U.S. Men 2024-25 news & updates

[Karen-W]

I don't get it at all: G/F were always going to be their strongest chance of an individual medal, but they also had a shot at a team medal. They had strong-ish and/or up-and-coming Pairs who were strong enough to make the FD/qualify for Olympic spots, plus Hotarek as a coach, but no one else in Dance, and they couldn't have predicted the Tali/Lafortuna team, or that they'd gel so quickly.

Their schedule is set up so that the best shot at a TE medal would have to compete on February 6, 7, 9, 11 according to the Olympics site (so not TE FD one day and Individual RD the next):
https://www.olympics.com/en/news/milano-cortina-2026-complete-figure-skating-schedule

Will no one think of the skating elderly?

The Men have to skate February 7, 8, 10, 13. Which is still ridiculous. But there is little chance of clawing away an ending with the Women from US TV, even if it should end with the Men (because I say so!).

Thanks, I edited my post above with this information.

I agree, the schedule is ridiculous. It makes no sense at all for Italy to have put Ice Dance in the second week. And, if China could claw away ending with Women from US TV in favor of ending with Pairs for themselves, then surely Italy could have done the same with Dance, lol.

 

[Jammers]

This is a factor in any sport where there is a high level of of national competition. The athletes are forced to peak at the Olympic qualifying event, which messes with timing for peaking at the Olympics.

I think that happened to Alysa in 2021 she did 3 competitions before the GP started including Nebelhorn which was the qualifying event for the Olympics and she wasn't as sharp by the time of the GP series.

 

[Karen-W]

I think that happened to Alysa in 2021 she did 3 competitions before the GP started including Nebelhorn which was the qualifying event for the Olympics and she wasn't as sharp by the time of the GP series.

Not really... She did Cranberry Cup in early August, followed that up with Lombardia the 1st full weekend of September, then Nebelhorn 3 weeks later. She was assigned to SCI which was the last weekend of October, 4 weeks after Nebelhorn; then NHK two weeks later. She should have medaled at NHK, but the JSF made sure Mana Kawabe was boosted hard, and Alysa wound up off the podium. SCI had Valieva, Tukt & Kosto - medaling would have been a hard ask for anyone in that field - and Alysa finished 5th behind the 3 Russians & Mihara.

 

[skatfan]

Due to the tragedy kind people have donated considerable money to Max via GoFundMe. In addition USFS has raised funds for the families. Shishkova & Naumov ran their own school within SCOB which Max will likely either run, or take a leadership role in. It's possible he will be okay financially in the short-term.

Those funds will certainly be helpful. But these kinds of things often take a while to pay out, hopefully not in this case. If these funds were all available now, then I don’t see why the Skating Club of Boston is finding him paying gigs. And I wouldn’t want Max to feel like he has to do his parents school; if he wants to that’s different.

 

[cailuj365]

Wasn't sure which of the US team threads to post this, but Ilia, Alysa, and Chock/Bates will all be on the Today Show this morning.

Ilia Malinin, Alysa Liu, Madison Chock and Evan Bates, plus Mikaela Shiffrin will appear on the TODAY Show on Monday following a week of Team USA success across Winter Olympic sports.

Malinin and Liu, who won titles at the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday and Saturday, will reflect on their performances from Boston (site of worlds), airing in the 7-8 a.m. ET hour.

Chock and Bates, who won their third consecutive ice dance title, will have a live interview from Boston in the 9 a.m. hour.

 

[Willin]

As I understand it, SCoB is funding Maxim's training - at least in free ice. His new coaches are friends of his parents, so they may be doing things free or at a steep discount. I saw something about SCoB funding all of his training, but I'm not sure the entirety of that. But who knows if he's even training right now beyond shows?

He is also coaching at SCoB, having taken over his parents' students. This was something he wanted to do.

 

[Flip Jump]

As I understand it, SCoB is funding Maxim's training - at least in free ice. His new coaches are friends of his parents, so they may be doing things free or at a steep discount. I saw something about SCoB funding all of his training, but I'm not sure the entirety of that. But who knows if he's even training right now beyond shows?

