2025 WTT: Thoughts?

[cailuj365]

I only watched like half of the event, but this is the most silly event of all of figure skating and it's hilarious. The shenanigans from the teams in the K&C were great, and I love how much they all support each other and seem to love this event. Far cry from when Scott Moir was so sullen about this event 15 years ago.

Sorry, this is going to be a mostly US-centric biased post, but TEAM USA! Haven't loved a team this much since Canada in 2010. I love their camaraderie and keeping the high of Boston Worlds going. This is my dream team for the Olympic team event though I know E/M probably will not get to go. I love E/M, and I'm glad they got to be a part of this event after such a solid season for them and representing SCOB so well. JASON BROWN! God, what a captain. What a leader, lol. Does he ever disappoint?! In some way, I'm kind of pleased that Ilia flopped so hard in the FS so that USFSA can feel even more confident that they should be putting Jason in for the Olympic team event men's LP! Jason deserves that! Alysa Liu is THAT GIRL. Put her on all the Wheaties boxes. Her vibe is so chill, so stress-free. I am so relaxed watching her. Alysa OGM campaign is in full swing! And lastly, AMBER GLENN!!! Admittedly, I have not been the biggest fan of Amber as it's been hard to watch some of the disappointing skates she's had that clearly affected her mentally, but I was SO happy for her to nail her free skate out of the park here. I really felt that skate, and I feel like this was the skate she's been waiting for all year too. I cannot wait to see how she takes this experience going into next season.

Other thoughts:
- Except for Jason, the entire men's event was on life support, but ehhh... if this were Worlds, we would have a serious problem, but it's not Worlds. It's an event where the men are dressing up in Sailor Moon costumes and trying to blow off some steam. Someone give Ilia a bed. He's been saying he's tired as soon as he finished Worlds. I thought this would be a great opportunity for one of his challengers to hand him an L before next season, but it just turned out that they all kind of wanted a bed. I would not have been upset if Jason won the FS because USA would have still been 1-2. Ilia's breaks-of-character and flop final spin were actually kind of funny -- sums up that trash program to be honest.

- I'm really glad that Gubanova had two great skates here to make up for what happened at Worlds. She gets to end the year on a higher note.

- Team France probably should have gotten that Team Spirit award. USA was creative and fully invested, but they had enough accolades this weekend.

 

[lariko]

I watched it as a show, not a competition. Everyone was so visibly tired, and it's understandable after the worlds. Imo, Urushadze deserved a prize for team spirit & i am super happy for Gubanova and Glenn getting a bit of a boost to morale. The mud slinging toward the American athletes reached unacceptable heights imo, down to those idiotic last opportunity pot shots with the anthem. This is supposed to be a campy send off of the season, nothing more, and of course the title of WC is a gift that keeps giving there. So it did. So what. Nothing was perfect anyway (except Gubanova, heh).

 

[Jeanie19]

I watched it as a show, not a competition. Everyone was so visibly tired, and it's understandable after the worlds. Imo, Urushadze deserved a prize for team spirit & i am super happy for Gubanova and Glenn getting a bit of a boost to morale. The mud slinging toward the American athletes reached unacceptable heights imo, down to those idiotic last opportunity pot shots with the anthem. This is supposed to be a campy send off of the season, nothing more, and of course the title of WC is a gift that keeps giving there. So it did. So what. Nothing was perfect anyway (except Gubanova, heh).

Alina Urushadze was great. Her joy was infectious. What a fantastic end to her career.

 

[lariko]

Alina Urushadze was great. Her joy was infectious. What a fantastic end to her career.

It was amazing and so sincere. As much as I love Gurgenidze, I am going to miss Urushadze. She had some really cool programs in her career and this was a delightful farewell from her.

Best of luck to team Georgia and I am rooting for Kazakhstan, Korea and Germany to develop full teams as well. Team competition format may be underrated, but it really is fresh and fun, and fosters the more balanced discipline presentation/direction.

