Lee & Faustino - official announcement

[NAdancefan]

Well, it seems that it's now official - Lenny Faustino's new partner is Hjordis Lee.

Official announcement (http://tsn.ca/figure_skating/news_story.asp?ID=40498&hubName=figure_skating)

[Lise]

Thanks!! Great article!

Lise

[legjumper]

Does anyone have a link to a photo of Ms. Lee?

[the old gurl]

Hjordis Lee SC bio (http://www.skatecanada.ca/english/teams/junior/lee.html)

[Layback]

This is great news! I think this new match-up will really sizzle--Bella and Patch, as well as the others, are really going to have to up the performance value of their programs several notches.
I can't wait till next competitive season, already! :)

[calypso56]

I'm with you, Layback. This should be a great team. They both have a lot of showmanship in their personalities, and I think they are both quite ambitious, as well. I'm sure they will work hard to achieve a high standard of performance.

Now a technical question. What is their status in the national and international ranks? Do they start from square one, or do they benefit from Lenny's position as Canadian Pairs Champion?

I can't imagine that they will be ready to compete in Grand Prix events by September, for example.

Now I wish I was going to Edmonton next January. Oh wait, maybe they will be at 4CC in Hamilton!

[roogu]

Hjordis will have to pass her Sr. Comp. Pair Test to compete with Lenny. The sbs jumps won;'t be a problem obviously ....... I wonder how their pair elements are coming along.

[StarshineXavier]

This is such good news! I thoroughly enjoy Lenny, and it's great to see that he's found a new partner. Best of luck to both of them!

[ice mommy]

Originally posted by calypso56

Now a technical question. What is their status in the national and international ranks? Do they start from square one, or do they benefit from Lenny's position as Canadian Pairs Champion?

I can't imagine that they will be ready to compete in Grand Prix events by September, for example.

I'm not sure what the situation would be regarding any funding this new team would receive from Skate Canada or other Canadian sources. As far as International assignments, I don't think that they'll have difficulty receiving something as there is a shortage of Pairs teams Internationally. They'll have to get to work asap, but they're a talented pair who, I'm sure, will be able to prepare admirably in time for fall GP events which don't begin until late October. I look forward to seeing them develop!!!

[cygnus]

Originally posted by calypso56
Now a technical question. What is their status in the national and international ranks? Do they start from square one, or do they benefit from Lenny's position as Canadian Pairs Champion?

I can't imagine that they will be ready to compete in Grand Prix events by September, for example.




Well Marcoux and Buntin only got together in July of last year (I believe), and yet performed quite respectably at Skate Canada in October. Admittedly, both were pairs skaters already, but still, if a team "gels" there's no reason why this team can't do the same, especially as Hjordis already has the jumps.

[Annes]

Actually, we almost have an <b>excess</b> of pairs teams to send to the GP. More, certainly, then we have had in a long time:

1. L/A
2. P/W
3. M/B
4. team that finished 5th at Canadians
5. Wakamatsu & Fecteau
6. Lee and Faustino

Wow! Canadians should be interesting!

[Catherine M]

I saw Hjordis back at 2002 nationals and thought right away that she would make a great pairs skater. Glad to see her and Lenny team up.

I'm not sure how it works with Langlois & Archetto being a seeded team on the Grand Prix to the number of spots open for other Canadian teams to be invited. Canada might have as many as 7 spots to fill on the GP, not counting L&A's seeded spots.

If there as many as 7 spots available, that does help the new team of Lee & Faustino be considered for the Grand Prix. I'm sure they will be monitored heavily over the summer and if they are looking good, we'll probably see them with GP assignments along with Putnam & Wirtz, Marcoux & Buntin and Wakasmatsu & Fecteau and of course the seeded Langlois & Archetto.

[supersk8er]

Can we get any reports from skaters that train at Barrie? How are they progressing? I hope all is going well!

[thumbyskates]

Oh my God!!! I'm SO excited for Hjordis :D When I read that her and Lenny would be skating together and screamed and scared the living heck outta my mom. Wow.

