U.S. Men 2025-26 Discussion - Quad God and the Mere Mortals

[YukiNieve]

Ilia Malinin's SP run through at the Lombardia Trophy

Risport Skates on Instagram: "Ilia Malinin - Short Program 2025/26 training at Lombardia Trophy Bergamo #risportskates #iliamalinin"

419 likes, 4 comments - risportskates on September 11, 2025: "Ilia Malinin - Short Program 2025/26 training at Lombardia Trophy Bergamo #risportskates #iliamalinin".

www.instagram.com

Eagle-4A-3T

Skating Stan on Instagram: "Ilia Malinin is not coming to play this season 🔥 He nailed a beautiful quad axel combination from a spread eagle entry at his Lombardia practice. 🎥: @iliaxquad #olympics #figureskating #iceskating"

401 likes, 13 comments - fs.skatingstan on September 11, 2025: "Ilia Malinin is not coming to play this season 🔥 He nailed a beautiful quad axel combination from a spread eagle entry at his Lombardia practice. 🎥: @iliaxquad #olympics #figureskating #iceskating".

www.instagram.com

 

[YukiNieve]

IIRC, Beck's Instastory this summer has had (along with other skating content) a couple of sneak peeks of new costumes -- which I hope is a good sign.

Back on the ice！

Aura Skates on Instagram: "Fantastic skating by Beck Strommer on AURA Skates 💪⛸️⁠ ⁠ 📷️: @beck_s_sk8s⁠ ⁠ #AuraFigureSkates #IAmTeamAura #JohnWilsonBlades #Skating #FigureSkater #AdultsSkateToo #OutdoorSkating #Skater #AdultSkater #DoWhatYouLove #Figur

21 likes, 0 comments - auraskates on September 11, 2025: "Fantastic skating by Beck Strommer on AURA Skates 💪⛸️⁠ ⁠ 📷️: @beck_s_sk8s⁠ ⁠ #AuraFigureSkates #IAmTeamAura #JohnWilsonBlades #Skating #FigureSkater #AdultsSkateToo #OutdoorSkating #Skater #AdultSkater #DoWhatYouLove #FigureSkate...

www.instagram.com

 

[Kiki5375]

Interview with Max Naumov:

https://www.usfigureskating.org/news/article/naumov-returns-competitive-ice

Such an amazing young man. I cannot wait to see his free Skate. I love the song

 

[barbk]

Ilia Malinin's SP run through at the Lombardia Trophy

Risport Skates on Instagram: "Ilia Malinin - Short Program 2025/26 training at Lombardia Trophy Bergamo #risportskates #iliamalinin"

419 likes, 4 comments - risportskates on September 11, 2025: "Ilia Malinin - Short Program 2025/26 training at Lombardia Trophy Bergamo #risportskates #iliamalinin".

www.instagram.com

Eagle-4A-3T

Skating Stan on Instagram: "Ilia Malinin is not coming to play this season 🔥 He nailed a beautiful quad axel combination from a spread eagle entry at his Lombardia practice. 🎥: @iliaxquad #olympics #figureskating #iceskating"

401 likes, 13 comments - fs.skatingstan on September 11, 2025: "Ilia Malinin is not coming to play this season 🔥 He nailed a beautiful quad axel combination from a spread eagle entry at his Lombardia practice. 🎥: @iliaxquad #olympics #figureskating #iceskating".

www.instagram.com

That 4A-3T was beautiful. The backflip in the SP...was not.

 

[Allskate]

I am not a fan of the music for Ilia's short program, and the two pieces together are rather jarring for me. But, the guy sure can jump:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

I love Max Naumov's short program. It's my favorite of the men's SPs so far this season:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I thought Max`s skating beautiful - real content there. I don`t understand the low-ish GOE`s and PCS. Yes, I know the popped axel affected the impact of the whole program - but still. Hoping for better luck today.

 

[Allskate]

Here is Max's free skate:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

And here is Ilia's free skate:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

I like the raspberry twist in the change foot spin at the end.

 

[happycamper2554]

Broussard out of Skate Canada

https://x.com/AnythingGOE/status/1967616124356616213

 

[Karen-W]

Broussard out of Skate Canada

https://x.com/AnythingGOE/status/1967616124356616213

Yeah, it's being discussed in the GP Assignments thread already. Tomoki is 1st on the Alternates List so he'll get the assignment.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

So disappointed about Lucas, as I`m sure everyone is. Plagued by injury so much of the time. Such a beautiful young talent.

 

[panda42]

So disappointed about Lucas, as I`m sure everyone is. Plagued by injury so much of the time. Such a beautiful young talent.

