Figure Skating

[Mumbles]

As far as marketing goes, Gracie Gold is signed with uberfirm IMG:

http://img.com/services/talent-representation/figure-skating.aspx

Nice to hear that Mirai got a standing ovation at worlds.

Agree that the Sochi crowd could come off as homers but I recall warmly the crowd clapping and cheering Abbott after he had that terrible fall, and the ovation they gave him when he finished.

[katha]

I think the problem with the Sochi crowd was that it wasn't really a typical skating crowd, it was a general audience who could afford the tickets to the Olympic events. And since they didn't know much about the sport and weren't invested in the sport itself, they were mostly just cheering the home team. Contrast that with Worlds in Moscow in 2011, they were partisan for the Russian skaters as well, but very appreciative of good performances in general. A totally different atmosphere.

 

 

This is what I just don't understand about them; they're going right back into a situation that they apparently hated the first time around. They've made it clear they don't like to share, and that they believe they deserve all their coaches' attention, I hope they're not expecting that in Montreal. I think a message was sent to them tonight; don't expect anything simply because you're V/M.

Really curious how that will work out as well. I understand that they burned their bridges but good with Zoueva and they were stagnating with her towards the end, but then it was on them to change coaches. Not passive-aggressively whine about their own lack of action afterwards and blame everything on her. Montreal is crowded, will they throw hissyfits again if they aren't top dogs? Particularly since those massive scores P/C are getting suggest that the judges are in love with them and have declared them the chosen ones. And Shpilband and Zoueva seem to be doing well with their pairs, they're just not trendy anymore. C/B got another medal with Igor and he's strong on tech for all his pairs, even if his choreo can be blah. And Marina won silver with the Shibutanis, had Sinitsina/Katsalapov much improved from last season and Muramoto/Reed from Japan looking decent for their first year.

 

So it's not like Montreal are the only ones who are capable of good work, and IMO their lower-ranked teams are starting to look the same. Which is what happens to every trendy ice dance coach ever. Linichuck took on too many and then short-changed some of them, Shpilband/Zoueva took on too many and then short-changed some of them, Tarasova took on too many and then short-changed some of them, Krylova took on too many and them short-changed some of them. Krylova/Camerlengo were the great IT-coaches a few years ago, now people are leaving them because taking on so many pairs is seldom sustainable. And since V/M had such a massive problem last time around when they were in a crowded and competitive rink, I'm not sure why they think everything will be peachy at this other crowded, competitive rink they've chosen now.

Edited April 12, 2016 by katha

[selkie]

I'm playing around with Roku apps, and have found something called 'Tessa and Scott' on tubitv. Any thoughts on the show before I give it a try?

[annzeepark914]

It's gonna be a humblin' experience for V/M, fighting for the coaches' attention.

[Jess]

I'm playing around with Roku apps, and have found something called 'Tessa and Scott' on tubitv. Any thoughts on the show before I give it a try?

It's a mini-series produced by the Canadian equivalent of Lifetime chronicling the 2013-2014 season leading up to the Olympics. It feels more like a reality show than a documentary, but as a fan of theirs (hope that doesn't make me a pariah around these parts!) I found it enjoyable enough. Be forewarned: there are defintely some staged (off-ice) moments that will make you roll your eyes, but the parts that focused on training and competitions were very interesting.

[apgold]

I found the reality show pretty nauseating when I watched it.  Especially the bits with Scott and his girlfriend at the time and then they implied Tessa was pining for him - like bad fanfic.

 

Also Tessa being interviewed by Jian Ghomeshi (pre-sexual harrassment trial) is also is creepy b/c he seems to hit on her too. They also tried to make Meryl Davis look bitchy which is ridiculous b/c she's known as sweet person.  I did like the way Marina was portrayed - I love Marina Zoueva.  And PChiddy like Scott's little brother, lol.

 

On the subject of V/M - I'm going to Skate Canada in October (in Mississauga) to see them debut their new programs.  Very excited to see them live!  It's not that expensive since I'm from the US - an all event ticket costs about $150 US.

Edited April 14, 2016 by apgold

[Good Queen Jane]

The inaugural Team Challenge Cup will take place in Spokane, Washington on Friday and Saturday, April 22-23, with an Exhibition on Sunday, April 24. Here’s everything you need to know about the Team Challenge Cup.

 

There will be over $600,000 in prize money awarded at this event, both to the teams as well as to individual skaters, so there is a lot of incentive for skaters to do well.

 

Friday will be a Short Program Competition for Men and Ladies only, which will feature head-to-head match-ups for more than $100,000 in prize money. On Saturday, the slate will be wiped clean and teams will compete in a Free Skate Competition. Pairs and Ice Dancers will compete in the afternoon, and Men and Ladies will compete in the evening. Competitors will perform their Free Skates, and the aggregate-scoring format will combine the two sessions to determine the winning team. All athletes competing on Saturday will contesting for team prize money, with bonus money being offered for individual placements in Pairs and in Ice Dance. About $500,000 in prize money is at stake in this event.

 

By the way, Jason Brown has announced that he has dumped his “Great Gatsby” short program, which he used earlier in the season. The program had a lot of quick movements back and forth and a lot of fast torque, which exacerbated his back problems. He will be skating to “Appasionata”, which is a slower, more lyrical piece. Brown does plan to use the “Scent of Love” Free Skate program in Spokane, which he got to perform only three or four times early in the season. He added that “Appasionata” and “Scent of Love” will be his programs for the 2016-17 season.

