ISU Grand Prix announced | Page 6 | Golden Skate

ISU Grand Prix announced

Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win
Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 28, 2006
Nine ladies from the USA

(Rachael Flatt, Kimmie Meissner, Mirai Nagasu, Alissa Czisny, Beatrisa Liang, Caroline Zhang, Katrina Hacker, Ashley Wagner, Emily Hughes)

and only six from Japan

(Miki Ando, Yukari Nakano, Fumie Suguri, Nana Takeda, Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki).

How it is possible?

because the rest of the skating world is raving about "the depth of the Japanese Ladies" meanwhile we ( the U.S.) are carrying more talented senior ladies than could fit in the top at nationals!

I feel bad for some of them. I have to imagine there will be quite a few who skate great and won't get to go to world or even a medal....

Spots are given in the Grand Prix based on the performance of the skaters in the past year rather than by country.

Bebe and Kimmie were top 10 at Worlds (get 2 spots). Katrina Hacker was 6th at 4C's. Rachael, Mirai and Caroline were top 3 at Jr. Worlds. Ashley and Emily had high enough seasonal bests that they would have placed 7th at Worlds. Alissa's seasonal best would have been 12th (0.01 ahead of 12th place Dyrt at Worlds).

yeah..we got a good set of ladies now! :clap:
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Nine ladies from the USA

(Rachael Flatt, Kimmie Meissner, Mirai Nagasu, Alissa Czisny, Beatrisa Liang, Caroline Zhang, Katrina Hacker, Ashley Wagner, Emily Hughes)
1) Top 12 at 2008 Worlds are guaranteed 2 GP assignments: Meissner, Liang.
2) Top 24 Season Best scores are guaranteed 1 GP (Zhang, Flatt, Meissner, Nagasu, Hughes, Wagner, Hacker): http://www.isufs.org/isujsstat/sbtslto.htm
OR
Top 24 in the ISU World rankings are guaranteed 1 GP (Zhang, Meissner, Wagner, Nagasu, Flatt, Liang): http://www.isufs.org/ws/wsladies.htm
3) JGP Final and/or Jr. World medalists are guaranteed 1 GP: Nagasu, Flatt, Zhang.
Czisny is 29th in SB score and 35th in the World rankings (and a past Skate Canada champ).

and only six from Japan

(Miki Ando, Yukari Nakano, Fumie Suguri, Nana Takeda, Mao Asada, Akiko Suzuki).
Yuki Nishino was also guaranteed 1 GP for being the JGP Final bronze medalist and being in the top 24 SB, but she elected to return to the JGP. Suzuki does not technically qualify for a GP except as Japan's 3rd entry for NHK (ditto for Nobunari Oda).
 
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Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Sylvia - To enure I understand this:

Nagasu, Zhang and Flatt get one GP for Best Scores and they also get one GP for World Rankings for a total of 2 GPs.

They also qualified for a 3rd GP for Jr. Worlds but only two GPs are permitted.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Nagasu, Zhang and Flatt get one GP for Best Scores and they also get one GP for World Rankings for a total of 2 GPs.
No, that's not necessarily guaranteed (according to the 2008-09 GP Announcement) but that's how it worked out. ;)

ETA: Mea culpa -- my post above wasn't clear and so I've modified it. Because Zhang, Flatt, Nagasu and Wagner are on both the top 24 SB and rankings lists, it seems fair that they end up with 2 GPs each. Hacker and Hughes were only on one of the 2 lists (SB scores), and it turned out that Hacker received 2 GPs to Hughes' 1.
 
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luckyguy

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
Sylvia,

thanks for the explanation. I read the ISU Announcement now

http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=956

and it is obviously too complicated for me.

The Announcement guarantees for Flatt, Zhang, Nagasu, Wagner and Hacker only one event. But they may compete in two events. For Czisny is guaranteed no event. But she may participate in one event. Why?

Remained eventually so many slots open?
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
For Czisny is guaranteed no event. But she may participate in one event. Why?
Because there were still open slots after all the ladies who were guaranteed GPs received at least one and, as the Announcement says, skaters with top 75 Season Best scores are eligible to fill any open or alternate slots. Czisny's Season Best score is ranked #29.
 

so_proud

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
Spots are given in the Grand Prix based on the performance of the skaters in the past year rather than by country.

Bebe and Kimmie were top 10 at Worlds (get 2 spots). Katrina Hacker was 6th at 4C's. Rachael, Mirai and Caroline were top 3 at Jr. Worlds. Ashley and Emily had high enough seasonal bests that they would have placed 7th at Worlds. Alissa's seasonal best would have been 12th (0.01 ahead of 12th place Dyrt at Worlds).

