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

[caseyedwards]

Are we sure Voronov wasn't offered WTT and just turned it down, hence the assignment of Kovtun? The situation might be as simple and unpolitical as that honestly..

This could be true but kovtun points should have ended at the jgpf. But then it it's also true he may have done jr worlds and got Points there and maybe after a voronov wd he would have had enough points to go. But all points earned after the jgpf are all politics and kovtun having great lobbyists to send him places.

[shsocu]

Team USA
http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49113&type=media

LADIES
Gracie Gold
Ashley Wagner

MEN
Max Aaron
Jeremy Abbott

PAIRS
Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir

ICE DANCING
Madison Chock and Evan Bates

[emma1227]

Excited that Abbott, has he been training?

[Tak]

Team USA
http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=49113&type=media


ICE DANCING
Madison Chock and Evan Bates

Does anyone know why D/W are not coming? Is one of them injured? I thought that was the only reason the federation could substitute someone else.

[Sylvia]

The Icenetwork version of the press release includes this sentence:
"Meryl Davis and Charlie White have elected not to compete at World Team Trophy so they may focus on their training for the upcoming Olympic season."

Davis/White can elect not to compete at WTT as long as they comply with this provision of the Announcement:

Any Skater/Couple from a Qualified ISU Member, who placed within the first ten (10) places at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013 and is ranked in the ISU World Standings among the best 2 Lady Single Skaters, best 2 Men Single Skaters, the best Pair Skating couple and the best Ice Dance couple of his/her/their respective Qualified ISU Member, if this Skater/Couple elects in advance of the ISU World Team Trophy not to participate in the ISU World Team Trophy (for whatever reason), he/she/they will not be permitted to participate in any other competitions, shows, and exhibitions from Monday noon (March 18, 2013) after the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013, during the ISU World Team Trophy, and until April 15, 2013.

ETA: Abbott is the top ranked U.S. man (#8) in the current ISU World Standings.

[casken]

Really liking how this roster is shaping up. Abbott is a nice addition, and I'm happy to see Mura and Suzuki there as well.

Not having D&W and V&M there opens the dance event up and should make for a fun battle between B&S, W&P, and hopefully P&B, if they show.

I just wish Italy qualified. They were so last year.

[Erin]

It does seem weird that the event is weighted so singles counts more than pairs and dance.

Japan is hosting the event and Japanese TV is putting up the money, so I suspect that either the Japanese federation or TV people had some say in the event being weighted more towards singles, since that is what Japan is good at. This isn't meant to be a slam on Japan BTW - the event is pretty fluffy and ultimately doesn't mean a lot in the grand scheme, so I have no problem with the people who are organizing it and paying for it having some say in what the rules are for the team total.

[Skittl1321]

Japan is hosting the event and Japanese TV is putting up the money, so I suspect that either the Japanese federation or TV people had some say in the event being weighted more towards singles, since that is what Japan is good at. This isn't meant to be a slam on Japan BTW - the event is pretty fluffy and ultimately doesn't mean a lot in the grand scheme, so I have no problem with the people who are organizing it and paying for it having some say in what the rules are for the team total.

Since this event served somewhat as a trial for the Olympic team event, is the weighting THERE going to be uneven as well?

[misskarne]

At the team event in Sochi, though, there's only one man and one lady on each team, not two.

[Sylvia]

Since this event served somewhat as a trial for the Olympic team event, is the weighting THERE going to be uneven as well?

See: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3881107

[A.H.Black]

In looking at the schedule in the ISU announcement, I find it unusual that pairs is not first, but third. Pairs and ladies free will be the last events. I find it even more puzzling considering Japan has no pairs team.


Question - For Sochi, I understand that substitutions will be allowed - so the same skater does not have to skate both the short and the free. For example - Gracie Gold could skate the short and Ashley Wagner could skate the free. I'm assuming there are no substitutions for this year's World Team Competition.

[Sylvia]

I'm assuming there are no substitutions for this year's World Team Competition.

Correct. Both singles skaters on each team must compete their SP and FS, just like in 2009 and 2012.

[kwanfan1818]

Davis/White can elect not to compete at WTT as long as they comply with this provision of the Announcement:

ETA: Abbott is the top ranked U.S. man (#8) in the current ISU World Standings.

The ISU can elect to kick the team out if the top skaters elect not to compete:

Furthermore, in case that one or more of the best ranked Skaters/Couples (in the ISU World Standings valid after the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2013) of a Qualified ISU Member elects not to participate, the ISU reserves the right to exclude such team from the competition and to invite instead the Member/s whose team is ranked next in the ISU World Team Trophy qualification list.

but I suspect the Japanese Federation/event sponsor and Japanese TV would not be so pleased if this were to happen.