 

Broadcast Schedule

 

Icenetwork will live-stream the event from Spokane. You must sign up and pay a fee to receive this live streaming. Current Icenetwork subscribers must pay $9.99 for access to the live-streaming. Non-subscribers can purchase access to this event for $19.99.

 

CBS also will be showing highlights from the Team Challenge Cup on Sunday, April 24.

 

Below is the broadcast schedule for the Team Challenge Cup. All times listed are EASTERN.

 

ICENETWORK LIVE STREAM

 

Thursday, April 21

 

8:00 pm - Red Carpet show

10:30 pm - Team Introductions and Match-up Announcements.

Friday, April 22

10:30 pm - Men and Ladies Short Program Competition

Saturday, April 23

4:30 pm - Pairs Free Skate, Free Dance

10:00 pm - Men and Ladies Free Skate

Sunday, April 24

6:00 pm - Exhibition

Icenetwork’s announcing team will be Mike Mancuso, who will handle the play-by-play, Charlie White, Michael Weiss, John Coughlin and Tonia Kwiatkowski.

 

CBS

Sunday, April 24, 1:00 - 3:00 pm

As always, be sure to check your local listings for the channel and time in your area for the CBS broadcast.

 

COMPETITORS

There has been a change in the list of competitors. Papadakis and Cizeron of France have dropped out of the competition and have been replaced by Coomes and Buckland of Great Britain in the Ice Dance line-up for Team Europe

 

Team Asia

Shizuka Arakawa (JPN), captain

MEN: Boyan Jin (CHN), Shoma Uno (JPN), Denis Ten (KAZ)

LADIES:  Rika Hongo (JPN), Satoko Miyahara (JPN), Elizabet Tursynbaeva (KAZ)

PAIRS: Wang and Wang (CHN), Suto and Boudreau-Audit (JPN)

DANCE: Kim and Minov (KOR), Wang and Liu (CHN)

 

Team Europe

Christopher Dean (GRB), captain

MEN: Michal Brezina (CZE), Mikhail Kolyada (RUS), Sergei Voronov (RUS)

LADIES: Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS), Elena Radionova (RUS), Roberta Rodeghiro (ITA)

PAIRS: Stolbova and Klimov (RUS), Della Monica and Guarise (ITA)

DANCE: Coomes and Buckland (GRB), Cappellini and Lanotte (ITA)

 

Team North America

Kristi Yamaguchi (USA), captain

MEN: Jason Brown (USA), Nam Nguyen (CAN), Adam Rippon (USA)

LADIES: Gabrielle Daleman (CAN), Gracie Gold (USA), Ashley Wagner (USA)

PAIRS: Duhamel and Radford (CAN), Scimeca and Knierim (USA)

DANCE: Weaver and Poje (CAN), Chock and Bates (USA)

 

This is the last competitive event of the current skating season. While the intensity won’t be quite the same as Worlds, skaters will be competing for some big bucks, and that should get their attention. There are probably a few skaters who also are looking to show they can skate better than they did in Boston.

[apgold]

 

There are probably a few skaters who also are looking to show they can skate better than they did in Boston.

 

I can think of quite a few skaters looking to redeem themselves - Gracie, Denis, Nam, Shoma, both S/K pairs, W/P.  I expect all to have stronger showings here than in Boston.  Denis remains the big ?  since he hasn't really performed well all season.

[Good Queen Jane]

Jackie Wong from the Rocker website has put together a detailed explanation of the rules for this weekend’s Team Challenge Cup. The rules are about as complicated as one could make them. I think people sat around a table and said, “How can we best confuse people about what’s going on?” I have a feeling that a lot of people in the arena and watching the event on various media won’t have a clue about how the winners are being determined.

 

Here’s Jackie’s summary of the rules:

 

For clarity's sake, let's take a look at the actual format of the event, because if you haven't looked at the rules, you will likely be supremely confused. Here's how Team Challenge Cup works. First thing to note is that Day 1 and Day 2 are basically two different competitions with two different final standings.

 

Note: This explanation is based on TCC's announcement from February.

 

•Team Short Program Competition (Day 1) - Men and Ladies only ◦Competition happens in 3 warm-up groups of 3 men and 3 women each (mixed groups!!!)
◦Each team assigns one man and one woman, without duplicates, to each warm-up group (e.g., North America, Europe, and Asia will all have one man and one woman in each group)
◦Points are awarded within each warm-up group in head-to-head-to-head matchups

◾Group 1 Men: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Group 1 Ladies: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Group 2 Men: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Group 2 Ladies: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Group 3 Men: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Group 3 Ladies: 12 points for 1st place, 10 points for 2nd place, 8 points for 3rd place
◾Each team can earn a minimum of 48 points and a maximum of 72 points

◦Teams will decide whom to assign in which group without knowing what the other teams did, so this element of chance could make things very interesting
◦The total points earned by the three teams will determine the Team Short Program Winners - these points will NOT carry over to Day 2
◦Tiebreakers ◾1st tiebreak is the aggregate score of the top men's SP and top ladies' SP
◾2nd tiebreak is the aggregate score of the 2nd men's SP and 2nd ladies' SP

 

•Team Challenge Cup (Day 2) - Men, Ladies, Pairs, Dance ◦Cuz it's not confusing enough, the actual thing called the Team Challenge Cup happens on Day 2, where the entire team of Men, Ladies, Pairs, and Dance teams all compete
◦Unlike the first day, the second day is all about point totals (!!!)
◦Pairs and Dance compete in the afternoon and skate a Free program, and the top scoring Pair and Dance for each team will be counted toward the total score (the other scores are dropped)
◦The Men and Ladies skate their Free Skates in the evening, and the top 2 Men and top 2 Ladies on each team will count toward the total score (the other scores are dropped)
◦Warm-up groups will again be mixed, with the final group featuring the top skaters in the SP from each team

 

I’m not sure even the skaters get all this. They will probably go out and do their programs, then wait for someone to tell them if they won something. It would be so much easier if they had just kept the team format used at the Olympics and at the ISU World Team Cup in Japan.