He is also coaching at SCoB, having taken over his parents' students. This was something he wanted to do.

Has it been announced anywhere who his new coaches are?
I am aware of most of the coaching teams at SCoB but had not seen anything indicating who he is now working with.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Well, some people had mixed feelings about Jason being named to the world team. He came in fourth in the free skate and won PCS.

And specifically because of him and Ilia, we get three spots for the Olympics and worlds. Jason is a lock for the Olympic team.

Not sure about Torgy for next year. I would like to see how Lucas and Max do in the season.

Jimmy, I feel the same as Torgy, can be really good or meltdown.

 

[kwanfan1818]

At 2017 Worlds, Karen Chen (4) and Ashley Wagner (7) earned three spots for US Ladies, as they were still known. Mariah Bell was 12th.

Yet it was Chen, Nagasu, and Tennell who competed in Korea.

Next Fall will give a better indication.

 

[barbk]

I wonder if the case for Brown at the Olympics could come down to the importance the US places on the Team event and whether Ilia does only the SP. A team of Nathan/Vincent worked well at the last Olympics...but Vincent had a banger fall season.

 

[kwanfan1818]

It might very well be, assuming Malinin doesn’t want to do both, to which USfS agrees. Karen Chen, the highest-ranked US Ladies skater at 2017 Worlds was the only Ladies skater of the three who didn’t skate the TE in 2018; splitting Ladies was only possible because the Shibs chose to do both.

The fight for gold could be very tight, and if Malinin skates one, USfS needs someone who’s proven they can skate under pressure.

 

[MacMadame]

Ilia strikes me as the sort of person who would either not want to do it at all or would want to do both events. But this is the kid who threw in the 4A in his FS when his planned content had a 3A and his team wanted him to do the 3A. So doing both events is not out of the question, IMO.

All of this really depends on who the team ends up being, of course. And what pressure USFS puts on various competitors to do what they think is the best strategy. (Something I don't think they have done in the past.)

At 2017 Worlds, Karen Chen (4) and Ashley Wagner (7) earned three spots for US Ladies, as they were still known. Mariah Bell was 12th.

Yet it was Chen, Nagasu, and Tennell who competed in Korea.

Next Fall will give a better indication.

Thank you! All this "Brown has clinched his spot" talk is so premature. Anything can happen between now and then including (hopefully not) injury. Even Ilia isn't a lock because of that. But he's the closest we've got to being a lock.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I am neutral here as I like Jason, but I’m not an Uber, I think his spot is clenched. He won the PCS in the free skate. He came in fourth place in the free skate after not having skated much and anybody past Ilia and Jason is a Las Vegas gamble.

Everybody kept talking about Torgy who came in second to last place. If it wasn’t for Jason, there would be no three spots.

When it comes to worlds Jason is consistent.

 

[olympic]

For the men, it really will come down to next Fall. The USFSA will pay close attention to who exactly is breaking out as solidly #2 and #3. IMO, Ilia will need some help in the team competition. I don't think he can do both events in the team and individual competiitons.

ETA - If it's Jason, so be it. If there was depth and consistency among the other, younger US men, someone would've slotteed ahead and pushed him off the team already.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I think the team event is very important to US skaters. Team-ness is a popular American idea and you could see how crushed US skaters were when they didn`t "do it" for the team - Karen Chen. Concious of the team some give their best Olympic performance - Mirai Nagasu.

 

[Trillian]

I think the team event is very important to US skaters. Team-ness is a popular American idea and you could see how crushed US skaters were when they didn`t "do it" for the team - Karen Chen. Concious of the team some give their best Olympic performance - Mirai Nagasu.

It is also, realistically, an opportunity for skaters to win Olympic medals who probably wouldn’t otherwise. So beyond any ideals about “team,” from a pragmatic perspective, it’s important for the skaters from a financial POV and important to any organization (like USFS) who could gain by mentioning Olympic medals in marketing materials.

