2025 World Team Trophy

[vireo]

I have some questions for the posters who have suggested skaters such as Chock/Bates and Gilles/Poirot should skip WTT so their lower-ranked compatriots can take part.

In your own professional lives do you make business decisions based on what is best for your competitors?

If you excel in your work and earn performance bonuses, do you hand those over to those who didn’t perform as well?

I don’t begrudge skaters accepting the rewards they’ve worked hard for and earned through competition. And yes, there is an expectation that the top qualifying skaters will appear at WTT. The sponsors who are bankrolling the event want them there.

 

[Frau Muller]

Yup - in the Announcement - starting on pg 7

https://isu-d8g8b4b7ece7aphs.a03.azurefd.net/isudamcontainer/CMS/event/eventdocuments/WTT2025AnnouncementFinal004018800_17388507831890.pdf

Additionally, the ISU member fed may withhold up to 10% of the prize monies awarded; and the prize money is split evenly between all competitors - 1/8th share per person. So the dance & pairs teams get 1/4 share.

Skaters who will be receiving an appearance fee in addition to their team's prize money ($250k total):
Men - Malinin $30k(WS1), Kagiyama $20k (WS2), Siao Him Fa $10k (WS3) = $60k total
Women - Liu $30k (Worlds 1), Sakamoto $30k (WS1), Chiba $10k (Worlds 3) = $70k total
Pairs - Miura/Kihara $30k (Worlds 1), Conti/Macii $20k (WS2) = $50k total
Ice Dance - Chock/Bates $30k (Worlds 1), Gilles/Poirier $20k (Worlds 2), Guignard/Fabbri $20k (WS2) = $70k total

And, if the JSF wishes, they may add up to 4 skaters/couples - one from each discipline - to participate in the Exhibition - $10k for singles & $15k for pairs/dance. Only stipulation being the invited skaters must be the skater/team that achieved the best results in the GPF and Worlds and they cannot be from an ISU Member fed participating in WTT. So, theoretically, Pinzarrone, Shaidorov, Hase/Volodin and Fear/Gibson could be invited. I'm not sure the JSF & ISU would drop down to the 7th place finisher in Women, but I could see them possibly inviting Shaidorov, MiNiki and FearGib as they were on the podium at Worlds.

$$$ is Tracking

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Yes, as I advanced in my career there were expectations to aid and mentor less experienced colleagues. It often ended up benefiting me as much as them.

 

[Frau Muller]

$$$ is Tracking

I still love our loves…the money of love is off.

 

[Rukia]

This will certainly be their last one, and many skaters not named Scott Moir seem to really enjoy it. Not surprised.

scott was so iconic for this tbh

 

[DreamSkates]

I scrolled through but didn't see if this will be streamed somewhere? I don't think it has been on Peacock.

 

[Debbie S]

I scrolled through but didn't see if this will be streamed somewhere? I don't think it has been on Peacock.

It will be on Peacock.

 

[vireo]

Yes, as I advanced in my career there were expectations to aid and mentor less experienced colleagues. It often ended up benefiting me as much as them.

That's wonderful. But in my estimation, what some have suggested goes well beyond "mentoring".

The skaters selected for WTT have competed to qualify a team for their country and competed to secure a spot on that team. I don't think it's fair or reasonable to reproach them for not relinquishing the opportunity they have earned.

Skating is a terribly expensive sport and, by skating standards, WTT is a very good paycheck. Most skaters probably need the appearance and prize money. Also, many skaters just seem to just enjoy this event.

Congratulations and good luck to all the athletes competing at WTT. I hope they all have a blast.

 

[Karen-W]

That's wonderful. But in my estimation, what some have suggested goes well beyond "mentoring".

The skaters selected for WTT have competed to qualify a team for their country and competed to secure a spot on that team. I don't think it's fair or reasonable to reproach them for not relinquishing the opportunity they have earned.

Skating is a terribly expensive sport and, by skating standards, WTT is a very good paycheck. Most skaters probably need the appearance and prize money. Also, many skaters just seem to just enjoy this event.

Congratulations and good luck to all the athletes competing at WTT. I hope they all have a blast.

