#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

I'm sorry if you don't have a lot of information on this topic, but with Stephen's boot (correct me if I'm wrong, the edea piano) being one of several cases of edea pianos breaking at inconvenient times after not so long of being used (Evgenia Medvedeva, Alexander Samarin, Matteo Rizzo, Stephen....) is there anything known that going on with them, or is it juts bad luck every time?

Hi anon, and thank you for the ask.

I spoke to someone who has some familiarity with skating boots. I was told Edeas are easy to break into, but also break down easily. It may just be that he wore out the tongue faster than expected because he was practicing the 3Lz repeatedly during this event. Still, it should have held up, because his boots can't be that old - he's growing so he has to be getting new boots regularly. I am not sure what the problem is, but I think there might be some production or quality control issues going on with Edea.

I don't want to be rude, since they are his boot company, but the way their boots have hurt a lot of skaters this season reflects poorly on Edea. Whatever is causing these issues needs to be resolved immediately (once Italy is done with this coronavirus situation, that is). Though considering the fact that Raf went to visit the Risport booth, it may be that a recommendation is made that Stephen switch to them.

I’m sorry this doesn’t quite answer your question, but if I hear anything, I’ll be sure to share it.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

We have heard, more so last year than this year as Stephen was getting more press last year, that Stephen has done all the quads (except 4A) in training. We have only seen 4Lz, 4T, and 4S in competition but you mentioned that he was trying 4Lo in Croatia before the injury, so do we have any video of his 4Lo or 4F? And as Yuzu is trying 4A and Samsonov is rumored to have tried quints, do you think that Stephen's 3A or beautiful 4S (the one at Croatia was stunning) have room for another rotation?

Hi anon, and thanks for the ask.

Brian mentioned Stephen and his arsenal of quads back in January 2018 - this is on the Wikipedia page. I wasn't sure about the 4Lo in Zagreb, but I doubt he was attempting it. We have an old video of his 4F in harness, when he was 11 years old

I have not seen any videos of 4Lo attempts. It was Stephen's stated goal at the beginning of this season that he wants to put in all the quads he can do in his programs. But he mentioned in that interview after Junior Worlds that he won’t do quads unless he feels 100% ready to do them.

I don't think there will be any quad Axels or quint attempts until Stephen is done growing. Attempting jumps of this nature can lead to injuries, and skaters are more injury prone anyways when they're growing. Stephen has a great 3A and his 4S is wonderfully done - the one you've mentioned was one of the highest scoring quads in the entire 2019-20 JGP (you can check this fact here). Fewer quads but clean skating can also yield good results, especially at the junior level. Just look at the JWC podium - none of the men did more than one type of quad.

Yuzuru Hanyu seemed to suggest in that press conference after 2018 GP Helsinki that he thought Stephen would be able to do a full program of quads. So maybe the 4A is in his future. If he succeeds with that then, in theory, he should be able to do quints. My understanding of the science is that if you can do X+0.5 rotation jumps (Axels), then you should be able to do X+1 rotation jumps (non-Axels), where X is a whole number of rotations. I cannot recall where I got this info from. I'm guessing Inga Zusev in an older documentary. But maybe this theory doesn't hold up for quints. I’m not aware of anyone experimenting with quints so it’s unexplored territory AFAIK.

#ask SGFB #quads

[gogogogolev]

In the light of Aleksandra Trusova leaving Eteri, one of the concerns is that she will lose her political "Eteri bonus." While I don't think that politics should be part of skating scores at all, do you think that Stephen being the star boy getting a lot of press in and out of Canada last year, and he was with Orser, helped his scores last year? (Not that he didn't earn them) Do you think that the lack of politics this year has affected his scoring? IMO some of his scores this season were harsh.

Hello anon, and thank you for the ask. This reply is going under a cut due to length.

I'm guessing you mean the press Stephen got after he won JGPF? I do not believe that press helped his marks. If that were the case, then his PCS at 2019 Nationals would have been better. Internationally, his PCS at 2019 Junior Worlds were also not very high. If you refer to the charts on the data page of this site you can see what his PCS has been like. I am using PCS as a metric because his GOE varies wildly event to event.  

