Yatagarasu

Nobody knows. We just wait and cross everything.

I sort of, kind of, managed to choose something

It's mostly girls. I didn't include Novice girls but there are 32 of them, then we go to 21 Junior girls. So that is encouraging for sure, you do have to start somewhere indeed. I am sort of more discouraged by the numbers in the boys. Only 5 Novices, and 5 Juniors. It's the worst in Pairs/ID but that's not so odd. I did expect more boys though.

We can but thought I'd ask. There are 10 senior entries, and about 30 junior entries.

I feel much better now that we've seen it will be an “Olympic Athlete from Russia (OAR)”. The name is right there. Sure, there's no flag or anthem but at least the name is there, and since they're allowed to participate in team events under this as well, nothing to do but hope this is enough to get them to be stubborn and go. Everything crossed. The bad part of the ruling is that the suspension is indefinite so theoretically IOC can keep playing this game with Russia indefinitely, including 2020 in Tokyo and so on. Which means that the Russians may decide to put their foot down now for the "lesser" Olympic Games, ie the winter ones. Well there is a meeting now in Russia so we should hear something hopefully and of course, tomorrow the final decision.

I don't think so. This is about people like Mutko, and officials under him.

If that is true, and there is the word Russia in the name, then chances just went way, way up they may still compete.

Since the Spanish Nationals are approaching, guys are you interested in a Nats thread? I thought I'd check first. Last season we had a livestream so maybe it'll happen again.

The trouble with that is that is that the Russians themselves need to want to compete under the white flag. And that my friend, is a big, big question. Medvedeva has already said she does not wish to. I am a pragmatist who'd look at this as an opportunity to grab the medal anyway as you're right, everyone knows she's Russian, that they all are, and it can be a way for her to get her own little 'revenge' but on the other hand, I cannot blame the girl if she feels like she's being punished for something that happened when she was a child, that has nothing to do with her. She was 14. Alina was 11. The way things look now, we'll get this white flag solution but in the end, it may turn out not to be much of a solution at all.

Uh oh

And he's still in Vancouver.

Hair colour or not, all I can say is whoa mama! *waggles eyebrows* He is hot. Mmmm.

He's one of Eteri's, quite good actually. It's just that overall the junior guys were quite underwhelming; these 6 are the best, and I'm joking a bit above but I cannot help that the ladies just left a much stronger impression.

I think chances are low for Russia to accept participating under the neutral flag, which frankly, I find perfectly understandable but on the other hand, I hope they still do, however humiliating it is, simply because they can still get those medals that way. While it's stressful for her I am sure, I am glad she can say she tried to do something but let's be honest here. She's very aware she cannot influence this decision; whatever it is, it's already been made, and this is just a finishing touch on the formalities. I am going to cross everything that we'll still get a Rio-like decision.

Me while picking Junior Men:

LGC was appreciated IMO, Yuzuru just never skated it clean. At GPF 2016/17, which I would say was the best LGC we had all season, with the mistake on the 4Lo, he scored 106.53 with a PCS of 47.35. The judges were ready to shower him with great marks but alas, he simply never got there. So I would not say that this particular short program wasn't appreciated, we simply don't know what the score would have been had he for example gone Chopin-clean with it at say Helsinki. It's really my only regret from last season because it was such a splendid program. I think for the GA, Chopin is a better-suited program, but on its own, LGC was brilliant. I don't really think his versatility is a problem as he has grown through all of those different programs, and even with H&L, in the end, they had to go with him, albeit grudgingly but some of that had to do with other external factors, like leaving room for Javi and Shoma, rather than anything program-related. So overall, I'd say it was a massive benefit to him to have gone through all of these.

I only saw that they didn't file the papers before the deadline, so it's just ... ludicrous tbh. And yes, probably. Who knows, they might yet manage to do something as I am sure the IOC really wants them there but I'm not holding my breath. It's such a shame as they're a fantastic pair, and just guuuuuh. To train so hard, get that spot against all odds and then ...

@Katt The story itself is funny; but remember, he said he didn't want to travel so no NHK. And then he up and went to BC with the gf and all of that, which we got to know thanks to the wine story. That's why I find it relevant for the most part, and kind of fitting in with the rest alas. I guess we'll see. January is not far away. Way too late for that I'd say. I wonder if he wants to give it a go solo, which by now, he should know is a dumb idea but who knows. Maybe he'll just go back to Marina like it's nothing, as she seems willing

I mostly thought about his words how he didn't want to travel for NHK then he up and traveled to Vancouver and stayed there. We didn't know he was there until the wine thing. It was all just so odd. Legit no idea. He was at that Skate Canada thing today, or was supposed to, so he's not totally off the radar now.

GPF thread now open, we can take all the talk there folks. At an end of a .... kill it with fire ... GP season. Ahem. And what should be a fab JGPF!

One of his fans said that he apparently was practicing while in Vancouver but without a coach? And that wine story too ... count me in the not a good feeling crowd. IDEK what to think.

Glad he withdrew but as with Zhenya, oh yes, I am worrying, considering. Sigh. Fingers crossed they all get well soon!

I'm really happy she decided to WD for her healthy but a part of me cannot help but worry further. What even is this season.

Uh uh uh. That doesn't sound good. At all. At all. It may sound a long way off, but the Canadian Nats are Jan 8-14 and that's a little over a month. And if he's not motivated now, I am not sure that he'll suddenly perk up, or have enough time even, to PC.

Hmm, yeah, I'm going to disagree here with a large chunk of text. Yuzuru is not the only true megastar of skating because he appeals to a niche audience; he is the megastar because he appeals to a wide range of people, across the demos, of all genders. It all started with 2012, I suppose you had to be around during that time, and then later, at Sochi, when he sort of cemented it, but he was everywhere, and the 1 in 4s loved him! It was exactly that old cliche of a star was born, but that is what it was. He also rode that wave to where he is now, which is another characteristic of a true star because the initial 'explosion' is not enough; a true star is a person who keeps you focused on them and the only way to do that is to have the 'general audience' riveted. H&L was a peculiar kind of program, a huge bite that I think worked out in the end but it should by no means be a measure stick for Yuzuru's programs because that was an outlier. Starting by R&J and "ending" now with Chopin/SEIMEI, he's definitely got the programs that grab you and don't let go, and combined with his personality, it's just a mix that does not exist in any other skater currently. And yeah, I'll disagree that he has to learn anything from either Patrick or Javier when it comes to IN or PE. Mind you, I do think Javier, not Patrick, is an excellent performer; I just think Yuzuru has a far wider range as one. Does he have off days? Definitely, but they all do. The emotional involvement was the visible bit in H&L but then again, he wasn't skating to Elvis, now was he? And this is not a dis on Javier, it's just that H&L as music/program was far more complex and thus far more prone to showing even the tiniest issue. When it comes to SEIMEI, it is a good Olympic choice not only because I think the music itself is far more accessible; it is because it is easier to show variety of movement and energy, it's easier to show personality/individuality, and emotional, physical and intellectual involvement and projection that will appeal to all. It really is perfection of a program for the Olympic Games. As for IN, I am yet to see a program where he has failed to translate the character and the music content onto the ice, when it comes to both timing, expression of music and reflection of nuances of the music. But that's just me