ISU 2021-22 Junior Grand Prix announcement

[Karen-W]

USFS has added the Poland entries and placeholders to their international assignments page: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...22-international-assignments-and-results.aspx

Ladies: Clare Seo confirmed , Josephine Lee as a placeholder
Men: Kai Kovar and Maxim Kharkov as placeholders - definitely glad to see the US get an extra spot
Pairs: Smirnova/Siianytsia and Martins Bedard (both teams confirmed)
Dance: Flores/Tsarevski and Neset/Markelov, who share a coach, are both confirmed

No changes to the earlier outstanding placeholders (i.e. they're still just placeholders officially): Broussard for Russia, Thorngren and Kalin for Slovenia

Based on this, it seems the Browns must be going to Austria (maybe alongside Ling/Wein?) and quite possibly Isabeau Levito also.

Seems reasonable to expect Ling/Wein to get the 2nd dance spot in Austria. We should have a 2nd woman in Austria also.

I think it's more likely that Levito will get the Poland assignment instead of Lee and Ziegler will be sent to Austria (should she hold her own against the 4 Russians, Repond, Kim, Gutmann and Suleymanova). And then there's Kanon Smith and Elsa Cheng who have yet to receive assignments but are listed on the ISU entry lists as substitutes for the next 3 JGPs.

I'm surprised Malinin hasn't been officially confirmed for a 2nd assignment yet. Men listed on the ISU entry lists as substitutes for the next 3 JGPs include Jacob Sanchez, Matthew Nielsen and Joseph Klein. I'm glad the US is picking up some extra spots but I'd like to see them spread around a bit - maybe Sanchez and Nielsen for Poland?

 

[ЭPiKUilyam]

I think USFS just wants to avoid sending their best skaters to events that have more Russian skaters than usual.

But this is what I don't understand. Since the JGPF will be based on total scores and not total placements, wouldn't an American skater (like Levito or Thorngren) WANT to compete against the Russians, where their scores will also be inflated if they are at similar level to the Russians? I'd want to compete against the top Russians and hope I could compare favorably to them. It just seems like a bad move to keep the good US skaters from competing against the Russians.

 

[seabm7]

But this is what I don't understand. Since the JGPF will be based on total scores and not total placements, wouldn't an American skater (like Levito or Thorngren) WANT to compete against the Russians, where their scores will also be inflated if they are at similar level to the Russians? I'd want to compete against the top Russians and hope I could compare favorably to them. It just seems like a bad move to keep the good US skaters from competing against the Russians.

The ISU world standing is still based on the placement, which will be useful for GP assignments in future.

 

[Karen-W]

I think USFS just wants to avoid sending their best skaters to events that have more Russian skaters than usual.

But this is what I don't understand. Since the JGPF will be based on total scores and not total placements, wouldn't an American skater (like Levito or Thorngren) WANT to compete against the Russians, where their scores will also be inflated if they are at similar level to the Russians? I'd want to compete against the top Russians and hope I could compare favorably to them. It just seems like a bad move to keep the good US skaters from competing against the Russians.

Honestly, initially, I kind of thought the US was avoiding tough competition by sending "weaker" skaters to the events that have more Russians than usual but upon further thought and seeing these assignments play out over the first five events, I don't really think that. The USFS assigned Malinin, Thorngren, Seo and Levito to the Courchevel JGPs and Kalin to Kosice before the ISU and Russia realized that they wouldn't be able to get their skaters into France. If the USFS was truly interested in avoiding sending their best skaters to events with more Russians, they would have switched Kalin with either Thorngren or Seo, but they didn't. My guess with the Krasnoyarsk assignments is that they asked their skaters & parents who was willing/interested in traveling to Russia (for a couple of reasons - 1) it's the longest/hardest trip for NA-based skaters, 2) C19 conditions). The top skaters who said "sign me up" were given the Russia assignments. There are plenty of spots to spread out the rest of the skaters without worrying too much about how many Russian skaters they'll be facing.

