Looking Towards 2026 Grand Prix Entries

[Karen-W]

Sooo is there any chance the Icelandic pair ends up with a GP spot because of how dire the pairs situation looks now?

Doubtful. There are only 48 spots in pairs to begin with and they're 36 on the SB list. Right now, before I take LaurEth off my projected GP assignments list, I didn't even have Valesi/Bidar SB 31, Holichenko/Darenskyi SB 32 or Caldara/Maglio SB 34 getting a GP assignment and the only reason Liu/Bedard SB 33 were getting one is because they're from a GP host fed (and Desrochers/Thrasher SB 35 were getting one because they're 22 on the WS list). LiuBed have a higher chance of getting a 2nd GP straight out of the gate than Gunnarsdottir/Piazza have of getting one at all; same goes for Faula/Belle SB 28 and DesThra, IMO.

GunPia's SB is 162.62, which is a fairly attainable score for any team that may form up from the various pairs skaters in the market for a new partner so they may not move up the GP Alternates list much as the GP approaches. For example - LiuBed scored 168.27 in their int'l debut at John Nicks last year; and Herrera/Khobta in their second competition at Jr Worlds scored 160.15 with one less lift in the FS than senior teams have. Having said that, pairs usually has the most attrition from between the initial GP assignments and the GPs themselves, so anything is possible.

 

[kwanfan1818]

If there are spots left after all of the guaranteed spots are assigned, there is no requirement to choose in the order of any list, as long as the skater/team is Top 75 on the SB list, has the GP minimums, and meet the basic qualifications for senior competition.

It would take a lot of lot to make it off the alternates list, even if they eventually made it to the bottom, but the Finnish Fed, which doesn’t have to bargain with other hosts, might offer a spot out of Nordic friendship.