Edited April 21, 2016 by Good Queen Jane

[gatopretoNYC]

Regarding the rules - Oy vey!

I forgot just how absolutely annoying Scott Hamilton is as a commentator. Also CBS - less talking, more skating!

Where the hell is Jason Brown? He hasnt even been mentioned. He's my main reason for watching this.

And because it can't be said enough - Shut up, Scott!

My husband has yelled this at the TV twice already. :D

Edited April 24, 2016 by gatopretoNYC

[Good Queen Jane]

Watching Jason Brown's program, I totally understand why he has back problems. Such beautiful but backbreaking spins! If Jason can master the quads, he will give Hanyu a run for the money.

[annzeepark914]

On 4/25/2016 at 9:06 AM, Good Queen Jane said:

Watching Jason Brown's program, I totally understand why he has back problems. Such beautiful but backbreaking spins! If Jason can master the quads, he will give Hanyu a run for the money.

I hope he does because Hanyu may be able to do multiple quads but he's just not IMO an interesting skater.  There's got to be more to skating a program than the jumps.  Most of the skaters just go from jump to jump with little in-betweens (other than clutching their heads to indicate the agony of the singer/music).

[apgold]

I actually enjoyed the Team Challenge Cup more than I thought I would.

Although most of the skaters seemed exhausted (especially those who had just competed in Boston), it was a nice opportunity for them to say good-bye to some of their programs in a less cut-throat atmosphere.  I'm glad that Gracie was able to redeem herself here after her disappointment.

Or in the case of Shoma Uno, to show the world he's better than his #7 placement at Worlds would indicate by landing the 4F and throwing all sorts of quads into his FS.  The guy has guts, I hope he doesn't blow out his knees with those landings.

I was glad to see Jason back competing and doing well.  Do not love his SP or costume but really love t the free program - it will only get better with the quads next season.

[HartofDixie]

Any retirement announcements?  Pair team splits?

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU General Congress is currently meeting in Dubrovnik, Croatia. At this meeting a new President will be chosen to replace ISU President Ottavio Cinquanta, who is officially stepping down on Friday, June 10, after 22 years. There are also rule changes being considered. Although there are are no official announcements until after the meeting concludes, a major change was leaked.

 Anonymous judging is to be scrapped at all figure skating events organized by the ISU after a near-unanimous decision at the ISU General Congress on Wednesday, according to a report on the insidethegames website. A proposal submitted by the Norwegian Skating Association to end anonymous judging was approved Wednesday at the ISU Figure Skating session, insidethegames reports.  Approval to the proposal was made to rapturous applause during Wednesday's closed meeting of the Figure Skating section of the ISU, insidethegames was told, with just one delegation thought to have opposed the measure. The mood after the decision was reported to be one of jubilation, with almost all delegates and observers insisting it was a change for the better and will help the sport to improve its image. The proposal is expected to be effective immediately and put into use for next season. Way to go, Norway!

Insidethegames also reported a Dutch proposal to introduce a mandatory age limit of under 70 in the calendar year of nomination was also approved for all ISU referees, judges, technical controllers and technical specialists. A second attempt to extend some age limits to 75 was rejected.

[caracas1914]

Better late than never if the rumors are right.   You have judging scandals of rigging, collusion?  Why then introduce Anonymous judging  to get rid of transparency, and to make it harder to detect future violations of the judges ethical code.

What the fuck.

Edited June 9, 2016 by caracas1914

[Good Queen Jane]

Jan Dijkema of the Netherlands has been elected as the new President of the ISU. Dijkema, who is 71, will continue the legacy of someone from the speed skating area of the ISU leading the organization; that legacy has already stretched over 36 years. Dijkema won the election by 63 votes to 52 over Hungary’s Gyorgy Sallak in a second-round run-off when no candidates received sufficient votes in the first round election. Didier Gailhauget of France and Christopher Buchanan of Great Britain, both from the figure skating branch, withdrew after the first round. In the first round election, Dijkema received 45 votes, Sallak received 43 votes, Gailhauguet received 25 votes, and Buchanan received just 2 votes. Reportedly, many of Gailhauget’s supporters switched their support to Dijkema after the Frenchman withdrew.

Dijkema said he plans to stand for just a two-year term, which would end in 2018, shortly before his 74th birthday, although he left the door open for running for a second term. He said his priorities as ISU President will be marketing, development and good governance. Dijkema indicated he might run again if he felt he couldn’t accomplish all of his priorities in the next two years. Dijkema is generally viewed as a steady hand needed to run the ISU, and someone without controversy swirling around him. Gailhauget was suspended from the ISU for three years for involvement in the Salt Lake City Olympics judging scandal and Sallak has been accused of misusing ISU funds during his time as development coordinator to benefit the Hungarian speed skating program.

The Presidential Election was not without a last minute controversy. The Hungarian Federation had scheduled a “farewell reception” for outgoing President Ottavio Cinquanta on Thursday night to which all delegates were invited. However, the reception was cancelled at the last minute after the ISU’s legal team declared the reception would offer unfair opportunity for some last-minute campaigning by presidential candidate Gyorgy Sallak of Hungary.

