2023-24 ISU Junior Grand Prix

[Vark]

I left feedback on YouTube asking them to shut down the comment sections for these competitions.

They said horrible things at Junior Worlds on the ice dance competitions.

 

[Sylvia]

Mark Hanretty also posted his own words on his IG account (many skaters have commented positively): https://www.instagram.com/reel/Cw9cR_uo1-J/

Sound on for my thoughts on keyboard warriors and online trolls.
When did nastiness and hate ever make anything better?

Have some cake and come back to me when you have a bit more jollity.

 

[Sylvia]

JGP point standings after Bangkok, Linz & Istanbul (4 to go in singles/ice dance):

Junior Women: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpswomen.htm
Qualified: Ami Nakai (JPN) has 2 golds (Bangkok & Istanbul).

Junior Men: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpsmen.htm
Qualified: Rio Nakata (JPN) has 1 gold (Bangkok) and 1 bronze silver (Istanbul).
Minkyu Seo (KOR) has a 5th (Bangkok) and 1 gold (Istanbul).

Junior Ice Dance: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpsdance.htm

Junior Pairs (Linz & Istanbul with Budapest & Gdansk to go): https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpspairs.htm
Olivia Flores/Luke Wang (USA) have 2 silvers (Linz & Istanbul in back-to-back weeks).

 

[her grace]

@Sylvia Nakata earned silver in Instanbul.

 

[Karen-W]

Looks like Tkachenko/Kiliakov finally decided which 2 JGPs they're doing - they're off the Gdansk list and only listed for Osaka and Yerevan now - which certainly makes the JGPF path for the teams in Gdansk easier.

Top JGPF contenders at the 4 remaining JGPs -

Osaka - Nguyen/Giang (silver with 144.75 @Linz), Fradji/Forneaux (silver with 157.11 @Bangkok), Tkachenko/Kiliakov (jr season debut, 163.38 @LPIDI sr int'l), Neset/Markelov (gold with 168.48 @Bangkok); teams that COULD be in the mix - Veillon/Brandys (139.17 @Bangkok), Kishimoto/Tamura (JGP season debut, 142.52 @Championnats Quebecois d'Ete), Kim/Lee (bronze with 139.32 @Bangkok), Mullen/Mullen (135.30 @Linz)

Budapest - Sabatini-Speciale/Buelow (better than the 125.62 @Istanbul would indicate), Mouaden/Bigot (132.10 @Linz), Slatter/Ongay-Perez (140.00 @Linz), Pidgaina/Koval (135.57 @Linz), Carhart/Horovyi (JGP season debut, 143.93 @LPIDI jr int'l), Pedersen/Chen (silver with 146.37 @JGP Istanbul)

Gdansk - Grimm/Savitskiy (gold with 154.33 @Linz), Zehnder/Sieber (bronze with 143.65 @Istanbul), Pinchuk/Pogorielov (gold with 148.82 @Istanbul), Carhart/Horovyi (assigned to JGP Budapest, 143.93 @LPIDI jr int'l); teams that could be in the mix - Blaasova/Blaas (132.25 @Bangkok), Kishimoto/Tamura (assigned to JGP Osaka, 142.52 @Championnats Quebecois d'Ete)

Yerevan - Tkachenko/Kiliakov (assigned to JGP Osaka, 163.38 @LPIDI sr int'l), Peal/Peal (bronze with 142.83 @Linz), Korneva/MacDonald (jr debut, 146.32 @Skate Ontario August Sectional)

I still think it is a mistake from either Skate Canada or the FFSG to not have switched their silver medalists from Bangkok and Linz to Yerevan, but that's on them if either team misses out on the JGPF as a result.

 

[jlai]

But didn't I hear about Yerevan being an issue if political issues arise?

 

[Sylvia]

But didn't I hear about Yerevan being an issue if political issues arise?

I think it's safe to assume that the ISU and federations are monitoring the situation.

