Grand Prix Final

[antilles]

Has anyone noticed that the second Long program/Free dance has been dropped from the Grand Prix Final? I waded through their rather long techincal announcement, and the second long program isn't on their schedule.

[Tigger]

Here's hoping!!! I always thought it was unneccesary and risky thing to have to put tired skaters through so close to Worlds. The perfect environment for a skater to get injured. Fingers crossed it's been dropped.

[roogu]

It wasn't so much the singles skaters Iw as worried about .. it was the pairs. Doing lifts in a second freeskate can't be comfortable.

[Orable]

and the poor ice dancers! 8O but yeah, you're right; the second free dance and long program has been dropped for the gpf. and thank the lawd for that!

Orable

[antilles]

Hmm. I know they originally included the second long program to try to make the final different from other competitions. I wonder if they'll keep toying with it in the future.

[ceceB]

It seems like the format of the final gets changed every year! I agree with those who would like to see the second long/free dropped.

It's interesting to think back and see how the events would have turned out if there hadn't been a secong long in previous finals, eh? Like, Irina would have won in 2003, B&S in 2002, A&P in 2002, Plushenko in 2002...

[jcspkbfan]

Originally posted by antilles
Hmm. I know they originally included the second long program to try to make the final different from other competitions. I wonder if they'll keep toying with it in the future.

IIRC, the second LPs were added to the GPF in order to make the event a little more exciting for television...which turned out to be pointless since most TV viewers (at least in the States) never even got to see the first LPs! :evil: And don't get me started about that ridiculous "elimination/head-to-head" format in 2000!

In any case, count me in as another person happy to see the "two LP" format go! :)

[Aaron W]

I'm not someone who likes that it's gone. I can't see myself in the future spending money to see very few skaters and as a result very few performances. At the very least they need to increase the number of competitors that qualify for the event so that people actually get a fair amount of skating for their money. When I went to the 2002 GPF, I got to see 24 more programs than people will get to see in Colorado Springs and I also paid around $90 for an all-event ticket. Yet for this season's GPF, they have suddenly dropped the amount of skating people will get to see and are still charging more than they should ($157 for near ice seating).

[cygnus]

I agree with you Aaron- I'm sorry to see it go too- not so much for the TV coverage, which is never great, but I'm less likely to travel to see it live now. With only 24 skaters, that's only an hour (total) for the shorts and ODs, less than 2 hrs for the longs and FD, and about the same for the Gala.- so that's 4-5 hours of actual skating- not really worth travelling very far for. I've attended the last 2, but I think I won't go again unless it's close to home with this format.