GPF Dance Medal Thread

[PRlady]

They're not going to beat both teams again, I'll put a (small amount) of money on it.

 

[Debrah]

If it is "world ranking" why bother skating at 2 GP events in order to qualify to skate at GPF? I would think it means in the order they ranked getting qualified to final so G/P become the 3rd ranked team rather than H/D. The GP events themselves are already weighted towards the previous season's world results and teams past reputations. That's what the range of marks is for, esp., when Judge's are in doubt, or disagree about who they prefer to support during the new season, based on what happened during the GP series. Then and only then, teams that became more, or less tied - all nicely bunched together in GP standing's (ex S/B, H/D, C/B and G/P scores entering the GPF 208.03 -209.01) are the expected teams battling for 3rd - 6th. 4 teams being within 1 pt of each other so any slight miscue and the ice chips will fall and kill podium dreams! OTOH, S/K's protective cushion of 3.14, in theory might be overcome by a sublime challenger performance, likely only if S/K, as the protected team, perhaps gets lost on way to rink, skates just 1/2 a program, succumbs to Voodoo, or more likely K finds himself falling 3 or more times. Then of course you have to factor in the truly protected team of P/C going into final with whopping 226.61 points! Not sure they even need to lace up their skates, perhaps only need to slide over to center ice do a few stretches and a booty shake -- Q the applause as the level 4's and +5 GOE shower down upon them keeping them firmly on top step till the 2022 Olympic's, thus only an alien abduction, serious injury, another 2 season's of same old same old to no music at all, or the return of V&M, or Pasha with Chris Dean, at all able to derail P/C's golden victory train to glory... So yeah the odds favor the same podium from 2019 worlds, the issue is H/D taking eye off the prize and C/B and G/P both coming into the GPF locked and loaded and ready to mount the podium if H/D did not take the hint and retool or are still in vacation mode...

 

[Dobre]

No, I think Debbie is correct. Here are some quotes from the announcement she mentioned.

"Qualification for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2019/20 is based on the results of the point system established for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating."

Then under the heading of Starting Order Procedure:
"For the purpose of the draw, the Competitors are listed and ranked in accordance with the latest ISU World Standings at the time of the Team Leaders Meeting at the respective Event. Skaters/Pairs/Couples, who have not received any ISU World Standing points will be listed at the bottom of the list in country order."

 

[Sylvia]

(Continuing) "The Competitors will be divided into starting order groups in accordance to Table I of the Technical Rules using the total number of Competitors. Within the starting order groups, the Competitors will be divided into two equal subgroups, in case of an odd number of Competitors the subgroup with the Competitors drawing for the higher starting numbers will include one more Skater/Pair/Couple."
Scroll down to 2.3 Starting Order Procedure: https://www.isu.org/docman-document...43-gp-jgp-final-torino-2019-announcement/file

 

[dancing_on_ice]

Ice dance, the most predictable and unpredictable discipline of figure skating at the same time. Chock/Bates are my personal favorite, and with their huge free dance score at the Cup of China, they have the momentum over Hubbell/Donohue, who really need to revamp their programs. However, the teams from 2-6 are all so close, that any combination of them would be reasonable guesses to finish out the podium. I'm inclined to think that it's the three North American teams who are battling for bronze, which unfortunately puts Stepanova/Bukin in sixth, but anything can happen.

 

[careypricefan]

If Sinitsina & Katsalapov win silver and Stepanova & Bukin are 6th then Tarasova will have a hissy fit in the booth. She might have a minor heart attack.

 

[bcash]

the judges seem to disagree with you on that point this year.

We’ll see how they fare at a setting like the GPF. They really are no stronger than the Italian team in actual skating and packaging.

 

[Colonel Green]

We’ll see how they fare at a setting like the GPF. They really are no stronger than the Italian team in actual skating and packaging.

Guignard/Fabbri are excellent skaters, so that would be quite a compliment.

I’m not sure what you expect will be different at the Final. They scored within a point of the Russian #1s in the free dance at Rostelecom, which is far from friendly terrain. They’ve got momentum this season.

 

[Debbie S]

I'm inclined to think that it's the three North American teams who are battling for bronze, which unfortunately puts Stepanova/Bukin in sixth, but anything can happen.

I think the only way S/B would finish 6th is if they had at least 1 fall in each program.

 

[MacMadame]

Personally, I think Sin/Kat and S/B are vulnerable. I think the GPF will be interesting.

 

[Colonel Green]

I think the only way S/B would finish 6th is if they had at least 1 fall in each program.

They have a much higher RD score than C/B at present, especially.

 

[Vash01]

I picked Chock & Bates beating S&K for the silver. They will need a strong RD for that though. I did not like their RD this season, and S&K have a good one. So they may have to depend on mistakes by S&K.

 

[yeslek]

i think in any other country G&P would have won the fd imo over sinkats who had big advantage with tech panel and homefield.

And similar in any other country they may have lost Skate Canada. That was a narrow win and they were the home team.

 

[cocotaffy]

Basically it's all very exciting, much better than last year's GPF. Plus it is equally exciting in all disciplines with new stars rising like Kostornaia, Aymoz or Boikova/Kozlovskii. Can't wait. Happy GPF and may the odds be ever in your favor.

 

[clairecloutier]

Question regarding the GPF. Do the dancers skate their practices according to start order groupings? That is, are there 3 teams in each practice group?

 

[Dobre]

Question regarding the GPF. Do the dancers skate their practices according to start order groupings? That is, are there 3 teams in each practice group?

Last year they started out with 3 teams in each practice group, grouped by countries. (The Russians together, the Americans together, the Italians in with the Americans). Probably this changed for later practices and/or warm-ups and the teams were put into start order groups of three. (It seems to me like that's the norm at international events--starting off with your country and then--after the draw--having a practice in the actual order of competition. But technically I do not remember this from last season. I only see a practice schedule in the old thread that confirms that the practice I watched was split into groups of three by country).

 

[clairecloutier]

Thanks @Dobre

 

[yuna13fr]

Look at previous GPF in ice dance, the winner and podium are predictable. If all teams skate well, the second group will be on the podium but later in the season things can change.
Gabriella and Guillaume 2014 "remontada" was a surprise but it happened because they had THE FD of the field, this year there is no mozart, fix you or starry night. IMO all the fd this year are ok nothing more.

The good thing for sakters is that not being in the GPF podium doesn't mean they won't be in the WC podium.

For me 4CC is way more interesting: C/B, H/D and G/P will skate in the same group.
Who can predict the order of that podium ?

 

[Dobre]

Last year's podium at the GPF was not predictable beforehand. Stepanova & Bukin had won in Finland over Guignard & Fabbri for one thing. G&F were totally shocked to finish 2nd in the RD. Their reaction was one of the best moments of the event, LOL.

 

[yuna13fr]

Last year's podium at the GPF was not predictable beforehand. Stepanova & Bukin had won in Finland over Guignard & Fabbri for one thing. G&F were totally shocked to finish 2nd in the RD. Their reaction was one of the best moments of the event, LOL.

I remember their reaction, they totally deserved it. And yes not everyone would bet on them.
They skated last in the second group in the RD plus Stepanova and bukin RD levels weren't good.The door was open and they nailed it.
Skating in the second group is a true advantage. At that point everything matters, starting order, the tech panel.

 

[careypricefan]

Last year was such a special one as an ice dance fan seeing Guignard & Fabbri winning big surprise bronzes at both the GPF and Europeans where nobody had them coming any higher than a very distant 4th. Sadly back down to reality at worlds where their recent success gained them no favors in PCS even with solid technical efforts. I love surprises like that.