Hyejin had a new partner, Rodion Marinskiy. I don't think they're still skating together, though (at least he's not in her videos). However, neither of her partnerships would have helped here, as both of her partners weren't Korean (her first partner was British-Canadian and her second Russian) and had little chance of getting a Korean passport in time for these Olympics (maybe not even the next ones).
Okay, okay... I vaguely recall this partnership being a thing.
They would need to send Hyejin and her most recent partner (if he was willing - there have been suggestions they might have split) to try and get the spot. It is unlikely that they would place in the top 3 at Beijing, which is what they would need to do to qualify a spot. If they did get the spot, they would then need to move a male singles skater with Korean citizenship across to pairs to work with her and hope that the pair could somehow get the 4CC tech min (which is also the minimum for the Olympics) before the entry deadline for the Olympics. That would be a tall order for a male who was new to pairs. It is likely that their ranking is high enough for them to have already qualified for the team event. They therefore do not need to sent a pair to Beijing to have one in the team event. However, unless they have an eligible skater working with Hyejin already, they are unlikely to get a pair ready in time for the team event.
I wondered whether they were sending Shin/Nagy to try to earn their own spot. Chan/Howe are already going, because Efimova doesn't have citizenship. Danill Parkman also does not have citizenship. There wasn't much difference between Liu/Bedard and Shin/Nagy and I'm not sure it is the place to Liu/Bedard to go for their second international competition together (and first outside of the US), particularly as Chelsea is returning after a lengthy mental health break. I would send Chan/Howe, and choose the third pair for the Olympics later if the spot is gained, but we will see what USFS decide.I expect some shuffling around in pairs and ice dance as well...
- Italy should send the winner of their decision competition, or they wouldn't have needed that event at all
- Austria should, based on scores, send Izzo/Maierhofer. They were more than ten points over Schaller/Mayr at John Nicks. But the fed seems to see citizenship as a criterium too and Gabbie doesn't have it I think...
- The USFS should send Chan/Howe or McBeath/Parkman, NOT Shin/Nagy. They can't ignore the results. And if they do I must assume that they don't actually want another spot for pairs
You may be right, but I wouldn't state as fact that Chan/Howe are already going. Efimova doesn't have citizenship at this moment in time. But I remember Tanith Belbin getting her citizenship on Dec. 30 or 31 in 2004 ahead of the 2005 Olympics, by an Act of Congress. Our Michigan legislators played a big part.
ISU Youtube, Mark and Ted are going. They've been talking about it during the JGP streams, and about Mark needing to finish his visa paperwork.
LOL!yeah.. i am not sure only one would be good.two is fine
three is overkill
Three is not overkill for countries with extraordinary depth. The problem is simply that figure skating's antiquated competitive structure needs to be reconsidered to meet the complicated demands of a completely different era.You make sense, of course, but I don't think feds or the ISU base their decisionmaking on common sense.I expect some shuffling around in pairs and ice dance as well...
- Italy should send the winner of their decision competition, or they wouldn't have needed that event at all
- Austria should, based on scores, send Izzo/Maierhofer. They were more than ten points over Schaller/Mayr at John Nicks. But the fed seems to see citizenship as a criterium too and Gabbie doesn't have it I think...
- The USFS should send Chan/Howe or McBeath/Parkman, NOT Shin/Nagy. They can't ignore the results. And if they do I must assume that they don't actually want another spot for pairs
Given how well they seem to have started, I think Liu/Bedard could also be in the mix for the third spot if the US was able to secure it.You make sense, of course, but I don't think feds or the ISU base their decisionmaking on common sense.
McBeath/Parkman are the more logical choice, based on their 2025 John Nicks and US Nats results. Chan/Howe, while mature, experienced, and aesthetically skilled, they struggle with jump elements.
Interestingly, if Alisa/ Misha most likely can't make the Olympics, Chan/ Howe would be next in line, with both being U.S. citizens. Thus, if McBeath/ Parkman competed and won a spot, it would likely be contested for at U.S. Nats by Shin/ Nagy vs Val & Max. Even if Shin/ Nagy go to Beijing and win a third spot, they still need to prove throughout the remaining season and at Nats that they deserve to be given that third spot (albeit should they win the spot, it's probably going to be theirs).
I wouldn't look at expos to predict much. I dont think Adeliia has ever jumped ultra-c in expos regardless of her form. I would be very surprised if we don't see high content from her. I think she should use her only international start before the Olympics to get the mental practice in of jumping that sort of content with this pressure. Trying ultra-c under that pressure for the first time at the Olympics would be rough.
Possibly Cyprus; Hong Kong; Estonia... Plus, if both female athletes repping AIN do well, can both win a spot?
Men's is always a toss-up. In terms of technical content, Petr is definitely far ahead, then Genrikh. Most of these men have 1 (semi-)consistent quad and the 3A, so a lot will come down to how they skate on the day and on the tech panel (URs...) and a little on PCS (generosity). The AIN skater from BLR, for example, also has a 4T and 3A, but is not the most consistent skater.
Yes, I'd agree, the top 4 are fairly clear on paper (of course, anything can still happen). Both AIN skaters can get a spot here. The competition for the last spot will be fierce. If I had to choose, I'd currently give the advantage to the Chinese and Cypriot skaters, but they are not that far ahead of the other skaters.Women: 5 spots available
Loena Hendrickx (BEL)
Adelia Petrosian (AIN)
Anastasia Gubanova (GEO)
Viktoriia Safonova (AIN)
I'm not that familiar with some of these ladies, but perhaps a 5th spot battle between China; Sweden; Philippines; Norway; New Zealand
I would not assume Wang/Liu are a lock. Their last international season was... not great, and Chinese domestic Ice Dance scoring is something else (particularly for a team like this). With a possible 5th spot opening up later in the qualification process (if Yuka really can't get citizenship), there will be one team sitting on coals after this competition.Ice Dance: 4 spots available
Reed/ Ambrulevicius (LTU)
Wang/ Liu (CHN)
3rd and 4th spots a fierce battle I would guess between AUS; IRL; SWE; ESP; HUN; GEO; CYP; UKR; POL
After the first competitions this season, I'd say CHN and JPN look the best, with the last spot between USA (probably more likely if they send someone else and not Shin/Nagy), ARM, FRA and UKR. If AUT were to send Izzo/Maierhofer, they'd have an outside shot, too.
