U.S. Men in 2018 - articles & latest news

[Sylvia]

Vincent tweeted a 6-parter (he mentions that he injured his back just before leaving for Milan): https://twitter.com/govincentzhou/status/977545527758934016

He'll get his chance to redeem himself at a future Worlds (eta: balancing his quad training with staying healthy will be the key!).

ETA #2 - He's also posted his full message on his Instagram here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bgtdj4blG5u/?hl=en&taken-by=govincentzhou
Variation on his original ending on Twitter: "... and I know that my health is my #1 priority. And with that, I bid all of you adieu. See you soon, somewhere from the top of a podium in a place known as my dreams."

 

[BittyBug]

Zhou is wise beyond his years.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I thought it may just have been nerves about a potential medal and/or spots but sad to hear about his back. Hope he gets a chance to rest and heal.

 

[Firedancer]

So happy for Nathan winning his first World Title! Unbelievable that he has won every major title in skating except the Olympics and he is just 18. And I still feel like he just getting started.

Great job by Max to help save the third spot. If he decides this is it for him, good luck to him in what ever he chooses to do in the future.

Vincent is young and has tons of talent. He will certainly have more chances in the future. I hope he gives himself a break and comes back even better next season.

 

[VGThuy]

Vincent had his learning experience here. He may have had a nightmare LP but it’s not going to define his career and he has such a level head and great perspective on things that I know this will motivate him to be an even stronger competitor and skater moving forward.

Max became our hero and really saved our third spot just like he wanted to do. I really do think Max is such an admirable person all the way through and I hope he gets recognized by the US skating community as someone who came through in a clutch for us.

And Nathan...what more can be said. Second year senior and won every title there is to win except the Olympics. He really is a wunderkind and a very rare and special talent.

 

[Willin]

What a way for Max to go out! (If he is going out). Skating relatively clean and saving a spot for the US at Worlds! I can't wait to watch it later today.

In hindsight I wish Vincent hadn't gone if he had a back injury. We would've been less sure about getting 3 spots, but your back is something not to be messed with. If Vincent needs any idea why he should protect his back, all he needs to do is look at his fellow Bay Area resident Steve Kerr.

 

[Jammers]

I think we can thank Nathan for saving that 3rd spot. The fact no other US men's skater finished in the top 10 meant he had to not only make the podium but win at least a Silver to keep the 3rd spot.

 

[MRani]

I think we can thank Nathan for saving that 3rd spot. The fact no other US men's skater finished in the top 10 meant he had to not only make the podium but win at least a Silver to keep the 3rd spot.

It takes two people to keep the three spots. Let’s give Max credit where credit is due. And of course, major credit to Nathan for winning!

 

[Spiralgraph]

I'm sure people are going to blame S/K for only one spot in Pairs next year at Worlds but they shouldn't have had to carry the load all by themselves in the FS to save two spots two years in a row. The 2nd team should take the blame too. When your number two team skates decently and still can't make the cut you have a real problem.

It takes two people to keep the three spots. Let’s give Max credit where credit is due. And of course, major credit to Nathan for winning!

I agree. Sometimes it's easy to criticize unjustly. Sure Nathan was the star, but Max had to do his part. Nathan couldn't secure three spots all by his lonesome. Max came through and should be recognized.

 

[VGThuy]

And Max came to Worlds after not thinking he’d go and had to train hardcore at the last minute. He only came to Worlds to help the US retain 3 spots and he did what he set out to do. Like I said earlier, Max is a class-act and deserves to be celebrated. That man is honor defined.

 

[jlai]

Yes, I adore Max as a competitor and person. And now he's gonna go make big bucks somewhere in finance.

 

[mag]

So surely Adam must have at least considered not going to worlds after the team event. I am surprised that Max wasn’t given a heads up that he might get the call.

 

[Frida80]

What a way for Max to go out! (If he is going out). Skating relatively clean and saving a spot for the US at Worlds! I can't wait to watch it later today.

In hindsight I wish Vincent hadn't gone if he had a back injury. We would've been less sure about getting 3 spots, but your back is something not to be messed with. If Vincent needs any idea why he should protect his back, all he needs to do is look at his fellow Bay Area resident Steve Kerr.

Unfortunately, we'd run out of alternates.

 

[BittyBug]

So surely Adam must have at least considered not going to worlds after the team event. I am surprised that Max wasn’t given a heads up that he might get the call.

Max was the second not first alternate. He got called because the first alternate, Jason Brown, dropped out.