In other election results, Alexander Lakenik of Russia was elected Vice President for Figure Skating, winning over Finland's Marie Lundmark by 81 votes to 34. Elected to the Figure Skating Council were Junko Hiramatsu of Japan, Patricia St. Peter of the U.S., Marie Lundmark of Finland, Benoit Lavoie of Canada, and Maria Teresa Samaranch of Spain. Samaranch is the daughter of former IOC President Juan Antonio Samaranch.

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU has published a brief summary of the decisions of the General Congress which just concluded in Croatia. While details of the decisions will be published later, here are some of the key decisions which you might find of interest:

- The number of jumps in Single and Pair skating will be reduced in order to shorten the competitions.

- Effective in 2018-19 season (after the Olympics), there will be 11 Grades of Execution (0 to +/-5) in order to enable more possibilities in the evaluation of the quality of programs.

- There will be a new draw procedure for the skaters in the last group in Singles, Pairs and Dance. Skaters who finished 4th or 5th in the Short will draw to skate 1st or 2nd in the last group in the Free Skate. Skaters who finished 1st, 2nd, or 3rd in the short will draw to skate 3rd, 4th, or 5th.

In addition to the above, key decisions at the General Congress included:

- Voted in favor of creating an Athlete’s Commission

- Approved several proposals to adjust the ISU eligibility rules following the decision of the European Commission to open an investigation against the ISU eligibility rules. Among the rules were clarification of the issue of athlete clearances and harmonization of the waiting period for release to 12 months.

[annzeepark914]

Why does the name Alexander Lakenik ring a bell (and not in a good way)?

[Rick Kitchen]

Javer Raya has come out as gay.

[carrier76]

So are the short and long programs going to be truncated, then? That seems odd.

[Good Queen Jane]

Men's long is going to be reduced to 4 minutes. I'm not sure about Pairs. The new rules will not take effect until after the 2018 Olympics.

[selkie]

If it cuts down on the 'flail the arms around as the skater does an uninteresting pass across the ice and tries to catch their breath' that seems to be a main (though unscored) component of the long, I'm all for slightly reducing the time of that program.

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU has announced the technical changes approved by the Congress which will take effect for this coming season. The changes which will take effect at a later date are still to be announced.

This summarizes some of the changes which you may notice during the upcoming season.

1. Cancellation of anonymity of judges in publication of results.

All judges will now have their scores made public for viewing by skaters, media and fans.

2. Increase in deduction for multiple falls in Senior Singles Skating: -1 for the first and second fall, -2 for the third and fourth falls, -3 for the fifth and any further falls.

This rule is a little vague. As I interpret it, a skater who falls twice gets only a 1 point deduction, but a skater who falls three times gets a 2 point deduction over and above the 1 point deduction. This was what was in the proposal to the Congress. But the word “increase” in the rule change puzzles me a bit since it’s actually a decrease in deductions. The rule change could be interpreted to mean that a 1 point deduction is given for BOTH the first and second fall, and a 2 point deduction is given for BOTH the third and fourth fall.

3. Delete additional 30 seconds for the first skater in every group before taking the starting position.

The thought behind giving the first skater in each group 30 seconds more before taking their starting position was that the first skater often ends their warm-up early to catch their breath, get a drink, talk to the coach, etc. before being called to the ice. The additional 30 seconds was designed to give these skaters a bit more warm-up time. However, the reality was that the first skaters continued to end their warm-up early and used the extra 30 seconds to talk to their coach - or in some cases, talk to their skates - before taking their position, which was an unfair advantage. So now everyone has to take their position within 30 seconds of their name being called.

4. Duration of the Short Program for Seniors and Juniors is 2 minutes 40 seconds, plus/minus 10 seconds. Consequently, the middle of the program is 1 minute and 20 seconds.

This is a time adjustment that keeps the maximum time for a Short Program at 2 minutes 50 seconds, but changes the middle of the programs from 1 minute 25 seconds to 1 minute 20 seconds. The means that skaters will start getting bonus points for jumps in the Short Program 5 seconds earlier than before.

5. If an extra jump(s) or a repeated jump(s) is executed, only the individual jump(s) which is not according to the requirements will have no value. The jumps are considered in order of execution.

This change eliminates an entire combination being declared invalid if a skater adds an extra jump or does a jump for the 3rd time. Now, if a skater tacks on a jump to a solo jump to get extra points and the second jump is invalid, the first jump will still get points. Only the second, illegal jump will not be counted. The USFSA pushed this proposal through at the Congress.

6. Draws for Order in Free Skate at ISU events, Olympic Winter Games and Winter Youth Games for the last two groups in the Free Skate will be divided into 2 sub-groups each with a separate draw in each sub-group. Single Skaters who finish 3, 4, 5+ in a group in the Short will draw to skate 1, 2, 3+ in their group in the Free Skate; Pairs who finish 2, 3+ in their group Short will draw to skate 1, 2+ in their group in Free Skate, Ice Dancers who finish 3, 4, 5+ in their group in the Short Dance will draw to skate 1, 2, 3 in the Free Dance.

Basically, this rule is a compromise to keep both the TV people and the skaters happy. The TV people didn’t like having to show a skater who had no chance of winning as the last skater in a group (i.e. Shoma Uno in Men at this year’s Worlds). At the same time, skaters who consistently finished 1st in the Short didn’t like always having to skate last in the Free Skate (40 minutes or so after the warm-up is a long time to keep muscles loose and warm). Now skaters who finish 1st or 2nd in the Short will at least have a chance to draw not to skate last. At the same time, the TV people will get the drama they want with the best skaters from the Short “fighting it out” for first place at the end of the competition.

