This and That: 2024 ISU Grand Prix Final Preview

[@mht4908]

I hope Amber can bring her best in the Grand Prix final against Kaori. I still think Kaori would win provided she hits everything, but Amber’s finally doing what she’s capable of, and 2 clean programs will be such a confidence booster for the future seasons

[@thelittleblackbedroom6548]

I'm so happy you mentioned Olivia Smart (and Tim Dieck). Why aren't they there??? They have such an incredible program. Also, I know Olivia is the star of the team but I love Tim. He's really grown on me.

[@yosily]

my absolute favorite program of this season

[@thelittleblackbedroom6548]

@yosily me too! Even Dune fans like their program!

[@ddjr6673]

My hopes/wishes for the Grand Prix (but may not happen) - Kevin skates two clean programs, Wakaba on the podium, Lilah and Lewis on the podium.

[@sophiem118]

Happy we got to hear from Nolan! I really enjoy him as a cohost

[@rebekahquinley8093]

Piper and Paul may have to win a world title for there to be room for the #2 Canadians (whose names I cannot spell) to become a top team because ice dance politics.

[@margarita-r2q]

daniel grassl's skating reminds me of the time i took too many drugs at a wild-west themed club and then tried to leave the premise through the urinal section of the men's bathroom

[@thelittleblackbedroom6548]

Hahahaha I have only recently stumbled upon figure skating KZbin community and omg the comments are savage

[@TraCarol83]

😂😂😂

[@WOWitsANT]

It’s been proven that hats don’t cause hair loss. So no need to worry Nolan. Keep up with the masc4masc look.

[@steveestrada1795]

Best wishes to Deanna and Max!

[@BrentWolgamott]

Best wishes to their programs, is more like it. 😂

[@alexac3098]

Unfortunately Deanna and Max have withdrawn, he’s recovering from illness.

[@rebekahquinley8093]

The ISU will take neutrality as seriously as the IOC takes clean sports. 😱

[@Jeremy-wp4yh]

I am just hoping for honest judging. This grand prix has been stressful enough thus far😂

[@d.trance6637]

and boring

[@ArohaStill]

​​@@d.trance6637the women with skatinv skills are more enjoyable than ever, Yuma is mesmerizing. Kevin a joy, Japanese pair are lovely, so much great clean drug-free skating😊

[@margarita-r2q]

don't hope for too much

[@joeyartk]

The funny thing here is predicting who is going to win as if this is a real competitive sport. Its like predicting WWE. Lol. Wakaba doesn't under rotate any more than any of these other girls do. They just pick and choose who they ignore it on. At least Wakaba doesn't cheat her takeoff like the others. I know the ISU wants to pretend that women can actually fully rotate 3/3s without cheating, but the evidence says NO. Lol

[@ArohaStill]

So glad to hear Yuma talking about himself as a champion this week.

[@joejoematic8206]

The discipline where the winner really cannot be predicted: Pairs.

[@thelittleblackbedroom6548]

Happy to see this! I missed you on Monday!

[@ClarkJohnson-oq9ue]

My Predictions: Men: 1) Malinin 2) Kagiyama 3) Sato 4) Shaidorov 5) Aymoz 6) Grassl Women: 1) Sakamoto 2) Glenn 3) Chiba 4) Higuchi 5) Yoshida 6) Matsuike Pairs: 1) Hase/Volodin 2) Miura/Kihara 3) Conti/Macii 4) Metelkina/Berulava 5) Kam/O”Shea 6) Ghilardi/Ambrosini Dance: 1) Chock/Bates 2) Gilles/Poirier 3) Guinard/Fabri 4) Fear/Lewis 5) Lajoie/Lagha 6) Lopareva/Brissaud

[@ddjr6673]

That Dance prediction! That is very accurate if no one makes a mistake

[@joejoematic8206]

Looks very good

[@iosebdzamukashvili5360]

I completely disagree with you. Matsuike can pull out the brone. Shaydorov and Berulava silver/bronze. Meletkina and Berulava can win this actually. And dont underestimate Aymoz.

[@Mel-y9p]

@@iosebdzamukashvili5360 Hearing this from a georgian is truly shocking. Like no national bias whatsoever. People are so self-unaware it's ridiculous.

[@figureskating3141]

according to haein's interview after the comp, she indeed suffered depression and needed medication, yet she continued training and showed up with such a great condition jump wise (attempted 3a) and great spirit. She is truly admirable, truly an inspirational brave girl/woman.

[@daniellydford6142]

Just a note on Olympic Qualifying. In order to earn 2 or 3 spots at the World Championships a country needs to have reached the applicable points threshold, and have the same number of competitors make the free skate. So, for example, if Hendrickx doesn't compete this season Belgium would need two skaters in the free skate in order to earn two spots even if Pinzarrone finishes in the top 10.

[@Rachel-rs7jn]

Wait, is this a rule change? You're saying that even if a country's two entries end up, say, 23rd and 24th, the country still gets two spots for the following year?

[@ИринаШпаковская-р8о]

Fantastic show! Thank you, Dave and Nolan! I am absolutely gutted since I was so looking forward to seeing Deanna and Max. However, after watching you talk about it, I am feeling slightly better about them missing the event.

[@KRO425]

Nolan!! ❤🎉

[@reneecarlson1784]

Good luck on your MIF - skating skills test Dave!

[@BrookeP87]

Please let Dave be right. Hoping for medals for Lilah ,Lewis, Amber, and Kevin. 🤞🏻

[@susantoker7254]

Just hoping for fair judging and good skates by all.

[@MichelleRupe-b2o]

I think Loena is listed at Golden Spin this weekend unless there is a withdraw we aren't aware of.

[@TheSkatingLesson]

She withdrew according to Anything GOEs on twitter

[@kadv2172]

Nolan looking good with and without the hat 🥰

[@zb6070]

Dave: Save your. candles for deanna/maxime olympics.

[@d.trance6637]

At least my commands ve given some discussion. i think i ve pressed a buttom. still watching this show since its quite entertaining and also i love that passive agression against the states main enemy POCCIA. Hope that wonderful Johnny Weir has some comments. He brought the 2 countries together.

[@kadv2172]

Im in for the group candlelighting for Wakaba - she needs to medal 🥲🤞🏻♥️

[@lisa-lisa-lisa]

Madison and Gabbie walked so Louis and Guillaume could stomp

[@thelittleblackbedroom6548]

Lol!

[@hellsbellsmichelle]

Do you think Mishina/Galliamov will still be skating to "Esmarelda"?

[@rltrn26]

Nolan you're hot with or without the hat. Hair doesn't make the man!!! Hats dont cause hair loss...it can cause hair breakage from rubbing or pulling at the base of the hair while wearing and applying the hat. However, if you have healthy follicles the hair will grow.

[@natas.8468]

Malinin, Kagiyama, and Kevin (esp. considering it's his hometown) would be a logical forecast. I'm gonna go out on the limb and predict: Malinin, Shaidorov, Kevin. Women: most likely Sakamoto, Chiba, Amber (even though I'm cheering for Amber and want her to win it all, she may get silver) P.S. Don't think Kaori's "Chicago" is bad at all!! When she hit it she was so convincing I saw Zeta Jones's Velma performing that routine!

[@QQ-wl6yt]

I kinda get what Sakamoto supposedly means with the FP “stretching” her - e.g., it’s like it has a lot of upper body choreography reminiscent of her Janet Jackson Short Program from a couple of seasons ago… so it’s commendable that they’re risking doing that tougher choreography on the usually mellower Long program. However, it’s still a regrettable waste that they’re doing such an effort on a music choice that is so beyond recycled and uninspired.

[@timothy2491]

@ the problem is that even if amber skates clean with 2 triple axels which means her basevalue of her program is higher than kaori. They might not give her a win over an olympic athlete.

[@KP-zd3hc]

Polina Edmunds didn’t even cover Finlandia Trophy. I have an inkling. 😂

[@zb6070]

@skatinglesson where do you find the name of the top caller

[@ILoveChoc0late]

Mone is rotating her jumps because Mia had her lose at least 5 kilos since last season, she is going full Eteri diet on her

[@anthonydolio8118]

Gosh, I've just enjoyed the absence of the Russians. I have no desire to see them competing any time soon.

[@amandab6178]

Have to agree - not least the stony faced coaches grimacing on the sides.

[@KelseyDavison]

Did you enjoy Wicked?

[@TheSkatingLesson]

It was great.

[@Dnest10]

The yell I just let out when you said "Kaori in fifth" 😂I wouldn't be mad at the placement but I was NOT expecting that. Im not a fan of the material this year. Im sorry...it's a no for me

[@yosily]

thanks for always putting out content! i was looking forward to hearing your commentary on Haein Lee’s comeback

[@yosily]

i thought she looked great considering her loss of training time and all the mental trauma she went through.