 

[Frau Muller]

About all US dancing (men and all others): Will the Aug 17 and 20 of the World Figure Skating Championships will be shown on USA TV today? Or is it only to be show in Japan?

 

[Karen-W]

About all US dancing (men and all others): Will the Aug 17 and 20 of the World Figure Skating Championships will be shown on USA TV today? Or is it only to be show in Japan?

I presume you mean World Team Trophy coming up in APRIL, not August, and it is usually streamed on Peacock, IIRC.

 

[Frau Muller]

Thanks. Looking to see it soon!

 

[YukiNieve]

Before heading to Sapporo for the second series of SOI shows, Ilia gave some advice on jumping techniques to young Japanese skaters, including Mone Chiba and Mao Shimada. His mother/coach Tatiana Malinina was also there. Koshiro Shimada and Tomoki Hiwatashi were also there as translators.

It is interesting to watch a 23-minutes clip showing how Ilia was warmin up and giving advice on jumps:
(You need to set VPN as Japan to watch this)

- 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

 

[olympic]

Before heading to Sapporo for the second series of SOI shows, Ilia gave some advice on jumping techniques to young Japanese skaters, including Mone Chiba and Mao Shimada. His mother/coach Tatiana Malinina was also there. Koshiro Shimada and Tomoki Hiwatashi were also there as translators.

It is interesting to watch a 23-minutes clip showing how Ilia was warmin up and giving advice on jumps:
(You need to set VPN as Japan to watch this)

- 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

I hope some wisdom is eventually imparted on Tomoki. SIGH

 

[Willin]

@olympic Having seen Tomoki in person, his biggest issue by far is speed. I don't think it comes across this way on TV, but I was shocked how slowly he moved and how little ice coverage he has. After that I wasn't surprised he couldn't get quads off - no matter how good your technique is, big jumps won't happen if you don't have the speed and power for them.

 

[Aceon6]

@olympic Having seen Tomoki in person, his biggest issue by far is speed. I don't think it comes across this way on TV, but I was shocked how slowly he moved and how little ice coverage he has. After that I wasn't surprised he couldn't get quads off - no matter how good your technique is, big jumps won't happen if you don't have the speed and power for them.

Being an opposite skater doesn’t help. On sessions, practices and warmups, he has to thread through everyone else. I’m not surprised.

 

[BittyBug]

Being an opposite skater doesn’t help. On sessions, practices and warmups, he has to thread through everyone else. I’m not surprised.

It might not help but I don't know that it's a hindrance, either. Rudy Galindo, Kostner, Weir, Wagner - all clockwise rotators.

 

[olympic]

@olympic Having seen Tomoki in person, his biggest issue by far is speed. I don't think it comes across this way on TV, but I was shocked how slowly he moved and how little ice coverage he has. After that I wasn't surprised he couldn't get quads off - no matter how good your technique is, big jumps won't happen if you don't have the speed and power for them.

I am a little surprised. Tomoki looks faster on TV.

I remember when I first started to notice him after his Junior Worlds title, after Vincent and Nathan, and I imagined at the time he was going to be part of a 'conveyor belt' of US men's champions for the next decade.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I can't remember which Olympics -- I think Chen's first -- where my dream Olympic team was Hiwatashi, Torgashev, and Brown. I've never had anything against Nathan Chen, and he certainly deserved to be there both times, but a girl can dream, no?

 

[Karen-W]

This is something I think some aren't getting. USFS seems to plan for the short term. We need 3 spots for next year! So they bribe a certain someone to stay in. They mark another one overly generously at Nationals or are harsher on another. Etc. That has to impact the rest of the field. It trickles down with less money available, fewer slots at comps, knowing that there are fewer slots open at Nationals than on paper, because you know two people will be on the team no matter what.

So when people say, "Well, who would you send instead? We have no one better," that is it exactly. We don't know what would have happened if USFS had focused more on future skaters, even if we lost a slot at Worlds for the first season after the Olympics with 3 years to get it back.

Anyway, this is probably a discussion for another thread. Maybe we should find it (or create it) and move the discussion over there.

