Grand Prix 2017-18 News and Chat

ancientpeas said:

Oh I'll be really sad if they don't do the GP season. They are my favourite team. I guess I'm just not sure if in a year where one event and one event only really matters what they will do. I guess no one really knows if her injury is like Tessa Virtue's. Is it because of overtraining? Is she one of those skaters who needs to focus more on big events? I don't know. I don't think any of us know for sure.

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Last year there were articles about Sui's injury in their FF, if you want to read about it more. It basically said she had been skating with injured ankles for a long time and they finally decided to do surgery after 2016 Worlds. Should be okay now. She wasn't skating in GP this season, because she could put on skates after only in September, and had to re learn skating again. I don't think she needs to focus only on main competitions, their 2015 GP season went fine till her injury went bad and S/H WD from GPF. The came back for 4CC and won, so I see no issue with that.

silverlake22 said:

Savosin, Erokhov, Sadovsky are all still age eligible for JGP and might opt to compete there instead. Same goes for Kraznoshon.

I would also think Nicolas Nadeau and Liam Firus would be in consideration for the SC host spot and may be able to get 1 GP assignment even if they don't get the host spot.

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Firus = 52nd in seasons best so could get 1 GP slot anyway, especially given numbers of still age eligible juniors. Will add to list, 2 below Yee. Nadeau = 74th so would need a host pick. Am assuming skaters taken in Seasons Best order once guaranteed 1 and 2 slots skaters are taken. Could Canada have 2 Host Picks as well as Chan?

Miller said:

Firus = 52nd in seasons best so could get 1 GP slot anyway, especially given numbers of still age eligible juniors. Will add to list, 2 below Yee. Nadeau = 74th so would need a host pick. Am assuming skaters taken in Seasons Best order once guaranteed 1 and 2 slots skaters are taken. Could Canada have 2 Host Picks as well as Chan?

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I think the host picks are done first? Anyways I wouldn't be surprised if Nadeau gets SC just because he's aged out of juniors and there is a good chance Balde, Firus & Messing can each get 1 GP assignment that isn't a host pick. Reynolds has 2 GP event secured through his World's finish and Nam has 1 secured through his WS, but is quite likely to receive a 2nd anyways.

What is most likely to happen IMO is that Patrick and Nic are assigned to SC originally and then the 3rd spot is left TBA. Then if someone like Firus or Messing doesn't get a GP invite somewhere else SC could offer the TBA spot to one of them later. This is usually how the USFS does it.

silverlake22 said:

I think the host picks are done first? Anyways I wouldn't be surprised if Nadeau gets SC just because he's aged out of juniors and there is a good chance Balde, Firus & Messing can each get 1 GP assignment that isn't a host pick. Reynolds has 2 GP event secured through his World's finish and Nam has 1 secured through his WS, but is quite likely to receive a 2nd anyways.

What is most likely to happen IMO is that Patrick and Nic are assigned to SC originally and then the 3rd spot is left TBA. Then if someone like Firus or Messing doesn't get a GP invite somewhere else SC could offer the TBA spot to one of them later. This is usually how the USFS does it.

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This is what I think is likely to happen too.

SnowWhite said:

This is what I think is likely to happen too.

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me 3

Here’s a go at Pairs. Some quite interesting results in this one i.e. couples only looking as if they’ll get one spot. Probably due to the smaller number of competitors at each Grand Prix, the increased depth in pairs, also juniors moving up, and the impact of Host Picks in a couple of countries.

Russia (9 slots) – Tarasova/Morozov, Stolbova/Klimov, Zabiiako/Enbert 2, Astakhova/Rogonov, Kavaguti/Smirnov 1. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these). Have assumed Boikova/Kozlovskii stay in juniors otherwise would get 1 slot.

China (8 slots) = Sui/Han, Yu/Zhang, Peng/Jin 2, Wang/Wang 1. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these). Have assumed Gao/Xie stay in juniors otherwise would get 1 slot.

Canada (8 slots) – Ilyushechkina/Moscovitch, Duhamel/Radford, Seguin/Bilodeau 2, Moore-Towers/Marinaro 1. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these).

USA (8 slots) – Scimeca Knierim/Knierim 2, Denny/Frazier, Castelli/Tran, Kayne/O’Shea, Liu/Johnson (need split couple Mari Vartmann/Ruben Blommaert to be removed from world rankings) 1. Host Picks – TBA (assume 2 of these).

France (4 slots) – James/Cipres 2, Esbrat/Novoselov, Mendoza/Kovalev 1 (both host Picks).

