[Ms Cyatt]

Yeah you would have thought that more Americans would have gone into ice dancing because of Charlie and Merle. They were such a great team and their rivalry with Scott and Tessa was really fun to watch.

Yeah it will be interesting to watch for sure. Javi scored 13 points higher than his personal best in the short program in his first competition with Brian as his coach. So I have a feeling Brian will get a lot out of Jin and Jason quickly.

Yes Yuzu and Nathan fans don't like each other but the real problem there is Yuzu fans. They were going off on Nathan at Worlds in March. You'd think Yuzu winning gold at the Olympics would satisfy them but apparently not. Honestly Yuzu fans get mad at everyone who beats Yuzu. And for so reason I don't understand that includes Javi. I went back on Golden State and looked back at what people were saying after the 2016 worlds and some of it was nasty. They were going off about how offended they were that Javi scored so high on his freeskate which was obviously an amazing skate. Thing is if they really cared about Yuzu they'd know how much Javi means to Yuzu. Also Yuzu is so complimentary of other skaters including Nathan that he wouldn't like what his crazy fans were saying.

Yes I'm not surprised about Adam either. His personal best combined score ever is almost 40 points or more lower than guys like Yuzu, Nathan, Javi and Shoma so he can't really compete. Plus he's getting a lot of media work so I don't blame him at all.

Ashley and Mirai are also both sitting out the Grand Prix season. They haven't said they won't compete again but I wouldn't be shocked if they never competed again

Also the Grand Prix assignments are out. Anyone who finished on the podium at Worlds can't compete at the same Grand Prix not sure if that applies for the Olympic medalists as well. The biggest thing that could my eyes about the assignments was Gracie Gold will be competing at the Rostelecom Cup. I was shocked to see this, I didn't think Gracie was going to make a comeback. Here is a list of the Grand Prix assignments.

http://www.rockerskating.com/news/20...eries-entrants

[Melis]

Maybe they did inspire some, but we have yet to see them. I'm sure there are some up-and-coming skaters.

I'm crossing my fingers.

Oh, I agree. I saw some of that stuff after the Worlds. Such awful stuff was said. They said Nathan only won because Yuzi wasn't there. You're right. Yuzi wouldn't like it. I really hope he stays off the message boards.

I think Adam likes the limelight. He'll probably still be on our screens in some way, just not in competition.

I think Ashley should give it up. She isn't that great anymore, and her attitude sucks. I love Mirai, but I don't know how I feel about her competing.

Thanks for the info about Grand Prix. It'll be interesting. I never would have guessed we'd see Gracie again.

[Ms Cyatt]

I'm sure there are plenty up and comers. There isn't a team as great as Merle and Charlie there is great depth. Hopefully an ice dance team steps up in this quad because it's setting up to be dominated by the French.

Evgenia arrived in Toronto recently and her and Jason seem to be hitting if off. They have been posting stuff on social media. It's nice to see. Jin still isn't in Toronto yet which is odd seems like with a coaching change he'd want to get there sooner rather than later.

Yep, Yuzu fans are literally those worst. They really hate Nathan and it's ridiculous. I would hate to see what would happen in Jin beats Yuzu. They'll be furious at Brian for agreeing to coach Jin and helping him beat Yuzu, they're seriously delusional. Yuzu is always so gracious: he clapped for Nathan right before Nathan started his start program, has always been very complimentary towards Jin and cried for Javi when he knew he was going to get a medal at the Olympics. Yuzu fans could really could take a lesson from him. Yuzu has no social media accounts so I doubt he sees what people are saying.

Oh Adam definitely is loving the limelight. He'll definitely be on our screens somehow.

Yeah I'm not surprised about Ashely and Mirai. I agree about Ashley, she started getting really angry about her scores. I was happy for her when she got her silver medal at World's but since then she has regressed. With Ashley and Mirai gone it will interesting to see which US ladies step up.

I certainly wasn't expecting to see Gracie as well. She is so talented. Hopefully she is in a good place physically and emotionally. I'd love to see her skate again.

I'm not sure which Grand Prix event I'm looking forward to. There will be some drama at skate Canada with Evgenia being there and Eteri being there as well. The Grand Prix final will definitely be interesting with the showdown between Evgenia and Alina also the potential showdown between Yuzu, if he's healthy and Nathan.

[Melis]

Merle and Charlie really set the stage for American ice dancers. It's just really hard to live up to them.

Hmm. hopefully he gets there soon.

That would be awful if Yuzi fans said something about Jin. It's nice that they love Yuzi so much, but they shouldn't be so rude and mean.

Maybe Adam will be commentating sometime? I do love Johnny and Tara, though.

Ashley was just embarrassing. She was not a good sport at all. Such poor sportsmanship. I really hope USA has someone good. It has been too long since a USA Lady has been on the podium.

I haven't been a big fan of Gracie's skating. Hopefully she has stepped up her game.

Well, I'll try to watch what I can.

