2024-25 USFS International Assignments

[Karen-W]

Thanks, I didn't realize Cranberry counted.

It doesn't count for everyone, I don't believe. I may be wrong about that, though, but I think it only counted for those who were in the "skate-off" for the SkAm host spot, some on the Men's side.

It doesn't matter much because there are only a handful of skaters/teams who need a 3rd assignment to receive a Nats bye (the rest already have a travel bye) - Lucas Broussard springs to mind since there have been so few GP withdrawals yet with the Men's discipline. But if a 2nd GP doesn't come available for Broussard soon then I expect he will be assigned to Tallinn Trophy or Warsaw Cup as his 3rd assignment.

 

[YukiNieve]

But if a 2nd GP doesn't come available for Broussard soon then I expect he will be assigned to Tallinn Trophy or Warsaw Cup as his 3rd assignment.

If Lucas gets an CS assignment, will the USFS still cover the cost of traveling expense etc. even though he has not received any team envelopes?

 

[Karen-W]

If Lucas gets an CS assignment, will the USFS still cover the cost of traveling expense etc. even though he has not received any team envelopes?

Team envelope funding is not related to being in the ISP and receiving international assignments. If he received an additional Challenger assignment then it would likely be covered by the USFS.

 

[YukiNieve]

Team envelope funding is not related to being in the ISP and receiving international assignments. If he received an additional Challenger assignment then it would likely be covered by the USFS.

Thanks. I know these two are not directly related, but I wasn't also sure how much extra money the USFS could spare right now.

 

[Karen-W]

Thanks. I know these two are not directly related, but I was also not sure how much extra money does USFS have at the moment.

The USFS will have a budget and I'm sure that they've figured out how many skaters/teams they can afford to send to various competitions. There will be the budget available to send X number of the men's skaters to different Challengers throughout the season - seems like it's 2 per discipline, generally speaking. Depending on each skater's schedule and availability, we may see instances were 1 skater in a given discipline is sent to a competition and 3 are sent to another, etc.

 

[ice coverage]

If Lucas gets an CS assignment, will the USFS still cover the cost of traveling expense etc. even though he has not received any team envelopes?

Thanks. I know these two are not directly related, but I wasn't also sure how much extra money the USFS could spare right now.

Agree that envelope funding is not directly related to ISP and international assignments.
But as an aside: After Broussard won Cranberry, USFS rules say that he would have been added to Team C envelope.

"Athletes/teams assigned to an international competition, who are not in the current season's funding structure, will be placed in the reserve team. If the athlete/team medal at a senior ISU international competition, they will be placed, immediately, in Team C - Tier 2 and receive the remaining funding for that season."

https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/2024-2025%20Athlete%20Support%20Funding%20Criteria.pdf

The public page for envelope funding never (AFAIK) is updated with such additions after the season is underway , but I hope that the skaters who meet this requirement do start receiving the funding.

 

[Karen-W]

Want to know what's really crazy? Despsite competing at Nats last year neither Wolfkostin/Tsarevski nor Sophie Joline von Felten have any Team Funding - and they don't qualify despite medaling on the JGP because junior events don't qualify for placement/movement up from Reserve Team to even Team D. Same for Patrick Blackwell & Aboian/Veselukhin - though it's understandable that neither of them would since Blackwell was injured all last year and AboVes are a new team.

Of the JGP medalists the following have Team Funding -
Jacob Sanchez - Team C
Flores/Wang - Team C
Peal/Peal - Team C
Mullen/Mullen - Team D

Thankfully all of the JGP medalists from this year will at least qualify for Team C funding next year, but Team Funding really doesn't necessarily factor into the likelihood of international results, at least not at the junior level.

 

[Capt. DeSoto]

Want to know what's really crazy? Despsite competing at Nats last year neither Wolfkostin/Tsarevski nor Sophie Joline von Felten have any Team Funding - and they don't qualify despite medaling on the JGP because junior events don't qualify for placement/movement up from Reserve Team to even Team D. Same for Patrick Blackwell & Aboian/Veselukhin - though it's understandable that neither of them would since Blackwell was injured all last year and AboVes are a new team.

Of the JGP medalists the following have Team Funding -
Jacob Sanchez - Team C
Flores/Wang - Team C
Peal/Peal - Team C
Mullen/Mullen - Team D

Thankfully all of the JGP medalists from this year will at least qualify for Team C funding next year, but Team Funding really doesn't necessarily factor into the likelihood of international results, at least not at the junior level.

Team C/D funding isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. It'll pay for like 4-6 weeks of training expenses. It's absolutely better than nothing of course, but it's not making or breaking anyone. Team A/B is like 2-3 months of training expenses. Every little bit helps, but we're not talking "state funding" support here like some skaters in other parts of the world enjoy.

