2013 ISU World Team Trophy, April 11-14, in Tokyo

[kwanfan1818]

The two selection rules per the ISU Announcement are:

1. The only skaters/teams eligible are the ones whose scores are used to calculate the team qualification.
2. Any singles that is ranked Top 2 in WS for their country and placed Top 10 at Worlds must compete*; for teams, if there is more than one that meets these criteria, then the country can select between them+.

If I've done the math correctly -- please correct me if I've missed something -- these are the entry pools:

Canada:
Ladies:

*Osmond (WC 574, GP 400, WS 2, Top 10 WC)
Lacoste (4C 362, GP 236)

Men:

*Chan (WC 1200, GP 648, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
*Reynolds (WC 787, GP 262, WS 2, Top 10 WC)

Pairs:

+D/R (WC 972, GP 583, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
+M-T/M (WC 855, GP 525, WS 2, Top 10 WC) (D/R have the highest score in each category and are higher-ranked.)

Dance:

+V/M (WC 1080, GP 800, GP 400, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
+W/P (WC 787, WS 2, Top 10 WC) (V/M have the highest score in each category and are higher-ranked.)

USA:
Ladies:

*Wagner (WC 787, GP 720, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
Gold (WC 709)
Gao (GP 472)

Men:

Aaron (WC 638)
Miner (WC 365, GP 324)
Abbott (GP 360)

Pairs:

S/K (WC 517)
D/C (GP 324)
C/S (WC 339, GP 324)

Dance:

*D/W (WC 1200, GP 800, GP 400, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
C/B (WC 638) (D/W have the highest score in each category and are higher-ranked.)

Japan:
Ladies:

Suzuki (GP 648)
*Asada (WC 972, GP 800, WS 2, Top 10 WC)
Murkami (WC 875)

Men:

*Hanyu (WC 875, GP 720, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
*Takahashi (WC 709, GP 800, WS 2, Top 10 WC)

Pairs:
None

Dance:

R/R (WC 162, GP 262)
H/de la A (JWC 293) (Only one score from each category counts.)

Russia:
Ladies:

*Sotnikova (WC 517, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
Tuktamysheva (WC 465, GP 525, 360)
Lipnitskaia (GP 360)

Men:

Kovtun (WC 551)
Menshov (GP 292)
Voronov (EC 446, GP 324)

Pairs:

+V/T (WC 1200, GP 800, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
+B/L (WC 638, GP 720, WS 2, Top 10 WC) (V/T have the highest score in each category and are higher-ranked.)

Dance:

+B/S (WC 972, GP 525, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
+I/K (WC 517, GP 472, WS 2, Top 10 WC) (B/S have the highest score in each category and are higher-ranked.)

France:
Ladies:

Meite (WC 418, GP 262)
Gilleron-Gorry (JWC 293, JGP 120)

Men:

Amodio (WC 377, GP 324, GP 292)
*Joubert (WC 517, GP 292, WS 2, Top 10 WC)

Pairs:

*J/C (WC 574, GP 292, WS 2, Top 10 WC)
P/M (EC 446, GP 262) (Only one score from each category counts.)

Dance:

*P/B (WC 709, GP 648, GP 400, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
C/J (WC 377) (Only one score from each category counts.)

China:
Ladies:

*Li (WC 638, GP 292, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
K. Zhang (4CC 325)
Y. Zhang (GP 191)

Men:

Yan (4CC 680)
Song (WC 496, GP 262)
Guan (GP 236)
Wang (GP 236)

Pairs:

*P/T (WC 787, GP 648, GP 400, WS 1, Top 10 WC)
P/Z (WC 551) (Only one score from each category counts)

Dance:

H/Z (GP 213, GP 213)
Y/W (4CC 362)
Z/W (JWC 83) (Only one score from each category counts.)

[npavel]

By how much is Italy out?

[deneb]

By how much is Italy out?

720 points

6 CHN 4702
7 ITA 3982

[barbk]

Thank you, kwanfan!

I wonder who Russia will send?

[Marco]

Yes! There is no way Han Yan is not the second Chinese man for this.

The choice between Suzuki and Murakami is going to be important on so many levels.

[SamuraiK]

Yes! There is no way Han Yan is not the second Chinese man for this.

The choice between Suzuki and Murakami is going to be important on so many levels.

I think Murakami is the no brainer choice right now. She is the silver medallist at Nationals and was clearly the 2nd JPN lady at Worlds.

[Vash01]

I hope the USA will send Abbott to the team competition.

[kwanfan1818]

I misread the document: only the top score from dance or pairs for each category (WC/GP) counts and only that couple is theoretically eligible, although in practice, B/L competed in place of V/T last year, so all of these rules seem moot, except possibly for being excluded from shows between now and WTT.

That should mean that Russia has to sent V/T over B/L, since their scores are the highest in both categories, and B/S over I/K, and Canada has to send D/R over M-T/M and V/M over W/P, unless, of course, there is an injury. Canadian Stars on Ice doesn't start until 19 April, five days after WTT ends, and there can be recoveries in that amount of time, and, of course, the announcement has been ignored in past WTT's.