I think spots given may be influenced by both the performance of the skaters and the country from which they are. Yu-Na Kim was 2005 Jr. World silver medalist but got just one spot. That's why she decided to remain at the Jr level one more yr. Even after Yu-Na became the 2006 Jr. World champion, I heard that she was worried about whether or not she could get two spots from senior GP events. She got two eventually.

So, it is good that SA invited both Rachael and Mirai so that their GP senior debuts would be guaranteed with two spots. Zhang has already been senior, so it looks like a good assignment that two other GP events than SA invite her.
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
I think both Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu would have received two assignments even if they had not been chosen for Skate America.

Brandon Mroz, the JGPF silver medalist, got two assignments even though he didn't medal at Junior Worlds and wasn't top 24 on the SB list. Certainly Flatt, the JW Champion (and JGPF silver medalist and #8 on the SB list), and Nagasu, the JGPF champion (and JW bronze medalist and #12 on the SB list), would have received two assignments. All three were in the top 24 on the ISU World Standings list as well.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Yu-Na Kim was 2005 Jr. World silver medalist but got just one spot. That's why she decided to remain at the Jr level one more yr.
But didn't she (or the Korean federation) decide before the 2005-06 Senior Grand Prix selection draw that she would return to compete in the JGP in the fall of 2005? I assume that her name was not entered into the GP draw that year because she did not receive a GP assignment even though she likely was guaranteed one due to her 2005 World Jr. silver medal.
 

so_proud

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
But didn't she (or the Korean federation) decide before the 2005-06 Senior Grand Prix selection draw that she would return to compete in the JGP in the fall of 2005? I assume that her name was not entered into the GP draw that year because she did not receive a GP assignment even though she likely was guaranteed one due to her 2005 World Jr. silver medal.

I didn't know that she didn't receive a GP assignment. What I have known was that she got just one assignment that year, but it is not from any official source. So, you may be right in that she herself (or the Korean Fed.) decided not to receive the assignment. My impression was, though, that Yu-Na might have sensed that she would be assigned to just one GP event. I don't know how, so I am curious whether or not skaters would generally be contacted by and have communications with the GP event personnels even unofficially before the official selection process so that the skaters can make decisions...
Anyway, that's the past.

Brandon Mroz, the JGPF silver medalist, got two assignments even though he didn't medal at Junior Worlds and wasn't top 24 on the SB list.

That's why i think that both the performance and the country may influence the assignment. :)
Good for him, though.
 
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luckyguy

Match Penalty
Joined
Jan 25, 2008
....That's why i think that both the performance and the country may influence the assignment. :)....

Maybe you are right but he ISU Announcement says nothing about it.

Interesting for me is the selection of Yan Liu, Bin Shu-Xu (for non Chinese events) and Samson and the absence of Berton and Suizu.

Yan Liu: 31 (worlds), 72 (WS), 53 (SB)
Bin Shu-Xu: - (worlds), 33 (WS), 47 (SB)
Samson: - (worlds); 31 (WS), 54 (SB)
Berton: - (worlds), 29 (WS), 43 (SB)
Suizu: - (worlds), 25 WS), 46 (SB)
 

hockeyfan228

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I didn't know that she didn't receive a GP assignment. What I have known was that she got just one assignment that year, but it is not from any official source. So, you may be right in that she herself (or the Korean Fed.) decided not to receive the assignment. Good for him, though.
In order to be eligible to be chosen for GP, the skaters' Federation has to submit a list of names to the ISU, which happens before the GP selection process. (It's also why, if the Federation doesn't want a skater to skate, they don't submit the names, even when the skater has qualified for a spot, like Sokolova last year.) The submitted names are then subject to the selection rules. The invitations/assignments are accepted or rejected by the cut-off in mid-August.

If Kim's name had been submitted by the Korean Fed, then she would have been guaranteed a spot, and her name would have appeared on the first published lists. It would have been removed had she decided to remain junior before the cut-off, based on the slot(s) she was given. Since her name did not appear on the initial selection, it means the Korean Fed didn't submit her name.

Unless before the names were submitted, the Korean Fed (or proxies) queried all of the host Federations to see who would select her, and all of them said, "only if we're forced to" (because of the guaranteed rules), they wouldn't have known not to submit the name of their skater.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
Interesting for me is the selection of Yan Liu, Bin Shu-Xu (for non Chinese events) and Samson and the absence of Berton and Suizu.
Berton (ITA) and Suizu (JPN) will be back on the JGP this season. Skate Canada chose Samson as the 3rd lady for their own event (rankings don't matter in this case).
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
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Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Suizu and Berton had made it to the 2006-2007 JGPF and both had finished in the top 10 at 2007 Junior Worlds, but they had tough seasons in 2007-2008. Berton didn't win a single medal in the JGP this past season, and she dropped to 13th at JW. Suizu won two bronze medals in the JGP, but remained first alternate to the JGPF and dropped to 16th at JW after a disastrous 21st place in the FS. Suizu did manage to win Japanese Junior Nationals over Yuki Nishino, but the end of her season had to have been a major disappointment.

