ISU announced the entries for next season’s GP: Kiira is selected for NHK Trophy in Sapporo (Japan – 11/13 November) and Rostelecom Cup of Russia in Moscow (25-27 November). Since now, only ten entries are allowed: Laura Lepisto will come back as well, at Skate America in Ontario (California) and TEB in Paris. As everyone already knew, won’t be present Yu-Na Kim and Miki Ando. Each skater has the chance to participate at three events, and only two better results will be considered, as Carolina Kostner and Alena Leonova seem going to do.
Within only two weeks Kiira will decide her future in next Grand Prix: this could be an advantage, if she will be able to get better shape in that period… so, hyvä Kiira, go for a great season!
http://isu.sportcentric.net/db//files/serve.php?id=2687
With Yuna and Miki out of the competition, I can see Kiira and Lepisto having a good chance at the podium, along with Alissa Czisny, Mirai Nagasu, Kanako Murikami and Carolina Kostner. But why does Kostner get three shots at the Final? Seems unfair to me.
Here’s something interesting: Laura Lepisto is up against Czisny and Kostner at both Skate America and Eric Bompard–how did that scheduling happen? So if Kostner loses to Lepisto and Czisny, she can still qualify for the Grand Prix Final with a Cup of China win where Kostner will be up against Adelina Sotnikova (a young 14 year old Russian skater who scarfs up Gold medals like chocolate chip cookies). Sotnikova seems to evince the international influence of Czisny–ice skating as ballet. America has a strong team this year (Czisny, Mirai, Wagner, Zawadski and Flatt) but the USA is up against Kiira and Lepisto, a great Finn team. Kostner obviously wants to make it to the Grand Prix Final–is there an ISU connection with Octavio Cinquanta being Italian? Does ISU mean Italian Skating Union, as has been so often suggested?
If only it were true, Mike! Here in Italy we never have the chance seeing a GP event… we’ll host Junior Worlds here in Milan, but it’s not the same thing.
The only interest of Cinquanta is money, he doesn’t care about skaters, neither Carolina nor anybody else. But it’s true: Adelina Sotnikova is a really fantastic skater, it doesn’t matter how young she is. She’ll be a great rival for everyone this year, and not having any kind of pressure could be another advantage for her.
I don’t know why Kiira doesn’t profit the fact having two chances of three to gain better scores for Grand Prix, but it seems this is the decision of most of skaters… maybe would be too much effort for them, or maybe someone will change her mind later… we’ll see. According to Kiira’s messages, it seems she assaulted next season with the right determination, and this is a good signal with no doubts.