Canadian Olympic Figure Skating Team Announced; also World/4CC/Junior World teams

[skatingguy]

That’s true but supposedly Skate Canada doesn’t even want to send a girl on the JGP without a 3lutz but yet a girl is going to the Olympics without one (argue all you want about Austman but she does not have a reliable lutz).

Cotop didn't have a lutz jump during the first of her Junior Grand Prix event this season.

 

[tony]

Chartrand has gone 5 for 17 on her attempted triples between NHK and Nationals. She may have a 3Lz+3T pop up here or there (NHK LP), but it's not like she's landing it consistently or landed much of anything else so far this season. If you include Autumn Classic, I believe the total is now 8 out of 27.

Austman, on the other hand, had 4 clean triples just in her Nationals free skate.

If Chartrand had been skating well all season and a flukey SP (which it wasn't since it was on par with NHK)/skating early with the long break in-between supposedly was the argument for her not being able to climb back up to the medals, maybe. But she's had an awful season.

 

[Sylvia]

Cotop didn't have a lutz jump during the first of her Junior Grand Prix event this season.

Aurora Cotop had a 3Lz planned (required solo jump out of steps in Jr. SP this season) but popped it to a single in Brisbane. She included 3Lz in both programs in her 2nd JGP in Gdansk (fell with ! call in SP, landed cleanly with +0.1 GOE in her FS).

 

[overedge]

Hometown paper interview with Austman. The sidebar (below the main story) says she plans on staying in for the next four years.
http://www.tricitynews.com/sports/austman-achieves-her-olympic-dream-1.23144161

 

[Marco]

But she's had an awful season.

She wasn't so hot last season either.

 

[AlbertaBoy]

They skate more as one that Williams did with Orford, and they skated together for five years.

I loved Orford and :wuzzrobbed when she and Hill didn't continue.

So really you just don't like Thomas

 

[kwanfan1818]

So really you just don't like Thomas

No, I do like him, quite a lot. I used to see him at BC Summerskate. I just don't think he really meshed with Orford, who had lots of potential with Hill, or with Arnold so far.

 

[Lil Sarah]

(I’m posting this in relevant threads hoping more people see it)

Help send Michael Marinaro’s parents to the Olympics to watch him and Kirsten Moore-Towers compete! The community is trying to raise $25,000 in order to buy his mom a first class ticket as she broke her pelvis a few weeks ago.

A link to the news article :http://blackburnnews.com/sarnia/sarnia-news/2018/01/19/olympic-fundraiser-figure-skaters-parents/

A direct link to the go fund me: https://www.gofundme.com/send-marinaros-to-olympics

 

[Sylvia]

Local Anchorage NBC news story on Keegan Messing as he and his mom arrived at the airport in Alaska on Monday: http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Local-figure-skating-community-welcomes-Messing--469640913.html

I'll cross-post in this thread as well... A friend of Keegan Messing's mother has set up a GoFundMe to help with the Messing family's expenses: https://www.gofundme.com/messing-family-olympic-expenses

 

[Alilou]

Local Anchorage NBC news story on Keegan Messing as he and his mom arrived at the airport in Alaska on Monday: http://www.ktuu.com/content/news/Local-figure-skating-community-welcomes-Messing--469640913.html

This NBC video is a brilliant, if disturbing example of how the media manipulates the news to suit the story they want. Anyone watching who didn't know better (which is most people probably) would be absolutely convinced that Keegan won the Canadian championships since they show Keegan's K&C that put him in 1st (at that point in the competition) with Rod Black shouting "Keegan Messing is in first place at Canadians". This is followed by the news anchor referring to the bouquet that Keegan gave his mom as a victory bouquet and then they talk about the Olys and the other anchor says "I hope he wins". I love that Keegan skated so well, and I love that he won the silver medal, and I love that he's on the Cdn Oly team, but really this was just a but too much bullshit manipulation for me.

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ Huh? The reporter's voice over at the 1-minute mark mentioned that Messing is the only figure skater from Alaska to ever qualify for the Olympics "after taking second overall at nationals held in Vancouver over the past weekend." It's in the article, too.

 

[Alilou]

^^^ Huh? The reporter's voice over at the 1-minute mark mentioned that Messing is the only figure skater from Alaska to ever qualify for the Olympics "after taking second overall at nationals held in Vancouver over the past weekend." It's in the article, too.

Oops. I was actually just going to go back and check on the opening statements. Still I think the K&C moment would drown out the previous info. Which I did for me obviously Whatevs - it's not that big a deal. It just struck me that K&C moment was manipulative, and also calling it a victory bouquet, etc.

 

[Japanfan]

Help send Michael Marinaro’s parents to the Olympics to watch him and Kirsten Moore-Towers compete! The community is trying to raise $25,000 in order to buy his mom a first class ticket as she broke her pelvis a few weeks ago.

Wasn't there another family asking for about $6,000? The Messings are asking for about $4,000. ETA: Sorry, I see that was wrong. They are asking for 10K (4K already collected).

Even with a first class ticket, $25,000 sounds awfully high to me.

 

[mag]

Wasn't there another family asking for about $6,000? The Messings are asking for about $4,000.

Even with a first class ticket, $25,000 sounds awfully high to me.

