Rachael Flatt isn't resting on her laurels this Olympic season.
The 17-year old star from Colorado Springs, Colo., knows that it will take a consistent season and two fantastic programs to get to Vancouver in February, which is why she has once again enlisted the help of choreographer Lori Nichol. The result? A fantastic new short program to "Sing, Sing, Sing!" that has already proven to be a crowd pleaser.
Flatt has climbed the national and international skating ranks by displaying awe-inspiring consistency, secure jumps and the ability to thrive under pressure. At times, her skating has lacked any real audience connection -- that extra "spark" -- that past great American female figure skaters have been known for. To boost her Program Component Scores, Flatt and Nichol spent hours searching through music and crafting well thought out programs. Additionally, Flatt is being mentored by 1976 Olympic champion Dorothy Hamill, and the improvement in her skating is quite noticeable.
Flatt performed her new programs at the Golden West Championships last weekend in Culver City, Calif. While her new free skate to "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" understandably needs more time to "gel" (it is only September, after all), her short program is already world-class.
Her jumps are solid as ever, but for the first time in a long, long time, Rachael truly "comes alive" on the ice. From the opening beats she perfectly captures the jazzy feeling of the big-band music and carries that theme throughout the entire program. Her final footwork sequence is the best I have seen so far this season, and could very well bring down the house at the U.S. Championships if she skates with the same verve and attack that she showed here.
While her spins and posture could still use a bit more refinement, Flatt is definitely on the right track this season. If she continues to train smart, keep her cool and remain healthy, she should easily maintain her status as an Olympic team favorite.
1 comment:
Rachel's skating while consistent, has typically been "flat" All puns aside, I agree that Rachel has lacked programs with punch and pizzazz. I thought she would win a few competitions with her consistency here and there and mostly finish in the top five. Then in a few years she'll be off to an Ivy League school and keep skating ala Emily Hughes.
Then I saw this short.
Wow! The girl can boogie!
This is a delightful program. A program that typically makes the commentators talk about skaters with the "complete package."
Rachel's one to watch - and enjoy watching - this season!
Thanks for posting!
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