2018-19 U.S. Men’s figure skating

[ice coverage]

Why, does the sched for WTT coincide with a Yale break?

The prize money would be difficult for anyone -- including a Yale student and/or world champion -- to sneeze at, IMO. YMMV.

 

[Mrs. P]

WTT language from 2017 states that if a skater is among top two men in world standing and places in the top 10 at worlds he or she will have to be at WTT, unless they opt out and do not compete or do shows while WTT is happening. If Nathan is in school, then he would probably be fine not going as long as he doesn’t do anything skating related (which he probably wouldn’t).

Other then that requirement, assuming it’s in place for this year, USFS has a bit of latitude in deciding who goes.

 

[el henry]

I know google is my friend, but where is WTT this year?

 

[Mrs. P]

I know google is my friend, but where is WTT this year?

Fukuoka, which is in southern Japan.

 

[el henry]

Fukuoka, which is in southern Japan.

A bit far for Nathan, but Yale is expensive

And Jason in Japan in a lower stress environment. One can only hope

 

[elbkup]

Geez people!! I can hardly wait for the actual event...

 

[tokoyami]

Since Nathan's out of 4CC, who do we all think (assuming Jason and Vincent go) will get the third 4CC spot?

Is Camden still in juniors? I wanna know since I'll be at 4CC screaming my guts out for J Brown

 

[Mrs. P]

Since Nathan's out of 4CC, who do we all think (assuming Jason and Vincent go) will get the third 4CC spot?

Is Camden still in juniors? I wanna know since I'll be at 4CC screaming my guts out for J Brown

Camden is a junior internationally, but he has senior scores to go to 4CC as does Tomoki Hiwatashi. Alexei Krasnozhon is another possibility.

 

[el henry]

Camden competed on the Junior Circuit this year, but competes as a senior at Nats. I don’t know what that means for 4CC :think:

Alex Krasnozhon did creditably on his first year on the Senior Circuit. He seems to be finding his way still as a skater.

I would love to see Andrew Torgashev do well but that’s a sentimental choice, as he is also finding his way still. One can only hope for 4CC

ETA: typing the same time as Mrs. P . I believe Andrew T. has qualifying senior scores from winning Philly International as well.

 

[StitchMonkey]

Since Nathan's out of 4CC, who do we all think (assuming Jason and Vincent go) will get the third 4CC spot?

Is Camden still in juniors? I wanna know since I'll be at 4CC screaming my guts out for J Brown

Camden is tricky. He has a real shot at a junior world medal, and even the title. But he did not do well at the JGPF. He may want to focus/concentrate on his junior side and go for the gold so to speak. Likewise, i wonder how much of his focus has been on each program.

Same with all our awesome jrs, really. I think they have more to gain from junior worlds.

.... yeah this really may become the ultimate pewter smack down... 4CC in California... someone's having a dream come true!

I may need to revisit my predictions and do some wishful thinking.

 

[Ice Dance]

I believe there are at least 4 guys eligible and competitive for both Junior Worlds and 4CCs so they cannot all focus on Junior Worlds anyway. My guess is that the highest scoring athlete at Nationals that has the 4CC minimums and is not named Nathan, Vincent, and Jason will have the choice of going to 4CCs if he wishes. If he doesn't, then the next guy down the line will have the choice, etc.

I have no idea who that will be. Could be one of those four junior age-eligible guys, though there are other men that were competitive with some of those guys in various competitions this season. One of them is Savary, and he won't be able to go because he was never added to the ISP and sent anywhere; but if he or anyone else without the minimums places that high, the athlete would most likely be sent to a late season international at least.

 

[Metis]

Since Nathan's out of 4CC, who do we all think (assuming Jason and Vincent go) will get the third 4CC spot?

Is Camden still in juniors? I wanna know since I'll be at 4CC screaming my guts out for J Brown

Kraznoshon would be the obvious choice, so it clearly won’t be him.

 

[el henry]

Kraznoshon would be the obvious choice, so it clearly won’t be him.

I’m not sure that my wild jumper Alex is the obvious choice before any performances at Nats, but in any event, why wouldn’t they pick an obvious choice?

