2009-10 ISU Grand Prix selection guidelines | Page 14 | Golden Skate

2009-10 ISU Grand Prix selection guidelines

chuckm

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 31, 2003
Country
United-States
Here's the List of female skaters who want to go to the Finals:

YuNa Kim
Mao Asada
Miki Ando
Yukari Nakano
Akiko Suzuki
Joannie Rochette
Sara Meier
Carolina Kostner
Alina Leonova
Laura Lepisto
and
Sasha Cohen

How can one squeeze in any Americans to the Finals?


I am sure Caroline Zhang and Rachael Flatt would also like to go to the Final, and I think both of them have a better chance of making it than Sarah Meier, Laura Lepisto and Alina Leonova.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Here's the thing, I thought I read that the World Champion gets to choose her two events. What if Kim chooses Skate America. I mean Orser in 2007 said that Yu-na wasn't too thrilled with the idea of getting Cup of China/ Cup of Russia. She wanted to skate in North America (and according to Orser everyone wants Paris :lol:!)

She's not getting Canada because of Joannie.

As far as the rules of the draw go, I don't think the world champion or anyone else gets to choose where they will go. The skaters are invited by the host federations, with the order of choice determned by lot.

About Kim's assignments last year, I don't know whether China and Russia won the draw and snapped her up, or whether USA and Canada got to choose first and didn't want her to come in and beat the local girls.

That having been said, I believe that the skaters do have an opportunity to express their wishes. Then it is up to the host federations to decide whether toi honor the skaters' preferences or not.

Why Miki and not YuNa. You must have a good reason because Orser wants SA.

Well, the first thing is, Brian Orser is not Ottavio Cinquanta. Does anyone really care what Brian Orser wants?

The reason I thought that they would try to get Ando is because USFS might think that of Kim, Rochette, and Ando, choosing Miki gives the American girs the best chance to pull an upset and win gold.

As you know, I am sad that National Federations think this way. I wish they would invite the best and let them duke it out for top honors. But everyone tells me this is naive. The conventional wisdom seems to be the main goal of host federations is to invite the weakest skaters that they can find so as to improve the chances of getting the home girls into the finals. :disagree:

If it were up to me I would invite Yu-na.
 
Last edited:

merrybari

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 21, 2007
Clarification please.

I know it's true that because of the seeding rule in place now the skaters don't get to request assignment to the event(s) of their choice.

However, is it a firm truth, as much as possible with ISU that is, that host federations get first chance at their own skaters before the draw?
 

MissIzzy

Final Flight
Joined
Dec 26, 2006
Did the skaters ever get to formally request events? I got the impression it was always informal. Certainly the USFSA can be always made aware that Yu-Na wishes to be invited the Skate America, but I doubt they would ever have had to oblige her.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
Did the skaters ever get to formally request events? I got the impression it was always informal. Certainly the USFSA can be always made aware that Yu-Na wishes to be invited the Skate America, but I doubt they would ever have had to oblige her.
I believe it is the Feds who make the decisions only when it is their turn of the draw. Of course, a skater may want Paris and conspiracy looms. :yes:
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
I am sure Caroline Zhang and Rachael Flatt would also like to go to the Final, and I think both of them have a better chance of making it than Sarah Meier, Laura Lepisto and Alina Leonova.
Yes, of course they have a shot at getting the GP Final but that puts them in the same company of Kim, Asada, Ando, Rochette, which fully books 4 into the Finals. For the final two places, wouldn't Kostner, Meier, Lepisto and the very consistent Leonova be fighting it out and not to mention Suzuki, Nakano? These fighters have the potential to do better than last season.

Much will depend on how the USFS selects its team for SA. With Cohen in there, she may knock out one of the American bests and if she doesn't, it's just dificult for me to think Amercia will get gold and silver at SA which is needed to get to Finals. Of course, there are the results of the preceding 4 GPs which may work for the Americans but past performances by Meissner, Cizny, Hughes were not fruitful in the Outer GPs.

The story of the results will unfold by the time of the third GP (China, France and Russia). NHK will just confirm Asada and Ando.

Rememer it should take not less than 24 points to get into the Finals, with 26 or better being assured. And if 24, there will be TIEs, no doubt.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
The 6 top skaters at Worlds are selected by Lot. If the USFS pulls 6th in the draw, it will have no choice in this selection of the top skaters. So which two Feds would want Kim?
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
It is my understanding that the host federations can choose their own seeded skaters before the draw.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
It is my understanding that the host federations can choose their own seeded skaters before the draw.
I agree, but my understanding is that Host federations can only select the additional skaters in turn. I was just hypthetically saying that the USFS may draw 6th so the choices are limited.
It is pretty assured that:
Canada will select Rochette
Japan will seledct Ando
Japan will also select Asada
US will select Cohen, Flatt, and Zhang which is their right.
China, France and Russia all have options for Kim

It's the second round of the drawing which gets touchy.

