I just realized that for the first time ever that every medalist for men could be attempting a quad AND every medalist for ladies could be attempting either a 3A or quad at both the junior and senior world championships. This is because Maiia Khromykh is attempting a 4S. (Actually, when writing this post I realize that neither Khromykh nor Valieva have quads listed on their planned content. )
Which brings me back to a post I wrote last fall in the thread about replacing the SP/FS with an Artistic and Technical program:
Here's the best standings for quadless men at the junior level since 2016:
2019 - Camden Pulkinen was 8th
2018 - Artur Danielian earned Silver, Matteo Rizzo earned Bronze
2017 - Kevin Aymoz was 7th
2016 - Tomoki Hiwatashi earned Bronze
Top Contenders - Junior Ladies
Neither Khromykh nor Valieva have quads listed on their planned content(which I found out after I started writing this thread). If they do go for their quads then Daria Usacheva and Haein Lee are the main contenders here. Seoyeong Wi has a 191 PB. There are actually quite a few skaters in the 170-190 range if these were to all struggle.
Top Contenders - Junior Men
Everyone at the JGPF was attempting quads. It think it's a bit unlikely someone without a quad medals. Here's a list of skaters attempting 3As but no quads according to the planned content and have a personal best above 200:
Mark Gorodnitsky
Sihyeong Lee
Nikolaj Majorov
Ivan Shmuratko
Ilia Malinin
Maxim Naumov (206 at US nationals)
These have PBs in the 180s: Alexander Lebedev, Basar Oktar
Top Contenders - Senior Ladies
Mostly using the season's best list, it seems the top contenders are:
Mariah Bell
Brady Tannell
Satoko Miyahara (TBH, I'd be a bit surprised if she was above Bell or Tannell at this point)
(Wakaba Higuchi attempted a 3A in the FS at the 4CC.)
Yelim Kim
Top Contenders - Senior Men
Jason Brown has (mostly unsuccessfully) been going for a quad lately, but were he to not attempt one he would easily win this.
Mostly using the season's best list and Euro/4CC protocols, it seems the top contenders are:
Deniss Vasiļjevs
(Gabriele Frangipani did not do a quad at Euros but has one listed for World Junior)
(Han Yan will not be there, but I'd like to mention him since he scored pretty high at 4CC without a quad)
TBH, Vasiļjevs is the clear favorite here. If he falters badly, some of the skaters doing both junior and senior worlds could contend.
Sihyeong Lee
Nikolaj Majorov
Ivan Shmuratko
I think it would be great if the top skater at every Jr/Sr worlds who doesn't have a quad for men/quad 3A for ladies were given special recognition. And then in every even numbered year(the Olympic year ideally at the Olympics and mid cycle year when there's no team trophy) a special competition would be put on that's tech limited on rotations. And I think it would be a good idea to give greater weight to jump amplitude in those competitions.
Which brings me back to a post I wrote last fall in the thread about replacing the SP/FS with an Artistic and Technical program:
The last quadless men's world's medalist was Patrick Chan in 2010 which was the same year Evan Lysacek won the Olympic championships without a quad. We're entering an era where you probably need a 3A or quad to win the ladies gold medal and soon one of those will be needed for any medal at Worlds/Olympics.
There really should be a tech limit version of figure skating. With the limited versions being no quads for men and no quads or triple axels for ladies.
I think it'd be very interesting if during the world championships there would be a little concurrent subcompetition for the tech limit champion. The top team or teams should be able to submit a 4th skater to participate in the subcompetition. It could make the earlier flight of skaters more interesting to watch.
So it's interesting to look back at the men and who would win such a competition.
2019 - #23 Julian Zhi Jie Yee | Matteo Rizzo and Jason Brown might have lowered their tech content to contend for the subcompetition though... especially if Brown was given a 4th US spot.
2018 - #6 Deniss Vasiljevs | Jason Brown skipped worlds... but if there had been a 4th spot available for the competition then he probably would have showed up. Honorable mention to Misha Ge who had a good performance here too.