 

[Sylvia]

Max was the second not first alternate. He got called because the first alternate, Jason Brown, dropped out.

Ross Miner was the 2nd alternate.

 

[BittyBug]

Ross Miner was the 2nd alternate.

Well that explains the short notice even more.

 

[clairecloutier]

Reflecting on Worlds, I have to give credit to USFSA for doing their best to support a very diverse group of U.S. men over the last 5-10 years. We've been blessed with a generation of extremely talented men in Max, Adam, Jason, Ross, Grant, Josh, Richard, Tim, Alex, Sean, and others. They're all really good skaters but really different skaters, and at times it's been hard to give them all the competitive opportunities they deserved, and probably the funding as well. But USFSA I think has honestly done their best. They continued to send all these guys to senior Bs and GPs even when, in some cases, they weren't performing well.

I think it really paid off this week when USFSA had to essentially call Max up out of semi-retirement (word is he had started a job in AZ) in order to round out the Worlds team when the ranks unexpectedly thinned. And then Max serves as pinch hitter, saving our 3 mens spots, even though he probably won't be back next season to earn 1 of them.

This was a generation of guys that never developed a clear front-runner, but somehow USFSA kept most of them in the game, and many contributed greatly to U.S. men's success over the past 5-6 years, with Worlds top 10 finishes, 4CCs and Grand Prix medals, and CS medals as well.

It's a generation of men that I'm going to remember and I just want to give USFSA credit for trying to support them all. It hasn't been easy and I know that, at times, not all these guys have felt as supported as they could be, but in the end, most of them have had some moments in the sun that they will remember from their skating careers. And they've given us many amazing memories as well, including Max this week.

 

[Mrs. P]

Reflecting on Worlds, I have to give credit to USFSA for doing their best to support a very diverse group of U.S. men over the last 5-10 years. We've been blessed with a generation of extremely talented men in Max, Adam, Jason, Ross, Grant, Josh, Richard, Tim, Alex, Sean, and others. They're all really good skaters but really different skaters, and at times it's been hard to give them all the competitive opportunities they deserved, and probably the funding as well. But USFSA I think has honestly done their best. They continued to send all these guys to senior Bs and GPs even when, in some cases, they weren't performing well.

I think it really paid off this week when USFSA had to essentially call Max up out of semi-retirement (word is he had started a job in AZ) in order to round out the Worlds team when the ranks unexpectedly thinned. And then Max serves as pinch hitter, saving our 3 mens spots, even though he probably won't be back next season to earn 1 of them.

This was a generation of guys that never developed a clear front-runner, but somehow USFSA kept most of them in the game, and many contributed greatly to U.S. men's success over the past 5-6 years, with Worlds top 10 finishes, 4CCs and Grand Prix medals, and CS medals as well.

It's a generation of men that I'm going to remember and I just want to give USFSA credit for trying to support them all. It hasn't been easy and I know that, at times, not all these guys have felt as supported as they could be, but in the end, most of them have had some moments in the sun that they will remember from their skating careers. And they've given us many amazing memories as well, including Max this week.

I couldn't have written this better, Claire!

Really, the U.S.'s depth + breadth (with Nathan) is a big reason the men (and dance to an extent, but obviously they have more breadth also) were able to continue keeping three spots despite all the alternative issues. And also consider the depth in the junior men, who were also were able to keep 3 spots despite a devastating injury during the FS for Krasnozshon. Really when you think about it, this depth was built over time, starting with Ross/Adam/Alex/Grant/Richard generation in the late 2000s and continuing with Jason/Josh/Max/Timothy in the early 2010s, and Vincent/Nathan and now continues with Alexei/Camden/Tomoki/Andrew. And yes there are the likes of Sean Rabbit who also improved greatly and picked up a few international assignments, even a Challenger medal!

Of course, it wasn't perfect and there were times the U.S. men lost 3 spots, but they were able to pick it up relatively quickly.

The U.S. ladies had an excellent streak with 3 spots as well, but it was pretty much on the shoulders of Gracie and/or Ashley. So when neither was there and/or up to snuff, the ladies suffered. The lack of depth in ladies is a HUGE issue and it unfortunately it caught up to them this year and looks to take sometime to solve, given junior ladies has the same problem.

In a sense, USFSA wins out in the end with BOW. A lot of people questioned Max getting third alternate despite his poor Nationals finish and Max's pretty much showed at both 4CC and here why USFSA made the right choice ultimately.