 

[Mathman]

The competition requires that top skaters for each country compete, or else the country will be disqualified. If they are injured/sick and withdraw, they are not allowed to do a paid show until a date decided by the ISU. That's what the rules are.

One way to interpret that is to say that the ISU expects a real competition and not a happy-go-lucky gong show, however endearing. The ISU -- those old sticks-in-the-mud -- have always been protective of their brand.

 

[saine]

One way to interpret that is to say that the ISU expects a real competition and not a happy-go-lucky gong show, however endearing. The ISU -- those old sticks-in-the-mud -- have always been protective of their brand.

They also expect the competition to extend into the kiss and cry with funny antics here with an award for team spirit. I interpret it as they're expecting a show from the top skaters that just so happens to count for records.

 

[NanaPat]

I was especially watching those team members who didn't yet qualify for the Olympics (Gubanova, the Kovalevs and the Japanese dance team). After Worlds, I had hopes for all of them in the Olympic qualifying event. After their skates here, my hopes are fading fast for all but Gubanova. Oh well, they will likely be there in the team event only. That's unless one of the other baby Japanese dance teams get their day in the sun.

 

[Mathman]

They also expect the competition to extend into the kiss and cry with funny antics here with an award for team spirit. I

Well, I seem to be on the losing side of this discussion, so I'll just slink away.

But not without mentioning ...

The most popular spectator sport in the United States is professional (American style) football. At the season's end they put on the Pro Bowl. which is a kind of all-star game featuring the top players of the competitive season. A couple of years ago they changed the format. Now they play a mock-up of "flag football" instead of a real ga,me. They also have "individual skills" contests like who can throw a football trough a swinging tire with greatest accuracy.Then there are the high-jinx such as big burly men jumping enthusiastically into a children's rubber ball pit and thrashing comically around.

This year's Pro Bowl attracted the smallest television audience ever for this event, down 30% under the new format.

 

[el henry]

Are we are forgetting an important part of the equation: the skaters?

They love the team spirit combined with the "real" competition. Yes, they are all tired, but they are professionals and they care about skating their best program. They even care about their score in that how it affects the team. I am not linking here, but Jason, Alysa, Amber all talked about how they love the vibe of the comp and the ability to skate for a team in what is normally an individual sport.

The days of Scott Moir acting like a horse's rump about the comp are long gone. And I love the antics *and* the skates.

 

[Skater Boy]

Well it's over WTT and the skating season. It has been or felt like a long one. WTT was kind of a bit blah save for Liu and Malinin showing their joy and dominance. USA looked really good especiallly Jason outperforming or rather everyone else under performing. the Japanese singles skaters all were a bit underwhelming. Georgia with Gubanova and ice dance had some good moments for them. Italy and France were okay but the French and Ittalian boys were rather blah. Ice dancing even with a RD twizzel issue the judges love Chock and Bages. Good on Georgia beating France in the FD. Canada overall was not good. Singles all of them did poorly and did no do better thanhoped. Yes, Aleks and Sarah are newer but they obviosly would not have been picked but ffor Canada is not sttrong in singles. In fact the only team that really reached its goal was Piper and Paul. Deanna and Max keep falling down the ladder and are in a slump. I am not sure whatt is going on with Canada as this is the second olyumpic season and things are not looking good at all. I read somewhere the hugge salary the performance director or whatever his title is (Michael Sllipchuk) makes and that perhaps his salary should be reduced with the money going into sending Canadians o competitions. i agree. I have also heard people say he should be fired. Otherrs say he is making do with what Canada has. Not much. But this is two quadrenniels. I f he were a coach he would be out of there. Whatever the issue is Canada needs something. Roman especially has looked to have great skating skills whichi honestly at WTT he could be second in pcs but he has to get the tech and skate consistently. Madi has skated through an entire quadrenniel and then some and still can't make top ten. On the other hand Liu shows such confidence, joy when she skates and it is so infectious. Sure some of her jumps seem questionable and Kaori maybe ab bit m refined. But that energy; that joy - bottle it and sell it. Amber kind oflost the momentum. She seem a bit sanguine or melancholy? Jason is resilient and will not go away. No quad but beauifful skaing and when everyone else was tired and messing up he came through and had wonderful results here probably saving or reigniting him as the clear no. 2 US man with Andrew's fall from grace at worlds. It is oo early but will they allow Jason Brown to compete at the Olympic team event - maybe as he would be the top skater in the freeskate on these results (remember Ilia won't compete if they go with Brown). So far Jason has been like teflon. I thought Andrew, Camden Max,Jimmy et al might pass Jason. But kind of llike Katarina witt if she falls the others will fall twice. Such an amazing competitor is jason. Ilia really just is the king. His tech is so amazing.
Chock and Bates did their perfunctory great skating - just not overly excellent. I still don't see why they get scores so muuch ahead of Piper and Paul other than P squared seemed to be hat team 2nd or 4th just off or just missing the oly team. CB have OGM but Piper and Paul I could see the judges tossing them aside for the Italians, Brits and or the new French team. I am a bit cconcerned abbout Amber here. I wonder how she feels from world champion threat to kind of pushed aside like yesterday's dinner.. She did so well at WTT and still could not beat the world champ Liu. USA looks unbeatable for the team event at the Olympics.

