US Team for Smart One's Skate America--so far! | Golden Skate

US Team for Smart One's Skate America--so far!

icesk8erdude4e

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 7, 2006
So what do you all think of the US team Headed into Smart Ones Skate America?

Ladies:

Emily Hughes (I knew they'd assign her as she's the US Silver Medalist)
Kimmie Meissner (duh she's the US and former World Champion so of coz she'd be assigned)
Caroline Zhang (Now this is a suprise! She was only the Junior US Silver Medalist and they gave her 2 SENIOR GP ASSIGNMENTS?????)

Men:
Ryan Bradley (US Silver Medalist, of coz he'd prolly be assigned)
Stephane Carriere (this is sort of a suprise isn't it? )
Evan Lysacek (Well of course they were going to assign him, he's the US Champ!

Pairs:
Castile/Okolski (as the US Champions they should get to go!)
Evora/Ladwig (Hopefully they have a good showing that's all I have to say)
Nam/Leftheris (As the US Bronze medalists they should be assigned, I swear these two have so much potential and they have such great technical elements besides the throws I think they're a bit underscored)

Dance:
Belbin/Agosto (I would hope they would give these the Skate America assignment as they are the only US Skaters to win a Sr. World Medal this past year)
Davis/White (I swear in a few years these two are going to be better than Belbin&Agosto I think they should definately have this assignment and hopefully they'll medal)
Navarrow/Bomentre (Suprised they got assigned instead of Gregory and petukhov)

So what do you guys think about the US Team? I think that there's a chance of winning three of the four disciplines (not pairs, unless if maybe one of them skates a clean program then maybe there's a chance).

One thing that I think is particularly curious, is that they never assign Johnny Weir to this event. Because of all of the rumors and all of the speculations of him being gay I think that the USFSA isn't going to send a skater to a home event that changes the image of the all-american-male-skater. They did this similar thing to Rudy Gallindo way back in the day even as the US Champion they denied him entry into Skate America. Total crap. I think that the podium from nationals should be sent to the home event unless one of the skaters requests another event instead of Skate America.

opinions?
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
IMO, the individual GP events are contests for the most important GP Final. They are more than just winning a medal. The skaters must come out First or Second. Each skater on the Worlds podium will be heading one each of these six events. If we believe they will win their assigned GP events, then the bronze medal is meaningless.

Given the above, Miki Ando should win Skate America, and Kimmie Meissner should be second, and they will definitely be in the running for the Final. the bronze medalist will not have a chance unless she wins her next assignment. (not likely)

I believe the Federations played strategy with the entrants of each event. You can almost be accurate in predicting which six will make the Finals by looking at the lists. not just the Ladies, Evan and Johnny will also need at least one gold. or two silvers.

Similarly, Pairs and Dance.

Skate America must make a profit or break even and putting Zhang and Carriere into the mixes, makes the event more inviting.

Joe
 

merrywidow

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 20, 2004
Caroline Zhang was the '07 Jr. World Champion as was Carriere. They both deserve to be at Skate America & are worthy of 2 Sr. Grand Prix assignments.
 

attyfan

Custom Title
Medalist
Joined
Mar 1, 2004
...

One thing that I think is particularly curious, is that they never assign Johnny Weir to this event. Because of all of the rumors and all of the speculations of him being gay I think that the USFSA isn't going to send a skater to a home event that changes the image of the all-american-male-skater. They did this similar thing to Rudy Gallindo way back in the day even as the US Champion they denied him entry into Skate America. Total crap. I think that the podium from nationals should be sent to the home event unless one of the skaters requests another event instead of Skate America.

opinions?

As I understand it, Johnny Weir has always requested events other than SA. I think it was due to Priscilla Hill often having other commitments with other students at that time, but he may have just wanted additional preparation time. I don't know if he made that same request for this year, or, if they just assumed he would want the same events he has always had.

I don't know enough about the Rudy Galindo issue, but from everything I have heard, they are "not guilty" of bigotry in this one instance.
 

Kypma

Final Flight
Joined
May 12, 2007
I don't know is it's been posted anywhere else yet, but Nam and Leftheris has withdrawn due to injury, according to their wesite.

Kypma
 

Haydee

Spectator
Joined
Aug 17, 2007
I don't know is it's been posted anywhere else yet, but Nam and Leftheris has withdrawn due to injury, according to their wesite.

Kypma

This is very sad news. They are the last team I wanted to hear about an injury from. I hope it's not too serious.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Navarrow/Bomentre (Suprised they got assigned instead of Gregory and petukhov)
The Feds play a game here. I know most posters don't believe me but any single skater or couples skaters have to have enough points to make the Final. Unless there are total meltdowns, and assuming all Tokyo posters have each been given a separate GP venue, gold is alreadt taken, so silver becomes all important.

If you put in B&A, and Davis/White in Skate Amercia, the hope is that they will be gold and silver winners. To put in Gregory and Petukov would give one of the three American couples a problem with sufficient points to make the Final. Bronze medalists must pray for others to meltdown at other venues.

G&P will be in Skate Canada, and whether Denkova and Staviski show up, their biggest competition will be Virtue and Moir, and maybe Cappellini/LaNotte.

(Navarro/Bommentre) are coming along nicely and are not expected to get a medal (hey, who knows?} but they have been getting noticed.

Joe
 

childfreegirl

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 6, 2004
(Navarro/Bommentre) are coming along nicely and are not expected to get a medal (hey, who knows?} but they have been getting noticed.

I'm not surprised they got assigned to SA. The host country can invite whoever they want from their own country and if they thought that there wasn't a huge chance of N/B getting assigned elsewhere and they wanted them to get some exposure and additional international experience, it makes sense that they'd assign them SA. (Whew, what a run-on!:biggrin:)
 
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