- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
Valentina and Max ?
2024-25 Grand Prix assignments: Updated 11/12/24
- Thread starter gsk8
- Start date
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2024
Noooooooo! why??
I'm shocked bc she was still posting up until yesterday and the update was today. So something must have happened. So sad for them.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2024
In other news:
NHK Trophy additions:
Vaipan-Law/Digby GBR
Cup of China additions:
Chtchetinina/Wozniak POL
McBeath/Parkman USA
NHK Trophy additions:
Vaipan-Law/Digby GBR
Cup of China additions:
Chtchetinina/Wozniak POL
McBeath/Parkman USA
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2024
Yikes, a lot of fans are gonna be disappointed…
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Eh @NanaPat. I am not the only one who uses first initials with an ampersand. And there are plenty of skaters who share first name initials and/or surname initials. Vanessa & Morgan, naturally. Yes, I enjoyed their partnership which was successful and influential in the pairs discipline. Vanessa was a fighter for her entire career! Everyone knows that Virtue/Moir are more beloved and famous for the V/M initials and for their talent, especially beloved by Canadian fans of all stripes.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
A lot of fans are disappointed. Those who planned to go to SKAM mainly to see Flo/Des are now not going if they didn't already get locked into going because of coming from far distances. I know someone who lives in a nearby state and was planning to drive there for the FD, but decided not to with this news.Yikes, a lot of fans are gonna be disappointed…
Until we hear exactly what happened, it is up-in-the-air. Praying that Bella & Vanya are okay. I just do not think they would willingly pull out. Fans do know that Bella had been nursing a cold but nothing that was preventing her from training. The last word to her fans was positive and all systems go. So something transpired within the last 24 hours.
Now Flo/Des have no chance for a GP this season. They need two more assignments because US fed was too busy grooming Moro/Chen and giving Flo/Des substitute spots at Challengers early in the season. I do not think Flo/Des have a chance for anything other than Golden Spin at this point, which would force them to return to U.S. ice dance final in order to qualify for 2025 Nationals. Unless U.S. fed makes a medical bye or extenuating circumstances exception for Flo/Des for Nationals. Of the remaining Challengers, Vanya's passport will not allow him to go to Warsaw or Tallinin.
No matter what, TPTB will not be able to keep a good team down. Flores/ Desyatov absolutely have a wonderful FD, one of the best this season! Their RD is coming along, and they were changing up Bella's costume, going back to something she had initially chosen, which is why most fans were surprised about her dress matching Vanya's pants at DTen.
Anyway, Vanya's costume designer indicated the other day that Vanya's RD costume was inspired by a similar outfit once worn by singer, Tom Jones.
Bella & Vanya are simply too good not to be supported and given more opportunities to compete and grow.
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- Joined
- Jul 17, 2018
Skaters do unexpectedly get sick and/or have unfortunately-timed injuries, and that seems a much more likely reason for withdrawal than some dark conspiracy to “keep a good team down.”
I wish Flores/Desyatov, Van Rensberg/Steffan, Plazas/Fernandez, and all others who withdrew from their GP assignments in the last week, all the best, and look forward to seeing them at full strength in the near future.
I wish Flores/Desyatov, Van Rensberg/Steffan, Plazas/Fernandez, and all others who withdrew from their GP assignments in the last week, all the best, and look forward to seeing them at full strength in the near future.
- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
I agree.
There is no reason that the federation would WD them right before, they knew about both teams results for a while now, if they changed their mind they would have done so days ago, not like this.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
There's just a lot of depth in U.S. ice dance. And most certainly, favoritism and politics exists. That is the nature of the sport and it always has been! I am talking about obstacles and yes politics and favoritism are obstacles that many skaters have to overcome in this sport. Skaters like Johnny Weir, Ashley Wagner, and Adam Rippon had to overcome politics and lack of support at times during their careers, to name a few (there are many). Ashley, Adam, and Johnny are a few of the skaters who managed to succeed against numerous obstacles! And that is what I am hoping for Flores/ Desyatov, too.
They are very talented, and they are fighters. As we know, they had a hell of a fight last year to gain Vanya's release. With huge fan support, they did!It is no surprise that figure skating is a tough sport, even without all the favoritism and politics. There's always illness and injuries to overcome, too. Many skaters are battling injury issues this season. Wishing the best for all of the skaters who are struggling right now, and good luck to all skaters who must battle everyday to achieve their dreams.
- Joined
- Sep 16, 2024
F/D’s and WASA’s silence on the withdrawal is kinda uncomfortable. Especially with MIDA already publicly celebrating M/C’s appointment to SKAM.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Like I said, Bella has been battling illness, but she was doing fine yesterday and she said they were ready to go. Until we hear exactly what happened, we do not know. Her illness could have taken a turn for the worse. Fans are waiting to hear what happened and just sending them support. This has got to be difficult for both of them.