 

[Metis]

I’m not sure that my wild jumper Alex is the obvious choice before any performances at Nats, but in any event, why wouldn’t they pick an obvious choice?

I don’t have a lot of faith in USFS. But it was meant tongue-in-cheek.

Kraznoshon just needs two solid skates at Nats. It’s not like he bombed his GP events. As for the juniors, unless Torgashev is back, I’m not sure any of them have an especially strong claim. I’d prefer Hiwatashi to Camden, especially after I jinxed him in my JGPF rankings, but who knows?

 

[Tavi...]

I wonder: if a long time senior like Tim Dolensky, Alexander Johnson, or Jordan Moeller did brilliantly at Nats, would USFS give one of them an opportunity at Four Continents? Or would they be more likely to use it as a developmental opportunity for a rising junior? Jordan may not have minimums, but the others likely do. None of the rising juniors has really wowed so far, have they?

 

[Mrs. P]

Camden Pulkinen actually has the third highest season’s best SP score among the US men. He scored 81 at one of his JGP events and 80 at JGPF to place first. It’s just that he did so poorly in the FS that is what people remember.

 

[Tavi...]

Camden Pulkinen actually has the third highest season’s best SP score among the US men. He scored 81 at one of his JGP events and 80 at JGPF to place first. It’s just that he did so poorly in the FS that is what people remember.

Yeah I vaguely recalled that. And he has the highest total score of the up and comers this season, though it’s not super high. I think the rising juniors are probably feeling a different kind of pressure than Jason, Nathan, and Vincent. The rising juniors must want to make their mark and just wow people. Jason and Vincent likely both want to show their growth, and Jason probably also wants to erase any memory of last year. Nathan...is probably more worried about how he can defend his World title as a student athlete.

 

[Ice Dance]

It's not just the free from the JGPF. (And, fyi, Camden looked the same in practices. The stress was definitely written in his body language all week). He struggled in his Senior Challenger also, where Tomoki outscored him despite struggling in the free there himself. And Torgashev, Ma, & Dolensky outscored Camden in Philadelphia. Sean, Tomoki, Emmanuel, & Timothy had higher summer scores. I know it seems like forever ago, but that is when most of the head-to-heads happened between the senior & junior guys. Don't get me wrong. Camden has had a very nice season in general. He has laid down some absolutely stellar SPs under high-pressure scenarios. But he has struggled to get both the jumps and the spins done in the LP, and has both won and lost some head-to-heads this year. I just don't think any of these guys are dominant. (Hardly a shocker. It's the men). But especially Pulkinen, Kraznozhon, Hiwatashi, and Torgashev have been trading results over the past two years. They're going to have to lay it down in competition, and as none of them have a really solid quad, the lot of them could go down to someone else as well. As evidenced by Johnson and Dolensky's results at last year's Nationals. Plus, it's Camden's first year at Senior Nationals. Perfectly OK if he just learns from the experience. Nathan, himself, finished 8th at his first Senior Nationals.

 

[el henry]

Sadly, because I enjoy his skating, I think even if Jordan had the skate of his life at Nats, and took fifth, say, he would not be chosen for 4CC. (regardless of whether he had minimums) I think only skaters on say Jordan's "level" (also sad to say, I think Sean Rabbitt may be among them) would get the "Ross Miner" treatment. ETA: Savary is in this category. No way in heck will he be chosen, even with SOHL.

Alex Krasnozhon, Tim Dolensky, Jimmy Ma, Alex Johnson with the skates of their life would be selected, IMHO.

I think any of the [top three] junior men, if they managed a high enough placement, would go. None of them embarrassed themselves on the JGP, despite Camden's unfortunate FS at the JGPF. Tomoki had an unfortunate SP at the JGPF, and I don't think that should disqualify him.

We live in interesting times

 

[ice coverage]

For the record, Jordan Moeller does have the minimums for Four Continents. :yes: (Earned last season.)

As mentioned by Ice Dance, Emmanuel Savary does not.

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Waaaaaaay too many men on my Four Continents wish list. :hopelessness:

Seems possible that Universiade could be a consolation prize for some who miss out on Junior Worlds and Four Continents?