Nagasu taking lessons with Mishin in CO

[ice coverage]

That's what the USFSA website says. It makes sense, since a skater good enough to get an international assignment probably deserves a bye from Regionals. This whole issue came up when Michelle was thinking of coming back in 2009. A spot was saved for her at Skate America so that she could go to Nationals. There was no talk of her going to Regionals. If the rules have changed, then someone please cite the language from the USFSA.

But the USFS page that you cited does not say anything about an exemption from Regionals?? Thus my original question. Which, at this point, I am regretting that I ever asked.

 

[jenaj]

But the USFS page that you cited does not say anything about a exemption from Regionals?? Thus my original question. Which, at this point, I am regretting that I ever asked.

Here is what it says about the International Bye: "Earning an 'international bye' based on proximity of an international assignment in the current season to the sectional championships." It doesn't say the skater's sectional championships, just the sectional championships. It the language means what it says, then the skater gets a bye through regionals and sectionals. If someone can provide some other official language to the contrary, they should do so.

ETA: I believe Mirai will get a bye through Regionals as a member of the US Figure Skating Team per Rule 2473. Her GP assignment will get her the bye through Sectionals.

 

[ice coverage]

... It the language means what it says, then the skater gets a bye through regionals and sectionals. ....

I was familiar with the language before I ever posted my question today.

And the language is open to differing interpretations, IMO.

So I do not have an answer to my question. But I am going to move on now. Life is too short.

---

ETA, I will move on after noting :

... This whole issue came up when Michelle was thinking of coming back in 2009. A spot was saved for her at Skate America so that she could go to Nationals. There was no talk of her going to Regionals. ...

I was not a member of GS in 2009, but it was easy to find a 2009 thread in which the question of Michelle and 2009 regionals was discussed.

FWIW, what Lynn Rutherford posted on GS in Jun 2009:

... if Kwan decides to return to competition, I know of no existing USFS rule that would allow her to gain a bye past regionals, unless she were assigned a senior B held around the same time (i.e., Nebelhorn). If she competed at Skate America, she would of course gain a bye past sectionals.

http://www.goldenskate.com/forum/sh...ill-She-Return&p=398161&viewfull=1#post398161​

I suppose Lynn's post itself is open to more than one interpretation. Just sayin' that the question of regionals was a matter of discussion in the thread where Lynn posted.​

 

[chuckm]

Skate America might have given Kwan a bye through both Regionals and Sectionals depending on the dates of SA vs. the two competitions. SA could have been within two weeks after Regionals and two weeks before Sectionals at that time.

 

[chuckm]

ETA: I believe Mirai will get a bye through Regionals as a member of the US Figure Skating Team per Rule 2473. Her GP assignment will get her the bye through Sectionals.

No. She didn't finish top 5 at US Nationals 2015 (she was 10th). The top 5 are exempt from both Regionals and Sectionals. Skaters who make the JGPF are also exempt, as are those who finished outside the top 5 at Nationals but have international assignments occurring within two weeks of their Regional and/or Sectional event.

BTW, no one is "on the National team" before Regionals and Nationals. The Nationals Teams for Worlds, 4CC and JW are announced by USFS immediately after Nationals each year. Some skaters, as noted above, won't have to compete at Regionals and/or Sectionals to make it to Nationals, but they are not guaranteed a spot on any Championship team.


Mirai has a bye through Sectionals due to her invitation to NHK. She will need an international assignment in early October to get a bye through Regionals. USFS has given Mirai an international assignment at that time every year when she didn't have an early GP (Finlandia in 2013 and 2012, Nebelhorn in 2011; she went to SA in 2014).

 

[b-man]

No needs to worry folks. As Chuckm says, USFS almost always gives their top skaters international assignments, if needed, so they won't need to go through regionals/sectionals. Even if they didn't, regionals aren't that difficult for a top level skater. I recall a past her prime Rachel Flatt went the regionals/sectionals route in the 2013/14 season and had absolutely no problem making it through to Nationals.i

 

[aromaticchicken]

Regionals should be a breeze for mirai if she needs to go. Often the top scores don't even break 100 for FS, and they pull from the top four. Mirai gets that even on a horrid day (101.35 at 2015 nationals.)

 

[ice coverage]

If I wasn't clear above:

I never have been worried that competing at Regionals would put Mirai in danger of not qualifying for Sectionals.

My posts/questions have been out of curiosity over the rules in general, for any skater -- not limited to the perspective of where Mirai specifically will or will not compete.

Anyway, very happy for Mirai that she is assigned to NHK.

 

[MK's Winter]

So happy Mirai got NHK! I think she'll go to an international but if she does go to Regionals she will win it by a large margin. I'm not really worried. Do we know when international senior Bs are decided?

 

[chuckm]

When they are posted on the International assignments page on the USFS website.

 

[mrrice]

This may sound strange but I'm actually serious. How physically taxing is a 5 triple program to a skater like Mirai? I ask because it would seem to me that Mirai should be able to zip through a regional without batting an eye. If that's the case, why is having to do a sectional or regional such a big deal.