Here are those charts with Bavarian Open scores included (it's not an ISU international so it's not on the Data page).

Stephen was with Brian how long in the 2018-19 season? People at 2018 Autumn Classic (excluding myself) had apparently heard of what was happening through Ghislain Briand. Stephen had likely stopped working with Brian even before Sectionals. Brian was with Stephen up until JGP Canada. The rest was accomplished with Lee.

Stephen seems to be punished for inconsistency. For some reason, as soon as he falters, in any way, his scores drop. There are skaters who could make many mistakes, fall multiple times in a program and still score higher PCS than Stephen when he hasn't taken a single fall. As a result, his PCS lags behind those of the other top junior men. The only time he's seen PCS close to those men is at 2020 Bavarian Open. But we were already seeing that situation with 2019 Junior Worlds. The press follows whoever is standing on the podiums. In the 2019-20 season, that was not Stephen. He is reserved, so in the absence of podium finishes or major coaching changes there is nothing the media can report on except his withdrawals from events.

I cannot speak to the scoring in other disciplines as that is beyond the scope of this blog. But I wish Sasha well. She's a young athlete who has taken a major step in her life, as Stephen did last year. She should be supported during this time.

The politics in this sport will never go away, but at the very least, skaters can do what's best for them. Stephen chose to train with Raf. This is what he believes is best for him. We've seen some positives, and we've seen some problems. I would say that's how it goes when any major change is made in one's life. Hopefully this change leads to more consistent skating, continued improvement in all the PCS categories as well as technique, and success. For about four years, before he debuted on the JGP, Stephen put out some great skates and stood on podiums throughout Canada (and some international ones as well). He had two perfect seasons, and another with him never off the podium. You appear to be aware of what he accomplished in 2018-19. After seeing all that, there is hope he can continue to improve and achieve greater success on the international stage. Though he is growing and adjusting to his new life, so we need to be a bit patient.

#ask SGFB #data

[gogogogolev]

I noticed that Stephen's score from Croatia Cup, which I believe is his SB (excluding Bavarian Open) is 57th. If they don't do anything for the skaters that may have passed him at worlds, does this mean Stephen will be in contention for senior GPs should there be any? Is he confined to only host spot? (ex Anastasia Guliakova of Russia who is likely to get a GP spot but only Rostelecom due to lack of SB) Who are the Canadian men that are likely to be above or near Stephen in the GP allocations?

Hello anon, and thank you for the ask.

You are correct about Stephen's score from JGP Croatia Cup being his SB. I do not believe the ISU is doing anything for skaters who missed Worlds, unfortunately. Stephen is indeed in contention for a GP spot, since he is top 75 on the SB list. He is more likely to get a host pick spot, but Skate Canada may negotiate to get him a spot at another Grand Prix event. This is likely what happened with Conrad Orzel in the 2019-20 season, as he was 48th on the 2018-19 Season's Best list and was assigned to 2019 NHK Trophy. Conrad was probably owed something though, since his lack of senior TES minimum scores prevented him from going to 2019 Four Continents (Nicolas, who finished behind him at 2019 Nationals, was sent instead).

Roman, Nam, and Keegan will be given priority for GP assignments as 2020 National medallists. They should be able to get two spots, with Roman getting the host pick as National champion. Joseph Phan is moving up to seniors so he will likely also get at least one GP assignment - maybe another host pick spot. Nicolas Nadeau should pick up a GP spot on his own - he is 36th on the SB list. Maybe Conrad Orzel (52nd) will pick one up as well. I don't believe anyone else from Canada apart from these seven men will be going out on the GP circuit. Aleksa Rakic is the only other Canadian man in the top 75 SB list, but he will likely stay in juniors. Though we may see others outside of the top 75, like Eric Liu, going to Challenger Series events. And if Stephen does the JGP instead, he should also be going out to a CS event.