I couldn't help wondering if these two ladies had had either an injury or a growth spurt that affected them last season.
 

so_proud

Rinkside
Joined
Jun 26, 2008
If Kim's name had been submitted by the Korean Fed, then she would have been guaranteed a spot, and her name would have appeared on the first published lists. It would have been removed had she decided to remain junior before the cut-off, based on the slot(s) she was given. Since her name did not appear on the initial selection, it means the Korean Fed didn't submit her name.


Thank you so much for explaining the general process, which I had not known clearly about. While I am still thinking that Yu-Na could have made her debut as a Senior that year, it is also great for me to know that she herself (or through conversation with the Korean Fed.) might have chosen to stay at the Junior level. Must have had a plan.

Thanks again :)
 

lcd

Match Penalty
Joined
Mar 11, 2007
I think it will be especially exciting to see the Grand Prix Final this year - as the event will combine both Junior and Senior events. Will bring to light the arbitrariness of the "age restriction" rules IMO as in some of the disciplines (ladies and pairs in particular) one would question whether the fields differ materially in terms of execution... at least on a technical level. Given how concentrated a lot of the skaters are with coaches... there are going to be some mighty busy/tired coaches at THAT event...
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I think it will be especially exciting to see the Grand Prix Final this year - as the event will combine both Junior and Senior events.
Now that is something I didn't read (mea culpa) They will have events with 12 skaters or couples in the Finals? Or are they just using the same venue?
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I think spots given may be influenced by both the performance of the skaters and the country from which they are. Yu-Na Kim was 2005 Jr. World silver medalist but got just one spot. That's why she decided to remain at the Jr level one more yr. Even after Yu-Na became the 2006 Jr. World champion, I heard that she was worried about whether or not she could get two spots from senior GP events. She got two eventually.

So, it is good that SA invited both Rachael and Mirai so that their GP senior debuts would be guaranteed with two spots. Zhang has already been senior, so it looks like a good assignment that two other GP events than SA invite her.
If I recall correctly Junior skaters who medal at the JGPF are guaranteed a Senior GP assignment , and also Junior Skaters who medal at Junior Worlds are guaranteed a GP assignment too. Thus, Yu-na would have been guaranteed 2 spots in 2005-2006. That's Why Ashley Wagner had two spots last year..

Plus, you can also get 2 spots if your score is in the top 24, I'm fairly sure Yu-na's was in the 2004-2005 season.
 
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chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
If I recall correctly Junior skaters who medal at the JGPF are guaranteed a Senior GP assignment , and also Junior Skaters who medal at Junior Worlds are guaranteed a GP assignment too. Thus, Yu-na would have been guaranteed 2 spots in 2005-2006. That's Why Ashley Wagner had two spots last year..

Plus, you can also get 2 spots if your score is in the top 24, I'm fairly sure Yu-na's was in the 2004-2005 season.

Skaters are guaranteed ONE GP assignment if they:

Medal at the JGPF
or
Medal at JW
or
Place in the top 24 on the ISU Ranking list
or
Place in the top 24 on the Seasons Best list

However, they are not guaranteed more than one spot even if they meet all 4 criteria. They MIGHT get two assignments, but there is no guarantee that they will.

Cases in point:
Paetsch/Nuss were 11th on the ISU Ranking list and 22nd on the SB list, and with the disqualification of Bazarova/Larionov from the JGPF, Paetsch/Nuss won the JGPF bronze medal. Even though they met 3 of the 4 criteria, they only got one GP assignment.

Vise/Trent were 15th on the ISU Ranking list and 9th on the SB list, but they got just one GP assignment (they did get a second assignment as a substitute after Paetch/Nuss withdrew).

Li/Xu were 13th on the ISU Ranking list and 18th on the SB list, but got just one GP assignment.

Emily Hughes was 17th on the ISU Ranking list and 14th on the SB list, but she got just one assignment.

OTOH, Anastasia Gimazetdinova was 23rd on the SB list, and met no other criteria, yet she got two GP assignments. Jenni Vahamaa was 13th on the ISU Ranking list and met no other criteria, yet she also got two GP assignments.
 
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