U.S. Men 2024-25 news & updates

[Vagabond]

Is Aymoz doing his Bolero program again this season? The prospect of both skaters doing Bolero at the same competition (Worlds, presumably) is mind-blowing.

 

[Karen-W]

Malinin is skating to Bolero for the free skate?

Ilia Malinin on Instagram: "Here is a short preview of my new freeskate this season. I hope to see many of you next week where I will be performing it for the first time. Thank you @shae_lynnbourne for your incredible work and support. #iliamalinin #

12K likes, 218 comments - ilia_quadg0d_malinin on September 6, 2024: "Here is a short preview of my new freeskate this season. I hope to see many of you next week where I will be performing it for the first time. Thank you @shae_lynnbourne for your incredible work and support. #iliamalinin...

www.instagram.com

That's what he seems to be implying, lol!

 

[sk9tingfan]

That's what he seems to be implying, lol!

More than implying. A done deal!

 

[sk9tingfan]

Is Aymoz doing his Bolero program again this season? The prospect of both skaters doing Bolero at the same competition (Worlds, presumably) is mind-blowing.

Bet Aymos didn't see that coming. On the other hand, this puts Ilia diectly into a footwork/artistic competition with Aymos.

 

[Wyliefan]

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.

 

[Willin]

Pretty sure Ilia is trolling. He's joked quite a bit about Bolero.

 

[skateboy]

Pretty sure Ilia is trolling. He's joked quite a bit about Bolero.

I hope so.

 

[YukiNieve]

Ilia was saying the other day in the Twitch that his free skate has vocal and it is a kind of new music that is not well known (he also said he uses just one music, which is true for Bolero). So I think this is likely to be a joke - unless he changed his mind.

ETA to add more details on what he said.

 

[Evgeniafan]

Noooooooooo!!!!!

More like why?

 

[Karen-W]

Ilia was saying the other day that his free skate has vocal.
So I think this is likely to be a joke - unless he changed his mind.

Welllllll...

- 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

- 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

 

[Evgeniafan]

Is Aymoz doing his Bolero program again this season? The prospect of both skaters doing Bolero at the same competition (Worlds, presumably) is mind-blowing.

Aymoz is planning on it and they meet at Skate America.

 

[Debbie S]

I didn't watch his Twitch, but I saw a summary and he apparently said that both of his programs are to music that hasn't been used in skating, or something similar. That would rule out Bolero.

 

[Vagabond]

I didn't watch his Twitch, but I saw a summary and he apparently said that both of his programs are to music that hasn't been used in skating, or something similar. That would rule out Bolero.

Unless  that was the trolling.

 

[Debbie S]

Unless  that was the trolling.

Or maybe he was trolling in both cases and he's skating to another warhorse. Kids....

We'll find out next week!

 

[Frau Muller]

More like why?

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.

 

[Jammers]

He was amazing, I just loved it. Did he come out of nowhere? Was he on the junior scene last year?

That's what i want to know how has this kid never competed at Nationals at any level? Didn't they do away with the levels below Juniors at US Nationals maybe that's why we didn't see him coming up in the last few years.

 

[A.H.Black]

That's what i want to know how has this kid never competed at Nationals at any level? Didn't they do away with the levels below Juniors at US Nationals maybe that's why we didn't see him coming up in the last few years.

Apparently it was injuries that kept him out last year. I was impressed - not only by the jumps, but there's that creative exit from the spin, the raspberry?, and the back flip to boot. I wondered about the 3 axel - 2 axel sequence at the beginning. Did he do it so he could do 2 triple/triples later (I think he did). Not to take anything away from it. It's a great sequence and part of a powerful opening. Don't love the music or the costume, but it fits him.

 

[Karen-W]

Apparently it was injuries that kept him out last year. I was impressed - not only by the jumps, but there's that creative exit from the spin, the raspberry?, and the back flip to boot. I wondered about the 3 axel - 2 axel sequence at the beginning. Did he do it so he could do 2 triple/triples later (I think he did). Not to take anything away from it. It's a great sequence and part of a powerful opening. Don't love the music or the costume, but it fits him.

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

 

[NinjaTurtles]

Pretty sure Ilia is trolling. He's joked quite a bit about Bolero.

