves how mentally strong she can be! I bet she has the strength to pull of a great performance at nationals ( if her injuries are better though).
Also a question, do you know Viktor one of Anna's coach. Is he out of her coaching team? Just was wondering since her coaching team is normally all over the place. It makes me wonder maybe getting a different coach might really help her with her falls and stuff....
From Satoko to Adam? I thought the discussion was about the ladies?
the content was all over the place
As usual.
La? Lighting?! Stranger things Winona Ryder
Steve D we both filmed at her house. Her basement is just dark. She had me trade places with her.
jason & nathan are going unless they get injured. i think the 3rd spot will be between adam and vincent honestly. would be a shame not to give it to adam since vince will probably peak by next olympics if he stays healthy. the mens event will be the hardest decision of all
snofagun1814 Didn't Vincent do poorly on the GPS? As opposed to Adam, who's in the Final (and sitting above Jason)?
there's a lot of things to consider. gotta think big picture.
Drama queen
日本では全日本での選抜試合はする必要がないみたいです。
既に決定らしい。相変わらず汚いスケ連。
”全日本で選抜しない”ってことですか？第１枠目は全日本王者（女王）なんですけど、どういう意味ですか？
olympic team: bradie, mirai & gracie!!!
snofagun1814 Hahahaha Yes, Gracie... They should break her outta eating-disorder rehab, force her to starve herself and overtrain, and then send her to Korea.
: )
And Ashley ‘s costume did NOT fit.
Steve D (I assume you are talking about the LP dress) I like it because it is from the movie, but it would only really work with Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend. It's a beautiful dress but doesn't go with the mood of the LP.
The baby needs to be out of earshot. I don't want to listen to that in the broadcast.
....mmmm You can tell the jealousy by how they put the youngest and best looking guest the farthest back from the camera. Solonoski was the one who gave the least biased interpretation. We know TSL is getting back door payment. Sad that it is so apparently against accomplished veteran skaters.
Matthew Hines he was on an iPad. It is how the software splices it. We spent a long time trying to get everyone lined up and it didn’t work. And the aesthetic bothers me. I gladly would trade places and be farther back.
That's ridiculous. You can hear there is no jealousy between them and they seem to be having a pretty balanced discussion despite not agreeing on all points. Being too close or far from the camera might be a technical thing, not some envy thing. They're not five years old or something.
Your best T & T of the season. More concise and less bitchy (regardless of gender) and better group. Any chance we can keep the additions and loose Jonathon like an extra Russian Skater who doesn't qualify?
No! Love Jonathon at each and every juncture ;)
Jonathan must stay forever! Love him!
Myles Reilly Jonathan is way better than Dave... Should be Jonathan, Jenny, and that male guest from this video
Wow...so much negativity...no thank you! Jonathan Breyer should go to Japan...and not come back!
John Doyle I think Dave's 100x worse. Jonathan occasionally says something nice.
Queen Mao Asada yes I agree. I just found what I listened to in the post so negative and catty. What was the point to trash everyone that way? I couldn’t continue listening beyond the first minute.
John Doyle I know... Ridiculous. I feel like Jenny Kirk maintained civility and brought cred to this endeavor, and that with each consecutive non-Jenny recap they descend deeper and deeper into middle-school brats trying to cyberbully the jocks they could never be.
I'll be honest -- at times I've found their commentary very entertaining. But accusing Wagner of faking an injury, with those smug smirks and giggles, marks the end of my journey with Dave and Jonathan.
Considering how underrepresented this sport is, it'd be really nice to have a legit podcast/program that gave commentary on technique and choreography and the sociological aspects of figure skating (e.g., the impact of the coach/choreographers' fame on the skaters' scores), training schedules, struggles to maintain slim weight, career ups-and-downs, etc.... Something INFORMATIVE -- not just 1.5 hours of snickering.
I also have to say: I think there's a double-standard. I think Dave and Jonathan still have "fans" because they are men, and snickering gay men are seen as "funny"; can you imagine how few viewers they'd have if they were two women tearing down every world-class skater? Everyone would call them catty bitches and no one would watch.