U.S. Men 2021-22 season news & updates

[YukiNieve]

Vince is back on the ice!

https://twitter.com/tshashin/status/1493860180429533185

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

Apologies if this has been posted and I missed it. Where is Ilia supposed to get minimums for worlds? I'm assuming there haven't been competitions for him to attend while the focus is on the Olympics.

 

[livetoskate]

Apologies if this has been posted and I missed it. Where is Ilia supposed to get minimums for worlds? I'm assuming there haven't been competitions for him to attend while the focus is on the Olympics.

Challenge Cup?

 

[Sylvia]

Apologies if this has been posted and I missed it. Where is Ilia supposed to get minimums for worlds?

Yes, Challenge Cup, February 24-27 in Tilburg, The Netherlands (eta that I've started a competition thread in Kiss & Cry):

Taira Shinohara (junior) and Aleksandr Fegan (advanced novice) will make their international debuts at Challenge Cup in the Netherlands next month per the USFS international assignments page.

Ilia Malinin will also be there, as reported earlier.

 

[Lizziebeth]

Whoa.. I think Ilia has a great chance of being the future of American men.. but to suddenly think that he would've been on the podium at the Olympics. A young man who has never skated internationally at the Senior Level, hasn't even get his levels yet to skate at the Olympics could've scored above Shoma or Hanyu or Kagiyama or.... okay I'm staying away from this thread for a while!

Perhaps Ilia can prove his worth at the upcoming World's and then we can predict his future.

 

[Spikefan]

Vince is back on the ice!

https://twitter.com/tshashin/status/1493860180429533185

You can see how big his smile is even with the mask covering it.

 

[gatorinfl]

Vince is back on the ice!

https://twitter.com/tshashin/status/1493860180429533185

I just read that Vincent will skate in the Exhibition on the last day of the Olympics. I’m so happy for him.

 

[Sylvia]

AP article:

US skater Vincent Zhou out of weeklong COVID-19 quarantine

BEIJING (AP) — American figure skater Vincent Zhou is out of quarantine after testing positive for COVID-19 at the Beijing Games, and he plans to perform in the exhibition gala that traditionally closes the Olympic program on Sunday.

apnews.com

Zhou said he didn’t watch the men’s program because “it was too emotionally difficult,” but he kept track of the results and was happy to see his teammates perform well. [...]
“It also was difficult to see the results because I knew I could medal,” said Zhou, who was fifth at the 2018 Pyeongchang Games. “I’d been training consistently at a level to score like that and win a bronze medal. It was a difficult day for me.”
There were some much better moments during his quarantine period, including a supportive message he received from singer Josh Groban, who performs the music that Zhou uses during his free skate [short program].

After performing in the exhibition gala Sunday, Zhou plans to return to the U.S. and prepare for the world championships the final week of March in Montpellier, France. He also plans to tour with Stars on Ice before resuming his studies at Brown University this fall, but he hasn’t decided whether to continue skating competitively for another Olympic cycle. [...]
“I’m just so impressed by the level of Olympic performance that all the men were able to bring out,” he said. “It’s a true honor to have been able to compete with these incredible men this past season.”

 

[zigzig]

I really appreciate his honesty, candor and willingness to show vulnerability. Wishing him the best at Worlds.

 

[acraven]

Vincent wasn't allowed to march in the closing ceremony because he was flagged as a close contact:

https://www.msn.com/en-us/sports/mo...-missing-competition/ar-AAU5X81?ocid=msedgntp

 

[mtnskater]

That’s horrible! I kept looking for Vincent in the closing ceremonies. More hugs to him!

 

[Sylvia]

Nathan's in NYC and is about to be interviewed on the TODAY Show!

ETA the video :

Olympian Nathan Chen reunites with mom live on TODAY

Figure skater Nathan Chen stops by Studio 1A after winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying, “It really just feels like a dream.” After the TODAY anchors say they ordered him some New York pizza, Chen is surprised when his mother walks out pushing a cart with pizza on it!

www.today.com

He & his mom are also on the third hour of the TODAY Show (starting at 9:20 am ET).

 

[wickedwitch]

Nathan wishing Sasha good luck:

https://twitter.com/trusobots/status/1496025358570860547

He says they're friends. Awww.

 

[Debbie S]

When asked about his plans for "what's next," Nathan mentioned SOI and returning to school in the fall. No mention of Worlds, fwiw.

So sweet to see him with his mom. He put his medal around her neck.

 

[livetoskate]

When asked about his plans for "what's next," Nathan mentioned SOI and returning to school in the fall. No mention of Worlds, fwiw.

So sweet to see him with his mom. He put his medal around her neck.

That was such a nice surprise that Nathan's mom was flown in to surprise him. Nathan is so calm that he didn't burst into tears. I'd be surprised if he went to worlds. If he declines, who's next? Camden Pulkinen?

 

[wickedwitch]

That was such a nice surprise that Nathan's mom was flown in to surprise him. Nathan is so calm that he didn't burst into tears. I'd be surprised if he went to worlds. If he declines, who's next? Camden Pulkinen?

Jason, I assume. I hope he goes.

 

[Firedancer]

That was such a nice surprise that Nathan's mom was flown in to surprise him. Nathan is so calm that he didn't burst into tears. I'd be surprised if he went to worlds. If he declines, who's next? Camden Pulkinen?

I believe Jason is first alternate

 

[Firedancer]

Do we know when worlds entries are due so we can find out who is going?

 

[Sylvia]

Do we know when worlds entries are due so we can find out who is going?

Next Monday (Feb. 28) 20:00 in France.

From USFS' press release on Sunday, January 9, 2022:

2022 World Championships
Nathan Chen
Ilia Malinin*
Vincent Zhou

Alternate 1 – Jason Brown
Alternate 2 – Camden Pulkinen
Alternate 3 – Jimmy Ma

*Pending achieving minimum technical score (Malinin is scheduled to compete in the SP at Challenge Cup on Friday 25th February)

 

[Firedancer]

Next Monday (Feb. 28).

Thank you!

 

[Jammers]

It could be a real cluster**** for the US if Nathan doesn't go to Worlds and Ilia doesn't get his minimum score this week.

 

[clairecloutier]

Nathan's in NYC and is about to be interviewed on the TODAY Show!

ETA the video :

Olympian Nathan Chen reunites with mom live on TODAY

Figure skater Nathan Chen stops by Studio 1A after winning gold at the 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics, saying, “It really just feels like a dream.” After the TODAY anchors say they ordered him some New York pizza, Chen is surprised when his mother walks out pushing a cart with pizza on it!

www.today.com

He & his mom are also on the third hour of the TODAY Show (starting at 9:20 am ET).

This video with Nathan and his mom is the most adorable thing ever.

Kudos to Hetty for raising a son who is not only incredibly talented but also a genuinely nice and thoughtful guy as well.

 

[Trillian]

It could be a real cluster**** for the US if Nathan doesn't go to Worlds and Ilia doesn't get his minimum score this week.

In that case, we’d still probably get two spots for 2023. We just need one guy in the top 12 and a second guy to get out of qualifying - perfectly achievable even if the team is Vincent, Camden, and Jimmy. They probably need two of Vincent, Ilia, or Jason to have a real chance for three spots. If Ilia doesn’t qualify, I’m sure Jason could be persuaded to go. And if it comes down to it, two spots in 2023 would not be the end of the world.

But also… Ilia will be fine. His poor showing in Austria was uncharacteristic and probably the result of taking more risks than he’s likely to take at Challenge Cup. Even with that disaster he still wasn’t far below the tech minimum. The chance that he won’t make it is very, very slim.

 

[Miintx]

Jason said in an interview that if asked to go to worlds, he wasn’t sure if he would go or not. I hope Camden has been practicing.

 

[aml78]

It could be a real cluster**** for the US if Nathan doesn't go to Worlds and Ilia doesn't get his minimum score this week.

I think Ilia will get the minimums. Then between him and Vincent it should be enough to secure the spots. Especially with a weak field.

 

[WOULDACOULDARETURNS]

I thought of it, but I don't have enough seniority to bounce off in the middle of the school year, and there's only one skating rink (still closed) in my state. But muscle memory is still there - I still had all my single jumps (except A) when I last skated on ice three years ago despite not touching ice for almost 2 years or seriously training two decades ago.

I hope your rink reopens soon! Keep doing what you can off-ice - maybe invest in a spinner. I can’t imagine only having one rink in your state. That stinks!

 

[Trillian]

Jason said in an interview that if asked to go to worlds, he wasn’t sure if he would go or not. I hope Camden has been practicing.

Tbh, the only scenario where I’d expect to see Jason is if Ilia doesn’t qualify and USFS convinces Jason to go in hopes of three spots for next year. Usually skaters who sound that iffy about Worlds immediately after the Olympics don’t end up going. Since I fully expect Ilia to get the minimum, I don’t expect to see Jason at Worlds. But I could be wrong.

 

[toddlj]

I know he is also inconsistent, but I really wish Tomoki hadn't been hit by the YKW.

 

[A.H.Black]

I don't think we will have a good idea about placings and spots at worlds until we see who competes from all the other countries.

 

[Carolla5501]

I do. For me, it was never about Ilia's current Olympic placement. It was about the experience he'd get to help him in 2026 (just as Nathan and Vincent's experiences in 2018 helped them in 2022).

And then there’s the other side, the skater who doesn’t ever get to another Olympics because of injury or other interest. So are you going to make them sign a contract if you send them for the experience that they have to guarantee they’ll stay in it for four more years? No? So I don’t think you give Olympic spots for the future because the future is not guaranteed

Nathan was not sent in 2018 for the future. He was sent because he was the best skater in the United States at the time. Vincent was not sent for the future, he was sent because his body of work was better than Ross who won the silver medal at Nationals

And based on this logic why did we send Adam at all?