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2017-18 State of U.S. Ladies Skating
- Thread starter R.D.
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- Jul 9, 2014
I think you need to look up Polina's ranking from her last active season which was 2016. I assume that her current ranking is a reflection of her taking last season off.
There is no "they." There are separate countries who host separate GP events and offer their own invitations to athletes for their own GP events. It's complicated so get ready.
All host countries have an immediate three spots for their home event. They can throw a spot back into the pool if they don't have athletes to fill it. They can label them TBA and wait to decide who will attend. Or they can fill them all right off the bat. This happens first.
Gracie wasn't selected for her home event, Skate America. USFSA/Skate America selected Karen, Ashley, and left one spot on the table. These are the only three U.S. ladies' spots USFSA has control over. Once each country has filled their host spots or labeled them TBA or thrown them back in the pool, the process moves on to the next step. Each host country begins to invite/select athletes from other countries to fill the remaining spots.
Representatives from each host country meet in order to select those athletes. There is a draw for the selection so that the host representatives know which country will go first, second, third, etc. in selecting the athletes for their event.
A certain number of athletes have guaranteed GP spots, which they have earned. There are three ways for an athlete to earn a guaranteed spot. 1. Finish top 10 at Worlds. These are the only athletes that have two guaranteed spots. 2. Finish top 24 on the Season's Best list. 3. Finish top 24 in the World Standings. Athletes earn one guaranteed GP invitation by meeting the requirements on #2 or #3. It doesn't matter if they are top 24 on one list or two. They can only earn one guaranteed spot this way.
Gracie's season's best last year was #32. Not high enough to guarantee a spot. But her World Standing is #16.
Here: http://www.isuresults.com/ws/ws/wsladies.htm
World Standings are based on an athlete's record over the course of the past two seasons, plus the current season. Gracie earned one guaranteed spot this way. (The girls who are not on the GP invitation lists did not earn any guaranteed spots, either via the SB list or the World Standings list).
Back to the selection process. Host countries invite all the athletes that are guaranteed the two spots first. Then they invite all the athletes that are guaranteed one spot.
But there are more GP spots than that. Now host countries get to fill any remaining empty spots at their event with more invitations. They can invite athletes with 1 GP spot to another event or they can invite athletes who have not been invited yet. Typically speaking they invite athletes that are ranked high up on the Season's Best and World Standings lists. They are supposed to invite athletes that have met the GP minimum scores. But they have leeway. They can trade spots with other hosts. They can invite athletes who are well known & will help them sell tickets. They can invite foreign athletes who train in their country under local coaches. They can choose not to invite athletes who they feel might defeat their own home-country athletes. When all the spots are full, the spots are full.
So, yes, Gracie could have only received one invite. But she checks a lot of boxes that made two invites very likely for her. She finished high enough on the SB list to be a likely candidate. I could be wrong, but I believe everyone above her on that list also received two invitations. She finished above the other U.S. girls that did not receive invites, which meant USFSA was likely to support her selection. She is well known internationally, and audience members buy tickets in order to watch her.
So she was invited to a second GP, and there is absolutely nothing surprising about it. She earned the first spot via her world ranking results. She made herself a likely candidate for the second spot via her SB score last season and her strong results prior.
This is true. Though there is a readiness requirement in order to remain in the U.S.'s international selection pool. If an athlete is deemed not to fulfill this requirement, he/she/they could technically be removed from the international selection pool (ISP).
USFSA controls only Skate America; results at Nationals have nothing to do with the assignments at the other 5 GPs. USFS does assign the Challengers; maybe they haven't given Courtney one yet because they figure she'll get a GP as a replacement.
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There is no way to "absolutely" know anything. However, we know that elite-level skaters usually execute 2As and easier triples during shows, and according to reports, she has been underotating doubles.
I think most of us are basing our speculation on things totally unrelated to Gracie's weight.
I noted in my post that Polina's GP spot was based on her "comeback" status; I listed her current standing to show how valuable the "comeback" rule was for her.
Yes, her ranking for her last active season was much higher; that's why she qualified as a comeback.
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Sorry Moxiejan.......I was confused...Thank for clearing it up for me. I truly appreciate it.
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- Oct 30, 2012
Well said:agree:
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- Feb 27, 2012
BTW:
I believe "Return Skater" is the precise term for Polina's status regarding 2017 GP assignments. "Return Skater" means that she was "previously in the top 7 to 12 at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2015 or 2016 but since was injured and/or did not compete at all during the entire 2016/17 season."
And my understanding is that b/c Polina is a Return Skater, it is her Season's Best score from 2015-16 that guaranteed her one 2017 GP assignment.
[ETA: Sorry, I take back the preceding sentence. See below.]
Polina does not fit the description of "Come-back Skaters," who "were previously seeded (placed 1 to 6 within the past 10 years at a ISU World Figure Skating Championships) and subsequently did not participate in one or more competitive seasons."
