2022-23 Grand Prix assignments | Page 5 | Golden Skate

2022-23 Grand Prix assignments

Hi lariko, I am Finnish and I don´t understand completely what do you mean here. Do you think that Finland got these skaters due to Russian fans or what?
Apparently, it’s the only event Russians fans will be allowed to travel to more or less, so I think the expectation is many will, and the line-up reflects it.
 
Madi, in interviews prior to the Olympics, pushed back when asked about retirement. I was surprised too, but she definitely indicated they were staying. Purely speculation, I'm not convinced they will stay more than another year.
I wish they would or could for another Olympics cycle. Their Daft Punk was one of my favourites during this Olympics. But then again, while not being a big ice dance follower, I don't know their long term competitive prospect when/if all the Russian sanctions come off.
 
How did Yi Zhu get a spot?

Probably, because, she train in USA so she is an easy choice for USFS because they don't need her to travel, visa etc. to compete here in skate america.

Yep. That is exactly the reason.

Although, if the American and Chinese Feds were thinking purely about ease to get to Norwood, surely the other American skater that is now representing China, Ashley LIN / LIN Shan, should have got the slot. After all, she is a member of the Boston club.

Although the USFS won't want to give up their 3rd slot, I am still quietly hoping that Ashley will somehow end up on the entry list by the time November comes.

CaroLiza_fan
 
Yep. That is exactly the reason.

Although, if the American and Chinese Feds were thinking purely about ease to get to Norwood, surely the other American skater that is now representing China, Ashley LIN / LIN Shan, should have got the slot. After all, she is a member of the Boston club.

Although the USFS won't want to give up their 3rd slot, I am still quietly hoping that Ashley will somehow end up on the entry list by the time November comes.

CaroLiza_fan
LIN Shan doesn't have a high enough SB for a GP
 
Apparently, it’s the only event Russians fans will be allowed to travel to more or less, so I think the expectation is many will, and the line-up reflects it.
I think Finland got these skaters by its own merits and with the support of the federations that send their skaters here and also with some luck for sure. Nothing to do with Russia. Like I said earlier there are demands for stricter Visa policy so unclear still will Russians be allowed to come. Finnish fed apparently knew how to negotiate and what they want. In the past it has organized Finlandia Trophies and ISU championships very well which also might have some affect. They also invited certain skaters like Eva-Lotta, Arlet and Nikolaj from our neighbours and also Camden which is sweet because his grandfather is Finnish. I wish he is pleased too. Overall I am very happy about Espoo roster. IMO very strong women and ID, men and pairs fine too. "Old" stars and young upcoming skaters. Pleased to see everyone, Lindsay, Brown siblings, Ilja, Peng/Jin (hopefully they show up), Piper and Paul, Wang/Liu, Camden, Finnish skaters etc Orihara/Pirinen were also invited to NHK which surely means a lot especially to Yuka. Their new FD to Jolly Sailor Bold is a program I look forward to see very much.
 
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I think Finland got these skaters by its own merits and with the support of the federations that send their skaters here and also with some luck for sure. Nothing to do with Russia. Like I said earlier there are demands for stricter Visa policy so unclear still will Russians be allowed to come. Finnish fed apparently knew how to negotiate and what they want. In the past it has organized Finlandia Trophies and ISU championships very well which also might have some affect. They also invited certain skaters like Eva-Lotta, Arlet and Nikolaj from our neighbours and also Camden which is sweet because his grandfather is Finnish. I wish he is pleased too. Overall I am very happy about Espoo roster. IMO very strong women and ID, men and pairs fine too. "Old" stars and young upcoming skaters. Pleased to see everyone, Lindsay, Brown siblings, Ilja, Peng/Jin (hopefully they show up), Piper and Paul, Wang/Liu, Camden, Finnish skaters etc Orihara/Pirinen were also invited to NHK which surely means a lot especially to Yuka. Their new FD to Jolly Sailor Bold is a program I look forward to see very much.
Whatever the behind the scenes reasons are, your roster is absolutely the best with what’s available. The only pair roster that will be close to a GP idea. I would totally go to Finland this year from all GP stages, if I had all the time and money in the world.
 
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LIN Shan doesn't have a high enough SB for a GP

You never know. There are plenty of competitions between now and November that she could enter to try and get the required minimums.

I've never thought about this before in terms of the Senior GP's. But, is there a deadline by which date you have to have achieved the minimum requirements to be able to compete?

If there is, is it like the age limits for the season, whereby you have to have achieved them by a set date that applies for all of the GP's? Or is it like Europeans or Worlds, whereby you have to have achieved them by a certain number of days / weeks before the event being competed at?

It's funny, we always talk about the minimum requirements for competing at the Majors, but we never talk about the minimum requirements for competing at the Senior GP's. We only ever talk about how the World Standings determine who can get the GP slots.

CaroLiza_fan
 
Apparently, it’s the only event Russians fans will be allowed to travel to more or less, so I think the expectation is many will, and the line-up reflects it.

Based on what russian friends told me, It's not that easy.

You have to have a visa permission (you either study in Finland or have a company there or already have a job, etc. ) already cause to get one now with the ongoing war it's kind of impossible.

Very few countries are visa free for the russians in general but especially right now, and none of those have GP events.

Most russians who had the chance to move to Finland they already did also considering the circumstances in their country, much like many russians already live in the UK so they could go to that GP as well.
 