We don't know how the ISU will determine the JGPF entries. We are assuming that it will be based on total scores rather than total placements. That might be the case. Or, it could be that they take the 1st place finishers in all 7 events for the singles & dance and the 1st/2nd place finishers from the 4 pairs events. That might be a better way of balancing against score inflation at some events. But, nothing official has been announced yet.

Bottom line - I don't think the USFS is purposefully keeping their best skaters from competing against the best Russian skaters.

 

[barbarafan]

Food poisoning

What a crappy way to end what should have been a great experience

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

What a crappy way to end what should have been a great experience

Literally.

 

[euterpe]

But this is what I don't understand. Since the JGPF will be based on total scores and not total placements, wouldn't an American skater (like Levito or Thorngren) WANT to compete against the Russians, where their scores will also be inflated if they are at similar level to the Russians? I'd want to compete against the top Russians and hope I could compare favorably to them. It just seems like a bad move to keep the good US skaters from competing against the Russians.

Let's get real. Sure, the Russians' scores at Krasnoyarsk will be inflated, but who really thinks the US scores would be equally inflated? Not happening.

 

[Stephanie]

USFS updated their international assignments page today and Lucas Broussard is now confirmed for Russia as is Lindsay Thorngren for Slovenia.

Thorngren and Flores/Tsarevski have finally been removed for Kosice

 

[danafan]

Skate Canada updated their assignments page for the JGPs in Ljubljana and Gdansk.

Ljubljana:

MEN
ALEC GUINZBOURG

WOMEN
AUDREANNE FOSTER

ICE DANCE
NATALIE D’ALESSANDRO / BRUCE WADDELL
ALYSSA ROBINSON / JACOB PORTZ

Gdansk:

WOMEN
CATHERINE CARLE

ICE DANCE
HAILEY YU / BRENDAN GIANG
CHAIMA BEN KHELIFA / EVEREST ZHU

PAIR
CHLOE PANETTA / KIERAN THRASHER

 

[mackiecat]

Are Brooke and Ben ( Canada) injured? I’m surprised they haven’t been assigned.

 

[Colonel Green]

Are Brooke and Ben ( Canada) injured? I’m surprised they haven’t been assigned.

They were only doing doubles at NextGen Camp, so I would guess yes, they’re either dealing with injury or growth (she was visibly taller than when we last saw her).

 

[Stephanie]

Gdansk entries are up: https://results.isu.org/events/fsevent00110965.htm

 

[Sylvia]

ISU JGP Baltic Cup 2021 entries as of Aug. 31 (still no Japanese singles skaters ):