The order of selection is important.
 
Last edited:
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
The 6 top skaters at Worlds are selected by Lot. If the USFS pulls 6th in the draw, it will have no choice in this selection of the top skaters. So which two Feds would want Kim?

From 4-6 the United States can take Rachael before the draw, and I think they will.

As for who wants Yu-na Kim, China, France and probably Russia have nothing to lose.

If they were sportsmen rather than strategists, any competition would want to measure their skaters against the world champion, in my opinion. Irina Slutskaya used to beg to be invited to the same Grand Prix events as Michelle Kwan.
 

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
As far as the rules of the draw go, I don't think the world champion or anyone else gets to choose where they will go. The skaters are invited by the host federations, with the order of choice determned by lot.

About Kim's assignments last year, I don't know whether China and Russia won the draw and snapped her up, or whether USA and Canada got to choose first and didn't want her to come in and beat the local girls.
Kim skated at Skate America last year.

For what it's worth, I've heard unofficially that the current World Champions can request which GP events they would like and are accommodated if at all possible. For example, Jeff Buttle reportedly requested Skate Canada and China back-to-back last year before he decided to retire.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
If they were sportsmen rather than strategists, any competition would want to measure their skaters against the world champion, in my opinion. Irina Slutskaya used to beg to be invited to the same Grand Prix events as Michelle Kwan.
Are you against Managers selecting left hand pitches against the competition's left hand slugger? Strategy is part and parcel of winnin in sport as well as life.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
For what it's worth, I've heard unofficially that the current World Champions can request which GP events they would like and are accommodated if at all possible.

That is good news. :thumbsup:

I suppose that "if at all possible" means she won't get Skate Canada because they will choose Rochette, but she will get TEB and Skate America. :clap:

If so, this will provide the U.S. skaters (I still think it will be Alissa, Rachael and Sasha) something to aim at. :rock:
 

bekalc

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 1, 2006
I suppose that "if at all possible" means she won't get Skate Canada because they will choose Rochette, but she will get TEB and Skate America.
Kim skated at Skate America last year.
I was talking about 2007-2008 season.
Brian Orser in an interview two seasons mentioned this. How the World Champion (Ando) got first pick. Ando got NHK and Skate America. Than they asked Mao and she wanted Canada and France. Then Yu-na got left with Cup of China and Cup of Russia. :lol:

He said that Yu-na wanted to skate in N. America because that's where she trains, and according to Orser everyone wants France. :lol:

Who knows though when will Trophy Bombard be? If it's right before Skate America, Yu-na might not want it. But really I can see her wanting Skate America because the trip to Lake Placid will not be such a big deal in comparision to some of the other plane trips.
 
Last edited:

Sylvia

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 25, 2003
The order of GP events this fall is TEB, CoR, China, NHK, Skate America, Skate Canada.
 

steyn

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 28, 2008
When leaving Korea a few days ago, Yu-Na said in the interview at the airport that she would like to skate in north America which practically means SA. Let's wait and see whether she can.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Are you against Managers selecting left hand pitchers against the competition's left hand slugger? Strategy is part and parcel of winning in sport as well as life.

I guess I am thinking of figure skating more as an individual sport than a team sport.
 
Joined
Jul 11, 2003
That is good news. :thumbsup:

I suppose that "if at all possible" means she won't get Skate Canada because they will choose Rochette, but she will get TEB and Skate America. :clap:

If so, this will provide the U.S. skaters (I still think it will be Alissa, Rachael and Sasha) something to aim at. :rock:
Unless one of the 1-3 choose TEB ahead of Canada which would also be among Rochette's choices. Again much depends on the order of the drawer.

I could think also of strategy in air flights. Kim: Vancouver-Paris-Lake Placid and maybe Seul for a family reunion and Final. Paris has direct flights everywhere and many of them It's an ideal location for an event. Lake Placid not so easy.

For SA independently, we don't know who among the 4-6 skaters it will be, so I would separate Zhang from this grouping. If one is not thinking about the points, one is just thinking about the show which will be old hat by the time SA comes around. Several skaters will have already gotten 26 points (like Zhang if she avoids SA). Just my very light prediction till I see the results of the draw.

.
 
Joined
Jun 21, 2003
Unless one of the 1-3 choose TEB ahead of Canada which would also be among Rochette's choices. Again much depends on the order of the drawer.

Canada gets to reserve Rochette before the draw even takes place. So Kim and Ando can't go there.

For SA independently, we don't know who among the 4-6 skaters it will be

Rachael.

Again, the U.S. gets to reserve Rachael for Skate America before the draw takes place.

Well, anything is possible. But I cannot think of any reason, strategic or otherwise, for Skate Canada not to take Rochette from 1-3 and for Skate America not to take Rachael from 4-6.
 
Top