 

[Yyzskater]

Team C/D funding isn't a whole lot in the grand scheme of things. It'll pay for like 4-6 weeks of training expenses. It's absolutely better than nothing of course, but it's not making or breaking anyone. Team A/B is like 2-3 months of training expenses. Every little bit helps, but we're not talking "state funding" support here like some skaters in other parts of the world enjoy.

Is the amount equivalent to the cost of all inclusive training expenses (ice, coaching on and off ice, physio, etc)? I have tried to find a dollar amount for each envelope but I have never found anywhere that posted a dollar amount each level gets.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Is the initial post-Worlds allocation a fixed amount that gets distributed by the weighted envelope placement, so that they don’t know what amount it is, until they figure out who places where? With subsequent qualification based on those amounts?

 

[Sylvia]

Potentially good news for Mia Kalin - she and Josephine Lee have appeared in the Tallinn Trophy Junior Women’s entries as of today (per the Sportity app): https://x.com/sylviaunseen/status/1845858271141167460
If confirmed, this should give Mia a bye through the Pacific Coast Sectional Singles Final (Josephine already has a bye to Nationals due to her silver medal at Nationals).

 

[her grace]

Good for Kalin and also nice to see Lee have another assignment since she skated well at her JGP.

 

[Karen-W]

Potentially good news for Mia Kalin - she and Josephine Lee have appeared in the Tallinn Trophy Junior Women’s entries as of today (per the Sportity app): https://x.com/sylviaunseen/status/1845858271141167460
If confirmed, this should give Mia a bye through the Pacific Coast Sectional Singles Final (Josephine already has a bye to Nationals due to her silver medal at Nationals).

I'd say that is a VERY nice reward for missing out on JGP China last week - getting a Jr B international assignment that gives her a bye to Nats.

 

[Karen-W]

Plazas/Fernandez have WD from both of their GPs.

https://isu.org/docman-documents-links/isu-files/event-documents/figure-skating-4/2024-25/grand-prix-5/entries-9/33866-pairs-5/file

 

[Karen-W]

A few updates today -

Flores/Desyatov were replaced by Morozov/Chen at SkAm - no information about what happened - Bella was posting yesterday early afternoon about how her fans can watch, so this was very unexpected.

McBeath/Parkman picked up a 2nd GP assignment at CoC.

 

[Karen-W]

USFS Int'l Assignments page has finally been updated to show Mia Kalin & Josephine Lee as assigned to Tallinn Trophy for Jr Women.

 

[Karen-W]

USFS Int'l Assignments page has been updated with the following entries:

IceChallenge -
Pairs - Nica Digerness/Mark Sadusky & Linzy Fitzpatrick/Keyton Bearinger
Dance - Amy Cui/Jonathan Rogers, Raffaela Koncius/Alexey Shchepetov, & Vanessa Pham/Anton Spiridonov

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

USFS Int'l Assignments page has been updated with the following entries:

IceChallenge -
Pairs - Nica Digerness/Mark Sadusky & Linzy Fitzpatrick/Keyton Bearinger
Dance - Amy Cui/Jonathan Rogers, Raffaela Koncius/Alexey Shchepetov, & Vanessa Pham/Anton Spiridonov

When did Anton find a new partner?

 

[Sylvia]

When did Anton find a new partner?

It was first posted here in June in the Dance Hall thread (their names showed up in the initial entries list for the Quebec Summer Championships): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...on-tea-dance-party.111699/page-7#post-6607001

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I take it Lorraine is looking or retired? Too bad that her and Quinn could not make it work

 

[Karen-W]

I take it Lorraine is looking or retired? Too bad that her and Quinn could not make it work

She's looking the last time it was mentioned in the US ice dance thread.

Meanwhile, there's this handy feature called "Search" with a magnifying glass up in the top right corner. If you were to utilize that feature, you could probably find the answer to your question...

 

[Debbie S]

I take it Lorraine is looking or retired? Too bad that her and Quinn could not make it work

I believe the reason Lorraine and Quinn ended their partnership was b/c he was ready to move on from skating and attend college full-time.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

She's looking the last time it was mentioned in the US ice dance thread.

Meanwhile, there's this handy feature called "Search" with a magnifying glass up in the top right corner. If you were to utilize that feature, you could probably find the answer to your question...

Don’t be a fresh face

 

[Karen-W]

Don’t be a fresh face

OMG - I totally knew this was going to be your response.

 

[tangerine dream]

USFS Int'l Assignments page has been updated with the following entries:

IceChallenge -
Pairs - Nica Digerness/Mark Sadusky & Linzy Fitzpatrick/Keyton Bearinger
Dance - Amy Cui/Jonathan Rogers, Raffaela Koncius/Alexey Shchepetov, & Vanessa Pham/Anton Spiridonov

Is this one of the "pay your own way" competitions?

