U.S. Men 2019-20 season - news & updates

[Dobre]

Tomoki's & Camden's side by side (mirror) 4T in practice:

The pairs team we've all been waiting for. You see, mirror skating can be worth plenty of points. Surely Camden could lift Tomoki? I realize the potential would be epic, but they would be quite a musical team.

 

[icecat]

Just another fun tidbit from Nathan's past when he performed Joel Dear's "Nathan and the Spider" for the choreography competition challenge segment "Inspiring the Next Generation"...Nathan was 11 and adorable.

Joel Dear - Challenge 4b - Inspiring the Next Generation

"Nathan and the Spider" Performed by Nathan Chen Choreographed by Joel Dear

www.youtube.com

 

[concorde]

Ilia Malinin and Liam Kapeikis will represent the USA at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland:
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...usanne-switzerland.105499/page-2#post-5710006

They were the top 2 age-eligible men in USFS' inaugural National Qualifying Series (NQS) competition rankings (June 1 to Sept. 15, 2019) - top 4 Juniors were:
Maxim Naumov 192.78 Cranberry Open (too old)
Ilia Malinin 191.17 Atlanta Open
Eric Sjoberg 183.91 Glacier Falls Summer Classic (too old)
Liam Kapeikis 180.96 Seattle Ice Fest

ETA: The Men will compete on January 10 (SP) and Jan. 12 (FS).

Ilia Malinin and Liam Kapeikis will represent the USA at the 2020 Youth Olympic Games in Lausanne, Switzerland:
https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...usanne-switzerland.105499/page-2#post-5710006

They were the top 2 age-eligible men in USFS' inaugural National Qualifying Series (NQS) competition rankings (June 1 to Sept. 15, 2019) - top 4 Juniors were:
Maxim Naumov 192.78 Cranberry Open (too old)
Ilia Malinin 191.17 Atlanta Open
Eric Sjoberg 183.91 Glacier Falls Summer Classic (too old)
Liam Kapeikis 180.96 Seattle Ice Fest

ETA: The Men will compete on January 10 (SP) and Jan. 12 (FS).

This will be a rough schedule for these two when you consider that Nationals a just over a week later.

I expect to see at least one quad from Ilia. This guys just keeps upping his technical skills. I expect that he will be on the JW team.

 

[Vagabond]

The pairs team we've all been waiting for. You see, mirror skating can be worth plenty of points. Surely Camden could lift Tomoki? I realize the potential would be epic, but they would be quite a musical team.

The potential is a feature, not a bug.

According to their ISU biographies, there is a 13 cm. height differential. Pulkinen might have to do some weightlifting to build upper body strength, but the payoff would be worth it.

 

[Cayuse]

Just another fun tidbit from Nathan's past when he performed Joel Dear's "Nathan and the Spider" for the choreography competition challenge segment "Inspiring the Next Generation"...Nathan was 11 and adorable.

Joel Dear - Challenge 4b - Inspiring the Next Generation

"Nathan and the Spider" Performed by Nathan Chen Choreographed by Joel Dear

www.youtube.com

The cute factor of this piece is +5. So what is Joel Dear doing these days?

 

[BittyBug]

So what is Joel Dear doing these days?

He was occasionally skating in that dance troupe that Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre also skated in (sorry can’t remember the name). Would be great if he continued with choreo.

 

[Dobre]

the payoff would be worth it.

https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/e1489717-34c1-406f-9ab0-eba3d23d6f8d
https://getyarn.io/yarn-clip/4f90c3b6-f1d7-44b5-bc7b-2041ae4375f1

 

[gkelly]

He was occasionally skating in that dance troupe that Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre also skated in (sorry can’t remember the name).

He's also a technical specialist for dance

 

[Debbie S]

And I think he coaches the Browns (USA Junior Dance)?

 

[Rukia]

Vincent Zhou on Twitter

“I'm now training under Lee Barkell and will continue to work with Mie Hamada. I'm striving towards Nationals and the rest of the season. I will continue to fight steadily onwards through the highs and lows life has to offer. Hope everyone has an amazing 2020!”

twitter.com

Vincent Zhou made a Twitter post saying he's now training with Lee Barkell (while still working with Mie Hamada)

 

[Sylvia]

USFS' press release today: https://www.usfsa.org/story.aspx?id=92906&type=media

VINCENT ZHOU ANNOUNCES CHANGES TO COACHING TEAM, TRAINING BASE
(1/2/20) - World bronze medalist Vincent Zhou announced today that he will begin training with Lee Barkell and Lori Nichol in Toronto, Canada. Zhou will continue to train with Mie Hamada. Zhou had previously been coached by Tammy Gambill, Christy Krall and Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs.
“I can’t thank Tammy, Christy and Tom enough for all they have done for me and my career,” Zhou said. “I’m excited to begin training with Lee, and also work more regularly with Lori, in Toronto, and continue to work with Mie.”

 

[AYS]

He was occasionally skating in that dance troupe that Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre also skated in (sorry can’t remember the name). Would be great if he continued with choreo.

Ice Theatre of New York.

 

[Karen-W]

Vincent Zhou on Twitter

“I'm now training under Lee Barkell and will continue to work with Mie Hamada. I'm striving towards Nationals and the rest of the season. I will continue to fight steadily onwards through the highs and lows life has to offer. Hope everyone has an amazing 2020!”

twitter.com

Vincent Zhou made a Twitter post saying he's now training with Lee Barkell (while still working with Mie Hamada)

So, what does that mean for his education at Brown? Sure, Toronto is much closer to RI than CO Springs but still not something where he will see his coach every day or even every other day if he is still in college.

