World or GPF medal. Which one...

Colonel Green

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In terms of prestige, a Worlds medal.

In terms of difficulty, you could argue that a Grand Prix Final medal is harder to win simply because you generally need three strong event performances to get it (the two qualifying events and then the Final itself). Though conversely, the Grand Prix Final itself is a much smaller field so your odds are intrinsically better once you make it in.
 

VGThuy

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Worlds. GPF has a great concentration of top performers, but some times it's missing some key contenders for one reason or another. Everybody is aiming to peak for Worlds and it's seen as the year's biggest prize outside of Olympic years. Worlds is also just a much bigger competition. It's also a "championship" designated by the ISU whereas the GP series and the GPF is not. You can just see the reactions to people who won World titles compared to winning a GPF one and their reactions for underperforming at Worlds whereas at the GPF you get a sense that it's a building block for the rest of the season. Even after doing well at a GPF, programs and planned content gets tweaked and perfected for Worlds.
 

kadavygrace

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It depends which medal. I would take a world gold over a GPF gold, but a GPF gold over a world silver, and for sure a GPF gold over a world bronze.
 

kadavygrace

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Outside of Yuri on Ice, Worlds.

Let's put it this way: had V/M retired after 2014, their career would still have been considered pretty amazing even without a GPF title. Not winning Worlds would have been a much bigger deal.

Pretty amazing for sure, but it still would have looked back on them they had never won the GPF and their main rivals Davis & White had won it twice. Particularly when both had an Olympic Gold and Olympic silver, both had 2 world titles, etc..Of course now V&M coming back and not only winning a GPF, but more importantly adding another individual Olympic Gold, another world, 5 total Olympic medals including team medals, that is entirely different now.
 

kadavygrace

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I should have used a different example. Okay, then: Javi never won a GPF.

I do imagine he still regrets that, although it is less important than his winning worlds twice and winning Spains first Olympic medal. Still a good example for sure.

Who knows he hasn't officialy retired, he might yet get the GPF. It is a shame he wasn't competing this year, with the skating of all the men this season it would be totally wide open for him to win this year had he been.
 

Holy Headband

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How is this even a question? The GPF is what we watch to pass the time before the real season begins.

Is the GPF a big deal in that stupid anime or something?
 

MAXSwagg

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How is this even a question? The GPF is what we watch to pass the time before the real season begins.

Is the GPF a big deal in that stupid anime or something?

Worlds is absolutely more prestigious, but the GPF is also big deal now, mostly because the men have made it so over the past four years (especially 2015–2016 GPF, which was an event for the ages).
 

VGThuy

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I think the best people to ask would be Weaver/Poje. Would they rather have won a world medal in 2016 or keep their GPF win that season.
 

Osmond4gold

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Def Worlds esp. after this GP season where we have a sea of mediocrity in ladies skating, with lackluster performances, limited skating skills and of course those URs. Kind of a ''I don't want it, you take it'' season, imho.

Caro, Gabby and Kaetlyn, how much does this sport miss you. I know I do.
 

briancoogaert

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Of course a World medal. This is THE competition of the season. GP series is seen as a great repetition for Worlds. And it's good like that : we see skaters who try new stuffs, it's really important.
 

kwanatic

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Def Worlds esp. after this GP season where we have a sea of mediocrity in ladies skating, with lackluster performances, limited skating skills and of course those URs. Kind of a ''I don't want it, you take it'' season, imho.

I dunno, I disagree. I'm enjoying this season quite a bit. There have been some crappy performances (as always) but at the same time there has been some really great skating from the ladies this season.

Satoko has been amazing! Her programs are stunning and she's been skating stronger than last year...Elizaveta has re-reemerged as a gold medal threat complete with the 3A and upgraded content...We've had a number of amazing newbies come in and shake everything up with medal finishes in their first senior GP season (Rika Kihira, Sofia Samodurova, Eunsoo Lim) and two made the Final... Evgenia hasn't been skating well but she's continuing on which is exciting.... And despite Alina's minor struggles here and there, she's maintaining her position at the top of the sport. It should be noted that this is the first time in at least 20 years an Olympic gold medalist in this discipline has continued to compete full-time after winning--a few skaters came back to do a small comp/nats/worlds once or twice but I can't recall the last time a ladies' OGM came back to competing full-time.

Of course when you look at the skaters not on the senior level things get even more interesting. For Russia, the battle of Eteri's Triple A Squad (Alexandra, Anna, Alena) has been incredible; and for the U.S. there is Alysa Liu's strong season and technical content. All of these younger skaters will likely have a huge impact on their national results.

There have been some dud competitions but overall, I'm impressed with this season and excited to see how the second half will play out.
 

danibellerika

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Worlds is absolutely more prestigious, but the GPF is also big deal now, mostly because the men have made it so over the past four years (especially 2015–2016 GPF, which was an event for the ages).

