USFSA Grand Prix Assignments are posted!

[Schmeck]

Here's the link:

http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=43093

Will be interesting to see if Cohen can be competitive. At Stars on Ice she barely did any jumping at all, not even enough to do a short program.

[mdvask8r]

Hmmm, Kim & Brent are slated to skate PAIRS in France. Should be interesting . . . :??:??

Edited to add: well they fixed the typo . . . a shame, could have been a fun event with total judging confusion.

[Isk8NYC]

Wow - I knew that Sasha Cohen would get Skate America, but I wasn't expecting the french assignment as well.

They really spread the assignments around. I see Bebe Liang and Kimmie Meissner as well as Ashley Wagner. Good. The more experience, the better!

[Petlover]

Denney and Barrett got Skate Canada and Cup of China, I hope they do really well!

[AgnesNitt]

Johnny Weir Cup of Russia, Cup of China. Didn't he do those last year too?

[Skittl1321]

Johnny Weir Cup of Russia, Cup of China. Didn't he do those last year too?

I'm not sure if this is true, but I've heard that skaters (especially high ranked ones, though without a trip to world's I'm not sure how high Johnny is) can request events they prefer. It's possible he would rather make these trips than do SA or SC that don't require so much travel. Since he's adopted Russia I'd completely believe that and CoR probably sells a lot of tickets based on him because of his fan base there. I know he also really likes Korea, but don't know about China specifically.


I've also read that Czisny preferred SC to SA, as some people have seen it as a slight that the national champions aren't all at SA (but really doesn't it make sense for the USFS to invite the skaters who won't be guaranteed other events to their event, so more US skaters are in the GP series?)

[Schmeck]

It seems to me that USFSA is trying to promote the more senior skaters over the up-and coming ones this year. Giving Cohen two GP assignments when she hasn't competed in how many years? And where was Weir last year - I can't even remember if he was at Nationals. Sure, they have experience doing GP, but what we really need to do is give the younger skaters some international experience before the Olympics!

Also, isn't SA usually the first event, and now it's much later in the season? Didn't it used to be in September?

[TreSk8sAZ]

It seems to me that USFSA is trying to promote the more senior skaters over the up-and coming ones this year. Giving Cohen two GP assignments when she hasn't competed in how many years? And where was Weir last year - I can't even remember if he was at Nationals. Sure, they have experience doing GP, but what we really need to do is give the younger skaters some international experience before the Olympics!

Also, isn't SA usually the first event, and now it's much later in the season? Didn't it used to be in September?

Well, from the records I can find online, Skate America has varied but usually is in October sometime (2006 and 2007 it was late October). So it's about two weeks later than normal this year.

I'm really glad that Alexe Gilles and Becky Bereswill have gotten assignments, as well as Denney and Barrett, but I do agree that it seems to be overly heavy on more established skaters. However, if history repeats itself, the more established skaters (Wier, etc.) may be the first ones to pull out. I know it's an Olympic year and USFSA has to get those with a chance to go to Vancouver good experience internationally early, but I do wish some of the younger skaters were getting more experience for the future.

[Debbie S]

It seems to me that USFSA is trying to promote the more senior skaters over the up-and coming ones this year. Giving Cohen two GP assignments when she hasn't competed in how many years? And where was Weir last year - I can't even remember if he was at Nationals. Sure, they have experience doing GP, but what we really need to do is give the younger skaters some international experience before the Olympics!

Also, isn't SA usually the first event, and now it's much later in the season? Didn't it used to be in September?There are certain requirements for getting a Senior GP assignment - placement at Worlds last year, where your best score last season ranks internationally, etc. Each host fed can choose whoever of its own skaters to invite w/o needing to follow the guidelines, but outside of that, assignments (and 1 vs 2) are done based on the guidelines. There's a document on the ISU website somewhere that spells it out.

Johnny Weir competed at Nats and finished 5th so he did not make the World team. However, he medaled at both of his GPs and the GPF - it's the int'l results that matter in GP assignments, not nat'l ones - so he automatically gets 2 assignments. Sasha Cohen was able to get 2 assignments under a rule that says if a skater takes time off from competing and comes back they can be considered for an invitation. TEB used that rule and the USFSA used the rule that they can invite whatever U.S. skaters they want to SA regardless of their world ranking.

The order and timing of the GP events is different this year b/c it's an Oly season. The ISU wanted to move the entire series up but the USFSA didn't want to move up SA (prob b/c it would conflict with Regionals and cause issues with judges, coaches and officials) so the ISU changed the order and moved up the events that didn't mind being earlier, so SA ended up being pushed back. I believe the GP series will go back to its traditional order in 2010-11.

[doubletoe]

There are certain requirements for getting a Senior GP assignment - placement at Worlds last year, where your best score last season ranks internationally, etc. Each host fed can choose whoever of its own skaters to invite w/o needing to follow the guidelines, but outside of that, assignments (and 1 vs 2) are done based on the guidelines. There's a document on the ISU website somewhere that spells it out.

Johnny Weir competed at Nats and finished 5th so he did not make the World team. However, he medaled at both of his GPs and the GPF - it's the int'l results that matter in GP assignments, not nat'l ones - so he automatically gets 2 assignments. Sasha Cohen was able to get 2 assignments under a rule that says if a skater takes time off from competing and comes back they can be considered for an invitation. TEB used that rule and the USFSA used the rule that they can invite whatever U.S. skaters they want to SA regardless of their world ranking.

Yes, Sasha's status as a medalist in the most recent Olympics gives her privileges as a returning U.S. competitor, which I think is absolutely fair. One of those privileges is a bye to U.S. Nationals without having to compete at Sectionals and/or Regionals.