The above is all based on the assumption that we get events that were meant to be held in the first half of the season.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Hi, when Stephen popped all his second half jumps and finished quite low at jr worlds, did his placement lose spots for Canada at either next season's JGP or JWC, or was the other man able to hang on? Does this also affect funding for either Stephen or SkateCanada? And did the prospect of losing spots have anything to do with the (heartbreaking) K&C reaction? PS I am also very curious about the 4Lz/4T/3A+3T/4S layout that was submitted and who thought it was a good idea, or was if it a mistake.

Hi anon, and thanks for the ask.

His placement earned 16 points at JWC. Combined with Joseph Phan’s 12th place finish, Canada hung on to two spots for 2021 Junior Worlds (16+12 = 28, needed 28 or less). JGP spots for next season are determined by the rank of countries. Joseph was the highest ranked Canadian skater. His placement put Canada 8th in the countries ranking, meaning Canada would be allowed 1 entry in 6 events for the men. Canada is also hosting a JGP, so we get extra spots (two, I believe).

I’ve read somewhere that the Canadian federal athlete assistance program requires top 16 finishes at world championship events. However, unless Stephen is assigned to a GP, he does not currently meet the criteria to be on the National Team. He is eligible for the NextGen Team though. Skate Canada has not released their criteria for the National Team for 2020/21. They have also not posted information about the composition of the NextGen Team. I doubt his placement affects funding for Skate Canada, though it likely meant he was personally not eligible for certain grants.

I am not of the opinion that Stephen cried in concern for spots. No one expected Joseph to have the kind of skate he did in the FS, so there likely wasn’t much thought about losing spots in the first place. I believe he was just overwhelmed by the situation after seeing his marks. He was really looking to have a strong skate in the FS, after the pop in the SP. He looked ready too - he was nailing his jumps and spins. He kept his levels up, but he just could not do those jumps with that boot. It was a sad way for him to end his season, despite being so prepared to have a clean skate.

That layout that was submitted was maybe his original planned program content before the quads were taken out. It doesn’t follow the rules though - he would be repeating too many triples. So it could just have been a mistake. Skaters sometimes lose certain jumps during their growth spurt. Or certain jumps can lead to injuries, so jump content is scaled back. He has a desire to do all the quads he can land, so I expect to see him gradually add back in the quads he’s left out. For now, it’s promising that he’s able to land 3A and 4S even while he’s growing.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Do you know if Stephen has returned to Toronto since he can't do any training in California? In a time of crisis like this one has an automatic desire to be with family and I'm sure that would be the case with Stephen.

Hi anon, and thank you for the ask.

I believe he has returned to Toronto. He is reunited with his brother, who lives in Canada, so he has to be here. Also, that trail he was riding his bike on looks very much like one you would see in Toronto.

Canada asked its citizens to return and has partially shut its border to the US so it would make sense for him to return. We are also testing a larger percentage of our population for COVID-19 in Ontario than they are in Orange County, so in general it would be safer for Stephen to be here. Stephen is still a member of Granite Club, so if the rinks open up here and he cannot return to the US I believe he could train here, at a distance. However all public events in Toronto have been cancelled through June 30. It remains to be seen if private facilities will be permitted to open earlier than that.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

What is your favorite program of Stephen’s and why? I personally liked his FS this year, one of my fave programs of him overall, and I love his improvements and growth with that program since the beginning of the season, when it got a lot of negative feedback—he grew into the program and it was amazing, you could see the improvements, but Run Boy Run is my fave short program of his for sure.

Hello anon, and thank you for this great ask.

My favourite program of Stephen's is his Mozart FS. In general, I'm fond of David Wilson's choreography for skaters who work with well with him (e.g. Yuna, Patrick, etc.). Stephen was Mozart on ice, the child prodigy on blades skating to music from the child prodigy composer. You can see, even in the small details, all the effort that went into that program. He won numerous medals with it over two seasons, including a junior National title, and gold at 2017 Bavarian Open. I also liked his costume for it. He really looked like a little prince. It was created by renowned Canadian designer Denis Pizzacalla. I know Stephen prefers modern programs, but classical music and costumes really suit him as well. Though he seems to be so versatile that he could probably pull off just about any style.

