ISU Grand Prix Assignments 2017/18 Olympic season

[rfisher]

Not according to Urmanov. He says she will go to the test skates & they'll decide what to do from there.

http://tass.ru/sport/4286702

That's an update to what they said earlier. Maybe she's improving.

 

[Sylvia]

I wonder if Coomes/Buckland have decided to focus on being ready for Nebelhorn Trophy and did not request a GP as a returning from injury team?

I've updated my post #1 and have added links and the "next in line" skaters/teams based on the 2016-17 ISU Season Best total scores list.

ETA:

Both Penny & Nick subsequently have indicated on Twitter that they were hoping for a GP assignment (did the GBR fed. not push hard enough on their behalf or...???).

 

[personwhoishere]

Word is that she's retired and won't even be doing show skating due to injury.

I hadn't seen that. That's even sadder, especially considering how her last competition ended.
A skater of her talents deserved a better sendoff than that

Edit: just saw the other posts. Here's hoping she can come back strong and healthy!

 

[YukiNieve]

Patrick, Yazuru, Jason, Joshua, Adam... I am SO jealous of people who can go to NHK!
(But I also know that getting a ticket for that event is a real challenge...)

 

[SamuraiK]

I think some Ice Dance assignments are questionable. Smart/Diaz have one spot but Sara and Kirill have no spot? No spot for Coomes/Buckland? One spot for Beaudry/Sorensen and Nazarova/Nikitin, but two spots for Lauriault/LeGac and Muramoto/Reed, who didn't even qualify for the Free at Worlds? Two spots for new seniors Abachkina/Thauron and Loboda/Drozd? Two spots as well for Pogrebinsky/Benoit, consedering the fact that there are a million top US Dance teams right now? Two spots for floppers Sinitsina/Katsalapov who finished 10th at Euros? Really? Dear ISU, you can do better than that.

It's not much about ISU but how the big 6 feds play their game:

L/LG, A/T and M/R benefit from being part of a host fed with limited field in dance while the Parsons and McN/C have to deal with a very crowded US dance field and the other hosts preferred to invite the lesser threats (P/B).
FB/S and N/N are from small non host feds with no politik power so they just get invited for their 1 guaranteed spot.

Smart/Diaz train in canada ang get SC while H/K train in Russia and were not guaranteed any spot. COR prefferred the much weaker Kuzmichova/Sinicyn to fill their roster.

 

[wickedwitch]

Ctrl+F Farris --> me =

I actually think Miner is probably the current favorite for the SA TBD, but hopefully Josh has strong performances this summer and shows that he deserves it.

I have nothing nice to say about the ice dance selections. I'd like to think it was Coomes/Buckland choice not to get a single event, but that's hard to imagine, considering Nebelhorn is before the GP. And why would L/D get two but the Parsons only one? (I'm side eyeing both the French and Canadian skating feds for that.)

 

[Sylvia]

I really enjoy Misha Ge, but didn't he retire after Worlds?

When Misha spoke to Jackie Wong on IN's IceTalk podcast after Worlds, he made it clear that he hasn't officially retired yet... it will depend on whether or not the joints inside his injured ankle allow him to train at the level he wants (he had to get injections of lubricants and painkillers this past season).

Also, I think Angela Wang got something last year, no?

Wang received the Skate America host spot last August (right before Champs Camp) but then she got injured and had to withdraw. Mariah Bell replaced her there and won the silver medal.

I like Grant a lot, but would it be better to use a spot for someone up-and-coming? Do we have anybody?

You mean like the current World Junior champ Vincent Zhou who got 2 GP assignments?

 

[tylersf]

It looks like Nagasu got the toughest assignment any US female skater where both Medvedeva and Kostner are scheduled to participate. Good luck to her.
Ashley did get the "Michelle Kwan" assignments. Whether she asked for them or not, she got them.
Hate to say it, but USFS once again is making a statement about certain skaters. I hope ALL the US skaters perform well in their GP assignments.

*Ladies in China looks like an ABSOLUTE bloodbath. (good luck to Gracie.)
*Added later: Nagasu gonna need them 3axels.. her fields are tough too......
*I see Ashley Wagner got the "Michelle Kwan" assignments. Do you think she asked for them?
?