It is very disappointing, but he is only 19 so he can hopefully recover and be around for years to come.

 

[Allskate]

Broussard out of Skate Canada

https://x.com/AnythingGOE/status/1967616124356616213

Nooooooooooooo!

Does anyone know why? Is he injured again or is he just not ready yet after missing so much training time due to his last injury? Skate Canada is still a month and a half away, so it's really not a good sign that he withdrew already. Is there any chance at all that he is going to do Skate America instead?

 

[Karen-W]

Nooooooooooooo!

Does anyone know why? Is he injured again or is he just not ready yet after missing so much training time due to his last injury? Skate Canada is still a month and a half away, so it's really not a good sign that he withdrew already. Is there any chance at all that he is going to do Skate America instead?

I don't believe he can be given the SkAm host spot, but I'm not 100% positive on that. Since he already had 2 GP assignments, he isn't on the Alternates List, but the host spots aren't governed by that. The other factor here is that his 2nd GP is Finlandia and doing two back-to-back GPs is never easy even when you're fully healthy & ready to go.

 

[haribobo]

Yea no,.GP spots can't be swapped out like that. And also there's no mens Skate America spot left to be assigned anyway they gave away their 3rd men spot at the outset

 

[Stephanie]

Yea no,.GP spots can't be swapped out like that. And also there's no mens Skate America spot left to be assigned anyway they gave away their 3rd men spot at the outset

They did give away the third spot but there is still one men’s TBD for Skate America

 

[haribobo]

Oh that's right, thank you, my apologies.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I thought the rules were that once a spot is given up, that skater/team can’t get a replacement, based on the last statement in each of 2.1 (Seeded skaters) and 2.2 (Non-seeded/invited) I don’t think host spots are exempt from this, because host spots are listed in the latter section, but maybe that’s just never been tested.

 

[Karen-W]

I thought the rules were that once a spot is given up, that skater/team can’t get a replacement, based on the last statement in each of 2.1 (Seeded skaters) and 2.2 (Non-seeded/invited) I don’t think host spots are exempt from this, because host spots are listed in the latter section, but maybe that’s just never been tested.

I'm fairly sure you are correct about this. Last year Canada gave up their 3rd spot in pairs and then when Beccari/Guarise withdrew, they had to select the replacement from the Alternates List rather than give it to Bombardier/Mimar who had come on rapidly in their development during September.

 

[Karen-W]

Of course, that's not to say that if there is a withdrawal from SkAm and the US only has 2 men and the 1st person on the Alternates List is a US man, it wouldn't, by rights, go to that US man who is sitting at the top of the Alternates List.

 

[kwanfan1818]

That US Man on the top of the alternates list should earn any open spot where there aren't three US Men by earning it through the alternates path.

The General Announcement says nothing about the Challenger Series scores updating the SB list for the purpose of ranking Alternates -- knock me over with a feather -- and there is no restricted list of CS events at which someone already in the Top 75 SB can improve their placement or for Pairs (only) who earn the GP minimums they didn't have to take their place on the list. (It explicitly states that winners of "any" CS event can be put at the bottom of the list.)

So if Hagara or Selevko, for example, improve their SB score by a few points at Nebelhorn or Nepala before Hiwatashi is assigned to his second GP, they could knock Hiwatashi down from the top spot. (That assumes Hiwatashi will get the SC slot before any more CS events.)

 

[Karen-W]

That US Man on the top of the alternates list should earn any open spot where there aren't three US Men by earning it through the alternates path.

The General Announcement says nothing about the Challenger Series scores updating the SB list for the purpose of ranking Alternates -- knock me over with a feather -- and there is no restricted list of CS events at which someone already in the Top 75 SB can improve their placement or for Pairs (only) who earn the GP minimums they didn't have to take their place on the list. (It explicitly states that winners of "any" CS event can be put at the bottom of the list.)

So if Hagara or Selevko, for example, improve their SB score by a few points at Nebelhorn or Nepala before Hiwatashi is assigned to his second GP, they could knock Hiwatashi down from the top spot. (That assumes Hiwatashi will get the SC slot before any more CS events.)

Well, seeing as the next CS events aren't for 2 more weeks, I think it's probably a safe assumption that Hiwatashi will be assigned to SCI before then.

I'm basing the updated Alternates List off of what was put into practice last season where skaters who improved their SB at a CS even moved up the list - sometimes. I also don't have much faith that the people who are maintaining said Alternates Lists for each discipline have actually READ the GP Announcement and understand how it should be applied to the creation & maintenance of the Alternates Lists.