True. I went to worlds that season and ended up wishing I went to GPF instead considering the high quality from almost all of the guys there. Conversely, most of the same men at worlds, save for Javi in the free, weren't remotely up to snuff compared to that.
 

Fiero425

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I dunno, I disagree. I'm enjoying this season quite a bit. There have been some crappy performances (as always) but at the same time there has been some really great skating from the ladies this season.

Satoko has been amazing! Her programs are stunning and she's been skating stronger than last year...Elizaveta has re-reemerged as a gold medal threat complete with the 3A and upgraded content...We've had a number of amazing newbies come in and shake everything up with medal finishes in their first senior GP season (Rika Kihira, Sofia Samodurova, Eunsoo Lim) and two made the Final... Evgenia hasn't been skating well but she's continuing on which is exciting.... And despite Alina's minor struggles here and there, she's maintaining her position at the top of the sport. It should be noted that this is the first time in at least 20 years an Olympic gold medalist in this discipline has continued to compete full-time after winning--a few skaters came back to do a small comp/nats/worlds once or twice but I can't recall the last time a ladies' OGM came back to competing full-time.

Of course when you look at the skaters not on the senior level things get even more interesting. For Russia, the battle of Eteri's Triple A Squad (Alexandra, Anna, Alena) has been incredible; and for the U.S. there is Alysa Liu's strong season and technical content. All of these younger skaters will likely have a huge impact on their national results.

There have been some dud competitions but overall, I'm impressed with this season and excited to see how the second half will play out.

OTOH I believe the ladies' winner was such a surprise and unexpected that they wouldn't be able to come back even close to those heights again! MK was the last one I believe could and would come back the following season to compete; even if on a part time basis like Plushenko! We thought he might come back for one more OGames this past Feb.(his 5th) , but the men finally caught up to the ladies! It sounded so ridiculous for Tara to announce her retirement so early in '98, but her people had to realize at her age (16 yo), the lack of success immediately after reaching those heights might crush her! An Olympic champion can't show up unprepared and look like a "hot mess" after winning OGold! That's what make Hanyu's achievements the more amazing! Yagudin tried to return after 2002 SLC, but he had to limp out with a degenerative hip injury! Plushenko was close in 2010, but Hanya completed the deal and is still going strong! I thought Yuna Kim might finally be the one on the ladies' side, but like Evgeny, OG was snatched in favor of Silver the following GAMES! :rolleyes: :COP: :judge: :kickass: :yikes:
 

UGG

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I guess it depends on the skater. I guess for a multiple world medalist, a GP win would be nice but for skaters such as Ashley and Gracie, it seemed like the world podium was their goal, not GPF gold. Alyssa and Jeremy are considered skaters who could never hold it together when it counted and they have GPF wins.
 

clairecloutier

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I think most skaters aspire to make the GP Final as a way to structure their season and give themselves a midseason goal, and for sure a GP medal is nice-to-have and helps build their resume and momentum. But Worlds is and will remain the major aspiration and event of the season (in non-Olympic years).

I do believe the senior men are a bit of a special case in regard to the GPF, and it is mostly because of Hanyu. I think the idea of competing against just the other top few men is something that he's used as a motivational tool to get his competitive juices flowing, and he has often raised his game significantly at the GP Final, and his top competitors have gotten into the spirit of things and followed suit.

For the other disciplines, IMO you still generally tend to see the best and most memorable performances at the major ISU championships (Euros, 4CCs, and Worlds). An exception would be Stolbova/Klimov reaching their career height at the 2015 GPF. ETA: Just remembering another career high (so far) at the Junior GP Final--Gubanova in 2016.
 

SidelineSkater

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I am pretty sure Alissa Cziny would have taken the world bronze over the GPF win....

Agreed. She came oh so close in 2011. The StSq in both the short and long were level two. Add two points for the lost levels (if she were to get level 3) and she would have been hundredths of a point behind Kostner. Of course the fall on the opening jump in the LP didn't help, but the fact she held it together for the rest of the program was pretty impressive, considering her track record. She also had the 2nd highest base value executed in the LP. Considering the previous year's bronze medalist only landed three triples in the long!

I do think Alissa would have preferred a world medal in this instance.
 

VGThuy

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I remember thinking how bright Alissa's next few years looked after the 2010-2011 season. Things finally seemed to gel for her and it made Yuka Sato/Jason Dungjen look like a new viable coaching team for the future. Sad it didn't really play out that way.
 

Tinami Amori

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Both! with disclaimer. World participation is based on "quotas" set by skaters past year, it does not guarantee that all country's best attend. GPF guarantees at season's top 6 participate. Worlds is more prestige. GPF is competition of the best this season.
 

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