The other man in Skate America is one most perplexing choices in long time. Liam Kapeikis is a good skater but I know there are at least several other Americans who outrank him and would be more worthy of the spot. I mean he did get In top 10 at Junior World's but I am not even sure if he has ever competed in internationally as a senior so I not sure what US Figure Skating was thinking at this point. I know that he needs more international experience but is a GP is the best way for him to start. I really think that Americans were holding that spot for Jason Brown and when he did not get back to Federation in time they went to Plan B quickly and this was result. I feel for him he is going to an elite international event where he going to be so outclassed by the field that not going to be funny .Why did they not give to Tomoki who needed a second event and has competed on world class level. Just wondering here?
Who besides Tomoki are you thinking of? Liam was 7th at Nationals. Of the 6 guys ahead of him, Nathan, Vincent and Jason are not doing the GP. Ilia, Jimmy and Camden already have two spots. The USFS likes to reward good performances at Nationals.
You never know. There are plenty of competitions between now and November that she could enter to try and get the required minimums.

I've never thought about this before in terms of the Senior GP's. But, is there a deadline by which date you have to have achieved the minimum requirements to be able to compete?

If there is, is it like the age limits for the season, whereby you have to have achieved them by a set date that applies for all of the GP's? Or is it like Europeans or Worlds, whereby you have to have achieved them by a certain number of days / weeks before the event being competed at?

It's funny, we always talk about the minimum requirements for competing at the Majors, but we never talk about the minimum requirements for competing at the Senior GP's. We only ever talk about how the World Standings determine who can get the GP slots.

CaroLiza_fan
But it's not about the GP minimums. She's not on the replacement list, because she doesn't have a SB score from last season.
 
The only way to be added to the replacement list is to win a Challenger Series event. That's how Nika Egadze got the Rostelecom assignment last season, after he won the Austrian Challenger.

Good. I hope in that case that Sota Y is very high up the replacement list, if last season's Challenger victories count. He's in sore need of one more GP.
 
What about Karen Chen? Was it already known that she wasn't going to compete this season?
 
What about Karen Chen? Was it already known that she wasn't going to compete this season?

AFAIK, she never said outright, but she also made it clear she was returning to Cornell full time. Like Nathan and Vincent, her priority now are her Ivy League studies.
 
But it's not about the GP minimums. She's not on the replacement list, because she doesn't have a SB score from last season.

Ah, I didn't know that was how it worked. Hey, I didn't know until this afternoon that SB's came into it at all! I thought it was all done by World Standings. :drama:

So, thank you for enlightening me. :bow:

:thank:

The only way to be added to the replacement list is to win a Challenger Series event. That's how Nika Egadze got the Rostelecom assignment last season, after he won the Austrian Challenger.

And that is good to know too. So, competing in the early season Challengers can be beneficial to your GP ambitions... but only if you win them! 🥇

Unfortunately, I think that is too big of an ask for the skater I was enquiring about. 😞

But thank you for this extra info. :bow:

:thank:

CaroLiza_fan
 
Based on what russian friends told me, It's not that easy.
That what mom told me based on the chats in Russian forums, that Finland was considered accessible by the Russian fans. I don’t know if there used to be multi-entry visas, I assume there might have been and maybe that’s what people were relying on. Of course, they could be automatically canceled or something. That wouldn’t surprise me at all given the re-enactment of 1930s we’re living in.
 
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Now that the assignments have been made, the GP season seems more real. It will certainly be different without the Russians competing.

I'm excited to attend my first live Skate America (since 2017 and 2018 since I attended SCI) at SCOB. I'm excited to see Kaori skate since I first saw her in 2017 at SA with her Amelie program in the green dress (anyone remember that one?) and now she's a World Champ and Olympic Bronze medalist. Also excited to see Isabeau Levito make her Senior GP debut. I also loved Haein Lee since she was a junior so I'm glad to see her skate.

The men's event looks pretty stacked with Yuma and Ilia battling for Gold. The rest of the podium is up for grabs with Daniel, Jun and possibly Roman. I'm also super excited to see Donovan as well.

As for dance - I'm sure Chock and Bates will get the gold and I'm also excited to see Dai and Kana compete as well.

I honestly don't know many of the pairs in this event but Alexa and Brandon should run away with this title easily. I also hope to see Deanna and Max on the podium. (I met Deanna back in 2017 when she was with Nate at the FOFS breakfast. She was super sweet.)
 
Who besides Tomoki are you thinking of? Liam was 7th at Nationals. Of the 6 guys ahead of him, Nathan, Vincent and Jason are not doing the GP. Ilia, Jimmy and Camden already have two spots. The USFS likes to reward good performances at Nationals.

But it's not about the GP minimums. She's not on the replacement list, because she doesn't have a SB score from last season.
I get your point in some way, but there were so many top US men injured last season he had a good result just because he was competing. I want this young man to improve and mature some. He needs a lot more international experience but at level where he will successful and gain confidence doing a major GP where he going be clearly out matched by the field is not a good way to start his international senior career. I mean why not put him in good CS level events or if he still age eligible JGP events to get that conference up and allow him to complete at a level where he would be competitive and he has another good nationals then next year put him in GP because then he will prepared and ready to be competitive. I don't like throwing this young man in the Lion's den of GP.

There also some blame that US Figure Skating has come to this. They knew that the top 3 men in the US were going to retire at some point and should have been ready for it and should have developed more young skaters that could have moved up to replace them. The Federation should thank their lucky stars that Ilia moved up so quickly to take the mantle US men's skating because they needed a new leader and fast, but he is an exception rather than rule and US can not expect this to be the case.

If I had to pick a man than should have gotten it instead I would go with Namov sp? 5th in 2021 nationals injured last year has some international experience and had to tech content to be competitive with the field.

 
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