Pick your favorite skaters GP assignment

Yes I know that skaters need to be invited to most events but just for fun take a moment and pick a few favorites and select the GP assignments you'd like to see them at next season. Feel free to tell us why

Here is mine:

Lipnitskaya:NHK(Japan) and Trophée Éric Bompard(France)

The girl worked her butt off and deserves fairly easy assingments as much as anyone. She will be well recieved especially in Japan where her second largest fanbase exists. She could easily podium and likely win both and with all the backbreaking work she did for Russia it's hard for me to not wish a fairly easy season for her. Although her popularity in Russia is thru the roof and many might be disappointed it would be beneficial to leave her out of the Russian bloodbath at least until Nationals.

Radinova: CoR(Russia) Skate America (USA)

It's likely going to be a podium sweep in Russia so I'd like to see her battle it out with Sotnikova and Pogo. She bodes well at home and I think could win the whole thing which would be great for her growing status. Maybe just the devil inside is telling me to send her to Skate America but I'd like to see her challenge Gracie and I think it would make for a good competition.

Ashley Wagner: NHK(Japan) Skate America (USA)

Same as Yulia. She is loved in Japan and I think that love is contagious to her and it affects her skating. If she can latch on to the crowd's wavelength I think she would really shine. If Yulia selects NHK first she will likely be the top competitor in terms of rankings and favorites amongst judges but if she falls again Ashley could pounce and grab gold. Silver would be a likely bet if things happen the way I expect in terms of the field. Obviously Skate America for her. I think her and Gracie need a rematch from Nationals. It would be good for the US figure skating to see a little competition at home. It has benefitted Russia tremendously.

I was going to choose for some of the Men but due to time constraints I'll have to check back later. Where do you want to see your favorite skaters compete next season?

Hmmmm

Max: Skate America/Cup of Russia - He still deserves to be shown off at his home Grand Prix, and I've love to see him do battle with the big guns at CoR!

Jason: Skate America/NHK Trophy - Skate America is in Chicago this year and who better to pack the house? The crowd will love him. And as for NHK Trophy, the Japanese fans will LOVE him!

Josh: Skate America (are we seeing a theme?)/NHK Trophy - If there's one of the top skaters that really does need showing off in his own country it's probably Josh, who's kind of the invisible one. And Skate America deserves his Schindler's List (though I would also be tempted to send him to Russia to show THEM what a good Schindler's List is!). NHK Trophy because he's said he loves Japan and I think they'd love him.

Artur: Skate America/Cup of China - Artur needs a rebuilding season, and two Grand Prix where he's relatively anonymous would probably help. The Americans don't care about Artur, and Cup of China is a good place to rebuild his strength.

Jason Brown has to be at Skate America. It's in Chicago, and he will definitely draw a crowd, as he is from the Chicago suburbs He only has one guaranteed assignment, because he did not go to Worlds, and did not qualify for the GP. I'd love to see him compete at TEB again. It's the second to last event in the series, so that gives him a bit more time to work on his quad, and the competition from French men at least won't be as difficult as the awesome Japanese men at NHK. Additionally, the French audience really liked him, so I have hopes that he may get an invitation from them.

I want to see Menshov at SkAm again! He was wonderful in Kent, Washington. I think he would be well-received at TEB too.

Anna Pogorilaya has 2 guaranteed spots because, having placed 4th at Worlds. I expect she will get Cup of China again. She did well there, and competion from Chinese ladies is not strong-plus Russian ladies do not seem to be rushing to skate there. I'd love to see her at Skate America, because it is the only event that I am sure I will be able to see live on my TV.

My hope is that Jeremy Abbott is not at Skate America, partially because if he is, Jason won't be. However, as a seeded skater, if he decides to compete, he will have 2 events, and as US Champion, the US will surely give him Skate America if he wants it. He seemed inspired skating in Japan-I hope he decides to go to NHK instead. His last SkAm performances have been rather uninspiring; I think it is too early in the season for him, generally. I think he shouldperhaps try Cup of China.

Gracie Gold has to be in Chicago, too! And skate her Chicago exhibition, there, of course. As US champion, and a seeded skater, she will definitely be there. And it's her home turf. Only in very particular circumstances would you see skaters in the 4 through 6 range at Worlds at the same event. The only case I remember is Hanyu and Takahashi both at NHK when it was in Sendai, because Takahashi is the biggest crowd draw, but Sendai is Yuzuru's home turf. I don't expect to see Ashley at Skam. Nor do I particularly want to see her there. We've seen Ashley at SkAm a lot; time for some other US ladies. How about Mirai this year, as a host pick? She deserves it.