2017 - #12 Misha Ge | Jason Brown did a quad but would he have if there was a quadless subcompetition and he could have been the 4th guy? Deniss Vasiljevs was #14
2016 - #14 Deniss Vasiljevs | He would have edged out #15 Misha Ge and #16 Jork Hendrickx... but #6 Adam Rippon could have easily took his quad out which he did at the Olympics especially if he had been given a special 4th spot.
2015 - #4 Jason Brown | #6 Misha Ge #8 Adam Rippon #11 Joshua Farris did a quad but he was not really comfortable with it
2014 - #7 Han Yan | #12 Nam Nguyen #13 Ivan Righini ... Jeremy Abbott was #5 and I could see him competing in this type of format... but the US only had 2 spots that year.
2013 - #11 Peter Liebers | Perhaps someone above him would have lowered their tech content to compete
2012 - #10 Samuel Contesti | #13 Adam Rippon had a downgraded 4S... he could have easily took it out if the opportunity to win a tech limited subcompetition was there... but US only had 2 spots that year.
2011 - #7 Florent Amodio | #11 Ross Miner
Doing this might help extend careers and reduce some from pursuing quads they can't really do. And doing this would give more recognition to the more artistically inclined skaters while still keeping them to a technical standard.
ADDENDUM EDIT: I think this is some fashion could be an Olympic medal worthy event. I would consider giving greater weight to jump amplitude in the event.
Here's the best standings for quadless men at the junior level since 2016:
2019 - Camden Pulkinen was 8th
2018 - Artur Danielian earned Silver, Matteo Rizzo earned Bronze
2017 - Kevin Aymoz was 7th
2016 - Tomoki Hiwatashi earned Bronze
Top Contenders - Junior Ladies
Neither Khromykh nor Valieva have quads listed on their planned content(which I found out after I started writing this thread). If they do go for their quads then Daria Usacheva and Haein Lee are the main contenders here. Seoyeong Wi has a 191 PB. There are actually quite a few skaters in the 170-190 range if these were to all struggle.
Top Contenders - Junior Men
Everyone at the JGPF was attempting quads. It think it's a bit unlikely someone without a quad medals. Here's a list of skaters attempting 3As but no quads according to the planned content and have a personal best above 200:
Mark Gorodnitsky
Sihyeong Lee
Nikolaj Majorov
Ivan Shmuratko
Ilia Malinin
Maxim Naumov (206 at US nationals)
These have PBs in the 180s: Alexander Lebedev, Basar Oktar
Top Contenders - Senior Ladies
Mostly using the season's best list, it seems the top contenders are:
Mariah Bell
Brady Tannell
Satoko Miyahara (TBH, I'd be a bit surprised if she was above Bell or Tannell at this point)
(Wakaba Higuchi attempted a 3A in the FS at the 4CC.)
Yelim Kim
Top Contenders - Senior Men
Jason Brown has (mostly unsuccessfully) been going for a quad lately, but were he to not attempt one he would easily win this.
Mostly using the season's best list and Euro/4CC protocols, it seems the top contenders are:
Deniss Vasiļjevs
(Gabriele Frangipani did not do a quad at Euros but has one listed for World Junior)
(Han Yan will not be there, but I'd like to mention him since he scored pretty high at 4CC without a quad)
TBH, Vasiļjevs is the clear favorite here. If he falters badly, some of the skaters doing both junior and senior worlds could contend.
Sihyeong Lee
Nikolaj Majorov
Ivan Shmuratko
I think it would be great if the top skater at every Jr/Sr worlds who doesn't have a quad for men/quad 3A for ladies were given special recognition. And then in every even numbered year(the Olympic year ideally at the Olympics and mid cycle year when there's no team trophy) a special competition would be put on that's tech limited on rotations. And I think it would be a good idea to give greater weight to jump amplitude in those competitions.