 

[Tavi...]

No. I didn't miss Jason's performance. What I noticed was that of all the quads that were attempted only half of them were successful.

Would the sport prosper of it had more Jasons and fewer quads, or has that ship sailed?

I can’t answer your question. My point was just that you made a huge and negative generalization about all of the men.

 

[soccerjc77]

I must say that Deanna Stellato-Dudek / Maxime Deschamps FS was my favorite program in pair for this season and they never skate this program to their potential.
I find that this is frustrating this team have everything to be on top, it just their solo jump who was the problem all season. They need to work on their solo jump for next season because everything else is there.

 

[Mathman]

My point was just that you made a huge and negative generalization about all of the men.

Yeah, I did. Sorry about that. Rush to judgement.

 

[Kris135]

I only watched like half of the event, but this is the most silly event of all of figure skating and it's hilarious. The shenanigans from the teams in the K&C were great, and I love how much they all support each other and seem to love this event. Far cry from when Scott Moir was so sullen about this event 15 years ago.

Sorry, this is going to be a mostly US-centric biased post, but TEAM USA! Haven't loved a team this much since Canada in 2010. I love their camaraderie and keeping the high of Boston Worlds going. This is my dream team for the Olympic team event though I know E/M probably will not get to go. I love E/M, and I'm glad they got to be a part of this event after such a solid season for them and representing SCOB so well. JASON BROWN! God, what a captain. What a leader, lol. Does he ever disappoint?! In some way, I'm kind of pleased that Ilia flopped so hard in the FS so that USFSA can feel even more confident that they should be putting Jason in for the Olympic team event men's LP! Jason deserves that! Alysa Liu is THAT GIRL. Put her on all the Wheaties boxes. Her vibe is so chill, so stress-free. I am so relaxed watching her. Alysa OGM campaign is in full swing! And lastly, AMBER GLENN!!! Admittedly, I have not been the biggest fan of Amber as it's been hard to watch some of the disappointing skates she's had that clearly affected her mentally, but I was SO happy for her to nail her free skate out of the park here. I really felt that skate, and I feel like this was the skate she's been waiting for all year too. I cannot wait to see how she takes this experience going into next season.