[Ms Cyatt]

They really did. It's interesting how ice dance was always thought of as an European thing and a Russian thing but over the past 8 years it has really shifted. We had Charlie and Merle and Scott and Tessa. Lots of the ice dancing medals at the Olympic and Worlds have been won by either Canadian or American team. Even the French team trains in Canada.

I hope so too. I remember Brian saying in the Javi documentary that he likes getting the new skaters to the TCC in June but Javi didn't get there till July. I know sometimes they can Visa issues trying to get skaters from one country into another. But I also know Brian was in Japan recently so I'm pretty sure he only just got back and started training with everyone.

It wouldn't surprise me at all. I went back on a forum to see old posts and some of his fans were really mad after the 2016 Worlds. So them were like Yuzu should be furious that Brian helped Javi beat Yuzu. Some were upset that Brian left Yuzu after he skated to go to Javi. They literally wanted Brian to ignore Javi in favor of Yuzu. Even though Brian was Javi's coach first so unfortunately I can see some of Yuzu's really crazy fans doing the same thing in Jin.

I can see Adam doing some commentary. Maybe doing so sort of interviewing people before big events.

Yes Ashley definitely behaved in an embarassing way. I don't know who will be the top US ladies. If I had to guess I'd Bradie would be the #1 but after that I have no clue.

I really hope Gracie was able to get herself healthy. I know she was battling an eating disorder, anxiety and depression. If she is healthy both physically and emotionally I'd love to see her back.

I feel it will probably be easier for me to watch Skate America and Skate Canada. Last year I definitely remember watching both those events though last year Skate America was Thanksgiving weekend and this year it's in October.

[Melis]

I really would love for the tradition to continue. Does Canada have any up-and-coming ice dancers?

I'm sure it'll work out. I bet everyone is anxious to start training with Brian.

Well, thankfully no one acts like that here. Fans are pretty peaceful around here. We don't need that immaturity about who Brian is helping.

I'd love to see him do that.

Hmm. I think Bradie is a good technical skater, but she's kind of boring to watch. I haven't really loved many of the USA female skaters in a long time.

I wish her well.

Do they air those on TV?

[NikNak]

Great discussion.

[Ms Cyatt]

I would love to see it too. Canada had no other ice dance teams that finished in the top 10 at the Olympics last year but they are slightly older so who knows how long they will compete. But no one saw the French team becoming a dominate team so who knows if another team will become dominant this quad.

Yes I'm sure it will work out as well. I know it will be a huge culture shock for Jin, I'm pretty sure he speaks no English so that will be difficult. Evgenia is already seems to be enjoying the culture in Toronto. I saw a picture of Evgenia and Brian together so it looks like they have begun training. It will be interesting to see what will happen when Yuzu gets there. Javi was so warm and welcoming to Yuzu so I'm sure he'll be the same way with Evgenia, Jin and Jason.

I totally agree Brian doesn't play favorites and we don't need any drama that Yuzu fans bring with them though most of them are pretty cool but the toxic ones ruin things for everyone.

Yes I would too. I think Adam would be good at that.

I agree about Bradie. I feel it will be awhile before the US has a medal threat in the women's field. Right now both the Russians and the Japanese are very dominant. They also have lots of depth in their skaters. Wakaba Higuchi didn't get to go the Olympics for Japan and if she was American she would be the best skater by a mile.

I believe that they will be on tv. Maybe on NBC sports network or the Olympic channel. The time difference will make watching the Grand Prixs in Japan, Russia, Finland and France difficult to watch live. The Grand Prix final will be Canada so I can probably watch that live as well.

[Melis]

NikNak, you should join us!

That's too bad. Right now there aren't any ice dancers that I really enjoy. I loved Charlie/ Merle and Scott/Tessa. They really got me interested in ice dancing. I had never watched it much before them.

I agree it will be culture shock, but everyone in Brian's camp seems very nice. I'm sure they'll do what they can to make him feel at ease. I'm glad Evgenia is dong well.

It only takes a few to spoil things.

Adam just has a personality for those things.

I definitely agree. I don't see many potentials for USA women't skating. Even if Gracie Gold makes a comeback, she won't be competitive with the top skaters. I don't know Wakaba Higuchi.

Okay, thanks. When do they air?

[Ms Cyatt]

It really is a shame. Merle/Charlie and Scott/Tessa really made ice dancing interesting. The only down side is a several of Scott and Tessa's fans are as bad as the crazy Yuzu fans. Some of them were still going off at Merle and Charlie during the Olympics. They were also going off and the French team at Worlds.

Yes everyone is Brian's camp are very nice and they have a great support system for the skaters there. I remember reading an interview Brian did talking about when Javi first got to Toronto worrying about whether he had live skills to be on his own, which he did. I remember hearing something similar about Jason. I don't know if Jin will be moving there alone or whether he'll have parent with him like Yuzu and Evgenia.

It definitely only takes a few fans to ruin things for everyone.

Yes Adam definitely has that type of personality.

