World Team Trophy: Final Thoughts | Golden Skate

World Team Trophy: Final Thoughts

shallwedansu

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
1. Yay or Nay?
2. Any suggestions?

1. I say YAY! But only with some modifications for the future.
2. Let's be honest. It wasn't necessary for France, Russia, and China to compete. The top 3 team's scores ranged from 50-60. The bottom 3 team's scores ranged from 34-37. Is it really worth it for the last 3 teams to participate in this competition when they have no chance at medaling? I would think many of the skaters in the French, Russian, and Chinese team thought them being there was pointless and would rather have spent their time recooperating after a long, hard season and/or making more money participating in ice shows. Which is why I suggest WTT should have an equal emphasis on all the disciplines. Why are singles allowed 2 entries but pairs and ice dance only 1? Is that really fair? France, Russia, and China could have, and probably would have, fared a lot better if they were allowed 2 entries of their strongest disciplines.

I read this suggestion at FSU and I think it's the best and most equal solution to the problem. This year, the teams consisted of 2 Men's, 2 Ladies, 1 Pair, and 1 Dance: 6 entries. If the WTT is meant to emphasize equality among all 4 disciplines, then federations should be allowed to submit 6 entries of any kind they want, with a maximum limit of 2 for each discipline. So federations with stronger pairs and dance teams can send 2 Pairs, 2 Dance, 1 Men's, and 1 Ladies. And the point distribution of 1st place, 2nd place, 3rd place and so on, should be the same for every discipline.

I believe with this new rule change, all 6 teams participating in WTT can have a more equal chance at medaling, as opposed to this year, when teams with stronger singles were the only teams with a shot at medaling.
 

frozenhell

Rinkside
Joined
Nov 7, 2008
Frankly I will be shocked if WTT survives. It was made for TV event which disguised as competition. I think it will follow footstep of campbell cup.
AS for rule change, everybody knows rule for WTT was designed to benefit japan which doesn't have decent dance and pair team. As long as japan provides funding, there will be no change and other countries won't ask change either because nobody seems to take this as real compettion.
 

enlight78

Medalist
Joined
Nov 2, 2005
There are many different ways of equaling out the score without changing the team make up. One could double the amount of points the pairs and icedancers get. One could have a single skater do a short and another do the long and how ever the sinlges place as a pair is how many points they get.
 

Kimmie Fan

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
I loved the WTT!
skaters loved the WTT!
If Japanese TV is willing to shell out million bucks for this ultra premium wine and cheesefest, I'm all for it! :laugh:
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
If the WTT is meant to emphasize equality among all 4 disciplines, then federations should be allowed to submit 6 entries of any kind they want, with a maximum limit of 2 for each discipline. So federations with stronger pairs and dance teams can send 2 Pairs, 2 Dance, 1 Men's, and 1 Ladies.
I'm not sure what the WTT is meant to emphasize, but IMO this suggestion makes sense, and if the event survives, I hope that change is made. Also, I loved the team Kiss and Cry areas. I wish we could have them at every event. Between the Americans acting like idiots, the French acting drunk and everyone having fun, it was just fantastic!
 

steyn

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
An article on WTT

http://www.thestar.com/Sports/WinterSports/article/621104

The International Skating Union slipped in another event when nobody was looking.

Well, the skating-mad Japanese were looking, hence a sold-out crowd in Tokyo for the inaugural World Team Trophy championships over the weekend.

...

Traditionally, the competitive skating season concludes with the worlds. But the ISU threw this event at the skaters without consultation. As late as a fortnight ago, it was not even a certainty.

Though weary, skaters declined to criticize the ISU for what was plainly a command performance.

"We weren't exactly forced to participate," said Moir. "But the ISU told us if we didn't come, we wouldn't be allowed to do anything else for the rest of the year, including shows. And, of course, there's always national pride at stake. We came here to win."

Didn't quite happen. Maybe next time. Whenever that may be.

The ISU hasn't said.
This is too much.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The International Skating Union slipped in another event when nobody was looking...

...Traditionally, the competitive skating season concludes with the worlds. But the ISU threw this event at the skaters without consultation. As late as a fortnight ago, it was not even a certainty.

An interesting take. Actually, the event was announced more than a year ago. (March, 2008, ISU Communication #1490.)

"But the ISU told us if we didn't come, we wouldn't be allowed to do anything else for the rest of the year, including shows."

"The rest of the year" meaning the until April 26 (Communication 1490, paragraph 3B: "consequences of non-participation.") Noblesse oblige.

Scott's share of the prize money was $17,000 -- less the ten per cent that Skate Canada gets to take, if they exercise that option.
 

i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
The fact that the National governing bodies were not even consulted about this competition sits the wrong way with me. I understand the ISU needs money but this competition seems thrown together at the last minute with no real purpose. It has already been an extremely exhausting season for the skaters so I don't quite see the point. I doubt it will continue.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
The concept has merit but I do not get the team spirit which should go with it. Is Abbot really happy about Lysacek's win? Maybe?
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
He should be. Abbott gets more money for his Olympic season because Lysacek won men's. If Lysacek skated worse than Abbott and finished 6th overall, the US would have lost to Canada.
 

PolymerBob

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2007
I enjoyed this competition, what little I saw of it. I liked the money the skaters earned. And I liked the fact that my team won. But I think if the event is to continue, there should be a few changes.

One suggestion is that teams should be able to send one man and two pairs if that will help them. Another way is to send 2 to each discipline. I can see how the current format is unfair to some teams.

My biggest problem is that skaters were pressured into competing. I think there must be a better way.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The fact that the National governing bodies were not even consulted about this competition sits the wrong way with me. I understand the ISU needs money but this competition seems thrown together at the last minute with no real purpose.