Where will they train? What section will they skate for? I'm so excited!!! Odd question....will they have to compete at Regionals and Sectionals, before moving on to Nationals, or will Lenny's status be honoured?


Kortney :D:D:D:D

[Emanfan]

Originally posted by thumbyskates
Oh my God!!! I'm SO excited for Hjordis :D When I read that her and Lenny would be skating together and screamed and scared the living heck outta my mom. Wow. Kortney :D:D:D:D

You sound so excited. Do you live in or near New West??

[ice mommy]

Originally posted by thumbyskates
Odd question....will they have to compete at Regionals and Sectionals, before moving on to Nationals, or will Lenny's status be honoured? Kortney :D:D:D:D

It will have nothing to do with "Lenny's status". Any skater/Pair/Couple which skates Senior and is assigned an International isn't required to skate at Sectionals.

[Skatingsarah]

Wow, you guys predicted this well in the other thread! Congrats to them. This is really going to make lee known! Lights Camera action, cant wait untill Canadians this year! Keeping the Canadian tradition

[supersk8er]

It's going to be a really exciting Canadians next year! New pair-ups like this are what make the event so unpredictable! That's too cool for Hjordis...She's always been an amazing skater, but hasn't always got the consistency on the bigger jumps, but she's consistently been able to land the toe for quite some time. I think it's great. Good luck to them!!

[Ryan O]

Originally posted by calypso56
Now a technical question. What is their status in the national and international ranks? Do they start from square one, or do they benefit from Lenny's position as Canadian Pairs Champion?


Yeah, good question. Yeah I kind of have been wondering how National Team status works. Like how do they consider someone who qualified for the National Team by being in the top 5 at Nationals, but who splits with the partner they reached that with? For example, last year Valerie Marcoux placed 4th at Nationals and therefore qualified for the National Team. But because she and Bruno Marcotte went separate ways, I noticed she wasn't listed on the skatecanada.ca site in late May last year with the National Team. Same thing with Lenny this year--he made the National team, but will he be listed on the National Team? It seems that they don't list the pair if one member is "qualified" and one is "non-qualified". This could apply to Jean-Sebastien Fecteau from 2002 Nationals too. He placed 5th, but then split up with Valerie Saurette. Does a person get the National Team position and funding if they split with the person they acheived it with? :?: Like Valerie Marcoux will be listed in the National Team this year under the pairs ceategory at skatecanada.ca because she placed in the top 5 with Craig Buntin. Will Lenny haveto wait till he gets a National placement with his new partner next year to be listed? That seems to be the procedure of how it works.:?: Hmm. I assume someone like Elvis Stojko automatically will qualify, as he does have a rather important resume and is rather important to Canadian skating.;)

Yeah I hope it is a nice pairs competition at Nationals in Canada next year. The last couple years the pairs have all blown apart in the long programs with multiple mistakes. It happened this year in 2003, and it happened in 2002 with the pressue of the Olympics even causing Sale and Pelletier to bomb.:??

I hope the judging at Nationals is fair too. Langlois and Archetto are probably the best pair overall in Canada in terms of consistency, but I have been unhappy that they last 2 years (and especially this year) they were kept on the podium for political reasons. This year they didn't land one element in their long program and were still placed 2nd overall whereas they should have been 4th. You haveto at least land one major element to be on a podium. I have never seen that before! My fave team of Marcoux and Buntin made 2 mistakes in the long and Langlois and Archetto made 6 or 7 and missed everything and were placed aove them because they had done well on the GP. I would like to see fair judging next year. I particularly feel for Valerie Marcoux. :o This was the 2nd year she placed 4th with her partner on a 5/4 split in the judging panel, and in both years she would have been on the podium above Langlois and Archetto had it not been for the political help their placement for the GP events garnered them.:??

