Grand Prix Assignments 2023/24 released

[icewhite]

I don't think my budget will allow me to go to any Grand Prix except Angers, sadly. I'm not too excited about the men's line-up at that event, but there are some great teams in pairs and ice-dance there!

Well, I've complained about Kevin not being there, but Adam, Kagiyama, Malinin sounds pretty good? Who would you have liked to see?

 

[mrrice]

As much as I like Gracie and her story I hope that USFS will know better and give the host spot to Ava.

Is Gracie Still Competing? If so, it wouldn't surprise me if she gets the host pick. Gracie still sells tickets and I'm sure the host knows it. No matter what, she will always be a star in US Figure Skating.

 

[moonvine]

Is Gracie Still Competing? If so, it wouldn't surprise me if she gets the host pick. Gracie still sells tickets and I'm sure the host knows it. No matter what, she will always be a star in US Figure Skating.

No one knows. I pray so. I mean, last year she didn't make her decision until a couple of weeks before Philadelphia International. I'd be interested to know if she is on the WADA list. If not she's done, at least for now.

 

[yuumagical]

What were the numbers like last year, do you know?

(Looking at the lists this year, SCI is very promising, quite a lot of the folk I like Now whether I will be able to watch it given the hour and ISU gatekeeping... but maybe )

No idea... i don't even remember where it was LOL... was it missisauga? Yeah it was... but no idea how many people went.. This year it's in Vancouver. It's not downtown but near UBC. I am guessing some folks like @NanaPat or @lariko may go... Maybe they can give you an idea of how many people show up... I have no recollection of who was able to attend the Missisauga one... maybe @Arriba627 or @SnowWhite

I attended Mississauga last year and can guesstimate the crowd there. On the spectrum of crowded from Worlds this year to your typical JGP event, I'd say that Mississauga felt like a little bit less than the middle of the road. Not a huge crowd at all, but not too sparse, a very comfortable crowd. It's also important to note that a significant amount of Hanyu fans bought tickets to Skate Canada before he retired, thinking he would be there, and either didn't attend or sold their tickets to others. (Of course, there were some in attendance as well.) Glad to have bought my ticket from one of them.

 

[4everchan]

I attended Mississauga last year and can guesstimate the crowd there. On the spectrum of crowded from Worlds this year to your typical JGP event, I'd say that Mississauga felt like a little bit less than the middle of the road. Not a huge crowd at all, but not too sparse, a very comfortable crowd. It's also important to note that a significant amount of Hanyu fans bought tickets to Skate Canada before he retired, thinking he would be there, and either didn't attend or sold their tickets to others. (Of course, there were some in attendance as well.) Glad to have bought my ticket from one of them.

indeed... also : fall 2022 covid worries still for many people. I think this is behind us but audience for public events like concerts etc are still not back at the pre-covid levels.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Theu USfed did what they thought was in the best interest of their own pairs when dealing with assignments of course. Chan and Howe were guaranteed two spots. That is not the case for all US pairs... so by not having Chan and Howe are SKAM, it allows the USFed to invite a pair who may not have been invited elsewhere. Miura and Kihara : they knew that going to Canada might not work out this year. SD/D are seeded 3rd (with KF not being there) and as Canadian champions, SCI would want them at home. SD/D, M/K and the Italians C/M cannot be in the same GPs.

Yeah, for sure. It's all about rep, standings, strategy, fs politics, and what have you. But for sure, US figsk sucks regarding politics. They are not that savvy. The sport's antiquated rules aren't helpful, of course. But USfigsk do not always make the best decisions. Again, I know the decisions are bound up by the rules and protocol too. USfigsk may not always make the best picks for SA. In the past, too often Tarasova/ Morosov were constantly invited to SA. The fact that T/M trained in the U.S. at times, may have contributed to their selection. Plus, their star status and fanbase. For sure M/K have a large fan base in the U.S. too. I'm not saying that picking them for SA this year is a bad choice. I understand some of the process.

Also, Lia/ Trennt being at SA with Chan/ Howe not being there, is a good opportunity for Lia/ Trennt.

 

[abbyblack]

I don't think my budget will allow me to go to any Grand Prix except Angers, sadly. I'm not too excited about the men's line-up at that event, but there are some great teams in pairs and ice-dance there!

Yeah! I was not sure about going either, but I'm really excited about Illia, Wakaba and ice dance. So I'm definitely going now (and it's my first time attending a competition, so if anyone has any tips )

 

[Ruthypegs]

Well, I've complained about Kevin not being there, but Adam, Kagiyama, Malinin sounds pretty good? Who would you have liked to see?

Although Yuma and Ilia are amongst the world's top skaters and are phenomenal athletes, I don't enjoy their skating style (sorry!) I really like Camden, Koshiro and Adam (who are at the event), but would have loved to have seen Kevin, Deniss, Roman, Kazuki or Shoma. Especially Deniss or Kevin.

