2022-2023 U.S. Men's Figure Skating

[YuBluByMe]

Link to 2021-2022 thread: 2021-2022 U.S. Men's Figure Skating | Golden Skate


SENIOR MEN

Ilia Malinin
SP:
FS:
WS 23
SB 10, 276.11 (Jr)
GP Assignments:



Camden Pulkinen
SP:
FS:
WS 20
SB 15, 271.61
GP Assignments:


Jimmy Ma
SP:
FS:
WS 34
SB 30, 250.97
GP Assignments:


Tomoki Hiwatashi
SP:
FS:
WS 39
SB 56, 222.37
GP Assignments:


Yaroslav Paniot
SP:
FS:
WS 133
SB N/A
GP Assignments:


Maxim Naumov
SP:
FS:
WS 78
SB N/A
GP Assignments:



Andrew Torgashev
SP:
FS:
WS 73
SB N/A
GP Assignments:







GPF Qualifiers




Nationals Results




4CC Team





Worlds Team






Questions for the season:


Will Ilia Malinin land a 4A in international competition?
Who will make the GPF?
Will Zhou and Brown compete?



Junior Men


William Annis
SP:
FS:
WS 99
SB: 83, 204.60
JGP Assignments:


Liam Kapeikas
SP:
FS:
WS 91
SB: 73, 210.94
JGP Assignments:



Lucas Broussard
SP:
FS:
WS: 105
SB 91, 198.77
JGP Assignments:



Jacob Sanchez
SP:
FS:
WS
SB: 96, 194.03
JGP Assignments:


Kai Kovar
SP:
FS:
WS 119
SB 124, 176.23
JGP Assignments:





JGPF Qualifiers




Junior Worlds Team

 

[YuBluByMe]

It’s the beginning of a new quad and the end of an era for US Men’s figure skating. Nathan Chen, Vincent Zhou, and Jason Brown haven’t announced retirements, but I’m pretty sure Chen at least will not compete in the upcoming fall. In any case, I don’t expect that he’ll ever compete competitively again. I’m not so sure about Zhou and Brown, but if they announce clear plans to compete, then I’ll add them to the “senior men” list.


Malinin : Barring any weirdness, he will be the clear leader of the US men in the upcoming years. Less than two years ago, he wouldn’t have been competitive at all so I’m liking his trajectory thus far. He has natural charisma and a great presence on the ice that will go far, but he needs to improve his basic skating (bend those knees, kid!) and get better programs. In any case, it won’t be long at all before announcers stop yakking about his mom in warm-up introductions and start mentioning his achievements instead.


Pulkinen : Was his Worlds performance a miraculous one-time thing or is it the beginning of…something? I’m not going to bet any money on an answer to that question. Momentum is on his side and I hope he follows it up.


Ma : Ma started off really strong in the first half of the season, but then he ran out of steam in the second half. It was still a career-best season, though, as he was sent to a major international for the first-time in his career. If he gets even more consistent, I can see him as a top 3 American man. I don’t expect for him to qualify for the GPF or anything, but I can see him going to 4CC again and even Worlds if he performs like he did for the entire season.


Hiwatashi : I don’t think Hiwatashi is the most talented of the group of men that went senior (or were switch-hitting) in the 2018-2020 time frame, but I do think he’s the one most likely to get it together. He’s also the one that seems to be healthy enough to push the tech. He can’t handle the tech just yet but practice makes perfect. If he’s going to get it together, now is the time.


Paniot and Naumov both struggled with injury after having breakout performances at Nationals. Torgashev hasn’t competed in two years, but in hindsight, the last two years were perfect for time off.

Annis : So I happens to tune into a random JGP and literally the first thing I see is this kid horribly jacking up a spin at the end of a free skate. I was charmed by this and decided to check out his SP and replayed his free. His jumps are uncontrolled and his spins need a doctor, but there’s something about him. Who does this chap remind me of? The dearly retired Alexei Krasnozhon. As such, I’m not going to bother getting invested. Let’s see if he makes it to seniors.

 

[el henry]

A few notes on potential retirements/not competing:

I don't have the link, but Nathan did a Youtube interview with a Yale channel where he said he is not training (at a competitive level)for the next two years. He wants to concentrate on school and enjoy what Yale has to offer. He is keeping his options open after that.

