2009-10 ISU Grand Prix selection guidelines

[Spun Silver]

I really hope annoyance with USFSA doesn't spill over into anger with Sasha who has not done anything to deserve it.

USFSA encourages Sasha simply because an aging-star-comeback narrative is good for PR and ticket sales - especially when the aging star is as beautiful and photogenic as Sasha! I'm sure they'll also play up the rivalry between her and the rising stars.

I think the PR is a lot less good for Sasha who has a huge amount of pressure and a lot riding on the outcome. What will she gain if the comeback fails?

If I were a big Rachael or Caroline fan, I'd be delighted about Sasha's return. It generates excitement about skating which is badly needed, diverts the Olympic pressure that would otherwise be on them, and stimulates them to outdo themselves this season.

I really don't see any "sublime advantage" for Sasha in any of this - just a short-term burst of PR. We'll see if she can earn her way to the Olympics.

SA is going to be a real nail-biter!

[Mathman]

^ All quite true, quite true.

Although...the part about our delight in Sasha's photogenicity...what are Rachael and Caroline, chopped liver?

[janetfan]

^ All quite true, quite true.

Although...the part about our delight in Sasha's photogenicity...what are Rachael and Caroline, chopped liver?

Caroline and Rachael are both cute. One is delicate and demure - the other has that "Jan Brady" thing going for her.

[seniorita]

off topic
Wasnt somewhere a conversation about grand prix in men and who goes where?I m searching for it, but I m not sure if i read it or dreamt it...

[PolymerBob]

off topic
Wasnt somewhere a conversation about grand prix in men and who goes where?I m searching for it, but I m not sure if i read it or dreamt it...

Yes there was. The feeling was that the USFSA should not send their best men to the same event. But we couldn't decide who our best men are. If you go by Nationals, they are Jeremy and Brandon. If you go by Worlds, they are Evan and Brandon. If you go by 4 Continents, they are Evan and Jeremy. If you go by the Grand Prix Final, they are Jeremy and Johnny.

So who are our best men? We couldn't figure it out.

[jennylovskt]

Yes there was. The feeling was that the USFSA should not send their best men to the same event. But we couldn't decide who our best men are. If you go by Nationals, they are Jeremy and Brandon. If you go by Worlds, they are Evan and Brandon. If you go by 4 Continents, they are Evan and Jeremy. If you go by the Grand Prix Final, they are Jeremy and Johnny.

So who are our best men? We couldn't figure it out.

I will bluntly say that for the international competitions, Evan, Johnny, Jeremy, Brandon, in that order. You can't go by just one competition.

[merrybari]

i will bluntly say that for the international competitions, evan, johnny, jeremy, brandon, in that order. You can't go by just one competition.

ita!!

[R.D.]

I really hope annoyance with USFSA doesn't spill over into anger with Sasha who has not done anything to deserve it.

[snip]

I think the PR is a lot less good for Sasha who has a huge amount of pressure and a lot riding on the outcome. What will she gain if the comeback fails?

If I were a big Rachael or Caroline fan, I'd be delighted about Sasha's return. It generates excitement about skating which is badly needed, diverts the Olympic pressure that would otherwise be on them, and stimulates them to outdo themselves this season.

I really don't see any "sublime advantage" for Sasha in any of this - just a short-term burst of PR. We'll see if she can earn her way to the Olympics.

Good points. It takes pressure off of the current ladies, and if she is successful, will (hopefully) push them to raise their game, and it becomes a win-win situation. At least, up until the Olympic selection when she would take up one of the spots, leaving space for only ONE (other) lady to go. :indiff:

Although...the part about our delight in Sasha's photogenicity...what are Rachael and Caroline, chopped liver?

Photogenicity is subjective, remember that. But that said, Cohen is what- 24? will be 25 soon? Flatt and Zhang are both 16. Too young for a real comparison IMO. They may end up looking quite different at 22.

[janetfan]

[QUOTE=Red Dog;397244]Good points. It takes pressure off of the current ladies, and if she is successful, will (hopefully) push them to raise their game, and it becomes a win-win situation. At least, up until the Olympic selection when she would take up one of the spots, leaving space for only ONE (other) lady to go. :indiff: [/QUOTE


I think Sasha's return is good even if her comeback attempt is a big flop.
I don't see how her return takes any pressure off our current ladies - or adds much either. I am sure they are going about their regular routines as if nothing has changed.
I initially thought Sasha would be either 1 or 2 at Natls and be put on Team USA. The more I think about it the less I see this happening. It's not that I just think her time has passed but I think a couple of our young girls will show enough improvement to send Sasha back to SOI.
Rachael, Caroline and Mirai may all finish ahead of Sasha. So could Ashley and Alissa. There is also Kimmie, Emily and others who could have great skates at Nationals. No way am I suggesting they will all beat Sasha - but I believe 3 or four of them could. Caroline has got to be out for blood this year and Mirai has a lot to prove too. We have already seen how determined Rachael is and there is doubt that Ashley wants it too. Sometimes we forget how much these younger skaters can improve in one year.
Sasha was never the steadiest jumper and I can't see how she will be better coming back. If anything I suspect her jumps may be more erratic than before. That alone could seal her fate.

