Chinese Skating News, Pt. 3: A long & winding road to Beijing 2022

[natsulian]

I wonder what Lulu is doing these days. I heard she’s coaching and has her own rink? I wonder if she’s still as prominent in China as she once was.

 

[Sylvia]

Lu CHEN currently is the "main coach of the training program of China's figure skating team" (Sept. 2018 article in English posted in this thread) and oversees skaters like Beverly Zhu who is still training mainly in Los Angeles. Zhu's new free skate was choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle, BTW.

 

[natsulian]

Lu CHEN currently is the "main coach of the training program of China's figure skating team" (Sept. 2018 article in English posted in this thread) and oversees skaters like Beverly Zhu who is still training mainly in Los Angeles. Zhu's new free skate was choreographed by Jeffrey Buttle, BTW.

Oh wow, that’s awesome. Thanks for the info. Hoping that Beverly is healed and can start showing off her goods. Sad that the US lost such a talented young lady, but I hope she can prosper in the less competitive ladies field in China (which probably yields higher rewards and incentives than the semi-deep ladies field in the US).

 

[Sylvia]

Katia Gordeeva posted a photo with Sui/Han, Peng/Jin and David Pelletier at Great Park Ice in Irvine, California: https://www.instagram.com/p/ByMgJcegENJ/

Gordeeva's 3rd photo shows her with Feiyao TANG / Yongchao YANG (4th at 2019 Junior Worlds) on the right but I don't know the names of the pair on the left -- maybe Yuchen WANG / Yihang HUANG or Motong LIU / Tianze WANG? They were the other 2 Chinese pair teams on the JGP last season.

I believe the Chinese skaters also worked with Rafael Arutunian in Irvine last month.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting in this relevant thread:

Emily Zhang [J6 at 2019 U.S. Nationals & J5 in 2018] is rumored to switch to China - She is listed in the Chinese club competition next month representing Chen Lu’s club.
Here is the list of competitors (in Chinese) and her name is in the first picture along with Ashley Lin [competed in 2 ISU Challengers for USA last season]

微博国际版

weibointl.api.weibo.cn

It also is rumored that USA pair skater Chelsea Liu, 19, may be skating with Zhong XIE, 20, for China, but there's yet to be any kind of "official" announcement.

Chelsea Liu last competed internationally for the USA with Ian Meyh [S11 at U.S. Nationals] at the Bavarian Open on February 9, 2019: http://www.deu-event.de/results/BO2019/CAT008RS.HTM
They won the gold in Junior Pairs (since they were assigned as first alternates for 2019 Junior Worlds they needed to get both minimums in order to be listed officially).
She and Brian Johnson competed together for 4 seasons internationally from 2014 through 2018 (3 Junior Worlds and 3 senior internationals): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00054472.htm
Liu/Devin Perini skated for 4 seasons together (2011 through 2014 Nationals, winning Novice silver, Novice gold, Junior pewter, Junior silver) and competed on the JGP twice in 2013 when she was 13 and he 20: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00034377.htm

Gao/Xie placed 4th at 2019 Junior Worlds & won the JW bronze in 2018: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00055107.htm
Xie was paired with singles skater Xiangning Li (she placed 22nd at the 2018 Olympics) last year but they only competed (once?) domestically in September 2018.

Per the Chinese Team thread on Golden Skate, Xiangning Li was injured early on last season. A poster there also posted a while ago that Li is going back to skating only singles.

 

[Sylvia]

Team China's 2019 Grand Prix assignments as of June 20, 2019:

MEN
Boyang Jin (Skate America & Cup of China)
Han Yan (CoC) yay for his return!
Cup of China host spot TBD

LADIES
Hongyi Chen (CoC & Russia) GP debut
Yi (Beverly) Zhu (CoC) GP debut
Cup of China host spot TBD

PAIRS
Wenjing Sui/Cong Han (CoC & Japan)
Cheng Peng/Yang Jin (Skate America & CoC)
Feiyao Tang/Yongchao Yang (Skate Canada) GP debut
Cup of China host spot TBD

ICE DANCE
Shiyue Wang/Xinyu Liu (CoC & Japan)
Hong Chen/Zhuoming Sun (Skate America & CoC) debut (both previously competed at CoC with other partners)
Cup of China host spot TBD

Cup of China, Nov. 8-10, 2019, Chongqing (first time GP held in this city)
MEN: Jin (seeded), Yan, TBD CHN
LADIES: Hongyi Chen, Yi (Beverly) Zhu, TBD CHN
PAIRS: Sui/Han (seeded), Peng/Jin (seeded), TBD CHN
DANCE: Wang/Liu, Chen/Sun, TBD CHN

 

[_Lola_]

What happened to Yu/Zhang?

