Competing at the same GP event every year | Golden Skate

Competing at the same GP event every year

Tolstoj

Record Breaker
Joined
Nov 21, 2015
It's clear that skaters who compete in their home country often receive higher scores and new PBs due to many reasons (like the audience's influence)

We also know that judging isn't the same at each event: there are panels more strict or more lenient and judges who usually work at the same events (correct me if i'm wrong but Shin Amano has only worked in China and Japan)

Now skaters obviously can't choose their GP events, but in some cases we see skaters competing at the same event every year: for example Satoko Miyahara has always competed at the NHK Trophy since her very first year in the senior circuit (and even next year she is going to NHK).

Do you think this is an actual advantage? and if so, do you think there should be a limit on how many times a skater can compete at the same event? (let's say not for more than two-three years in a row)
 

Ice Dance

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 26, 2014
I think it's an advantage to skate at home. And I think it's an advantage to not have to travel if you train in a particular country.

But, no, I don't think there needs to be a limit. This is one case where I can appreciate that the host countries need to fill seats by selling tickets, and while that is an advantage to the big-name local skaters, it is also an advantage for all the athletes to have a larger crowd.

I do think there should be clearer, results-based criteria for assigning all athletes to GPs. I don't think host countries should be able to stack the deck in their favor by skipping over/failing to invite qualified athletes (either from non-host countries or from other host countries). And I don't think any country (either large host countries or small countries with judges or members on technical panels) should be able to politic their athletes into GP events.
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Do you think this is an actual advantage? and if so, do you think there should be a limit on how many times a skater can compete at the same event? (let's say not for more than two-three years in a row)

It's an advantage to be at or near your home country. From 1997 on, Michelle Kwan only competed at Skate America and Skate Canada. I don't think it was a coincidence, as not having to deal with things like jet lag certainly helped her skate well, earn high marks, and maintain her aura of invincibility.
 

DorYiu

Let’s go crazy
On the Ice
Joined
Jun 13, 2017
I think it's an advantage to skate at home. And I think it's an advantage to not have to travel if you train in a particular country.

But, no, I don't think there needs to be a limit. This is one case where I can appreciate that the host countries need to fill seats by selling tickets, and while that is an advantage to the big-name local skaters, it is also an advantage for all the athletes to have a .

I agree that there are advantage for the skater and also agree that there are economic and commercial reason why the host country always could have their big name skaters competiting at home soils. Rather than limiting skaters, maybe there should be policy in relation to rotation of judges? (Please correct me if there are already system in place.) In theory, judges should all follow the same protocol, so it shouldn't be a problem about where you rotate them? And it won't give the impression to people that the judges from the host country will purposly over score any skaters competiting at home country.
 

Ender

Match Penalty
Joined
May 17, 2017
There will always be some advantage for skating on home ice, however it's not like everyone will feel great with pressure from your own people. Ask Javier Fernandez.
 

Ender

Match Penalty
Joined
May 17, 2017
And Yuna Kim!!
I was about to mention her but then I was afraid to get killed... but yeap... crazy expectation on home ice isn't a piece of cake. Yulia Lipnitkaya felt it at Sochi individual event.
 

mrrice

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 9, 2014
Aren't the National Champions offered their home GP Events before everyone else? I imagine that Skate America will be offered to Karen Chen before any other lady. The same with Nathan. They will be the biggest draw for the home audience. Look at Patrick Chan and Kaetlyn Osmond......I am willing to get on plane, book a hotel, and pay whatever it costs to get to see them in person. It's much harder to get tickets for Nationals and for the skaters, it can be cost effective to stay close to home. Not to mention the fact that friends and family will have an easier time attending.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Assistant specialist doesn't have much power in the tech panel.

I disagree, but do not care to debate the issue.

Plus misconceptions about Shin Amano (a different one recently was in another thread) are worth debunking, IMO.
 

SarahSynchro

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Country
Canada
I disagree, but do not care to debate the issue.

Plus misconceptions about Shin Amano (a different one recently was in another thread) are worth debunking, IMO.

Oooh, do you remember which thread this discussion is in? My curiosity has been piqued.

I remember there was a meme of Shin going around after NHK last season that said his favourite song was "24 Carrot Magic" by Bruno Mars. Heh. That's an intentional use of the homonym for "karat", of course. :p
 

Spinning

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 10, 2015
I was about to mention her but then I was afraid to get killed... but yeap... crazy expectation on home ice isn't a piece of cake. Yulia Lipnitkaya felt it at Sochi individual event.

Same goes to all the Russian skaters with CoR. Poor Anna....

Most skaters want NHK nowadays. Best audiences in the world, who can blame them.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Oooh, do you remember which thread this discussion is in? My curiosity has been piqued. ...

Disclaimer that I am not trying to make a mountain out of a molehill. Copying here only to satisfy your curiosity:

The thread was for the recent concurrent comps ("non-international" [loose non-official term]/club comp vs. ISU international comp) near Philadelphia.

The brief conversation started b/c karne mentioned that Shin Amano was ATS for the international Senior Men's segments.

... The ATS is my favourite tech spec, Shin Amano! Go Shin!

Shin is here? I'd never thought he'd come to such a small competition.

... FWIW: Shin Amano wore several hats over the past week ... including (IIRC) replay operator for intermediate and novice segments of the club competition.

So perhaps low-profile roles are not so rare on his plate??? Along with higher-profile roles.

Similarly, Alexander Kogan of Russia was a judge at the novice level (IIRC), as well as at the senior international level. ...
 

drivingmissdaisy

Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 17, 2010
Aren't the National Champions offered their home GP Events before everyone else? I imagine that Skate America will be offered to Karen Chen before any other lady. The same with Nathan. They will be the biggest draw for the home audience. Look at Patrick Chan and Kaetlyn Osmond......I am willing to get on plane, book a hotel, and pay whatever it costs to get to see them in person. It's much harder to get tickets for Nationals and for the skaters, it can be cost effective to stay close to home. Not to mention the fact that friends and family will have an easier time attending.

I would expect to see Karen, Gracie, and probably Gabby D at Skate America. The National Champ doesn't always go; Ashley did Canada and NHK following her 2015 National title, although I'm sure she probably was invited and then turned it down.

EDIT: Oops, I forgot the assignments were announced already. Ashley, Karen and Gabby at Skate America :)
 

VIETgrlTerifa

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
I wonder if it's less that the national champ gets an invite to Skate America but the highest American finisher at Worlds that gets one. It's just that most of the time the national champ is the highest Worlds finisher.
 

Tallorder

On the Ice
Joined
Oct 28, 2014
It's interesting how some of the GP events are held in different cities within the host country (Skate America, Skate Canada, NHK) while some of the others seem to primarily be hosted at the same arena literally almost every year (Cup of Russia/Rostelecom almost every year in Moscow, why not St. Petersburg now and again? That would be cool), the French GP (whatever the name/sponsor is now, had been in Paris almost every year until that arena was undergoing renovations), China is now pretty much a Beijing event, which probably makes sense given the 2022 Olympics will be there, though I bet the athletes wouldn't mind the less polluted option of Shanghai now and again.
 
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