JGP Mexico City Sept 25-28

[icedancer110]

JGP Mexico
Mexico City, Mexico
SEP 25-28, 2003

Kahle
Perry
Pennington, C
Brauninger
Vise/Kole
Schmidt/Pottenger
Donowick/Ungar
Cepican/Lichtor

Predictions? How will Team USA place at this JGP?? All reports welcome!:)

[Trillian]

Might be a good idea to move this thread to the JGP forum. :)

Here's a link to the rest of the entries for Mexico.
http://www.isufs.org/events/fsevent00006850.htm

A lot of countries simply don't send entries to this event or don't send full teams (the only Russians are in dance, for example), so that improves the odds of the skaters who are there. Among the ladies, Ando and Kahle should be the top two if they skate reasonably well, although Kahle doesn't really have the international experience for her placement to be a sure thing. (Otoh, it would be a real shocker if Ando didn't medal.) Past that it's pretty open, though I'd expect the major contenders to be the second U.S. and Japanese entries, Brianna Perry and Eri Ishigami respectively. (I don't know a thing about Ishigami, but it's at the point that you can pretty much expect a good showing from any Japanese ladies entrant.) Billings and Carrossa are other potential contenders.

Among the men, Jordan Brauninger looks like the heavy favorite, but I don't want to jinx him. :) Rose, Chipeur, Pennington, and probably the Japanese guys (again, I don't recognize the names) will probably lead the other medal contenders.

Only four pairs entered, so you'd have to consider them all medal contenders. Vise & Kole should be favorites and I'd bet on Cronin & Shales to do well, but how strong are Dube & Davison after their short time together? C&S have beaten Schmidt & Pottenger decisively in the past, and given Dube's past competitive record, & wouldn't be surprised if S&P were the pair left out of the medals. Hard to say, though.

In dance, Mikhailova & Sergeev should be the favorites with the Zaretskis right behind them. And these teams were only two spots apart at junior worlds, so it may be a close competition between them--M&S aren't guarunteed the win. Bronze is a tough call given the inexperience of most of the other teams; I'd watch Cappellini & Zanni, Donowick & Ungar, and perhaps the second Russian entrants. For the Canadians out there, what's the buzz on Senft & Gislason? I'd assume they'll be a pretty good team too.

[schnood]

Jessica Dube is competing in junior ladies & pairs?

Looking forward to seeing her with her new partner.

[Wind]

I haven't seen Senft and Gislason skate. From what I remember, they would be a great physical match. I only hope they are judged on their actual abilities, not one's history and one's connections. Has anyone out there seen them skate?

Any new news on Lauren Flynn?

Also, does anyone know whatever happened to Laura Keating? Her partner is skating with someone new I think. I thought she was a real 'sparkle' out there on the ice.

[shutterbug]

Originally posted by Wind

Any new news on Lauren Flynn?

Exerpt from the Winnipeg Free Press article "New partnership revives Gislason's skating career",Sept. 24, 2003:

"Coincidentally, Flynn, who remains intent on resuming her competitive career, has been unable to find another suitable partner in Canada's limited pool. She is now enrolled at the University of Winnipeg."