Moving this over from the WTT Day 1 discussion in the Kiss 'n Cry...

Here's the thing about the men we're talking about. None of them are exactly "spring chickens", even by the standards of the men's field internationally.

The average age of the men in this season's SB Top 24 is 23. Three years ago (2021-22), the ages of the men in the SB Top 24 was 22.

So, we have Camden, Jimmy, Maxim, Torgy & Tomoki - who are all at or above the average age of the men in either this season or the 21-22 season's SB Top 24.

Camden (age 25) - ISU Championship results - 2025 4CCs 8th, 2024 Worlds 20th, 2022 Worlds 5th, 2022 4CCs 12th, 2020 4CCs 11th, 2019 Jr Worlds 8th, 2018 Jr Worlds 6th
Jimmy (age 29) - ISU Championship results - 2025 4CCs 3rd, 2023 4CCs 9th, 2022 4CCs 10th
Maxim (age 23) - ISU Championship results - 2024 4CCs 12th, 2023 4CCs 10th, 2020 Jr Worlds 5th
Torgy (age 23 - 24 next month) - ISU Championship results - 2025 Worlds 22nd, 2024 4CCs 8th, 2023 Worlds 21st, 2020 Jr Worlds 8th
Tomoki (age 25) - ISU Championship results - 2025 4CCs 9th, 2024 4CCs 11th, 2022 4CCs 8th, 2020 4CCs 9th, 2019 4CCs 8th, 2019 Jr Worlds 1st, 2018 Jr Worlds 7th

Compare their results to the likes of Ilia, Nathan, Vincent & Jason and I can't help feeling like "WTF?! is the USFS doing wasting any more time on these guys?" Even taking out Ilia & Nathan, who are indisputable phenoms, Vincent was just 21 in 2022 when he won his SECOND World bronze - he was 18 when he won his first.

And if you want to also disregard Vincent as a semi-phenom, well, let's take a look at where Jason was, at age 23 (Max & Torgy are the youngest of these 5) in the 2017-18 season - 2018 4CCs 3rd, 2017 Worlds 7th, 2017 4CCs 6th, 2015 Worlds 4th, 2015 4CCs 6th, 2014 Olympics 9th, 2013 Jr Worlds 2nd, 2012 Jr Worlds 3rd, 2011 Jr Worlds 7th (oh, and he qualified for his first GPF the year he was 23).

I know some people want to argue that we aren't giving these guys enough opportunities, but it looks to me like Jason had a similar number of opportunities as those other guys by a similar age & had achieved better, though not stunning results.

And, in the 7 seasons since... Jason's results have continued to be decent, but nothing that any one of those other guys couldn't have equaled or surpassed. Heck, Camden & Tomoki were on the 2020 4CCs team with Jason - and Jason beat them handily finishing 2nd.

I can't help but feeling like, going into next season, the USFS would be better off prioritizing some of the youngsters coming up. This generation of guys are already beyond the average age of the competitors at the top of the field & Jason is filling that "old man" quota box quite a bit better than the five who are, unironically, younger than him. Not one of these guys have had the sort of results or social media presence that would justify quietly encouraging them to stick around another quad.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Old man or not Dee Stellato or not if they get the job done, they get the job done, Torgy is a Las Vegas gamble, as are all the other ones…. Jason, Not really ..he secures the third spot. And let’s call it …. do we need a third spot? so Torgy cannot make the free program? So Camden cannot make the free?

 

[Karen-W]

Old man or not Dee Stellato or not if they get the job done, they get the job done, Torgy is a Las Vegas gamble, as are all the other ones…. Jason, Not really ..he secures the third spot. And let’s call it …. do we need a third spot? so Torgy cannot make the free program? So Camden cannot make the free?

We need the third spot so that Jacob, Lucas or Patrick can get Olympic experience for 2030 & beyond. We definitely don't need it to give the other guys a nice trip to Italy next February.

 

[olympic]

Just a random Q - Outside of Ilia and Jason, who would FSU rate as the most dependable: Torgy, Jimmy or Camden?