 

[Sylvia]

I think this is my favorite "Backstage" video yet -- IMO, a really good editing job that captures all the exciting action on and emotions off the ice in Istanbul! https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpyxI6adQLo

 

[Sylvia]

Jurij Kodrun took the photos for ISU/Getty Images in Istanbul - he posted a selection of 10 "impressions" on his IG account today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxD6ffco7Hm/

Skaters tagged are: 1) Jazmine Desrochers/Kieran Thrasher (CAN); 2) Andrea Psurna/Jachym Novak (CZE); 3) Sofiia Dovhal/Wiktor Kulesza (POL); 4) Elyce Lin-Gracey (USA); 8) Mariia Pinchuk/Mykyta Pogorielov (UKR); 9) Drew Meekins with Olivia Flores/Luke Wang (USA)

Not tagged/identified: 5) ? / ? ; 6 ?/? ; 7) Rio Nakata (JPN); 10) ?/?

 

[airgelaal]

Jurij Kodrun took the photos for ISU/Getty Images in Istanbul - he posted a selection of 10 "impressions" on his IG account today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CxD6ffco7Hm/

Skaters tagged are: 1) Jazmine Desrochers/Kieran Thrasher (CAN); 2) Andrea Psurna/Jachym Novak (CZE); 3) Sofiia Dovhal/Wiktor Kulesza (POL); 4) Elyce Lin-Gracey (USA); 8) Mariia Pinchuk/Mykyta Pogorielov (UKR); 9) Drew Meekins with Olivia Flores/Luke Wang (USA)

Not tagged/identified: 5) ? / ? ; 6 ?/? ; 7) Rio Nakata (JPN); 10) ?/?

5) Eva SHELAEVA / Ivan SOLOVYEV (KAZ)
6) Sofiia DOVHAL / Wiktor KULESZA (POL)
10) I think it's Harlow Lynella STANLEY / Nikita SOSNENKO (MEX)

 

[coralline]

I still think it is a mistake from either Skate Canada or the FFSG to not have switched their silver medalists from Bangkok and Linz to Yerevan, but that's on them if either team misses out on the JGPF as a result.

If I can’t see Fradji/Forneaux and Ms.Karine Arribert in Beijing I will fully, totally and wholly blame it on FFSG!

 

[Karen-W]

If I can’t see Fradji/Forneaux and Ms.Karine Arribert in Beijing I will fully, totally and wholly blame it on FFSG!

I actually think they're in a better position to make it than Nguyen/Giang. Even taking into consideration the notion that the JGP Linz ice dance scoring was REALLY tight, Fradji/Forneaux have a 13 point advantage. If FraForn come away with bronze, they'll still probably beat the Peals in a tie-breaker given they have a 15 point lead in combined scores already.

 

[Colonel Green]

The French are the more experienced team and made the Final last year, I’d say they clearly have the advantage, barring a freak mistake.

 

[Sylvia]

One Day With: Michael SLIPCHUK (Canada's team leader in Istanbul): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vB8nAKaNqy4

He watched David Bondar's SP and interacted afterwards with his coach, Lee Barkell, and his choreographer, Juris Razgulajevs (who was there as Goodstadt/Bennett's coach).

 

[Karen-W]

USA men's entries for Budapest & Gdansk were updated -

Budapest - Jacob Sanchez
Gdansk - Beck Strommer

 

[Frau Muller]

JACOB!!! Beep-beep-beep…phone call to TeleOnce Puerto Rico!

 

[Karen-W]

Also of note -

Budapest updates:
1) Japan WD Taiga Nishino and didn't replace him, so only one Japanese man there.

2) Williams/Lewer are out - I was concerned there was possibly an injury issue when the USFS swapped them out with Flores/Wang for Istanbul and it turns out my niggling fear was correct.

3) And, holy eff! Carhart/Horovyi are out in dance - replaced by Ilin/Cain.

Gdansk entries -
1) Carhart/Horovyi out there too - replaced by Bland/Sperry.

2) Japan WD Kaoruko Wada with no replacement, so only one Japanese woman there.

3) Japan WD Masaya Mishima with no replacement, so only one Japanese man there.

