I'll take Ilia's word on the matter:
"They started cooperating with me" still has me cracking up.
2026 Olympics Team Event speculation
- Thread starter SubRosa
- Start date
I'll take Ilia's word on the matter:
"They started cooperating with me" still has me cracking up.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
It would not surprise me if France gets into the final ove rCana da. Canada is a hot mess with the injury and withdrawl in the eam event of Deanna and Max. Where will the judge put Piper and Paul - I fear behind the US, France, Italy and Britain. THere may be no loss to put LaLa in the fs if Canada makes it that far. The rhthym dance will say a lot where judges are slotting teams. You have the five best dance teams in the team event probably - Chock and Bates, FB/C; Fear and Gibson, the Italians and P squared plus the Georgians. I think some of the big things we need to know are Chock and Bates and Ilia doing both events? Which if any european men will show up and skate well ie the Italian and French boys and throw in Georgia. Those men are all over the place which is why Ilia could splat as he did at the Grand Prix Finals and still win comfortably.
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2010
There's no way any man who is an individual medal favorite should do both portions of the team event. That's three programs in four days, and four programs in six days. The men's team programs should be on the first two days like ice dance is.
- Joined
- Feb 24, 2012
I guess from your photo we know who your were disappointed about but don't disagree with him not being on the eam.I did not take Brian's quote to mean "Oh poor pitiful Ilia" at all. I do agree that it is not Ilia's responsibility to win gold for Team USA. And that that is how I took the quote.
I found the last part most interesting: You selected this Olympic team, USFS, now live with it. You wanted these guys, now use them.
(And so as not to be misunderstood, I have no problem with the Oly selections. I am disappointed and sad about one result, but I can't disagree. )
I have yet to ask my little cousin
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
My good friend @el henry is a supporter of all skaters, but, yes, she does have a soft spot for Jason. I know she was rooting for him to make the team, and to a lesser degree than her, so was I. And after my uncharacteristic blatant rooting for Max this year, I can't fault anyone for a particular rooting interest.
But she's also a proponent of fair play. After Nationals, she did not dispute the results or the selection. Regret? Sure, but that's it.
- Joined
- Jan 18, 2021
is it true that Conti is injured? may or may not be asking for my skating predictions.
- Joined
- Aug 16, 2018
Fascinating confirmation from France that they will field Kevin for the SP and Adam for the FS if they qualify for the free segment:
I think this is likely a strategy to avoid judging / score comparisons between Adam and Ilia and Yuma, especially since Ilia and Yuma is very likely to do the team event SP, and save it for the individual event.
I think this is likely a strategy to avoid judging / score comparisons between Adam and Ilia and Yuma, especially since Ilia and Yuma is very likely to do the team event SP, and save it for the individual event.
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2024
Skaters for the first day of the TE:
- Joined
- Sep 22, 2024
Wow, we have all five (individual) medal contender teams in TE rhythm dance, this is going to be exciting heavy launch.
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- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
That's probably one of the factors. The other is that, Kévin, with one quad and strong PCS, can remain in the pack in the SP but certainly not in the LP. Adam has more firepower for the LP. I would split it like that too just based on potential scoring of each skaters. At the same time, it will be close. I did the maths yesterday and I had France winning over Canada but with a tiebreaker.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2026
Agreed. And that's how it's been since the beginning of the team competition in 2014--Patrick Chan, Yuzu, and Nathan Chen never had to do both team programs, so I'm not sure why it's being discussed for Ilia.
USFS left him off the Olympic team in 2022, and given the difficult tech in men's and the brutal toll it takes on the body, realistically it's possible that this could be Ilia's only Olympics. Then asking him to skate 4 uber difficult programs in a row here, I don't agree with it.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
Assuming Danny and Ellie skate both segments, then that means that only two of ladies, men, and dance will be able to split. And if, as widely speculated based on practices, Alysa and Amber are splitting the ladies, then that means that either Ilia must skate both or C/B must skate both. No choice for Team USA.
So, if C/B have indicated that they'll skate both segments, then that gives Ilia the opportunity to skate only the short. They may have him skate the long depending on the standings at the time, but he doesn't have to.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
Ilia could skate a watered down program though, like he did at US Nationals. I think that was actually perhaps something they were considering if he had to do both programs. He could even place first (or second) with that program and earn enough points for the gold.
If I am Ilia, and I am facing the possibility of winning a gold in the team event, I'd go for it. Nothing is ever guaranteed and who knows what could happen in the singles (most likely gold for Ilia again but.. you know). So... go for it, take the team gold and then go for the individual gold.
Deanna and Max explained that they went to a challenger before GPF because they wanted the feeling of skating 4 programs back to back. If they can do it, I am pretty sure Ilia can to.
- Joined
- May 15, 2024
Other thing is that Adam is more FS skater and he and Kevin can provide stellar SP and disaster SP, but still Adam is better bet for FS. Another thing is that France isn't medal contender and with Kovalevs and Lorine who may bring in 3-4 points overall, they may not reach the final. Adam still has some chance for medalling in individual event, there is no need to push him in team event.
- Joined
- Jul 17, 2018
I love that Team France has this much confidence in Kevin.
Let’s see Team USA show as much confidence in their men who are not Ilia, as they decide who skates the free.
All of these guys are Olympians, let’s treat them as such.
- Joined
- Nov 3, 2012
Yes, please. Andrew literally just skated the best Free Skate of his life, and Max was good also. And the worst Andrew or Max would be in the Free is 5th, which is still six points.
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And yet Japan is only choosing to make one substitution when they could easily also substitute in either pairs or the women.
- Joined
- Jan 30, 2026
Even skating a watered down program would mean changes to the layout, and I would imagine for the Olympics that's not ideal when you want your final layout and timing to be comfortable and set, to be practicing and performing a different layout a few days before the big day.
At least according to the Brennan article I read recently, Ilia would prefer to just to do the short, and I think that should be respected as it has been for Nathan and others in the past. What Deanna and Max decide to do for themselves is not relevant to this.
I also think it's a great point that we should treat the other athletes like the Olympians they are. Torgs and Max can be great when they're on, and it would be a good chance for one of them to try for an Olympic medal.