 

[YukiNieve]

Just curious... how is the order for the host countries to invite (choose) skaters determined?

 

[kwanatic]

None of the US women will have an easy trip to the podium this season.

Bell and Nagasu got screwed, lol! I'd be shocked if either of them managed to land on a podium.

If Gold can deliver she can medal at both of her events though I think she'll have a hard time winning. Zagitova is at both events and Osmond is at one and Daleman at the other. If Osmond delivers I don't think Gold can beat her; but I do think Gold may be able to sneak by Daleman.

Interesting how both Chen and Wagner ended up at the same events. At SC they'll need to get around Osmond, Pogorilaya, Sotskova and newcomer Honda; at SA they have to get by Daleman, Miyahara, Pogorilaya and newcomer Tsurskaya. Not an easy field. If they skate the way they did last season I don't think they'll medal at either.

I really wanted to see Medvedeva and Zagitova go head-to-head prior to nationals. Talk about a throw down!

Sad that the US has no new debuting seniors. Russia has Zagitova and Tsurskaya, Japan has Honda and Sakomoto...no one in the US junior ranks has done well enough to get bumped up to the senior level and earn a spot on the GP. Oh well...

I'm excited to see a number of the newbies. I think all of them have the ability to shake up the standings immediately but it will depend on how they handle the transition from junior to senior.

 

[clairecloutier]

@kwanatic Good analysis & I agree with you the American ladies face an uphill climb.

I am glad that Gracie got 2 assignments (not a given). But I also hope that when the time comes, she'll consider seriously whether or not she's ready. If the answer is no, it might be better to WD and focus on Nationals. I don't want her to have another disastrous GP season.

In addition to Honda & Sakamoto, Japan also has Shiraiwa as a new senior. Excited to see all 3 girls, as well as Zagitova. From a quick glance at the rosters, I think the competition I'm looking forward to the most is Cup of China: Daleman, Higuchi, Honda, Mihara, and Gracie are all among my favorite ladies now, and having Zagitova there will make it even more interesting!

 

[Seerek]

Will be interesting to see if the Olympic Team Event standings will change in any way based on these assignments/who qualifies for Grand Prix Final.

 

[haribobo]

All the ladies fields are pretty tough. But yes definitely hard for Mirai and Mariah to go to RUS and JPN and face those skaters on home turf...a little sad that there was no room for Glenn, Wang, Tennell, Zhang, Johnson, Dolensky, Miner, Krasnozhon, Cain/Leduc, Stellato/Bartholomay, but at least there is the B circuit and potential TBD spots...

 

[Jeschke]

How the heck did Meite end up with 2 GP's after this season and Hendrickx and Schott with none?

 

[Habs]

I wonder if Coomes/Buckland have decided to focus on being ready for Nebelhorn Trophy and did not request a GP as a returning from injury team?

I've updated my post #1 and have added links and the "next in line" skaters/teams based on the 2016-17 ISU Season Best total scores list.

It looks like they wanted a GP and are surprised to not get one, if I'm interpreting Penny's tweet correctly:
https://twitter.com/PennyCoomes/status/868190252430753792

 

[oleada]

How the heck did Meite end up with 2 GP's after this season and Hendrickx and Schott with none?

Host country politik

 

[morqet]

It looks like they wanted a GP and are surprised to not get one, if I'm interpreting Penny's tweet correctly:
https://twitter.com/PennyCoomes/status/868190252430753792

So was there just not room for them? Unfortunately, I don't think that the rules as they are written allow for returning skaters to be on the alternates list if anyone drops out.

 

[Jeschke]

Host country politik

I would have been ok with only the host pick, especially since France has already thrown their 3rd spot in the mix, but 2

 

[el henry]

Patrick, Yazuru, Jason, Joshua, Adam... I am SO jealous of people who can go to NHK!
(But I also know that getting a ticket for that event is a real challenge...)

And Deniss V. ! If only I had a teleporter and unlimited funds.....