Unfortunately, U.S. figskating did not assign Flores/ Desyatov to an earlier Challenger, but made them substitutes for a few Challengers, and then assigned them to DTen. It would have been helpful for Flo/Des to have received an earlier Challenger, in addition to DTen. They cannot now receive another GP, according to the rules. And only Golden Spin Challenger is available for them. This means they will most likely have to compete at U.S. ice dance final in order to qualify for U.S. Nationals.
All young teams need to compete in order to improve. Moro/Chen are definitely being groomed and given more opportunities, as a newly formed team. From what I have witnessed, Flores/Desyatov have had to work very hard, as a lot of teams do, to make a career for themselves. Of course, it is not personal, but Vanya not yet being a U.S. citizen does not help. We have previously seen that drawback adversely impact skaters in terms of assignments. I am not saying that is what happened re SKAM. But there were early Challengers Flo/Des could have been sent to, but they were only given substitute nods, after proving themselves last season.
Honestly, Flores/Desyatov have one of the best, well-crafted FDs this season. For them to not get an opportunity for wider exposure of their captivating FD this season truly sucks!
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- Joined
- Mar 21, 2018
If they WD because of illness/injury I´m sure they will not need this. I´m pretty sure there was a situation a couple of season ago with a skater WD but still getting a bye to Nationals. Was it Bradie perhaps? I think it was discussed that because they already had gotten the two international assignments and had a valid reason to WD they would be given a bye.
I don´t think WD from Skam takes them off the alternates list since they only got one spot. Skaters who WD from one event, still has the another one, if they don´t WD from both. And they only been assigned one spot. But the chances are slim because in reality they would only get a spot if someone WD from Cup of China.
Other then that, I don´t want to comment on views about if they had been working harder than other teams, I don´t know the situation well enough. But I really don´t think this was intentional from USFS.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
All skaters work hard. I did not say that Flores/ Desyatov work harder than anyone else, just that they are among some of the many skaters who have to battle and struggle mightily to achieve their dreams. That is the nature of the sport. Favoritism and politics exist, most definitely. But obviously, everyone faces struggles amidst disappointments even if they are favored politically.
Fans are waiting to hear more. I realize that U.S. figure skating can bend rules, as they did for Naomi Williams, who was unable to qualify for Nationals last season due to injury. Naomi and her pairs partner, Lachlan Lewer, were given a bye to compete in juniors at U.S. Nationals. They medaled and had the chance to compete at junior Worlds. It is too early to know what Flores/ Desyatov will have to face. Right now, it is not looking good for them to have the requisite number of comps needed to qualify for U.S. Nationals without having to go back to U.S. ice dance final (which is not fair). Being out of all GPs after being top alternates is also a huge shame. All of this current misfortune is sad because they are a captivating young team with excellent programs. Skaters need to compete in order to improve.
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
AFAIK, there's a rule that if skaters are withdrawn from a GP due to illness-related or injury reasons, they can not be assigned to another GP in that season. So, at this point, that would mean Flores/ Desyatov are not on the alternates list.
That's my interpretation of it, from the announcement (section 2.2):
I've seen arguments that host spots are different and don't count, but I'm counting it as an assignment. If it counts as one of the max two GP assignments, it's an assignment.
They look to be updating the alternates list more frequently (it's updated for October 14th, before all the replacements in the last two days so it's out of date already.) The next update could clear up the rule if they aren't on it. Hopefully nothing season-ending happened to them and they can go to Zagreb to get a higher SB for next season.
Bella has posted on IG that she and Vanya withdrew - no details.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Right. Bella briefly posted that they withdrew and are disappointed, but very appreciative of all the well wishes they have received from fans. She said they withdrew. She did not say why.
AFAIK, Bella told fans a while ago that they have another Challenger, which must be Golden Spin in December, though she did not mention it by name. Most likely, they will have to compete at U.S. ice dance final in November. They need as many opportunities to compete as possible. A true shame that their wonderful FD will not be seen on the GP this season. They had a lovely FD last season, too, again without the opportunity for major competition exposure, aside from U.S. Nationals.
AFAIK, Bella told fans a while ago that they have another Challenger, which must be Golden Spin in December, though she did not mention it by name. Most likely, they will have to compete at U.S. ice dance final in November. They need as many opportunities to compete as possible. A true shame that their wonderful FD will not be seen on the GP this season. They had a lovely FD last season, too, again without the opportunity for major competition exposure, aside from U.S. Nationals.