Italy (3 slots) – Marchei/Hotarek 2, Della Monica/Guarise 1.

Japan (3 slots) – Suto/Boudreau-Audet 2 (1 as Host). Will assume Suzaki/Kihara = Host Pick also, Seasons Best 130 less than likely 139 minimum, but leeway for host skaters is allowed, plus can achieve at start of 2017/18 season.

Germany (2 slots) – Savchenko/Massot 2.

Czech Republic (1 slot) – Duskova/Bidar 1.

Austria (1 slot) – Ziegler/Kiefer 1.

Australia (1 slot) – Alexandrovskaya/Windsor 1.


Couples who just got in i.e. will miss out on a pick for example if there are host picks other than those assumed. Last couple in (Zabiiako/Enbert) at bottom.

Seguin/Bilodeau
Peng/Jin
Zabiiako/Enbert


Skaters just missing out, but will get 2nd slot or 1st as appropriate if slots free up through retirement, injury, juniors not moving up etc.

Moore-Towers/Marinaro (CAN)
Denney/Frazier (USA)
Della Monica/Guarise (ITA)
Duskova/Bidar (CZE)
Astakhova/Rogonov (RUS)
Kavaguti/Smirnov (RUS)
Wang/Wang (CHN)
Castelli/Tran (USA)
Kayne/O’Shea (USA)
Cain/Leduc (USA)
Ryom/Kim (PRK)
Ustimikina/Volodin (RUS) (stay in juniors?)
Ruest/Wolfe (CAN)
Ziegler/Kiefer (AUT)
Efimova/Korovin (RUS)
Alexandrovskaya/Windsor (AUS)

And a go at Dance.

USA (15 slots) – Shibutani/Shibutani, Chock/Bates, Hubbell/Donohue, Hawayek/Baker, Pogrebinsky/Benoit, Parsons/Parsons, McNamara/Carpenter 2. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these). Have assumed Carreira/Ponomarenko have stayed in juniors, would get 1 if moved up.

Russia (11 slots) – Bobrova/Soloviev, Stepanova/Bukin, Sinitsina/Katsalapov, Zagorski/Guerreiro, Loboda/Drozd 2. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these).

Canada (7 slots) – Virtue/Moir, Weaver/Poje, Gilles/Poirier 2. Host Pick – TBA (assume 1 of these).

France (5 slots) – Papadakis/Cizeron 2, Lauriault/Le Gac 1. Host Picks – TBA (2 of these, presumably Lauriault/Le Gac = 1, but others are possible e.g. Abachkina/Thauron, Galayavieva/Abecassis).

Italy (4 slots) – Cappellini/Lanotte, Guignard/Fabbri 2

China (4 slots) – Wang/Liu 2 (1 as Host Pick), Song/Sun, Chen Zhao 1 (both Host Picks).

Japan (3 slots) – Muramoto/Reed 2 (1 as Host), Fukase/Tateno 1 (Host Pick, in low 80's Seasons Best-wise, but have minimum score).

Great Britain (2 slots) - Coomes/Buckland (1 as Return Skaters, 1 via 2015/16 seasons best)

Israel (2 slots) – Tobias/Tkachenko 2.

Turkey (2 slots) – Agafonova/Ucar 2.

Denmark (2 slots) – Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen 2.

Poland (2 slots) – Kaliszek/Spodyriev 2.

Ukraine (1 slot) – Nazarova/Nikitin 1.


Couples who just got in i.e. will miss out on a pick for example if there are extra host picks other than those assumed. Last one in i.e. Kaliszek/Spodyriev at bottom.

Pogrebinsky/Benoit
Parsons/Parsons
Loboda/Drozd
Afgafonova/Ucar
Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen
McNamara/Carpenter
Kaliszek/Spodyriev


Skaters just missing out, but next in line for 1st or 2nd slot as appropriate if slots free up through retirement, injury, juniors not moving up etc.

Nazarova/Nikitin (UKR)
Lorenz/Polizoakis (GER)
Popova/Mozgov (RUS)
Lauriault/Le Gac (FRA) (if not already 2 slots via World Ranking and Host Pick)
Shpilevaya/Smirnov (RUS) (if move up)
Skoptcova/Aleshin (RUS) (presume stay in juniors)
Abachkina/Thauron (FRA)
Min/Gamelin (KOR)
Jakushina/Nevskiy (LAT)
Mansour/Ceska (CZE)
Lajoie/Lagha (CAN) (presume stay in juniors)
Smart/Diaz (ESP)

Abachkina/Thauron (FRA) aged out of juniors as he is already 21!

