U.S. Men 2024-25 news & updates

[SkateFanBerlin]

Ravel’s Bolero is to me the most boring and dull tune in the classical lexicon. Even when performed by T/D, although I admired their gliding movements. I far preferred their Mack & Mabel and Barnum FDs. For single skaters - no way! Valieva, Aymoz, etc. I like joyous tunes, not duh-duh dull that continues until the bitter end.

I`d add Masquerade Waltz to a "most grim" list for skating.

 

[cailuj365]

And not a moment to soon i want to see some new blood in contention to make the Olympic team not the same skaters that we've seen for the last 4-5 years who haven't improved and in some cases are regressing. While the US needs Jason right now to keep 3 spots i'd love to see 2 spots open for Milan instead of Jason sticking around trying to make yet another Olympic team to be honest. No doubt if US Men were a lot stronger right now Jason probably wouldn't even be thinking about still competing.

I'm excited for the next wave of talent to come through and finally mix things up in the US senior ranks. A few months ago, someone asked who was going to be next after Ilia, and the response was "We haven't heard of him yet." Maybe we've now heard of him. Jason knows that he's not a safe pick for the Olympic team this far out from Milano. Even Ilia is not truly safe (!), despite what he accomplished last season (example: Kosternaia). Two seasons is a long time to go.

 

[Wyliefan]

I`d add Masquerade Waltz to a "most grim" list for skating.

Oh, I love Masquerade Waltz! Granted, it's in a minor key, but it's too lively to be grim, IMO.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Mark or Ted mentioned on the stream that apparently Patrick wants to train the 4a. Which is all well and good but I feel like the young man needs some other quads in arsenal apart from the 4t first.

Also would like to point out that he has the 5th highest score of a US man internationally so far this season - and that was with a jr program!

1 - Broussard - 246.48
2 - Ma - 236.77
3 - Pulkinen - 226.97
4 - Torgashev - 224.94
5 - Blackwell - 221.56 (jr)
6 - Sanchez - 218.21 (jr)
7 - Paniot - 206.59

Including NQS scores - here is who has scored 200+ -
1 - Broussard - 246.48
2 - Ma - 236.77
3 - Paniot - 230.54
4 - Xie - 227.42
5 - Pulkinen - 226.97
6 - Torgashev - 224.94
7 - Endo - 222.73
8 - Blackwell - 221.56 (jr)
9 - Murzin - 218.34
10 - Sanchez - 218.21 (jr)
11 - Kim - 217.62
12 - Shinohara - 215.13
13 - Strommer - 206.73
14 - Kapeikis - 205.65
15 - Kovar - 203.58
16 - Klein - 202.88
17 - Kazanecki - 200.26

I think Blackwell has incredible potential. Formost, these jumps don`t seem hard or tentative for him. We`ll see over the season but he looks like he could do them anywhere/anytime. He looks a little like Ilia. His shoulders and hips are very narrow. He rotates fast. He`s been taught to glue the ankles together. The landings are a little stiff and hard, though.

 

[Karen-W]

I think Blackwell has incredible potential. Formost, these jumps don`t seem hard or tentative for him. We`ll see over the season but he looks like he could do them anywhere/anytime. He looks a little like Ilia. His shoulders and hips are very narrow. He rotates fast. He`s been taught to glue the ankles together. The landings are a little stiff and hard, though.

Yeah, I was looking at Ilia's protocols from his last JGP season because Patrick is the same age now (16 turning 17 during the season). Ilia's 3A was pretty consistent and he was attempting 4T and 4S, with a lot of inconsistency during the JGP and at IceChallenge (his first senior comp). I think he added 4z later in the fall and then we know how he did at Nats, Worlds and Jr Worlds. It will be interesting to see if Patrick has a similar trajectory in adding another quad or two to his arsenal before the end of the season. If he does, he's going to be in the Olympic conversation.

 

[mattiecat13]

Do we know Aymoz is keeping his? If he's at all superstitious, I'll bet he ditches it, after the awful luck he had with it.

Not at Skate America. It was stunning! Alas, that was the only time he skated it well all season.

 

[Stephanie]

I think Blackwell has incredible potential. Formost, these jumps don`t seem hard or tentative for him. We`ll see over the season but he looks like he could do them anywhere/anytime. He looks a little like Ilia. His shoulders and hips are very narrow. He rotates fast. He`s been taught to glue the ankles together. The landings are a little stiff and hard, though.

His quad toe was gorgeous! So much extra air time to spare.

