More than 2 Assignments in the Grand Prix

Apparently, it is ok. Are all Feds allowed to submit a third player for approval by the ISU? .... or Does the ISU randomly assigns another player?

In the case of P&T, it is clear that they will only have the points earned from the first two GPs. However, their third GP, should they win, will knock someone off the podium and reduce what would have been 2 points higher..... or Will a fourth place finisher receive the third placement points?

In other words. Do the points earnings remain the same? and everyone else is dropped down in points; if P&T do win they will virtually not have 15 additional points added to their combined total.

Is it not possible for the ISU to use a back up system to have a new couple?

Joe

No, if you finish fourth behind a team skating a third event, you still earn fourth place points. Basically, you earn the points of the place you ended up in.

A third event is non-scoring. P/T won't have any more points.

I think there's a list for third events, and the inviting fed must go in order. I believe it's the highest ranked teams from the previous year's Worlds.

I think it is distinctly unfair to have 3 seeded Pairs at the same event (which is the case at NHK). I realize that Pairs are few and far between, but packing an event with 3 seeds makes it impossible for any other team to medal, and in this particular case, could keep one or more teams out of the GPF.

I am puzzled as to why the Japanese federation didn't take the opportunity to use their Junior Pairs team as a replacement. Takahashi/Tran had a respectable 6th place finish in their second JGP event.

I think a rule change is needed. The maximum number of seeds at any event should be two, even for Pairs. At the same time, the requirement that Pairs replacements have to be on the Seasons Best list should be removed. That would make it possible for new Pairs (where one or more of the partners was listed on the SB list) to be considered as replacements, or for Pairs who had skated well at "B" Internationals or as a host pick earlier in the GP but were not on the SB list.

Such a rule change would have permitted Duhamel/Buntin, Evora/Ladwig and Trombley/Ibarra to be invited to later events. Kemp/King and Magitteri/Hotarek finished behind the latter two teams at SA, but both got second events.

chuckm said:

I
Such a rule change would have permitted Duhamel/Buntin, Evora/Ladwig and Trombley/Ibarra to be invited to later events. Kemp/King and Magitteri/Hotarek finished behind the latter two teams at SA, but both got second events.

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I have to agree with chuck on this one. I would like to have seen Evora/Ladwig in another grand prix. Why should Dube/Davidson and Pang/Tong be given another opportunity? They have already made the grand prix. They are sure to win ore medal in the third ones that they have entered in and therefore might be taking a change away from another team that might be able to get a spot.

I think in the case of a skater or team taking 3 events - if they're a top team, they'll be offered 3 and can either accept 3 (and decide with is non-scoring) or decline the 3rd, in which case, it is offered to another team/skater - theoretically, not a top team (2nd tier maybe).

So if top teams/skaters accept 3 spots, then of course, the "2nd tier" skater/team might only get 1 assignment but if they accept only 2, then what would have been their 3 event can be given out to someone(s) else.

I suppose the same is true if you have to WD and do it early enough for a replacement team/skater to show up.

Third assignments should be resorted to only if there are no more available Pairs teams without two events (with the rule changes I proposed earlier in place). The exception: when a seeded team has withdrawn. Then the remaining seeded teams would be offered the spot as a 3rd event.

At no time should there be more than two seeds at an event, so seeds should never be invited to replace invited teams.

oleada said:

No, if you finish fourth behind a team skating a third event, you still earn fourth place points. Basically, you earn the points of the place you ended up in.

A third event is non-scoring. P/T won't have any more points.

I think there's a list for third events, and the inviting fed must go in order. I believe it's the highest ranked teams from the previous year's Worlds.

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It's always been clear that seeded skaters with 3 GPs will have only the 2 first assignments scored and if would be other skaters would all drop 2 points in the results. It was never a fair rule and often knocked out a good challenger to get into the Finals.

This is not anti Pang and Tong because they are the most obvious to win the Finals, at least for me, and do not need this extra push to dump someone out of the Finals. I would have preferred a new Japanese team to have an experience in international competition.

I hope that 'highest ranked team' who already has two GPs to get a third, if that is a rule, should be rescinded next May. It's soooooo unfair - even to the Japanese.

Joe

chuckm said:

Third assignments should be resorted to only if there are no more available Pairs teams without two events (with the rule changes I proposed earlier in place). The exception: when a seeded team has withdrawn. Then the remaining seeded teams would be offered the spot as a 3rd event.

At no time should there be more than two seeds at an event, so seeds should never be invited to replace invited teams.

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I think if there are 4 teams for a GP segment, that's enough for a competition or set up an equitable distribution of unassigned pairs - not necessarily from the leading country of pairs.

Joe