Team USA

[Anni]

 

[Kadova]

On 1/27/2022 at 2:29 AM, turquoiseblue said:

Vincent Zhou looks ahead to the Beijing Olympics

 

 

It says to me "private video" so I cannot watch it.

[Kadova]

On 1/12/2022 at 7:07 AM, yuzupon said:

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.

Well fs.gossip were caught mis-translating interviews in order to fit them into their own narrative....

[Guest turquoiseblue]

30 minutes ago, Kadova said:

It says to me "private video" so I cannot watch it.

 

It was a public video posted by CGTN America. I don't know why they made it private now 

 

I just googled it and found it on Weibo:

https://weibo.com/6190792758/LcSMe8vSB

 

[Pammi]

Has anyone posted the NC interview from GQ from today ?

 

Nate says: My strengths come from the elements; my strengths are not the program component scores. But that's not to say that I can't continue improving them. That's what I have been doing.

 

http://gq.mn/yzaQPHD

 

(if this should go in Team USA please let me know! I thought it has great interest for us as Yuzuru's fans given scoring issues over the years)

 

 

[Guest Mary_kyo]

36 minutes ago, Pammi said:

Has anyone posted the NC interview from GQ form today ?

 

Nate says: My strengths come from the elements; my strengths are not the program component scores. But that's not to say that I can't continue improving them. That's what I have been doing.

 

http://gq.mn/yzaQPHD

 

(if this should go in Team USA please let me know! I thought it has great interest for us as Yuzuru's fans given scoring issues over the years)

 

 

I’m a mountain of salt these days and this is not helping at all. 

Nate trying to improve PCS? His flat edges say otherwise though. But don’t worry, his scores are definitely improving. 

[ZuCritter]

1 hour ago, Pammi said:

Has anyone posted the NC interview from GQ from today ?

 

Nate says: My strengths come from the elements; my strengths are not the program component scores. But that's not to say that I can't continue improving them. That's what I have been doing.

 

http://gq.mn/yzaQPHD

 

(if this should go in Team USA please let me know! I thought it has great interest for us as Yuzuru's fans given scoring issues over the years)

 

 

Note to judges: TAKE THE MAN AT HIS WORD! He knows it. The world can see it. His skating is mediocre at best.

[Pammi]

17 minutes ago, ZuCritter said:

Note to judges: TAKE THE MAN AT HIS WORD! He knows it. The world can see it. His skating is mediocre at best.

My thoughts exactly!!

[KendallKlaire]

 

Kind of a funny coincidence this just came out with Nathan's last interview. This is actually fun to watch, but again, Nathan openly admits he is not an artistic skater and that he struggles with doing a triple axel. I also have to say that Nathan's way of talking still "annoys" me (I don't want to say annoy since that sounds mean!) But he talks so fast and uses a lot of fillers in his sentences, such a dude-bro lol 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

On 1/27/2022 at 11:29 AM, turquoiseblue said:

Vincent Zhou looks ahead to the Beijing Olympics

 

 

On 2/1/2022 at 7:48 AM, turquoiseblue said:

It was a public video posted by CGTN America. I don't know why they made it private now 

 

I just googled it and found it on Weibo:

https://weibo.com/6190792758/LcSMe8vSB

 

CGTN America has uploaded a longer version of the video on their Youtube channel now titled "Skating Toward a Supreme Moment in the Land of His Heritage". It is worth watching.

 

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

From Karen Chen's Instagram:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CZbSBskLcG0/

 

Quote

happy #ChineseNewYear from baby Karen!🧧 新年快樂！虎虎生風！🐯✨

 

 

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Russian interview with Mariah Bell:
Mariah Bell: “Quads are great and to be at a high level you definitely need them. But this is not all figure skating.”

 

Quote

Russia vs USA – for many of us this is a big event, a confrontation. Do you perceive it that way?

 

Mariah Bell: As a confrontation – no, as a big event – yes. I think I need to compete with myself. It’s true! If I just do my very best, it will pay off. If I think about this confrontation, worry about other people, maybe I won’t succeed. Russian figure skaters are amazing. But I want to focus on what I do. I feel more comfortable this way. This is not boxing, where they hit each other with their fists, we just want to show our best here.

 

Don’t you think that figure skating is losing popularity because of this? Because of an approach that denies rivalry? And MMA is growing.

 

Mariah Bell: We have many kinds of sports. American football, hockey, basketball. And they are getting more and more popular. I don’t think that it is due the approach. Americans are truly in love with all these sports, and it’s hard to find many countries where there are so many sports and everyone is involved in them. This is the key thing.

Quote

You do not compete with anyone, but still now, in order to win, you need quads. Are you planning to make them?

 

Mariah Bell: Honestly, I will do my best. Quadruples are great and to be at a high level now you definitely need them. But this is not all figure skating. Right now I’m not doing quads, which means I will collect points wherever possible, besides this. But I definitely have a very strong coach in terms of technique (Rafael Arutyunyan. – ed), so who knows? Let’s see!

 

Figure skating turns into figure jumping, don’t you think so?

 

Mariah Bell: Maybe. But I think the sport is just progressing. It’s cool to be part of this new wave of figure skating where you see girls doing quads.

 

If the sport is progressing, should we allow quads in the short program?

 

Mariah Bell: Of course, it’s not for me to decide. I’m not sure…

 

Imagine that you are the president of the ISU.

 

Mariah Bell: I think the quads in the free program are enough for the current moment. But in general it would be cool to see them in a short program. If men can do them, why can’t women? So I don’t know, I don’t know (laughs).