Jason and Vincent are keeping their cards close to the vest. Jason has said in interviews he will take at least until the end of the SOI tour to make a decision.

Annis : So I happens to tune into a random JGP and literally the first thing I see is this kid horribly jacking up a spin at the end of a free skate. I was charmed by this and decided to check out his SP and replayed his free. His jumps are uncontrolled and his spins need a doctor, but there’s something about him. Who does this chap remind me of? The dearly retired Alexei Krasnozhon. As such, I’m not going to bother getting invested. Let’s see if he makes it to seniors.

I'm so glad someone else said this. I got a lot of grief for calling Will the next Alex K., but I loved Alex K., and that was a high compliment from me. Will has the passion and the wild jumps and Alex eventually invested in spins and choreo. So I have hope for Will

 

[Moxiejan]

Will also reminds me of a long-ago favorite, David Santee.

 

[el henry]

Will also reminds me of a long-ago favorite, David Santee.

Needs more curls

 

[moonvine]

Will also reminds me of a long-ago favorite, David Santee.

Yes, I love David Santee. First skating crush. He has a great podcast, btw.

 

[moonvine]

Ma : Ma started off really strong in the first half of the season, but then he ran out of steam in the second half. It was still a career-best season, though, as he was sent to a major international for the first-time in his career. If he gets even more consistent, I can see him as a top 3 American man. I don’t expect for him to qualify for the GPF or anything, but I can see him going to 4CC again and even Worlds if he performs like he did for the entire season.

Don't forget his bronze at Golden Spin!

 

[Cdimop]

Will also reminds me of a long-ago favorite, David Santee.

 

[Cdimop]

Who went to my high school!

 

[el henry]

Recent interview with Vincent, where he confirms he will go to school full time and also keeps his options open for after school:

“Now that I’m not going to have a foot in each world and not run full speed ahead in both, but just two feet in the academic world, I’m excited,” he exclaimed.

Vincent Zhou enjoying Stars on Ice experience after up and down season

By Gina Capellazzi, Team FSO website administratorStars on Ice photos by Melanie Heaney A life experience. That’s how Vincent Zhou describes his 2021-2022 com

icedanceworld.com

 

[moonvine]

Recent interview with Vincent, where he confirms he will go to school full time and also keeps his options open for after school:

“Now that I’m not going to have a foot in each world and not run full speed ahead in both, but just two feet in the academic world, I’m excited,” he exclaimed.

Vincent Zhou enjoying Stars on Ice experience after up and down season

By Gina Capellazzi, Team FSO website administratorStars on Ice photos by Melanie Heaney A life experience. That’s how Vincent Zhou describes his 2021-2022 com

icedanceworld.com

Wow. I'm very surprised. I thought he had walked that back.

 

[el henry]

Cross posting:

I'm not sure where to put these, but Max Settlage (former US Pairs skater and USFS illustrator) has returned with illustrations of the ladies and men's singles. They are combined, so I am going to post in both Ladies and Men's threads.

Always loved Max's work:

 

[moonvine]

I love Max!

 

[el henry]

Jason featured on Team USA (all Olympians, not just figure skaters) Pride Month post:

 

[moonvine]

Tim is there also and they look very happy!

 

[el henry]

Tim is there also and they look very happy!

Yes, I cross posted about Timothy in the the Pairs thread. Unfortunately they are not on social media.

Jason is though...

 

[moonvine]

Yes, I cross posted about Timothy in the the Pairs thread. Unfortunately they are not on social media.

Jason is though...

That is a great rendition of The Worm.

 

[Greengemmonster]

Aww Vincent climbed a very impressive crazy looking mountain/mountain range with his friends and looks happy. The Mumma in me is so thrilled to see him happy

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce-LcsNMips/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

 

[Apple1078]

Aww Vincent climbed a very impressive crazy looking mountain/mountain range with his friends and looks happy. The Mumma in me is so thrilled to see him happy

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce-LcsNMips/?igshid=YmMyMTA2M2Y=

I think spending time with everyone on the SOI US tour did wonders for his mental health (this particular cast was so wholesome and they seemed really close) and he looks happy. I just want him to go off to college and embrace that chapter of his life.