2011 Grand Prix dates on the ISU website

[care bear]

Skaters, who are doing 3 GP, will earn points only in two competitions. In the GP started very weak competitors such as Diana S. from Canada, so in order to prevent this in the GP, the number of participants was limited and introduced the passing score for the GP.

[haribobo]

minimum score will be implemented at 2/3 of the previous season top score ... example Pairs S/S currently first with 210.72 so minimum score would be 140.48

Wow, so based on this, going by the ISU seasons best scores list, the following pairs have not yet met the min score-

23 139.94 Klara KADLECOVA / Petr BIDAR CZE European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
24 138.55 Yue ZHANG / Lei WANG CHN ISU GP NHK Trophy 2010 23.10.2010
25 136.85 Tatiana NOVIK / Mikhail KUZNETSOV RUS ISU GP Cup of Russia 2010 20.11.2010
26 134.14 Ashley CAIN / Joshua REAGAN USA ISU JGP Czech Skate 2010 15.10.2010
27 133.08 Taylor STEELE / Robert SCHULTZ CAN ISU JGP Final 2010/2011 11.12.2010
28 131.77 Natasha PURICH / Raymond SCHULTZ CAN ISU JGP Czech Skate 2010 15.10.2010
29 131.04 Brittany JONES / Kurtis GASKELL CAN ISU JGP Final 2010/2011 11.12.2010
30 131.03 Anna SILAEVA / Artur MINCHUK RUS ISU JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter 2010 08.10.2010
31 129.26 Huibo DONG / Yiming WU CHN ISU GP Skate Canada International 2010 30.10.2010
32 128.04 Stacey KEMP / David KING GBR European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
33 127.48 Felicia ZHANG / Taylor TOTH USA ISU GP Trophee Eric Bompard 2010 27.11.2010
34 125.39 Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDUYKOV RUS ISU JGP Czech Skate 2010 15.10.2010
35 125.34 Adeline CANAC / Yannick BONHEUR FRA European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
36 123.45 Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON USA ISU JGP J. Curry Memorial 2010 01.10.2010
37 121.13 Tatiana DANILOVA / Andrei NOVOSELOV RUS ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2010 17.09.2010
38 120.72 Lubov BAKIROVA / Mikalai KAMIANCHUK BLR European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
39 118.06 Katharina GIEROK / Florian JUST GER European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
40 117.69 Kristen TIKEL / Ian BEHARRY CAN ISU JGP Pokal der Blauen Schwerter 2010 08.10.2010
41 117.36 Brynn CARMAN / AJ REISS USA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2010 17.09.2010
42 115.53 Carolina GILLESPIE / Luca DEMATTE ITA European Championships 2011 27.01.2011
43 115.15 Kaleigh HOLE / Adam JOHNSON CAN ISU GP Cup of China 2010 06.11.2010
44 114.62 Cassie ANDREWS / Timothy LEDUC USA ISU JGP J. Curry Memorial 2010 01.10.2010
45 113.24 Mandy GARZA / Brandon FRAZIER USA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2010 17.09.2010
46 112.75 Alexandra VASILIEVA / Yuri SHEVCHUK RUS ISU JGP J. Curry Memorial 2010 01.10.2010
47 110.13 Anna KHNYCHENKOVA / Mark MAGYAR HUN ISU GP Trophee Eric Bompard 2010 27.11.2010
48 109.25 Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO CAN ISU JGP J. Curry Memorial 2010 01.10.2010
49 108.71 Kristina ASTAKHOVA / Nikita BOCHKOV RUS ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2010 17.09.2010

and on down from there....

What about the home entries- like for example France and their pairs- are they still allowed to send their new pairs to TEB even though none of them have achieved the minimum score? IMO it would be *very* obnoxious for ISU to impose the min score rule on home skater selections. I do like the substitute rule though. Hate the minimizing of singles from 12 to 10, horrible decision.

[haribobo]

So with 60 total spots in singles, we can more or less count on the top 30 from seasons best scores getting 1-2 spots, barring injuries, retirements, going back to JGP. Account for reshuffling after 4cc, Jr. Worlds, and Worlds- but more or less I expect the GP skaters to be-

Czisny, Kostner, Murakami, Ando, Suzuki, Korpi, Nagasu, Gao, Wagner, Makarova, Flatt, Lacoste, Phaneuf, Imai, Zawadzki, Leonova, Marchei, Biryukova, Shelepen, Samson, V. Helgesson, Vannut, Mao Asada, Gedevanishvili, J. Helgesson, Lafuente, probably Yuna Kim…not sure whether Sotnikova, Tuktamysheva, Shoji, and Z. Li will stay on JGP another year- they are also be in the top 30.