Junior Men
Entries
No. Name Nation
1 Semen DANILIANTS ARM 1
Mikayel SALAZARYAN ARM 1 S
2 Vasil BARAKHOUSKI BLR 2
3 Mikalai KAZLOU BLR 2
Alexander LEBEDEV BLR 2 S
Yauhenii PUZANAU BLR 2 S
4 Filip KAIMAKCHIEV BUL 3
5 Jegor MARTSENKO EST 4
Arlet LEVANDI EST 4 S
Mihhail SELEVKO EST 4 S
6 Edward APPLEBY GBR 5
Freddie LEGGOTT GBR 5 S
Joseph Alexander ZAKIPOUR GBR 5 S
7 Lev VINOKUR ISR 6
Nikita KOVALENKO ISR 6 S
Iakov POGREBINSKII ISR 6 S
8 Matteo NALBONE ITA 7
9 Gabriel RENOLDI ITA 7
Tommaso BARISON ITA 7 S
Edoardo COMI ITA 7 S
Nikolaj MEMOLA ITA 7 S
10 Mikhail SHAIDOROV KAZ 8
11 Hangil KIM KOR 9 (1 extra man here)
12 Hyungyeom KIM KOR 9
Younghyun CHA KOR 9 S
Jaekeun LEE KOR 9 S
13 Egor KHLOPKOV POL 10
14 Jakub LOFEK POL 10
15 Gleb LUTFULLIN RUS 11
16 Egor RUKHIN RUS 11
Andrei ANISIMOV RUS 11 S
Vladislav DIKIDZHI RUS 11 S
Aleksandr GOLUBEV RUS 11 S
Artem KOVALEV RUS 11 S
Kirill SARNOVSKIY RUS 11 S
Nikolai UGOZHAEV RUS 11 S
Ilya YABLOKOV RUS 11 S
Fedor ZONOV RUS 11 S
17 Naoki ROSSI SUI 12
Georgii PAVLOV SUI 12 S
18 Casper JOHANSSON SWE 13
Jonathan EGYPTSON SWE 13 S
Andreas NORDEBACK SWE 13 S
Oliver PRAETORIUS SWE 13 S
19 Chindanai PONSING THA 14
20 Yu-Hsiang LI TPE 15
21 Alp Tore OVALIOGLU TUR 16
Efe Ergin DINCER TUR 16 S
Ali Efe GUNES TUR 16 S
Alp Eren OZKAN TUR 16 S
22 Andrey KOKURA UKR 17
Fedir KULISH UKR 17 S
Kyrylo LISHENKO UKR 17 S
Kyrylo MARSAK UKR 17 S
23 Kai KOVAR USA 18 (placeholder)
24 Maxim ZHARKOV USA 18 (placeholder)
William ANNIS USA 18 S
Lucas BROUSSARD USA 18 S
Joseph KLEIN USA 18 S
Ilia MALININ USA 18 S
Daniel MARTYNOV USA 18 S
Matthew NIELSEN USA 18 S
Jacob SANCHEZ USA 18 S