 

[Sylvia]

]

Is this one of the "pay your own way" competitions?

I think it's likely.

Starr recently started a GFM for "an important upoming competition" - I've posted in the link in her fan thread: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...andrews-fan-thread.102874/page-3#post-6667619

 

[Sylvia]

I feel very badly for the 7 U.S. junior skaters (Jessica Jurka, Alayna Coats, Teryn Kim, Renzi/Lissauer, Stapert/Korotcov) who did not get a chance to finish their international competition in Nice, France due to a weather "red alert" in the city that forced the organizers to cancel the Junior Women's FS & Junior Ice Dance FD (and Senior Pairs FS).

Jessica Jurka originally had a GFM (now closed) for this comp. - glad to see her positive attitude in this post despite the disappointment:

Jessi Jurka on Instagram: "Thank you @usfigureskating for giving me the opportunity to represent USA once again as a junior. Trophy Metropole Nice Côte d’Azur was certainly not what I expected, as some of you know we had our FS cancelled 😩. My short

294 likes, 22 comments - jessi.jurka on October 27, 2024: "Thank you @usfigureskating for giving me the opportunity to represent USA once again as a junior. Trophy Metropole Nice Côte d’Azur was certainly not what I expected, as some of you know we had our FS cancelled 😩. My short went pretty...

www.instagram.com

At least she and Teryn Kim visited Paris afterwards before flying home, while Alayna Coats and her mom “ate all kinds of bread for emotional recovery” in Nice.

Emily Renzi/William Lissauer won the bronze for their 3rd place in the RD:

Emily Renzi & William Lissauer on Instagram: "Another successful competition in the books! 🥉🇺🇸 We are so excited to have earned our first international medal in junior at the Trophy Metropole Nice Côte D’azur! Thank you to @usfigureskating for givin

193 likes, 18 comments - teamemilywillsk8 on October 22, 2024: "Another successful competition in the books! 🥉🇺🇸 We are so excited to have earned our first international medal in junior at the Trophy Metropole Nice Côte D’azur! Thank you to @usfigureskating for giving us the opportunity to...

www.instagram.com

They debuted on the JGP this fall.

As the first event of the day, the 3 U.S. Junior men were able to finish their comp. before the cancellation, fortunately. Kudos to Nicholas Brooks (won bronze, also had a GFM) for acknowledging his teammates who were unable to finish their competition in his post afterwards ("... a heartfelt sorry for the weather alert that prevented you guys from the amazing free skates I know you all intended.") - happy to see he got a pic with Adam Siao Him Fa :

Nicholas Brooks on Instagram: "I am so honored to have represented Team USA in Nice, France at the Trophy Metropole Nice Gote d’Azur, and to bring home the Bronze. This competition was full of difficult moments, challenges that tested my ability to

370 likes, 30 comments - skater_nicholas on October 25, 2024: "I am so honored to have represented Team USA in Nice, France at the Trophy Metropole Nice Gote d’Azur, and to bring home the Bronze. This competition was full of difficult moments, challenges that tested my ability to stay focused...

www.instagram.com

 

[Karen-W]

Warsaw Cup entries are up -

Men - Lucas Broussard, Ilia Malinin, Max Naumov
Women - Clare Seo
Pairs - Isabelle Martins/Ryan Bedard, Audrey Shin/Balasz Nagy
Ice Dance - Eva Pate/Logan Bye, Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik

paging @AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)

 

[Private Citizen]

I feel very badly for the 7 U.S. junior skaters (Jessica Jurka, Alayna Coats, Teryn Kim, Renzi/Lissauer, Stapert/Korotcov) who did not get a chance to finish their international competition in Nice, France due to a weather "red alert" in the city that forced the organizers to cancel the Junior Women's FS & Junior Ice Dance FD (and Senior Pairs FS).

As best I can tell from my limited French, a number of local municipalities were furious over this weather alert, which turned out to be a bunch of nothing. Schools were closed, businesses were shut, parks were shut, etc. and the weather was absolutely fine on Thursday until some heavy rains on Friday morning (when the competition went ahead). There were a number of forceful (from what I can tell) attacks on the weather forecasting and the sentiment that the forecasters need to do better.

The rink in Nice is also on the fifth floor, so it's a bit hilarious to cancel the competition for risk of flooding . It would be the end of the world if water reached that high. I'm sure their concern was everyone's safety / ability to get back from the rink, but most people seemed to be staying at the two big hotels literally across the street.

 

[Karen-W]

Hopefully the USFS can find a way to make it up to them - Santa Claus Cup is at the end of November/beginning of December and it has Singles & Ice Dance for Sr, Jr & Adv Novice.