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

[jlai]

let’s wait until we have more information before outrage.

If someone more deserving ends up with one gp yes be mad. But it is still early

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Camden just posted about his withdrawl on IG. He's been dealing with an injury with a long recovery time:

Camden Pulkinen on Instagram: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decisi

170 likes, 7 comments - campulk on September 16, 2025: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decision to compete. A...

www.instagram.com

 

[panda42]

Camden just posted about his withdrawl on IG. He's been dealing with an injury with a long recovery time:

Camden Pulkinen on Instagram: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decisi

170 likes, 7 comments - campulk on September 16, 2025: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decision to compete. A...

www.instagram.com

Poor Camden, hope he recovers in time for the other competitions.

 

[Karen-W]

Good for Liam. The others will be fine, spread the wealth! And no I'm not in the mood to be convinced otherwise with 9 paragraphs of data, Karen

Nah, I don't have anything against Liam (gotta support my Pac NW skaters). The only thing I can figure is he finished highest of the US men who didn't have at least 1 GP already at Cranberry. I'm mote pissed at the USFS' decision for the pairs spot.

 

[Karen-W]

Camden just posted about his withdrawl on IG. He's been dealing with an injury with a long recovery time:

Camden Pulkinen on Instagram: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decisi

170 likes, 7 comments - campulk on September 16, 2025: "I have made the tough decision to withdraw from Ondrej Nepela in Bratislava, Slovakia next week. I have been dealing with an injury that has a long recovery time and my team and I have decided it was not the best decision to compete. A...

www.instagram.com

Well, that's a shame. Hope he heals up soon.

 

[Willin]

I think in some ways it makes sense to send Liam. It's not like he's being sent to worlds.

The US always has a lot of talented Junior guys that never make it to Senior or don't live up to the hype. Now with Jason retiring, they just have Ilia. They need to find the guys other than Ilia that WILL make it in Senior. So giving more skaters more opportunities to gain GP experience and world standings points is good for the skaters and possibly good to get them experience they'll need to do well in future years. It will also give USFS chances to see who will thrive and who will falter under the pressure on the bigger Senior stages.

 

[Wyliefan]

They need to find the guys other than Ilia that WILL make it in Senior.

I feel like Jacob's at the top of that list ... but who knows. I've been wrong before.

 

[Karen-W]

I think in some ways it makes sense to send Liam. It's not like he's being sent to worlds.

The US always has a lot of talented Junior guys that never make it to Senior or don't live up to the hype. Now with Jason retiring, they just have Ilia. They need to find the guys other than Ilia that WILL make it in Senior. So giving more skaters more opportunities to gain GP experience and world standings points is good for the skaters and possibly good to get them experience they'll need to do well in future years. It will also give USFS chances to see who will thrive and who will falter under the pressure on the bigger Senior stages.

Well, Liam's had a fair number of GP assignments over the past few seasons, Challengers too, and he just hasn't had much success. Frankly, I think he needs to change coaches if he wants to get to the next level. Either Team Raf down in Irvine or with Skorniakov/Malinina would be my suggestion for him. I always wanted him to go to Team Raf when he was still in juniors and instead he went up to the Murphys in Vancouver and has spent the past few years going nowhere alongside Wesley Chiu.

 

[Allskate]

I feel like Jacob's at the top of that list ... but who knows. I've been wrong before.

I was really hoping it would be Lucas, who also is still a teenager. He's taking a gap year to focus on skating this year, and I really hoped he would be healthy and have a great season. But, he's obviously having some problems, and it's going to be difficult for him to train hard while studying engineering at Stanford.

I don't think any of these guys, including Jacob, are going to fill Jason's boots. But, I do really wish one of the guys would step up so that I was not constantly wishing that we could trade the third men's Olympic spot for an additional dance or women's spot.

I would have liked to have seen Jacob get more experience, but I don't think he has proved that he will be a major force at the senior international level. And we weren't at Champs Camp. I would have picked Jacob over Liam, but I can see USFS deciding to give more skaters G.P.s. It's not the craziest thing they've done.

From a selfish perspective, I would have liked the spot to go to Max because he is my favorite of the guys who doesn't have 2 spots, but he's not consistently great either.

And kudos to Tomoki for his medal, but it's not like that performance was a wow or that he has a history of consistently great performances. And he's got a good chance of ending up with 2 G.P.s. anyway.