Japanese fans noticed that one of the Fantasy on Ice 2019 group number costumes was similar in design to this one.

I quite liked his programs from this season as well. It had been my desire to see Stephen skate to Russian music. The Grand Waltz is probably the most beautiful piece of music I have seen him skate to, and Yablochko seems to be a lot of fun. His first costume was also very charming. It's probably my favourite SP of his. I admittedly have a soft spot for Les Patineurs because it was the first program of his I saw.

I know opinion was split about his FS, but I liked it. Shae-Lynn's choreography is always interesting. I was looking forward to seeing the senior version of that FS. If he had a costume for JGP Lake Placid maybe there would have been less criticism, but he never spoke about what happened, so the misunderstanding wasn't resolved. Despite not having done anything wrong he also seems to have become a substitute for criticism of another skater he trains with who receives large amounts of hate for his scores and costumes. So unfortunately there was some disappointing commentary from certain parts of the internet. But I know there were people who loved it, and some were very excited to see Peter Gabriel music used in skating. He really did grow with it. It's neat that we have an On Ice Perspectives video of the Red Rain bit of it.

Run Boy Run is probably a program that Stephen himself likes a lot. He was quite into it, and the choreography went well with the music. There are some great shots of that program, really showing off the interesting choreo.

I'm curious to see what he comes up with next.

Photo credits: Skate Canada, FaOI, Joosep Martinson, Skate Ontario, David W. Carmichael, Richard Lam

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

This is the follow up to the ask about world rankings: How in the world would Kamila and Sasha be not in the top 10 after last season and this season respectively? And in regards to Stephen, how did he move up with this season, were some people (like Misha Ge) who retired removed from above him? Does Bavarian Open count for these rankings, and I'm still quite confused as to what Bavarian Open counts for. Minimums but not seasons bests, did it boost Stephen's total at all?

Hi again anon.

The World Standings use three seasons of results to assign points, with the earliest season weighed at 70% instead of 100%. Last season Sasha had 2 seasons worth of junior results going into that calculation. As you pointed out, junior results count for fewer points. The ladies who were ahead of Sasha had World, European, and/or Four Continents medals which weighed heavily into their scores. With the cancellation of Worlds, Sasha missed out on an opportunity to get more points. These ladies had also been skating longer as seniors, which allowed them to accrue more points. The only new seniors ahead of her were Anna and Alena, who placed ahead of her at GPF and the European Championships. Similary, Kamila only has one season of junior results. That’s not enough to place in the top 24 normally, though Sasha did impressively manage to rank 24th at the end of her second junior season.

How did Stephen manage to move up? Good question. It’s not Misha Ge’s removal - Stephen was ahead of him anyways. When the 2017-2018 results were removed, and the 2018-19 season results were weighed at 70%, what happened was that some skaters’ points totals dropped quite a bit. Krasnozhon was one of them - he went from 30th with 1854 points to 48th with 938 points. Roman Savosin, Makar Ignatov, Paul Fentz, Koshiro Shimada, and Han Yan are others who were ahead of Stephen until the table was updated and he moved up. However Grabriele Frangipani and Shun Sato moved ahead of Stephen so he moved up 4 spots instead of 6. If Stephen doesn’t pick up many points from the 2020-21 season he will move down next time the table is updated just like the men I’ve listed here.

Bavarian Open counted for world standing points if you skated there as a senior. Junior skaters don’t get points for non-ISU events. So if you’re a junior, and only skating at junior events, you need to place high enough to get points at the JGPs, JGPF, and the Junior World Championships. Bavarian Open and other such events count for TES scores, and will be featured in the season technical element score list. But even that statistic won’t be listed on an ISU biography - only ISU events count for personal best scores. Bavarian Open just added one line on Stephen’s ISU biography, “Bavarian Open 2020, Oberstdorf; 2020; 1.J”. Which is good too - it’s his last result in the list. Skate Canada is using scores from international junior events for NextGen team selection (and maybe might use them for National Team selection as well?) so I’m sure the good results there will help a lot of skaters, Stephen included. 

