USA teams announced for ISU championships | Page 2 | Golden Skate

USA teams announced for ISU championships

So, do you think the best way to prepare for Worlds is to stay home and practice? Or would preparing for and doing another competition be better preparation?

It always seemed to me that doing regular competitions ought to be the best way to get in that competitive groove. But I guess I am wrong about that, since none of the top skaters ever takes that route (except maybe Slutskaya).

If both ladies' programs had been clean and gone well, I could see them going to 4CC. Under the circumstances, I think both of them might want to make improving a priority. Even though 4CC is in the US, it's still a week or more of lost practice time.

For Johnny Weir, it's even more important that he get right back to work and put Nationals behind him. Going to 4CC could risk another devastating failure and that's not what he needs right now.

Of course, it is always a possibility that the USFS will put pressure on all of them to go. I hope that is not the case. Skaters should not be forced to surrender a week of their time for a grueling competition just 10 days after the most grueling competition of the season.
 
I added the men to the original post, though the USFSA site has not updated the list to include the information provided by Hsuhs.
 
Kimmie and Emily will probably opt out of 4cc. Don't forget they have school as well. I am glad to see the junior gold and siver medalists are going to jr worlds.Although I would have sent Rachael as well.
 
I'm so glad Jeremy Abbott is going to 4CC. His FS was one of the highlights of the Men's competition. If he skates well, he might get a GP assignment next season.
 
Kimmie and Emily will probably opt out of 4cc. Don't forget they have school as well. I am glad to see the junior gold and siver medalists are going to jr worlds.Although I would have sent Rachael as well.


Alissa has school as well, and she is a junior in college (a 4.0 student!). If they all decline, then the next 3 are BeBe, Danielle Kahle and Juliana Cannarozzo.
 
I too would be surprised to see Johnny and Evan go to 4CC. Perhaps they need to concentrate on resting, training and, in Johnny's case, regrouping. 4CC has always been a place for untried skaters to break out. So Ryan definitey should go and has nothing to lose.

However, if all the top US skaters did choose to go --- could make it exciting! Especially if the top Canadians go.
 
Evan apparently is planning to go. No word on the ladies as yet. It's been reported that both Kimmie and Emily have SOI guest dates during February and early March so they may not want to lose a week of practice to compete at altitude (always a rough experience for those who don't train at altitude).

Ryan Bradley trains in Colorado Springs, so it's a walk in the park for him.
 
Kimmie and Emily will probably opt out of 4cc. Don't forget they have school as well. I am glad to see the junior gold and siver medalists are going to jr worlds.Although I would have sent Rachael as well.

We would have liked to seen Flatt go the Jr Worlds as well. We can understand the choice in Wagner and allowing her to accumulate more ISU points, but based upon performances at Natls, we thought the better team would have included Flatt.

And, top three Jrs are not always chosen for Jr Worlds. In the past and this year as well in the other disciplines, it has been a mix of Sr and Jr level skaters. Go figure. Not sure when USFS is planning to get Flatt out again at an international.
 
No question, Flatt got jobbed. Last year, the initial assignments for Jr Worlds were Taylor (4th), Zukowski (6th) and Czisny (7th)---all Seniors. When Taylor won 4CC, she withdrew from JW and the spot was given to the Jr. Champion, Megan Hyatt.

This year, the opposite happened, and all the spots went to Juniors, leaving Flatt flat.

There will be no choice for Rachael next season: it's the JGP or nothing. Zhang can choose between the GP and the JGP, and so can Wagner (as JGPF medalists, they are assured of at least one GP event). Nagasu will have a choice as well if she medals at JW.

Incidentally, Wagner is age-eligible for 4CC (she turns 16 in May). The USFS could give her a 4CC spot, if Meissner and/or Hughes decline and let Rachael go to JW. But I wouldn't hold my breath on that happening.
 
There will be no choice for Rachael next season: it's the JGP or nothing. Zhang can choose between the GP and the JGP, and so can Wagner (as JGPF medalists, they are assured of at least one GP event). Nagasu will have a choice as well if she medals at JW.



I thought if you are 15 you could compete in the senior GP events. Won't Rachel be turning 15? Can't USFSA send her out to GP events if they want?
 
Unfortunately, Rachael's birthday is July 21st, so she won't be 15 by July 1st.

Technically, 14-year-old skaters can compete in the GP, but in Rachael's case, since she will not have competed at all this season (no Junior Worlds), she won't be on the "Season's Best" scores list and therefore she won't get any GP invitations. The USFS is unlikely to select her for Skate America, so she is going to have to do the JGP.

She might get an assignment to a spring event (Triglav) as a Junior, but that's about it, and that still won't get her either ISU points or put her on the "Season's Best" list.

This fall, she could also compete in Senior "B" Internationals (Nepela, Nebelhorn, Finlandia, Karl Schafer), but it is unlikely that the USFS will send her to one of those events.
 
Unfortunately, Rachael's birthday is July 21st, so she won't be 15 by July 1st.

Technically, 14-year-old skaters can compete in the GP, but in Rachael's case, since she will not have competed at all this season (no Junior Worlds), she won't be on the "Season's Best" scores list and therefore she won't get any GP invitations. The USFS is unlikely to select her for Skate America, so she is going to have to do the JGP.

She might get an assignment to a spring event (Triglav) as a Junior, but that's about it, and that still won't get her either ISU points or put her on the "Season's Best" list.

This fall, she could also compete in Senior "B" Internationals (Nepela, Nebelhorn, Finlandia, Karl Schafer), but it is unlikely that the USFS will send her to one of those events.

We have heard through the grapevine that USFS may not send any skaters out to Triglav, Estonia or Gardenia ($$$$$$$$$ issues, once again).

But why hold back Flatt from Sr B assignments? They have got to send her somewhere.
 
But why hold back Flatt from Sr B assignments? They have got to send her somewhere.

I'm sure they will send her somewhere. Whether it's JGP or senior B might depend on how many skaters they want to send to each of those circuits compared to the number of spots available.
 
I'm sure they will send her [Flatt] somewhere. Whether it's JGP or senior B might depend on how many skaters they want to send to each of those circuits compared to the number of spots available.
The JGP would be preferable -- MUCH more ISU ranking points than for Senior B events.
 
I'm sure they will send Rachael to the JGP. They will need her there should Zhang and Nagasu decide to move up to the GP. Wagner will almost certainly go the GP route, as she turns 16 this spring.

I just hoped they'd send Rachael somewhere this spring. She should be rewarded for her outstanding performances at Nationals.
 
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