Other thoughts:
- Except for Jason, the entire men's event was on life support, but ehhh... if this were Worlds, we would have a serious problem, but it's not Worlds. It's an event where the men are dressing up in Sailor Moon costumes and trying to blow off some steam. Someone give Ilia a bed. He's been saying he's tired as soon as he finished Worlds. I thought this would be a great opportunity for one of his challengers to hand him an L before next season, but it just turned out that they all kind of wanted a bed. I would not have been upset if Jason won the FS because USA would have still been 1-2. Ilia's breaks-of-character and flop final spin were actually kind of funny -- sums up that trash program to be honest.

- I'm really glad that Gubanova had two great skates here to make up for what happened at Worlds. She gets to end the year on a higher note.

- Team France probably should have gotten that Team Spirit award. USA was creative and fully invested, but they had enough accolades this weekend.

If Ilia had lost to Jason it think he would not have been able live that.
down for a while. Ilia was exhausted and I think Worlds with all associated off ice drama drained him. I hope that he is able to go home and take a week or two off the ice to recharge his batteries some. I think that almost all the men seemed to wanted the season over already. Jason seemed to savior this WTT because it could be the last one he does so he wanted to finish it on high note and he did. Now the off season and then the most important season of the Olympic one.

 

[Mathman]

I think that Jason did put himself in the driver's seat with this performance, if he wants to continue for another season. The USFSA rules governing the Olympic selection criteria, for all the intent on the part of the federation to make them transparent, still come down to deliberations of the International Committee and the appropriate subcommittee. And no other U.S man has stepped up to the plate with sufficiently strong results to replace him as the #2 man.

 

[Kris135]

I think that Jason did put himself in the driver's seat with this performance, if he wants to continue for another season. The USFSA rules governing the Olympic selection criteria, for all the intent on the part of the federation to make them transparent, still come down to deliberations of the International Committee and the appropriate subcommittee. And no other U.S man has stepped up to the plate with sufficiently strong results to replace him as the #2 man.

The response had nothing to do with Olympic season. Jason is going to compete next season and if he still able to perform at his usual level he going to 3rd Olympics he has done too much and he earned his spot on the plane to Milian last month to be honest. I was talking about this being his last WTT the next one is in 2027. I think that Jason going to retire after Milian, skating fans were blessed to have him skate for an extra quad. Next one is going to be Ilia and the kids that are coming up.Jason gave us the bridge to get there and we should be grateful to him for that.

 

[museksk8r]

My top performances from the WTT:
1. Amber Glenn FS - absolutely phenomenal and I can’t stop watching this performance; if she were to skate all of her planned content cleanly in both SP and FS, she could be on the top of the podium in every event
2. Jason Brown SP - goosebumps; he is this generation’s king of PCS; the skating skills, choreography, musical interpretation and presentation are sensational
3. Lara Naki Gutmann SP & FS - LOVE her originality, powerful jumps, and dynamic style
HM: Gilles & Poirier FD; Adam Siao Him Fa SP

All of the reigning World Champions were egregiously and grossly over scored given what they delivered. Amber should have beaten Alysa in the FS. The RD score of Chock & Bates should have been 3 points lower than it was; Madi & Evan’s twizzles were embarrassing in this performance and their ice coverage and flow were lacking in this performance as well, but once again, they were held up. The Italian pair should have beaten the Japanese pair in the FS. I am really getting fed up with seeing the Japanese consistently skate the FS with multiple mistakes and being held up in PCS. Jason should have beaten Ilia in the FS as well.

 

[ladyjane]

- Team France probably should have gotten that Team Spirit award. USA was creative and fully invested, but they had enough accolades this weekend.

That I totally agree with. I was expecting them to. And why wasn't Team Italy granted a performance at the Exhibition (or did they decline)?

 

[el henry]

I believe (believe, so maybe wrong) that only the gold medalists and the home team are asked to do exhibitions.

I don’t remember what they did the year that Japan won gold.

 

[4everchan]

I believe (believe, so maybe wrong) that only the gold medalists and the home team are asked to do exhibitions.

I don’t remember what they did the year that Japan won gold.

@ home team this event is always i Japan... so ok