I do not understand where this perception comes from. This event was fully developed more than a year ago, and was in the planning stages for many months before that. The formal announcement including all of the rules, prizes, etc., was issued in March, 2008, and never changed.

As for the participation of the member federations, the organizing committee for the event (as for all ISU competitions) was the ISU Figure Skating Event Coordination Group. Its composition is

David Dore, chairman (Canada)
Peter Krick (Germany)
Felicitas Babusikova (Slovakia)
Patricia Mayor (I don't her conutry)
Mario Meinel (Germany)
Rita Zonnekeyn (Belgium)
Halina Gordon-Poltorak (Poland)

I believe that Ms. Zonnekey has particular responsibilty to keep the other member federations informed.

The top skaters from Canada, the U.S., Russia, and France all had more than a year's notice either to pencil this event into their calendars or else try to get out of it.

The only thing in question was whether Italy would be lucky enough to make the top six. I have no doubt that they wished they had.
 
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NatachaHatawa

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 4, 2008
I only watched one or two vids on youtube, but one thing I noticed, as I did during the 07 worlds, is the Japanese audience: they're by far one the best in the world and it's such a shame that other audiences aren't the same (I'm ashamed of my fellow country men).

Maybe to ensure the succes of GP events, all of them should try and have as many Japanese stars as they can!
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
IOne suggestion is that teams should be able to send one man and two pairs if that will help them. Another way is to send 2 to each discipline. I can see how the current format is unfair to some teams.

I guess I am the only one that thinks the compromise they arrived at (2 ladies, 2 men, 1 pairs team, 1 dance team) is not so bad. If countries sent 2 pairs teams, that would be a case (with the single unique exception of China) of the rich getting richer. How many countries have two world class pairs teams? How many have one?

My biggest problem is that skaters were pressured into competing. I think there must be a better way.

I don't know that they were pressured into competiting in this event any more than they are pressured into other ISU events, like the Grand Prix. The penalties for skipping Grand Prix events are the same -- no competitons, shows, etc. in the same time period as the ISU event.

BTW, although Michelle Kwan routinely thumbed her nose at this rule, doing pretty much as she pleased, the ISU did enforce it against Plushenko once. Evgeny got out of his Grand Prix assignment, pleading injury, then signed up to do an exhibition on the same weekend.

The ISU said no, so the promoters of the exhibition event had to show a video of Plushenko on the jumbotron instead of a live performance. The paying audience was not pleased, and there was quite a bit of discussion about whether this rule actually serves the interests of figure skating or whether it is merely a Speedy power trip.
 
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i love to skate

Medalist
Joined
Dec 13, 2005
I don't know that they were pressured into competiting in this event any more than they are pressured into other ISU events, like the Grand Prix. The penalties for skipping Grand Prix events are the same -- no competitons, shows, etc. in the same time period as the ISU event.

This seemed like a pointless event though, many of the skaters had to travel great distances to get there and just a couple weeks after Worlds when they are exhausted and weary of their programs. In the Grand Prix, they are building towards Worlds and wanting to improve their programs so obviously they will not skip that.
 

enlight78

Medalist
Joined
Nov 2, 2005
This seemed like a pointless event though, many of the skaters had to travel great distances to get there and just a couple weeks after Worlds when they are exhausted and weary of their programs. In the Grand Prix, they are building towards Worlds and wanting to improve their programs so obviously they will not skip that.

I believe in competition for the sake of compitition. Either all are pointless or none are. WTT actually has a better position than Worlds. WTT was a compettion between the best feds in figure skating. Lot of the best skater couldn't even go to Worlds becuase of it backwards qualifying technique.
 

fairly4

Medalist
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
As far as Michelle KWan thumbing her nose, she didn't she notified who she wanted to and she did get sanctioned for noti skating in an event . Eygeny as far as I know of didn't

Michelle got nailed in 1998 for not going to The NHk because of the injury (which no one thought it was) > no judge gave Michelle the (so called pity rule ) for injury like they are now/or break). Michelle didn't do as she pleased as much as they are now, THumbing her nose isn't none of the . I am not going to say anything further .
As far as the Wtt --I like it.
It pretty much went the way I hoped.
It just seemed to me certain federations didn't come out swinging like they are capable of.

As far as the judging it was okay. I am not going to go into the ur/downgardes or anything.
I think the US team did great. They all Did what they had to do. Any slip up by anyone of them could have resulted in a loss.
It was just one skater. The US won it in the short.
Mao skated greated in the long, Brian J (to me) gave up in the long,
I like what i saw. Hope they continue
 

shallwedansu

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 29, 2008
I guess I am the only one that thinks the compromise they arrived at (2 ladies, 2 men, 1 pairs team, 1 dance team) is not so bad. If countries sent 2 pairs teams, that would be a case (with the single unique exception of China) of the rich getting richer. How many countries have two world class pairs teams? How many have one?
What about countries with only strong singles? Isn't that also an example of the rich getting richer? If you look at the case of Japan, the competition is basically saying they don't have to worry at all about improving their pairs and dance. Having depth in ladies and men is good enough for them. I'm not saying this to make a jab against Japan, but looking at the results of this competition, it's basically saying countries like France, Russia, and China are second tier because their singles suck. However, a country like Japan is top tier even if their pairs and dance suck.
 

wishmaker

Rinkside
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
To MATHMAN - Thank you for all your comments and feedbacks and infos. They're worth reading and I'm so glad that you're around in this forum where I can find clarity among all the speculations and questions and the pretensions of knowing all people. Thanks again.
 
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