 

[her grace]

Tough year for U.S. returning dance teams.

to Japan not replacing their singles skaters. It’s not like they don’t have good eligible alternates.

 

[Karen-W]

Things are going to be really interesting this week and in Gdansk for dance. If I was the Swiss fed, I'd seriously consider flipping Zehnder/Sieber (Gdansk) and Ledermann/Emo (Yerevan) in order to possibly qualify ZehnSie for the JGPF.

 

[her grace]

Baby Brits v. Baby French v. Baby Americans v. Younger Ukrainians all in the same event in Budapest. Future is bright for dance!

 

[her grace]

Things are going to be really interesting this week and in Gdansk for dance. If I was the Swiss fed, I'd seriously consider flipping Zehnder/Sieber (Gdansk) and Ledermann/Emo (Yerevan) in order to possibly qualify ZehnSie for the JGPF.

That would make a lot of sense, but Zehnder/Sieber aren't listed as subs for Yerevan.

 

[Karen-W]

Baby Brits v. Baby French v. Baby Americans v. Younger Ukrainians all in the same event in Budapest. Future is bright for dance!

Plus Baby Canadians... That event could be something we all look back on in a decade and marvel at how far those teams have come!

 

[her grace]

Junior Ice Dance: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpsdance.htm

Point standings
Neset/Markelov 15 + 15 =30 qualified
Fradji/Fourneaux 13 + 11 = 24 bubble
Nguyen/Jiang 13 +5 = 18 not going to make it

What's to come:
JGP HUN Pedersen/Chen (13), Slatter Ongay-Perez (9), Pidgaina/Koval (5), Ilian/Cain (5), Moudaen/Pigot (3)
JGP POL Grimm/Savitskiy (15), Pinchuk/Pogorielov (15), Zehnder/Seiber (11), Kishimoto/Tamura (9), Lin/Gao (7)
JGP ARM Tkachenko/Kiliakov (13), Peals (11) etc.

What to look out for:

• Grimm/Savitskiy and Tkachenko/Kiliakov are favored to win their events, which leaves 3 spots left for other teams to achieve.
• Slatter/Ongay-Perez' placement in Hungary. If they can win and if Pedersen/Chen finish second, then that could potentially knock Fradji/Fourneax out of the JGP Final. Pedersen/Chen come in with a six point SB advantage, but the Brits were at the lower scoring Linz event. Gold or silver gets Pedersen/Chen into the Final. A bronze would put them in the 24 point tiebreak.
• the silver medalist in Poland. Grimm/Savitskiy are the overwhelming favorites for gold. But the Ukrainians, Swiss, and Japanese teams' SBs are all within five points of each other. If Swiss could pull off the silver, then they would be in 24 total points tiebreak. Pinchuk/Pogorielov are in a great position coming into the event with 15 total points. Even a 4th place would put them in the 24 total points tiebreak, and their gold medal in Turkey would break the tie in their favor.
• the Peals' total score from both events. Other than the overwhelming favorites Tkachenko/Kiliakov, the Armenian field is not that deep. If Peals win the silver, then they would be in the 24 total points tiebreak, at which point the total scores earned in both events would come into play as the tiebreak.

 

[Sylvia]

Junior Men's standings after #4 Osaka: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpsmen.htm

Qualified for Final:
Rio NAKATA JPN 15 (217.65) + 13 (222.35) = 28 (440.00)
Francois PITOT FRA 13 (217.50) + 15 (219.86) = 28 (437.36)

Bubble: Minkyu SEO KOR 7 (196.12) + 15 (231.30) = 22 (427.42)

Budapest next week has:
Adam HAGARA SVK 15 (220.33)
Hyungyeom KIM KOR 13 (211.76)
Jacob SANCHEZ USA 9 (201.49)
Konstantin SUPATASHVILI GEO 9 (184.16)
Naoki ROSSI SUI 7 (198.60)
Haru KAKIUCHI JPN 4 (180.51)
Yudong CHEN CHN - his 1st of 2 JGPs (201.84 & silver in Gdansk1 last year; after 16th in SP, he won the FS with score of 148.08)

ETA:

Gdansk currently has:
Juheon LIM KOR 13 (217.95)
Beck STROMMER USA 11 (210.92)
Daiya EBIHARA JPN 11 (207.17)
Edward APPLEBY GBR 5 (186.19)
Yudong CHEN CHN

Yerevan will or could include:
Daniel MARTYNOV USA 11 (207.98)
Tonghe TIAN CHN 9 (200.98)
Shunsuke NAKAMURA JPN 3 (187.88) - 2nd in Osaka SP
Aleksandr FEGAN USA (JGP debut; has been skating well this summer)
???