I hope that answers your questions.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Hi, do you have any idea as to how tall Stephen is now? I know that he has grown quite a bit in the past year, his ISU bio says 162 cm but he certainly looks taller on the ice. But at the JWC banquet when he stood next to Daria Usacheva, who said herself on instagram that she is currently 158 cm, he didn't seem significantly taller. Is it the costumes or the cameras that are giving the illusion of him having grown so much in the last two competitions/the illusion of him being taller than Raf?

Hello anon, and thanks for the ask.

According to Stephen, in his latest interview, he is 168-169 cm. Though he may be even taller now, for all we know.

Stephen has actually grown. If you compare a photo of him from an earlier event in the season you can see the changes. He seems to have outgrown his first SP costume by February. That photo with Daria doesn’t seem to have great lighting. I would point you to the last photo here instead. Gage is 162 cm, which is what Stephen’s height was at the beginning of the season. But you can clearly see that Stephen is taller than Gage. I’m not sure how tall Raf is, sorry, but Stephen may outgrow him as well (if he hasn’t already).

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

I'm not an expert by any means, but as you know the junior field in both ladies and men has become a lot more competitive and skaters, especially ladies, transition much more quickly. Like last year Sasha Trusova was not in the top 10 of the rankings, and this year Kamila Valieva is only 10th despite her international record. Does this mean that there should be more weight given to events such as JGPF and JWC? Not that it would really affect Stephen with his absence at JGPF and issues at JWC >>

Hello anon, and thank you for the ask.

Did you get cut off by the character limit, anon? I have a blank ask following this one. I'm not sure if you were able to send in all that you wished to.

To clarify, were you referring to the 2019-2020 season's world rankings? Kamila is 17th there, and 38th in the current world standings. Which looks pretty good for a first year junior, considering she won everything she possibly could. If she repeats that feat next season she should definitely overtake quite a few seniors ahead of her.

It would be nice for the juniors if their events were given more value in terms of points. However, from my understanding, the JGP and Junior Worlds are viewed more as development events, so they earn skaters less points and prize money. There also seems to be a desire to ensure those at the top of the statistics lists are actually senior skaters. Senior skaters are eligible to compete in big events featuring the media spotlight, so they’re marketable.

What would help the juniors, especially those like Stephen who could not compete at events like Four Continents, is having points assigned for results at other international junior level events. Currently you don’t get any points for even a podium finish at such events, which seems unfair.

Someone has floated the idea of a junior Four Continents and European Championships, but that would involve a lot of money and effort from hosts. The speed skaters just got a Four Continents event this past season, so perhaps it may be possible to see something like that in the future. For now, though, the younger juniors will have to wait to move up in the ranks.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Hi, I was rewatching Stephen's free skate from the summer competition and I think I've found an answer to the original 4Lz/4T/3S+3T/Spin/4S/3A+3T/3A/3Lz+eu+3S/Stsq/Spin/Spin layout that was submitted for jr worlds. At the competition he did 3Lz(fall)/3T/3S+3T/Spin/3S/2A+2T/2A/3Lz(REP, looks like he twisted his ankle on the landing?)/Stsq/Spin/Spin. Another question I would have is why doesn't the layout with 2 triple toes violate the Zayak rule? Pt. 1

Hi anon, and thank you for the asks. I've put a screenshot of your part 2 in this response to part 1 because Tumblr doesn't let us merge asks.

That submitted layout for JWC was likely based on what he wanted to do initially, as you have realized, but it violates the Zayak Rule. He removed all the quads except the 4S from his programs this season, so that layout was not going to happen anyways. The ISU Technical Panel Handbook for single skating 2019-2020, page 18, should clarify some things for you.