If alternates are based on ISU SB score, then we could see the following: B. Geng, Sheveleva, Meite, Baga, Suguri, Hecken, Agafonova, Nishino, Fujisawa, Gong, K. Zhang, Silete, C. Zhang, Liinamae…

[Frau Muller]

By limiting the total number of entires, yet allowing the top-6 of Worlds skate in 3 events, it sounds as if the ISU is trying to create lasting 'stars' (Kwans and Plushenkos). Such manipulations rarely work.

[euterpe]

I wonder how many of the top 6 would want to do 3 GPs.

[Debbie S]

I wonder how many of the top 6 would want to do 3 GPs.

Agree, not a good idea. And decreasing the number of spots in singles and dance is wrong on many levels. With decreased spots on both the JGP and SGP, it's going to be harder for skaters to break in to the top competitive ranks, esp with the score mins for the major int'ls. I imagine this will increase the demand for Senior B's, but are feds going to be willing to start/sponsor a comp in an era of declining revenue?

The ISU sucks!

[julieann]

By limiting the total number of entires, yet allowing the top-6 of Worlds skate in 3 events, it sounds as if the ISU is trying to create lasting 'stars' (Kwans and Plushenkos). Such manipulations rarely work.

I think maybe they want to avoid what happened last year in regards to withdraws especially in pairs. When 3 pairs that are in the top 6 of the world drop out, and then more teams from there; they really needed to scrounge around to find pairs to even compete. It would have been more fair to allow some to compete more than twice. No one shows up at competitions where you have no top stars in lieu of Ivanova/Zalevski from Bulgaria. It sounds harsh but it is a business and if they can't even make a minimum score who would pay to watch?

Maybe they should change the rules about who goes to what and allowing a team to compete if there is an opening and a withdrawal. No system is perfect. I think they are just trying to incorporate a higher standard.

[SpeedySucks]

I wonder how many of the top 6 would want to do 3 GPs.

Whether or not they want to, I'm sure that many will do 3 events just because of the prize money available.

[peibeck]

Is the ISU trying to kill the sport?

Honestly!!!

If the ISU is viewing this as a cost savings measure it is ridiculous. They would be better off cutting one of the GP events and then allowing the same or even more skaters to participate in the remaining GPs.

I hate the 3 events option for the top skaters as well. However, I guess the ISU is reasoning that perhaps "name" skaters at more events will sell more tickets? I think it just opens the door for more skater fatigue and injury.

Stupid ISU.

[Skate Talker]

...It sounds harsh but it is a business and if they can't even make a minimum score who would pay to watch? ...

Basically I agree with everything you said but wanted to point out that just because a team doesn't yet have a minimum score they aren't necessarily a team that cannot achieve the minimum score, possibly just a team/skater who has yet to have the opportunity to do so. Case in point Vol/Tran. I would pay to watch them. Another who immediately springs to mind is Elladj Balde - I am sure there are many more gems out there who are getting less and less chances. This is what is worrying me.

Aside from that I get pretty darned bored even with the top skaters when they get so overexposed.

[sandra_persch]

Basically I agree with everything you said but wanted to point out that just because a team doesn't yet have a minimum score they aren't necessarily a team that cannot achieve the minimum score, possibly just a team/skater who has yet to have the opportunity to do so. Case in point Vol/Tran.

Which is why its absolutely the right decision to have the autumn internationals count again. at team / skaters may not have reached the score the previous season but if they achieve it the current season they still have a chance.

[julieann]

Basically I agree with everything you said but wanted to point out that just because a team doesn't yet have a minimum score they aren't necessarily a team that cannot achieve the minimum score, possibly just a team/skater who has yet to have the opportunity to do so. Case in point Vol/Tran. I would pay to watch them. Another who immediately springs to mind is Elladj Balde - I am sure there are many more gems out there who are getting less and less chances. This is what is worrying me.

Aside from that I get pretty darned bored even with the top skaters when they get so overexposed.

V/T are a whole different nut, because of quarantine and such, they knew that going in to the partnership.

In pairs, I think the ISU just wants some sort of higher standard on the senior Grand Prix and I really don't blame them. Maybe they should do away with the label of Jr. and Sr. and just use minimum scores. Most of the teams affected are juniors and they can still go to the Jr. Grand Prix and Jr. GPF until they get their minimum score.