[Zemgirl]

That should mean that Russia has to sent V/T over B/L, since their scores are the highest in both categories, and B/S over I/K, and Canada has to send D/R over M-T/M and V/M over W/P, unless, of course, there is an injury. Canadian Stars on Ice doesn't start until 19 April, five days after WTT ends, and there can be recoveries in that amount of time, and, of course, the announcement has been ignored in past WTT's.

V/T found a way to get out of the WTT last year and my guess is that they will do so again this year. I think P/B might skip it too, claiming that Fabian is not fully recovered or something to that effect. They cannot risk losing to B/S twice in a row, and if he's not really competition-ready, they could run into trouble again; it was a risk worth taking at Worlds with Olympic spots at stake, but not here. Hanyu might sit the WTT out as well, if he's not fully recovered in time.

[Marco]

I think Murakami is the no brainer choice right now. She is the silver medallist at Nationals and was clearly the 2nd JPN lady at Worlds.

Murakami has disrupted the pecking order one season too early. Watch Suzuki's PCS drop like hot potatoes next season and suddenly Murakami will score 8s

[misskarne]

I hope the USA will send Abbott to the team competition.

I thought the US wanted to win the team competition.

But then I guess Max and Ross have earned a rest.

[tut88]

I was wondering if P/B will go to WTT after Worlds' s debacle.
well we will find out soon !
When do you think will be ready and public the lists of teams ?

[Sylvia]

From the WTT Announcement:

The Qualified ISU Members will be officially informed by the ISU Secretariat shortly after the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013 and must enter their Skaters/Couples by Monday, March 25, 2013. The official Entry Forms indicating the participating Skaters/Couples plus one substitute for each discipline (Ladies, Men, Pair Skating, Ice Dance) must reach the Organizing Committee of the ISU World Team Trophy and the ISU Secretariat on or before Monday, March 25, 2013.

Canada（7824）
USA（7156）
Japan（6823）
Russia（6648）
France（4826）
China（4702）

whispering's calculations are confirmed by the ISU: http://www2.isu.org/vsite/vnavsite/p...0.html?id=1294

[kwanfan1818]

V/T found a way to get out of the WTT last year and my guess is that they will do so again this year. I think P/B might skip it too, claiming that Fabian is not fully recovered or something to that effect. They cannot risk losing to B/S twice in a row, and if he's not really competition-ready, they could run into trouble again; it was a risk worth taking at Worlds with Olympic spots at stake, but not here. Hanyu might sit the WTT out as well, if he's not fully recovered in time.

I don't understand why the Top 2 in WS shouldn't officially be considered for an entry, even if the scores aren't used, when the other entry is Top 10 Worlds. It's not like B/L, M-T/M, W/P, or I/K are chopped liver, and having competitors who want to be there has got to be more fun for the audience and other team members, given the format.

Why the ISU bothers to write this stuff up and then ignore it time after time...

ETA:

"The ISU in consultation with JSF may authorize to invite to take part in the Exhibition a total of four Skaters/Couples who achieved the best results in the applicable Grand Prix of Figure Skating and World Championships among Skaters/Couples of the respective discipline but who belong to a Member or Members whose team(s) did not qualify for the ISU World Team Trophy competition. Details for the invitation are to be announced later. The relevant expenses will be at the charge of the organizing ISU Member (JSF)."

Just looking at the Worlds podiums, the best-placed athletes whose country is not competing would be Kim, Kostner, Ten, Fernandez, and S/S. Maybe they'll break their own rules and invite all five and ignore ice dance, since it's on the Japanese Fed's dime, and each will do a version of a competitive program, like Kostner's "Bolero" instead of the usual fluff.

[euterpe]

Scott Moir hates WTT - do V/M have to go? If they don't, which two teams would go?

[Sylvia]

If V/M decline, Weaver/Poje could go if she feels up to it. Only 1 dance and 1 pair team per country go to WTT.

[Spun Silver]

Is it just me or is the timing of this event horrible? Can't the skaters get a little rest, esp. right before the Olympic season?

[morqet]

Scott Moir hates WTT - do V/M have to go? If they don't, which two teams would go?

It's only one dance team - in theory Canada must select either V/M or W/P as they finished in the top 10 at Worlds. But V/M could probably skip if they cited injury - obviously it would be more important to lok after Tessa's legs than go to WTT & I'm sure they probably don't want to risk losing to D/W for the 4th time in a row. Not sure if W/P would want to do it after Weaver's injury - coming back for Worlds was amazing but they might want to give her a bit more of a break to make sure it's fully healed for next season. I wouldn't be all that surprised if SC selected G/P instead.

[Zemgirl]

Is it just me or is the timing of this event horrible? Can't the skaters get a little rest, esp. right before the Olympic season?

It's a fun ending to the season for anyone who wants to go, with great audiences and some very nice prize money. There are still a good five months afterward until the start of the season, so no, I don't see any scheduling issue. It didn't seem to do anyone any harm back in 2009.

[icellist]

Imagine a team of skaters from nations that didn't make the cut

MEN: Denis Ten, Javier Fernandez
LADIES: Yuna Kim, Carolina Kostner
PAIRS: S/S
DANCE: C/L

So gooooooooood XDDDD