I think Mirai’s Gofundme was $6000

 

[Sylvia]

I think Mirai’s Gofundme was $6000

Nagasu's was $11,000 (U.S. Figure Skating's cost estimate for one attendee) and donors already have contributed more than that amount on the youcaring.com (not GoFundMe) website.

 

[coppertop1]

She wasn't so hot last season either.

She hasn't been great since winning her Canadian title

Who in the world was not predicting an epic Chartrand meltdown?

I wasn't really expecting it in the SP. I thought she'd falter in the long.

 

[emilieh]

Wasn't there another family asking for about $6,000? The Messings are asking for about $4,000.

Even with a first class ticket, $25,000 sounds awfully high to me.

I spoke to someone who said that she wanted to buy a first class ticket to Seoul, but the tickets during Feb were running about $17,000, so she ran the other way screaming.

 

[DE93]

Wasn't there another family asking for about $6,000? The Messings are asking for about $4,000.

Even with a first class ticket, $25,000 sounds awfully high to me.

From what I understand, this fundraiser was set up by a friend of the family/someone from the community - I'm not sure they would have known a realistic ballpark of cost other than "expensive".

ETA: All these links make me wish I had the funds to donate to them all - everyone deserves to have their family there. Skating often is a whole family commitment.

 

[Japanfan]

I spoke to someone who said that she wanted to buy a first class ticket to Seoul, but the tickets during Feb were running about $17,000, so she ran the other way screaming.

I checked Air Canada for Vancouver to Seoul flights during the Olympics. The lowest regular priced ticket is $1,000, the highest almost $2,000.

For Business Class, flights range from $3000 - $4000. And Air Canada is not the cheapest airline for international travel.

 

[CdnSk8Fan]

Truthfully.. to flying to Asia is best with an Asian airline -food options are better & taste better, better customer service and for generally less than $100/$200 more in the pricing it really is worth the better experience.
Depending on type plane and what seats are available, Business/First Class can run upwards of $6K to $10K per person

 

[Vera Costa]

For Business Class, flights range from $3000 - $4000. And Air Canada is not the cheapest airline for international travel.

Are you looking for one-way or roundtrip flights? AC's Business Class roundtrip is around 5-6K per person.

I looked up Korean Airlines First Class roundtrip and it's around 13-14 CAD.

 

[Japanfan]

Are you looking for one-way or roundtrip flights? AC's Business Class roundtrip is around 5-6K per person.

One way. I punched in two one-way flights for business class during the Olympics. I think there was also an option for Premium Economy, however, and I assumed that was lower than business class.

I looked up Korean Airlines First Class roundtrip and it's around 13-14 CAD.

From where to where?

 

[mackiecat]

Plus the Marinaro's don't live in Vancouver, they live in Sarnia, On

 

[Vera Costa]

From where to where?

Montreal to Seoul.

Plus the Marinaro's don't live in Vancouver, they live in Sarnia, On

Which would have them flying out of Toronto?

 

[coppertop1]

Will the Olympic team be flying out of Vancouver or Toronto

 

[mag]

Will the Olympic team be flying out of Vancouver or Toronto

I suspect it will depend on where they live.

 

[WildRose]

Will the Olympic team be flying out of Vancouver or Toronto

Normally team members meet up in Vancouver then fly over on the athletes charter when the Olympics are in Asia. While I totally understand athletes wanting their families to be there to watch, they won’t be spending much time with them, at least prior to their events. Most athletes stay in the Olympic Village, train, eat their meals, and socialize with other athletes.

 

[Rock2]

Help send Michael Marinaro’s parents to the Olympics to watch him and Kirsten Moore-Towers compete! The community is trying to raise $25,000 in order to buy his mom a first class ticket as she broke her pelvis a few weeks ago.

My first reaction was probably the same as everyone else -- that this is a terrible and poorly-timed injury and how great it is that people are helping out.

When I think about it more, my more objective thoughts are that I hope they are weighing the practical issues. This would all depend on how bad her condition is. I'm not sure if/how well she can walk or how easy it is for her to sit. I know the venues are set up for people with disabilities but injuries are over and above that. There still may be periods of prolonged standing or sitting or waiting in lines as you move around the venues. I'd be worried if my mom was flying across the world and moving about crowded venues in a fragile state.

in addition, if she is in any danger of further injury they need to think about that. I think back to the story of Caroline Zhang falling down when she came home from the hospital after hip and pelvis surgery. If they can't afford a plane ticket, how well can they afford a hospital bill if she has an issue while there...? Medical insurance doesn't cover pre-existing conditions.

I'm sure they are smart people and think through all the issues without getting too caught up in the emotions of the opportunity. If I was a betting man I'd say Mike would be going to Beijing, too, so this isn't the end of it I don't think

I hope it works out.

 

[victorskid]

Michael's mother posted on Facebook about the article on the fundraising:

Thank you Jane Ryan how thoughtful and generous, but we will not need near that much we are only going for one week. I'll be fine getting stronger everyday

Thank you again your so kind. We will be home for opening ceremonies and will fly out on the tenth.

So Excited

 

[screech]

Since I'm sure most events are sold out, how does it work for families to get to watch the Games? Does the country's Olympic committee purchase a certain number of tickets for the athlete's events for the families?

Some skaters, like V/M, D/R and Chan were givens to go to the Games (barring injuries), so if tickets aren't set aside, I'm sure their families bought them in advance, but what about people like Keegan? I doubt his family thought to purchase tickets to the skating events until he was named to the team.