With declining viewership for skating in Canada and hearing about CTV/TSN reducing its coverage, it is important that judging at Nationals is fair so that it does not turn away viewers who tune it to watch it. I want to see a *fairly* judged pairs event next year at Nationals.:?? Some people have joked that Elvis Stojko returning (whether you agree or disagree with it) might help boost coverage and support for CTV/TSN. We will see.:)

[Erin F]

This is great news! Having seen all the Jr and Sr Ladies in Saskatoon, I couldn't picture anyone else who would make a good match for Lenny. Hjordis has many wonderful qualitities to her skating and a consistent triple toe and double axel...the perfect pairs skater :) I can't wait to see them together.

[leap of faith]

Elvis is not automatically on the National Team. He could be nominated by a committee like he was for 2002 because he was injured much of 2001 and missed nationals.

I would guess before they give Lee and Faustino GPs they'd prolly send them to Nebelhorn first. This was the route they took with M&M and M&B.

[ice mommy]

Although it's a technicality, skaters who have placed 1st to 5th at Senior Canadian Championships are nominated for the National team. Being on the National team isn't necessarily automatic. This is an honour, but I don't think it is cut in stone that only those on the National team will receive funding or invitations to Grand Prix events.

from Skate Canada web site (http://www.skatecanada.ca/english/programs/funding/index2.html)
Each individual skater who placed 1 -8 at Canadians receives a monetary award:

Position Senior Junior Novice
1 $12,000 $3,000 $2,000
2 $11,500 $2,000 $1,000
3 $10,500 $2,000 $1,000
4 $7,000 $1,500 $900
5 $5,000 $1,200 $800
6 $2,500 $1,000 $700
7 $2,000 $800 $600
8 $1,500 $600 $500.

My guess is that even if a team splits, should they find a new partner and continue to compete, that they would retain the amount awarded. In addition, there are a number of awards/bursaries which are given to skaters based on various criteria. These are usually announced at the AGM, I believe that Skate Canada has some discretion to give newly formed teams some initial funding should they feel the team is promising.

[Francis71]

In regard to the placement money for split pairs - the rule last year was that if you were planning to continue to compete with a new partner the money was paid after you skated at your sectional event. If you didn't find a new partner or retired you don't get the money. I can see that some years there might be more of this money saved than spent and I wonder where that goes?

[supersk8er]

Originally posted by Ryan O
I want to see a *fairly* judged pairs event next year at Nationals.:??

Haha. Don't we all!

[GreekGoddess85]

why did he break up with Jacinthe?

[supersk8er]

You should read the thread on the Lenny and Jazz split...

[GreekGoddess85]

where is that thread?

[supersk8er]

It's somewhere in the skating news...It's an older thread...So, just look back a little bit. ;)

[calypso56]

I think this is the thread you are looking for, GG85

http://www.skatingforums.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=7834&highlight=Faustino

[bratsplash77]

actually, hjordis does have a little pair background... early last year i think, after the 2002 canadians, hjordis tried out with craig buntin for pairs... but she couldn't decide if she wanted to switch or not... obviously it didn't work.. but she is a really amazing pair skater just watching her... she is the perfect pairs skater... best of luck to them! :P

[supersk8er]

Has Hjordis already moved to where her and Lenny are going to be training? If she has, are there any reports on how they're progressing? Thanks in advance if there are!

[Artemis]

Skate Canada will no doubt watch them skate together before deciding on things like GP assignments. Remember that when Jamie and David were a brand new pair they skated at Skate Canada International that fall. This was because Skate Canada (the governing body) had watched them and decided they had what it took to compete at that level.

(ok, anyone else hating that the ruling body and the GP competition have the same name? :roll: )

[NAdancefan]

Originally posted by Artemis
ok, anyone else hating that the ruling body and the GP competition have the same name? :roll: YES... even with the name switch, in my mind and with long-time skatefan pals, I've refused to stop calling it the CFSA. :x

[summertime]

Originally posted by Artemis

(ok, anyone else hating that the ruling body and the GP competition have the same name? :roll: )

Yes !!!! :frus: