First Japan World Challenge 2005 announces invited skaters

[Skatemusicgirl]

I found this on a website..I thought ya'll might want to know...


The Japanese Federation has announced the skaters that have been invited to participate in*their own version of*Campbell's International Figure Skating Challenge on October 1st at the Higashifushimi Ice Arena in Tokyo. The competition will consist of a free program performed by six men and*six ladies skaters with three top Japanese skaters in each discipline.* Skaters invited include:

LADIES COMPETITORS

Shizuka Arakawa
Miki Ando
Fumie Suguri

Irina Slutskaya
Julia Sebestyen
TBD

MENS COMPETITORS

Nobunari Oda
Daisuke Takahashi
Takeshi Honda

Evgeni Plushenko
Jeff Buttle
Johnny Weir

This new international event has been created by the Japan Skating Federation to provide more skating opportunities*for*Japanese skaters and also give the Japanese public a chance to see more world class skaters perform. This event will also serve as a warmup for Japan's skaters preparing for the Grand Prix Series heading towards the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turino, Italy.

[attyfan]

Are these skaters confirmed for Japan, or only invited? According to the USFSA website, Johnny is confirmed for Campbell's -- which is one week after the Japanese cheesefest. If he is planning on doing both, he's going to be a busy little bee. (IMO, if he is doing both, he also has rocks in the head. Does he want an injury at Olys?)

Also -- has the ISU done any kind of follow up on its threat of last November to discipline skaters who do shows, but skip the GP (or the federations who don't produce their top skaters for the GP)? Plushy isn't set for any GP events (since he had to withdraw, he's no longer seeded, but still ...), but if he is doing cheesefests, and not the GP -- I think the ISU will get really p****d. (after all, its initial threat was issued a week after Plushy pulled out of NHK -- which was the same night he had a show on in Prague -- and the ISU threatened Plushy with loss of eligibility if he did the show, also)

[Skatemusicgirl]

I'm not sure about the isu thing, and all I know is these skaters were supposedly invited..at least that's how it was worded..I don't know if they are the ones definitely coming or not. It seems weird that Johnny would do this and then Campbells. so I think it's just invited. if I find out anything I'll let ya'll know. i'll look around in the next few weeks and see if it mentions the confirmed list somewhere.

[Dilng]

Are these skaters confirmed for Japan, or only invited? According to the USFSA website, Johnny is confirmed for Campbell's -- which is one week after the Japanese cheesefest. If he is planning on doing both, he's going to be a busy little bee. (IMO, if he is doing both, he also has rocks in the head. Does he want an injury at Olys?)

Also -- has the ISU done any kind of follow up on its threat of last November to discipline skaters who do shows, but skip the GP (or the federations who don't produce their top skaters for the GP)? Plushy isn't set for any GP events (since he had to withdraw, he's no longer seeded, but still ...), but if he is doing cheesefests, and not the GP -- I think the ISU will get really p****d. (after all, its initial threat was issued a week after Plushy pulled out of NHK -- which was the same night he had a show on in Prague -- and the ISU threatened Plushy with loss of eligibility if he did the show, also)

I don't think Evgeni is required to go to the grand prix events since he pulled out of Worlds.

[SashaTarafan]

Why isn't Evgeny doing any GP events??

[Katia_Fan22]

Why isn't Evgeny doing any GP events??

I think what she meant was that by not competing in Worlds due to injury, he's no longer seeded. Only the top 12 finishers are "seeded" and will be assigned GP events. However, the remaining spots are invitational, and I'm sure he'll be invited to at least COR. But unlike seeded skaters, he can decline without raising a stink the way it did when he pulled out of a previous GP event - prompting Speedy to write a threatening memo.

[attyfan]

While Evgeni is not seeded, and be within the rules if he declines GP events, the ISU may still be angry about it. After all, Kwan was within the rules (as interpreted at the time) when she didn't do the GPF in '03 and skipped the entire GP the next two years. The ISU was not pleased.

Also, FWIW, I read on a Johnny Weir message board that he is invited (but not yet confirmed) for Japan; he is confirmed for Campbell's

[SkaterGem]

Cool! It would be interesting if they had invited mao asada..she would have given the lot of them a run for their money!

[ditzysk8r]

It seems strange to me how no American (or North American, for that matter) ladies were invited...

[Skatemusicgirl]

Tarin, Campbells is the week after though, so I don't think the top american ladies would have been able to do both...it wouldn't be good..although johnny weir might do both, but he's not confirmed for the japan thing yet. As for other skaters in North America not going, I'm not sure why they weren't invited. There's a TBD spot still for the women so maybe they'll invite a canadian or a us lady who won't be at campbells.

[xSashaSpinx]

Cool! It would be interesting if they had invited mao asada..she would have given the lot of them a run for their money!

It will be interesting to see her and Sasha compete in Paris!

[attyfan]

Mao Asado gets to go up against all the top ladies. She's also scheduled for CoC -- as are Shizuka, Irina and Michelle.

[Ashley]

It seems strange to me how no American (or North American, for that matter) ladies were invited...

Yeah, I noticed that too. Even though Campbells is so close, I still would think some of our ladies would've been invited.

[shavit]

The TBD spot for the women went to Susanna Piiykio of Finland. Mao Asada and Totmianinia & Marinin will skate in exhibition.

[Skatemusicgirl]

thanks for the info! yay! I'm glad totmianina and marin are skating..that's awesome!! and Mao's exhibition should be neat also. I don't really know who Susanna is...I haven't heard of her that much. What has she skated in recently?

[shavit]

Susanna Poykio took Silver at European this year and 8th at Worlds. She skated to Henry VIII of Saint-Saens (SP) and Romeo & Juliet (LP) this season. Someone posted her video here from Skate Canada:
www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7050&goto=nextoldest
Mao's exhibition pictures are: www.maomaiasada.com/photo-mao-2005PIW.htm
There were better ones but I couldn't find them, sorry.

[Skatemusicgirl]

Susanna Poykio took Silver at European this year and 8th at Worlds. She skated to Henry VIII of Saint-Saens (SP) and Romeo & Juliet (LP) this season. Someone posted her video here from Skate Canada:
www.goldenskate.com/forum/showthread.php?t=7050&goto=nextoldest
Mao's exhibition pictures are: www.maomaiasada.com/photo-mao-2005PIW.htm
There were better ones but I couldn't find them, sorry.
oo ok. Thanks for getting all of that information for me! I remember her.