ISU Grand Prix 2018/19 - Qualifying for the GPF in Vancouver & general information

[Elizabeth]

Breaking news! Andrew Torgashev (USA) has withdrawn from the Junior Grand Prix Final, he has been replaced by first alternate Stephen Gogolev of Canada!

From: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gpjgpf ... iorMen.htm

[happyheini]

That is exciting news, I really like Stephen and we have another Canadian to watch at the GPF.

[Elizabeth]

With just one senior GP left, the current standings in the GP series, by discipline, are here:

Ladies: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsladies.htm
Men: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsmen.htm
Pairs: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpspairs.htm
Ice Dance: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsdance.htm


On each of the charts you can see who will be competing in event #6 in France (and against whom). Who will fill those final spots? Will it be someone who has already completed their two events and is "waiting in the wings"?

[Elizabeth]

Fun with numbers? Jackie Wong has laid out all the scenarios for who might qualify from the final GP event: https://www.rockerskating.com/news/2018 ... -standings

Do you have predictions? PJ Kwong has made her podium picks for Grenoble here: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/figu ... -1.4915176

[happyheini]

Whatever the final outcome the GPF will be a very exciting international event. Can't wait.

[Elizabeth]

Official results for the men: http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsmen.htm

With the results of the men's event at the Internationaux de France, Keegan Messing, on the basis of tie breaks, is now the first alternate to the Grand Prix Final in Vancouver next month.

So, should Hanyu be unable to go, Messing will be in.

Jason Brown was able to help his training mate, Junhwan Cha (KOR) get the final qualifying place over Alexander Sararin (RUS) who moved down to 2nd alternate. Matteo Rizzo (ITA) is third alternate.

[Elizabeth]

With the final results in Grenoble the dance qualifiers & official substitutes are now set:


http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsdance.htm

[Elizabeth]

There were lots of scenarios about who would qualify for the GPF among the ladies, based on the results in Grenoble.

In the end it will be a RUS-JPN event.

Q1 Alina Zagitova 30
Q2 Rika Kihira 30
Q3 Satoko Miyahara 28
Q4 Elizaveta Tuktamysheva 26
Q5 Kaori Sakamoto 24
Q6 Sofia Samodurova 24
--
S1 Mai Mihara 22
S2 Stanislava Konstantinova 20
S3 Evgenia Medvedeva 20

http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsladies.htm

[Elizabeth]

And the final discipline, pairs, is now settled.

Q1 James/Cipres 30
Q2 Tarasova/Morozov 30
Q3 Zabiiako/Enbert 30
Q4 Peng/Jin 26
Q5 Della Monica/Guarise 26
Q6 Pavliuchenko/Khodykin 22
--
S1 Efimova/Korovin 20
S2 Kayne/O'Shea 20
S3 Moore-Towers/Marinaro 20

http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpspairs.htm

[Elizabeth]

The current status for the senior disciplines - the qualifiers and first alternates for the GPF:



And the qualifiers and alternates for the Junior GPF:

• Ladies: http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2018/jgpsladies.htm
• Men: http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2018/jgpsmen.htm - note that first alternate will now be competing
• Pairs: http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2018/jgpspairs.htm
• Ice Dance: http://www.isuresults.com/events/jgp2018/jgpsdance.htm

[Judy]

GPF in Canada and NO Canadians in the Senior event. One in the Jrs and that only because of a withdrawal.

Even though we knew this would be a rebuilding season, this is shocking!

[Kevin]

GPF in Canada and NO Canadians in the Senior event. One in the Jrs and that only because of a withdrawal.

Even though we knew this would be a rebuilding season, this is shocking!

I'm still in shock over the ice dance, and pairs. However the draws worked for these events, it made it very difficult for some teams to qualify, yet easier for others of much lesser quality to do so. All in all, I have not been blown away by much of the skating I have seen this season, with the possible exception of Jason Brown's short program here in France. THAT was good skating!

[Elizabeth]

GPF in Canada and NO Canadians in the Senior event. One in the Jrs and that only because of a withdrawal.