Junior Women
Entries
No. Name Nation
1 Valeriia SIDOROVA ARM 1
Elen GHAZARYAN ARM 1 S
2 Emily SAARI AUT 2
Jasmin ELSEBAIE AUT 2 S
3 Milana RAMASHOVA BLR 3
Anastasiya BALYKINA BLR 3 S
Hanna KALINKA BLR 3 S
Varvara KISEL BLR 3 S
Aliaksandra MALASHKA BLR 3 S
Nastassia SIDARENKA BLR 3 S
Agata STARYKAVA BLR 3 S
4 Maria MANOVA BUL 4
Ivelina BAYCHEVA BUL 4 S
Chiara HRISTOVA BUL 4 S
Maria LEVUSHKINA BUL 4 S
5 Catherine CARLE CAN 5
Justine MICLETTE CAN 5 S
Lia PEREIRA CAN 5 S
Rose THEROUX CAN 5 S
6 Meri MARINAC CRO 6
Hana CVIJANOVIC CRO 6 S
Nevia Ana MEDIC CRO 6 S
7 Stefania YAKOVLEVA CYP 7
Ekaterina LUNEVA CYP 7 S
8 Anna Dea GULBIANI-SCHMIDT GEO 8
9 Hiu Yau CHOW HKG 9
Chloe Desiree LEUNG HKG 9 S
10 Elizabet GERVITS ISR 10
Ivetta BERKOVICH ISR 10 S
Viktoriia IUSHCHENKOVA ISR 10 S
Mariia SENIUK ISR 10 S
11 Lucrezia BECCARI ITA 11
Lara Naki GUTMANN ITA 11 S
Ginevra Lavinia NEGRELLO ITA 11 S
12 Anna LEVKOVETS KAZ 12
Sofiya FARAFONOVA KAZ 12 S
Mariya GRECHANAYA KAZ 12 S
13 Sofiia SHUBINA KGZ 13
Adelia ESENTAEVA KGZ 13 S
Aibike ESENTAEVA KGZ 13 S
Aleks NAM KGZ 13 S
14 Heesue HAN KOR 14 (1 extra lady here)
15 Minchae KIM KOR 14
16 Jia SHIN KOR 14
Chaebin HWANG KOR 14 S
Boin MOON KOR 14 S
Siwoo SONG KOR 14 S
17 Mariia BOLSHEVA LAT 15
Nikola FOMCHENKOVA LAT 15 S
Sofja STEPCENKO LAT 15 S
18 Selina KANEDA LTU 16
Daria AFINOGENOVA LTU 16 S
19 Misheel OTGONBAATAR MGL 17
20 Karolina BIALAS POL 18
21 Weronika FERLIN POL 18
22 Noelle STREULI POL 18
Jagoda CALA POL 18 S
Matylda PASZYNSKA POL 18 S
Julija POLNIUK POL 18 S
Alicja REJMENT POL 18 S
Laura SZCZESNA POL 18 S
23 Sofia AKATEVA RUS 19
24 Veronika ZHILINA RUS 19
Elizaveta BERESTOVSKAIA RUS 19 S
Anna FROLOVA RUS 19 S
Alina GORBACHEVA RUS 19 S
Elizaveta KULIKOVA RUS 19 S
Sofia MURAVIEVA RUS 19 S
Adeliia PETROSIAN RUS 19 S
Daria SADKOVA RUS 19 S
Sofia SAMODELKINA RUS 19 S
Uliana SHIRYAEVA RUS 19 S
Mariia ZAKHAROVA RUS 19 S
Anastasia ZININA RUS 19 S
25 Ivona KLEUT SRB 20
Danica DJORDJEVIC SRB 20 S
Irena MARKOVIC SRB 20 S
Darja MIJATOVIC SRB 20 S
Ana SCEPANOVIC SRB 20 S
26 Sarina JOOS SUI 21
Anna LA PORTA SUI 21 S
Kimmy REPOND SUI 21 S
27 Atikarn UERSILAPASARST THA 22
28 Vera Hsiaowei ZHONG TPE 23
29 Taisiia SPESIVTSEVA UKR 24
Anastasiia ARKHIPOVA UKR 24 S
30 Josephine LEE USA 25 (placeholder)
31 Clare SEO USA 25 (2nd assignment is confirmed by USFS)
Elsa CHENG USA 25 S
Mia KALIN USA 25 S
Isabeau LEVITO USA 25 S
Maryn PIERCE USA 25 S
Kanon SMITH USA 25 S
Lindsay THORNGREN USA 25 S
Ava Marie ZIEGLER USA 25 S

Junior Pairs
Entries
No. Name Nation
1 Chloe PANETTA / Kieran THRASHER CAN 1
2 Barbora KUCIANOVA / Lukas VOCHOZKA CZE 2
3 Letizia ROSCHER / Luis SCHUSTER GER 3
4 Ekaterina CHIKMAREVA / Matvei IANCHENKOV RUS 4
5 Polina KOSTIUKOVICH / Aleksei BRIUKHANOV RUS 4
6 Ekaterina PETUSHKOVA / Evgenii MALIKOV RUS 4
Natalia KHABIBULLINA / Ilya KNYAZHUK RUS 4 S
Anastasia MUKHORTOVA / Dmitry EVGENYEV RUS 4 S
Ekaterina STORUBLEVTCEVA / Artem GRITSAENKO RUS 4 S
Evgeniia TUMANOVA / Georgy KUNITSA RUS 4 S
7 Isabelle MARTINS / Ryan BEDARD USA 5
8 Anastasiia SMIRNOVA / Danylo SIIANYTSIA USA 5

