Grand Prix Assignments are up!!!!

[Mathman]

I think I remember that one year Michelle skated at Skate America as a last minute replacement since somone had pulled out (I don't know if it was due to injury or not - or I could have misrecalled the event completely...)

In 2002 Skate America Sarah Hughes had to withdraw because of injury. They begged Michelle to take her place, since they had sold all those tickets to folks who wanted to see the Olympic champion. Michelle had not intended to do the Grand Prix at all that year. Skate America was her only event, but by winning it she still got enough GP points to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. But she declined.

I think they do get a commitment from the skaters, but I don't think that there is any penalty if a skater withdraws. Ann Patrice missed her Cup of Russia assignment that same year because she didn't get the proper Visa in tme.

Mathman

 

[ATW27]

Joe -

Let me see if I can in some way answer your question. From Kristi Yamaguchi's 1997 book "Figure Skating for Dumbies", page 194, regarding the Grand Prix (known as the Champions Series at the time the book was written):

"The U.S. Skaters who compete in the [Grand Prix series] come from the World Team A Envelope. No qualifying procedure determines the skaters for these events, but the ISU, the organizers of each competition, and the national associations involved agreee on the field for each event. The main factors considered are guaranteeing a selection of the sport's biggest eligible names so that the event promoters in each country have box office attractions and provide competitive opportunities for each country's top skaters."

Also, it's my understanding that at the begining of the assignment/selection process, skaters that will be competeing on the cuircuit are asked by their federations what assignments they would prefer; however, the final decision on where they are sent lies with their Federation.
Hope that helps.

Andy W.

 

[KwanFan1212]

Wow! I am stoked about MK returing to the GP series, Ryan Jahnke getting TWO assignments, and Angela getting SA this year. Bella & Pat are getting two assignments this year as well. I am kinda glad they are only doing two this time, doing three has to be tiring. I am looking foward to the GP series again now. Who'd a thunk it!?! LOL

The only issue I have now is how do I decide between going to SA and going to Skate Canada?!?! Both have fab lineups so I guess I need to figure out what I am going to do. Eek!

 

[Jaana]

I´m feeling sooo glad that our Susanna Poykio has been invited to SA and SC... A bit surprised though that Kettunen and Drei are apparently not apprearing in any GP events? Perhaps they will be invited later as there was still a place in two events (I think they were in ladies).

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Thanks Andy W.

I presume we can asfely say the same for all the Federations

Jaana mentioned some vacant sports that can be filled later. Is that correct? I would like Bebe to get an extra draw.

Joe

 

[Kateri]

For some reason the .pdfs are crashing my PC every time I try and look at them, even though they were working a while ago.

I just wanted to check - is Viktoria Pavuk going to the GP?

k.

 

[Jaana]

Jaana mentioned some vacant sports that can be filled later. Is that correct? I would like Bebe to get an extra draw.

Joe

Yes, there at least seems to be one vacant spot in SA, SC, FRA and RUS event:

http://www.isufs.org/events/gp2004/gp_entries_ladies_2004.pdf

Another matter is, whether they will be filled.

 

[berthes ghost]

It appears the host country gets to invite more of it's own skaters (ie three Cdn men at Skate Canada), but that seems unfair to countries that don't get to host a GP event.

I don't think it's "unfair" at all. It costs a bucket load of money to host those events, and considering the ticket sales at most of them, I'd be surprised if any break even, never mind make a profit. In countires where skating is popular, it only seems fair to me that they can boost ticket sales by having more local favorites. Why should Canada be penalized because most people in Slovenia or Slovakia wouldn't ever bother to go to a skating event (plus the economics). The GPS is pure capitalism. It's not like the ISU is gonna fund events in developing nations.

 

[Sylvia]

I just wanted to check - is Viktoria Pavuk going to the GP?

Pavuk is not listed for the GP. She has one more year of ISU junior eligibility left (her 19th birthday is after July 1st), so looks like she'll be back on the JGP this fall.

 

[Kasey]

I'm doing it! Skate America will be my first skating competition I'm attending live....from Reno to Pittsburgh PA, just for skating!!! YAY!

Kasey

 

[skatingfan5]

Ladies GP events are filled

Yes, there at least seems to be one vacant spot in SA, SC, FRA and RUS event:

http://www.isufs.org/events/gp2004/gp_entries_ladies_2004.pdf

Another matter is, whether they will be filled.

Actually, I think the roster is filled now, with the maximum of 12 ladies in each GP field. What might appear to be "vacant spots" marked by the -- in reality is just the way the table looks because two of the seeded skaters (Michelle and Sasha) are only competing in two events, not three. If they were in 3 events, the table would have 3 ladies in the seeded places at the top and then only 9 listed below. Because there were two events with only two seeded skaters, there was room to have 10 other skaters in those events, which made the columns for those two events longer. Sorry for the wordy explanation, but in reality, the fields are filled at this time. In reality, there are often cancellations due to illness and/or injury or other problems, so that openings do occur which can be filled by other skaters, if they are announced early enough.

