LETTER FROM THE EDITOR Skaters give a shout out after learning GP assignments


U.S. Figure Skating’s social media platforms lit up on a recent Monday morning with the announcement of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series assignments for the 2012 season. Skaters tweeted, posted and blogged about


their excitement and anticipation for the six-city series, which kicks off Oct. 19-21, in Kent/Seat- tle, Wash., with the 2012 Hilton HHonors Skate America at ShoWare Center. All four reigning U.S. champions are scheduled to compete at the event. Self-described “Twitter addict” Jeremy Ab- bott was quick to chime in: “Ashley [Wagner] and I are completing the [Grand Prix] cycle,” tweeted the U.S. men’s champion. “First time to Skate America and Paris. Excited for both and to go with you, Ash!” Adding to the online buzz was the return of


Johnny Weir, who last competed at the Vancou- ver Olympics in 2010, where he finished sixth. The three-time U.S. champion will look to dazzle the crowds at the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow and at Trophée Bompard in Paris. “So excited for my Grand Prix assignments


this November,” Weir told his social media fol- lowers. “Thank you ISU and U.S. Figure Skating for this chance.” U.S. junior champion Gracie Gold, who made


her international senior debut in April at the World Team Trophy, will showcase her talents at Skate Canada and at the Rostelecom Cup. “Great morning! … Excited to be part of the


GP this year. Thanks to the ISU and USFS for the opportunity,” she tweeted. Some of the biggest news coming out on


“Selection Monday” was the injury and planned surgery for two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czis- ny. Czisny, upon her request, received just one Grand Prix assignment. She’s scheduled to com- pete at the NHK Trophy in Japan over Thanksgiv- ing weekend. In a story that appeared on icenetwork.


com, Czisny was in Korea in May to perform in Yu-Na Kim’s show. There, she experienced pain that hindered her jumps, spins and spirals. After returning to Detroit, she underwent an MRI and discovered that she had torn the left labrum in her hip. “What they tell me is this kind of injury doesn’t happen overnight; it can take months,” Czisny told icenetwork.com. “It starts with weakness and by the time you feel pain, it’s too late. It probably explains why I had difficulty jumping and difficulty landing, to say the least.” Czisny injured her leg just prior to the Grand


Prix Final last December. She struggled through the rest of the season, including at the World Championships in Nice, France, where she fell seven times while attempting jumps. “At least this [injury] explains the disastrous


end of my season, why things kept getting worse,” Czisny said. “This surgery is why we requested as late a


Grand Prix as possible, and only one at the mo- ment,” she added. “I hope I am ready. I plan to come back and train as hard as I can.” Three-time reigning Grand Prix Final ice dancing champions Meryl Davis and Charlie


4 JUNE/JULY 2012


White will look for their third consecutive Skate America title; they will also join rinkmates Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani at the NHK Trophy in Japan. Some other notable assignments include


the newly formed pairs teams of Lindsay Davis and Mark Ladwig, who will compete at the NHK Trophy; and Caitlin Yankowskas and Joshua Rea- gan, who will skate at Cup of China in Shanghai. The complete list of skater selections


for the 2012 Grand Prix Series is available at www.isu.org.


U.S. lineup for Grand Prix Series


HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA Seattle/Kent, Wash., Oct. 19-21 Ladies: Rachael Flatt, Christina Gao, Ashley Wagner


Men’s: Jeremy Abbott, Douglas Razzano Pairs: Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff


Ice Dance: Meryl Davis and Charlie White; Lynn Kriengkrairut and Logan Giulietti-Schmitt


SKATE CANADA INTERNATIONAL Windsor, Ontario, Oct. 26-28 Ladies: Gracie Gold, Caroline Zhang Men’s: Ross Miner Pairs: Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker, Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin


Ice Dance: Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue


CUP OF CHINA Shanghai, Nov. 2-4 Ladies: Mirai Nagasu Men’s: Adam Rippon Pairs: Caitlin Yankowskas and Joshua Reagan Ice Dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates


ROSTELECOM CUP Moscow, Nov. 9-11 Ladies: Gracie Gold, Agnes Zawadzki, Caroline Zhang


Men’s: Richard Dornbush, Johnny Weir-Voronov Pairs: Caydee Denney and John Coughlin Ice Dance: Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani


TROPHÉE ERIC BOMPARD Paris, Nov. 16-18 Ladies: Ashley Wagner Men’s: Jeremy Abbott; Johnny Weir-Voronov Ice Dance: Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue


NHK TROPHY Miyagi, Japan, Nov. 23-25 Ladies: Alissa Czisny, Agnes Zawadzki Men’s: Richard Dornbush, Ross Miner, Adam Rippon


Pairs: Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir, Lindsay Davis and Mark Ladwig, Mary Beth Marley and Rockne Brubaker


Ice Dance: Meryl Davis and Charlie White, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani


GRAND PRIX FINAL DEC. 5-9, SOCHI, RUSSIA


U.S. FIGURE SKATING Licensees


U.S. FIGURE SKATING Suppliers


U.S. FIGURE SKATING Sponsors


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60