And I'm sure USFS knew about Camden's problems.

 

[Karen-W]

Trialeti Trophy entries are out -

Jason is doing back-to-back Challengers - first Denis Ten and then a quick flight from Almaty to Tblisi for Trialeti Trophy.

Also assigned - Tomoki Hiwatashi & Daniel Martynov.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Jason Brown was a guest on The Jack Murley Sports Show podcast, talking about life on and off the ice

Jason Brown: Olympic Medallist, Team USA Figure Skater & LGBTQ+ Trailblazer on Life On and Off the Ice

Podcast Episode · The Jack Murley Sports Show · 09/17/2025 · 38m

podcasts.apple.com

 

[IHH0628]

That third Olympic spot had better go to someone honorable and objectively deserving.

 

[Rukia]

That third Olympic spot had better go to someone honorable and objectively deserving.

lol what does this even mean it should go to whoever skates the best through the season

 

[Theatregirl1122]

lol what does this even mean it should go to whoever skates the best through the season

I don’t know. I could get behind this honorable thing. Would we have to have some sort of joust? What’s the most appropriate demonstration of knightly honor?

 

[Rukia]

I don’t know. I could get behind this honorable thing. Would we have to have some sort of joust? What’s the most appropriate demonstration of knightly honor?

we're going to send them all out on epic quests and whoever survives makes the team!

 

[Karen-W]

As long as there is Alan Menken-inspired singing to go along with this gallant, epic knightly journey, I can be down with that, lol.

 

[YukiNieve]

Jason Brown was a guest on The Jack Murley Sports Show podcast, talking about life on and off the ice

I am impressed by the host, Jack Murley. He really understands the mindset of skaters, which makes it easier for Jason to express himself even better. Jack must have done a lot of preparation.

 

[Carolla5501]

Wrong thread

 

[Lanie]

we're going to send them all out on epic quests and whoever survives makes the team!

the best part is when an NPC tells them to collect 7 bear asses but if you kill 25 bears you may only be able to get 1 bear ass, it's a really rough farm, y'all (I play too much WoW)

 

[Rukia]

the best part is when an NPC tells them to collect 7 bear asses but if you kill 25 bears you may only be able to get 1 bear ass, it's a really rough farm, y'all (I play too much WoW)

as a fellow wow player, i feel this

 

[Theatregirl1122]

Perhaps the US should nominate Sir Lancelot or King Arthur as our second entry.

Or perhaps, Sir Gallahad? Who could be more perfect than the perfect knight?

 

[panda42]

Perhaps the US should nominate Sir Lancelot or King Arthur as our second entry.

Or perhaps, Sir Gallahad? Who could be more perfect than the perfect knight?

Too funny, I can picture all of the men dressed in armor competing in a medieval joust! In all seriousness, it will be very competitive but we should be able to see in the next month or so if anyone (besides Ilia and Jason) is a standout.

 

[Vagabond]

I think it would be less of a joust, more of

 

[Karen-W]

Tomoki has officially been added to the SCI roster on the GP grid -

https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd.net/isudamcontainer/CMS/Fansite/Figure-Skating/2025-2026/Events/Grand-Prix/Documents/GP-Men-25-09-21-1758430388-895.pdf

 

[Karen-W]

Alrighty, then! Two more NQS competitions this weekend are in the books! We take a break next weekend and wrap up this season's NQS with Texas Trophy, Boston Open and LA Autumn Classic two weeks from now.

Per the USFS, any skaters with 1 international assignment or 2024-25 Sectional Champions has an automatic bye to Sectionals, therefore while I'm going to include them if they've competed in an NQS comp, I'll add the next highest qualifier in their Region if they're in the top 4.

Senior - Easterns
1) Andrew Torgashev - South Atlantic - 234.45 (Nebelhorn, GPdF, NHK)
2) Lucius Kazanecki - South Atlantic - 206.31 (JGP Ankara, JGP Abu Dhabi)
3) Emmanuel Savary - South Atlantic - 203.66 (Eastern Sectional Champ)
4) Ken Mikawa - South Atlantic - 154.34

Senior - Midwesterns
1) Lorenzo Elano - Upper Great Lakes - 220.45 (JGP Riga)
2) Taira Shinohara - Upper Great Lakes - 210.47 (Denis Ten Mem)
3) Kai Kovar - Southwest - 195.67 (Cranberry Cup)
4) Antonio Monaco - Upper Great Lakes - 176.19
5) Max Lake - Eastern Great Lakes - 151.87
6) Alexander Liu - Southwest - 145.42