 

[Colonel Green]

I wonder if he's "still working with Mie Hamada" in the same way that Satoko was.

 

[VGThuy]

So, what does that mean for his education at Brown? Sure, Toronto is much closer to RI than CO Springs but still not something where he will see his coach every day or even every other day if he is still in college.

Wasn’t the plan always to do a full year and then pull back going towards Beijing? If I remember correctly, one of the articles stated that Brown allowed him to do that.

 

[Sylvia]

So, what does that mean for his education at Brown?

Zhou originally planned to start his freshman year this past fall semester at Brown (done) and then take gap years until after the 2022 Olympics.

ETA this 8/13/19 article that was previously posted: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...en-glide-into-ivy-leagues-after-gap-year.aspx

"Brown was generous enough to offer me two gap years with an extra semester on top of that, so I only have to do this one semester and then I get to defer until after the 2022 Olympics," he elaborates. "[I've] been out of high school for two years and if I continue to wait until after 2022, then I'll have been out for five or six years and the top colleges are unlikely to find that attractive. My standardized test scores expire after this year."

 

[Colonel Green]

Brown is one of those no-account lesser Ivies, they let their students do whatever.

 

[Alexa]

Yes, from his own IG post from last June,
he only planned one semester

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From the USFSA
“In addition, Zhou will immediately begin a gap year at Brown University to focus on figure skating.”

Welcome to U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfsa.org

 

[mtnskater]

Yay! I’m excited that Vincent wants to stay in and still compete. I hadn’t heard anything and was worried he decided he liked college better. The Skating Lesson thought he was done...but of course I took that with a grain of salt. I’m hoping to see his continued development going toward Beijing. So glad he plans to be in the mix at Nationals too. Good luck to him. I hope training with Barkell is a good move. Mie Hamada seemed to help him quite a bit in his preparation for his medal at Worlds last year.

 

[CaliSteve]

Wasn’t the plan always to do a full year and then pull back going towards Beijing? If I remember correctly, one of the articles stated that Brown allowed him to do that.

Vincent only needed to complete a semister.

 

[DreamSkates]

So, what does that mean for his education at Brown? Sure, Toronto is much closer to RI than CO Springs but still not something where he will see his coach every day or even every other day if he is still in college.

See Sylvia's USFS press release link, a post or 2 above yours.

 

[Frau Muller]

Good for Vincent! Lest we forget, Vincent is a reigning Worlds medalist. Like...duh!

 

[Casey2]

Re Joel Dear: Just saw him skate in several Ice Dance International 'specials' on my local PBS channel this week. There were numerous former ice dancers (and Ryan Bradley,sp?). www.IceDanceInternational.org

 

[Sylvia]

Wilmington, North Carolina TV news story on Van Pierson, 14, who placed 3rd in the Eastern Sectional Intermediate Men's event and has qualified for USFS' 1st National High Performance Development Team Camp to be held in Charlotte, NC right after Nationals in Greensboro:

14 year old moves to Boston; wins regional figure skating competition

Van Pierson, 14 year old figure skater in Wilmington lives and trains in Boston.

www.wect.com

 

[olympic]

I hadn't seen any reports, but I hope that Vincent kept it together with regard to training this past Fall, and if he hadn't, that he is catching up quickly. I am actually hopeful: He was able to skate an adequate LP at JO at the beginning of October and the US has 3 spots. US men not named Nathan Chen are not exactly standing in Vincent's way to a top 3 finish at Nationals. I think all he has to do is be competitive with Jason Brown to get a spot on the team

 

[Spiralgraph]

I'm not too concerned about Vincent's preparation for Nationals. He's an ambitious and intelligent person and knows what he has to do both academically and athletically. Obviously Nationals is more important to him than the GP series was as he settled into his Brown schedule for his freshman year. I think if he skates well, he'll easily be second to Nathan.

 

[layman]

I hadn't seen any reports, but I hope that Vincent kept it together with regard to training this past Fall, and if he hadn't, that he is catching up quickly. I am actually hopeful: He was able to skate an adequate LP at JO at the beginning of October and the US has 3 spots. US men not named Nathan Chen are not exactly standing in Vincent's way to a top 3 finish at Nationals. I think all he has to do is be competitive with Jason Brown to get a spot on the team

Is Vincent training with Jason now? If so, maybe they can motivate each other.

 

[Sylvia]

Is Vincent training with Jason now?

No, Lee Barkell coaches at the Granite Club, another private club in Toronto.

 

[Sylvia]

Unfortunately, Ilia Malinin has withdrawn from the Youth Olympics - his name is no longer listed in the ISU entries as of today. He was included in USFS' press release dated January 6th so it must have been too late to replace him, what a shame.

 

[shutterbug]

Richmond News article on Liam Kapeikis: American skater feels right at home with Richmond club

Kapeikis grew up in Wenatchee, WA where his parents were coaches with the Wenatchee Skating Club.

Connaught’s director of programs Keegan Murphy established a relationship with the family when he brought some skaters to the Eastern Washington town for a competition.

Liam was invited to train with Connaught. The trips to Vancouver became more and more frequent as his competitive career began to take off. He now lives in the Lower Mainland with his mom and is doing online schooling for his Grade 10 year in the US high school system.