2012-13 ISU Grand Prix Assignments

[Jeschke]

Something is really wrong when a so so skater like Biryukova gets two GP events and someone like Mirai only gets one. Yes Mirai has struggled but she still usually finishes much higher then Biryukova does. All you have to do is look at medals won internationally.

what has mirai as a senior for medals?

2 grand prix medals (both silver) and one bronze of 4cc?

i´m not a mirai fan nor a hater,

but her last season wasn´t the best. biryukova got 166 points at Rostelecom Cup, Mirai 172 and 150 in points in her Grand Prix. So in average, none of them was really better than the other last season.

mirai was happy to face a weak field in China, biryukova would have one silver with her 166 points there too.

mirai was great junior skater with great olympics but struggled the last 2 seasons, so that´s where she is now. biryukova is younger and showed equal performances last year. so seems like their face to face now, with mirai surely having more fans here and worldwide and is more famous.

[Sylvia]

Do we know for sure that Nagasu didn't ask for only one event?

Yes. There was a post yesterday by Eislauffan in this thread.

ETA that it was post #821:

At Finlandia Trophy Mirai said that she hopes to get a second Grand Prix. So it is for sure not her not wanting it.

[kwanfan1818]

Something is really wrong when a so so skater like Biryukova gets two GP events and someone like Mirai only gets one. Yes Mirai has struggled but she still usually finishes much higher then Biryukova does. All you have to do is look at medals won internationally.

Biryukova was 15th on the SB list (compared to Nagasu's 11th), and her PB was only 7+ points lower than Nagasu's. It was almost as outrageous that she wasn't given a CoC shot the first few times one opened as it has been that Nagasu was never chosen for Paris.

The ISU almost had it right when it wrote, but then ignored, the sentence about giving Top 24 SB skaters priority, and they would have had it right if they set the groups of five up front, with Top 24 skaters given priority in the top (or Top 2) group(s), didn't move anyone in and out of groups unless a skater withdrew from their one event or quit (for at least the season), and only skipped skaters and went to the group below if the remaining skaters weren't eligible -- already there, skaters from that country maxxed out, back-to-back long-haul trips declined by skater/skater's Fed -- or the visa issues became impossible.

To say this is unfair to the Feds, it's similar to the way the regular selections work: if you're the last Fed to choose from each group, you pay for that skater/team's costs, whether you're transporting them from Detroit or Shanghai to Windsor, for example.

The whole idea of limiting the fields to the "best of the best," high GP minimums, and a ranked substitutions list is, allegedly, to raise the quality of the fields. By reducing the numbers, they've already saved the hosts 17-20%. The hosts shouldn't be allowed to go far down the list to dilute the fields, too.

[Sylvia]

She has been quoted recently saying she hopes to get a second event (looking for quote...)

From Golden Skate's Finlandia recap article:

However, Nagasu regretted having just one Grand Prix event so far.

“I don’t have a chance getting to the Final,” she noted. “Hopefully I’ll skate my best and get two (Grand Prix) next year.”

[kwanfan1818]

I doubt Flatt would accept TEB if offered. She's got SA and Ice Challenge. !

So much for my theory that she might want only one to avoid breaking up her semester

If she were assigned to TEB or another GP, could she withdraw from Ice Challenge? Or is that not done?

[Sylvia]

If she were assigned to TEB or another GP, could she withdraw from Ice Challenge? Or is that not done?

I don't see why not. Ice Challenge currently gets Flatt out of competing at Midwestern Sectionals, so if she were assigned a 2nd GP, that would/should accomplish the same thing.

[toddlj]

So Nagasu has been passed up at TEB three times now, for Gao, J Helgesson and now Glebova. If they pass her up again when replacing K Zhang, that will be 4 times.

[B.Cooper]

I suspect TEB with go with another European skater. It is just so much cheaper to bring someone in from Europe than North America.

[toddlj]

But Gao and Glebova both train in North America. So what was the excuse for that?

[Mrs. P]

I don't think it's just strictly a travel costs issue -- after all, as someone pointed out, France opted to not use one of their host picks.

My theory -- and this is pure speculation -- is that TEB, for whatever reason, is trying to create a mini-Euros in the Ladies.

That doesn't really explain Gao getting a spot there, but I think it does explain with Helgesson and Glebova got them.

[B.Cooper]

But Gao and Glebova both train in North America. So what was the excuse for that?

Gao was assigned in the initial pool of skaters, IIRC. Glebova...hmmm, can't explain that one, other than she trains in New Jersey, correct? I am assuming cheaper flights direct from the east coast (that would hold true for Gao as well as she is in Boston), rather than the west coast for Nagasu.

Just for kicks, pulled up Expedia airfares from LAX to Paris, cheapest fare runs about $1,100.00. And, about $800 from NY to Paris. European skater will probably get the nod is my bet.

[Jarrett]

Gao was assigned in the initial pool of skaters, IIRC.

No she wasn't. She was a replacement.

[toddlj]

No she wasn't. She was a replacement.

Agreed.

B.Cooper, check the first post on this thread, you'll see Gao wasn't on the original list. At some point, the French Fed chose Gao over Nagasu. No idea why.

[Mrs. P]

For the record:

Yretha's spot was given to Joshi Helgesson.
Carolina's spot was given to Zijun Li first then later to Christina Gao.
Miki's spot, as we all know, was given to Elena Glebova.

[tkaug]

France's third host pick was given to Viktoria Helgesson.

Joshi Helgesson. Viktoria Helgesson already had 2 spots.

[RD]

Yes. There was a post yesterday by Eislauffan in this thread.

ETA that it was post #821

Ah, interesting. Thanks for the clarification. If it's not by special request, I'll agree, it's certainly odd...

Although, I find this language kinda weird:

However, Nagasu regretted having just one Grand Prix event so far.

Almost makes it sound as if she INITIALLY went for one, then regretted that decision later on??? whatever I suppose.

____________

I thought there was a rule that you had to choose the highest-ranked skater from a substitute list unless there was a legit reason not to (injury, already has 2 events, etc.)? It's sounding like the host nations have free reign (outside the country limit rule) to pick whomever they want...

[Theatregirl1122]

Or it's just a translation error.

[Sylvia]

Posted on August 8 in this thread:

Zijun Li has just replaced Kostner at TEB.

Then, soon after, Li's name was scratched out (she ended up filling Cup of China's TBA host pick) and I posted:
"I don't know when the GP Ladies PDF update was published but the latest version dated August 10 does include [Christina] Gao's name with the "(new)" designation for TEB."
Mae Berenice Meite was on the original TEB roster. Yrethe Silete's name removed only last month and her spot was given to Joshi Helgesson.

Everything is documented in this thread.

[Mrs. P]

Posted on August 8 in this thread:

Then, soon after, Li's name was scratched out (she ended up filling Cup of China's TBA host pick) and I posted:
"I don't know when the GP Ladies PDF update was published but the latest version dated August 10 does include [Christina] Gao's name with the "(new)" designation for TEB."
Mae Berenice Meite was on the original TEB roster. Yrethe Silete's name removed only last month and her spot was given to Joshi Helgesson.

Everything is documented in this thread.

Thanks, Sylvia. I got mixed up clearly--so many roster changes! Will edit my post for accuracy.

ETA: My original list I have from when the assignments were first posted doesn't have Mae Bernice on it. I assume she was quickly named as the third France TBD that is on that list, yes?

[victoriaheidi]

From Golden Skate's Finlandia recap article:

But doesn't that imply that she wants two GPs in the Olympic year, not this year?