Figure Skating Fans: Angela Nikodinov News

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 7/20/05 at 11:23pm

This has been out for a while, but I hadn't seen it posted yet.

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=30244&type=news


Apparantly she is going to take the 2005-2006 season off to recover the injuries she had during the uneventful car accident she and her family had during the 2005 Nationals.

This means that she will not be trying for the 2006 Olympics, but that she will not be retiring, which is good. I'm actually glad about this because I'm not so sure that could have made the team right now, and I think it will save her some pain.



Michelle Kwan and Sasha Cohen are as close to locks as can be to making the team. Now, who do you think will be the third skater with Angela out of the picture?????? I think the top contender is Kimmie Mesigner, I think she should be age-eligible. Jenny Kirk has a great shot due to the fact that she's been on the past two worlds team. Amber Corwin, Biatrisa Liang and Emily Hughes(who beat Kimmie at the Junior Worlds) have a shot too. Emily's big sister and reining Olympic Champion Sarah Hughes had talked of making a try for the Olympics. I haven't heard anything else as to whether this was certain yet.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 3:08am

God Bless Angela Nikodinov. She's been through such hell in the past few years, and she has never given up. She was always one of my favorite skaters.

I haven't really watched skating since I quit 2 years ago, but I'm still the big Sasha Cohen fan that I was when I first saw her skate. As for the 3rd spot...Kimmie is a force to be reckoned with, but I still have a soft spot for Jenny Kirk.

I'm not a fan and have NEVER thought Sarah Hughes was a "pretty skater". Her posture and lines are sloppy, though I do give her credit for having consistant jumps under pressure. Though I think she hasn't got a chance to go to the Olympics again. To many young up and coming skaters to compete with.

[supafreak]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 10:31am

Love me some Nikadinov...She's always been one of my favorites. Never consistent, always seemingly fragile, but MAN, when she's "on" it's orgasmic. Huges? blah. Haven't ever liked her. I agree with whoever said she's not a "pretty" skater. She kinda reminds me of Tonya Harding--very butch in her skating (not nearly so much as Irina Slutskaya tho--GRRRRRRRR She grates on me). There are a total of 4 minutes and 20 seconds ever that I thought she was any good, and those are of course the minutes of her long program at the Olympics in 2002. BRILLIANT. Cohen--technically amazing, but can anyone scream ICE QUEEN?! Her presentation is so cold. Jenny Kirk always looks like a deer in the headlights to me. Looks like she's really not sure what's coming next. I'm shocked that she's come as far as she has. But Kwan.....ah. No, she's not as technically perfect as some (ie, Cohen), but her presentation and artistry cannot be touched. When she forgets competing, feels like the underdog, realizes she's got nothing to lose and just SKATES, she's effing BRILLIANT (see nationals 1998 and 2004 (?) Worlds).

Speaking of up-and-comers, whatever happened to Beatrisa Liang? She was kicking ass & taking names at (I believe) the 2000 nationals and then was never heard from again.

[MTVMANN]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 3:03pm

Are you guys kidding me, Sarah has never really struggled artistically, especially as she got older. And as for her not being a pretty skater, her layback is ABSOLUTELY STUNNING, and she gets full extension on her spirals.

As for Sasha, I think she is the total package as a skater. She has a good difficulty in her jumps, though what she competes changes a lot. She's EXTREMELY ARTISTIC and never hits a bad position. Now a days, when you talk about spirals, it's Sasha Cohen who has the best in the world(A position that used to be held by Michelle Kwan). I think that if She had hit her long programs she would have beaten Michelle Kwan at Nationals, especially at the most recent ones.

As for Michelle Kwan, I hope she picks a better LP than Bolero, and I hope she competes on the Grand Prix so that she's not shocked when she gets to the Olympics on how the COP works. Right now Michell is A favorite to win the gold, but not THE Favorite.
Nagano was the best time for her and it's too bad that things turned out like they did, because it was just a matter of preferance. Had there been mandatory deductions for flaws on jumps, Michelle would have probably won. At the 2002, there were 3 other top contenders as compared to the 1 in 1998, but she had sentimentality on her side. I think if she was 2nd in the SP she wouldn't have gotten so nervous, and I actually believe that she should have been 2nd because I think that Slutskaya skated a better SP.

As for Beatrisa Liang, I believe that she has actually been at every nationals since 2000. I know she has been at every nationals this quad. She has great flexibility and good jumps, and speed. I do think that she is low-balled a bit by the judges. However, I do believe that she has some sort of a growth injury that is preventing her from doing a triple loop(which btw, is my favorite jump), so the judges can really cite that as a reason for not giving her as high of marks as they do.

I have no idea what happen to Ann-Patrice McDonough, but I know she went through some problems adjusting to a changing body and it showed at the 2004 nationals. I haven't really heard anything since.

[WOSQ]

Posted: 7/21/05 at 3:44pm

Not directly to the topic at hand, but I went to the Worlds in 2003 when they were in DC. This was a learning experience like television cannot/will not give you.

Plus, since you're in the same seat for a week, after about 2 days you start to talk to the people around you, and my, how the dish flies. Some of the most delightfully catty straight people I have ever met. You learn a lot that way too.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:30pm

I was at Worlds too- both as a volunteer and a spectator.

Angela is an amazing talent. I will miss seeing her this season.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:43pm

What ever happened to Brian Boitano? He had great thighs.

[Blair]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:46pm

Sarah Hughes' spiral is bent at the knee. If she straightened it, it would no doubt be lower than it is currently. As for her layback...eh, I'd take Sasha or Angela's over her's any day. Her posture is quite sloppy, but this is coming from a huge Sasha Cohen fan, so no one can really live up to that. I know a lot of people that say she is a pretty skater, but I guess I just never got it.

[vbplayer]

Posted: 7/22/05 at 11:57pm

They should watch Kristi perform and gain some knowledge.

[wally]

Posted: 7/24/05 at 12:08am

Is Sarah still eligible? She was on the Stars on Ice tour, I don't recall how long her contract with them is...but she would've had to get a USFSA sanction to remain eligible. Even if she is, there is no way she would qualify for the Olympic/World team.

I never cared for Sasha Cohen at all, just don't get all the fuss over her. Blah.

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/25/05 at 6:14pm

Sara is still eligible. She is going back to Yale in the fall though and is not touring with SOI thi season.

At nationals, I suspect Meissner, Hughes, and Liang will be gunning for the third spot. Kirk is also a lesser possibility as is Katy Taylor.

[cturtle]

Posted: 7/27/05 at 12:26am

you can forget about SARAH HUGE. in stars on ice, she didn't even attempt a triple, and she couldn't skate in the ensemble numbers because she was so heavy she didn't match the other ladies.

i'm cheering for michelle all the way, but yes let's hope her program this year is better than bolero! maybe she should resurrect lyra angelica ...

[KChenowethfan]

Posted: 7/28/05 at 8:36pm

My post was referring to Emily when I was discussing who will make it at Nationals.