2023-24 US Pairs Discussion - Chan you count Howe many teams we have?

[Karen-W]

Bringing this over here...

Efimova coming to the U.S.??

US-Verband bittet um Freigabe für Efimova - Eiskunstlaufblog

Der Eiskunstlaufverband der USA hat um die Freigabe von Alisa Efimova gebeten. Mit wem sie dann laufen wird ist nicht bekannt. Die DEU wird den Antrag prüfen.Efimova hatte erst vor rund einem Jahr, nach zweijähriger Wartezeit, die Freigabe für die DEU erhalten. Trotz guter Ergebnisse zog ihr...

eiskunstlaufblog.com

Machine translation:

"The US Figure Skating Association has asked for Alisa Efimova's release. It is not known with whom she will then run. DEU will examine the application.

"Efimova only received approval for the DEU about a year ago, after a two-year waiting period. Despite good results, her partner Ruben Blommaert pulled the plug due to a different approach to training and ended his career."

Mitrofanov/Efimova is what I am hearing.

 

[Karen-W]

Gabbie Izzo and Thierry Ferland confirmed! Looks like they will be training at WASA?

Instagram

www.instagram.com

ETA - WASA Pairs removed their post...

 

[Rukia]

ETA - WASA Pairs removed their post...

lol idk what is going on but this is hilarious because it's out there. Everyone knows now.

 

[Sylvia]

lol idk what is going on but this is hilarious because it's out there. Everyone knows now.

Well there are 2 countries involved (same with McBeath/Parkman who have yet to announce anything themselves).

 

[Karen-W]

Well there are 2 countries involved (same with McBeath/Parkman who have yet to announce anything themselves).

Yup - and earlier today, Jenni Meno posted a pic on her IG of Katie and mostly the back of Daniil's head that she captioned "Choreo time!" where she only tagged Katie and Yura Min, lololol.

 

[Rukia]

Well there are 2 countries involved (same with McBeath/Parkman who have yet to announce anything themselves).

I mean that's the reason I thought but I still find it funny because the cat is 100% out of the bag at this point.

 

[Joubabe]

I haven’t seen any mention of Smirnova and Siianytsia being at Pairs Camp. Does anyone know why? Not injury, I hope!

 

[Karen-W]

I haven’t seen any mention of Smirnova and Siianytsia being at Pairs Camp. Does anyone know why? Not injury, I hope!

Teams didn't have to attend - I don't think I saw the Mokhovs there either, nor were Baram/Tioumentsev.

 

[Sylvia]

Alisa Efimova and coaches Aleksey Letov/Olga Ganicheva confirmed to matchtv.ru that the German federation has released her to the USA and she will skate with Misha Mitrofanov in Boston. Since she competed at 2023 Worlds with Blommaert for Germany (http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00113790.htm), she and Mitrofanov will compete in domestic competitions this season.

 

[Karen-W]

FS-Gossips translation of a brief interview with Efimova by RSport/MatchTV -

“I knew that I wanted to continue” Alisa Efimova teamed up with with American skater Misha Mitrofanov

Alisa Efimova teamed up with with American skater Misha Mitrofanov.

t.co

"When the news of Ruben’s retirement came out, Misha messaged me and asked if I was interested in a tryout. We immediately called each other to discuss our respective situations. It was the day after returning from the World Championships in Japan.

Our tryout with Misha took place in Boston under the guidance of Olga Ganicheva and Alexei Letov. It lasted for five days. On the third day, we realized that we were training as if in a full-fledged partnership.

We were already doing siede by side triple jumps, triple throws, various lifts, all the death spirals and spins, and a triple twist on the floor. The coaches confirmed that we match each other.

After all the trials, I realized that Misha is the best partner for me and that it only makes sense to continue my career with him,” Efimova said.

 

[Karen-W]

Just a reminder of the domestic pairs comps that any teams who are internationally ineligible (age or waiting period) can compete in -

U.S. Figure Skating Announces 2023-24 and 2024-25 National Qualifying Series Schedule | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

Dates	Event	Location	Disciplines
July 27-30	Glacier Falls Summer	Anaheim, Calif.	Singles; Pairs
Aug. 24-26	Battle of the Blades	Fort Wayne, Ind.	Singles; Pairs
Sept. 1-3	Golden West Championships	Irvine, Calif.	Singles; Pairs
Sept. 8-10	Middle Atlantics	New York, N.Y.	Singles; Pairs
Sept. 21-24	Broadmoor Fall Classic	Colorado Springs, Colo.	Singles; Pairs
Oct. 5-8	Boston Open	Norwood, Mass.	Singles; Pairs

And the Pairs Final...