I realize they are different activities however, in Dance we have to go from the bottom up every single season. Even 5 time champions have to restart their climb every year. If Mirai does have to take a couple of extra steps, is it the travel or expense that makes having to qualify more difficult? I guess I'm a little unclear on the situation. Is it considered "beneath" a skater of Mirai's ability to have to go through this process? Can someone please help me out here. Thank you.

 

[drivingmissdaisy]

This may sound strange but I'm actually serious. How physically taxing is a 5 triple program to a skater like Mirai? I ask because it would seem to me that Mirai should be able to zip through a regional without batting an eye. If that's the case, why is having to do a sectional or regional such a big deal.

Mirai wouldn't want to go because she could spend the time training or competing in an international event. There is no upside; qualifying would not improve her reputation at all and if some disaster happened and she ended up finishing 2nd or 3rd her reputation would be tarnished. Certainly whoever finishes 4th there will be thankful that Mirai wasn't competing.

 

[mrrice]

Mirai wouldn't want to go because she could spend the time training or competing in an international event. There is no upside; qualifying would not improve her reputation at all and if some disaster happened and she ended up finishing 2nd or 3rd her reputation would be tarnished. Certainly whoever finishes 4th there will be thankful that Mirai wasn't competing.

That makes perfect sense. It's actually closer to dance than I thought. A bad performance at a regional can really hurt your season. It also doesn't help that the chatter among the judges will start as well. "I heard team A lost to B at the regional, can you believe it??" I hope Mirai comes out on fire because her season is really riding on these first performances.

 

[ice coverage]

I doubt Mirai is starting off with a full load of courses. She is probably taking at most two or three, maybe some online. ...

But ... I just saw that the U.S. Collegiate Championships are on Mirai's schedule this summer, per her website .

http://figureskatersonline.com/mirainagasu/home/skating/​

And only full-time students are eligible for U.S. Collegiates.

http://usfigureskating.org/Programs.asp?id=88​

BTW, also on Mirai's summer schedule are the Broadmoor Open (no surprise), and a Lake Placid ice show (a return appearance).

 

[MK's Winter]

But ... I just saw that the U.S. Collegiate Championships are on Mirai's schedule this summer, per her website . http://figureskatersonline.com/mirainagasu/home/skating/ And only full-time students are eligible for U.S. Collegiates. http://usfigureskating.org/Programs.asp?id=88 BTW, also on Mirai's summer schedule are the Broadmoor Open (no surprise), and a Lake Placid ice show (a return appearance).

I saw this as well. I am going to try to go the the Colligate champs.

 

[ice coverage]

I saw this as well. I am going to try to go the the Colligate champs.

Have fun!
I just thanked you in the Lake Placid thread for giving me the impetus to look at Mirai's schedule .

 

[aromaticchicken]

Omgosh thanks for calling attention to that! I'm planning on going to Pittsburgh for the collegiate Championships, too!

 

[MK's Winter]

Have fun! I just thanked you in the Lake Placid thread for giving me the impetus to look at Mirai's schedule .

No problem! I was hoping to see her at Liberty because it's so close to my house but found the others instead

 

[chuckm]

Mirai didn't have a great outing at Broadmoor. She was 3rd in the SP, after an attempt at a 3a and a 3lo<, but a 6th place in the FS:

1 Amber GLENN 159.74 = 56.13 (4)+ 103.61 (1)
2 Mariah BELL 154.68 = 63.94 (1)+ 90.74 (2)
3 Miyu NAKASHIO (JPN) 148.17 = 60.97 (2) + 87.20 (4)
4 Mirai NAGASU 137.18 = 59.68 (3) + 77.50 (6)
5 Katie McBEATH 135.82 = 47.26 (8) + 88.56 (3)
6 Tyler PIERCE 128.49 = 44.93 (9) + 83.56 (5)
7 Avery KURTZ 127.99 = 53.67 (5) + 74.32 (8)
8 Livvy SCHILLING 122.04 = 49.34 (7) + 72.70 (9)
9 Alexei MIESKOSKI 120.77 = 44.29 (10) + 76.48 (7)
10 Gabrielle LE 104.33 = 34.36 (12) + 69.97 (10)

 

[ice coverage]

Mirai didn't have a great outing at Broadmoor. She was 3rd in the SP, after an attempt at a 3a and a 3lo<, but a 6th place in the FS: ...

Important to add that something obviously was wrong with Mirai's knee during her Broadmoor FS:

@11apperera:

Mirai: 3A stumble. 2A3T. Love this music. 3L2T2L. 3Lz. Pop sal. 3L two foot, clutching knee. Starting footwork. Lovely Biellmann. But hurt.
11:03 AM - 27 Jun 2015
https://twitter.com/11apperera/status/614856656770351104​

Not clear when Mirai's knee started causing pain (presumably why she was clutching it) -- whether during the FS itself or warm-up or when??

(She placed second in the Freezer Aerial Challenge the day before, but something must have happened with her knee thereafter.)