2022 U.S. Nationals: Senior Men's Free Skate

[bekalc]

They should send the podium. In the team event Nathan will do the short program.

In the long the lowest they can place is fifth and frankly I think it would be a mistake to use Jason there. They need a top to finish if they want gold and there are several men who can finish ages of Jason if they skate clean.

It would be wiser to go for broke and use Ilia or Vincent. IMO.

In 2016 body of work could have made an argument for not appointing Nathan Chen to a world team over Jason even though it was obvious who was the one had the long term potential.

Illia is a new 17 senior he shouldn’t be expected to have a strong body of work. He has technically content that puts him at the very top of the field in men’s. This is someone smart federations give opportunities to.

This is a kid who landed six beautiful quads.

 

[mrrice]

Brown's highest SP score this season is 94. Which is lower than the Americans/Japanese as well asJin/Kvitelashvili/Grassl and just ahead of Messing. So definitely not viable for the SP.

For the FS, Brown has scored 165.55/170.13/174.81 this season. Zhou has scored 161.18/198.13/186.88. So Zhou would be better for the team FS on paper.

Yes, "On Paper" Look, as the defending Bronze Medalist, I would have bet my house that Vincent would have no problem making the free program last year at Worlds but, that's what happened. He was brilliant just weeks before at Nationals and if it weren't for Nathan and Jason, he would be out of this conversation as the US would only have 2 spots. Going by scores, that would be Nathan and Ilia. With his higher free skate score, I hope Jason gets the Nod and goes to Beijing.

 

[cheerknithanson]

One more hour to go. Ahhhhhhh. So nervous.

 

[Mista Ekko]

I think they really want to send Jason

But maybe leaving him as the alternate is the decision
that will receive the least amount of backlash for them,
He did come in 4th, And he can't do Quads...

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

I get that a quad lutz is insane but isn’t being capable of getting PCS equal to the top 2 men in the world also insane? Jason can get nearly perfect. No one else gets that PCS and Ilia certainly won’t. There are two marks in this sport.

 

[nguyhm]

I´m worried for him testing positive. I hate to say this but his forehead looked wet before he started his FS, and he wasn´t skating right after warm up and the same at the medal ceremony. I hope it´s just my imagination or it´s just normal reaction after warming up. But I dunno, just got a bad feeling. I hope i´m totally wrong and that Jason will be fine and selected for OG.

This is not good. It is known that he's been in close contact with someone testing positive (his coach) so he's been exposed. I hope they tested him after learning about Tracy's positive results and his test came back negative. Otherwise he might have put several skaters at risk.

 

[Mista Ekko]

I get that a quad lutz is insane but isn’t being capable of getting PCS equal to the top 2 men in the world also insane? Jason can get nearly perfect. No one else gets that PCS and Ilia certainly won’t. There are two marks in this sport.

While that's true, In a World field that can only ever take Jason so far (usually 5-10)

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Now hear me out...We leave Jason at home so he and Aliona Savchenko can prepare for 2026?

Who's lifting/throwing whom?

 

[TontoK]

I get that a quad lutz is insane but isn’t being capable of getting PCS equal to the top 2 men in the world also insane? Jason can get nearly perfect. No one else gets that PCS and Ilia certainly won’t. There are two marks in this sport.

I hear what you're saying. I love Jason's skating, too.

But it should be no surprise to anyone that he is/was vulnerable to a skater with a high base value skating really well. He's dodged those bullets before on national level, but it caught him this time.

The committee has a tough call to make. We'll have to see how it plays out.

 

[Nathan13]

Who's lifting/throwing whom?

I'm no expert, we'll let Aliona sort that out.

 

[badknees]

One more hour to go. Ahhhhhhh. So nervous.

Where and how can we see the announcement?

 

[sworddance21]

This is not good. It is known that he's been in close contact with someone testing positive (his coach) so he's been exposed. I hope they tested him after learning about Tracy's positive results and his test came back negative. Otherwise he might have put several skaters at risk.