 

[her grace]

Junior Women: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpswomen.htm

Point standings
Nakai 15 + 15 =30 qualified
Takagi 9 + 13 = 22 bubble

What's to come:
JGP HUN Shia (15), Kim (13) Murakami (13) Gladki (9) Karhunen (7)
JGP POL Uezono (13) Kwon (11) Youn (7)
JGP ARM Shimada (15) Lin-Gracey (9) Kushida (9) Shifrin (5) Stepcenko (5)

What to look out for:

• how the Hungarian results turn out. That event looks like a bloodbath with 3 skaters there who have earned gold or silver. A gold or a silver for any of the trio would earn them a spot in the final. A bronze could be enough (it would qualify Shia), but it would depend on how the other events go.
• Polish event looks surprisingly easy, OTOH, particularly with only one Japanese lady. A good chance for both Uezono and Kwon--if either wins, they make the final. If Uezono wins silver, she should qualify to the final. If Kwon wins silver, she might end up in a 24 point tiebreak.
• Armenia should be easy victory for Shimada. It's also a chance for lower-ranked skaters to earn a medal. Lin-Gracey has a very outside chance of making the final, would depend on if 22 points is enough to make the final and of course, whether she actually earns the silver medal here. Korea has entered two women who do not have other events and they could play spoiler.

 

[Sylvia]

JGP Women current top 21 total scores this season (160+):

1 Mao SHIMADA JPN ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 213.86 [gold]
2 Jia SHIN KOR ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 01/09/2023 201.33 [gold]
3 Ami NAKAI JPN ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 08/09/2023 194.65 [gold]
4 Yuseong KIM KOR ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 25/08/2023 189.92 [silver]
5 Yo TAKAGI JPN ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 188.15 [silver; 4th in THA]
6 Rena UEZONO JPN ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 08/09/2023 187.71 [silver]
...
9 Yujae KIM KOR ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 08/09/2023 183.65 [bronze; only 1 assignment ]
...
11 Elyce LIN-GRACEY USA ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 08/09/2023 179.16 [4th]
12 Yu-Feng TSAI TPE ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 178.82 [bronze - 1st medal in 23 years for TPE!]
...
14 Ikura KUSHIDA JPN ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 176.09 [4th]
15 Seojin YOUN KOR ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 08/09/2023 175.77 [5th]
16 Heesue HAN KOR ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 25/08/2023 173.99 [bronze]
17 Jeongyul HWANG KOR ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 172.42 [5th]
18 Hana BATH AUS ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 170.64 [6th]
19 Haruna MURAKAMI JPN ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 01/09/2023 168.37 [silver]
20 Ruichen TONG CHN ISU JGP Osaka 2023 16/09/2023 166.34 [7th]
21 Minsol KWON KOR ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 01/09/2023 165.93 [bronze]
22 Annika CHAO USA ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 25/08/2023 164.04 [5th]
...
24 Sophia SHIFRIN ISR ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 25/08/2023 163.18 [6th]
25 Stefania GLADKI FRA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 01/09/2023 162.29 [4th]
26 Iida KARHUNEN FIN ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 01/09/2023 161.69 [5th]

 

[Sylvia]

JGP Men current top 20 scores (184+):