There are a number of other technical changes which probably only judges understand, so I won’t go into to those. The above are the ones which the fans may notice the most. I’ll pass along other approved rule changes as they become available.

[Good Queen Jane]

After doing some digging, I think I have the interpretation of the new rule regarding deduction for falls straight:

The rule gives the following deductions for falls for single skaters (Men and Ladies) ONLY:

1st Fall – 1 point deduction

2nd Fall – 1 point deduction

3rd Fall – 2 point deduction

4th Fall – 2 point deduction

5th+ Fall – 3 point deduction

This means that if a skater falls 3 times during a program, he/she will received a 4 point deduction, and if he/she falls 4 times, the skater will receive a 6 point deduction. The idea is to make it more costly for a skater to attempt jumps – especially quads – that he or she really hasn’t mastered. It also penalizes a skater who is “having a bad day” but continues to attempt triple or quad jumps. The judges want to see the skaters standing up, not picking themselves up off the ice. I expect we will see more skaters two-footing landings or doing whatever else it takes to prevent hitting the ice during the next season

[selkie]

Carolina Kostner's boyfriend busted for doping again shortly after returning from a previous doping ban:

http://www.athleticsweekly.com/featured/beijing-olympic-champion-alex-schwazer-doping-test-45260/

Girl, I hope what you gave up for him is really worth it and all.

[Good Queen Jane]

With the summer skating competitions starting, I want to provide the requirements for the Short Programs for the 2016-17 season for Seniors.  If you are attending a competition, this will give you something to look for or perhaps help you understand what’s going on.

Some of the major changes made by the Technical Committees for the Short Program for 2016-17 include:

1. Ladies will not be required to do a layback or sideways spin as a solo spin in the Short (or the Free Skate for that matter). Ladies may now choose to do a layback, sideways, camel or sit spin as their solo spin. The reason given for this change is to avoid back injuries. Not all Ladies skaters are flexible enough to do a proper layback or sideways spin with hurting their back (Nancy Kerrigan and Rachel Flatt, for example, always complained about back pain from doing layback spins). So now Ladies can choose which solo spin to do without hurting themselves. This change has caused a lot of discussion among skating fans about the possible demise of the layback, but the Technical Committee felt that avoiding injury was more important than “tradition”.

2. Combination Spins must now have at least two changes of position (instead of just one) and to get full credit, a skater must do all three basic spin positions (upright, sit and camel). The Technical Committee wants to make the combination spin a true demonstration of being able to do multiple positions during a spin, rather than showing the ability to change positions during a spin.

3. Pairs will be required to do a lasso lift, side-by-side spins and a back inside death spiral. The requirements for the lift, spin and death spiral change annually, and these are the elements chosen for the coming season.

4. The Short Dance will require one partial step sequence in hold immediately after the pattern steps, and one non-touching step sequence skated to a different rhythm than the Blues. The Technical Committee wants to make sure that there is a change of rhythm during the Short Dance. Also, the partial step sequence is designed to give skaters a chance to be creative with steps after the required pattern; the required pattern was shortened this year to allow for this.

Here are the 2016-17 Short Programs requirements for 2016-17:

SENIOR LADIES:

- Double or triple axel

- Any triple jump - must be immediately preceded by connecting steps or other free skating movements; may not repeat triple axel

- Jump combination - double-triple or triple-triple; may not repeat axel jump performed or solo jump

- Flying Spin - minimum 8 revolutions, landing position different than landing position different than spin in single position

- Layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin or sit spin; no flying entry, minimum 8 revolutions

- Spin combination - only 1 change of foot and minimum 2 changes of position, no flying entry, minimum 6 revolutions each foot, minimum 2 revolutions in each position; must have all 3 basic positions (upright, sit and camel) to receive full value

- Step sequence fully utilizing the ice surface

SENIOR MEN:

- Double or triple axel

- Any triple or quad jump - must be immediately preceded by connecting steps or other free skating movement; may not repeat triple axel or either jump in combination

- Jump combination - double-triple, triple-triple, quad-double, or quad-triple; may not repeat axel jump performed or solo jump

- Flying Spin - minimum 8 revolutions, landing position different than spin in single position

- Camel or sit spin - only 1 change of foot, no flying entry, minimum 6 revolutions on each foot

- Spin combination - only 1 change of foot and minimum 2 changes of position, no flying entry, minimum 6 revolutions on each foot, minimum 2 revolutions in each position; must have all 3 basic positions (upright, sit and camel) to receive full value

- Step Sequence fully utilizing the ice surface

SENIOR PAIRS:

- Any lasso lift take-off from group 5 (replaces hand to hand take-off from last year) - minimum 1 and maximum 3 ½ revolutions by man

- Double or triple twist lift - must take off from the flip or lutz position

- Double or triple throw - any take-off

- Double or triple solo jump - any take-off

- Solo spin combination (e.g. side-by-side spin; replaces pair spin from last year) - only one change of foot (made at the same time by both partners), minimum 5 revolutions on each foot, at least two different positions or their variations by each partner, with at least two revolutions each; must have all 3 basic positions (upright, sit and camel) to receive full value; may be commenced with a jump; rotation must be continuous and no stop is permitted.

- Back inside death spiral (replaces the back outside death spiral from last year) - variations of arm holds are possible, lady's head must reach the level of her skating knee. Both partners must execute at least one revolution with man in full pivot position.