 

[Gris]

Re-posting in this relevant thread:

It also is rumored that USA pair skater Chelsea Liu, 19, may be skating with Zhong XIE for China, but there's yet to be any kind of "official" announcement.

Thanks Sylvia for reposting!

Liu / Xie is also listed in that club competition, competing in senior pairs, however they seem to be unaffiliated with any club at this moment. In that list she goes by her Chinese name 刘家希 (LIU Jiaxi).

 

[hanca]

What happened to Yu/Zhang?

My guess would be he is falling into pieces. He must be close to 40, and no matter how much he may want it, the body may not be able to keep up with this level of sport.

 

[_Lola_]

My guess would be he is falling into pieces. He must be close to 40, and no matter how much he may want it, the body may not be able to keep up with this level of sport.

Noooo.... that's too soon, he's not even 40 yet!

Maybe. Their last year's short program was so promising though.

 

[rosewood]

Welcome back on the GP circuit. Wish all the luck to Han Yan!
And I'm looking forward to Boyang's program choreographed by Richaud. Can't wait.

 

[kre56]

Wait,
What about Christy Leung? She was the Chinese national champion, wasn’t she? I’m surprised they did not choose her.......

 

[jlai]

Leung is not a skater representing China. She represents Hong Kong

 

[kre56]

But she won China nationals......
They should have picked her in my opinion.

 

[jlai]

But she won China nationals......
They should have picked her in my opinion.

YOu can be a skater from Hong Kong and participate in Chinese nationals but you are still not a skater representing mainland China. She will have to sit out two seasons if she wants to switch to represent mainland China, and I doubt she wants that.

 

[kwanfan1818]

A skater/team can also be from any other member, as long as there aren't already three skaters from their Federation, they are ISU-eligible for seniors, are in the Top 75, and meet the GP minimums, which, at SB 46 with total score of 177.22, Leung did.

After the host picks and guaranteed spots were taken, the Chinese Fed had two one spots left, and they chose Lindfors (SB 25) and Honda (SB 32).

ETA: Lindfors was guaranteed one because she was WS 16.

 

[breathesgelatin]

If Hao Zhang is really done, I hope Xiaoyu Yu gets an opportunity to continue, if she wants to... Unclear who she could skate with, though, I guess.

 

[hanca]

If Hao Zhang is really done, I hope Xiaoyu Yu gets an opportunity to continue, if she wants to... Unclear who she could skate with, though, I guess.

If I was the federation, I would look at any singles male skater who attended nationals and is tall enough. Even a person who placed at the bottom in singles might potentially be great at pairs. In singles one needs 3A and quads, but not having those wouldn't matter in pairs. China is a huge country, surely there must be one male skater tall enough. This worked for Vanessa James and France is much smaller than China.

 

[casken]

If Hao Zhang is really done, I hope Xiaoyu Yu gets an opportunity to continue, if she wants to... Unclear who she could skate with, though, I guess.

Her true partner, Jin?

 

[Kateri]

Her true partner, Jin?

If the rumours are true, he was in favour of the original partner swap, so even if he had been less successful with Peng, that would never happen now. Poor Xiaoyu got betrayed from all sides*.

*Caveat that I don't necessarily blame Jin, since I don't know the circumstances - he must have had a good reason to think their apparently good partnership had no future. But I can totally see why Xiaoyu might feel otherwise.

 

[Sylvia]

Emily Zhang [J6 at 2019 U.S. Nationals & J5 in 2018] is rumored to switch to China - She is listed in the Chinese club competition next month representing Chen Lu’s club.
Here is the list of competitors (in Chinese) and her name is in the first picture along with Ashley Lin [competed in 2 ISU Challengers for USA last season]
https://weibointl.api.weibo.cn/share/77113866.html?weibo_id=4382800645767770

Google translation from @Gris' link:

2019 The first stop of the China Figure Skating Club League - Inner Mongolia Station will be held from July 11-15 at the Hailaer Ice Sports Training Center in Inner Mongolia. After a season of Yan Han, Yu Xiaoyu / Zhang Wei [ETA: should be Hao according to Gris below] will return to the game [refueling]! [Beverly] Zhu Yi, Ashley LIN, Emily ZHANG, three girls, Fang Shuai and Chen Yidong will both return to China! Li Xiangning returned to the women's singles, Wang Yi came back, Tian Tonghe, Liu Tong/Ge Quanyi, who had a good performance last season, reported the adult group~ of course Jin Boyang, Zhang He, An Xiangyi [she's the senior national silver medalist, aged 12], Liang Wei, Cao Yu, Wang Xuehan/Wang Lei Waiting for a lot of star players, in addition to the ice dance lineup ahead of the crowd. PS This year's club league's 1st, 5th, and national championships are the 14th Winter Figure Skating Championship.

