USFS Will Select 3 for Skate America, but WHO?

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Am I the only one thinking its a tad to early to be thinking about GP assignments? Let the USFSA finish the general assembly first.

Not to rain on anybody's parade or anything. Sorry.

Not really. I'm sure there are others who want to think about costumes and music, and going to college.

 

[chuckm]

You don't seem to be thinking about the Finals. Emily will not make it at SA with Kimmie there. Emily needs at least a silver to be on the road to the Finals. Wagner may even put her off the podium. Whoever the Asian lady is, it will be her, most likely with the gold. One can not count on meltdowns to happen. Emily would be best served to be in Skate Canada and face another Asian Lady and Joannie.

Joe

And what guarantee is there that Emily will be picked for Skate Canada? The fact that she beat Joannie Rochette at 4CC makes it even less likely that she will be picked. Skate Canada is very judicious in their selections, to yield the most medals for the Canadian skaters.

Emily could just as easily get Cup of China and Cup of Russia, as she did last year. She got Cup of Russia in 2005, as well. Those events will not fit easily into her academic calendar, as CoR will easily take a week away from school, and CoC, even more.

As the US silver medalist, Emily will be ASKED if she wants to compete at Skate America, and the likelihood is she will say yes if she plans to compete in the Grand Prix at all. I don't think making the GPF is high on her priority list anyway, since that would mean still another disruption in her academic schedule.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

As the US silver medalist, Emily will be ASKED if she wants to compete at Skate America, and the likelihood is she will say yes if she plans to compete in the Grand Prix at all. I don't think making the GPF is high on her priority list anyway, since that would mean still another disruption in her academic schedule.

Can't help but agree with you. However, I was trying to think of the best way for Emily to get to the Finals. I'm under the impression that the aim of these GP venues is to get enough points to qualify for the GPF.

I had forgotten that she has now taken on a very big chore with University, and attending school as well as skating will be tough especially at Harvard. I think she will, at some point, decide on one or the other. She could take less courses to make it easier. All this has to be decided by Emily. We are not in her skates.

When one thinks of the GPs, how many skaters have more or less deliberately not compete in them and how well did they do at Worlds? I'm thinking Kwan, Cohen, Plushenko, Lambiel. I believe they all got medals at Worlds or Olys.

Joe

 

[chuckm]

I had forgotten that she [Emily] has now taken on a very big chore with University, and attending school as well as skating will be tough especially at Harvard. I think she will, at some point, decide on one or the other. She could take less courses to make it easier. All this has to be decided by Emily. We are not in her skates.

Joe

Emily has indicated that education is her main priority. She has to take a full load of classes for her first year, so that is not an option for this coming season.

I wouldn't be at all surprised to see her do only Skate America this season (of course, she'd have to come up injured or sick for her second event).

 

[jennylovskt]

I thought Caroline & Mirai said they were going to compete on the JGP internationally but move up to seniors at Nationals this year.

Maybe it's just a speculation. I, too, thought Caroline was. I don't know Mirai. And I don't know if the source was reliable. At least it raised the hope of seeing Caroline competes with Kimmie at 2008 Nationals. Wow, a live coverage for Evan vs. Johnny and Kimmie vs. Caroline. That will be super!

 

[Mathman]

No guarantees on Emily placing well at Skate Canada in any case. Not only would she face one of the top three Asian ladies, but also either Kostner or Nakano for sure (if not Meissner), and maybe Meier.

 

[euterpe]

Here's who I think we will see at Skate America:

LADIES: Kimmie, Alissa, Ashley
MEN: Evan, Ryan, Jeremy
PAIRS: I/B, C/O, NN/L
DANCE: B/A, N/B, Wester/Barantsev

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

For me, it would be Asada, Meissner, Liang

Also Carriere, Weir, Lysacek

Also McLaughlin/Brubaker, Inoue/Baldwin, NNN/Themi

Also Belbin/Agosto, Davis/White, Gregory/Petukov

If and only If they are all doing Skate America.

The above is the American order of finish - not the results if Daisuke, Denk/stav, Pang/Tong, show up. then it's a wait and see.

Joe

 

[Spun Silver]

You have Mao (or Mai?) skating for the USA? You must know something I don't.

 

[jennylovskt]

Joe, I don't know others, but I think Johnny Weir will not do Skate America. First of all, he always likes to do Skate Canada and Cup of Russia. Second, he said somewhere last season that his coach Priscilla Hill had schedule conflicted with SA, so he couldn't do it. Maybe his coach will have the same conflict schedule this year, too.

I bet Evan Lysacek will be the leading man for US Skate America men's team.

 

[Mathman]

The above is the American order of finish - not the results if Daisuke, Denk/stav, Pang/Tong, show up. then it's a wait and see.

One of Joubert, Lambiel or Takahashi will automatically be there, unless they decide not to do the Grand Prix at all this year.

 

[R.D.]

You have Mao (or Mai?) skating for the USA? You must know something I don't.

lol, I'm sure it was simply a slip-up.

On that topic, though, COULD she switch countries if she wanted to? Even if she did I would imagine the JSF wouldn't let her simply jump ship like that

 

[chuckm]

Joe, I don't know others, but I think Johnny Weir will not do Skate America. First of all, he always likes to do Skate Canada and Cup of Russia. Second, he said somewhere last season that his coach Priscilla Hill had schedule conflicted with SA, so he couldn't do it. Maybe his coach will have the same conflict schedule this year, too.

