Post by Admin on Nov 12, 2020 23:53:11 GMT
The first thing Audrey Shin asked her parents in Colorado when they spoke by phone after she skated the short program at Skate America in Las Vegas was, “Did this actually happen?”
The “this” in question was the near flawless, self-assured performance that had put Shin in third place, beginning two days in late October that ended with her as the surprising star of her first senior Grand Prix event. But even her parents’ reassurance that they saw how well their 16-year-old daughter had skated could not assuage all of Shin’s desire to pinch herself.
“It was already on YouTube, so I watched it a few times in a row right after we talked because I was really proud of what I did,” she said in an interview last week. “After a while, it kind of finally sunk in.”
The disconnect between what had happened – and how well Shin would do again in the free skate to win the bronze medal – and what she had envisioned was understandable.
She had expected, pre-pandemic, to be competing on the Junior Grand Prix this season, but the Junior Grand Prix series was cancelled because of Covid-19. With the senior circuit turned into essentially domestic events for health reasons, there was a place for Shin at Skate America despite her unremarkable results internationally as a junior, having had last season compromised by surgery for a ganglion cyst on her right ankle.
“I really just wanted to put out two decent programs and fit into the senior group of ladies,” she said. “I didn’t expect to medal but I knew if I did two good programs, maybe there was a chance.”
She also thought if she skated well, there was a chance to dream of getting one of the six women’s spots in the Las Vegas Invitational team event taped on the down low two days after Skate America ended. That became reality for Shin as well, and NBC will air the event Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
It’s that kind of quiet but visible confidence that leads Shin to talk of going after one of the U.S. women’s spots on the 2022 Olympic team. (The number of U.S. Olympic women’s spots, likely two or three, is to be based on results of the 2021 World Championships, which still are scheduled for March in Stockholm.) Another strong showing at January’s U.S. Championships will prove she has burst into contention.
“I was really glad I had the chance to compete at Skate America and show my skating to the world,” Shin said. “I really want to make a name for myself at nationals as well and prove I can be on that (Olympic) team.”
Her coach, Tammy Gambill, insisted she was not surprised by what Shin did at Skate America, where she was just 6.58 points behind winner Mariah Bell.
“I did see it coming,” Gambill said. “She was doing clean program after clean program after clean program in training. There was maybe a little mistake here and there, but you could see her skyrocketing and gaining more and more confidence.”
Said NBC Sports commentator Johnny Weir during Skate America: “She has a very mature presence.”
“Outrageously good…absolutely brilliant…she’s the real deal,” said Chris Howarth, commentating on the free skate for the International Skating Union broadcast. “Six triples. Gorgeous choreography. Love the way the routine builds.”
In both programs, Shin scored substantially higher than her previous personal bests. She was excited rather than rattled by suddenly finding herself in third after the short program.
Shin, originally from Long Island, New York, had moved to California some four years ago to work with Rafael Arutunian, who coaches Bell and two-time reigning world champion Nathan Chen. After about two years with Arutunian, she was looking for a change.
She did one tryout with Gambill and then switched to her in August 2018, a month after Gambill had moved from California to The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.
“We clicked right away,” Gambill said. “I had seen her in competitions in California, and I knew she had potential, but we needed to fix some technical things on all her jumps. Her air position was very open, her legs were very wrappy, and there were a lot of cheated jumps.”
By January 2019, Shin had made enough progress to rally from sixth after the short program to win the free skate and finish second overall in juniors at the U.S. Championships. But the cyst developing in her foot soon got so large and painful that surgery was recommended. It was done May 24, 2019.
“The cyst was humongous,’’ Gambill said. “I don’t know how she was skating on it.”
The “this” in question was the near flawless, self-assured performance that had put Shin in third place, beginning two days in late October that ended with her as the surprising star of her first senior Grand Prix event. But even her parents’ reassurance that they saw how well their 16-year-old daughter had skated could not assuage all of Shin’s desire to pinch herself.
“It was already on YouTube, so I watched it a few times in a row right after we talked because I was really proud of what I did,” she said in an interview last week. “After a while, it kind of finally sunk in.”
The disconnect between what had happened – and how well Shin would do again in the free skate to win the bronze medal – and what she had envisioned was understandable.
She had expected, pre-pandemic, to be competing on the Junior Grand Prix this season, but the Junior Grand Prix series was cancelled because of Covid-19. With the senior circuit turned into essentially domestic events for health reasons, there was a place for Shin at Skate America despite her unremarkable results internationally as a junior, having had last season compromised by surgery for a ganglion cyst on her right ankle.
“I really just wanted to put out two decent programs and fit into the senior group of ladies,” she said. “I didn’t expect to medal but I knew if I did two good programs, maybe there was a chance.”
She also thought if she skated well, there was a chance to dream of getting one of the six women’s spots in the Las Vegas Invitational team event taped on the down low two days after Skate America ended. That became reality for Shin as well, and NBC will air the event Sunday at 4 p.m. ET.
It’s that kind of quiet but visible confidence that leads Shin to talk of going after one of the U.S. women’s spots on the 2022 Olympic team. (The number of U.S. Olympic women’s spots, likely two or three, is to be based on results of the 2021 World Championships, which still are scheduled for March in Stockholm.) Another strong showing at January’s U.S. Championships will prove she has burst into contention.
“I was really glad I had the chance to compete at Skate America and show my skating to the world,” Shin said. “I really want to make a name for myself at nationals as well and prove I can be on that (Olympic) team.”
Her coach, Tammy Gambill, insisted she was not surprised by what Shin did at Skate America, where she was just 6.58 points behind winner Mariah Bell.
“I did see it coming,” Gambill said. “She was doing clean program after clean program after clean program in training. There was maybe a little mistake here and there, but you could see her skyrocketing and gaining more and more confidence.”
Said NBC Sports commentator Johnny Weir during Skate America: “She has a very mature presence.”
“Outrageously good…absolutely brilliant…she’s the real deal,” said Chris Howarth, commentating on the free skate for the International Skating Union broadcast. “Six triples. Gorgeous choreography. Love the way the routine builds.”
In both programs, Shin scored substantially higher than her previous personal bests. She was excited rather than rattled by suddenly finding herself in third after the short program.
Shin, originally from Long Island, New York, had moved to California some four years ago to work with Rafael Arutunian, who coaches Bell and two-time reigning world champion Nathan Chen. After about two years with Arutunian, she was looking for a change.
She did one tryout with Gambill and then switched to her in August 2018, a month after Gambill had moved from California to The Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs.
“We clicked right away,” Gambill said. “I had seen her in competitions in California, and I knew she had potential, but we needed to fix some technical things on all her jumps. Her air position was very open, her legs were very wrappy, and there were a lot of cheated jumps.”
By January 2019, Shin had made enough progress to rally from sixth after the short program to win the free skate and finish second overall in juniors at the U.S. Championships. But the cyst developing in her foot soon got so large and painful that surgery was recommended. It was done May 24, 2019.
“The cyst was humongous,’’ Gambill said. “I don’t know how she was skating on it.”