Australian skating news

[Sylvia]

James Min shared a 4T landed in practice via Instagram story from the Cricket club in Toronto - more practice jump clips (4T, 3A, 3Lz+3Lo) from November: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWuFCfnslpw/

 

[Orm Irian]

Deleted because apparently I am quite behind the times..!

 

[Marco]

OMG full team to 4CCs. I don't think the Aussie Olympic team has been named yet?!

 

[Orm Irian]

Just noticed that Harley and Maria have now withdrawn from FCCs, along with Hektor and Anastasia and Chantelle and Andrew. I hope they're all okay and are just being safe.

 

[Sylvia]

I don't believe the Nomination Criteria document for th 2022 Olympics was ever linked in this thread?

https://www.isa.org.au/_files/ugd/c8a548_c24f926cb80b4daaa0d1e7d540d7196f.pdf

Excerpts from pages 4-5:

Nomination Criteria
6.1 The National Federation will only nominate Athletes who:
have satisfied the Eligibility Criteria; and have competed at:
(i) the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2022 (currently
scheduled to finish on 22 January 2022) in both the short program/rhythm dance
and free skating/free dance program. The National Federation will select Athletes
to the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2022 according to ISA
International Championship Selection Policy; and
(ii) another event (Nominated Event - 2021 Finlandia Trophy, correct?)
to be confirmed by the National Federation and advised in writing to the Athletes
at least 45 days prior to the Nominated Event.
Athletes must compete in both the short program/rhythm dance and free
skating/free dance program of this Nominated Event. The National Federation will
select Athletes to this Nominated Event in accordance with the following criteria.
(A) Athletes must be one of the two highest ranked Athletes in a Division as
determined by adding together the two highest total elements scores
earned at two ISU recognised International Competitions/Championships
during the period beginning 1 April 2021 and concluding on the entries
closing date for the Nominated Event. If two ISU recognised International
Competitions/Championships have not occurred in this period, the
National Federation will apply the same criteria but during the period
beginning 1 January 2020 and concluding on the entries closing date for
the Nominated Event.

6.2 If the number of Athletes in the Men’s or Women’s or Mixed Events who have satisfied the criteria set out in clause 6.1, including achieving the Minimum Total Elements Score on or before the Nomination Date, exceeds the number of quota places available, then Athletes will be nominated to the AOC in order of their highest ranking, determined solely by the following criterion: the combined total of their total elements scores achieved at the events specified in clause 6.1(b)(i) and 6.1(b)(ii).

Congrats to Brendan Kerry & Kailani Craine for meeting the selection criteria and qualifying for the 2022 Olympics!

Team Australia's 4CC results:

6 Brendan KERRY AUS 227.57 4 8
15 James MIN AUS 155.02 15 15
16 Jordan DODDS AUS 139.15 16 16

12 Kailani CRAINE AUS 164.02 10 11
17 Victoria ALCANTARA AUS 138.26 16 16

Ice Dance:
8 Holly HARRIS / Jason CHAN AUS 157.00 8 8
10 India NETTE / Eron WESTWOOD AUS 113.15 10 10

(Both pairs withdrew before the compeititon.)

 

[misskarne]

Brendan is not a happy camper, for multiple reasons. From the mixed zone:

This event has been unlike the others and it was really frustrating having to trying to compete for the Olympic spot I earned again, a week and a half ahead of the Olympic Games. Unfortunately, that was a stressful factor, I mean, I felt really confident, but you never know what anyone can do on the day. Unfortunately, as far as this event is concerned, a lot of focus is wasted. You go out to do the best you can, unfortunately I had it in my mind and my focus was to come here and to do a certain job.

Let's just hope he gets through Beijing:

It’s been happening for a few years. I withdrew from the Worlds last year because I had a really bad bone stress injury. About a week ago my left leg started to really, really hurting. I spoke to the coaches, and we went to see a doctor, we did an x-ray and they kind of gave me an ultimatum “listen, we are not saying it will break, but it certainly could at any moment, so you can either stop competing now, rest the leg or we going to have to change how we’ve been training and to be very, very careful”. We pulled back on practicing quads, I’m on the ice for no more than 20 minutes at a time now, and lots of ice (for the leg), I walk around, I don’t do anything, I go to the rink, I warm-up, I skate, that’s it.

 

[Karen-W]

Okay, why wasn't there some sort of injury petition in the criteria then so that Brendan didn't have to compete at 4CCs? That's just ridiculous!!!!

 

[Orm Irian]

It's ridiculous and frankly cruel that they put not only Brendan but also Kailani through the stress of having to re-earn the Olympic spots they qualified at Nebelhorn at a potential superspreader event two weeks before the Games start! Because let's be real, there was no way Jamie or Victoria were going to outperform them at the last second, and Jordan was YOLOing his way through one last FCC and not in contention at all. Brendan being injured just makes it worse. Everyone would have understood if they'd withdrawn the whole delegation for safety's sake and made the decision based on Finlandia alone.

 

[Sylvia]

It's official now (Jan. 24):

Figure Skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry selected to Australian 2022 Winter Olympic Team

Figure skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry have been announced as the final athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee, with the pair to co...

www.olympics.com.au

Figure skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry have been announced as the final athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee, with the pair to contest the men's and women's individual events in Beijing.