4 Minkyu SEO KOR ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 09/09/2023 231.30 [gold]
5 Rio NAKATA JPN ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 09/09/2023 222.35 [silver; gold in THA]
6 Adam HAGARA SVK ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 220.33 [gold]
7 Francois PITOT FRA ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 219.86 [gold; silver in THA]
8 Juheon LIM KOR ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 217.95 [silver]
9 Hyungyeom KIM KOR ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 211.76 [silver]
10 Beck STROMMER USA ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 210.92 [bronze]
...
13 Yanhao LI NZL ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 26/08/2023 210.08 [bronze]
14 Daniel MARTYNOV USA ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 207.98 [bronze]
15 Daiya EBIHARA JPN ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 09/09/2023 207.17 [bronze]
16 Michael XIE USA ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 204.13 [4th]
17 Jacob SANCHEZ USA ISU JGP Bangkok 2023 26/08/2023 201.49 [4th]
18 Tonghe TIAN CHN ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 200.98 [4th]
19 Naoki ROSSI SUI ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 198.60 [5th]
...
21 Jaekeun LEE KOR ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 193.43 [6th] - his only assignment
22 Nikita SHEIKO ISR ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 190.45 [7th]
...
24 Shunsuke NAKAMURA JPN ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 187.88 [8th]
25 Edward APPLEBY GBR ISU JGP Cup of Austria 2023 02/09/2023 186.19 [6th]
...
27 Yu-Hsiang LI TPE ISU JGP Osaka 2023 15/09/2023 185.22 [9th]
28 Konstantin SUPATASHVILI GEO ISU JGP Istanbul 2023 09/09/2023 184.16 [4th]

 

[Karen-W]

Junior Women: https://results.isu.org/events/jgp2023/jgpswomen.htm

Point standings
Nakai 15 + 15 =30 qualified
Takagi 9 + 13 = 22 bubble

What's to come:
JGP HUN Shia (15), Kim (13) Murakami (13) Gladki (9) Karhunen (7)
JGP POL Uezono (13) Kwon (11) Youn (7)
JGP ARM Shimada (15) Lin-Gracey (9) Kushida (9) Shifrin (5) Stepcenko (5)

What to look out for:

• how the Hungarian results turn out. That event looks like a bloodbath with 3 skaters there who have earned gold or silver. A gold or a silver for any of the trio would earn them a spot in the final. A bronze could be enough (it would qualify Shia), but it would depend on how the other events go.
• Polish event looks surprisingly easy, OTOH, particularly with only one Japanese lady. A good chance for both Uezono and Kwon--if either wins, they make the final. If Uezono wins silver, she should qualify to the final. If Kwon wins silver, she might end up in a 24 point tiebreak.
• Armenia should be easy victory for Shimada. It's also a chance for lower-ranked skaters to earn a medal. Lin-Gracey has a very outside chance of making the final, would depend on if 22 points is enough to make the final and of course, whether she actually earns the silver medal here. Korea has entered two women who do not have other events and they could play spoiler.

The USFS really should be more strategic here and swap Everhardt and Lin-Gracey, IMO. They won't, because that's not how they roll, but they could screw Lin-Gracey out of the JGPF with this lack of strategic assigning for the remaining skaters.

Sherry Zhang is also going to be in that Budapest field and could play spoiler for other skaters' JGPF dreams.

 

[Sylvia]

JGP HUN Jia Shin (15), Yuseong Kim (13) Haruna Murakami (13) Gladki (9) Karhunen (7)

Inga GURGENIDZE (GEO) is listed for Budapest and presumably will be in Yerevan.

ETA: Oh and some of us are waiting/hoping for Anna Pezzetta - also listed for Budapest - to break through!

ETA #2: What can we expect from China's Shiqi GAO & Yihan WANG who are both debuting in Budapest & Gdansk?

 

[Stephanie]

The USFS really should be more strategic here and swap Everhardt and Lin-Gracey, IMO. They won't, because that's not how they roll, but they could screw Lin-Gracey out of the JGPF with this lack of strategic assigning for the remaining skaters.

Sherry Zhang is also going to be in that Budapest field and could play spoiler for other skaters' JGPF dreams.

Or another example: they would have been better off sending Fegan to Budapest, since it’s such a tough event, and send Sanchez to Armenia instead.