 

[ice coverage]

I find it very interesting how Shae-Lynn is working with Camden to create his free skate to　Solitude/Outro by M83 (taped by Jordan at On Ice Perspectives).

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Another Camden video, but of a different type:

Mic'd Up: Eddie Shipstad and Camden Pulkinen working on jumps​

Sep 6, 2024​

Take a look at what a jump session with coach Eddie Shipstad and Team USA skater Camden Pulkinen looks like!​

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T3WxucVeHPI (6:20)​

I think Blackwell has incredible potential. Formost, these jumps don`t seem hard or tentative for him. We`ll see over the season but he looks like he could do them anywhere/anytime. ...

I am a fan of Blackwell, who has been on my radar since a year ago. No question that he has incredible potential and that he is having a breakout season!
I am excited to see what happens next, but also am prepared to be patient regarding his consistency at this point. In July, he won U.S. Junior Team Cup decisively. A month later at Cranberry Cup, he was far from being Team USA's best in SP, FS, and overall score (I don't know whether he was having a physical issue at Cranberry, but he opened the Sizzler show a few days later). A month after Cranberry at his first-ever JGP, he surged above ISU PBs for any current U.S. junior.

 

[layman]

I think Blackwell has incredible potential. Formost, these jumps don`t seem hard or tentative for him. We`ll see over the season but he looks like he could do them anywhere/anytime. He looks a little like Ilia. His shoulders and hips are very narrow. He rotates fast. He`s been taught to glue the ankles together. The landings are a little stiff and hard, though.

I agree that Patrick Blackwell has incredible potential. He also has things that he needs to work on (mostly non-jump things). I want to see him extend his free leg and turn out his free-foot in the same way that Ilia Malinin does (and did at Patrick's age). Right now, Patrick does not extend his limbs fully to create a nice, stretched line. I also want to see better posture through his back and shoulders. He holds his upper body very rigid as he skates but he does not hold his back up fully and pull his shoulders back to create the great posture that we see from Malinin. Little adjustments to Patrick's posture and line would make his skating look 1000X more impressive.

Furthermore, there is a frantic quality in his skating. He hits such nice positions and does really cool moves throughout his programs but he does not hold them long enough for the eye to see and appreciate them. Right now, it's like he is checking off boxes, rushing from position to position to make sure he got them all in, but he is not really holding (the positions) and presenting them in a pleasing way. I would love to see him work with Lori Nichol (Carolina Kostner), Jeff Buttle or Jeremy Abbott to learn to present his skating to the audience and judges.

 

[Karen-W]

Goku Endo and Daniel Martynov have been assigned to Denis Ten Memorial.

 

[YukiNieve]

Ilia's FS music has been announced:

2024-25 SEASON NOTES
SP Music: "RUNNING" by NF
FS Music: "I'm Not a Vampire" by Falling in Reverse

Ilia Malinin - National Team: Figure Skating - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Ilia Malinin (79) He/Him - CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS World champion (2025, '24) World bronze medalist (2023) World Junior champion (2022) Grand Prix Final champion

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

"I'm Not a Vampire" has a multiple versions. I wonder if he uses original one (2011)

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Or revamped version (2021):

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

www.youtube.com

 

[jlai]

Vampire music needs re-vamping lol

 

[Rukia]

Vampire music needs re-vamping lol

he's not a vampire though it's right there in the title

 

[Allskate]

Or revamped version (2021):

I'm betting on the revamped version.

This is the first time that I've really thought that Ilia was the one choosing the music for both his programs. I'm looking forward to seeing the programs.

 

[Vagabond]

Not Bolero.

​

 

[cailuj365]

It's the revamped version based on the snippet he played on Twitch.

 

[YukiNieve]

Live from Bergamo - Ilia had a haircut even though he said he wouldn't cut it during the Twitch.　Also the version of his free slate music is 2021, the revamped version.

 

[Spikefan]

I’m always up for moody vampire/not a vampire programs but some of the lyrics are . Curious if we will get this:
“Well, I can lure any woman that I want to in my bed
With me
And whiskey seems to be my holy water
Mothers better lock your doors
And hide your daughters”.

 

[cailuj365]

I’m always up for moody vampire/not a vampire programs but some of the lyrics are . Curious if we will get this:
“Well, I can lure any woman that I want to in my bed
With me
And whiskey seems to be my holy water
Mothers better lock your doors
And hide your daughters”.