[@yosily]

even now she’s training with huge uncertainty, the lift on her ban was only a temporary court order

[@figureskating3141]

i'm disappointed that they are still confused about the case even though there are so many info/facts are out there and not difficult to find out at all, and especially Nolan.. he used villain to describe haein, actually if it is a revenge movie, haein is the protagonist/heroine, KSU, the other sports authority and the adults who urged minor C to lie are the villain.

[@davidreign9247]

Hey Dave, please explain to Nolan that Madison Chock and Evan Bates had Zero Mistakes at the last Olympics! And they were pretty Flawless at last Year’s World Championships, Sis should do some Research! Also… Madison & Evan have the Highest Scores of the Season, Chock & Bates will WIN AGAIN! Stop Hating, Doesn’t Matter who the Caller is! They are the Most Talented in Ice Dance and have been for a While now!

[@BrentWolgamott]

He didn’t say last Olympics. He said “ look at their Olympics, look at their worlds, they fall“. He was correctly pointing out that they fell in 2018 Olympics free dance and they also fell in the 2023 world championships

[@maryschreck2557]

@@BrentWolgamottyou’re seriously bringing up a mistake in 2018 with a straight face? Like, come on.

[@BrentWolgamott]

@ girl, please. I did not bring it up. You brought it up coming for him as if he was factually inaccurate and he’s not. He didn’t say what f-king Olympics. He said “Olympics, worlds, they fall. It was clear he was talking about 2018 Olympics and 2023 world championships. Don’t fact check if you don’t have your facts right. Thank you.

[@davidreign9247]

@@maryschreck2557 Exactly!!! And they still won in 2023 as well!! But sure, let’s bring up something from over six years ago lol.

[@davidreign9247]

@@BrentWolgamott Again, they still Won in 2023!!! lol, and 2018 was nearly 2 Olympic cycles ago.

[@jessenelson5616]

Ice dance and pairs have been so boring and sad to watch. The level has dropped off considerably for world tier skating

[@rltrn26]

Im sorry but i still question why the grand prix had so many japenese women PERIOD. They mde up half the entries for the entire series. That makes no sense to me.

[@QQ-wl6yt]

Because women’s skating has become women’s tennis in that a rotating cast of relatively unknown athletes will make it to the top spots at every event

[@margarita-r2q]

it has to do with world rankings, host spots and the placements of Japanese skaters from the previous season. there were also a lot of withdrawals of high ranked skaters such as Isabeau and Loena. Their spots were legitimate, earned, and above board, the ISU isn't arbitrarily deciding to give more Japanese ladies spots because they felt like it.

[@timothy2491]

​@@margarita-r2qalso it was for the best. The japanese skaters have better technique than levito

[@rltrn26]

​@margarita-r2q I'm not questioning their quality or them legitimately being there. The grand prix is an INVITATION meet. And I think other countries also have good women skaters who could be invited. That you give half the spots for the entire grand prix to one country is an issue when you trying to sell your sport and increase the eyes on it.

[@timothy2491]

@@rltrn26 but then whats the point of competitions? Otherwise we can just give every country a spot at the olympics and turn it into an amateur competition that doesnt need to be earned

[@d.trance6637]

Without Russia Figure Skating is nothing. There is only the native Soviet Malinin and some 5feet Japanese, which are sooooo boring. we need quality and of corse the tension against POCCIA. This Years Russian Championship have 10 times more quality then the worlds. OMG. Please Mr Trump stop this war . (even Victoria Nuland wants it ^^)

[@Jeremy-wp4yh]

Doping does wonders for prepubescent girls with poor skating skills who jump pre-rotated triples and call them quads.

[@npcarney]

@@Jeremy-wp4yh 100%

[@d.trance6637]

@@Jeremy-wp4yh the japanese dwarfs dont need doping . but for the rest of the world, one give them a bag of doping . to get rid of this kind of boring skating. but it wont help anyway

[@waswfud]

@@Jeremy-wp4yh who also finish their careers after just two senior seasons. Athletes there are treated like expendable soldiers, discarded and replaced by younger girls as soon as they can no longer perform at their peak, used solely to serve propaganda purposes. Their well-being and lives after retirement are of no concern. Education is neglected, and figure skating is state-sponsored, funded by blood money. The focus isn't on fostering healthy, thriving athletes; it’s on leveraging sports to spread propaganda on a global scale.

[@jjsmith4829]

russian bot; drug cheats and boring teens who have no technique and no pe rsonality