World Medalist, no GPF

[briancoogaert]

But I thought she should have won the 1997 Laliique Trophy.

Based on reputation ?

[PashaFan]

Based on reputation ?

No, I just thought Tara had done enough to win. It was a very average skate from her but the program was better IMO. Hubert skated really well but the choreography did nothing for me.
I liked Tanja Szewzenko's free much more than Tara's in the Champion Series Final.
The 1997 Champion Series Events were fantastic. I have fond memories of it.
Chen Lu, Szewzenko & Butyrskaya at the NHK Trophy a high point.

[julieann]

The criteria that makes up someone getting into the GPF doesn't mean someone is lucky to have a world medal and not a never a GPF appearance.

The selection process alone is daunting. If you are coming off an injury in the summer, if your luggage is lost and you can't compete so you miss one of the competitions, you can't get a visa, you skated the short but were too sick to skate the free, etc...all of these are reasons to be kept out of the GPF even if you won the first GP you were assigned.

You could have won all competitions all year. Has anyone even made the GPF with one competition? I doubt it. So being a world medalist who never went to the GPF is really no big deal, especially if you are still young. you could be that good and just unlucky in the beginning of the season. Even two seasons in a row.

[briancoogaert]

The criteria that makes up someone getting into the GPF doesn't mean someone is lucky to have a world medal and not a never a GPF appearance.

The selection process alone is daunting. If you are coming off an injury in the summer, if your luggage is lost and you can't compete so you miss one of the competitions, you can't get a visa, you skated the short but were too sick to skate the free, etc...all of these are reasons to be kept out of the GPF even if you won the first GP you were assigned.

You could have won all competitions all year. Has anyone even made the GPF with one competition? I doubt it. So being a world medalist who never went to the GPF is really no big deal, especially if you are still young. you could be that good and just unlucky in the beginning of the season. Even two seasons in a row.

I don't remember exactly, but I think Michelle Kwan could be at the GPF in 2002-2003 after her win at Skate America.

[julieann]

I don't remember exactly, but I think Michelle Kwan could be at the GPF in 2002-2003 after her win at Skate America.

She did win Skate America in 2002-her only competition, and I don't know why she wouldn't have gone to the GPF if she could have-she didn't (it was 10 years ago I can't remember if she was injured) I don't see point wise how anyone today could make it even if they win a gold.

[screech]

All this GPF talk is reminding me of the year EMANUEL won the GPF because Plushy Nobu'd his LP by doing an extra combo (before they changed the rule to allow 3).

Oh how I miss Eman.

[Nours]

Plushenko made it to the GPF in 2005 and won it, if I remember correctly, with only one event : 2004 COR.

[julieann]

Plushenko made it to the GPF in 2005 and won it, if I remember correctly, with only one event : 2004 CO.

Plushenko was actually the first alternate that year and only got to go because Johnny Weir dropped out.

[attyfan]

She did win Skate America in 2002-her only competition, and I don't know why she wouldn't have gone to the GPF if she could have-she didn't (it was 10 years ago I can't remember if she was injured) I don't see point wise how anyone today could make it even if they win a gold.

Michelle was taking the "GP" season off that year (she did it after Nagano Olys, also); she only did SA as a "substitute" at the request of the USFS, after OGM Sarah Hughes withdrew (I suppose they needed a really big name after Sarah's withdrawal). So, she refused her chance to go to the GPF.

[Rob]

Rudy Galindo 1996 World Bronze Medalist? Did he ever make a Champions Series Final? Or Phillippe Candeloro?

[Vagabond]

Sonja Henie won 10 Worlds and never skated in a GP Final!

Henie just wasn't much of an early-season skater.

[gkelly]

Rudy Galindo 1996 World Bronze Medalist? Did he ever make a Champions Series Final?

No. But considering that his last year of competing was the first year of the Champions Series -- and he didn't have any fall competition assignments that year -- it's not surprising.

Or Phillippe Candeloro?

Had to look it up. No he didn't. More surprising since he won more medals and competed on the series for three seasons. In 1997-98 he was first alternate.

If the series had existed in 1994-5 he would have made it. Maybe 1993-94 depending which two of his three events counted.

[misskarne]

Why not? At the moment, he is a World medalist who has never made the GPF. Of course, this could change or it could not. However, at the present moment he is part of that group.

Uhh...because he's 19? And still has a long career ahead of him to change it?

He's not exactly been given the greatest two assignments to change things this year, either...the guaranteed Chan-win at Skate Canada and then the pretty tough field at CoR wouldn't exactly have been my first picks for him.

[briancoogaert]

Rudy Galindo 1996 World Bronze Medalist? Did he ever make a Champions Series Final? Or Phillippe Candeloro?

If we consider skaters who were World medalist and competed during GP series, then Surya Bonaly never made the GPF.

[PeterG]

Uhh...because he's 19? And still has a long career ahead of him to change it?

He's not exactly been given the greatest two assignments to change things this year, either...the guaranteed Chan-win at Skate Canada and then the pretty tough field at CoR wouldn't exactly have been my first picks for him.

Like Chan will come in fifth place at his other events??

P.S. Could we agree to use surnames in place of he/she? When you use the pronoun and you're quoting someone who used a pronoun, we have to search through your old posts to figure out who you are talking about. (This is Ross Miner being discussed, right?)