2010 Worlds Rumor: unlike previous post-Olympic anticlimax event?

jaws12345 · Jun 14, 2009

I heard the other day an unconfirmed rumor that the ISU board (more specifically, Mr. Cinquanta) will make sure all the top skaters from the Olympics will compete at the 2010 Worlds, for it being the 100th anniversary (and being held in Italy) and all. Does anyone know anything about this? Thank you!

Tonichelle · Jun 14, 2009

he can't force any of them to compete. he can boast that he has that kind of power all he wants... the only thing he could do is take away the whole ISU support of their tours making them inelligible for future competitions should they choose to come back, but he'd be shooting himself in the foot with that (at least as far as US media funds are concerned, not that he really seems to care about that anyway lol)

so if it's true I say good luck, $peedy.

sorcerer · Jun 14, 2009

JSF has published on June 12th its principle in selecting their skaters for the Olympic Games, Worlds, 4CC, etc.

It says they'll choose the two of the three slots in the same way for the Olys and Worlds, which is the first two criteria of the follows:
1. the skater reaching the highest among the Japanese on the GPF podium (not off the podium) of each discipline under the condition that the skater competes in the Nationals.
2. the winner of the Japanese Nationals.
3. selected from the podium finishers at Nationals, GP Finalists, and the top three Japanese ISU rankers at the time of Nationals; determined under thorough considerations.

It says the third slot for the Worlds might differ from the Olys.

jaws12345 said:
... 2010 Worlds, for it being the 100th anniversary ...

BTW, it's not 100th anniversary but 100th Worlds, IIRC. Please forgive me if this is nitpicking.

eleonora.d · Jun 14, 2009

jaws12345 said:
I heard the other day an unconfirmed rumor that the ISU board (more specifically, Mr. Cinquanta) will make sure all the top skaters from the Olympics will compete at the 2010 Worlds, for it being the 100th anniversary (and being held in Italy) and all. Does anyone know anything about this? Thank you!

I really think it is just a mean rumor. What about forcing skater to compete at World team trophy instead? I didn't find that quite right.

Joesitz (RIP) · Jun 14, 2009

I believe the USFS will follow through on its policy in selecting the Oly Team, except in the event at Nationals a 'spoiler', eg, Keegan Messing, makes the US National's podium, he will be assigned to Worlds and not the Olys. How this affects Speedy's plan, I do not know.

btw, Skaters do have the right to retire after the Olys, I think. No?

eleonora.d · Jun 14, 2009

Joesitz said:
I believe the USFS will follow through on its policy in selecting the Oly Team, except in the event at Nationals a 'spoiler', eg, Keegan Messing, makes the US National's podium, he will be assigned to Worlds and not the Olys. How this affects Speedy's plan, I do not know.

btw, Skaters do have the right to retire after the Olys, I think. No?

I think the only skater who will be actually forced to compete will be Kostner.
Kostner alone is able to give the event the publicity they need - figure skating is not yet so popular in Italy and the only names who are well known are hers, Plushenko's, Sasha's and a few others.

Mathman · Jun 14, 2009

sorcerer said:
JSF has published on June 12th its principle in selecting their skaters for the Olympic Games, Worlds, 4CC, etc.

It says they'll choose the two of the three slots in the same way for the Olys and Worlds, which is the first two criteria of the follows:
1. the skater reaching the highest among the Japanese on the GPF podium (not off the podium) of each discipline under the condition that the skater competes in the Nationals.
2. the winner of the Japanese Nationals....

The grand prix, and especially medalling in the grand prix final, has really shot to the top of the leader board in the last few years.

It hasn't been that long ago that many of the top skaters were lookihg for excuses to skip the grand prix altogether so they could concentrate of the important events at the end of the season.

The USFSA has given similar prominence this year -- at least on paper -- to placement in the grand prix final as a criteria for making the Olympic team, second in importance only to U.S. nationals.

I don't know how successful Cinquanta will be in "forcing" Olympic medalists to compete at Worlds, but it looks like he did achieve one of his goals -- to make the grand prix series into a true "regular season" for figure skating, in the same way that other sports have a regular season followed by championship playoffs.

janetfan · Jun 14, 2009

eleonora.d said:
I think the only skater who will be actually forced to compete will be Kostner.
Kostner alone is able to give the event the publicity they need - figure skating is not yet so popular in Italy and the only names who are well known are hers, Plushenko's, Sasha's and a few others.