I read the return skater bit differently

Return of a ranked Skater/Couple - “Return Skater/Couple”
A Skater or Couple, not included among those defined in paragraphs a) and b) above, who was
previously in the top 7 to 12 at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2014 or 2015 but since
was injured and/or did not compete at all during the entire 2015/16 season, may be chosen, if
applicable, as an Organizing ISU Member Skater, and in addition, may be considered as an Organizing
ISU Member’s Choice and will be ranked in the list of Season’s Best scores by taking the Season’s Best
points of their most recent season, if proof is given in writing by their ISU Member that they intend to
continue their competitive career and their return is announced and confirmed by the date of the annual
Selection Meeting. Such Skater or Couple is defined as a “Return Skater/Couple” and such a Return
Skater/Couple does not need to fulfill the requirement of a minimum Grand Prix score

To me that means that any of the Organizing members can choose Nic and Penny for their GP, as their season's best from their last competitive season will be included in the top 75 season's best. In fact their season's best would put them in the top 24 season's best, but it is not clear if that will automatically give them a GP as it does for the other skaters in the top 24 season's best ranking.

I feel pretty sure that as the organizing members can choose anyone they want from the top 75 season's best after the first round of allocations are done, that they would want Penny and Nicolas, so I am pretty sure they will get 2 GPs

I thought Paul/Islam retired in the fall.

chapis said:

Maybe they don´t need so much the money, because the organizers refused to sell me a front row ticket, they forced me to buy in the general section and they preferred that an expensive seat be left empty.

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Did you write a post somewhere where you detailed what happened? I remember a thread like that about the ticket issues of the GPF. Was it in the 2016 GPF thread?

Front row seats are often vacant, as the organizers of the event save them for local VIPs who just as often don't show up for the event.

Mattieu said:

Abachkina/Thauron (FRA) aged out of juniors as he is already 21!

I read the return skater bit differently

Return of a ranked Skater/Couple - “Return Skater/Couple”
A Skater or Couple, not included among those defined in paragraphs a) and b) above, who was
previously in the top 7 to 12 at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2014 or 2015 but since
was injured and/or did not compete at all during the entire 2015/16 season, may be chosen, if
applicable, as an Organizing ISU Member Skater, and in addition, may be considered as an Organizing
ISU Member’s Choice and will be ranked in the list of Season’s Best scores by taking the Season’s Best
points of their most recent season, if proof is given in writing by their ISU Member that they intend to
continue their competitive career and their return is announced and confirmed by the date of the annual
Selection Meeting. Such Skater or Couple is defined as a “Return Skater/Couple” and such a Return
Skater/Couple does not need to fulfill the requirement of a minimum Grand Prix score

To me that means that any of the Organizing members can choose Nic and Penny for their GP, as their season's best from their last competitive season will be included in the top 75 season's best. In fact their season's best would put them in the top 24 season's best, but it is not clear if that will automatically give them a GP as it does for the other skaters in the top 24 season's best ranking.

I feel pretty sure that as the organizing members can choose anyone they want from the top 75 season's best after the first round of allocations are done, that they would want Penny and Nicolas, so I am pretty sure they will get 2 GPs

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Thank you for that. It did seem a bit bizarre, double counting and all that, or kind of repeating the same thing re Organizing members. Anyway thank you again will update, plus being British it's a good do! Also thanks re Abachkina/Thauron and thanks TennisGuy re Paul/Islam.

TerpsichoreFS said:

Did you write a post somewhere where you detailed what happened? I remember a thread like that about the ticket issues of the GPF. Was it in the 2016 GPF thread?

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yes, basically my credit card was not accepted, and the girl told me that they only recivied cash for the general section. She told me that they could sell me tickets in the front row but only with a credit card. My stupid bank don´t know what is the problem with the credit card, they say that everything is ok, the girl selling tickets didn´t know what was the problem either, I already read that many people have that kind of problems with credit cards when they travel, anyway if they accept cash for a section, why not the other sections?, especially when it is an international event and they can`t accept certain cards. In Paris (Trophy of France) I had the same problem with the card but the guy received my cash without problem.

Miller said:

Have assumed Carreira/Ponomarenko have stayed in juniors, would get 2 if moved up.

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How do you figure? Carreira & Ponomarenko are behind McNamara & Carpenter on the SB list and, unlike M&C, didn't make the top 24 on the World Standings list. C&P would get 1 if they moved up & would then have to fight it out for a host spot. Like you, I don't expect them to move up. Anthony is very young, and I expect them to chase a Junior World title. Also, C&P are the U.S.'s best bet for earning a full slate of junior dance teams for the following season.