 

[Cleo1782]

What a way for Max to go out! (If he is going out). Skating relatively clean and saving a spot for the US at Worlds! I can't wait to watch it later today.

In hindsight I wish Vincent hadn't gone if he had a back injury. We would've been less sure about getting 3 spots, but your back is something not to be messed with. If Vincent needs any idea why he should protect his back, all he needs to do is look at his fellow Bay Area resident Steve Kerr.

US was out of alternates so it would have come down to Max and Nathan had Vincent wd (which worked out), but was very risky.

 

[Vagabond]

Max means three spots, right?

Three spots. The max. Or The Max. It depends on your point of view.

 

[jlai]

Three spots. The max. Or The Max. It depends on your point of view.

So Max Aaron went on a max errand?

 

[giselle23]

Max was the second not first alternate. He got called because the first alternate, Jason Brown, dropped out.

He was the third alternate, after Jason and Ross.

 

[mag]

He was the third alternate, after Jason and Ross.

Wow! kudos to Max for stepping up to the plate! I didn’t realize how far down the list he was. Totally makes sense now why he though there wasn’t a chance he would go.

 

[misskarne]

I must say I am thoroughly enjoying all of this sudden Max appreciation. I mean, even IceNetwork tweeted about how underappreciated he is.

Max's quick quotes after the FS (note this was before the last group so he had no idea what was about to happen):

I'm just happy I got to do my job to the best of my ability. It wasn't a perfect skate but I felt great. I didn't know I was
coming until one and a half weeks ago and I hadn't been skating for four weeks because I took a break after Four Continents. I was the third alternate and I really wasn't expecting Jason Brown to turn down the invitation but I have a
job to do so I stepped up and prepared. The USA's doing so well here and this is my fourth World Championships so
I'm like a big brother to the boys (Nathan Chen and Vincent Zhou). (On his future) This may be my last ever competition. I haven't fully decided yet but I can't wait to watch the young ones coming up.

*clings to a tiny shred of hope* But even if he does decide not to, I'm so proud of the way he ended it, the last two competitions that were such an unexpected bonus, and the way he has carried himself.

and now i'm crying again

 

[mag]

I have always felt that Max was just never able to find that perfect connection with a choreographer. I give him full credit for trying so many different styles and it is too bad that he never had that meeting of the minds, that finding someone who truly got Max and could bring out his amazing personality on ice. Jeff Buttle had that with David Wilson, Patrick Chan with Lori Nichol, and it seems Keegan Messing may have found it with Lance Vipond. What ever Max goes onto next, he has certainly done himself proud. He was one of the highlights of 2013 Worlds for me.

 

[Willin]

Based on the press conference, it sounds like Nathan's planning to stay with Rafael indefinitely. So that's probably the end of that drama.

 

[A.H.Black]

I am thrilled for Nathan. It seems surprising that he is the youngest since Plushenko. I feel like I have watched him forever (I sort of have). I'm so glad he now has those titles that he will always have. I was also pleased for Max.

Some thoughts-

- given that next year the mens free program will be 4 minutes - not 4 1/2 minutes (with one less jumping pass?).

- anticipating that the ISU will address some rules this year that swing the pendulum back toward the component part of the program and away from the technical side (just like the rules changed toward the technical after 2010)

- assuming that the future may possibly bring additional changes to rules and programs.

This may be the one and only time we have to enjoy a program with 6 quad jumps. Nathan certainly didn't need all of them to win. I don't know how much the future changes were influential in Nathan's drive for all the quads this year. He's a smart man so he may have thought through those issues and those thoughts may have played a part in his decision to go for 6 quads today. I am happy to have seen it.

I'm often off on my rules so feel free to correct me.

 

[sk9tingfan]

Based on the press conference, it sounds like Nathan's planning to stay with Rafael indefinitely. So that's probably the end of that drama.

Where did the "drama" emanate from or from whom? Was it pure speculation on some fan's part? I think that Rafael is the best coach to work with Nathan as well as deal with his mother.

 

[Willin]

@sk9tingfan There was some speculation that Nathan would drop Raf or Raf would drop Nathan after the Olympics. Most of that speculation came after an interview with Rafael saying that Nathan's family could be overbearing and that he didn't necessarily agree with all of Nathan's decisions on certain things at the Olympics. Not enough to say for sure they were splitting, but surely enough to say there was some tension between Raf and Nathan.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The drama was from an interview in which Arutunian made it clear that Chen had deviated from their jump layout for the SP at the Olympics, which, as we learned, did not go very well.