- Step sequence - must fully utilize the ice surface

SENIOR DANCE:

- Rhythm: Blues, plus one or more of the following Rhythms: Swing, Hip Hop. The Not Touching Step Sequence must be skated on one of the other rhythms, either Swing or Hip Hop.

- Pattern: One section of the Midnight Blues comprised of Steps #5-14. These Steps must be placed in the rink with Step #5 on the opposite side from the Judges and with the Steps following the specified pattern for the Midnight Blues.

- Lift: Not more than one short Dance lift

- Step Sequences:

     - One partial step sequence in hold. Pattern: approximately one half circuit of the ice surface starting immediately after original prescribed Step #14 of the Midnight Blues and finishing at approximately the same point as the original prescribed Step #5 of the Midnight Blues; duration may be any exact number of  musical measures. Hand in Hand Hold with extended arms cannot be established and partners must remain in contact at all times, even during changes of Holds and during Twizzles. The Partial Step Sequence must be skated to the same Tune and Tempo as the Midnight Blues.

     -One Not Touching Midline, Diagonal or Circular Step Sequence skated to a different rhythm than the Blues

- Twizzles: One Set of Sequential Twizzles

Note: Touching the ice with hand(s) is permitted while skating to the hip hop rhythm is permitted as long as it is choreographed to enhance the character and does not meet the criteria of a fall.

:

[selkie]

2 hours ago, Good Queen Jane said:

SENIOR DANCE:

- Rhythm: Blues, plus one or more of the following Rhythms: Swing, Hip Hop. The Not Touching Step Sequence must be skated on one of the other rhythms, either Swing or Hip Hop.:

 

Anyone else see Hip Hop, and just kind of sigh and go 'Oh dear'?

[COESpiral]

I'm thinking there are going to be some glorious hot messes where dancing Hip Hop is concerned.  We're all going to be watching behind our fingers.  *rubbing hands together with glee*  I can't wait.

[Rick Kitchen]

I'm sure the figure skating world's definition of "hip hop" will probably be rather broad.

[selkie]

Bonus cultural appropriation points to the first Eastern Bloc team that does make-up involving a simulated gold dental grill.

[Good Queen Jane]

The rules do specify that if vocals are used in hip hop, they must be family friendly. One dance team has already announced that they are doing a "hip hop Bonnie & Clyde."

[Good Queen Jane]

Summer always brings off-ice news in the skating world. Here’s a recap of the weddings, retirements, new partnerships and other news:

WEDDINGS

- U.S. Pair Skaters Alexa Scimeca, 25, and Chris Knierim, 28, were married on Saturday, June 25, in Colorado Springs. Among the guests at the wedding were Ashley Wagner and Max Aaron.

-  Retired Chinese Pair Skaters Pang and Tong were married in China on June 17.

- The reigning French Junior Ice Dancer Champions Marie Jade-Lauriault, 19, and Romaine Le Gac, 22, have announced their marriage. The couple teamed up in July, 2014, and apparently it was love at first sight both on and off the ice.

- Russian Ice Dancer Ekaterina Bobrova, 26, and Russian Pairs skater Andrei Deputat, 23, will marry in Russia on July 16. The couple got engaged in March.

- German Pairs skater Aliona Savchenko, 32, and her long-time fiancée Liam Cross will be married on August 18. The date was chosen because it is the same date on which Cross’ parents were married.

RETIREMENTS

- Russian Men’s skater Konstantin Menshov, 33, has announced his retirement due to age and injury. Menshov says he has a shoulder injury “that just won’t go away”. He plans to move into coaching.

- Russian Men’s skater Artur Gachinski, 22, has announced his retirement due to injury. He’s developed chronic back problems as well as has nerve damage in his left hand.

- Canadian Pairs skaters Hayleigh Bell and Rudi Sweigers have both announced their retirement from competition. Bell and Sweigers teamed up last summer, but met with limited success over the past year; they finished 8th (last) at Canadian Nationals in January.

- Canadian Ice Dancers Nicole Orford and Asher Hill also have both announced their retirement from competition. Like Bell and Sweigers, they teamed up last year but had limited success. They finished 5th - 7 points behind the 4th place couple - at Canadian Nationals in January.

NEW PARTNERS

- The Chinese Skating Federation has ordered Pair skaters Peng and Zhang and Yu and Jin to switch partners, a move that apparently no one is happy about except Zhang. Zhang told the Federation that he needed a new partner in order to be successful in competition, and the Federation responded by teaming him up with Yu, despite her objections. However, in China, skaters do what the Federation tells them or they are dropped from the program. The new Pairs teams are Yu and Zhang and Peng and Jin.

- Spanish Ice Dancer Adria Diaz, who formerly skated with Sara Hurtado, has announced a new partnership with Olivia Smart, an ice dancer from Great Britain. The Smart and Diaz will skate for Spain and train in Montreal. As of yet, Sara Hurtado has not announced a new partner.

OTHER

-Wenjing Sui of the Chinese Pair Team Sui and Han has had successful surgery on the Achilles tendon on her right foot. She is expecting to return to the ice in September. However, Sui and Han may miss the Grand Prix this fall because of lack of time to prepare for it.

[annzeepark914]

The Chinese Skating Federation has ordered Pair skaters Peng and Zhang and Yu and Jin to switch partners, a move that apparently no one is happy about except Zhang. Zhang told the Federation that he needed a new partner in order to be successful in competition, and the Federation responded by teaming him up with Yu, despite her objections. However, in China, skaters do what the Federation tells them or they are dropped from the program. The new Pairs teams are Yu and Zhang and Peng and Jin.