A well balanced Free Skating program must contain: 7 jumping elements for Senior & Junior, Men & Ladies one of which must be (or must include) an Axel type jump. Solo jumps can contain any number of revolutions. Any double jump (including double Axel) cannot be included more than twice in total in a Single’s Free Program (as a Solo Jump or a part of Combination / Sequence). Of all triple and quadruple jumps only two (2) can be executed twice. Of the two repetitions only one (1) can be a quadruple jump. If at least one of these executions is in a jump combination or a jump sequence, both executions are evaluated in a regular way. If both executions are as solo jumps, the second of these solo jumps will be marked with the sign “+REP” and will receive 70% of its original Base Value. Triple and quadruple jumps with the same name will be considered as two different jumps. No triple or quadruple jump can be attempted more than twice.

I am not sure which layout you are referring to, but any free skate layout that does not follow these rules will lead to invalid elements or reduced base value for elements. Page 22 of the handbook explains the different free skate scenarios, and how they will be evaluated.

Repeating a 3T affects other triples in Stephen's programs. If he repeats a 3T, he can only repeat one other triple. Or he can do two 3Ts, repeat no other triples, and repeat one quad jump. The repeated quad would have to be in combination to not be marked as a '+REP'. If Stephen repeats more jumps than he's allowed to, then the additional repeated jumps would be marked as invalid. The required solo 3Lo for the 2019-2020 season was not for the FS, but for the SP.

In 2018/19 Stephen used to repeat his 3A, once in combination. At 2019 Nationals he also repeated his 3T. This season, he was supposed to be repeating 3A and 3Lz. The combinations for those were 3A2T and 3LzEu3S. But he didn't manage to skate that layout clean in competition. It looks like in the future he wants to repeat both 4S and 3A. If we adjust that JWC layout, splitting jumps between the first and second halves, the layout could be 4Lz,4T,4S2T//4S,3A3T,3A,3LzEu3S. He could also do 4S3T and 3A2T instead, but I suspected in the 2018-19 season that he wanted to do 3A3T in the second half to rack up some extra points (he did manage to do it once). Or he could even change the order of the quad Salchows, to backload the one in combination, but I would guess it would be tiring to do all three combinations in the second half, and maybe the timing wouldn't work out. The JWC layout could also easily be fixed by just putting a 3F3T in place of 3S3T.

The good thing about all this is that he has options, and room to maximize his BV. He has something to build towards when his quads return. And maybe we'll be able to see some new combinations from him. Or maybe some new combinations we've never seen before in skating. When it comes to him, who knows? ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Worlds have just been cancelled, so does that mean Canada still only has 1 mens spot for Stockholm? If there is a possibility of being rescheduled, how would that work out? Regardless, hoping that the situation gets better asap and I agree with this decision because health comes first, having that was too dangerous.

Hello anon, and thank you for the ask.

We must await the decision of the ISU in this matter, but it is most likely that Worlds will not be contested this season. Pandemics of this nature have no known timeline for termination, so there is likely no date that could be set to reschedule an international event of this kind. Canada will indeed have one spot for 2021 Worlds in Stockholm for men unless the ISU announces different qualification rules. I also hope the situation improves and everyone can stay safe.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Hi, today I saw Stephen's runthroughs of his free. When I saw his submitted layout, I was perplexed and scared but it seems like he will be going for 3A, 4S, and the norm just with a second 3A. Why was that layout submitted and changed? Was he rattled or injured after the short? I also noticed that he went back to the old ending of going on one knee, is there a known reason? Considering the 18 point gap, what are his chances for getting on the podium (and subsequent senior rankings)

Hello anon, and thank you for the ask.

I would love to know myself what Team Raf and Stephen were thinking when they submitted that layout. :) But maybe that was actually what his original FS layout was supposed to be before things went awry this season. Maybe there was a hope he could skate it at the last event of the season.

I could be totally wrong, but I don't believe Stephen was rattled after the SP. He was angry and disappointed. But probably not injured, just upset. Something is troubling Stephen, and it is affecting his condition at this event. His FS layout appears to be what it was in previous events, with perhaps a touch of choreographic upgrades.