Senior - Pacific Coasts
1) Liam Kapeikis - NW Pacific - 208.19 (Cranberry Cup, Nebelhorn)
2) Michael Xie - Central Pacific - 207.37 (Robin Cousins Cup)
3) Goku Endo - SW Pacific - 194.73 (Kinoshita Group Cup)
4) Samuel Mindra - NW Pacific - 193.04 (Robin Cousins Cup)
5) Dmitri Murphy - NW Pacific - 133.22

Junior - Easterns
New England -
1) Patrick Blackwell - 212.31 (JGP Bangkok, JGP Baku)
2) Brendan Man - 137.36
3) Luke Witkowski - 132.67
4) Jonas Costanza - 103.75

North Atlantic
1) Aleksandr Fegan - 195.28 (JGP Varese)

South Atlantic
1) Caleb Farrington - 180.92 (JGP Baku)
2) David Lu - 124.84
3) John Liu - 115.47

Junior - Midwesterns
Eastern Great Lakes
1) Joshua Snyder - 162.56
2) Colin Motley - 141.07
3) Mikhail Mokhov - 132.91

Upper Great Lakes -
1) Evan Neuhaus - 168.42
2) Marlo Rosen - 158.15
3) Mykhailo Ivanchenko - 154.41
4) Thomas Chen - 151.92

Southwest -
1) Louis Mallane - 180.72 (JGP Gdansk)
2) Alek Tankovic - 166.27
3) Isaac Fulton - 146.63
4) Alvin Luu - 131.09

6 Next Best -
1) Sam Tomczik - 144.61
2) Anton Yakunin - 132.00
3) Connor Williams - 117.01

Junior - Pacific Coasts
Northwest Pacific -
1) Ryan William Azadpour - 185.64
2) Ethan Kormanyos - 149.21

Central Pacific -
1) Arsen Meghavoryan - 173.50

Southwest Pacific -
1) Kirk Haugeto - 184.87
2) Nicholas Brooks - 179.43 (JGP Varese)
3) Vaclav Vasquez - 175.50
4) Ryedin Rudedenman - 169.59

6 Next Best -
1) Yaoshan Jiang - 150.85
2) Brian Tokuda - 140.89
3) Sergei Evseev - 138.39
4) Chase Cuaron - 105.37

 

[haribobo]

Andrew Torgashev has an automatic bye to Nationals with a silver medal from last year.

 

[Karen-W]

Andrew Torgashev has an automatic bye to Nationals with a silver medal from last year.

Yes, I'm aware, but I just am listing all of the men who have competed in one NQS event this season. Liam Kapeikis probably has a bye to Nats too if the SkAm spot is confirmed by the USFS.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Add Jason to the list of skaters peddling merch

Jason Brown on Instagram: "JUST BE • • • Launching a little merch shop, JUST BE. It is more than a brand — it’s a mindset, a mantra, and a reminder. Whether striving to ace a test, learning a new skill, or trying to qualify for the Olympic Games —

248 likes, 6 comments - jasonbskates on September 22, 2025: "JUST BE • • • Launching a little merch shop, JUST BE. It is more than a brand — it’s a mindset, a mantra, and a reminder. Whether striving to ace a test, learning a new skill, or trying to qualify for the Olympic Games — the...

www.instagram.com

 

[Rukia]

Add Jason to the list of skaters peddling merch

Jason Brown on Instagram: "JUST BE • • • Launching a little merch shop, JUST BE. It is more than a brand — it’s a mindset, a mantra, and a reminder. Whether striving to ace a test, learning a new skill, or trying to qualify for the Olympic Games —

248 likes, 6 comments - jasonbskates on September 22, 2025: "JUST BE • • • Launching a little merch shop, JUST BE. It is more than a brand — it’s a mindset, a mantra, and a reminder. Whether striving to ace a test, learning a new skill, or trying to qualify for the Olympic Games — the...

www.instagram.com

aww that's cute I like it

 

[misskarne]

Jason's new logo reminds me a lot of Gabriel Bortoleto's, with the butterfly wings.

For merch shipping from the US it's actually reasonably priced. I quite like the t-shirt. Might have to acquire one.