Junior Grand Prix Announcement

[hockeyfan228]

The JGP announcement is up as well:

http://www.isu.org/vsite/vfile/page/...-0-file,00.pdf

Qualification is very different than for Senior GP, except for host nations getting three, and a maximum number of two events per skater (no pairs extra event exception, though for JGP):

For Ladies and Men's, the top five nations from Jr. Worlds are entitled to two slots at each event, the next five nations are entitled to one slot at each event, any national qualifying a skater for the LP gets one slot for all but one event (7), any nation whose skater finished 25-30th, but didn't make the LP gets one slot for all but two events (6), and all other nations get one slot for all but three events (5).

For pairs, each nation gets up to three slots.

For Dance, the top five nations at last year's Jr. Worlds get two slots for each event, and all other nations get one slot.

There's a series of tables at the end of the announcement that list the countries that can send skaters to each event.

I don't know if there's any published USFS criteria for assigning JGP slots. Since the US is hosting a JGP (Lake Placid) this year, USFS has up to the following number of slots:

Ladies, Men, and Dance: 17 at eight events
Pairs: 12 at four events

All events are in Europe, except for Lake Placid.

[chuckm]

One more thing: host nations that have Pairs competitions (US, Estonia, Germany, Great Britain) are allowed to enter an unlimited number of Pairs in their own event. So the US can enter more than 3 Pairs in at Lake Placid.

[hockeyfan228]

That one went right over my head -- thanks chuckm!

[Sylvia]

I'm quoting selected posts from the "2007-08 U.S. team envelopes" discussion thread into this more relevant thread about the potential JGP skaters from many different countries.

I've heard there are some promising Japanese girls (novice this past season) coming up, and perhaps one from Germany as well. The JGP is about developing and refining new talents, and you just never know who might "make a splash" in their first year...

GERMAN SKATERS:

Actually there are two german girls that might surprise a few people. Especially those in German who think there aren't any good ladies any more.

The first one is Sarah Hecken. She will turn 14 in August. At the second Nationals - German Trohpy - she won the Junior Ladies, again, just like at Germans in January. I really liked her short programm where for the first time in competition she tried and did a 3Flipp. She also attempted 3T-3T but fell on the second jump. You can download both short and long programm of German Trophy from fsvids. On her homepage www.sarah-hecken.de you can find two vidioes in the download section. we also have a profile on her on the german message board http://www.eiskunstlauf-ecke-forum.d...pic.php?t=2950

The second girl is Isabel Drescher. She placed second at Nationals and 5th at German Trophy. She just turned 13. And was the only german lady this season to land a 3Lz in competition. She did that at German Tropy where she did that in her long programm. Her profile can be found here http://www.eiskunstlauf-ecke-forum.d...pic.php?t=2951.

I can't wait for them to get a chance to compete internationally now that they are age eligible! They never had to show everything they can do nationally because they are good enough to do well without all the tripples in their programms and there is no need to go all out to win if you win anyways.
As soon as I hear anything about who get which JGP I will let you know. The newly formed German junior team might be the way back for German ladies to get competitive again as there is a lot more talent than in previous years!

At the first training camp for the Junior Team there were 11 Ladies I think. Most of them skated Novice and Junior nationally.

I think at least 5 will get a chance to do the JGPs them being
Katja Grohmann - shes the oldest in the team and coached by Ilona Schindler, she consistantly showed 3T, 3S, 3Lo in her programms and in the last two competitions of the season 3Lz as well, though she still cheats them sometimes and lands on her butt.

Sarah Hecken had a huge growth spurt last summer and in most competitions played it safe and did 3T and 3S only which was still enough to win all but 2 competitions last season. Only at german trophy did we get a hint as to what she does in practice. I hear that she has all tripples, except axel, in practice and we have to wait and see what she will put into the programm for the coming season

Isabel Drescher is a spring baby of 1994 and the only german lady that managed to beat sarah once this season. As mentioned earlier she did a beautifull 3Lz in the Free skate at her last competition of the season. Like sarah she does all tripples, except 3A, in practice.

Katharina Gierok has good chances for a JGP spot too. She is a really nervous skater and after an amazing short, the nerves take its toll in the long programm. she does have 3S, 3T and 3Lo good enough to put them into the programms, but I dont know what she does in practice.

