Kana Muramoto confirmed 3 days ago that their Free Dance will be "La Bayadere to be continued": https://www.instagram.com/p/CQFPXOXM-O6/News Clip with English Subs - Kana MURAMOTO 村元哉中 & Daisuke TAKAHASHI 髙橋大輔 New RD Soran Bushi ソーラン節 & Koto
[ENG] Kana MURAMOTO & Daisuke TAKAHASHI 村元哉中/髙橋大輔 Live News α + めざましテレビ New RD "SORAN BUSHI & KOTO"
English Subtitles Live News α & Mezamashi TV Jun 15, 2021[Original/Official] Soran bushi - Maïa Barouh/ ソーラン節 - マイア・バルーhttps://youtu.be/8HkiEeIZZkYyoutu.be
Between being in sixth seed and not having a home event, yes, Guignard & Fabbri seem destined for both of P/C’s events (France and NHK, virtually guaranteed).
Do you think Canada will invite Chock & Bates? (The last time they did, it didn't go over that well).
As they’re the #4 seed, Canada wouldn’t have a choice if that’s what C/B want (as I expect they will).
While the wishes of the top two medalists are taken very seriously, sometimes the wishes of the next tier are not taken as seriously. It would be more affordable for Canada to invite C&B than any of the other teams. But Canada could protect F-B&S a bit from P&C by inviting F-B&S to Canada. And if Canada invites them + Gilles & Poirier, then Chock & Bates are not the most attractive option for SC.
C/B aren't going to be assigned SA. That will go to H/D and the USFS isn't going to want a head-to-head between their top two teams, both of which are strong medal contenders in Beijing. They'll most likely wind up at SC and RC.
Last time C/B were at SC, they were seeded 3rd so basically had no choice. I'm sure they would have preferred not to compete against V/M in their comeback season but the top 2 seeds didn't either, so... And V/M won, so it probably went over well for SC and the audience.
In normal times, it would probably be better for C/B to go to China and Russia (no P/C, likely at least 2nd, barring disaster) but with YKW and the less effective Chinese and Russian vaccines, Delta variant and who knows what else by then, I hope they don't go there. P/C will be in France and likely at NHK, so it seems like the best/safest option for C/B is SA and SC. We'll see what happens.
In terms of other teams, S/K will likely want China as their 2nd event so both H/D and G/P will need to compete against P/C. And yes, I assume G/F will be at P/C's events.
Also, it would leave the US with only one other host pick.
Well, they always have 3 picks for SA, and it's not like there are a lot of Senior teams that aren't already going to get 2 GPs. I agree that it's unlikely that C/B will be at SA, but this isn't a normal year, so I suspect there will be some unusual assignments (didn't someone post in the other thread that the U.S. won't give visas to Russian athletes, which would mean S/B couldn't be at SA, or is that no more?).
My understanding is that the US State Dept isn't issuing visas from it's Russian embassy or consulates which makes it more difficult to obtain visas for Russian citizens - they need to go to Belarus or some other neighboring country to complete the paperwork, etc. I don't think it's impossible but it certainly complicates any GP assignments - the easiest Russian team to assign to SA would be Z/G since they have British and Australian passports and won't have nearly as much difficulty obtaining visas.
Russia might do it. They chose to do so 4 years ago. S/K and S/B were pretty close earlier in this quadrennium & that makes a head-to-head less likely, but Russia might do it. (More likely if they can't send S/B to SA, which would probably wind up being a pretty safe top-2 finish over a likely H/B).
Thanks for the info. But re Z/G, I think GP/ISU rules specify that skaters have to travel on the passport/visa reqs of the country they are representing.
No, they only have to have that passport when they check in at the competition. I think they can travel on any passport/visa.
That's true - they could bite the bullet and give S/B a head-to-head with S/K at either RC or CoC if they can't send S/B to SA. But, the thing is, S/B are seeded behind C/B, so if C/B are looking screwed into two silvers, they'll choose SC and one of either CoC or RC. I don't see any way, unless S/B can get the SA assignment that they're going to be guaranteed two silvers - they are going to wind up as the third team at one of the events with P/C, same with G/F.
Neither would want that ideally, but in this scenario where S/B going to SkAm isn't possible, facing off against S/K is to my mind easily preferable to putting them in a situation where they would be favoured to come third (and handing the Italian team a silver medal on a platter).
But, they aren't going to have a choice since C/B are seeded ahead of them. Sure, facing off against S/K would be preferable than coming in 3rd but the only way that works is if Russia deliberately chooses to have S/K and S/B face each other in both events, and I'm not sure they could manage that.
That is a possibility - it would give them a week between competitions also. I wonder what S/K would choose if P/C wanted to go to CoC. Maybe choose NHK instead? I know Zhulin has said they like competing in China so I expect they'll want it but it would certainly make things interesting if there was an early S/K and P/C match.
As far as H&D go, though, I don't think it changes things.
I don't picture the Chinese Fed doing this without clueing in the Russian Fed. (Japan, yes. Hence, of course Zhulin thinks COC is a better idea).
I agree. I think H/D will probably want NHK regardless of whether they're facing S/K or P/C; and not doubt the Chinese fed will likely clue the Russian fed in if they were inviting P/C and let S/K make a choice of a different event if they want.
That is correct!
Why exactly would that be in Skate Canada’s interest to invite P/C? If they don’t, G/P are gold at best and silver at worst; if they do, it’s silver at best, bronze at worst.
It depends on which of the 4-6 seeded teams is also assigned to SC. I can’t see G/P losing to G/F and probably not to S/B either. The only risk for a bronze would be if C/B are also there, IMO.
Regardless of who is assigned as the second seed, inviting P/C is still Skate Canada throwing away its team's chance at the gold medal for...what?
As they are the fourth seed, if they want to go it would by custom be their invitation.
