2020–21 Canadian Figure Skating

[Colonel Green]

Madeline's discussion of her choreography process at the Skate Ontario blog. She includes a piece of her step sequence choreography from the short program she's working on now:

 

[withwings]

Madeline's discussion of her choreography process at the Skate Ontario blog. She includes a piece of her step sequence choreography from the short program she's working on now:

Looks fantaastic!

 

[Bluediamonds09]

Is that little junior skater Kaiya R. eligible next season?
And just wondering: are canadian juniors able to compete in both junior nationals and senior nationals the same year?

 

[Colonel Green]

Is that little junior skater Kaiya R. eligible next season?
And just wondering: are canadian juniors able to compete in both junior nationals and senior nationals the same year?

Kaiya is eligible to compete senior next season. I don’t know how things have been going for her of late because Alberta shuttered all their rinks, even for elite athletes. Coaches were using outdoor ice for as long as that was viable.

You might technically be able to qualify for nationals in both junior and senior, but as those events are held only days apart there’d be little incentive to do so.

 

[MaHa75]

Kaiya is eligible to compete senior next season. I don’t know how things have been going for her of late because Alberta shuttered all their rinks, even for elite athletes. Coaches were using outdoor ice for as long as that was viable.

You might technically be able to qualify for nationals in both junior and senior, but as those events are held only days apart there’d be little incentive to do so.

It is doable...all skaters from small feds doing it all that time! There is always 2 week gap. I really hope to see Ruiter and Madeline in canadian team next team. I know you all love Gabby but it is time to give these places to younger! Her time is over!

 

[4everchan]

It is doable...all skaters from small feds doing it all that time! There is always 2 week gap. I really hope to see Ruiter and Madeline in canadian team next team. I know you all love Gabby but it is time to give these places to younger! Her time is over!

well... there are issues here...

there are small program requirement changes from junior to senior.. so they cannot use exactly the same LP.

Regarding the team : it will be a solo team for Olympics and Worlds. Canada can send only one lady.

Regarding Gabby, it's up to her to decide when her time is over.

 

[BearryBear]

It is doable...all skaters from small feds doing it all that time! There is always 2 week gap. I really hope to see Ruiter and Madeline in canadian team next team. I know you all love Gabby but it is time to give these places to younger! Her time is over!

Funny, in some threads people complain that skaters are too young and we need to let older skaters shine by increasing the age, now people are saying, they’re too old give it to the younger skaters. It’s a sport, let the best person win, no one should be forced to give up because of their age. Also, she’s only 23, she’s not that old at all.

 

[Colonel Green]

There is always 2 week gap.

Between what?

 

[Balloon]

I believe skaters need to have opportunity but also need to be showing signs of improvement. Gabby has been given opportunity and IMO needs more training to get to where she was-if it’s possible. For the moment, IMO it would be more beneficial to give the younger athletes opportunity and not hold it all on Gabby.
if Gabby wants to continue, she’s capable of training this season and winning nationals giving her more international opportunity. But I’d like to see less of Gabby and more of others, until Gabby in competing well within Canada

 

[blue_idealist]

I believe skaters need to have opportunity but also need to be showing signs of improvement. Gabby has been given opportunity and IMO needs more training to get to where she was-if it’s possible. For the moment, IMO it would be more beneficial to give the younger athletes opportunity and not hold it all on Gabby.
if Gabby wants to continue, she’s capable of training this season and winning nationals giving her more international opportunity. But I’d like to see less of Gabby and more of others, until Gabby in competing well within Canada

Yeah, I'd like to see whoever gets the top placements at Nationals get the opportunities, regardless of whether this is Gabby or not. I'm not a big fan of Gabby but she has good skating skills still. Her jumps seem to be her current problem.

 

[withwings]

I believe skaters need to have opportunity but also need to be showing signs of improvement. Gabby has been given opportunity and IMO needs more training to get to where she was-if it’s possible. For the moment, IMO it would be more beneficial to give the younger athletes opportunity and not hold it all on Gabby.
if Gabby wants to continue, she’s capable of training this season and winning nationals giving her more international opportunity. But I’d like to see less of Gabby and more of others, until Gabby in competing well within Canad

IMHO Gabby always had a very narrow amplitude of what she can skate. She cannot be a versatile in her skating. She skates either herself or nothing else works out.

 

[Colonel Green]

I believe skaters need to have opportunity but also need to be showing signs of improvement. Gabby has been given opportunity and IMO needs more training to get to where she was-if it’s possible. For the moment, IMO it would be more beneficial to give the younger athletes opportunity and not hold it all on Gabby.
if Gabby wants to continue, she’s capable of training this season and winning nationals giving her more international opportunity. But I’d like to see less of Gabby and more of others, until Gabby in competing well within Canada

The federation hasn't been "holding it all on Gabby", though. She wasn't even scheduled to be at the cancelled Grand Prix event from last fall. She got a WTT spot because she was third at de facto nationals this year.

 

[Amei]

The federation hasn't been "holding it all on Gabby", though. She wasn't even scheduled to be at the cancelled Grand Prix event from last fall. She got a WTT spot because she was third at de facto nationals this year.