Nov. 7-12

Pacific Coast Sectional Singles & U.S. Pairs Final

Tacoma, Wash.

Singles; Pairs

 

[Debbie S]

Brandon Frazier just posted on IG (story) that he and Alexa will be on The Today Show on Friday (Olympic Day), with Vincent Zhou. Probably just general talk about their Oly experience, but I wonder if we'll hear anything official about their future plans.

 

[Debbie S]

Adding to what I posted above, Alexa just posted that they will be discussing the TE medal/lack thereof situation.

Alexa Knierim on Instagram: "Tomorrow morning we will be on the @todayshow spreading awareness on our Olympic medal situation. It is more than medals! #justice #olympics #medals #morethanmedals"

46 likes, 0 comments - Alexa Knierim (@alexa_knierim) on Instagram: "Tomorrow morning we will be on the @todayshow spreading awareness on our Olympic medal situation...."

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Clip of the second half of Ellie Kam/Danny O'Shea's "East of Eden" SP (footwork, lift, FI death spiral), choreographed by Drew Meekins and filmed by Jordan Cowan last month in Colorado Springs: https://www.instagram.com/reel/Ct1pZ4QLYvF/
Their partial run through is uploaded on OIP's YT channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GRmNMqOq9T0

 

[ice coverage]

Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy have been added to USFS ISP list.

Qualify for Team USA | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

 

[Karen-W]

Chelsea Liu and Balazs Nagy have been added to USFS ISP list.

Qualify for Team USA | U.S. Figure Skating

www.usfigureskating.org

Guess that answers the question of who they'll represent.

 

[patinage]

Known US Junior Pairs teams -
Williams/Lewer
Flores/Wang
Fletcher/Felberbaum
Grohne/Lunt (she turned 13 last week)
Zheng/Deng
Cooke/Kennedy

Is Matthew Kennedy 21 already? If so, too old to compete juniors internationally.

I am trying to figure out which US pairs, if any, are age-eligible for Youth Olympic Games. Are Audrey Park and Carter Griffin still skating together? USA is eligible for two pairs spots at YOG.

 

[Karen-W]

Is Matthew Kennedy 21 already? If so, too old to compete juniors internationally.

I am trying to figure out which US pairs, if any, are age-eligible for Youth Olympic Games. Are Audrey Park and Carter Griffin still skating together? USA is eligible for two pairs spots at YOG.

What are the ages for YOG?

 

[Stephanie]

What are the ages for YOG?

All athletes have to be born between 2006 and 2009

 

[Karen-W]

All athletes have to be born between 2006 and 2009

I'm not sure we have any teams who will be eligible, but I'm not entirely positive about the ages for our junior teams.

 

[ice coverage]

During the limited number of recent years when I have been paying attention, it has not seemed uncommon for U.S. pairs to compete domestically as Juniors even if one or both partners would be too old for Junior internationals.

Sydney Cooke is too old for Junior internationals (per date of birth in old USFS bio for her former partnership with Chapman).
I don't know about Matthew Kennedy.

... Internationally age-ineligible for either Senior or Junior competition
**Baram/Tioumentsev
**Korytek/Chapman
**Rivers/Rensing ...

Rivers/Rensing are age-eligible for Senior internationals, per Nats bios.

Known US Junior Pairs teams -
Williams/Lewer
Flores/Wang
Delis/Schwab (are they still together?)
Fletcher/Felberbaum
Grohne/Lunt (she turned 13 last week)
Zheng/Deng

FWIW, Delis/Schwab are age-eligible for Senior internationals.
He will be too old for Junior internationals in 2023-24. ...

When I responded earlier to Karen's original listings for Rivers/Rensing and Delis/Schwab, I regret that I did not add and emphasize that I would not be surprised if either pair continued to focus on competing in Junior category at domestic events. At the same time, I don't want to rule out the possibility that either pair would move up to Senior.
(FWIW, Rivers/Rensing competed Junior domestically in 2022-23, when both of them already exceeded the age limit for Junior internationals.)

 

[emilieh]

Are Audrey Park and Carter Griffin still skating together?

I think I saw them in a photo from the pairs camp.

 

[Karen-W]

2023 Grand Prix assignments as of June 28 (8 spots/4 teams):

Chan/Howe: Cup of China (#4) & NHK Trophy (#6)
Kam/O'Shea: France (#3) & Finland (#5)
Plazas/Fernandez: Skate America (#1) & France (#3)
Smirnova/Siianytsia: Cup of China (#4) & NHK Trophy (#6)

2nd & 3rd spots are TBD at Skate America.