Maybe it's just my imagination but I swear that I read online (during Worlds 2016) that Yu was not happy skating with Jin.  Was that true?  In any event, I don't envy her skating with Zhang.  When we first saw him, back in the day, people referred to him as a tank or football player or something like that.

[Rick Kitchen]

I was watching YouTuber videos of last weekend's VidCon convention, and in one of the vlogs, up popped the Shibutanis.  Turns out they have their own YouTube channel - https://www.youtube.com/user/ShibSibs

[carrier76]

Right or wrong, I just don't like Zhang. He has rubbed me the wrong way since 2006. 

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU has announced the skaters assigned to each of the Grand Prix events in 2016-17.

Skate America, as usual, will include all the champions from the 2016 Nationals: Gracie Gold, Adam Rippon, Kayne and O’Shea and the Shibutanis. In addition, the following American skaters will compete at Skate America: Jason Brown, Ashley Wagner, Aaron and Settlage, and Hubbell and Donohue. USFSA also will be able to name one additional competitor in each discipline as its “home country choice”. Nathan Chen has moved up to “play with the big kids” and has two Grand Prix assignments at the Senior level. Additionally, the USFSA is offering some promising young skaters a chance to experience the Grand Prix by giving them an assignment.

As expected, Virtue and Moir have been named the “home country choice” in Dance for Skate Canada. Chock and Bates also will compete at Skate Canada (one of the downsides of coming in 2nd at Nationals is you don’t get first choice on assignments). Interestingly, Weaver and Poje of Canada have opted to skip both Skate America and Skate Canada, taking assignments in Dance at the Rostelecom Cup and Cup of China instead. It appears that Weaver and Poje want to wait until Canadian Nationals to face Virtue and Moir.

On the international front, Kavaguti and Smirnov, the Pairs team from Russia, have received two Grand Prix assignments, so I guess they plan to stay in the sport until the 2018 Olympics. On the other hand, the Russian Pair Volosozhar and Trankov have no Grand Prix assignments; I’m not sure if that is their choice or one of them as an injury that hasn’t been disclosed (it’s tough to get news out of Russia). Sui and Han, the Chinese Pairs team, is listed for Skate America, but their actual appearance at the competition is problematic due to the recovery time from her Achilles tendon injury. The new Chinese Pairs team of Yu and Zhang will make their debut at Skate Canada.

One last note of interest: The Grand Prix in France is now called the Trophee de France. I guess Eric Bompard and Company is no longer sponsoring the event.

To see the complete list of Grand Prix assignments by discipline, go to http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/series/isu-grand-prix-of-figure-skating Click on Entries for the appropriate disciple to see the list of assignments by event.

Officially, the 2016-17 season starts July 1, but it is still some time until the international competitions begin. Nevertheless, skaters are already gearing up for the new season.

ETA: U.S. Men’s skater Joshua Farris, 20, has announced his retirement from competitive skating due to the lingering effects of the concussion he suffered last summer and other health issues. Farris plans to continue in the sport, working as a coach and choreographer, as well as working toward becoming a technical specialist or judge. His future plans also include continuing his college education and working on his music. Farris said that he may occasionally skate in a charity event or show, too.

Edited July 1, 2016 by Good Queen Jane

[HartofDixie]

Joshua Farris announced his retirement.

http://usfsa.org/story?id=89787&type=media

[annzeepark914]

ETA: U.S. Men’s skater Joshua Farris, 20, has announced his retirement from competitive skating due to the lingering effects of the concussion he suffered last summer and other health issues.

Darn it all.  He's one of the very few current male skaters I looked forward to watching compete.  Not good at all ;>(

[Harry24]

Thanks, as always, for the info, GQJ.  You're awesome.

I see that NHK will be the first meeting of Virtue-Moir and Papadakis-Cizeron.  Opinions on how this will go?

[carrier76]

I just checked out the ladies' ISU entries and heaved a sigh when I saw Medvedeva's name. I am not looking forward to another year of her surprised! faces and the announcers gushing over her constantly.

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU has released the competitions and dates in the 2016 Challenger Series (most of these competitions were previously known as “B competitions”). The Challenger Series is designed to give skaters a chance to get their required minimum scores if they don’t already have them. It also allows skaters who were not selected to compete in the Grand Prix Series an opportunity to do a major international competition and get points toward the World Rankings. World Rankings are important because standings determine which group the skater is eligible to draw for at championship competitions such as Four Continents, Europeans and Worlds, as well as determine if a skater is eligible to be selected for a Grand Prix assignment.

Additionally, top-ranked skaters often compete in Challenger Series events as a “warm-up” for the Grand Prix. A Challenger Series event will give top-ranked skaters an opportunity to determine how their programs work in competition and compare with other skaters’ programs, as well as get feedback from international judges on the programs. For example, Chock and Bates changed their Short Dance last season after a Challenger Series event because of getting feedback from judges that the music didn’t have enough of a pronounced beat.

There will be 10 Challenge Series events this season:

Sept. 8-11: Lombardia Trophy, Beramo, ITA

Sept. 14-18: U.S. International Classic, Salt Lake City, UT

Sept. 22-24: Nebelhorn Trophy, Oberstdorf, GER

Sept. 28-Oct. 1: Autumn Classic, Montreal, CAN

Sept. 30-Oct. 2: Ondrej Nepala Memorial, Bratislava, SLO

Oct. 6-10: Finlandia Trophy, Espoo, FIN

Nov. 9-13: Ukraine Open, Kiev, UKR

Nov. 17-20: Warsaw Cup, Warsaw, POL

Nov. 20-27: Tallin Trophy, Tallin, EST

Dec. 7-10: Golden Spin of Zagreb, Zagreb, CRO

We’re getting closer to the start of the start of the international competition events for 2016-17. The first Junior Grand Prix event (Junior Grand Prix of France) is August 24.