I believe the ending of his FS is meant to be on one knee. When Stephen runs out of time, he just stays upright. It's smart to have a plan B for these things.

Unless multiple people have massive meltdowns I believe it is not possible for Stephen to be on the podium in Tallinn. Jumps aside, his PCS is lagging. At this point in time just putting out his content as best as he can is probably the most we should expect of Stephen. He is currently in the top 75 of the ISU's season's best list, so he should be eligible for selection to the ISU Grand Prix events in the 2020-2021 season unless he drops out of that. We'll probably have to wait until 2020 Worlds end to see if that happens. Sorry to be so brief about this, but I really don't know what's going to happen tomorrow, let alone this month, so please bear with me. 

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

This may be more a technical question than a Stephen question, but it felt relevant. The 1A is an invalid element in the SP, and it was not counted for any points. So after Stephen popped the 1A could he have just gone for another 3A, or maybe 2A, and then changed some steps in the choreography to at least get some points for the axel? And I also notice that ending after the music has been a consistent struggle this season, do you see a reason for it?

Hi anon, and thank you for the questions.

Once Stephen went for an Axel, he blocked off the box for the Axel requirement in the SP. Even though he invalidated it, it still counted as an attempt of that required element. He could have attempted another Axel, but it would not have counted. Part 1 of ISU Rule 611 (Short program singles) covers this - see p. 104 of the Special Regulations & Technical Rules 2018.

Ted Barton pointed out at JGP Zagreb that Stephen picked up a time violation in the SP because of his speed through the change foot camel spin. It’s not easy to keep going through that spin at a high speed as you need a lot of flexibility - many men have been struggling with it this season.

Though I believe you are also wondering about the free skate, if I’m not mistaken? I would also attribute that to spins. He ends both programs with two spins. Stephen’s been trying his best to get level 4s on his spins, and not get hit with a V. But he’s been struggling with speed. I am not an expert, but it seems to be due to his growth spurt. You can expect his spins to be much better once he’s used to his new height and centre of gravity. I hope we’ll get to see some great ones next season.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Do you think Stephen’s results and outcome in the sp are a sign that he should stay in juniors another season, especially with missing a lot of this one? Or do you think Canada is going to push him before he’s ready? What’s your take on this. Lots of love for Stephen and your blog, and I hope he does well in the fs. (:

Hi anon, and thank you for the kind words.

I think I understand what happened in the SP. If you've been keeping up with the clips of Stephen in practice you will note that for some reason he was really struggling with his 3Lz in practice. So in the SP, when he nailed it in combo, it seemed like he overcame a mental block. He then rushed into his next jump - the triple Axel. It's basically a small mistake that Stephen made, one that he was very upset with himself for, and one that he rarely makes. Triple Axel is one of his best jumps. I've been watching him do them for five seasons. If anything, he will fall on them, but he doesn't really pop triple Axels. I'm viewing that pop like a fluke goal in hockey. The goalie was going to get a shutout, but some hotshot came in at a weird angle in the last minute of play and got a goal. :) It happens. Even Olympic gold medallists pop jumps. Stephen is just a kid still in the process of coming back from injury and having shot up in height.

I think we should wait for the FS to consider what Stephen should be doing next season. I believe he himself has indicated his desire to move up to seniors - that is not a decision the federation could make for him. Instead, they will have to help him out since Stephen will not likely be getting GP assignments on his own. With some depth in the senior men's discipline in Canada, there is no requirement for Stephen to move up unless he wants to. The Olympics are two years away; I understand why he wants to do it. Another Canadian junior man will also be moving up, and I can confirm he is doing that of his own volition. I assume it is the same for Stephen.