 

[Frau Muller]

Looks like Plazas/Fernández are USA’s aces in the hole…only Pair team named to SkAmerica, with Pairs#s 2 & 3 TBD. Wow.

 

[happycamper2554]

Looks like Plazas/Fernández are USA’s aces in the hole…only Pair team named to SkAmerica, with Pairs#s 2 & 3 TBD. Wow.

They clearly didn’t get a second spot on initial draw so the us gave them that spot. I think they were lower then the other teams in SB and WS.

 

[SidelineSkater]

2023 Grand Prix assignments as of June 28 (8 spots/4 teams):

Chan/Howe: Cup of China (#4) & NHK Trophy (#6)
Kam/O'Shea: France (#3) & Finland (#5)
Plazas/Fernandez: Skate America (#1) & France (#3)
Smirnova/Siianytsia: Cup of China (#4) & NHK Trophy (#6)

2nd & 3rd spots are TBD at Skate America.

Using Karen's post as an open-ended question to anyone.

What other US senior pairs are possible TBD picks?

Mokhova/Mokhov
Liu/Nagy

Teams from US nats 2023
Digerness/Sadusky
Hanns/Neudecker
Ouellette/Newby-Estrella
Fitzpatrick/Bearinger

Any other new partnerships that have both people released to represent US?

 

[ice coverage]

... What other US senior pairs are possible TBD picks?

Mokhova/Mokhov
Liu/Nagy ...

So far, Mokhova/Mokhov and Liu/Nagy basically are the only options from ISP.
(Williams/Lewer technically are age-eligible for senior GP, but seems more likely that they will want two JGPs?)

Not surprisingly, Knierim/Frazier and McBeath/Bartholomay have been removed from ISP.

They clearly didn’t get a second spot on initial draw so the us gave them that spot. I think they were lower then the other teams in SB and WS.

I thought host federations make their host picks (of skaters from their own federation) before the rest of the GP draw happens?
Not because I have seen anything official in writing, but because some fans who are way more knowledgeable than me have said so.

Anyway, I am glad that Plazas/Fernandez and Smirnova/Siianytsia both got two.
(I already had assumed that Kam/O'Shea would.)

(For the record:
Plazas/Fernandez are 15th on ISU World Standings list; Smirnova/Siianytsia are 28th.
S/S are 15th on Season's Best list; P/F are 19th.)

 

[Karen-W]

So far, Mokhova/Mokhov and Liu/Nagy basically are the only options from ISP.
(Williams/Lewer technically are age-eligible for senior GP, but seems more likely that they will want two JGPs?)

Not surprisingly, Knierim/Frazier and McBeath/Bartholomay have been removed from ISP.



I thought host federations make their host picks (of skaters from their own federation) before the rest of the GP draw happens?
Not because I have seen anything official in writing, but because some fans who are way more knowledgeable than me have said so.

Anyway, I am glad that Plazas/Fernandez and Smirnova/Siianytsia both got two.
(I already had assumed that Kam/O'Shea would.)

(For the record:
Plazas/Fernandez are 15th on ISU World Standings list; Smirnova/Siianytsia are 28th.
S/S are 15th on Season's Best list; P/F are 19th.)

Kam/O'Shea were an invited team once KniFraz and EfiBlom were removed from the 2023 Worlds results, so they were guaranteed 2.

It seems pretty clear that SmirSiia got a 2nd because of their SB ranking, which is higher than all the other teams guaranteed 1 assignment. I'm thrilled for them, though, and for PlaFern getting two.

ETA - McBeath/Parkman won't be eligible for international competition until Golden Spin since his last competition was GP Espoo last year. Same with Izzo/Ferland - regardless of whether they skate for the US or Canada, I believe their last competitions were the same week in November last year (she was at MKJW and he was at Warsaw Cup).

 

[Garden Kitty]

Has there been any sort of official announcement by K&F of their plans? I know Alexa and Chris moved, so I assumed they were retiring, but I don't recall seeing anything official.

 

[Karen-W]

Has there been any sort of official announcement by K&F of their plans? I know Alexa and Chris moved, so I assumed they were retiring, but I don't recall seeing anything official.

No, there has not. We do know that Brandon has one year left at UC-Irvine. It is possible they might be thinking about going the Jason Brown route, especially if these younger/newer teams don't start producing results.