ETA:
I see now that maybe Polina was not *guaranteed* one 2017 GP assignment, although she did get one??
Her SB from 2015-16 was 183.20, which was #21 for that season.
But 183.20 would not have been a Top 24 SB for 2016-17.
Not sure whether that means she was or was not guaranteed a 2017 assignment.
Anyway ... she still does not fit the description of Come-back Skater.
Her SB from 2015-16 was 183.20, which was #21 for that season.
But 183.20 would not have been a Top 24 SB for 2016-17.
Not sure whether that means she was or was not guaranteed a 2017 assignment.
Anyway ... she still does not fit the description of Come-back Skater.
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She's been assigned to the Autumn Classic.
Thank you for pointing this out! I missed that the entries were updated a few days ago.
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Angela Wang has been added to the cast of this year's An Evening With Champions 
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Her first time appearing in the event, I believe.
Added also:
Molly Malone; Tiffany Lau; Shotaro Omori; Nica Digerness/Danny Neudecker (pairs); Joel Dear/Christian Erwin (dance); Team Excel Senior; plus Harvard's own collegiate figure skating team.
This year's show dates are Sep 15-16.
In July, IN already had named Polina Edmunds, Selena Zhao, Yasmin Siraj, Kevin Shum, and the Haydenettes as 2017 cast members.
(Also Ross Miner, but he is not listed on the show's website -- perhaps b/c he now will be competing a few days later at Autumn Classic.)
Emily Hughes and Paul Wylie once again will be the hosts.
.Her first time appearing in the event, I believe.
Added also:
Molly Malone; Tiffany Lau; Shotaro Omori; Nica Digerness/Danny Neudecker (pairs); Joel Dear/Christian Erwin (dance); Team Excel Senior; plus Harvard's own collegiate figure skating team.
This year's show dates are Sep 15-16.
In July, IN already had named Polina Edmunds, Selena Zhao, Yasmin Siraj, Kevin Shum, and the Haydenettes as 2017 cast members.
(Also Ross Miner, but he is not listed on the show's website -- perhaps b/c he now will be competing a few days later at Autumn Classic.)
Emily Hughes and Paul Wylie once again will be the hosts.
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:agree:
It may feel natural to assume the worst, a la karne, about what your fellow figure skating fanatics think. Doesn't make it right.
But the ranking are not really an apples to apples comparison. If I remember correctly, rankings are first based one how one finishes the previous year and those finishes are assigned full value. So for 16-17, Courtney get points where Polina gets none.
The you look at finishes from 15-16 and thoses get something like 70% credit.
Bottom line - last year finishes are weighted higher than previous years' finishes.
The you look at finishes from 15-16 and thoses get something like 70% credit.
Bottom line - last year finishes are weighted higher than previous years' finishes.
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- Apr 4, 2016
Its easy to assume the worst when so many are making comments about Gracies readiness because she has gained weight. There are so many people jumping to conclusions and hoping she quits the GP because her weight somehow means she can't land a triple.
Correct. There are the rankings for each year. And then the Standings compile them together.
No, "many people" are questioning Gracie's GP assignments because there is no evidence (either from public shows or recent practice videos) that she can land a triple. Or even a proper double jump. It's an issue of wanting to see the jumps; it's not an issue of making assumptions about weight.
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- Jul 9, 2014
I don't want Gracie to "Quit" the GP at all. I also don't care how much she weighs as long as she can get through her programs without looking exhausted like she did during the summer shows. I also think it's important not to blame Gracie's struggles solely on her weight. I still think Gracie might be lonely and missing having Carly with her in the rink. Having a best friend around when times are tough is a real blessing and I hope Gracie is making friends as we all need them when times are tough. My real issue is that there are skaters who are prepared and should have received a GP ahead of Gracie if she knew was still unable to land her jumps. Gracie is a star and she has a legion of fans, including me, that will be screaming for her at Nationals no matter how she skates.
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- Aug 29, 2016
it has nothing to do with her weight! I am concered that she is not prepared because she did a double sal and level 1 spins in her performance at Sun Valley. The last time she performed at Sun Valley she did a triple lutz, double axel, and level 1/2 spins. I want to hope that she can do a triple jump but all reports suggest otherwise.
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- Mar 7, 2011
Agreed. Gracie looks fine, healthy, and certainly capable of elite skating! I think the baggy clothes issue is something else entirely. It's like she is trying to hide from the world, or public scrutiny, or believing in herself? Which worries me that she hasn't gotten over last season. I have seen coaches gripe at lower level skaters for wearing huge baggy jackets. It doesn't help you practice presenting yourself with confidence, and can hinder you technically.
The lack of reports is weird too. People were there but nobody wants to talk about it. They don't want to be the victim of "shoot the messenger" like what happened to Dave Lease. I know Jason, Ashley and others are trying to help, but by posting these cryptic messages of support, they are calling more attention to what they don't want people talking about. The secrecy tells me that there is a problem.