[visaliakid]

I look for the assignment line up for Skate America to most likely be:

Cohen, Flatt and TBD. (The tbd a hold open slot for Michelle Kwan to accept or reject at some period over the summer.)

If Kwan has already told U.S. F.S. she will not be competing on the Grand Prix circuit, but choose regionals and or one or two ISU International B events as a nationals qualifying route; then it's anyone's guess who gets the TBD slot.

With the shakeup in the order of GP events this season, with SA and SC coming next to last and last in the six event lineup, we might see different philosophies being applied to whom should get the slots. This is a factor to consider.

Alissa Czisny has usually competed at Skate Canada as her first GP assignment, and not Skate America. With those two events as the last two of next seasons grand prix, again the selection reasoning could be totally different this time out. We will have to wait and see.

Speaking of waiting, as Sylvia (if I recall correctly) has noted elsewhere the ISU has released the GP assignments 2 or three days after the conclusion of the assignments conference conclusion. If they follow this pattern I expect to see the lists published on or around June 1st or 2nd.

[R.D.]

I think Sasha's return is good even if her comeback attempt is a big flop.
I don't see how her return takes any pressure off our current ladies - or adds much either. I am sure they are going about their regular routines as if nothing has changed.

Cohen will get press that might otherwise have gone to the other ladies. Publicity is a funny thing. Look what it did to Alyssa. If there were 3 spots for 2009 that pressure would have been spread amongst the two of them plus Zhang. Alyssa then may not have crashed and burned in the short (but then again, it may not have mattered much considering her record).

Yes, business will go on as usual. But once the chips are down, the game will change (if she shows up) whether one likes it or not.

I initially thought Sasha would be either 1 or 2 at Natls and be put on Team USA. The more I think about it the less I see this happening. It's not that I just think her time has passed but I think a couple of our young girls will show enough improvement to send Sasha back to SOI.

You tell 'em!

Rachael, Caroline and Mirai may all finish ahead of Sasha. So could Ashley and Alissa. There is also Kimmie, Emily and others who could have great skates at Nationals. No way am I suggesting they will all beat Sasha - but I believe 3 or four of them could. Caroline has got to be out for blood this year and Mirai has a lot to prove too. We have already seen how determined Rachael is and there is doubt that Ashley wants it too. Sometimes we forget how much these younger skaters can improve in one year.

True. But honestly, until we begin to sample the field in the 2009 GPs, we just don't have much of a basis on which to speculate.

Sasha was never the steadiest jumper and I can't see how she will be better coming back. If anything I suspect her jumps may be more erratic than before. That alone could seal her fate.

This could work both ways (she could be better, or she could be worse). But I agree with you. You either got it or you don't.

[Joesitz]

I really hope annoyance with USFSA doesn't spill over into anger with Sasha who has not done anything to deserve it.

I agree.the anger was there for Kwan getting her gift to the Olys in 2006 too, Both these Ladies deserve(d) to go Olys.

[Sylvia]

May 30th is a Saturday. I don't know if the ISU will publish the finalized full slate of GP entries right away (the same day or on Sunday) or if they will make us wait until Monday, June 1st (or later that week).

ETA: Last year the ISU published the full slate of GP entries on their site on June 14th but I can't remember if it was the same day as the selection meeting or the day after?

Follow-up to my earlier post -- I believe the GP selection draw took place on June 14th last year (in Monaco) and so the GP entries were in fact published online the same day. One thing to keep in mind is that Vancouver (site of this year's GP selection meeting) is Pacific Coast time.

[seniorita]

One thing to keep in mind is that Vancouver (site of this year's GP selection meeting) is Pacific Coast time.

So it's not saturday on canada yet? I want to go to paris, it doesnt matter who they will send there, i m just curious..

[R.D.]

So it's not saturday on canada yet? I want to go to paris, it doesnt matter who they will send there, i m just curious..

I don't know what timezone you are in, but it's currently 10:49am Saturday morning on the US/Canadian west coast as of this post