 

[TT_Fin]

Oh I had not noticed Janna Jyrkinen had got GP France. So that is the reason local Fed keeps home spots open for others in women.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Probably so. Asking a Swede local Fed may think to try get some Swedes to audience, too. I checked rankings. Josefin is just ahead of the best Finn Janna. Finland has 9 women in worlds ranking, but I could give a spot to Josefin and two to local women if I was asked. But probably they won't do so and if the local Fed did so, they will get a lot of critic because we have enough local women.

Josefin is just outside the season best score list for GP selection, nr. 76. The replacement/alternate list only goes up to nr. 75. Janna is nr. 46. in SB, which counts more towards GP selections if you are not top 15? at WR. So that is the reason she got a spot, and not Josefin I would imagine. I think it´s not unlikely that Josefin could have been picked for GP Finland if she had been around the place Janna is on the SB score list. I was really rooting for her getting into top 75, and she came so close, less than one point from being on a replacement list....

Well, she could pull a Ziegler, and win an early Challenger, getting herself on the list and get a late spot because of WD.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Is Inga Gurgenidze too young for seniors? She is ahead of quite a few skaters on the SB list who got a GP spot.

 

[Gia_Sesshoumaru]

Is Inga Gurgenidze too young for seniors? She is ahead of quite a few skaters on the SB list who got a GP spot.

Yes, she's only 14.

 

[Marirue]

Well, I've complained about Kevin not being there, but Adam, Kagiyama, Malinin sounds pretty good? Who would you have liked to see?

I remember that Memola and Grassl are also there to compete which it is an interesting showdown between these two along with their coaches (Olga and Eteri)

 

[surimi]

Josefin is just outside the season best score list for GP selection, nr. 76. The replacement/alternate list only goes up to nr. 75. Janna is nr. 46. in SB, which counts more towards GP selections if you are not top 15? at WR. So that is the reason she got a spot, and not Josefin I would imagine. I think it´s not unlikely that Josefin could have been picked for GP Finland if she had been around the place Janna is on the SB score list. I was really rooting for her getting into top 75, and she came so close, less than one point from being on a replacement list....

Well, she could pull a Ziegler, and win an early Challenger, getting herself on the list and get a late spot because of WD.

Oh no, she has been so unlucky, first the minimum for 2023 WC eluded her by just a few tenths IIRC, and now she's not in the GP selection pool. A real bummer for me, as she's so much fun to watch, and one of the skaters who just exude joy and draw fans. I hope she doesn't get demotivated, and stays around yet.

 

[lariko]

No idea... i don't even remember where it was LOL... was it missisauga? Yeah it was... but no idea how many people went.. This year it's in Vancouver. It's not downtown but near UBC. I am guessing some folks like @NanaPat or @lariko may go... Maybe they can give you an idea of how many people show up... I have no recollection of who was able to attend the Missisauga one... maybe @Arriba627 or @SnowWhite

Mississauga was great last year. Enough to create the buzz, but not packed. And... Shoma!

I am going to Skate America this year, for Malinin and Levito. Missing Cha, but what can you do.

 

[yesterday]

I'm not sure what the "doing what the Russians do" means?

But whatever the Russians do, or the Japanese do, or the Senegalese do, it wouldn't work in the US. We need to figure out what works here.

And until someone with unlimited funds and smarts conducts actual real live professional marketing studies (instead of "me and all my friends like X." I love saying "Me and all my friends like X". But it's not proof) we can't say.

I thought about general promotion, using partly exaggerating headlines, launching hype trains etc
If they had had a Nathan recently, there would be no stopping them.

 

[yesterday]

I remember that Memola and Grassl are also there to compete which it is an interesting showdown between these two along with their coaches (Olga and Eteri)

 

[moonvine]

Definitely a US thing. (that women bring a crowd). In Canada, I would say that champions bring the crowd... When D/R would skate... crowd... when V/M would skate... crowd... when Patrick would skate crowd... when Osmond would skate... crowd... but someone else may have a different perception of it all.

No crowd when pairs skated even with Alexa and Brandon being world champions. I mean the pairs crowd is pathetic, I can actually move down some seats. Ice Dance, little crowd even with Olympic and World Medalists. Men fill up about halfway, that's with WC Nathan Chen. Women are packed, sold out almost every time even though our ladies have not been strong for a really long time.

 

[moonvine]

The one woman who may have a reason to complian is Ava Marie Ziegler. She had a stronger season last year compared Audrey Shin and look she got 2 and Ava got nothing. Unless she gets the final host spot from Skate America she will not have a GP. Last year Ava got 4th at Skate Canada and won a Challenger Series event. Audrey basically had 2 GP's and 1 Challenger event and she was no higher than 4th so why does she have 2 GP's and Ava has none. I would like to tell somebody at USFS this. You need to develop young talent and she may one of the strongest ones we have after Isabeau who is not in her mid to late 20's.

USFS only decides the Skate America TBA. I guess Audrey was higher on the World Standings list.

 

[moonvine]

As much as I like Gracie and her story I hope that USFS will know better and give the host spot to Ava.

Know better? If they want more people to show up they will invite Gracie (who no one even knows is still skating or not)