My hope was that he would have a full season this year in juniors so he could move up with two years of international competition experience. When he couldn't do that, then it was my hope he could end the season well enough to move on to seniors without regrets. And if he couldn't do that either, then to do a season splitting time at both the senior and junior levels. Now we know he cannot make the podium at Junior Worlds, but perhaps he can finish off the season accomplishing other goals and move on peacefully since he desires to move up. If anything, Skate Canada might send him back to Junior Worlds next season depending on how Nationals go and how many spots Canada has for senior Worlds (likely two at best). But if Stephen thrives in seniors then why bother with juniors? There are more opportunities for the seniors than the juniors (e.g. Challenger Series, 4CC, World Team Trophy) and bigger prize money as well.

Thank you again, anon. I hope our thoughts and support reach Stephen and uplift him.

#ask SGFB

[gogogogolev]

Hi, I know that recently there was that excerpt from IFS magazine that hinted that Stephen would full time move to seniors for 2020-21 season, but I find some reason to doubt this. I don't think he is ready yet, with all the growth and such and even though he should get experience to prepare for worlds and olympics, shouldn't he still do JGP? And if he does choose to do GP, is it possible to do both JGP and GP and does he have enough points to get GP assignments, or would he be host pick?

Hi anon, and thank you for the ask.

I have a whole post prepared on this that I will share after Junior Worlds. I tend to jump the gun on posts about the upcoming season, and we need to see how Stephen does at Junior Worlds, so I’ve reined myself in this time. But I do not want to leave you hanging for weeks, so allow me to answer your questions under the cut.

Stephen’s situation is changing rapidly. One month ago he was not ready to compete at Nationals. But earlier this month he put out two clean skates at Bavarian Open. Now he is making a push for a podium finish at Junior Worlds. I am not sure if we can say that he will not be ready for senior competitions by the time the Challenger Series begins (likely in September). He began the season with the desire to add more quads to his programs. He may be able to do that in the six months or so he will have in between Junior Worlds and the start of the 2020 Challenger Series. Provided that he stays healthy.

What is the purpose of competing on the Junior Grand Prix? In my opinion: it is to gain international competition experience, make friends, and qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final. Stephen has gained such experience in five events, it appears that he has made some friends, and he has not only qualified for JGPF, he’s won it. What is left for him on the JGP that he cannot also get from senior competitions?

Actually I can think of at least two major drawbacks to competing on the JGP compared to the GP. One is prize money. Only the top 3 finishers at a JGP in singles skating get prize money, and it is not much (see section 4.1 here). Meanwhile at GP events the top 5 finishers get prize money, and it’s much more (see section 5.1 here). Winning a JGP gets you as much money as placing 5th at a GP. The money is also less for equivalent placements for JGPF skaters compared to GPF skaters.

The second drawback is that it is harder to qualify for the JGPF than the GPF. There are seven events on the JGP vs. six on the GP. Being off the podium at a JGP event as a singles skater means at best you will be an alternate - a situation Stephen knows well. But you can still possibly qualify for the GPF with a 4th or 5th place finish + a podium finish (e.g. Patrick Chan in 2015, Bradie Tennell in 2019).

Some time ago the ISU did allow skaters to do both the JGP and the GP. But that is no longer allowed, unless you are competing in different disciplines at each level. Stephen does not currently have the top 24 world standing or top 24 season’s best score to be guaranteed a GP spot. It is not quite possible to be in the top 24 in the ISU World Standings with only two seasons of junior competitions unless you win Junior Worlds in both those seasons (like Alexandra Trusova). However, Stephen can be chosen as a host pick. Since he is in the top 75 on the season’s best list, he can also be selected for another event. Skate Canada would have to arrange it, if a federation does not offer him one themselves. One other thing to consider is that medallists from the 2020 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships will be included in the GP selection process. If Stephen is on the podium, his chances of getting a non-host pick spot go up considerably.

I would not be worried about this. I did say previously he is unlikely to get two GP spots, but then I recalled Conrad Orzel this past season. He had a lower world standing going into the 2019-20 season than Stephen has now and was still able to get a non-host pick GP spot. He picked up another when Vincent Zhou WD from Cup of China. So I was mistaken, and Stephen should be absolutely fine.

The 2020-21 season preview will be edited and posted after Junior Worlds.

#ask SGFB