Junior Ice Dance
Entries
No. Name Nation
1 Ekaterina ANDREEVA / Ivan DESYATOV BLR 1
Zlata MARTSISHCHANKA / Uladzislau SYTSIK BLR 1 S
Elizaveta NOVIK / Oleksandr KUKHAREVSKYI BLR 1 S
2 Chaima BEN KHELIFA / Everest ZHU CAN 2
3 Hailey YU / Brendan GIANG CAN 2
Chloe NGUYEN / Alec ROUECHE CAN 2 S
4 Angelina KUDRYAVTSEVA / Ilia KARANKEVICH CYP 3
5 Phebe BEKKER / James HERNANDEZ GBR 4
Sophia BUSHELL / Alex LAPSKY GBR 4 S
Natalia PALLU-NEVES / Jayin PANESAR GBR 4 S
6 Dea KUPARADZE / Danila SAVELIEV GEO 5
7 Giorgia GALIMBERTI / Matteo Libasse MANDELLI ITA 6
Sofia KIRICHENKO / Alessandro Bortolo PELLEGRINI ITA 6 S
Beatrice VENTURA / Amedeo BONETTO ITA 6 S
8 Sofiia DOVHAL / Wiktor KULESZA POL 7
9 Arina KLIMOVA / Filip BOJANOWSKI POL 7
10 Olivia OLIVER / Joshua ANDARI POL 7
11 Irina KHAVRONINA / Dario CIRISANO RUS 8
12 Ekaterina RYBAKOVA / Ivan MAKHNONOSOV RUS 8
Sofiia KACHUSHKINA / Oleg MURATOV RUS 8 S
Sofia LEONTEVA / Daniil GORELKIN RUS 8 S
Taisiia LINCHEVSKAIA / Timur BABAEV-SMIRNOV RUS 8 S
Olga MAMCHENKOVA / Mark VOLKOV RUS 8 S
Alisa OVSIANKINA / Matvei SAMOKHIN RUS 8 S
Anna RUMAK / Gleb GONCHAROV RUS 8 S
Elizaveta SHICHINA / Gordey KHUBULOV RUS 8 S
Margarita SVISTUNOVA / Dmitrii STUDENIKIN RUS 8 S
Sofya TYUTYUNINA / Alexander SHUSTITSKIY RUS 8 S
13 Jillian Autumn PREVER / Agahan Berk DORTKOL TUR 9
14 Mariia PINCHUK / Mykyta POGORIELOV UKR 10
Myroslava TKACHENKO / Andrii KAPRAN UKR 10 S
15 Isabella FLORES / Dimitry TSAREVSKI USA 11
16 Leah NESET / Artem MARKELOV USA 11

S - Substitute Entry

 

[Gris]

https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1432961406593236993

So... Japan won't send any skaters to JGP, Lombardia or Autumn Classic (Miyahara will withdraw).

They're planning to send skaters to Asian Open, but that will depend on circumstances then.

 

[Karen-W]

https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1432961406593236993

So... Japan won't send any skaters to JGP, Lombardia or Autumn Classic (Miyahara will withdraw).

They're planning to send skaters to Asian Open, but that will depend on circumstances then.

Well, that sucks. At this point, with entries for 6 of the 7 JGPs known, that we wouldn't see any Japanese skaters assigned.

It seems strange that the JSF entered Satoko for ACI and is now going to withdraw her. I wonder if there is some internal griping/complaining from Japan-based skaters about how it isn't fair that Miyahara is able to compete internationally due to training in Canada while they can't because of the Japanese government's travel/quarantine restrictions.

 

[Wyliefan]

Satoko is Japan-based at the moment. She's training there.

 

[ostile17]

Well, that sucks. At this point, with entries for 6 of the 7 JGPs known, that we wouldn't see any Japanese skaters assigned.

It seems strange that the JSF entered Satoko for ACI and is now going to withdraw her. I wonder if there is some internal griping/complaining from Japan-based skaters about how it isn't fair that Miyahara is able to compete internationally due to training in Canada while they can't because of the Japanese government's travel/quarantine restrictions.

Satoko has been training in Japan for months. Possibly the plan was for her to go back to Canada to resume training there, and that is why they entered her at ACI. It now seems they have decided to keep their athletes training at home, hence the withdrawal.

 

[Karen-W]

Satoko is Japan-based at the moment. She's training there.

Satoko has been training in Japan for months. Possibly the plan was for her to go back to Canada to resume training there, and that is why they entered her at ACI. It now seems they have decided to keep their athletes training at home, hence the withdrawal.

