2017 Grand Prix MEN selection, matchups, TBD spots pre-season discussion

[Sylvia]

Assignments as of May 26, 2017: http://static.isu.org/media/516601/gp_men.pdf

Rostelecom Cup, Oct. 20-22, 2017, Moscow, Russia:
Hanyu JPN (seeded), Chen USA (seeded), Nguyen CAN, Samohin ISR, Tanaka JPN, Ten KAZ, Vasiljevs LAT, Aliev RUS, Kolyada RUS, TBD RUS, Hochstein USA, Ge UZB

Skate Canada International, Oct. 27-29, 2017, Regina, SK:
Uno JPN (seeded), Chan CAN (seeded), Kerry AUS, Hendrickx BEL, Messing CAN, TBD CAN, Besseghier FRA, Mura JPN, Cha KOR, Kovtun RUS, Samarin RUS, Brown USA

Cup of China, Nov. 3-5, 2017, Beijing, China:
Jin CHN (seeded), Fernandez ESP (seeded), Reynolds CAN, Yan CHN, TBD CHN, Tanaka JPN, Kolyada RUS, Petrov RUS, Majorov SWE, Aaron USA, Hochstein USA, Zhou USA

NHK Trophy, Nov. 10-12, 2017, Osaka, Japan:
Hanyu JPN (seeded), Chan CAN (seeded), Brezina CZE, Bychenko ISR, Murakami JPN, TBD JPN, Vasiljevs LAT, Aliev RUS, Voronov RUS, Brown USA, Farris USA, Rippon USA

Internationaux de France, Nov. 17-19, 2017, Grenoble, France:
Uno JPN (seeded), Fernandez ESP (seeded), Aymoz FRA, Besseghier FRA, Ponsart FRA, Kvitelashvili GEO, Bychenko ISR, Ten KAZ, Samarin RUS, Aaron USA, Zhou USA, Ge UZB

Skate America, Nov. 24-26, 2017, Lake Placid, New York:
Jin CHN (seeded), Chen USA (seeded), Hendricks BEL, Reynolds CAN, Samohin ISR, Mura JPN, Cha KOR, Kovtun RUS, Petrov RUS, Voronov RUS, Rippon USA, TBD USA

France is the only country that filled their 3 host spots up front.
Still 1 spot TBD: Russia, Canada, China, Japan and USA.

Making their GP debuts (4): Vincent Zhou (WJC gold), Dmitri Aliev (JGPF gold/WJC silver), Alexander Samarin (JGPF silver/WJC bronze), and Jun Hwan Cha (JGPF bronze).

 

[misskarne]

I was kinda hoping Brendan might snag a second in the first round, but I'm okay with him picking a second up later. SkCan not always at a decent Australian time though, and it's Skate Canada. Blergh.

Glad to see Jason get away from Skate America, but kinda wish it wasn't Skate Canada. Glad to see he's got NHK for his second, the Japanese fans adore him and he obviously adores skating for them...

...and there's the added bonus of Joshua at NHK, Joshua is back on the Grand Prix, the comeback is really real, it's really happening *running around in circles*

Happy Max gets to exorcise his French demons and also I like that he's at CoC because it's at a good time for me. He's got a great lineup to contend with, can easily medal at both events.

NHK is going to be a bloodbath.

I'm torn on what I want them to do with the SkAm TBD. On the one hand, I want to see someone like Timothy, or Ross, or Sean get it. But on the other, a second assignment for Josh probably isn't going to happen any other way...

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Im most interested to see how international panel of judges receives Vincent in the Senior GP!

Hope Farris gets sent to early B's, does well and gets the TBD for SkAm.

I think this is Max's last chance to lip sync for his lif... I mean kick some butt.....

Would be nice to see 2 American men in the Final.

Wish Kerry got 2 assignments.

 

[SamuraiK]

My thoughts:

TBD RUS
Please skating gods let Pitkeev get healthy and ready to fight . If skating gods are asholes then Gachinki for a glorious comeback.

TBD CAN
Nadeau should have been host picked already!! Dont tell me he's staying in juniors again.

TBD CHN
*Sighs* chinese save face politiks are so frustrating. There are tons of local skaters waiting for a chance that never comes. What happened to He Zhang?

TBD CAN
Yamamoto if healty. If not then Hino.

TBD USA
I miss Farris and Ricky so much but honestly I think it should be decided for whoever does best at early seniors Bs.

 

[Dobre]

My thoughts:
TBD CAN
Nadeau should have been host picked already!! Dont tell me he's staying in juniors again.

His SB is 43 points below Nam.

 

[SamuraiK]

His SB is 43 points below Nam.

So? Who said anything about Nam? Nadeau is the 4th place at Nationals so the issue is why is Messing getting the host pick instead of him.

 

[Dobre]

Nadeau is the 4th place at Nationals so the issue is why is Messing getting the host pick instead of him.

No idea. Hopefully, not another injury. Though Messing's SB is 26 points above Nadeau as well. And Balde's is 28 points above. (And that doesn't mean much if you are coming out of juniors with a quad, but . . .)

Nam has to be at the top of the replacement list. There's a very good chance he'll get a spot elsewhere. So let's wait for further information, maybe.

 

[Sylvia]

TBD CAN
Nadeau should have been host picked already!! Dont tell me he's staying in juniors again.

Nicolas Nadeau has aged out of junior (turned 19 last September). I would imagine he is a co-front runner for the 3rd host spot with Nam Nguyen (eta: although SCI is right after RC). Yes, Keegan Messing was 5th to Nadeau's 4th at Nationals but Messing did win the bronze and their head-to-head matchup at Golden Spin in December 2016.

 

[screech]

Nam has to be at the top of the replacement list. There's a very good chance he'll get a spot elsewhere. So let's wait for further information, maybe.

And Nam already has one GP (Russia) and hasn't really been proving himself the last 2 seasons, so I think (hope) Nadeau has a good chance to get this one.

 

[barbarafan]

Nicolas Nadeau has aged out of junior (turned 19 last September). I would imagine he is a co-front runner for the 3rd host spot with Nam Nguyen (eta: although SCI is right after RC). Yes, Keegan Messing was 5th to Nadeau's 4th at Nationals but Messing did win the bronze and their head-to-head matchup at Golden Spin in December 2016.

Nadeau was still recovering and not back to b4 injury state even at nationals.

 

[Sylvia]

TBD CHN
*Sighs* chinese save face politiks are so frustrating. There are tons of local skaters waiting for a chance that never comes. What happened to He Zhang?

He Zhang was in Canada in late April working with choreographer Lance Vipond on a new short program. Hopefully he'll get his chance to debut on the GP this fall after withdrawing from Cup of China (host spot) last year.

ETA:

TBD CAN JPN
Yamamoto if healthy.

This. Sota Yamamoto got 2 initial GPs last year (France & NHK before he had to WD due to injury) so I'm rooting for his successful comeback this year.

 

[piglet]

This. Sota Yamamoto got 2 initial GPs last year (France & NHK before he had to WD due to injury) so I'm rooting for his successful comeback this year.

As of now Sota spends minimum time on ice. He mostly does off-ice training to gain more strenght. No jumping for him yet. Good to see him taking it easy and not rushing things.

 

[Sylvia]

So... Timothy Dolensky is the first Skate America TBD contendor to have competed both his SP & FS in the same club competition this summer -- he won the Broadmoor Open this past weekend with very good scores for June (229.10 total, 151.22 in FS).