2025 World Team Trophy - Day 1

[tony]

I wouldn't put Kagiyama in that group because his skating is exquisite. He has the skating skills and the performance skills that go with the Quads while the others are still catching up in that area.

That’s not the point I’m making, and neither is the ISU when they give Malinin the same or higher PCS anyways. Not that I’ve ever ranted about such.

The amount of quads he has gives him a massive cushion for mistakes over said people who don’t have quads or only have one.

 

[peibeck]

I know it's the last major event of the season, but I don't get all the over a cheesefest.

Thanks to the wonderful ability to fast forward through the ice makes and fluff between skates and scores, I watched all of today's events in about 3 hours. Everyone seemed happy to be skating in Japan but most seemed exhausted and a bit sloppy, with a major exception being Gubonova who had a nice Worlds redemption skate.

Glenn and Kagiyama were my big moments and I wanted to send virtual hugs to them both after watching those performances.

And while I enjoy Aymoz, I truly praying he finds some less constipated, emo music next season. He and the Disco Brits need to swap music and find some variety in time for the Olympics.

 

[zebobes]

And while I enjoy Aymoz, I truly praying he finds some less constipated, emo music next season. He and the Disco Brits need to swap music and find some variety in time for the Olympics.

He originally had "party" music for the SP, but he decided to change it out at Boston World's out of respect for the lives lost on the plane crash. I fully expect to see fun music this next season.

 

[Impromptu]

Jason has never been outside the top 10 at Worlds, either.

Ever. He's never been outside the top ten in any senior national or international competition. Or junior national/international.

Ditto for Ilia Malinin and Nathan Chen. That kind of consistency is rare, and yet since 2010, the USA has had 3 men managed it.

 

[Karen-W]

Ever. He's never been outside the top ten in any senior national or international competition. Or junior national/international.

Ditto for Ilia Malinin and Nathan Chen. That kind of consistency is rare, and yet since 2010, the USA has had 3 men managed it.

And Vincent, Adam & Max all only did it twice.

Vincent at his debut World Championships in 2018 where he finished 14th and the infamous 2021 Worlds failure to make the FS incident. Adam at his 2nd Worlds in 2012 where he finished 13th & at his first US Nats in juniors back in 2006 where he finished 11th. Max at his last Worlds in 2018 where he was 11th and at his first US Nats in juniors in 2008 where he finished 13th.

Now THAT is the sort of depth in a program that is really remarkable. And it's a big reason why the lack of accomplishments & the unimpressive results from Camden, Torgy, Max, Jimmy & Tomoki stand out in an unflattering way. There has been a very high, steady standard of accomplishment from the US men in the past 15 years.

 

[jlai]

While I appreciate the snarky analogy, I'm not 100% on board with it - it's not as though the USFS hasn't given the "younger" guys lots of chances - they've all had 4CCs assignments & a couple of them have been to Worlds twice now. At this point, I'm perfectly fine with writing the whole lot of them off & giving chances to the likes of Jacob Sanchez and maybe Patrick Blackwell (and Lucas Broussard if he's healthy) and see what they can do with the opportunities.

I generally agree though once in a while we have a Nagasu or suddenly get it together enough to have a successful season.

Just let the different gens fight it out

 

[Karen-W]

I generally agree though once in a while we have a Nagasu or suddenly get it together enough to have a successful season.

Just let the different gens fight it out

Well, the difference is that Mirai DID have the 2010 Olympic experience as a youngster, which turned out to matter a great deal in 2018 when she was given the Team Event spot & delivered.

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Watching Amber wait for her scores is as sad as seeing her star fade as quickly as Liu's star is rising.

Liu just makes it all look so easy. Her free skate in Boston was a performance for the ages.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Of course, this year with Maxim all bets were off, for obvious reasons. I still think he was robbed of the silver medal at US Nats in 2024 and would have loved to see how he would have fared at Worlds.

I have no ax to grind but this logic that someone will do better at worlds than they normally do? - it`s a mystery. The only skater I can think of who was like that was Karen C. Torgy had a bad competition, but we start again in the fall. Most sort of freak out at worlds and if lucky don`t embarass themselves.