Re: Abbott, he was one of three US Men whose points were used for the US team's eligibility -- Aaron and Miner were the others -- and since none of them were both Top 2 WS for the US -- Abbott was 1 and Miner was 2 -- and Top 10 at Worlds -- only Aaron was -- USFS complied with the rules by choosing Abbott and Miner. Similarly, there were three US Pairs teams that contributed points, with the top two WS teams being D/C and C/S, but the only Top 10 at Worlds team, S/K, was WS 3 for the US, and the USFS could choose any of the three.

Also, if a skater/team withdraws due to illness or injury, "The Skater/Couple withdrawn for any reason, including injury or illness, cannot take part in any skating event until the date decided and published by the ISU." It would be safer for V/M to elect not to compete than get an injury withdrawal, because the ISU could pick a date after Canadian Stars on Ice, were it to be in a punitive mood.

There are all kinds of land mines in that document.

[professordeb]

Congrats to Abbott on being selected to represent the US. I'm sure he has been training hard for this shot. I wish him well.

[Coco]

I wish they would have a World All Star team featuring the highest ranking (& available) skater / team in each discipline who doesn't represent a country already competing.

[casken]

I wish they would have a World All Star team featuring the highest ranking (& available) skater / team in each discipline who doesn't represent a country already competing.

Me too, but that team would probably always win easily.

I'm not 100% on the qualification guidelines, but I assume it would be something like Kim/Kostner, Ten/Fernandez, S&S in pairs and C&L in dance? That would destroy every other team.

[julieann]

Not having D&W and V&M there opens the dance event up and should make for a fun battle between B&S, W&P, and hopefully P&B, if they show.

It will hurt both the teams though.

[shan]

It will hurt both the teams though.

How so?

[dots]

Well without D/W the US chances plummet to pretty much 0 .

Something tells me W/P will beat B/S this time.

[kwanfan1818]

Well without D/W the US chances plummet to pretty much 0.

If Worlds-like results prevail (bold is confirmed), and I'm guessing for the non-Worlds skaters:

Ladies:
3rd Asada (JPN)-12
5th Wagner (USA)-11
6th Gold (USA)-10
7th: Li (CHN)-9
8th: Osmond (CAN)-8
9th: Sotnikova (RUS) (tentative)-7
10th: Tuktamysheva (RUS) (tentative)-6
11th: Meite (FRA)-5
12th: Suzuki (JPN)-4

Possible: K. Zhang (CHN, 23rd WC, 10th 4CC)-3?, Gilleron-Gorry (FRA, 11th EC)-2?, Lacoste (CAN, 9th 4CC)-1

USA: 21
RUS: 17
JPN: 16
CHN: 12
CAN: 9
FRA: 7

Men:
1st: Chan (CAN)-12
5th: Reynolds (CAN)-11
6th: Takahashi (JPN)-10
7th: Aaron (USA)-8
8th: Mura (JPN)-7
9th: Joubert (FRA)-6
12th: Amodio (FRA)-5
15th: Song (CHN)-3
27th: Kovtun (RUS)-2 (tentative)

Confirmed: Abbott (USA, 2nd at GP)-4, Menshov (RUS, 4th at GP, tentative)-1

Possible: Yan (CHN, 3rd 4CC)-9

CAN: 23
JPN: 17
CHN: 12
USA: 12
FRA: 11
RUS: 3

Dance:
3rd: B/S (RUS, tentative)-12
5th: W/P (CAN)-11
6th: P/B (FRA)-10
7th: C/B (USA)-9
20th: R/R (JPN)-8

Possible: Huang/Zheng (CHN, 7th GP) or Y/W (9th 4CC)-7

Pairs:
1st: V/T (RUS, tentative)-12
3rd: D/R (CAN)-11
5th: P/T (CHN)-- probably will not skate due to injury
8th: J/C (FRA)-10
11th: P/Z (CHN)-9
13th: C/S (USA)-8

No Japanese team. JPN-0

If the Worlds results held, and I'm not far off the other possible skaters, then the results would be:

CAN: 54
USA: 50
RUS: 44
JPN: 41
CHN: 40
FRA: 38

Obviously a D/W win is much better than a likely C/B 4th, but even a second brings 170K to split eight ways, not so shabby. Of course, if Chan underachieves and Castelli/Shnapir or Abbott overachieve, those results would be quite different, but the Russian Ladies might surpass their Worlds performances, the French Men could redeem themselves, the Russian Men might have a revival, and Suzuki could have the performance she needed in London, etc.