Grand Prix Spots 2011-2012

[haribobo]

Assuming rules stay the same, the following JGPF medalists have guaranteed a spot on senior GP series next season (if they so choose):

Men- Richard Dornbush (19 yrs old), Han Yan (14) , Andrei Rogozine (17)

Ladies- Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, Zijun Li (all are 14 years old by the end of this month)

Pairs- Takahashi/Tran (18/20), Stolbova/Klimov(18/20), Yu/Jin (14/16)

Dance- Monko/Khaliavin (18/20), Sinitsina/Zhiganshin (15/18), Stepanova/Bukin (15/17)

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Current Top 24 Seasons Best Scores (pre-GPF/JGPF) belong to-

MEN- Kozuka, Chan, Oda, Takahashi, Rippon, Verner, Amodio, Reynolds, Abbott, Mroz, Mahbanoozadeh, Fernandez, Joubert, Preaubert, Hanyu, Contesti, Gachinski, D. Murakami, Machida, Miner, J Guan, Dornbush, KVDP, and Sawyer

Currently in top 24 of ISU standings but have not competed or achieved top 24 SB score: Lysacek, Brezina, Ponsero, Weir, Schultheiss, Majorov, Voronov, Reynolds, D. Ten

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Top 24 SB

LADIES- Sotnikova, Ando, Tuktamysheva, Suzuki, Czisny, Korpi, Nagasu, Gao, Wagner, Makarova, Murakami, Kostner, Flatt, Siraj, Lacoste, Lam, Phaneuf, Shoji, Imai, Zawadzki, Marchei, Biryukova, Shelepen, Samson

Top 24 Standings, not yet in score: Yuna Kim, Joannie Rochette, Mao Asada, Leonova, Lepisto, Gedevanishvili, C. Zhang, J. Helgesson, Hecken, V. Helgesson

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TOP 24 SB

PAIRS- Savchenko/Szolkowy, Pang/Tong, Bazarova/Larionov, Kavaguti/Smirnov, Moore-Towers/Moscovitch, Sui/Han, Iliushechkina/Maisuradze, Yankowskas/Coughlin, Denney/Barrett, Takahashi/Tran, Evora/Ladwig, Lawrence/Swiegers, Gerboldt/Enbert, Castelli/Shnapir, Stolbova/Klimov, Duhamel/Radford, Hausch/Wende, Brodeur/Mattatall, Berton/Hotarek, Simpson/Miller, Della Monica/Kocon, Yu/Jin, Zhang/Wang, Novik/Kuznetsov (split)

Top 24 in standings, not in score: Zhang/Zhang, Dube/Davison, Kemp/King, Dong/Wu, Inoue/Baldwin

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TOP 24 SB

DANCE
Davis/White, Pechalat/Bourzat, Monko/Khaliavin, Crone/Poirier, Bobrova/Soloviev, Kerr/Kerr, Riazanova/Tkachenko, Shibutani/Shibutani, Weaver/Poje, Hoffman/Zavozin, Faiella/Scali, Chock/Zuerlein, Paul/Islam, Pushkash/Guerreiro, Carron/Jones, Ilinykh/Katsalapov, Sinitsina/Zhiganshin, Kriengkrairut/Giuletti-Schmitt, Stepanova/Bukin, Lichtman/Copely, Zahorski/Miart, Gorshkova/Butikov, Cappellini/LaNotte, Kosigina/Moroshkin

Top 24 in standings, not in score: Virtue/Moir, Domshabs (retired?), Samuelson/Bates, Huang/Zheng, Hubbells, Mysliveckova/Novak, Ralph/Hill, Rubleva/Shefer (retired?)

[oleada]

I wonder how many of the Russian Ice Dance teams will stay juniors. For sure Monko/Khaliavin will be moving up, but I wonder if another year in juniors will benefit teams like Sinitsina/Zhingashin and Stepanova/Bukin. Both are quite young and for the latter, they've only had one year of international experience. I imagine Kosigina/Moroshkin will more than likely stay juniors.

My guess would be that Sotnikova & Tuktamysheva will go senior, but I wonder about Zijun Li. Surely the Chinese fed will push her to seniors like they did with Geng, but she's so tiny and young that I'm not sure if that's the best idea.

[reese]

So many Russian teams! I have no idea who will make it to Sochi.

[Tak]

I wonder how many of the Russian Ice Dance teams will stay juniors.

I think that depends on who wins Jr Worlds. But then it surprised me how many of last year's top junior teams decided to skate senior this year - P/I, A/V, S/S - all had a realistic shot at the Jr Gold this year, but decided to go senior instead. And why R/H are skating in seniors I really can't understand.

[Unless it's their ages????]

I wish I understood more what goes into the decision of when to leave juniors.

[mia joy]

I wish I understood more what goes into the decision of when to leave juniors.

Me too. For me that decision from some teams really seems a bit rushed, skating in juniors is also a great opportunity to gain experience and yet there's not as much pressure as in seniors so I'd think the teams would have more time to truly find their style and develop into the level which would allow them have a better debut in seniors when they eventually move up. But then, that's just what I've always imagined, though I really know nothing about the practical side of it.

[Stephanie]

The Shibutanis are close to locks this year for worlds, so moving up to seniors made sense for them. I also think it was a smart decision for P/I, since they were junior world silver medallists and did well at Skate Canada.

As for R/H, they are still eligible for juniors this year (this is their last one), and they may well end up back at junior worlds unless several of the top teams (V/M, C/P, W/P, P/I) opt out of 4CCs. R/H were on the junior circuit for three seasons but although they made the final twice, were never challenging for the top spots at the final and junior worlds. Maybe they wanted a fresh challenge in seniors.

[Eris]

DomShabs and Rubleva/Shefer have definetely retired.