World Team Trophy | Golden Skate

World Team Trophy

Arianne

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Is there one this year? I didn't know if we would see one or not after the Olympic team event. Any info is appreciated because I am out if the loop!
 

karne

in Emergency Backup Mode
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 1, 2013
Country
Australia
No...I think the WTT is supposed to be held every two years, though recently we had a bunch in a row because of a series of events: the Japan earthquake, the introduction of the team event meaning the ISU wanted to have a "team event" in the season immediately before the Olympics, etc.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Is there one this year? I didn't know if we would see one or not after the Olympic team event. Any info is appreciated because I am out if the loop!

Agree with karne's answer.

No WTT this year. The next one is scheduled for 2015. WTT was supposed to be held every other year: 2009, 2011, 2013, 2015 ...

The tragic tsunami in Japan in 2011 required cancellation of the event that year; it was rescheduled for 2012.
 

Arianne

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 26, 2004
Oh, I see! Thanks for the info! I thought it would be crazy if they had worlds and the WTT after the Olympics.
 

TMC

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
I'd love it if they held the WTT every year apart from the Olympic year (the Olympic event would still be there). More events for more skaters, more great skates.
 

TMC

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 27, 2014
I'd love it if they held the WTT every year apart from the Olympic year (the Olympic event would still be there). More events for more skaters, more great skates.

You got there first BoP! :laugh:
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
I'd love it if they held the WTT every year apart from the Olympic year (the Olympic event would still be there). More events for more skaters, more great skates.

There should be a WTT every year except Olympic year!
For me, it should actually become part of the "real" ISU Championships, as long as they want it to be part of the fs Olympic events!
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
The WTT should absolutely not be considered an ISU Championship - only 6 countries compete.

It's nice to see the teams from each country have fun and enjoy themselves but it's really just a fun-fest with only 3 or 4 countries that can actually contend for team medals. It's more for the fans if anything.
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
The WTT should absolutely not be considered an ISU Championship - only 6 countries compete.

It's nice to see the teams from each country have fun and enjoy themselves but it's really just a fun-fest with only 3 or 4 countries that can actually contend for team medals. It's more for the fans if anything.
But it has awarded real Olympic medals :sarcasm:
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The WTT should absolutely not be considered an ISU Championship - only 6 countries compete.

All countries have an opportunity to compete for one of the six spots.

In every sport, there is only a small handful of countries that field teams that are competitive on the world stage. That needn't stop them from holding competitions.
 

carriecmu0503

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
All countries have an opportunity to compete for one of the six spots.

In every sport, there is only a small handful of countries that field teams that are competitive on the world stage. That needn't stop them from holding competitions.

Exactly. Look at women's gymnastics, for example. What country outside of China, the USA, Romania, Russia have ever been competitive for the team medals? Even for individual medals, rarely does someone not from these countries get an individual medal (save for the occasional Ukrainian/ Belarussian).
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
All countries have an opportunity to compete for one of the six spots.

In every sport, there is only a small handful of countries that field teams that are competitive on the world stage. That needn't stop them from holding competitions.

I agree... but my point was that it shouldn't be an ISU championship when several skaters would be barred from competing because they don't come from one of the top well-rounded nations. And medals are given out to the team, so even if a skater doesn't pull their weight, they could still be awarded with an ISU championship medal (similar to how Abbott "earned" a bronze medal in the team event).
 

carriecmu0503

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 16, 2008
I agree... but my point was that it shouldn't be an ISU championship when several skaters would be barred from competing because they don't come from one of the top well-rounded nations. And medals are given out to the team, so even if a skater doesn't pull their weight, they could still be awarded with an ISU championship medal (similar to how Abbott "earned" a bronze medal in the team event).

Those skaters aren't barred from competing; they still compete in their individual events. It's the same in gymnastics. You could be the only really great gymnast from your country, which would mean you don't compete in team event. However, individual athletes are still able to complete in the Games. You have gymnasts who don't contribute much to their teams in the team event but still medal every year. The 2008 and 2004 silver medal winning women's teams each had an athlete who competed in preliminaries but not team finals for whatever reason. If countries want to be competitive in the team event, they need to foster the growth of the sport in their country. Saying there shouldn't be a team event because it would not include athletes from countries without enough athletes to form a competitive team does absolutely nothing to grow the sport. In fact, it actually holds it back/ stunts it from growing. Look how many nations are trying to field a full gymnastics team now. Canada made it to team finals for the first time ever in 2012. Without the motivation to make it, do you think they would have worked as hard to develop a variety of gymnasts? Likely not.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
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Joined
Feb 27, 2012
.. but my point was that it shouldn't be an ISU championship when several skaters would be barred from competing because they don't come from one of the top well-rounded nations. ...

No different, IMO, than some skaters being "barred" from competing at Worlds every year. Depending on how many spots their countries have earned for each discipline, plenty of skaters get left out.
 

Alba

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 26, 2014
The WTT should absolutely not be considered an ISU Championship - only 6 countries compete.

It's nice to see the teams from each country have fun and enjoy themselves but it's really just a fun-fest with only 3 or 4 countries that can actually contend for team medals. It's more for the fans if anything.

I fully agree with you.
I had fun watching it, but I would rather prefer the Sync.Skating be introduced in Olympics rather than WTT.
 

CanadianSkaterGuy

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 25, 2013
I fully agree with you.
I had fun watching it, but I would rather prefer the Sync.Skating be introduced in Olympics rather than WTT.

It's rather ridiculous that synchro skating isn't included in the Olympics. It think it shows diversity in skating (since countries outside of the typical countries, like Sweden and Finland, excel in them).... and it's obviously really difficult to do and impressive when done well. And if the issue is that only women do it, that shouldn't be since obviously nobody dings synchronized swimming or rhythmic gymnastics for being female-centric (and of course many events are male dominated until change happens like ski jumping).

But I'd still keep the WTT. Just not as an ISU championship.
 
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