I bet Evan Lysacek will be the leading man for US Skate America men's team.

Johnny has never wanted to do Skate America. Certainly as 3-time US Champion he was offered first choice of doing SA but declined. But I would not say Johnny WANTS to do Skate Canada, as he has never performed well there. However, Skate Canada likes to select Johnny for the same reason! hwell:

He does like to skate in Russia, though.

 

[hockeyfan228]

Based on this year's qualifying criteria, all of the following are guaranteed one event, if they decide to skate seniors, and pairs can skate both juniors and seniors (and pairs don't skate in all JGP events):

Zhang, Nagasu, Czisny, Wagner, Oster, Liang
Carriere, Mroz, Abbott, Bradley
Vise/Trent, Namiotka/Coughlin, Vlassov/Meekins, McLaughin/Brubaker
Hubbells, Samuelson/Bates, Navarro/Bommentre

Meissner, Hughes, Lysacek, Weir, Belbin/Agosto, Davis/White, Gregory/Petukhov, Inoue/Baldwin, Nam/Leftheris (based on score) and Castille/Okolski are guaranteed two.

If the USFS wants to give exposure to the greatest number of skaters, they might choose someone who isn't guaranteed any event or doesn't qualify for one, knowing that the rest will get at least one.

Of course, from a TV standpoint, Vise/Trent attempting a quad throw vs. Inoue/Baldwin's throw 3A, Zhang's flexibility, Bradley the crowd pleaser, a Weir/Lysacek preview of US Nationals are all good stories, and you never know whether this will have influence in the final selection.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Joe, I don't know others, but I think Johnny Weir will not do Skate America. First of all, he always likes to do Skate Canada and Cup of Russia. Second, he said somewhere last season that his coach Priscilla Hill had schedule conflicted with SA, so he couldn't do it. Maybe his coach will have the same conflict schedule this year, too.

I bet Evan Lysacek will be the leading man for US Skate America men's team.

Oh Johnny, Oh! I wish he could move on.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Based on this year's qualifying criteria, all of the following are guaranteed one event, if they decide to skate seniors, and pairs can skate both juniors and seniors (and pairs don't skate in all JGP events):

Zhang, Nagasu, Czisny, Wagner, Oster, Liang
Carriere, Mroz, Abbott, Bradley
Vise/Trent, Namiotka/Coughlin, Vlassov/Meekins, McLaughin/Brubaker
Hubbells, Samuelson/Bates, Navarro/Bommentre

Meissner, Hughes, Lysacek, Weir, Belbin/Agosto, Davis/White, Gregory/Petukhov, Inoue/Baldwin, Nam/Leftheris (based on score) and Castille/Okolski are guaranteed two.

If the USFS wants to give exposure to the greatest number of skaters, they might choose someone who isn't guaranteed any event or doesn't qualify for one, knowing that the rest will get at least one.

Of course, from a TV standpoint, Vise/Trent attempting a quad throw vs. Inoue/Baldwin's throw 3A, Zhang's flexibility, Bradley the crowd pleaser, a Weir/Lysacek preview of US Nationals are all good stories, and you never know whether this will have influence in the final selection.

Thanks for that rundown on the possibilities Now it's up to the USFS to decide who from your group one, to send into the far flung venues of the world. for their one comp and whom will they permit an easy trip;

One way to revamp this GP series is to cut it into 2 parts: US, Can, Par and then Rus, Chi, JPN. It would somewhat ease the travel inconveniences. The3 winners of Part one and the 3 winners of Part two would meet in the GPF where ever it is held.

Joe

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

You have Mao (or Mai?) skating for the USA? You must know something I don't.

It was a slip up. I had originally predicted the results (GPs can be predicted based on past events) but changed my mind when I entered Men, Pairs and Dance, and didn't amend the Ladies. It would be Czisney. Thanks for catching that goof.

 

[flying camel]

Does anyone think Bebe would get a shot at Skate America or will she have to go back to China?

 

[Nigel]

This wasn't intended for the entire GP venues. However, your bringing it up is well taken, and there is no place a skater can go to avoid one of the top three.
But there are six in the Finals, that is the reason I wrote my thinking that only gold and silver placements in the series will make the Final.

So, if Miki is in Skate America, no problem for Kimmie to be at SA too. My rationale would be that she could get a silver there and also in Moscow. Strategy is what I am thinking here.

As for the other two US skaters for SA, I think as others do, that the USFS will keep Kimmie and Caroline separated. Unfortunately for Emily if she is in Skate Canada, Caroline may well be there too. Caroline can also get a second in China. If these two possible predictions work out, both Kimmie and Caroline will meet in the Finals;

So the third US skate for Skate America may very well be Alissa who will bring in the masses and keep Skate America from an empty house.



Joe

I would anticipate Kimmie doing SA (along with Alissa and perhaps Bebe) and France. I think Caroline will go to two SGP events...perhaps China and Japan....keeping Meissner and Zhang at totally different events. Knowing Zhang, she is anticipating getting her feet wet at the Sr level both domestically and internationally.

 

[chuckm]

I think ISU will send Caroline to two events...perhaps China and Japan....keeping Meissner and Zhang at totally different events.

The ISU cannot 'send Caroline' anywhere. The USFS has to first nominate Caroline Zhang for the GP. If she and her coach have decided to do the JGP instead, Caroline would not be available for GP selection.