Lipnitskaia withdraws from GPF: Gao takes slot

[dorispulaski]

Christina Gao goes to the GPF

http://usfigureskating.org/Story.asp...734&type=media

[Chemistry66]

She reportedly fell in practice and it resulted in a minor concussion, so it's not actually related to the ankle thing.

http://fsrussia.ru/news/302_yuliya-l...nala-gran-pri/

[tulosai]

I am sorry for Julia but SUPER excited for Christina. This is a great opportunity for her and if she skates like she did at her first 2 events she will doubtless gain some more international credibility. Either way she'll be getting more international experience which is always so valuable. VERY happy for her!

I do wonder what she's doing about her Harvard Finals. I have so much respect for her that she is accomplishing so much in skating this year while going there.

[Rachmaninoff]

Well, she wasn't my favourite, but I'm mildly disappointed and I'm glad it doesn't sound too serious. Good opportunity for Christina, though.

[demarinis5]

Great opportunity for Christina, very happy for her. Wishing a speedy recovery for Julia.

[AlexRus]

Team Russia's doctor Yaroslav Bugaev told that Julia must not have ice training for at least two weeks.
http://www.rsport.ru/figure_skating/...633458344.html (Russian)

"On Wednesday during training Julia unsuccessfully fell and was injured. At entry of rotation she lost balance, injuried a chin and got slight concussion. Doctors recommended her not to compete. For this reason, unfortunately, Lipnitskaia withdraws from the Grand Prix Final. Naturally, for all of us this was a bolt from the blue, but in sports from this anybody isn't insured", - the president of FFKKR Alexander Gorshkov declared

http://fsrussia.ru/news/302_yuliya-l...nala-gran-pri/ (Russian)

[FSGMT]

Team Russia's doctor Yaroslav Bugaev told that Julia must not have ice training for at least two weeks.

This means that she could be not really ready for Russian Nationals: they will be just a week (ten days?) after she begins training again...

[koatcue]

I feel for Julia, but I think it's for the best. Health is on the 1st place:( I'm kind of glad that Gao got such an opportunity though Hope she skates like in SA))) She 's impoved a lot since last season

[AlexRus]

This means that she could be not really ready for Russian Nationals: they will be just a week (ten days?) after she begins training again...

Nationals will be at 24-28 Dec 2012. So she has more than three weeks before Nationals.

This season Nationals are not very important for her - she may not be qualified to Eiro and Worlds because she is too young for ISU championships.
More imporant are Junior Nationals 31 Jan - 03 Feb 2013 to qualify to Junior Worlds.

So let she fully restores.

At 2010/2011 she withdrawh from Junior Nationals because of illness. So may be.

What a bad season for Julia!
Injury at start of season, injury before TEB (minor injury, but just before Event), and now this ...

[aftertherain]

Looks like Lipnitskaia's injury caught up with her. Hope she recovers well. When was the last time the U.S. had two entries for the GPF?

[Layfan]

Oh dear! What an opportunity for Christina but what a shame it came at the expense of Lipnitskaia. Good luck to both of them.

[Mrs. P]

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=48734&type=media



Looks like Lipnitskaia's injury caught up with her. Hope she recovers well. When was the last time the U.S. had two entries for the GPF?

Pretty recent: 2010 when Alissa and Rachael both made the final.

[golden411]

I am sorry for Julia but SUPER excited for Christina. This is a great opportunity for her and if she skates like she did at her first 2 events she will doubtless gain some more international credibility. Either way she'll be getting more international experience which is always so valuable. VERY happy for her!

I do wonder what she's doing about her Harvard Finals. I have so much respect for her that she is accomplishing so much in skating this year while going there.

Yes, yes ... you go, Gao! I'm thrilled for her.

Harvard exams are from Thu Dec 13 - Fri Dec 21, so her presence for her first batch ever seems physically possible. http://www.registrar.fas.harvard.edu/calendar
Not sayin' that the logistics are ideal for her academically. I hope that her profs will give her extensions for any term papers/projects, but at the very least, her GPF travel will eat up a lot of study time for finals and she will return with jet lag. Ladies SP is on Fri Dec 7, and Harvard classes officially end on Tue Dec 4, so potentially she will miss some last sessions of her courses. And I imagine that while she is off campus during part of reading period, teachers will be offering potentially helpful office hours and some informal study groups of her peers might be meeting.

[aftertherain]

Pretty recent: 2010 when Alissa and Rachael both made the final.

Really? And here I thought it was Kimmie and Caroline back in 2007. I guess I was wrong!

[Trewyn]

Wow! That's pretty big news! Interesting that Gao will have an extra chance to prove herself before Nationals, since she's put herself in the mix for that coveted world team spot!