I am assuming Adelina will be skating the GP? It is not a given for the Olympic champion? If so, I assume she will be at CoR. Since she didn't skate at Worlds, she can be a host pick, and the Russian audiences can thrill to having Lipnitskaya and Sotnikova skating head to head. I will be curious to see which of the amazing Russian ladies they use for the other host pick.

In the case of dance and pairs, it's definitely a matter of how to arrange all these teams with new partners. I am fuzzy about the new teams rules-I suspect I&Z and S&K can't be at the same event without the host federation making a big deal about it, since they both have a 1-3 placing member from Worlds. for June 27th. Which team will get the CoR assignment? Meanwhile B&S are Russian champions who withdrew from Worlds. I think Russia will give them a CoR spot-I hope so! They really deserve the chance to compete at home.

I am hoping for Chock & Bates and Hawayek & Baker at SkAm! I don't think Meryl & Charlie will compete on the GP, with the DWTS / SOI season running into the Ice show season into Japan. When will they have time to make programs? Or to sleep? They need the longer training time to learn the new SD format and incorporate the new versions of twizzles you have to do now. However, as the only really big audience draw USFS has, they may be advertised at SkAm whether they ever appear there or not. We have only to look at the advertising around Michelle and Evan after their careers were over. I selfishly hope D&W decide to do another season. I want to see the effects of their DWTS experience on their skating! But I think it would be a bad choice for them to do SkAm.

If Meryl & Charlie do decide to do another GP, I hope they do CoC. They have never competed there! And they have never won TEB. (They won a bronze there in their seond senior season and haven't been back since). I'd like to see them complete their set of GP medals, if possible. And since these events are later on the calendar, it would given them more time to prepare. However, I expect them to do NHK (last on the calendar, and they love competing in Japan), if they do anything at all on the GP.

The Shibutanis have to have NHK! They have always loved competing there, and their best performances have often been there. For a second event, I suggest staying in Japan , competing at CoC-where there is always a weak dance field, and thus they would be likely to earn good placings, and then doing NHK two weeks later.

I would pick the highest chance for gold locks

Gracie Gold - SA and TEB
Sinitsina / Katsalapov - TEB and NHK
Yuzuru Hanyu - NHK and SC
V/T - CR and CoC
Han Yan - CoC and TEB
Julia Lipnitkaya - NHK and CoR
Javier Fernandez - SA and CoR

I'd have Jason go to Skate America - Chicago, obviously - and NHK because Japan.

Max I think would be appreciated in Skate Canada? And CoR.

Both will then qualify for GPF so I can fly over and see them live

Assuming the top players really are retiring, I think C/L would be very well received in SkAm and I'd also send them to TEB for the sake of their Euro fans.

And for the ShibSibs, Japan & SkAm!

I can't imagine any scenario in which Jason does not do his home SA even if Jeremy returns. They will either have both him & Jeremy, which wouldn't make a ton of sense or Jeremy will get Skate Canada/TEB & NHK.

Gracie will obviously at SA and I imagine USFS will try to assemble a weaker field to try to give her a solid path to the GPF. For that reason, I don't think Ashley will be there although that would be great. Remember the Kwan/Lipinski matchup at SA in 1997? Was that the last time we put our 2 top ladies head to head on the GP? In any event, I think we'll have something like Gold, Cesario, Long/Miller/Cain at SA.

I think Polina will do very well. I'd love to see her at Cup of Russia as she is our answer to all the young Russian talent and Skate Canada. I hope Wagner gets NHK as the Japanese audience is always appreciative of her. It will be interesting to see if any of the top 3 US ladies face each other before Nationals. I'm guessing not. Mirai will get NHK again I bet.

Pairs and dance is so confusing right now. Castelli & Shnapir will obviously get SA and probably NHK as the Japanese fed seems to love picking them if they continue but that may be a bigger if than I'd like to admit. With all the pairs field movement, I could see them medaling and maybe sneaking into the final if they build on Sochi and get some help but I could also see them packing it in or having another rought fall. I hope Kayne & O'Shea get SA as well. Zhang and Batholomay and probably Scimeca and Knierim will hopefully get 2 assignments as well.

I think it will be Chock & Bates and Hawayek & Baker at SA. Maybe A/E too? I could see Hawayek and Baker surprising everyone and medaling. I think the dance field, like the ladies field, will be set up to help Chock & Bates as much as possible so I don't expect C/L or W/P if USFS can avoid having them and I don't see them putting them head to head with the Shibs. I don't think D/W will skate on this GP even if they do return at some point. As far as other pairs, I think a lot depends on whether V/T do in fact opt in for the GP and whether B/H are truly done. Sui/Han at SA would be fun.