If Gracie had reached her full potential I think she could have Kaetlyn Osmond, potentially a medal contender. None of the current US women are medal contenders. They probably wouldn't even be top 5 unless one of the other ladies makes mistakes. Wakaba Higuchi is a Japanese figure skater who made it to the Grand Prix final. Only the top 6 skaters pointswise make it to the final. But she came in 4th at Japanese nationals and wasn't named to the Olympic team. Japanese nationals are very, very competitive. She then competed at Worlds where she won a silver medal.

Skate America is October 19-21, Skate Canada is October 26-28, gp Helsinki is November 2-4, NHK Trophy is November 9-11, Rostelecom Cup is November 16-18 and Internationaux de France is November 23-25. Then the Grand Prix final is December 6-9.

[Melis]

Oh yeah, I remember that. The Scott/Tessa fans were mad when Merle/Charlie won gold. I think some crazy fan had a website to track Scott/Tessa.

No wonder everyone wants to learn from Brian. Aside from being a good coach, he's so kind and inviting. Jason is older, so I bet he will do well on his own.

It may be too late for Gracie. Thanks for telling me about Wakaba. I will look forward to seeing her as she moves up in skating.

Thanks for telling me those dates. I'll be sure to watch if they air.

[Ms Cyatt]

Yes they were, they're still mad at about Scott and Tessa losing. Yikes they had a website to track them, that's really creepy.

Yes he is, that's what I love about Brian. Not only does he want his skaters to be successful on the ice but he cares about their emotion well being off the ice. I know that Javi's father has referred to Brian as his 2nd father. I know before Javi met Brian he was suffering from anxiety and depression which must have been effecting his skating. He goes to Brian and he was in a better place emotionally and his skating improved. Without Brian Javi would never have reached his potential. I believe I heard Jason was staying with friends in Toronto. Even though he's 23 it would still be hard moving to a city where he didn't know anyone but it seems Jason is really enjoying hanging out with Evgenia it's so nice to see both of them helping each other adjusting to Toronto. So now we aren't sure if Jin will be training with Brian and Tracy. No one is sure what's going on.

Yes it might be too late for Gracie. She hasn't competed since US Nationals in January 2017. It will be interesting how she does. I just hope competing doesn't hurt the progress she has done to get herself healthy. No problem, the Grand Prix is a perfect time to watch skaters that you probably won't see the second half of the season. Skaters like Wakaba who are Japanese or Russian have a very difficult nationals. Each country has 3 spots for Worlds so if you finish 4th at nationals you won't get to compete at Worlds.

When the Grand Prix events get closer I'll keep you posted to when and where they're airing.

[Melis]

I think they need to get over that. Scott and Tessa have had so many medals, records, etc. I also think that a silver medal is not a loss. Lots of athletes wish they could get one.

Aww. That's a great coach. He's nurturing and caring and knows how to help skaters. I didn't know all about Javi, so I'm glad you're telling me. I'm so glad that he had Brian to help him. Jason is a friendly guy, so I have no doubt he'll make many friends and memories while he's in Toronto. I'll be interested to find about Jin if we ever do.

Gracie was never my favorite, but I don't wish bad things for her. I will hope that she can make a comeback or at least do the best she can. Oh, that's interesting. I bet it is frustrating to get 4th and not be able to compete.

Thanks!

[Ms Cyatt]

They really do need to get over that. Charlie and Merle were the better team and they won fair and square. And yes a silver medal isn't bad at all. Most people who compete at the Olympics won't get a medal at all. I know Javi was so happy just to get a medal, the color didn't matter to him.

Yes Brian is a great coach and the fact that he is so nurturing and caring towards his skaters makes him an even better coach. He also had Tracy there to help him when Javi and Yuzu were driving him crazy. Yes I didn't know that about Javi either. I know things didn't go well with his coach. I know he was training in New Jersey and then in Russia. He didn't speak English then and he was alone and missed home. All that changed when he started working with Brian even though in the beginning things didn't go that smoothly since Javi overslept a lot and was a bit lazy. But eventually they worked through all that and both Brian and Tracy said Javi becoming a World champion was their greatest success story because of what he was like when he got there. I didn't know all about Javi either till I watched this short documentary on him.

Yes Jason seems like such a nice and friendly guy that he will definitely make friends fast in Toronto. The Jin situation is very complicated. The CSA the Chinese federation wants Jin to train with Brian because the know he is one of the best coaches. With the next winter Olympics being in China they want Jin to be on the podium, possibly win gold. Jin is great technically but he needs to work on his skating skills and his artistry and Brian's skaters always score for high on PCS. Jin apparently doesn't want to leave China the problem is that Jin is fully funded by the CSA and the Chinese skaters really don't have much same in their skating careers. So we'll have to see how this situation plays out.

I hope Gracie finds some success in her comeback. I agree with the US ladies, none of them really stand out. And yes it would be very frustrating to compete in a federation with so much depth. Though the federations can chose whoever they want to compete at the Olympics or worlds. I mean the US sent Adam over Ross to the Olympics this year even though Adam came in 4th and the also sent Ashley over Mirai in 2014.

[NikNak]

Originally Posted by Melis (View Post) NikNak, you should join us!

Aww, thanks.

I love reading the dialogue and thoughts from both of you.