I feel the OP might be more reactionary to commentary on this board then perhaps the actual Canadian Fed; I remember last year there were people advocating that Daleman should have been selected to last year's Worlds team even though she had pretty awful showings all season and like she had some crazy amazing resume. Daleman has had some good moments and early in her career usually did quite well at Nationals, but her international record isn't exactly a record that in my opinion supports an argument to ignore a poor placement at Nationals and still send her to 4ccs/Worlds/Olympics.

 

[chuckm]

It seems that Gabby has stagnated and can't even do the jumps that helped her win a World medal 4 years ago. Meanwhile the younger skaters have mastered those same jumps and are some are even working on acquiring 3a and quad.

We saw how Gabby did at WTT and she is no longer getting the high PCS scores she once did. You have to consider her current record, not the one from the previous quadrennial.

 

[4everchan]

last year, i would have sent Gabby as there were two spots anyways... and the other girls had pretty much no experience... this year, Madeline was the logical and strongest choice and she did honour her selection. I would probably have sent Allison. So no Gabby again for me. Was Emily a great choice??? she had done worse than Gabby at Challenge... so
1) Gabby wasn't given any favours.
2) fans can change opinions about whom to send from year to year it all varies on how fans feel the athletes are performing.

Next year will be tough. It could happen that Gabby regains her momentum and skills. What if it were a close race nationally with Gabby getting second but actually Gabby having a better international season than let's say Madeline (who in my hypothetical scenario would win nationals?

It may be a case again where Canada sends one girl to Olympics and the other to worlds... and I wouldn't be surprised if they sent the most experienced girl to the games as they need her for the team event as well...

in this case, if Gabby is very close at Nationals, she may FOR THAT ONE TIME only, get finally the favour of the Fed... and I wouldn't be uspet about it... but I am sure many would be.

Outside of Gabby and Madeline, the only others who do have significant experience would be Veronik and Alicia. However, with their injuries and long absences, I am not sure what would happen ..

 

[Amei]

last year, i would have sent Gabby as there were two spots anyways... and the other girls had pretty much no experience... this year, Madeline was the logical and strongest choice and she did honour her selection. I would probably have sent Allison. So no Gabby again for me. Was Emily a great choice??? she had done worse than Gabby at Challenge... so
1) Gabby wasn't given any favours.
2) fans can change opinions about whom to send from year to year it all varies on how fans feel the athletes are performing.

Next year will be tough. It could happen that Gabby regains her momentum and skills. What if it were a close race nationally with Gabby getting second but actually Gabby having a better international season than let's say Madeline (who in my hypothetical scenario would win nationals?

It may be a case again where Canada sends one girl to Olympics and the other to worlds... and I wouldn't be surprised if they sent the most experienced girl to the games as they need her for the team event as well...

in this case, if Gabby is very close at Nationals, she may FOR THAT ONE TIME only, get finally the favour of the Fed... and I wouldn't be uspet about it... but I am sure many would be.

Outside of Gabby and Madeline, the only others who do have significant experience would be Veronik and Alicia. However, with their injuries and long absences, I am not sure what would happen ..

Well Gabby was given favor in the 18-19 season, she finished 5th at Nationals but was still sent to Worlds. And the lack of experience you mention with the other Canadian ladies is the same vicious cycle that was discussed with Amber Glenn for the US ladies for Worlds this year - she's not sent because she has no experience, but if they don't send her then she can't get experience.

 

[4everchan]

Well Gabby was given favor in the 18-19 season, she finished 5th at Nationals but was still sent to Worlds. And the lack of experience you mention with the other Canadian ladies is the same vicious cycle that was discussed with Amber Glenn for the US ladies for Worlds this year - she's not sent because she has no experience, but if they don't send her then she can't get experience.

sure... but it worked out for skate canada in the 18-19 season. and back then, gabby still wasn't so far away from being a world's bronze medalist as well as having skated a great olympics team event long program... she was "just" starting a series of injuries... i think it was a smart move to send her.. and history proved it, because thanks to gabby's 11th place, Canada was able to have 2 spots for the next worlds which were supposed to be in Montreal... BTW... let's not forget that Canada had 3 spots for the 2019 worlds... so it's not like they sent the 5th place at Nationals instead of the champion.... Gabby also had the best SP at Nationals... and that is a big deal when a country is thinking about saving spots... much easier when skaters make the free skate, isn't it?

 

[Colonel Green]

We saw how Gabby did at WTT and she is no longer getting the high PCS scores she once did. You have to consider her current record, not the one from the previous quadrennial.

Her current record still has her as one of the top handful of ladies in the country.

In any case, as previously stated, the federation hasn't been doing her any particular favours in recent years. I do understand why some fans have suggested trying the 2019 Worlds gamble again, just because the alternatives have frequently not been remotely inspiring anyway.

 

[Sabrina]

I don't think Gaby should be prevented to go to whatever competition, but she needs perfect jumps, similar to Tutkamisheva. Liza wouldn't have qualified for the worlds, if she weren't close to perfect t previous competitions . And Russia's field is so deep.
The problems for Canada is having only one spot. May the best athlete get that spot!

 

[mrrice]

Yeah, I'd like to see whoever gets the top placements at Nationals get the opportunities, regardless of whether this is Gabby or not. I'm not a big fan of Gabby but she has good skating skills still. Her jumps seem to be her current problem.

After the way Gabby skated at the WTT, I wouldn't count her out just yet. I have a feeling that she is extra motivated for the OG's and I really hope she can get there.