 

[Jarrett]

As least the USFSA will have a good idea what the ISU judges think of Mirai vs Mariah and Karen vs Ashley.

 

[kwanatic]

As least the USFSA will have a good idea what the ISU judges think of Mirai vs Mariah and Karen vs Ashley.

I see the pairings of Mariah v. Mirai and Ashley v. Karen as the head-to-head competitions we'll need to look out for on the GP. Both pairs meet twice during the season so it will be interesting to see who comes out on top. Gracie and Polina will only meet up once, but seeing as how both of them have been MIA (in one way or another), I think that's an appropriate paring as well. We all know the US women have their struggles when it comes to being competitive with the Russian and Japanese, but with the name of the game being "make it to Pyeongchang" their direct competition is going to be the skaters at home. That's who they need to get by to make their case to get on the team.

How these match ups play out may have some bearing on the way the team selection process at nationals if it comes down to picking one over the other.

 

[ninalovesskating]

It's not much about ISU but how the big 6 feds play their game:

L/LG, A/T and M/R benefit from being part of a host fed with limited field in dance while the Parsons and McN/C have to deal with a very crowded US dance field and the other hosts preferred to invite the lesser threats (P/B).

I don't see how P/B are seen as the lesser threats. They won the Pewter at Nationals. They have potential. If there are lesser threats among the American Ice Dancers, it would be the new seniors, M/C and P/P... And honestly, I know a lot of the assignments are mostly on the hands of the feds, but in the end of the day, these assignments are being approved and published by the ISU. They should be able to ensure fairness.

 

[allezfred]

They won the Pewter at Nationals.

Rest of the World: "Americans, stop trying to make Pewter happen."

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Here are some IN articles:

Medvedeva, Hanyu to open season at Rostelecom
All four reigning world champions slated to compete at NHK Trophy

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/05/26/232534684



Chen, Wagner headline 2017 Skate America field
Reigning U.S. champions in each discipline slated to appear in Lake Placid


http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2017/05/26/232539256

All four reigning U.S. champions -- Karen Chen, Nathan Chen, Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier, and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani -- will take the ice at 2017 Skate America, Nov. 24-26 in Lake Placid, New York. Those assignments came as part of the International Skating Union's announcement Friday of the athlete selections for the 2017 Grand Prix Series.

 

[AquaLady]

Skate Canada is stacked! I love it! All my favorite dance teams (Hubbell/Donohue, Virtue/Moir, Weaver/Poje) are competing! Some of my favorite pair teams (Savchenko/Massot, James/Cipres, Zabijako/Enbert) are also competing! So excited!

 

[ninalovesskating]

Rest of the World: "Americans, stop trying to make Pewter happen."

LOL!!! Can you actually imagine if they had something like a Pewter at Russian Nationals? The ice dance podium would have been very, very awkward every single year...

 

[SamuraiK]

I don't see how P/B are seen as the lesser threats. They won the Pewter at Nationals. They have potential. If there are lesser threats among the American Ice Dancers, it would be the new seniors, M/C and P/P... And honestly, I know a lot of the assignments are mostly on the hands of the feds, but in the end of the day, these assignments are being approved and published by the ISU. They should be able to ensure fairness.

What's actually unfair here? According to GP rules teams can get 1 or 2 guaranteed spots. Every team with a guarantee got it an then it's up to the feds to fill the remaining spots with their invitations from a large pool of season best scores.

As for the potential threat , its subjetive percepcion of course but IMO 4th ranked (pewter does not exists outiside USA) team <<< reigning junior world champs.

 

[Jammers]

Wait a minute aren't the GP assignments not due until late June?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wait a minute aren't the GP assignments not due until late June?

Thats what I thought too @Jammers

I was completely unprepared this morning. LOL

 

[screech]

I just hope for the men and women's spots SC chooses from the skaters who actually skate BOTH programs in the early season and for the women, land a 3/3 in the short and for the men land at least a 3A if not quad in the short.

For the men that would mean that Firus would actually have to compete both programs in a single comp, which would be shocking for him in the early season.

He did it at Skate Canada last year where he was a crowd favourite, despite his usual Liam-ness.

I think Nadeau should get it, though.