10-Feb-2000: Jr. Ladies Freeskate |
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Updated: 10-Feb-2000 10-Feb-2000
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The competition in American Ladies skating wasn't at enough of a critical mass. Now we have junior ladies who can do all the triple jumps. Both the gold and silver medalist successfully completed triple lutz, flip, loop, toe and sal. And if that weren't bad enough, they are excellent artists on ice. They are both graceful, musical skaters. They both have excellent extension and line. No sooner do we get wunderkinds Naomi and Sarah in Senior ladies then even more wunderkinds are up and coming. It is kind of sad that we have so many great lady skaters, since so few of them will ever get to go to the Olympics or even Worlds. And though I am the Mother of all Michelle Kwan fans, I have to say she had better watch her back. First place went to Ann Patrice McDonough - She is a very flexible skater and does some very stretched out positions in spirals and spins. She does a Bielman spiral. Second place went to Lisa Nesuda She is a very graceful skater. She moves her arms like a ballerina. I think she got second because she doubled her second triple loop. But other than that she skated a beautiful and technically difficult program Beatrisa Liang was third in the free skate, 6th over all. She landed triple lutz, flip, sal and toe only missing the loop. I think. She is also very dramatic, but not very good at relating to the audience. I think that is nerves and her young age. This is my fifth nationals and I am amazed at how superior the entire junior ladies field is compared to the field I saw in 1996. Yes of course they are all doing more triple jumps. But in general these junior skaters are much more polished and better all around skaters than I saw four years ago. It is astonishing and a bit frightening at how far and fast skating has come in such a short time.
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