Nicole Gurny is my tip for one of the spots at the JGP in Chemnitz, her home rink. She skated at the Novice level last season and is moving up to Junior now. In her long programm she did 3S and 3Lo, but I dont know what she does in practice. Just like Sarah she had an amazing record last season.

If the Fed goes with those 5 and the first 4 get two assignments than the 9 spots german has, are gone. Though I think there are a few other girls that would deserve a chance to prove themselfs and get a spot, but depending on the qualification requirements for a second JGP assignment they may not get any if the other girls do really well say Top 6-8 placements which they are all capable off.

I wish I could look into the National Team coaches head and see what she is up too, but unfortunately I can't. so I will have to wait and see and hope that Sarahs mum tells me as soon as there is any news.

[Sylvia]

JAPANESE SKATERS:

Yuki Nishino, who won the Novice event at Mladost with a total score of 135, is 13, old enough to skate in the JGP. She will turn 14 in October.

Nishino is not the only talented Japanese girl.
Ayane Nakamura--same age with Nishino--is pretty close.
She marked 60.7 points(!) in SP in a recent domestic competition.

Here is the protocol of last year's Japanese Novice nationals.
1st Nishino, 2nd Nakamura, 3rd Matsushita
http://www.skatingjapan.jp/National/...v/data0205.pdf

here is the video of some of the japanese novice skaters that are moving up to Jr this season.

http://youtube.com/watch?v=pDwCAZb-1...elated&search=

I am more impressed with Kanako Murakami than Nishino or Nakamura. Her jumps are high and very nice in the air.

Is Kanako Murakami old enough for the JGP and will she be considered? Murakami placed 7th in Japan's Novice A Nationals back in October 2006 (Yuki Nishino and Ayane Nakamura placed 1st and 2nd and both will be old enough to compete on the JGP this fall).

[satorare]

Murakami is a year younger than Nishino and Nakamura, so not eligible for next season.

[Lumi]

I totally fell in love with Murakami after watching few videos from youtube ! She might be the cutest thing in world...

If I understood right Finland can send four girls to JGP? Jenni Vähämaa will go for sure, but the other girls... I would asume that three out of Sissi Keränen, Nita Viiri, Sofia Otala and Tuuli Nikoskinen will go, since they all are in Finland's B team.

[Joesitz]

Will Kristi Musademba be involved in this as well as Mirai Nagasu? I believe the status of Raechel and Caroline are not yet confirmed.

Joe

[Sylvia]

Will Kristi Musademba be involved in this as well as Mirai Nagasu?

Yes for Nagasu, don't know yet about Kristine Musademba (but my fingers are crossed that she'll get a JGP opportunity). Here's what I posted earlier about the 2007 U.S. novice champ, Angela Maxwell, novice silver medalist Musademba, and a few of the other potential U.S. ladies JGP candidates: http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sho...1&postcount=29

[Sylvia]

Murakami is a year younger than Nishino and Nakamura, so not eligible for next season.

Thanks. Do you know if Kanako Murakami was born before or after July 1, 1994? If before, then she would be JGP age-eligible this season because that she would be 13 by the ISU deadline.

Nishino and Nakamura were both born after July 1, 1993, which is why they aren't JGP age-eligible until this season (2007-08).

[bostonskater]

The ISU announcement went up three weeks ago. When, oh when, is USFS going to announce the preliminary JGP assignments? They usually do them during Governing Council, but obviously they didn't this year.

Soon, right??

[hockeyfan228]

At the moment USFS is sticking to three pairs at Lake Placid. They can still add more, as chuckm noted above.

[Sandra_persch]

Its cool that USFSA announces the initial assignments so early. It allows the other federations to plan their assignments taking into account who they want to compete against whom

[Joesitz]

deleted because the list of Jr assignments is on another thread.

Joe

[persimmon]

I'm thinking about going to watch a JGP this year, to see some of the up-and-coming skaters. I'm mainly interested in ladies and dance, and I'm not sure which one to go to. I was thinking about Lake Placid, but I figured that there wouldn't be as many Europeans/ Japanese there. I'm interested in the Russian dancers and the Japanese/ German singles skaters, mostly. If anyone has any suggestions, they would be appreciated!