2019-20 Team China | Page 9 | Golden Skate

2019-20 Team China

GarthAqua

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 14, 2018
I am curious as how much freedom the naturalized skaters have in terms of coaching, training facilities and choreograph. Do they still train in the states?

Zhu Lin and Zhang are all still training in US with their original coaches. When they go to China for competition, they trains in Chen Lu's rink but also with their own coaches. In a video posted by Chen Lu, she helped a little bit with the arm details but not technical part. They also get funds for their training and choreograph.
Angel Li has always been training in Shanghai so her situation is a little bit different but she also stays with her original coaches.
 

Ykai

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 6, 2019
Zhu Lin and Zhang are all still training in US with their original coaches. When they go to China for competition, they trains in Chen Lu's rink but also with their own coaches. In a video posted by Chen Lu, she helped a little bit with the arm details but not technical part. They also get funds for their training and choreograph.
Angel Li has always been training in Shanghai so her situation is a little bit different but she also stays with her original coaches.

That’s really like ideal situation for these young ladies. They get to keep their coaches, get the funding which they probably would never get from US fed and more importantly get a better chance to compete internationally. I hope they stay healthy and thrive.
 

composer

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 1, 2010
Allison switched 3 times : Georgia, Israel and now Lithuania. She obtained georgian citizenship in order to skate at 2010 Olympics. But probably no israeli citizenship and now it could be complicated for her to have lithuanian citizenship, especially after what happened with Isabella Tobias...

Funny that you mentioned Tobias because she and Allison basically skated for the same federations, and sometimes with the same skater (at different times of course!)
Quite frankly I’m tired of hearing the snide remarks directed at the Reeds when it comes to country hopping when only one of them country hopped, and not that much more than some other skaters either.
 

Nirti

Medalist
Joined
Nov 24, 2008
Quite frankly I’m tired of hearing the snide remarks directed at the Reeds when it comes to country hopping when only one of them country hopped, and not that much more than some other skaters either.

Totally agree! When a skater has to change federations in order to start a new partnership, it's with the hope the new team will be successful. But life is life and most of the partnerships don't exceed 2 seasons... We can't blame anybody to try and try again.
 

DSQ

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Country
United-Kingdom
Thank you. I wonder how the US Federation is reacting to China poaching talented individuals such as Lin, Zhang, and Zhu. Beijing 2022’s narrative continues to get more interesting as each day passes by.

What’s more interesting is you need citizenship to compete at the Olympics and China doesn’t allow dual nationality. I wonder what decisions will be made in the coming years. It would be quite the political storm if China granted dual citizenship just for athletes.

Edit: Ah sorry I just saw someone else mentioned the citizenship issue. It’s more interesting in Figure Skating because so many skaters are so young and to renounce your home citizenship is a huge decision that can’t be undone.
 

Crossover

All Hail the Queen
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 31, 2014
....because so many skaters are so young and to renounce your home citizenship is a huge decision that can’t be undone.

After several years pass, the opportunity for going back to one's home citizenship is not entirely lost for every country as far as I've known.
 

DSQ

Record Breaker
Joined
Apr 14, 2018
Country
United-Kingdom
After several years pass, the opportunity for going back to one's home citizenship is not entirely lost for every country as far as I've known.

I can only speak to the British and American rules and in the latter case you’d have to apply like any other non citizen and wouldn’t get special treatment. In the UK you can get your passport back after renouncing it only once if you’re British by descent.
 

natsulian

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 14, 2018
In the US, it is recommended that one live in the United States for at least five years before applying for naturalization/citizenship. There are numerous ways for younger children to obtain citizenship through their parents, but for individuals who are of age 18 or older, they must apply for the test, pass, and go to a citizenship ceremony. Also, there are little loopholes such as if your parents are United States citizens. Hypothetically speaking, the athletes who are under 18 can feasibly be Chinese citizens for the 2021-2022 season, then maybe go back to being US citizens through their parents. However, for the athletes who are of age 18 or older, they will have to go through a much longer and VERY time consuming process. I think it took my parents about a year just to get their forms back... and then add in the interviews, waiting time, etc... and you pretty much get the idea that it is NOT ideal.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
FWIW. Richmond Emily Zhang is skating this weekend at the Chesapeake Open. Other skaters are listed as representing different federdations so I am now questioning if this is the Emily representing is Team China.