Even though we knew this would be a rebuilding season, this is shocking!

Actually, there are two entries in juniors - one in dance and one in men's - the latter is due to a withdrawal.

[Elizabeth]

GPF in Canada and NO Canadians in the Senior event. One in the Jrs and that only because of a withdrawal.

Even though we knew this would be a rebuilding season, this is shocking!

I'm still in shock over the ice dance, and pairs. However the draws worked for these events, it made it very difficult for some teams to qualify, yet easier for others of much lesser quality to do so. All in all, I have not been blown away by much of the skating I have seen this season, with the possible exception of Jason Brown's short program here in France. THAT was good skating!

The fields did seem uneven this year but that is not that unusual. Perhaps it is more noticeable to us due to the impact of the number of retirements and "sit-outs" we had this year. I have watched almost all of the GPs via the live streaming and have hopes for the talent coming up, not all of which made it to the TV coverage. Of course, much of that talent is from Russia and Japan, as evidenced by the fields in both the junior and senior GP fields.

I agree about Jason's program

[Elizabeth]

Some history related to the GPF that may be of interest...

During the CBC broadcast yesterday they mentioned that the 1999 GP Final was the last one where there were no Canadians. I went back & checked and that is correct. The fields (and results) for the 1998-99 GPF, in St. Petersburg, Russia, were:
Men
FPl. Name Nat. Points SP FS
1 Alexei Yagudin RUS 1.5 1 1
2 Alexei Urmanov RUS 3.5 3 2
3 Evgeny Plushenko RUS 4.0 2 3
4 Michael Weiss USA 6.5 5 4
5 Alexander Abt RUS 7.0 4 5
6 Andrejs Vlascenko GER 9.0 6 6

Ladies
FPl. Name Nat. Points SP FS
1 Tatyana Malinina UZB 1.5 1 1
2 Maria Butyrskaya RUS 3.0 2 2
3 Irina Slutskaya RUS 4.5 3 3
4 Elena Sokolova RUS 6.0 4 4
5 Fumie Suguri JPN 8.0 6 5
6 Elena Liashenko UKR 8.5 5 6

Pairs

FPl. Name Nat. Points SP FS
1 Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao CHN 1.5 1 1
2 Elena Berezhnaya & Anton Sikharulidze RUS 3.0 2 2
3 Maria Petrova & Alexei Tikhonov RUS 5.5 5 3
4 Sarah Abitbol & Stefane Bernadis FRA 5.5 3 4
5 Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman USA 7.0 4 5

Dance
FPl. Name Nat. Points CD OD FD
1. Anjelika Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov RUS 2.0 1 1 1
2. Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat FRA 4.0 2 2 2
3. Irina Lobacheva & Ilia Averbukh RUS 6.0 3 3 3
4. Margarita Drobiazko & Povilas Vanagas LTU 9.0 5 5 4
5. Barbara Fusar-Poli & Maurizio Margaglio ITA 9.0 4 4 5

By the way, that was the first season that the terminology Grand Prix Final was used - before that it was the Champion Series Final.

By the 1999-2000 final in Lyon, France there were Canadians in three disciplines, Elvis, Jamie & David, and Shae-Lynn & Victor.

In the 2000-2001 final in Tokyo, Japan we were represented by Jame & David and Marie-France & Patrice. We had winners in pairs

The following GPF in Kitchener, ON, 2001-2002, included Jame & David, Shae-Lynn & Victor, and Marie-France & Patrice. We had winners in pairs and ice dance

Back in St. Petersburg at the 2002-2003 GPF the Canadians were Annabel Langlois & Patrice Archetto and Marie-France & Patrice.

In 2003-2004 at the GPF in Colorado Springs, USA, our pairs and ice dance entries were the same but Emanuel and Jeffrey were entered in the men's field. Emanuel won and Jeffrey had to withdraw. That was the year that once again the competitors were only required to perform one free program.