 

[Orm Irian]

It's official now (Jan. 24):

Figure Skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry selected to Australian 2022 Winter Olympic Team

Figure skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry have been announced as the final athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee, with the pair to co...

www.olympics.com.au

Figure skaters Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry have been announced as the final athletes selected by the Australian Olympic Committee, with the pair to contest the men's and women's individual events in Beijing.

Judging by that link, the AOC still thinks ice dance includes compulsories and original dances. Maybe they need to update their info, and their graphics?

 

[Orm Irian]

Brendan is going to be one of Australia's flag bearers in the opening ceremony! Perks of being a three-time Olympian...

 

[aussieSKATES]

Brendan is going to be one of Australia's flag bearers in the opening ceremony! Perks of being a three-time Olympian...

A wonderful honour representative of his decade-long career at the senior international and championship level. Well done, Brendan.

 

[Marco]

Good, he will Kerry the flag.

 

[Orm Irian]

I cannot say how proud I am of Brendan for that beautiful short program, especially with all the worry about his injury. I hope he has the free skate of his career in two days' time!

 

[misskarne]

So proud of Brendan too. There was such a beautiful lightness to his skating today! No wonder the judges went with him. And that 3A was just perfect!

To see him smile as he came off the ice was just wonderful. He's come such a long way since he left it sobbing in Sochi.

 

[Orm Irian]

I legit teared up watching Brendan tear up after that amazing FS. What a performance!

 

[misskarne]

I was definitely crying. To have pulled out the FS of his career, here, on this stage! Magnificent performance.

 

[aussieSKATES]

A sensational career-best skate from Brendan Kerry. Talk about creating an Olympic moment.

Brendan Kerry free program highlights | Figure Skating Beijing 2022

ð² Subscribe to @olympics: http://oly.ch/Subscribe Brendan Kerry did Australia proud with a superb skate in the men's free program. The 27-year old scored 1...

www.youtube.com

 

[Frau Muller]

I legit teared up watching Brendan tear up after that amazing FS. What a performance!

It was! Isn’t it sad, though, that it garnered him no higher than 17th place? A neighbor-friend (casual viewer who watches FS rarely) who joined us to watch loved Brendan most…it was very hard for me to explain why that great performance was deemed 16th best free (17th overall).

The overall level of skating is that high.

 

[Skate Talker]

Did y'all see the OBS coverage where Olly Hogben excitedly proclaimed Kerry to be sitting in the gold medal position after he skated? That was fun - and funny to be sure since - well the obvious. Also probably not really appropriate as this is supposed to be an unbiased international feed, but although I am not Australian I am fine with it. To me this was much like Paul Wylie's Olympic moment. Congrats Brendan!

 

[aussieSKATES]

Did y'all see the OBS coverage where Olly Hogben excitedly proclaimed Kerry to be sitting in the gold medal position after he skated? That was fun - and funny to be sure since - well the obvious. Also probably not really appropriate as this is supposed to be an unbiased international feed, but although I am not Australian I am fine with it. To me this was much like Paul Wylie's Olympic moment. Congrats Brendan!

Never say never, as Steven Bradbury would say.

 

[Orm Irian]

What with the Olympics monopolising attention and all, I only just realised that Hektor and Anastasia won Junior Pairs at Winter Star a week ago! Good for them.

According to the ISA spreadsheet, the Worlds contingent will be Brendan, Kailani, Anastasia/Hektor and Holly/Jason - fingers crossed everyone stays healthy and nobody has to withdraw.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I don't see Brendan Kerry on the entry list for Men at Worlds, while Craine, Golubeva/Giotopolous Moore, and Harris/Chan are in their disciplines. I apologize if I've missed this, but is this intentional, or could it be a missed entry into the ISU system?

 

[Karen-W]

I don't see Brendan Kerry on the entry list for Men at Worlds, while Craine, Golubeva/Giotopolous Moore, and Harris/Chan are in their disciplines. I apologize if I've missed this, but is this intentional, or could it be a missed entry into the ISU system?

I think it was intentional - @Orm Irian commented in the "Non-Russian skaters training in Russia" thread that Brendan wasn't currently in Moscow and had been crossed off the ISA's Int'l Assignments spreadsheet for Worlds. Probably still dealing with his leg injury.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Brendan is back in Australia.

 

[Sylvia]

I think Brendan has retired.

If true hopefully we fans eventually will get a formal announcement from ISA or he’ll let us know via his social media.

ETA - he’s “only” 27 but he’s been competing internationally since 2008 (JGP): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00011398.htm

 

[misskarne]

I think Brendan may be resting the leg, at least. I suspect the lure of 4CC in Sydney may be an incentive to continue one more year.

 

[Orm Irian]

Hektor and Anastasia are off the list of entries for Worlds. Does anyone know if they're okay?

 

[Frau Muller]

Hektor and Anastasia are off the list of entries for Worlds. Does anyone know if they're okay?

What passport does Anastasia have? May have something to do…

 

[Sylvia]

Golubeva has a Russian passport and reportedly could not get a visa from France.