Ah, I didn’t realize she was in Japan at the moment. I suppose it makes sense to withdraw her then. I'm not sure it's a great decision by the JSF to keep their skaters home in general but they're hardly alone - we aren't seeing any skaters from China at the early fall events either.

 

[Jammers]

Weird strategy by the JSF to not have either their Junior or Senior skaters competing and just sitting at home. Why bother to even compete this season then?

 

[million$momma]

Weird strategy by the JSF to not have either their Junior or Senior skaters competing and just sitting at home. Why bother to even compete this season then?

Some countries are taking the current health situation very seriously and want to ensure their athletes stay healthy. Vaccine or not, Delta can still get you...

 

[ostile17]

Ah, I didn’t realize she was in Japan at the moment. I suppose it makes sense to withdraw her then. I'm not sure it's a great decision by the JSF to keep their skaters home in general but they're hardly alone - we aren't seeing any skaters from China at the early fall events either.

At least they could enter their ice dancers, since they are all based in North America!

 

[greenapple]

Satoko Miyahara will be very disappointed that she cannot return to Canada. She tried to re-enter Canada and then the U.S. following Worlds but was not allowed to do so and reluctantly went back to Japan. I heard that everyone at the Granite Club was excited she was returning. Really unfortunate situation for her.

 

[Stephanie]

USFS has published the preliminary Austria entries:

Ladies: Placeholders are Levito and Kate Wang
Men: Ilia Malinin confirmed
Pairs: Fleming/Finster, Martins/Bedard, Smirnova/Siianytsia all confirmed
Dance: Browns and Ling/Wein both confirmed

I assume Will Annis will get one of the TBD Gdansk spots after his medal today

 

[Frau Muller]

USFS has published the preliminary Austria entries:

Ladies: Placeholders are Levito and Kate Wang
Men: Ilia Malinin confirmed
Pairs: Fleming/Finster, Martins/Bedard, Smirnova/Siianytsia all confirmed
Dance: Browns and Ling/Wein both confirmed

I assume Will Annis will get one of the TBD Gdansk spots after his medal today

KATE WANG! She was the one who enlivened the Kiss n Cry at recent Nationals-Jr Ladies with her flow of comments...”It is what it is!” So happy that we’ll be seeing her again. Spunky character & lovely skater.

 

[Karen-W]

Ted is asking everyone to subscribe to the ISU JGP YouTube channel so they can hit 100k subscribers - they're sitting at approximately 95k right now. So, if you like the videos and coverage they provide, then help them out by subscribing!

 

[skatingguy]

Gotta love Ted, or otherwise you might just I don't know what.

'All the elements are in the positive, except the two that are not.'

 

[ninjapirate]

Ted is asking everyone to subscribe to the ISU JGP YouTube channel so they can hit 100k subscribers - they're sitting at approximately 95k right now. So, if you like the videos and coverage they provide, then help them out by subscribing!

I don't subscribe because I don't want my subscriptions tab to be flooded with a bunch of videos I wouldn't watch. If you watch the JGP and some videos from their channel, you'll usually see the live stream on your front page.

 

[Colonel Green]

I don't subscribe because I don't want my subscriptions tab to be flooded with a bunch of videos I wouldn't watch.

I subscribe and I haven't had that problem.

 

[Karen-W]

I don't subscribe because I don't want my subscriptions tab to be flooded with a bunch of videos I wouldn't watch. If you watch the JGP and some videos from their channel, you'll usually see the live stream on your front page.

You can also turn off the notifications which is what I did. That way if the stream you want isn't showing up automatically on your front page, you can jump to your subscriptions and find it faster than searching.

 

[Colonel Green]

As an example of how final qualification is affected by using scores rather than placements, six of the top ten scores so far in junior ice dance are from JGP Slovakia, including three of the top four (the entire podium in Kosice outscored all six medalists from Courchevel apart from Wolfkostin & Chen).