Team USA

[airi]

Oh, I hope he's ok and that they will resolve it soon... I've seen them live few months ago, they are really talented...

[liv]

That situation is very strange. Something very odd must be going on, and I can only hope all is truly well there. 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

A new article on Amber Glenn:

One Year After Breakout U.S. Championships Performance, Amber Glenn Returns with Olympic Hopes

 

Quote

Of course, the triple Axel is what separates Glenn from the rest of the pack. She and two-time U.S. champion Alysa Liu are the only two active U.S. ladies that have successfully landed the jump, and it's something that Glenn does not take for granted.
 
"It's something that I love doing," Glenn said. "It gives me a feeling of accomplishment like nothing else does. It is a jump that I feel empowered when I do it, and I feel like over the last year, it's really become something that I feel a lot more comfortable with. I don't go into it with any fear or hesitation. I feel like I attack it more now, and my percentages have definitely skyrocketed, especially with doing them clean on one foot. Hopefully after this season's over, I can try some quads."
 
However, at 22 years old – "It is wonderful to know that I am 22 years old with arthritis," she said with a laugh – Glenn knows she can't throw herself into training such a difficult jump without a plan.
 
"I have a notebook that I keep out there, and I will keep track," Glenn said. "I definitely keep it under 20 a day. I have to make sure that I don't become hyper-fixated on it and just want to do more, more, more until my body can't take it anymore."

Quote

Glenn hopes that Jan. 6-7 at Bridgestone Arena will be the right time. She's returned to last year's short program set to "Scars" by Madilyn Bailey because she believes it's a better fit for her skating and would be incredibly meaningful for her in potentially the biggest moment of her career.
 
"I feel like it's just me," Glenn said. "The passion is there, the emotion, the joy. I feel like this performance is coming from me, and I'm putting my heart out there, and I just wanted to be able to do that at nationals (U.S. Championships), and hopefully at the Olympics. It's such an important program for me, because it just symbolizes my journey with mental health and taking care of myself, and learning to love myself."
 
And whether or not an Olympic berth is in the cards, Glenn is just glad to have the opportunity there for the taking.
 
"I'm so thrilled to finally have this feeling of hope," Glenn said. "I can actually think about, 'Wow, I'm trying to make it onto the Olympic Team.' I've never had that before. And I just can't wait to be there in Nashville."

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Absolute Skating interview with Ilia Malinin:

"I dream of landing the quad Axel one day" - meet USA's rising star Ilia Malinin

 

Quote

Next to your parents, which other figure skaters do you look up to?

 

I really look up to Nathan Chen and Yuzuru Hanyu. From a young age I liked watching them a lot and I hope that one day I can become just like them.

 

You like to challenge yourself with new jumps and jump combinations which we can see on your Instagram. What will come next?

 

Definitely all my quads. I just need the flip so I‘m hoping to get it soon. And maybe in the future I can try a quad Axel. I feel like I can do it if I work hard enough.

 

(Ilia landed an amazing quad flip right the next day during the practice session. Here is a compilation of his jumps during that one session: CLICK)

 

That's great. Do you think we will see a quad Axel in competition this season by anyone?

 

I don't know if it will happen this season. But it will happen sometime during the next few years, I am sure about that.

 

Good luck on this amazing long-time goal of yours. What are your goals for this upcoming season?

 

I want to make the Junior Grand Prix Final and also would like to have a chance to go to the Olympics.

 

This post has been tagged by yuzuangel as [NEWS].

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Alysa Liu withdraws from U.S. Figure Skating Championships due to COVID

 

Quote

Two-time national champion Alysa Liu withdrew from the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after testing positive for the coronavirus before Friday night’s free skate and can still petition for a spot on the Olympic team.

 

Liu was third in Thursday’s short program and, as the highest-ranking U.S. woman in the world this season, was in strong position for one of three Olympic women’s spots.

 

The national championships are not an Olympic Trials. A selection committee decides after the competition on the Olympic team, taking into account results over the past year, starting with the January 2021 U.S. Championships.

 

Skaters can petition for a spot on the team if they do not complete the U.S. Championships. Reigning U.S. pairs’ champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier said they will petition for a spot, too, after withdrawing before nationals after Frazier’s positive COVID test.

 

Liu, 16, was the top U.S. woman in the fall Grand Prix Series, ranking fifth in the world by best total score across all international competitions when excluding the extra Russians who won’t be at the Olympics.

 

 

[Anni]

 

 

Jason unfortunately not selected for the World team. 

 

[Anni]

Jason's IG post 🙏

 

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

“For a good landing I lack shape, I need to lose weight” Artur Dmitriev on quad axel attempt at the US Nationals

 

Quote

Artur Dmitriev: For an excellent landing, I still lack the shape, and I need to lose weight. I’ve already lost 8 kilograms. As I said earlier, we’re going gradually and we’re not in a hurry. This was my first attempt of a quad axel in a competitive atmosphere. No one has ever performed a clean quadruple axel yet, the last attempt was at the Japanese Nationals, Yuzuru Hanyu tried it, but the judges scored it as triple (due to a half-turn under-rotation).

 

Not everything worked out – I’m just getting in shape. At the Nationals I just wanted to show myself and gain competitive experience. At this stage, there was no goal to get on the pedestal. I think we did a good job in 3 months after 3 years break. After all, I started training only in the middle of September, because in Chelyabinsk there has been no ice since May.

 

Dmitriev clarified that due to strict pandemic rules there was no banquet at the US Nationals. Now the skater, together with his team, are planning to have a little rest and then hold the training camp.

 

Artur Dmitriev: The first one will take place in Angarsk, we are negotiating about further ones. If anyone wants to invite my wife (Artur’s coach and a former skater Ekaterina Ukolova) and me, we are open for dialogue. After the training camp, we will continue preparations for the next season in Chelyabinsk. We’ll get in shape, there is a lot of work ahead.

Quote

Also a comment from Artur Dmitriev Sr. two-time Olympic champion in pair skating and father of Artur Dmitriev

 

The first quad-axel in the world, albeit not very successfully, was shown by Yuzuru Hanyu. How would you rate your son’s attempt?

 

Artur Dmitriev Sr.: Artur was jumping quadruple axel even before the pandemic, and fully rotated, but in training. I have a video with clean landings.

 

Here he under rotated a quarter, although the judges put a half turn. Not a bad jump. I was not sure at all that he would be able to prepare. For almost two years we did not train, he did it on his own, on public skating. But he did it. Well done. I’m proud that he showed the jump – both in training and competitions. This is a big step for him. Although for such a serious competitions, Artur has not yet gotten in shape.

 

Do you think more athletes will try quad axel?

 

Artur Dmitriev Sr.: I guess not. But the leaders will do it. Look, the quadruple lutz is performed, probably, by eight to ten people maximum in the world. At competitions, even less – five. It will be the same story with the axel. Of course, in this regard, Artur moves figure skating forward. Young guys will follow him, seeing that it is real, having studied on the video how it is performed.

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

[yuzupon]

7 hours ago, turquoiseblue said:

“For a good landing I lack shape, I need to lose weight” Artur Dmitriev on quad axel attempt at the US Nationals

 

 

Hmm… I guess his attempt at it in 2018 Rostelecom Cup, a grand prix event mind you, didn’t count, because, hmm… it doesn’t fit whatever narrative they’re going on with here? Or because he was skating for Russia then? Selective severe amnesia? Make it makes sense, please. I can’t with this.