The 2008-2009 GPF in Tokyo was the first one where both the junior and senior finals were combined - Patrick & Joannie qualified in seniors and Elladj and Diane Szmiett qualified in juniors along with Kharis Ralph & Asher Hill (in dance)

The last GPF in Canada was in Quebec City - that of the 2011-2012 season. Canada was represented by Patrick, Meagan & Eric, Tessa & Scott, and Kaitlyn & Andrew in Seniors and by Katherine Bobak & Ian Beharry in Junior pairs.

All of the above information and more is available via Wikipedia - this would be a good place to start: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Pri ... ting_Final

[Judy]

My apologies to the Jr dance team.
On a positive note about this GPF, we can relax and enjoy the skating. Usually I'm a little stressed; okay, sometimes very stressed for our favourites. This time I won't even know many of them!

Anyone else going?

[Elizabeth]

My apologies to the Jr dance team.
On a positive note about this GPF, we can relax and enjoy the skating. Usually I'm a little stressed; okay, sometimes very stressed for our favourites. This time I won't even know many of them!

Anyone else going?

I'll be there, Judy, and at least one other board member will also be there. Looking forward to seeing you again

I'll be cheering on our juniors and am looking forward to enjoying lots of good skating - it will be a bit of a mini-Worlds.

[Elizabeth]

Important links FYI:
Links to entries (senior & junior), etc.: http://www.isuresults.com/events/fsevent03111639.htm

Schedule: http://www.isuresults.com/schedules/gpf ... hedule.pdf

The main GP page: https://www.isu.org/figure-skating/figu ... teParam=11

The CBC schedule for the live stream and TV coverage: https://www.cbc.ca/sports/olympics/wint ... /broadcast

[happyheini]

I'll be there as well Judy and I am looking forward to meeting you personally. It feels more competitive if you have to worry about the Canadian skaters and I will miss them, but my thinking is we will be seeing many up-and coming international skaters we would not normally have a chance to watch live. Can't wait, see you there.

[happyheini]

Interesting post about the previous GPF's, Elizabeth, so many familiar names, a walk down memory lane for long time fans. Thank you.

[Elizabeth]

Interesting post about the previous GPF's, Elizabeth, so many familiar names, a walk down memory lane for long time fans. Thank you.

Glad you enjoyed it

[Judy]

Nice to hear that you're coming Heini and look forward to meeting you.

[Kevin]

A thought:

Since the judging is all about points, why isn't GP final decided by total SCORES earned, rather than podium placements at each event? If I read the chart correctly (correct me if I'm wrong), the tiebreak score is the total scores earned. If that's true, in the pairs event at least, there are two teams who have higher cumulative scores than those that qualified (due to weaker fields in their competitions).

Seems to me if we just went with total scores earned, it would eliminate all this complicated math, like "so and so will make the final providing they place second, and team B finishes no lower than 5th, and team C finishes no higher than 12th, and a black hole opens up and swallows team D." I think it would make it much easier for fans to understand, and ensure that the teams who have scored the highest actual numbers throughout the series, are the ones who make the final. Then we're all guaranteed that the best skaters of the series will be represented.

[Elizabeth]

You are not the only one making the case about the uneven depth of fields in the GP events having an impact on the top qualifiers when using placements, Kevin. If a methodology based on scores were used, Piper and Paul would be preparing for the GPF rather than flying back to Europe for the Golden Spin.

Here is some data from the Skating Scores via Twitter:

A different look at the #GPFigure standings below: Skaters/Teams from each discipline ranked by "Mean Event Total" in the Fall 2018 Senior GP. GPF qualifiers highlighted in blue, alternates in yellow.

[Elizabeth]

It appears that there will be one more Canadian in the GPF - multiple outlets are reporting that Yuzuru Hanyu has withdrawn from the GPF as he needs 3 weeks for his right ankle injury to heal + a month for rehabilitation. Keegan Messing is the first alternate. The ISU qualifiers page has not yet been updated but likely will be tomorrow.

http://www.isuresults.com/events/gp2018/gpsmen.htm

From Keegan's official Twitter account:

Sending positive and healing vibes to Yuzuru on his road to recovery from his injury!! Keegan is now headed to the Grand Prix Final in his place.