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Russian interview with Karen Chen:
“We have a good team, Russians have amazing skaters.” Karen Chen about Olympic team event

 

Quote

Karen Chen: I’m very excited (by being at the Olympics). It is a great fortune that I’m here, it is really a great honor for me. From a moral point of view, for me, this is something like the struggle of 2018 (at the Olympics in Pyeongchang, Chen became 11th – ed.) vs. 2022. I have worked very hard to get the opportunity to be here in Beijing. I went through a lot of hardships to make this all a reality, so now I’m just trying to have fun and feel the spirit of this Olympics.

 

Is there a feeling that the anti-covid measures are too strict?

 

Karen Chen: Well, we’re tested every day, we live in a “bubble”, we take all sorts of precautions – we wear special masks, social distance … You know, I personally feel very protected here. And if the tests are negative, then why not?

 

The Olympic team event is called the battle between Russia and the United States. What do you think about such a positioning?

 

Karen Chen: Honestly, I didn’t think about it. We have a good team, you have amazing skaters. Only really very good athletes were selected here. As for the result, we will see what happens in the end.

 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

 

From Isabella's Instagram post:

 

Quote

I promised that I would keep everyone updated:

While I still have not heard from Dima since Dec 25th, and the last time we spoke we were dreaming about our future, I think it is time for me to move on. It isn't healthy to think this situation can or will change.

It is strange to grieve a friend that is not geographically far but is cut off from the world, and the influx of emotions this past month have been terribly confusing.

What happened to us was unexpected and heartbreaking. Others attempted to change the facts of our team story and I don’t know why.

In the end, I think this has taught me the importance of being grateful for what I have, and to live every day like it might be my last. It is so crucial to align with people that are as invested as I am. You never know what will happen tomorrow.

Going forward: I will not let anyone else write my next chapter. I am going to continue to pursue my dream, despite the odds. It is going to be hard and probably a bit painful, but I know what I want, and sometimes these hardships are the cost of something better. I am not going to let the great opportunities that I have been given slip through my fingers.

I don't have the magic formula or exactly know the path, but I hope you all will continue to support me and see where this journey takes me. Look forward to a great comeback story

Thank you all for your support and kindness and prayers during this time. I cannot express how much it means to me to have an entire community behind me 🤍

Wishing @pycdima the best of luck in any future endeavors he wishes to pursue. Thank you, for everything.

I wish both of them all the best 

[Guest turquoiseblue]

Russian interview with Jason Brown:
Jason Brown: “Athletes have the right to be who they want to be and be proud of it.”

 

Quote

You are known for your unique skating style. But don’t you think that jumps are more important in figure skating now? Should something be done about this?

 

Jason Brown: It’s amazing what kind of technical content people are doing now, they are moving the sport forward. There are two sides of our sport – artistic and technical. And just as some people are pushing the boundaries in technique, I want to push the boundaries in artistry. To show what I do every day in training, proving at every competitions how important it is, and expand this aspect. I’m focused on developing this part of our sport. There are many trendsetters in figure skating who are pushing the technical aspect of figure skating forward, forcing the younger generation to work on technique…

 

Russian girls, for example.

 

Jason Brown: Exactly. Yes, this is a good example. I just can’t believe what they are doing! Well, I try to convince people that it is necessary to improve the artistry.

 

But you also have a ceiling. You get a lot of tens, but it doesn’t work.

 

Jason Brown: Yes, I know it’s 100% true. When it comes to the scoring system and how to maximize results, I take it like this: officials come in, change the rules, and the athletes adjust, trying to get the most out of them. It’s a matter of their skill. And when the people who create the rules see how all this affects the sport, they return to the topic and work on changes.

 

See how the technical grading scale has changed over the past four years. The difference is huge. They will probably continue to improve it in the coming years, trying to maintain a balance between technique and artistry and continue to encourage both aspects in skaters.

 

I can’t but ask you about the US Nationals. I heard criticism from Rafael Arutyunyan about the composition of your team – Ilia Malinin took second place and did not go to the Olympics. You were fourth. What do you think about it?

 

Jason Brown: It’s always like this in sports – we are face to face, and when there are three spots, in this format, talks cannot be avoided. Criteria of getting into the Olympic team, one way or another, reflect the results of the work. And I work hard to continue to represent Team USA in every competitions, World Championships, Grand Prix. I think the selection criterion was my stability and performances throughout this cycle, and this is a very long period.

 

Another sensitive topic. Timothy LeDuc, a non-binary athlete, will compete at this Olympics for the first time. You have come out. In Russia, in general, there is a different opinion about these stories.

 

Jason Brown: Oh yes, that’s for sure.

 

What do you think about it? Alexander Zhulin spoke harshly about LeDuc, saying, how is it he cannot decide who he is.

 

Jason Brown: It is very important for athletes to stand up for their beliefs. And be whoever he or she wants to be. It’s the most important! So that people feel comfortable and proud of who they are, their condition. I’m very proud of Timothy and completely support. Timothy’s example will have a great impact on everyone. Athletes should believe in themselves, this is a story about the fact that athletes invest all their time and effort for the sake of the Olympics. Identity is just another aspect, you already skate with it. You just have it, you have to be proud of it, and people will support you.

 

But why don’t some people accept it?

 

Jason Brown: You’d better ask them. I can’t speak for them. I do not agree with the opinion you voiced. Athletes have the right to be who they want to be and be proud of it.

 

In the USA, did you encounter problems in this regard?

 

Jason Brown: Me not. Or if I met, I simply did not pay attention, I just continue to live.