Jason WAS a phenom - in PCS. Now, you have to have a 4 to be in it. Memola is good example of how our juniors should move up. He has 2 quads though not always reliable. But, he has them. We`re going to have to hire Eteri go to US skating clubs and find jumpers. Oh, I`ve sort of gone on

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Watching Amber wait for her scores is as sad as seeing her star fade as quickly as Liu's star is rising.

Liu just makes it all look so easy. Her free skate in Boston was a performance for the ages.

Amber not fading (unless she`s injured). She had a tremendous season aside from worlds and even there it was mostly the SP. (Also, I don`t see what is so special about Liu aside from she`s currently winning.)

 

[Debbie S]

Watching Amber wait for her scores is as sad as seeing her star fade as quickly as Liu's star is rising.

Eh, next season is a new season. As you said, things can change quickly. 4 months ago, Amber was considered the favorite to win Worlds (and had she landed the 3A in the SP, I suspect she would have scored higher than Alysa, as would Kaori if she had done the 3-3). Next season, things could change again. Maybe Isabeau will be the top U.S. woman, or someone not in this year's top 3, who knows.....

One thing about IJS, it does keep the standings interesting.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Amber not fading (unless she`s injured). She had a tremendous season aside from worlds and even there it was mostly the SP. (Also, I don`t see what is so special about Liu aside from she`s currently winning.)

I wasnt going to chime in, but I will say that when I saw Amber yesterday in the USA Booth, she didn’t seem like herself, so who knows.

If I power rank the women of figure skating based on this season alone here is how I would power rank them.

1 Alysa
2 Amber
3 Kaori
4 Mone
5 Isabeau
6 Kim
7 Sarah
8 Bradie
9 Wakaba
10 Nina Pinz
11 Euro Champ Niina

 

[MacMadame]

(Also, I don`t see what is so special about Liu aside from she`s currently winning.)

Her skating has a freedom that you don't normally see in a competition. I find it refreshing. Also, I admire that she was able to fix her bad jump technique as she grew.

 

[Jammers]

Her skating has a freedom that you don't normally see in a competition. I find it refreshing. Also, I admire that she was able to fix her bad jump technique as she grew.

Yeah by the fall of 2020 when she was having a growth spurt and had lost the quad and 3axel jumps i figured she was done as a top skater since she was struggling with her other jumps too. But she made improvements in her jumps and overall skating and came back in the Olympic year as the top US lady and ended up the top finisher at the Olympics and won a Bronze medal at Worlds. Who knew that she had an even better comeback in store 3 years later?

 

[misskarne]

Jason is INSANELY talented, and one of the most likeable people in the skating world. The thing that bothered me is that he chose to stop competing for a top spot seven or eight years ago.

Except...he didn't. Literally a couple of weeks ago he had the fourth-highest FS at Worlds and last night he nearly won the free skate of this event.

Jason plays a game that seemingly no-one else has figured out how to play. He maximises his score in the best way he knows how to. Because, without being mean about it - he knows that the chances of every single quad-landing man actually going clean in the same event is practically zero. Which means he's going to move up.

It is not at all out of the realms of possibility that Jason could still medal at the Olympics - and not just in the team event.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Except...he didn't. Literally a couple of weeks ago he had the fourth-highest FS at Worlds and last night he nearly won the free skate of this event.

Jason plays a game that seemingly no-one else has figured out how to play. He maximises his score in the best way he knows how to. Because, without being mean about it - he knows that the chances of every single quad-landing man actually going clean in the same event is practically zero. Which means he's going to move up.

It is not at all out of the realms of possibility that Jason could still medal at the Olympics - and not just in the team event.

Jason isn`t just "playing a game". There has been no man with PCS like Jason. Just as no one can do a 4 quad program if they don`t have some special talent for it. Same with PCS - you can`t just practise and look like Jason.

Agree about GOE. He gets a quad combo worth of GOE. EVERYTHING is > 1. If he could get 3A/3 something he might make it to the Oly podium. (optinion coloured by the tired men yesterday)

 

[skatingguy]

https://www.reddit.com/r/FigureSkating/comments/1k1a7md/liza_and_kaori_at_wtt

 

[farahfan]

Her skating has a freedom that you don't normally see in a competition. I find it refreshing. Also, I admire that she was able to fix her bad jump technique as she grew.

She said after her worlds fs that she skated better than she ever had in practice. that's magic!