Maybe the NY Emily Zhang?

Sylvia says it's this one.

Going back to Chesapeake Open in June … just within the last day or so, results fiiiiinally have been posted on the club website.

Emily Zhang's club is listed as Washington FSC … but I suppose that she is the same Emily formerly of Richmond FSC?

She won Senior Ladies SP and FS.

SP: 47.16.

FS: 98.05.


Also keep in mind that the U.S. Team Envelope currently includes its own share of athletes that have been "brought in" from other countries. Probably not by the federation but by coaches (and sometimes by families willing to help fund a partner). In dance alone, there are 2 Ukrainian athletes and a Canadian. A week ago there was a Russian on the dance list as well. Ukraine is probably feeling poached itself as they are currently struggling to keep their rinks open. (And neither Yehorov nor Kolesnik were at the bottom of their talent pool--that's for sure).

Agree that the U.S. has benefitted from skaters from other countries.

Off topic …. but re Vadym Kolesnik in particular, I don't know what evidence there is that he was "poached"?
The following sounds like Vadym's initiative, not like poaching:

… 17-year-old Kolesnik, who came from the Ukraine at the age of 15 right to Shpilband and asked him to find an excellent U.S. dance partner for him …

http://iceskatingintnl.com/Competitions/2019JrWorlds/2019 JrWorlds Dance.htm (Mar 12)​
 

Ice Dance

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
Off topic …. but re Vadym Kolesnik in particular, I don't know what evidence there is that he was "poached"?
The following sounds like Vadym's initiative, not like poaching:


My point was that international switches of all kinds can appear that way depending on one's point of view. The perspective from which one is observing a switch. I don't know what evidence there is that any of the single ladies being discussed in this thread were poached either. If we look at recent events in Chelsea Liu and Emmy Ma's competitive careers (Chelsea losing her partner & finishing much lower at U.S. Nationals and Emmy appearing to miss the cut at Sectionals), I think we can easily see how these ladies might have been motivated to pursue new opportunities available via a new federation.
 

icybear

Medalist
Joined
Mar 18, 2017
It's all a matter of perspective. If one of these ladies succeeds for China in 2022, there will be definitely be some people being sour that we "stole" their skaters. But then when you ask them about the tons of skaters they took from other country most of which have no connection at all to their country they will argue that these skaters should be allowed to choose whatever fed they want, they dont belong to their old fed blah blah blah. These girls are all ethnically Chinese, all their family are Chinese. I think its quite reasonable to want to represent their ethnic country. Besides they will not need to fund their training which is a large factor affecting their family and finance.
 

HoneyBear

On the Ice
Joined
Mar 25, 2018
It's all a matter of perspective. If one of these ladies succeeds for China in 2022, there will be definitely be some people being sour that we "stole" their skaters. But then when you ask them about the tons of skaters they took from other country most of which have no connection at all to their country they will argue that these skaters should be allowed to choose whatever fed they want, they dont belong to their old fed blah blah blah. These girls are all ethnically Chinese, all their family are Chinese. I think its quite reasonable to want to represent their ethnic country. Besides they will not need to fund their training which is a large factor affecting their family and finance.
can't agree more
 

Moaray

Rinkside
Joined
Feb 24, 2017
There are also some Chinese female ice dancers leading by Lu Chen training in Zhulin’s ice rink, some rumours saying that there would be more Russian ice dancers representing China.
 

wanpe

On the Ice
Joined
Jan 11, 2014
i still miss zijun li, her worlds 2013 performance was so lovely

I think she was often underscored :( and now with the Olympics in China I wonder how Chinese female skaters will be judged if/when they actually perform clean programmes.
 
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