Is Wei ZHANG the new pairs partner of Xiaoyu YU? If so, who is he? ETA: Thanks for your clarification below, @Gris!

 

[Gris]

Google translation from @Gris' link:

2019 The first stop of the China Figure Skating Club League - Inner Mongolia Station will be held from July 11-15 at the Hailaer Ice Sports Training Center in Inner Mongolia. After a season of Yan Han, Yu Xiaoyu / Zhang Wei will return to the game [refueling]! [Beverly] Zhu Yi, Ashley LIN, Emily ZHANG, three girls, Fang Shuai and Chen Yidong will both return to China! Li Xiangning returned to the women's singles, Wang Yi came back, Tian Tonghe, Liu Tong/Ge Quanyi, who had a good performance last season, reported the adult group~ of course Jin Boyang, Zhang He, An Xiangyi [she's the senior national silver medalist, aged 12], Liang Wei, Cao Yu, Wang Xuehan/Wang Lei Waiting for a lot of star players, in addition to the ice dance lineup ahead of the crowd. PS This year's club league's 1st, 5th, and national championships are the 14th Winter Figure Skating Championship.

Is Wei ZHANG the new pairs partner of Xiaoyu YU? If so, who is he?

Xiaoyu is still paired with Hao Zhang, as the Chinese text suggests. 'Wei Zhang' seems to be a Google translation error...

ETA: It seems that Google has translated more than one name wrong so here is my translation to make it clearer:

The first stage of the 2019 Chinese Figure Skating Club League will be held at Hailar Ice Sports Training Center in Inner Mongolia from 11th to 15th July. After a season of recharging, Han Yan and Xiaoyu Yu / Hao Zhang return to the ice. Three girls, Yi (Beverly) Zhu, Ashley Lin, Emily Zhang, along with two junior men, Shuai Fang and Yudong Chen will all return to China to compete. Xiangning Li returned to singles and Yi Wang came back from retirement. Tonghe Tian and Tong Liu / Quanshuo Ge, who were impressive last season will be competing in seniors. And of course, stars like Boyang Jin, He Zhang, Xiangyi An, Yi Christy Leung, Qijing Cao, Xuehan Wang / Lei Wang will also be there and the line up for ice dance is unprecedentedly deep. P.S. The 1st & 5th stages of this year's club league and the national championships will be the qualification for the figure skating competition of the 14th National Winter Games.

 

[Jammers]

Well i guess since China took some of the US girls for their team they didn't feel the need to actually invite any US Ladies to COC.

 

[sammyf]

Can anyone translate the pairs entries?

 

[Gris]

Can anyone translate the pairs entries?

Senior Pairs

Weijia HE / Junming HUANG
Jiaxi (Chelsea) LIU / Zhong XIE
Feiyao TANG / Yongchao YANG
Xuehan WANG / Lei WANG
Xiaoyu YU / Hao ZHANG
Yuyao ZHANG / Yunzhi GUO
Lu ZHENG / Lei ZHU

Junior Pairs

Jiaen LI / Zijian WANG
Motong LIU / Tianze WANG
Huidi WANG / Ziqi JIA
Yuchen WANG / Yihang HUANG
Yixi YANG / Shunyuyao DENG
Jiaxuan ZHANG / Zhiyu WANG
Daizifei ZHU / Yuhang LIU

Novice Pairs

Ai ZHAO / Shan GAO

 

[Willin]

Well i guess since China took some of the US girls for their team they didn't feel the need to actually invite any US Ladies to COC.

This is somehow sad, hilarious, and infuriating all at once

Although I do wonder how US skaters will adjust to competing for China, particularly in events like Pairs where they have to train in China, since the culture around athletic/Olympic training is so different there... I wonder if some will decide the funding's not worth it.

 

[breathesgelatin]

Although I do wonder how US skaters will adjust to competing for China, particularly in events like Pairs where they have to train in China, since the culture around athletic/Olympic training is so different there... I wonder if some will decide the funding's not worth it.

Is Chelsea Liu indeed training in China?

 

[Willin]

@breathesgelatin As far as I know China will let it's pairs go abroad for short stints of training and choreography, but the actual training during the season is all done in China, so I would assume so. Even if she's not in China or working with a US coach, attitudes involving training may pose a challenge

 

[Dobre]

A challenge. Undoubtedly. Also the potential for a huge opportunity. Very few athletes in the world have the opportunity to work with the top Chinese pairs coaches. Of course, you probably have to become one of the top Chinese pairs to work with them too.

 

[Spun Silver]

So does anyone over here understand why Yu/Zhang are not currently on the GP lists? My other question is, which one was injured? I thought it was Yu but people are talking as if it was Zhang. It's interesting that they are listed together with Han Yan as "recharging" last season when he made a retirement announcement whereas they were just dealing with injury AFAIK.