Well, honestly, there are plenty of examples - as discussed in this thread - where top contenders, especially in ice dance, have chosen to forego WTT in the pre-Olympic season. These skaters are also touring in the spring & it seems clear that they made the choice to skip WTT in order to have additional time to begin working on their programs for the all-important Olympic season.

 

[Barbara Manatee]

I don't think it's fair or reasonable to reproach them for not relinquishing the opportunity they have earned.

I don't believe anyone here has reproached them, though. Only idly wished they'd passed on the event for their own sake as well as their team mates (and mine, as I'm bored by their programs).

 

[Dobre]

Well, seeing as a. both country's teams will be more competitive if the top dance teams go, b. the other team members will, therefore, earn more prize money, and c. the top teams will gain more experience before the team event at next year's Olympic Games where these top dance teams will have a boatload of pressure thrust upon them, I think the idea that they should go is in the best interests of the team.

Carreira & Ponomarenko and Lajoie & Lagha are not suffering for competitive opportunities. These two teams' federations have invested in them for many years. And in another year, those teams will potentially be the teams with all the pressure and prize-money opportunities.

Then 4-8 years from now, people will probably be complaining that they are "stale" and should "step aside" for someone else. (Maybe by then Japan will want to invite 2 pairs & 2 dance teams).

 

[YukiNieve]

I scrolled through but didn't see if this will be streamed somewhere? I don't think it has been on Peacock.

ISU Live Stream (need VPN): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuiPiC1Hk8eLevmkTgi1w7hW5s6fDh1fm

 

[On My Own]

Thank you Scott Moir for not being a moron.

 

[On My Own]

And yes, there is an expectation that the top qualifying skaters will appear at WTT.

From the document, this is the wording:

Furthermore, in case that one or more of the best ranked Skaters/Couples (in the ISU World Standings valid after
the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2025) of a Qualified ISU Member elects not to participate, the ISU
reserves the right to exclude such Team from the competition and to invite instead the ISU Member/s whose Team
is ranked next in the ISU World Team Trophy qualification list

People are free to judge what they read on their own.

 

[kwanette]

He had an ankle injury.

TY!!

 

[DreamSkates]

ISU Live Stream (need VPN): https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLuiPiC1Hk8eLevmkTgi1w7hW5s6fDh1fm

It's also listed for Peacock but it would be helpful if Peacock listed it or showed a tile on their sports pages. Hard to find.

 

[Karen-W]

It's also listed for Peacock but it would be helpful if Peacock listed it or showed a tile on their sports pages. Hard to find.

Peacock never lists any events until the week of - check back in another 10-12 days.

 

[Twilight1]

Yes, as I advanced in my career there were expectations to aid and mentor less experienced colleagues. It often ended up benefiting me as much as them.

This.

And if I also earn vacation days...

and it would be pretty egotistical of me to assume my work couldn't carry on without me

 

[Carolla5501]

Yes, as I advanced in my career there were expectations to aid and mentor less experienced colleagues. It often ended up benefiting me as much as them.

So when you were offered a raise or a chance to make money, you handed it over to them right? You didn’t take that chance to make money. Hmmm

There’s a difference here. You’re asking people to give up the paycheck but not to actually assist their peers in improving their skills, etc.. That’s not mentoring


Mentoring requires active involvement by the mentor. I just won’t go someplace so that you get something you didn’t earn is not mentoring.


And that you think that these dance team should pass up the world team trophy so there peers who didn’t beat them at their national events can go why is this only limited to dance? Why aren’t we making the same request of our men and women?

 

[kwanfan1818]

I’ve had bosses who turned down raises and bonuses and asked for them to be distributed to the team. These were in start-ups, with make-it-up-as-you-go HR. I also know of another team in a larger company I worked for whose boss split their after tax bonus equally among their directs, which cause a big brouhaha. I think the former would be more common if companies allowed for it, but they don’t. One of my former bosses had tried.

 

[DreamSkates]

Well...isn't it quite costly to be an elite skater by the time the coaches, rink time, choreographer, costumes, etc etc etc are paid for? If you earn a spot by winning then why not go enjoy the extra funds? Would you give away $30,000 just to be nice to another skater/team?