It's included!! As well as the part where he's taking us to hell with him. This is a grown-up Ilia, folks. He's not going to be a teenager anymore by Nationals, lol. I am absolutely loving the fact that this is going to be on NBC soon, hahaha.

 

[Wyliefan]

He's a baby-faced blond 19 year old who hugs his dad in the K&C. He's about as convincing a "hide your daughters" type as some chorus kid from High School Musical would be.

 

[Spikefan]

Reminds me of the “Hide yo kids, hide yo wives” viral sensation from 2010.

 

[Karen-W]

He's a baby-faced blond 19 year old who hugs his dad in the K&C. He's about as convincing a "hide your daughters" type as some chorus kid from High School Musical would be.

Smart dads will know that this is absolutely the type of kid they should be hiding their daughters from. It's always the sweet, innocent looking ones you gotta be leery of, lol.

I kid, lol. He comes across as entirely wholesome and, let the Russian pearl-clutching begin, All-American boy next door.

 

[IHH0628]

nevermind

 

[mtnskater]

Congratulations to Ilia on his decisive win at Lombardia. Quads as easy as triples, wild combinations galore and a layed out back flip. Unreal how gifted by the figure skating gods he is with such athletic talent.

Personally I love the music for him in the free skate. Powerful, modern with some lovely piano highlights. I’m expecting he will fill in more choreography as the season progresses. I’m seeing improvement in the stretch and line of his camel spin which makes me happy

Didn’t like his short as much because it involved some purposeful hunchy posture.

 

[layman]

Lucas Broussard has been added to the roster for Skate America in the TBD spot.

https://www.isu.org/docman-documents-links/isu-files/event-documents/figure-skating-4/2024-25/grand-prix-5/entries-9/33869-men-5/file

 

[Wyliefan]

On Ice Perspectives has a video of Patrick Blackwell performing at An Evening with Champions. Fun program to "Wipeout"!

On Ice Perspectives ❄️🎥 on Instagram: "When you forget what sport you’re doing… 🏄🏻‍♂️ @patrickblackwell_ performs his Wipeout routine at the 52nd annual ‘An Evening with Champions’. Founded in 1970, the student-run charity skating show has featured O

2,436 likes, 29 comments - oniceperspectives on September 18, 2024: "When you forget what sport you’re doing… 🏄🏻‍♂️ @patrickblackwell_ performs his Wipeout routine at the 52nd annual ‘An Evening with Champions’. Founded in 1970, the student-run charity skating show has featured Olympic talents...

www.instagram.com

 

[YukiNieve]

On Ice Perspectives has a video of Patrick Blackwell performing at An Evening with Champions. Fun program to "Wipeout"!

On Ice Perspectives ❄️🎥 on Instagram: "When you forget what sport you’re doing… 🏄🏻‍♂️ @patrickblackwell_ performs his Wipeout routine at the 52nd annual ‘An Evening with Champions’. Founded in 1970, the student-run charity skating show has featured O

2,436 likes, 29 comments - oniceperspectives on September 18, 2024: "When you forget what sport you’re doing… 🏄🏻‍♂️ @patrickblackwell_ performs his Wipeout routine at the 52nd annual ‘An Evening with Champions’. Founded in 1970, the student-run charity skating show has featured Olympic talents...

www.instagram.com

Oh, I love it!

 

[Karen-W]

Well...

Jacob is sitting in 1st place with a gorgeous, clean SP at JGP Ankara - skating 3rd, his score of 81.14 held up through the next 20 men.

Meanwhile, the less said about Torgy, skating 2nd, and Max, skating 11th, at Nebelhorn the better.

If Jacob can hold onto his medal position, it seems very likely he'll be assigned to JGP Slovenia.

 

[A.H.Black]

Jacob looked great - that 3 axel was a beauty. Here's hoping for the free skate.

 

[layman]

Well...

Jacob is sitting in 1st place with a gorgeous, clean SP at JGP Ankara - skating 3rd, his score of 81.14 held up through the next 20 men.

Meanwhile, the less said about Torgy, skating 2nd, and Max, skating 11th, at Nebelhorn the better.

If Jacob can hold onto his medal position, it seems very likely he'll be assigned to JGP Slovenia.

Should we be concerned (this early in the season) that Torgashev and Naumov had such a rough outing at Nebelhorn? They usually get their acts together by Nationals (after bombing the Grand Prix) but then underachieve (again) at late season international competitions.

Update:
Torgashev placed 9th and Naumov placed 11th at Nebelhorn.