Skating - Grand Prix Assignments

Today eyes shifted to the new skating season as assignments were announced for the upcoming Grand Prix series.

Big news is that Olympic Champ Evan Lysacek is due to compete in 2 events. Notably absent names include Yu-Na Kim and reigning world champion Miki Ando.

There are a few changes this year. The number of singles skaters in each event has been reduced from 12 to 10 and seeded skaters will have the option to compete in a third event for more prize money (and perhaps to draw in the punters).

With several dance/pairs couples calling it quits and many retirements recently, there is plenty of scope for new talent and upsets. Russia's world junior medallists Adelina Sotnikova & Elizaveta Tuktamisheva will be joining veterans Leonova and Makarova on the senior scene.

See the assignments here, I'll post some predictions as the events roll around.

Also I must apologise once again for the scarceness of my posts as I've been buried in medicine and moving house. Stick with me here at Going for Gold!

When we were very young!

I stumbled accross this flickr photo by accident the other day. It's from the 2005 World Jr Championships in Kitchener, Canada.

The photo includes 3 future World Champions, 6 future Olympians and one Olympic champion!

L-R Emily Hughes (USA), Mira Leung (Canada), Kimmie Meissner (USA),
Elene Gedevanishvilli (Georgia), Yu-Na Kim (Korea) and Mao Asada (Japan)

London Calling - Olympic Tickets

Over the past weeks many have been watching their bank accounts closely to see if their bids for London 2012 tickets had come good.

As was to be expected, there are a lot of disappointed fans today, there just aren't enough tickets for everyone who wants them it seems.

I was one of the lucky ones it seems. My schoolfriend and former trampolining training mate called me at the weekend to say that from the money that had been taken, we are going to the Women's trampoline event at the O2 arena. Also today I checked my own account and from the look of things I also have tickets to the football prelims in Coventry (the football competition is spread between arenas across the county with the finals taking place in London).

So like many others my gymnastics reporting will take place via the TV set, although given the top price of  tickets, that'll probably get me a lot closer to the action than my money could stretch to!

Were you lucky? Are you olympics-bound? If so, what events?

Don't forget, if you're in the UK there are several opportunities prior to the real thing. The Gymnastics test event will take place at the O2 (probably in early 2012) and the World trampoline & tumbling championships take place in Birmingham in November.

Hockey Night in Canada

 It's a big week for Canadian ice hockey fans an players.

Firstly the Vancouver Canucks are gearing up to face off for the Stanley Cup versus the Boston Bruins this evening. My cousin in downtown Van wrote - Vancouver is looking psyched for the game. It's a sea of blue jerseys out there today!

Also, the new season will bring more top-level ice hockey to Canadian soil with the return of the Winnipeg Jets to the NHL after a 15 year absense. In 1996 due to financial trouble the franchise moved to Arizona and became the Phoenix Coyotes, Yesterday it was announced that True North Sports & Entertainment had aggreed to a purchase of the Atlanta Thrashers, relocating back to Winnipeg. Whether they will be the Jets, The thrashers, or something new is not yet confimed. 

Read the story here, there is some talk that another franchise may also make a return to Canada with the Colorado Avalanche possibly making the move to Quebec. 

Canucks - Best in the West!

Big congrats to the Vanouver Canucks for their win in the 5th leg of the Western Conference Final yesterday. 

They'll now go on to face either the Boston Bruins or Tampa Bay Lightning for the Stanley Cup.
The last Canadian team to make the final was the Sens in '07
The last Canadian team, to WIN was the Montreal Canadiens in '93

Go Canucks Go!!

 

Hilarious sporting photo(s) of the week!

US president Barack Obama and UK Prime Minister David Cameron take on some school kids at table tennis yesterday during the President's state visit to the UK.

Glasgow 2015

Congratulations to Glasgow for winning the bid to host the 2015 Gymnastics worlds, beating out Orlando and Paris. Glasgow was the first city to place a bid for 2015 as it will build on the legacy of the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Whilst Beth Tweddle has more than hinted she will retire after London 2012, hopefully it will persuade more of the current crop of seniors to stick around for another olympic cycle. It would be great to see Hannah Whelan make 3 olympics!

On a related note,  the Liverpool girls (Tweddle, Whelan, Pinches, Caig, Tunney & Jameson) have won the 2011 British team title. Scores from GymData.

1   - 167.200 - Liverpool

2   - 154.400 - Cardiff Central

3   - 153.850 - Heathrow

4   - 148.850 - Dynamo

5   - 147.600 - The Academy

6   - 147.500 - Notts "A"

7   - 145.350 - Notts "B"

8   - 142.450 - Park Wrekin College

9   - 141.950 - South Durham

10   - 141.850 - Horsham

11   - 140.300 - Europa

12   - 137.700 - City of Glasgow

13   - 136.500 - City Of Manchester

14   - 119.150 - Vernon Park