 

[kwanfan1818]

This year in prize money Chock/Bates made:

Per the GP Announcement:

GP-1st: 18K
GP-2nd: 13K
GPF: 25K

This is the latest ISU Communication re: Prize Money, published in 2022:
file:///Users/helenek/Desktop/Firefox%20Downloads/2516PrizeMoneyISUChampionships1731566226.pdf

4C's-2nd: 20K
Worlds-1st: 90K

That's 166K, not counting tours or the favorable exchange rate living and training in Canada. I don't know if USFS takes the allowed up-to-10% off prize money. I don't know if USFS gives world medalists any money. Chock/Bates would have been Tier 1 Team A for envelope money this season and will be again next season, along with Liu, Malinin, and Glenn.

They will make $30K at WTT for the appearance fee and another $15-$20K between them, depending on how the US does. Which is over a quarter of what they made in prize money.

 

[Debbie S]

Favorable exchange rate or not, C/B do still have to pay their coaches, plus expenses for ice time, costumes, music editing, skates/blades, off-ice training, physical therapy/injury prevention, etc. I think i saw a post either here or elsewhere that estimated training at IAM at $80K per year, and that's just ice time and coaching. And I believe at least part of C/B's FD was choreographed by Massimo Scali, so that was an extra expense beyond their IAM bills.

Yes, world medalists receive envelope money from USFS, but that only covers a small portion of their training expenses.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Yes, envelope money is a pittance compared to the cost of elite training.

 

[Aceon6]

That's 166K

Sounds like a lot of money, but living wage for two people in my city is $83k. That leaves $83k, which is about break even against training and competition costs.

My take. They are not getting rich on prize money and the skaters who finish lower than 2nd in the competitions that offer prize money are actually losing money every year.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Again, prize money doesn’t include touring or the exchange rate. Savchenko complained when Szolkowy wouldn’t skate in three show in Japan over a weekend in Japan post their last World Championship, because they lost over 40K, half of which she was counting on for her new partnership with Massot. The exchange rate for training would be true for Carreira/Ponamarenko, but I’m not sure if she still has to live in the US and commute. That’s not true of any other US teams that I can think of, but they also don’t all live in one of the more expensive cities in the country. So the rest are still losing money to compete, and even with Olympic bonuses and several years with that kind of prize money, C/B most likely haven’t earned their way out of a lifetime deficit yet, at least without touring.

 

[honey]

I find this conversation about the how the veterans should pass up this opportunity to be frankly, ridiculous. None of these people are making piles of money like they did in the 90s. Everything they win in prize money matters. Right now is their peak earning power for their career. What’s left of this season and next season are probably their biggest potential earnings they will see from all their efforts. I don’t think for one second that should give that up on the premise of helping out someone younger.

For Chock and Bates, they will likely get some pre Olympic endorsements and maybe some afterwards. But as they are undoubtedly retiring after the games, and are also competing with two other Americans for these same endorsements, I don’t think they are going to be suddenly set for life after next year. So whatever they earn in prize money, appearance fees and touring for the next couple of years is probably going to be it for them for money they make off of skating. I do not blame them at all for taking advantage of these opportunities right now. You make hay while the sun shines.

 

[Rukia]

The exchange rate for training would be true for Carreira/Ponamarenko, but I’m not sure if she still has to live in the US and commute.

I'm not getting involved in any of these conversations lol but yes, Christina is still living in the US and commuting until she gets that passport (which the sooner the better for my nerves honestly)

 

[MacMadame]

Well...isn't it quite costly to be an elite skater by the time the coaches, rink time, choreographer, costumes, etc etc etc are paid for? If you earn a spot by winning then why not go enjoy the extra funds? Would you give away $30,000 just to be nice to another skater/team?

Sometimes the top skaters who have sponsors and do tours and stuff do give up their envelope money so lower-level skaters can get more money. I guess it's all relative.

 

[Karen-W]

Listen, we also don't know what Evan does in his spare time (aside from look, adoringly, at Madi, lol). He does have a degree from Michigan, so I'm hard-pressed to think he's doing nothing with that & not earning something on the side. And Madi's got her fledgling costume design business, which probably doesn't bring in a lot at this point, but she's setting herself up quite nicely for a post-competitive career.

That's not to say they're rolling in it, but they're clearly doing alright for themselves & will certainly have more time to participate in some of the mini-tours that occur in Europe, Japan & North America throughout the year after the Olympics.