Assignment surprise...?

[treeloving]

I'm dissapointed that Mura and Machida doesn't get any gran prix. I think the new rule is unfair that they reduce the number of competitor in each grand prix, then let some skater skate for 3 gran prix while the skaters who have potential but don't have a chance to go to world and have less support from federation cannot get any gran prix at all!

How can skaters like Machida or Mura or skaters have a break-through year if they don't even have a chance to complete in A category competition at all?

[eyria]

I'm surprised about a couple things. In pairs, I don't understand why Marley/Brubaker and Castelli/Shnapir only got 1 event each. Based on Nationals, they are the #2 and #3 U.S. pairs teams right now, seems like they should have gotten at least 2 events each.

In ladies, I noticed only 1 Japanese lady is competing in 4 of the 6 events. Based on their results last year and the depth of their team, why wouldn't they have at least 2 ladies per event?

Then, in ice dance, Kriengkrairut/Giuletti-Schmitt also have only 1 event. I hope they get one of the open SkateAmerica slots.

Have the number of entries in each field been reduced?

[samba]

I'm surprised about a couple things. In pairs, I don't understand why Marley/Brubaker and Castelli/Shnapir only got 1 event each. Based on Nationals, they are the #2 and #3 U.S. pairs teams right now, seems like they should have gotten at least 2 events each.

In ladies, I noticed only 1 Japanese lady is competing in 4 of the 6 events. Based on their results last year and the depth of their team, why wouldn't they have at least 2 ladies per event?

Then, in ice dance, Kriengkrairut/Giuletti-Schmitt also have only 1 event. I hope they get one of the open SkateAmerica slots.

Have the number of entries in each field been reduced?

They reduced the entries, 12 to 10 in singles, 10 to 8 in pairs and icedance. I also do not understand the assignments; in icedance, there're 6 Russian teams, US and Canada got only 4 teams each and only the seeded teams got 2 assignments. L/C and P/I got only one GP, same as the Hungarians, Nora and Max.

[chuckm]

Marley/Brubaker just missed the minimum score for Pairs, so they were not eligible for a GP invitation. They can meet the minimum either at Nebelhorn, Nepela or at Skate America and then hope to make the alternate list for a second spot.

[Joesitz]

Marley/Brubaker just missed the minimum score for Pairs, so they were not eligible for a GP invitation. They can meet the minimum either at Nebelhorn, Nepela or at Skate America and then hope to make the alternate list for a second spot.

Chuckm - Is there still an alternate list? I thought any withdrawals would be filled by the ISU for a third GP.

[chuckm]

The ISU will publish an alternate list which will be used to replace withdrawals. The ISU will assign the replacements. It can't always be top down because of the limitations such as too many from one country in an event, visa considerations, etc.

[smia]

They haven't officially decided yet what the minimum scores will be so the reason M/B and C/S don't have two is because they weren't top 12 at Worlds and their SB scores aren't that great (#17 and #24 respectively). There are a number of pairs who did better and only got one assignment: Sui/Han at #7 with one foreign event (but China could have given them them a host pick to make it two). Lawrence/Swiegers (#11) and Gerboldt/Enbert (#12) also have a higher SB and only got a host pick. All these pairs deserve two spots before C/S and M/B.

I'm a little baffled why a number of pairs with poor SB scores managed to get foreign events while L/S and G/E didn't. Cain/Reagan (#29), Steele/Schultz (#30), Purich/Schultz (#31), Jones/Gaskell (#32), not very impressive..

[mousepotato]

They reduced the entries, 12 to 10 in singles, 10 to 8 in pairs and icedance. I also do not understand the assignments; in icedance, there're 6 Russian teams, US and Canada got only 4 teams each and only the seeded teams got 2 assignments. L/C and P/I got only one GP, same as the Hungarians, Nora and Max.

Pairs has been 8 for a few years now only singles and dance went down.

[mousepotato]

Gerboldt/Enbert (#12) also have a higher SB and only got a host pick

G/E didn't get the host pick for Russia it is still open. They just got one assignment so far.

[dorispulaski]

Cain & Reagan were 4th at Jr Worlds
and 5th at the JGPF
Purich /Schultz were 5th at Jr Worlds
and 7th at the Jr GPF
Jones / Gaskell were 6th at Jr Worlds
and 6th at the Jr GPF
Steele/Schultz were 4th at the Jr GPF

Before this year, making the JGPF got you one GP slot. I don't know what this year's rules are, but that might be why they have slots.

[smia]

G/E didn't get the host pick for Russia it is still open. They just got one assignment so far.

I meant they got one of the three host spots at Cup of Russia but no foreign assignment.

dorispulaski, from what I heard, they changed the rules so that even medaling at Junior Worlds and the JGPF are no guarantee of assignments, it only allows a skater to be considered. I thought selections after the top 12 at Worlds would mostly be based on SB and World ranking, but apparently not. Those four pairs are not high on either list so it's a mystery to me how they got those foreign spots.

[Jtsmith12]

When does the grand prix start and what is the first event ?

[seniorita]

^
Skate America 21 - 23 Oct
Skate Canada 28 - 30 Oct
Cup of China 4 - 6 Nov
NHK Trophy 11 - 13 Nov
Trophée Bompard 18 - 20 Nov
Cup of Russia 25 - 27 Nov
Grand Prix Final 8 - 11 Dec

here
on second thought I could have just copied the link

[PolymerBob]

If Evan thinks he doesn't need a quad, I am sure that Frank Carroll would set him straight. I wouldn't be surprised if Evan's actual return will depend on whether he can get it back, without re-injuring himself trying to do so.

Frank will set him straight? Did Evan need a quad to win Worlds? Did he need a quad to win the Olympics?

[Olympia]

It happened that Evan didn't need a quad at Olympics or Worlds that year, but he knows he won't be able to count on it this year. So yes, he will need to polish up his quad, and I'm sure Frank will not even need to make this point to him, because Evan is a hard worker and a perfectionist by all accounts.

In the same way, Shizuka didn't need a triple-triple to win Olympics...though she had several splendid ones. But she would have needed one in 2002 or 1998 if she'd been in contention then. Look at how beautifully Michelle skated in 1998, and she was edged out by Tara's triple-triple.

As they say, one swallow doesn't make a summer. One quadless win doesn't say anything about what is needed to win in general, especially nowadays with people like Patrick and the Japanese guys in the mix. Evan's not a gambler, I think, and he'll either have a quad or be aware that he's not a shoe-in to win anything unless everyone else has a sudden dizzy spell and falls down.