I understand not seeing hidden gems at the senior GP but if they can't even get a total score that is higher than many seniors free skate, I question them being their in the first place until they get better. Like someone getting booted from the major leagues to the minor leagues in baseball. (I don't watch baseball so I hope I use the analogy right)

I would rather see teams who had to drop out because of illness or lost skates have the opportunity to have a make-up competition other than just being out of luck, that is equally not fair if not more unfair.

[talulabell]

Aint that the truth. I remember the good old days when you actually knew more than a year ahead of time and they sold tickets for the following year at the current SA....the announcements just get later and later every year.

I remember those good ol' days as well. At the minimum, you knew where SA would be next year, at this years event.

I asked at the USFS booth in Greensboro, and they said they would announce it in March. Now, didnt they say the same thing last year, but the announcement came much later?

[kwanfan1818]

[QUOTE=sandra_persch;3072608]

minimum score will be implemented at 2/3 of the previous season top score ... example Pairs S/S currently first with 210.72 so minimum score would be 140.48

minimum score can be achieved in the previous season or at the autumn internationals like Nebelhorn Trophy[/url]
Is the minimum score based on the highest per season, which is usually at one of the championships, or based on the highest score at the GP?

I'm also interested in learning whether this applies to host picks. It will send skaters who've had to sit out

If a newly formed team that qualified under the placement-with-former-partner-rule for a GP spot competed in a fall event and had a valid minimum score, they'd be inserted on the list based on the results?

massive change to the substitution rules
the list is updated after each ISU senior event and published on the ISU homepage. if a skater or pair withdraws the first one in the ranking of the substitute list has to be invited. no more replacing with the lowest ranked skaters on the list. it has to be the number 1 on the list of substitutes.

Does the list include skaters who've only been given one GP? Does that mean the highest-ranked get two automatically before anyone else gets one? The field will already be smaller in singles and dance, and the top skaters can take up additional spots.

Can the skaters turn it down? For example, if they are revamping a program or their training is at a critical stage, could they turn down a last-minute invitation to fly across the world? Can they be forced to go to back-to-back competitions with 32-hours connections?

The easy way to game this is to wait until it's too late to get visas.

[Aimless]

When is the location for SA likely to be announced? I want to know if it's worth saving some holiday for. I'm hoping it will be somewhere east...

Last year the announcement of Portland as the 2010 SA location came on/around March 18. I'm hoping for the east too.

[barbk]

I really like being able to use a fall international to establish a qualifying score for substitutes. Great idea.

[euterpe]

minimum score will be implemented at 2/3 of the previous season top score ... example Pairs S/S currently first with 210.72 so minimum score would be 140.48

Interesting....On the current Seasons Best List, that would eliminate all the pairs from #23 on:


23 139.94 Klara KADLECOVA / Petr BIDAR CZE
24 138.55 Yue ZHANG / Lei WANG CHN
25 136.85 Tatiana NOVIK / Mikhail KUZNETSOV RUS
26 134.14 Ashley CAIN / Joshua REAGAN USA
27 133.08 Taylor STEELE / Robert SCHULTZ CAN
28 131.77 Natasha PURICH / Raymond SCHULTZ CAN
29 131.04 Brittany JONES / Kurtis GASKELL CAN
30 131.03 Anna SILAEVA / Artur MINCHUK RUS
31 129.26 Huibo DONG / Yiming WU CHN
32 128.04 Stacey KEMP / David KING GBR
33 127.48 Felicia ZHANG / Taylor TOTH USA
34 125.39 Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDUYKOV RUS
35 125.34 Adeline CANAC / Yannick BONHEUR FRA
36 123.45 Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON USA
37 121.13 Tatiana DANILOVA / Andrei NOVOSELOV RUS
38 120.72 Lubov BAKIROVA / Nikalai KAMIANCHUK BLR
39 118.06 Katharina GIEROK / Florian JUST GER
40 117.69 Kristen TIKEL / Ian BEHARRY CAN
41 117.36 Brynn CARMAN / AJ REISS USA
42 115.53 Carolina GILLESPIE / Luca DEMATTE ITA
43 115.15 Kaleigh HOLE / Adam JOHNSON CAN
44 114.62 Cassie ANDREWS / Timothy LEDUC USA
45 113.24 Mandy GARZA / Brandon FRAZIER USA
46 112.75 Alexandra VASILIEVA / Yuri SHEVCHUK RUS

[Kiss My 1040]

I can live without all of those skaters.

[oleada]

Kadlecova/Bidar seemed really promising, and were really enjoyable at Euros. I'd hate not to see them compete internationally because of some new stupid rules.

[Kelvster]

indeed, Kadlecova/Bidar are sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo cute as a couple