I hope Caro has a great performance at 2010 Worlds and it might be rather nice to see her win a WC in Italy as it would certainly give skating a big boost there.
Wondering about Sasha and her second GP event - is it possible US Skating used the promise of Sasha (one way or another) being named to US Worlds Team so she could skate in Italy as a trade off for the second GP event? Stranger things have been known to happen in skating. If Sasha is popular in Italy then it makes sense that "Don Cinquanta" would want her there.
Would such an agreement follow the rules? Yes, it would very much seem to follow the rules of politics.

chuckm · Jun 14, 2009

Cinquanta cannot force skaters to appear at Worlds 2010. Obviously, the Olympic medalists will receive tons of offers and many of them will choose to retire. Others (who may or may not win any medal) have said that the Olympics will be their last competition. Cinquanta does not own skaters and cannot prevent them from ending their careers after the Olympics.

What a dunderhead!

Joesitz (RIP) · Jun 14, 2009

Mathman said:
The USFSA has given similar prominence this year -- at least on paper -- to placement in the grand prix final as a criteria for making the Olympic team, second in importance only to U.S. nationals.

I don't know how successful Cinquanta will be in "forcing" Olympic medalists to compete at Worlds, but it looks like he did achieve one of his goals -- to make the grand prix series into a true "regular season" for figure skating, in the same way that other sports have a regular season followed by championship playoffs.

Yes, the Grand Prix is working and this is a kudoo for Cinquanta. I also give him credit for the World Team Trophy. He is active in keeping FS alive. However, is filling the teams with athletes for The Worlds with the same Team as was at the Olys a part of Cinquanta's purview?

I can understand that the Feds would not allow that especially Japan the the US. It's not unlike the power of the States versus the power of the Senate in the US.

chuckm · Jun 14, 2009

Also, we will see how the GP pans out later on this fall. I wouldn't be surprised to see some skaters skip their second event because they don't want to be too exhausted before the Olympics. Making the Final will be a two-edged sword for some of the skaters, particularly the older ones or those prone to injury.

I remember Irina Slutskaya being totally exhausted after the 2005-2006 GP final, and often have wondered if she had skipped her second event and not gone to the final, if she would have won in Torino.

janetfan · Jun 14, 2009

chuckm said:
Also, we will see how the GP pans out later on this fall. I wouldn't be surprised to see some skaters skip their second event because they don't want to be too exhausted before the Olympics. Making the Final will be a two-edged sword for some of the skaters, particularly the older ones or those prone to injury.

I remember Irina Slutskaya being totally exhausted after the 2005-2006 GP final, and often have wondered if she had skipped her second event and not gone to the final, if she would have won in Torino.

That is a good point. What a ridiculous trade-off - a GP medal or even the GPF title - as opposed to the chance for being at your best when competing for the OGM. Perhaps one of the greatest absurdities I can image in today's contemporary sporting scene. :yes:

merrybari · Jun 14, 2009

janetfan said:
That is a good point. What a ridiculous trade-off - a GP medal or even the GPF title - as opposed to the chance for being at your best when competing for the OGM. Perhaps one of the greatest absurdities I can image in today's contemporary sporting scene. :yes:

ITA! Well said!

Mathman · Jun 14, 2009

^ Oh, I am not so sure about that. There are two full months between the Grand Prix final and the Olympics. There is a limit to how many times you can skate your programs over and over in practice, day in and day out, without competition, before you get bored with the whole thing.

In the 2005-2006 season Totmianina and Marinin skated the full Grand Prix circuit, including the finals (they won), as did Navka and Kostomarov.

In 2001-2002 the men's Grand Prix final went Yagudin, 1st, Plushenko, 2nd, just like the Olympics. The ladies' Grand Prix final podium was Slutskaya, Kwan and Hughes.. The pairs GP final podium was Sale & Pelletiere, Berezhnaya & Sikharudlidze and Shen & Zhao. Anissina and Peiserat also skated the full GP including the final (2nd).

In 1997-98 Tara Lipinski skated the full GP series and won the final. The year before she competed in three Grand Prix events, plus the final (she won), before heading off to worlds (she won).

If anything, I would think Europeans might fall at an awkward time for skaters preparing for the Olympics.

Medusa · Jun 14, 2009

Mathman said:
If anything, I would think Europeans might fall at an awkward time for skaters preparing for the Olympics.