100%. It’s a running joke on his Twitch streams and discord.

 

[mtnskater]

Just got to watch Ostrava men. Holy moly Patrick Blackwell. Never seen or heard of him, so what a great surprise. Super exciting to see such an obvious athletic talent on the U.S. men’s scene. I’m so excited given U.S.men ranks have been a bit depleted. Congrats on the silver to Patrick!

P.s. I kind of think he should have had the gold but it’s all good.

 

[cailuj365]

Blackwell -- 4T at 16? Love to see it. Put him in seniors. He reminds me of Mikhail Shaidorov right now with the costume and styling, good jumps, and a bit shaky spins. The back flip was good here, but I'm pretty sure I saw a clip of him a few weeks ago of him missing the take off and nearly bashing his head.

Based on the reaction, it feels like he's the first new U.S. men's skater who fans are getting really excited about since Ilia. My other fave junior skater is Aleksandr Fegan for his musicality and expression, but he has a long way to go still for tech content.

 

[Karen-W]

Blackwell -- 4T at 16? Love to see it. Put him in seniors. He reminds me of Mikhail Shaidorov right now with the costume and styling, good jumps, and a bit shaky spins. The back flip was good here, but I'm pretty sure I saw a clip of him a few weeks ago of him missing the take off and nearly bashing his head.

Based on the reaction, it feels like he's the first new U.S. men's skater who fans are getting really excited about since Ilia. My other fave junior skater is Aleksandr Fegan for his musicality and expression, but he has a long way to go still for tech content.

Next season. He's not eligible until then.

I do feel like he and Lucas are potentially going to make the US Men's field VERY interesting this season and next. If their 3As and 4Ts are stable and consistent by next season, it's going to be a real nail-biter to see who makes the Olympic team.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

P.s. I kind of think he should have had the gold but it’s all good.

I do too, but he didn’t win the free

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Aleksandr Fegan for his musicality and expression,

I didn’t understand the whole ballet dancer reference to him last week. I went to go watch the programs and I didn’t get any ballet dancer from it.

 

[Karen-W]

I do too, but he didn’t win the free

Incorrect. He won the free. He stumbled out of his last spin in the SP and lost approximately 2.5-3 points. He lost overall by about 3 points. Without the SP error, he may have won overall, but Seo had an 8 point lead from the SP that he couldn't overcome.

 

[mtnskater]

I do too, but he didn’t win the free

Yes he DID win the free. And even then Seo was a bit generously scored in my book for what he put out there in the free, including no quad and a couple of errors.

 

[mtnskater]

Blackwell -- 4T at 16? Love to see it. Put him in seniors. He reminds me of Mikhail Shaidorov right now with the costume and styling, good jumps, and a bit shaky spins. The back flip was good here, but I'm pretty sure I saw a clip of him a few weeks ago of him missing the take off and nearly bashing his head.

Based on the reaction, it feels like he's the first new U.S. men's skater who fans are getting really excited about since Ilia. My other fave junior skater is Aleksandr Fegan for his musicality and expression, but he has a long way to go still for tech content.

I like Jacob Sanchez a lot too.

 

[Karen-W]

I like Jacob Sanchez a lot too.

Same, but I'm concerned about his 3A consistency and he doesn't seem to have a quad in the works yet.

Yes he DID win the free. And even then Seo was a bit generously scored in my book for what he put out there in the free, including no quad and a couple of errors.

Don't even get me started on the generous scoring of Seo in both the SP and FS, especially the FS. I didn't think he should have been as close to either Hagara or Nishino in the SP as he was. But, Patrick did make a silly mistake in the SP and it likely cost him the gold here, so it's a good lesson for the future in not giving away anything until you've hit your final pose.

 

[Jammers]

Next season. He's not eligible until then.

I do feel like he and Lucas are potentially going to make the US Men's field VERY interesting this season and next. If their 3As and 4Ts are stable and consistent by next season, it's going to be a real nail-biter to see who makes the Olympic team.

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.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Incorrect. He won the free. He stumbled out of his last spin in the SP and lost approximately 2.5-3 points. He lost overall by about 3 points. Without the SP error, he may have won overall, but Seo had an 8 point lead from the SP that he couldn't overcome.

That was a typo, I voice texted but he did win the free and it inputted wrong