[Good Queen Jane]

Some bits of news from the skating world:

The International Olympic Committee (IOC) has issued an interim order, asking that its winter sports governing bodies “freeze their preparation for major events in Russia” and find host cities in other countries, due the Russian doping scandal. The order includes moving the Cup of Russia Grand Prix event scheduled for November to another country. The ISU is in a tough spot due to this order from the IOC. The Russian Skating Federation is a major player in the ISU and would be more than unhappy if their Grand Prix event was moved to another country. It also doesn’t give the ISU a lot of time to find a new host. At the same time, the ISU doesn’t want to defy the IOC. Failure to comply with the order could result in some backlash against the figure skating events at the Winter Olympics, which is the ISU’s biggest showcase and moneymaker for the sport.

Tara Lipinski is acting as executive producer for a new figure skating drama series to be shown on Hulu. Hulu is developing a script for the untitled series, which will be written by Jonathan Igla (Mad Men, Masters of Sex), that will delve into what it takes to reach the career height of Olympic figure skating champion. The drama will focus on a group of men and women in their teens and 20s and reveal the challenges and dedication that go into making a champion.

The USFSA is sending officials to some of the major club competitions this summer to take a look at skaters for possible International Competition assignments. Icenetwork confirmed that officials were at the Philadelphia Summer Classic this past weekend to take a look at Andrew Torgashev and Franchesca Chiera, who won the Senior Men and Ladies, as well as Peter Liu and Alexia Paganini, who won the Junior Men and Ladies events. Paganini, reportedly, was particularly impressive in Junior Ladies. USFSA officials reportedly will be observing skaters at Skate Detroit, the Lake Placid Dance Competition and the Glacier Falls Classic also. So there is a little more on the line for skaters at these competitions who want a Junior Grand Prix assignment or an assignment to one of the Challenger Series events.

ETA:

The ISU has issued a statement about their position on the report on the Russian Doping Scandal:

The ISU is truly appalled and deeply saddened by the findings of the McLaren Report (IP Report). The ISU will carefully evaluate the IP Report and the recommendations of the IOC, and will proceed with investigations concerning references to ice skating included in the IP Report. If and when appropriate, the ISU will not hesitate to open disciplinary proceedings against bodies or persons subject to infringements of the World/ISU Anti-Doping Code.

(Sort of reminds me of the movie Casablanca, where the line is “I’m shocked, just shocked to find out there is gambling going on here.”)

Edited July 20, 2016 by Good Queen Jane

[annzeepark914]

Hmmm...very interesting order from the IOC.  IMO it's about time someone took on the Russians & their cheating ways, so I hope the ISU finds another locale for what was Cup of Russia.

An interesting article about former Russian ice dancers running an academy outside Washington DC plus info' about a top team in juniors skating there.  My only concern is I think these two need to move to Detroit or Ann Arbor and skate amongst the top ice dance competitors.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/sports/olympics/move-over-detroit-this-dc-area-school-is-growing-ice-dancing-champions-too/2016/07/19/54cf08e0-4480-11e6-88d0-6adee48be8bc_story.html

[HartofDixie]

Alexa & Chris https://www.ifsmagazine.com/alexa-scimeca-chris-knierim-tie-knot/

[Good Queen Jane]

The U.S. Pairs team of Aaron and Settlage have announced they are ending their partnership after seven years. They were scheduled to compete at Skate America in October. Max Settlage indicates that he will stay in Colorado Springs and look for a new partner. Maddy Aaron, Max Aaron’s younger sister,  says her future plans are to continue her college education and eventually work in the medical field like her parents (Dad’s a pediatrician and Mom’s a nurse).  She is currently a Junior at University of Colorado-Colorado Springs, majoring in Exercise Science.

The U.S. Pairs team of Denney and Frazier have been named to replace Aaron and Settlage at Skate America. The selection is a bit of a surprise since Denney and Frazier also are scheduled to compete at Skate Canada the week after Skate America. Skaters usually don’t like to do two major competitions back to back. However, Denney and Frazier will be competing at “home” in Skate America (they are now training with Rockne Brubaker in Chicago), and it’s not a long plane flight from Chicago to Ontario. This also gives them two Grand Prix assignments and a chance to make the Grand Prix Final in December. Skaters need to have two Grand Prix assignments in order to get enough points to make the Final.

[kalystia1983]

NBC gave Johnny Weir and Tara Lipinski a podcast called Tara and Johnny.  Most of it is (kinda) about the Olympics and various things they are doing around Rio.  However, at the end of the podcast entitled "final five, bathroom swimming" the last 10ish minutes are a figure skating discussion mostly about figure skating moms and the things they say, but includes how much Tara hated patch sessions and the things she did to avoid them, the kiss and cry and Johnny crying, why the Grand Prix of France is hard to win (the schedule stinks).  Worth a listen for a bit of the behind the scenes stuff.  

[Mittengirl]

What is a patch session?

[AuntieDiane6]

Quote

What is a patch session?

Where you are assigned a patch of ice to work on figures (back in the day).  IIRC.

[kalystia1983]

1 hour ago, AuntieDiane6 said:

Where you are assigned a patch of ice to work on figures (back in the day).  IIRC.

Yes! Tara talked about how since she was young and didn't weigh much so she could never see the figure tracings on the ice and would always place last in that portion of the competition.