Grand Prix Selection Procedures

[DougDorsey]

I finally had a chance to have a closer look at the selection procedures document, and it left me with a few questions...

1) Is there no longer a limit on the number of entries a country can have per discipline per event? I could have sworn there had always been a limit of three skaters per country per discipline per event in past seasons, but I'm not seeing any reference to this limit in the document. (It does reference a limit on the number of skaters the host country can have, but that's slightly different.) If the ISU is getting rid of this limit, that would be fantastic news, IMO.

2) Section 12, which describes the Alternate List, is so vaguely and poorly worded, it could drive your crazy. Does anyone know the actual methodology, in detail, that will be used to rank the Alternate List skaters, including Challenger Series winners? Also, has the ISU posted an initial Alternate List yet? I believe they were supposed to within a couple weeks of the announcement of initial assignments.

 

[brblja]

re: 1) - I think the country limit is in a higher-level document, it’s referenced within the selection doc (“excluding any skaters from [ISU] Members already included in a maximum capacity”)

 

[AlexBreeze]

Also, has the ISU posted an initial Alternate List yet? I believe they were supposed to within a couple weeks of the announcement of initial assignments.

It will be posted after Cranberry Cup.
Source: Maya Bagriantseva

 

[SnowWhite]

I finally had a chance to have a closer look at the selection procedures document, and it left me with a few questions...

1) Is there no longer a limit on the number of entries a country can have per discipline per event? I could have sworn there had always been a limit of three skaters per country per discipline per event in past seasons, but I'm not seeing any reference to this limit in the document. (It does reference a limit on the number of skaters the host country can have, but that's slightly different.) If the ISU is getting rid of this limit, that would be fantastic news, IMO.

There is a clear reference in terms of host spots: "7. Host Country Skaters: A maximum of three (3) skaters/couples in each discipline from the host country may skate in the host country’s event."

I believe, as @brblja said, that the reference to "members already included in a maximum capacity" is referring to the 3 max more generally. It would be better for them to state it more clearly, or explicitly reference the other rule (wherever it is), but there's definitely still the 3 per country limit.

2) Section 12, which describes the Alternate List, is so vaguely and poorly worded, it could drive your crazy. Does anyone know the actual methodology, in detail, that will be used to rank the Alternate List skaters, including Challenger Series winners? Also, has the ISU posted an initial Alternate List yet? I believe they were supposed to within a couple weeks of the announcement of initial assignments.

No, they were supposed to give a list to the GP hosts within a couple weeks. A public list is to be posted after the first Challenger event:

The official Alternate List will be initially established and distributed to the Grand Prix host organizers within two weeks after the Selection Meeting and will be updated throughout the season (and published on the ISU Grand Prix website page after the first Challenger Series competition.

Not sure why, but that's what they said, and I assume the GP hosts have it.

 

[DougDorsey]

It would be better for them to state it more clearly, or explicitly reference the other rule (wherever it is), but there's definitely still the 3 per country limit.

Agreed. In a document that attempts to cover nearly every other detail of the selection process, why would they leave out one of the most important rules, one that has very real implications in many seasons on who can get selected? Classic ISU.

No, they were supposed to give a list to the GP hosts within a couple weeks. A public list is to be posted after the first Challenger event:

Got it. I missed the part about the initial Alternate List only being distributed to the hosts. I guess we'll have to wait until after Cranberry.

With that said, it would still be great to have a more definitive understanding of the actual Alternate List ranking methodology, including the methodology for ranking Challenger Series winners. Section 12 attempts to cover this, but arguably creates more questions than it does answers.

For example, at one point it says, "Skaters/Couples will be sorted by GP Points." What the heck are GP points? GP standings ranking points? Most skaters on the Alternate List won't have GP standings ranking points – that's why they're on the Alternate List – so how does this make any sense?

Again, classic ISU. How we trust an organization that can't even clearly lay out its own rules to run this sport...

 

[AlexBreeze]

so how does this make any sense?

This is probably due to the new rule.

If a skater invited from the Alternate list for a first GP Event, medals in that Grand Prix event, the skater will be the first alternate for a second event.

It looks like the rest of the list will be formed based on last season's SB and this season's Challenger series winning scores.

 

[DizzyFrenchie]

This is probably due to the new rule.

If a skater invited from the Alternate list for a first GP Event, medals in that Grand Prix event, the skater will be the first alternate for a second event.

It looks like the rest of the list will be formed based on last season's SB and this season's Challenger series winning scores.

Doesn't it apply also to Skaters who had initially one Grand Prix spot? Sorry for being a dummy...