Yeah, but this is often the case in an Olympic year. Still, most skaters go to Europeans nontheless.

janetfan · Jun 14, 2009

Mathman said:
^ Oh, I am not so sure about that. There are two full months between the Grand Prix final and the Olympics. There is a limit to how many times you can skate your programs over and over in practice, day in and day out, without competition, before you get bored with the whole thing.

If anything, I would think Europeans might fall at an awkward time for skaters preparing for the Olympics.

You make a good case mm. You did not mention US Nationals - a month after GPF and a month (or less) before Olympics. For some skaters that is very little if any break from their training regimens, And the original post stated that for older skaters or skaters known to be injury prone the GP's could pose problems. I agree it is not the case for every skater but we have all seen just last year so many meltdowns at Worlds. Most skaters said they were fatigued.
If Yuna has a twinge let alone severe pain in her hip or back as she has had in two of the last three seasons do you imagine Orser or KSF would want to save her for Vancouver - or make her skate for the GPF Gold medal?
This is relative of course and is pretty much what tennis players do preparing for a Grand Slam tournament. Older players and injury prone players do less warm up tournaments - saving themselves for what really matters - the Grand Slams.
But I agree this does not apply for every skater and they all have different circumstances regarding health and stamina.

Ladskater · Jun 14, 2009

The Olympics always seem to stir up speculations. I would not believe such a rumour.

Mathman · Jun 14, 2009

janetfan said:
I agree this does not apply for every skater and they all have different circumstances regarding health and stamina.

I certainly agree with this last sentence -- each individual skater has a decision to make about how to pace his/her season.

For Yu-na Kim, last season, when she was in ull health, was the first time she did the whole shebang. Two Grand Prix events in the fall, Grand Prix, Four Continents, and Worlds. (I think she skipped Korean nationals, though?)

Interestingly, the GP finals was the only even she didn't win.

The two previous years, when she was nursing back problems, Four Continents was the in-between event that she skipped.

Johnny Weir (pre-2006) had a different strategy. He always declined Skate America, preferring later GP events. In this way he delayed the start of his season until November in order to build to a peak at the right time.

Edited to add: Hmm. I just checked the record and noticed that the first two times Johnny made the Grand Prix finals he withdrew. Maybe this was a strategy after all.

janetfan · Jun 14, 2009

Mathman said:
I certainly agree with this last sentence -- each individual skater has a decision to make about how to pace his/her season.

Johnny Weir (pre-2006) had a different strategy. He always declined Skate America, preferring later GP events. In this way he delayed the start of his season until November in order to build to a peak at the right time.

Edited to add: Hmm. I just checked the record and noticed that the first two times Johnny made the Grand Prix finals he withdrew. Maybe this was a strategy after all.

Who knows what thoughts lurk in the minds of skaters and their coaches

I thought you might comment on the dates of US Nationals and proximities between GPF and Olympics. I did not check US Natls dates - but believe Natls is where Johnny will need to be at his strongest to get a ticket to Vancouver.
Thanks for your thoughts - always appreciated. :yes:

Tinymavy15 · Jun 14, 2009

The U.S. could really have a very nice little world championships depending on how many top skaters decide to compete. The idea of "forcing" the big names to be there is nonsense. I don't see Yu-na or Mao doing it...esp Yu-na even if she does not get olympic gold.

But as I said it could be good for the americans.
for example..
Tanith and Ben medal at the olympic and retire. This leaves Davis and White almost for sure on the podium at worlds, considering the olympic gold medalist will retire as well as Delobel/Shonfielder (medal or not).

Sasha, if she does the olympic team will certainly will not make world, making room for the bronze medalist at nationals. She will be fresh from not competiting in feb, and with the lack of YU-na/Mao/Joannie/Miki could also medal at worlds.

I have no idea what the men's plans are, but I don't see Johnny staying after the olympics, or Brian. Evan is iffy.

2010 Worlds Rumor: unlike previous post-Olympic anticlimax event?

jaws12345

Match Penalty

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

sorcerer

eleonora.d

Joesitz (RIP)

eleonora.d

Mathman

janetfan

Match Penalty

chuckm

Joesitz (RIP)

chuckm

janetfan

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merrybari

Mathman

Medusa

janetfan

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Ladskater

~ Figure Skating Is My Passion ~

Mathman

janetfan

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Tinymavy15

Sinnerman for the win

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