 

[Jaana]

Skatingfan5, LOL, thanks for noticing that...

 

[Ptichka]

About host countries entering more skaters
Originally, this was the whole point. The idea behind those events was to have a lot of local skaters, and add a few international ones to increase ticket sales.

Skaters' control over assignments
I know in an interview last season Mishin complained that before, he and Plushenko would be able to pick which events to go to, but starting that season they were just told where to go. He made it sound like it was the ISU telling them, but may be he ment the federation.

Lalique?
I thought that when ISU added Cup of China, they said that Lalique and Bofrost would alternate as GP events. Last year, the choice was easy because Germany refused to implement CoP at Grand Prix. I am surprised it's Lalique this year, though.

 

[brenlynn]

I'm doing it! Skate America will be my first skating competition I'm attending live....from Reno to Pittsburgh PA, just for skating!!! YAY!

Kasey

I'll be there as well! However I am only coming from Rochester, NY. This will be my 2nd competition, I attended 4CC this past season in Canada, and I love going to competitions so much more than shows! Worth the money definitly.

It should be a great competition!

 

[millyskate]

I guess some guy will pull out of the Russia GP, and probably not Weir who has nothing to loose. The USA GP promises to be tough for the ladies. I can see a consistent Mikki steeling that one from not yet polished Michelle and Sasha, at that stage of the season.

 

[Verbalgirl77]

Well now Miki has to deal with people having expectations for her on the senior level and going up against other senior ladies who have been dealing with that pressure for a long time.

I'm actually more excited to see Yukina Ota and her new programs than Miki Ando. Plus we get Liashenko, Phaneuf, Poykio and Calvez who are all great, as well as Angela!

Except for the unfortunate absense of Weir, Buttle, Sandhu, and Lambiel this event looks great. Pairs looks great (whee! O&S in the US) and dance will be very interesting to see if it's either B&A or G&G thatwill make a convincing move over the other in terms of overall world standings and set themselves up for a World medal.

I'm excited, yay.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

quote:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Originally posted by Kasey
I'm doing it! Skate America will be my first skating competition I'm attending live....from Reno to Pittsburgh PA, just for skating!!! YAY!

Kasey
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Try learning the shothand for the skating elements and relay them through Golden Skate. Your board members will luv ya.

Joe

 

[ice_magick]

Where are Viktoria Pavuk, Alisa Drei, Diana Poth, Andrejs Vlascenko, Karel Zelenka, Volosozhar/Kharchenko and YUKARI NAKANO? And is AP McD on the list?


*yaaaaay* for Miriam! Two events! Wowwww!

 

[ice_magick]

Where are Viktoria Pavuk, Alisa Drei, Diana Poth, Andrejs Vlascenko, Karel Zelenka, Volosozhar/Kharchenko and YUKARI NAKANO? And is AP McD on the list?


*yaaaaay* for Miriam! Two events! Wowwww!

Pavuk could probably do both the Jr and Sr GP events. Volosozhar/Kharchenko doubled up last year. However it's probably a lot of pressure training programs with two different music lengths for each piece (Evan Lysacek would know) and by the end of the season the team had to pull out of Europeans, prsumably because of someone's overuse injury. So maybe that would not be wise.

Let's hope Cynthia does not decide to do the JGP!!

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Re: Ladies GP events are filled

Actually, I think the roster is filled now, with the maximum of 12 ladies in each GP field. What might appear to be "vacant spots" marked by the -- in reality is just the way the table looks because two of the seeded skaters (Michelle and Sasha) are only competing in two events, not three. If they were in 3 events, the table would have 3 ladies in the seeded places at the top and then only 9 listed below. Because there were two events with only two seeded skaters, there was room to have 10 other skaters in those events, which made the columns for those two events longer. Sorry for the wordy explanation, but in reality, the fields are filled at this time. In reality, there are often cancellations due to illness and/or injury or other problems, so that openings do occur which can be filled by other skaters, if th
ey are announced early enough.

Skatefan5 - I agree with Jaana, there seems to be four places vacant in the Ladies and that has nothing to do with Sasha and michelle, and realisticlly the matrix does not look filled to me.

The Matrix shows:

Men 12 x 6 which totally fills out the matrix.

Ladies SA, SC,Lalique and COR have only 11. Why is this if they are not to be filled?

Pairs 10 x10 matrix totally filled.

Dance SC has one vacancy

It seems to me that a skater or team would gladly accept to fill these vacancies. Do you have any factual knowldege as to why they would not be filled?

JOe

Joe