Ice Dance said:

How do you figure? Carreira & Ponomarenko are behind McNamara & Carpenter on the SB list and, unlike M&C, didn't make the top 24 on the World Standings list. C&P would get 1 if they moved up & would then have to fight it out for a host spot. Like you, I don't expect them to move up. Anthony is very young, and I expect them to chase a Junior World title. Also, C&P are the U.S.'s best bet for earning a full slate of junior dance teams for the following season.

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Yes, you're right, 1 via Seasons Best or World Junior medallist. Originally had them in the middle of people like McNamara and Carpenter and Kaliszek/Spodyriev who had 2 on my initial calculations but then went down to 1 once I worked out the number of host picks. Will update.

The SB list was updated after the WTT :

1 198.62 Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR CAN
2 196.04 Gabriella PAPADAKIS / Guillaume CIZERON FRA
3 191.85 Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI USA
4 190.56 Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE CAN
5 189.01 Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES USA
6 186.68 Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV RUS
7 186.64 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE ITA
8 185.19 Elena ILINYKH / Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN RUS
9 182.57 Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER CAN
10 180.82 Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE USA
11 180.30 Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI ITA
12 177.80 Isabella TOBIAS / Ilia TKACHENKO ISR
13 177.41 Alexandra STEPANOVA / Ivan BUKIN RUS
14 177.36 Kaitlin HAWAYEK / Jean-Luc BAKER USA
15 173.02 Tiffani ZAGORSKI / Jonathan GUERREIRO RUS
16 171.94 Victoria SINITSINA / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS
17 167.81 Elliana POGREBINSKY / Alex BENOIT USA
18 164.83 Rachel PARSONS / Michael PARSONS USA
19 164.37 Alla LOBODA / Pavel DROZD RUS
20 163.00 Alisa AGAFONOVA / Alper UCAR TUR
21 160.68 Laurence FOURNIER BEAUDRY / Nikolaj SORENSEN DEN
22 159.30 Lorraine MCNAMARA / Quinn CARPENTER USA
23 158.36 Shiyue WANG / Xinyu LIU CHN
24 157.19 Christina CARREIRA / Anthony PONOMARENKO USA

chuckm said:

The SB list was updated after the WTT :

1 198.62 Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR CAN
2 196.04 Gabriella PAPADAKIS / Guillaume CIZERON FRA
3 191.85 Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI USA
4 190.56 Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE CAN
5 189.01 Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES USA
6 186.68 Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV RUS
7 186.64 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE ITA
8 185.19 Elena ILINYKH / Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN RUS
9 182.57 Piper GILLES / Paul POIRIER CAN
10 180.82 Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE USA
11 180.30 Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI ITA
12 177.80 Isabella TOBIAS / Ilia TKACHENKO ISR
13 177.41 Alexandra STEPANOVA / Ivan BUKIN RUS
14 177.36 Kaitlin HAWAYEK / Jean-Luc BAKER USA
15 173.02 Tiffani ZAGORSKI / Jonathan GUERREIRO RUS
16 171.94 Victoria SINITSINA / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS
17 167.81 Elliana POGREBINSKY / Alex BENOIT USA
18 164.83 Rachel PARSONS / Michael PARSONS USA
19 164.37 Alla LOBODA / Pavel DROZD RUS
20 163.00 Alisa AGAFONOVA / Alper UCAR TUR
21 160.68 Laurence FOURNIER BEAUDRY / Nikolaj SORENSEN DEN
22 159.30 Lorraine MCNAMARA / Quinn CARPENTER USA
23 158.36 Shiyue WANG / Xinyu LIU CHN
24 157.19 Christina CARREIRA / Anthony PONOMARENKO USA

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Yes, cut-off point for 2 slots and 1 slot is between Agafonova/Ucar and Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen. Everyone from A/U up gets 2 if assume go down Seasons Best list after all guaranteed slots allocated. Everyone below in the top 24 gets 1 unless gets a host pick as well i.e. Wang/Liu. Thank you BTW for calculating the updated World Rankings earlier on in the thread, they've been absolutely invaluable in this exercise.

Apropos pairs, my understanding is that Boikova/Kozlovskii are staying junior next season.

Also with pairs: I would think the Skate America host pick would go to Cain/LeDuc, since they don't seem to have much chance of getting a GP slot.

So glad that Loboda/Drozd got 2 GP!