Let's face it - the way Nationals was run, and the way Omicron is spreading - EVERYONE has likely been exposed. Tracy being positive doesn't necessarily mean that Jason will be. I'm positive - and have been sick with symptoms. My first test was neg - and my husband slept in the bed with me before we wised up. He's tested negative and is just fine. However, I do think it a good bet that alternates will end up getting called up in this mess. Maybe in Mens, maybe one of the other disciplines...but it is very likely to happen.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

It is interesting how the addition of the team event changes this discussion and could make the difference between who gets this opportunity.

Before it is more about investing in our future and who cares between 8th place and 13th. But now there is an actual medal that could be impacted by this decision.

I wish there was the opportunity to prove it again at Europeans like other countries have. If Ilia could do it again at 4CC and show competitive scores that would seal the deal I think.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

He sure did. Still not sure I'd put him on the team ahead of Jason but, that score can't be denied. Things just got scary for Jason. Really Scary.....

Jason might still get picked because of his GP medals.

But honestly, he got to go in 2014 after being a surprise silver medalist and got a team bronze there, and a solid career afterwards.

Giving Brown the Olympic spot would just be a sentimental victory lap a la Japan choosing Takahashi in 2014 over Oda/Kozuka. He has beautiful programs which the world should see, but Malinin has the greater potential as far as results go and getting that initial Olympic experience which could set him up for a very strong career.

The USFS picking Brown over Malinin would be understandable but sends a message that Malinin never had a chance no matter how he did at Nationals.

300 is a very hard score to ignore.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

Does anyone know if they’re streaming the announcement or we are waiting for a press release?

 

[norwegianfairytale]

This is not good. It is known that he's been in close contact with someone testing positive (his coach) so he's been exposed. I hope they tested him after learning about Tracy's positive results and his test came back negative. Otherwise he might have put several skaters at risk.

I would assume he had his test back negative but i´m not sure when he was tested because it seems it only was required as a routine every 3rd day. If you are in close contact with someone it could take some time before you test positive, but you could still infect others without symptoms. For me it´s totally weird that someone who is close contact is allowed to compete, but I guess he was allowed according to the guidelines so no blame to put on him, what else should he do when he was cleared. It was a bit scary watching the warm up - six skaters without a mask during warm up. Fingers crossed everyone will be fine. Jasons grouo wouldn´t be the only exposed. Everybody who was in the same practice group and warm up group as Amber as well, and Alysa, but until now there hasn´t been any reports of any of them testing positive so let´s stay positive

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I get that a quad lutz is insane but isn’t being capable of getting PCS equal to the top 2 men in the world also insane? Jason can get nearly perfect. No one else gets that PCS and Ilia certainly won’t. There are two marks in this sport.

His PCS advantage is immediately negated by the lack of quads. His international PBs are 96.81/180.11/274.82 (from a while ago at that), and his TES personal bests are 50.69/92.72.

Brown has never attempted a quad in the SP, to my knowledge.. and has only ever attempted one quad in freeskates. Like Worlds 2019, Brown might make a final flight, but he'll get buried in the FS no matter how high his PCS is. It's a numbers game and his lack of quads simply doesn't cut it. His best shot at major individual medal was OWG2014 when everyone bombed, but I don't see it happening in 2022.

 

[Mista Ekko]

I think logically they have to pick Malinin

The fanboy in me won't be mad if it's Jason though

The thought of Jason not being there is

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

To be fair, Vincent didn't get any UR calls on his quads too, and i'm sure he had two. With the international panel both of them would get calls and Vincent at least one more, so...

For sure... I think Brown deserved bronze here (albeit barely) if proper calls/judging had happened.

But even if Brown edged out Zhou for bronze, I still think Zhou deserves higher consideration for the Olympics than Brown, based on the season's results/performances/BOW.

 

[TontoK]

I think logically they have to pick Malinin

The fanboy in me won't be mad if it's Jason though

Yes, it's tough to look at this objectively at an emotional distance.

I'm on record as being in favor of a trials-type approach, meaning top placing eligible skaters make up the team. I'm not changing that stance now, even though I might like to.