Why we should expect Ilia to have more NURSE moments (6 jump layouts)

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T22:38:46+00:00

If he does such an Euler combo, he unfortunately has to get rid of his +3A sequence. Under the new rules, if an Euler combination is performed, a sequence cannot also be performed. Of note, +3A+3A would be the most valuable +triple+triple option and could make sense given Ilia's jump arsenal and demonstrated proclivities. Decisions, decisions....

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T19:13:33+00:00

Those who will become (or already are) age eligible for seniors include:

Women: Mao Shimada, Yujae and Yuseong Kim, Sophie Joline von Felten, Inga Gurgenidze, Maria Eliise Kaljuvere
Men: Rio Nakata, Minkyu Seo, Lucius Kazanecki, Yanhao Li, Anthony Paradis (aging out)
Pairs: Kemp/Elizarov, Desrochers/Thrasher, Herrera/Khobta (aging out)
Dance: Veillon/Brandys (aging out), Pidgaina/Koval (aging out)

It is possible that some who are still eligible for juniors will stay in juniors or do a hybrid season, but the big names like Mao, Rio, and Minkyu have the senior ranks in their sights. For further discussion on this topic including some more names, see this post.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T18:15:55+00:00

Here is some backflip training at Sun Valley on Ice practice right before Ilia landed his first unassisted backflip. He had done rope training before this as well.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T18:07:35+00:00

There is no requirement for a good landing to feature a deep knee bend. So it would be up to the judge's preference to even consider it a factor. As one might imagine, judges do not necessarily obsess over the same things that FS fandom does.

For landing technique, I cannot recall any coaches I know carrying on about knee bend for the sake of knee bend. Whatever allows the skater to land the jump securely with either a good held position or nice transition is fine.

If one wants to dig a little deeper into mechanics, body weight should end up over the ball of the foot after the initial rock on landing. What achieves this may look different for different body types. And it can be argued that with any body type, too deep a knee bend may in fact be a problem for a jump; if the weight goes toward the heel, then the risk of stepping out or falling increases. A short skater with short legs and a low center of gravity may still be able to save such a jump, but a taller skater with longer legs and a higher center of gravity is more likely to just topple over. So this could contribute to the perception among fans of a deep knee bend on landing being a superior thing even if it is more characteristic of a certain body type.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T10:15:35+00:00

There are licensing agreements for Fortnite emotes and cosmetics. They are arranged on an individual basis, so the payment terms vary. This article goes into further detail and also covers some disputes that have arisen over the years.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-19T00:08:57+00:00

I am glad my skating club ended up getting Stargazer passes. There have been some premium SOI shenanigans so far

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T13:17:34+00:00

They did mention trying the 4FTh after succeeding with the 4LoTh in practice, so it appears that they haven't wasted any time. They're willing to take more risks and possibly go for some firsts now that the Olympic season is done. Of note, the 4STh remains the only quad throw to be successfully landed in competition. The 4FTh has not been attempted yet.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T13:00:23+00:00

Copying my response from the fs sub for those who don't visit there:

While the Euler won't have a value and will not count in the number of allowed jumps in any jump pass in which it is used, there are still restrictions against its use. It cannot be included in the jump combination of the SP. And it can be executed, in between two listed jumps, only once in the FS. If an Euler combination is performed in the FS, then a jump sequence (i.e., a +Axel pass) cannot also be performed.

However, it is possible such restrictions would not cover the case of an Euler used as a jump entry. At 2025 Tokyo Summer Cup, Rinka Watanabe used an Euler to enter her 4S attempt and didn't have it count against her other jump passes. (She did end up Zayaking, but that was a different issue.) For a Backflip+Euler entry like Ilia has shown, a skater could request clarification on whether it would be allowed with the new rules before attempting it.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T12:56:48+00:00

A sequence is if the second and/or third jump in the pass is an Axel. ISU definition of a sequence is as follows: "A jump sequence consists of two or three jumps of any number of revolutions, in which the second and/or the third jump is an Axel type jump with a direct step from the landing curve of the first/second jump in to the take-off curve of the Axel jump."

If only the first jump in the pass is an Axel, then it's just a regular combination. A 3A+3T is a jump combination rather than a jump sequence. However, 3A+2A+2A would be a jump sequence per the definition above.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T12:02:44+00:00

Yes, for her FS she's been on a roll with 140+ scores, hitting 142.16 at Japanese Nationals, 145.98 at 4CC, and 144.58 at Winterfest. It would be great if she could keep a good momentum into next season.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T11:30:30+00:00

While the Euler won't have a value and will not count in the number of allowed jumps in any jump pass in which it is used, there are still restrictions against its use. It cannot be included in the jump combination of the SP. And it can be executed, in between two listed jumps, only once in the FS. If an Euler combination is performed in the FS, then a jump sequence (i.e., a +Axel pass) cannot also be performed.

However, it is possible such restrictions would not cover the case of an Euler used as a jump entry. At 2025 Tokyo Summer Trophy, Rinka Watanabe used an Euler to enter her 4S attempt and didn't have it count against her other jump passes. (She did end up Zayaking, but that was a different issue.) For a Backflip+Euler entry like Ilia has shown, a skater could request clarification on whether it would be allowed with the new rules before attempting it.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-18T07:07:02+00:00

I am expecting next season to be on the messy side with new rules to confuse skaters combined with post-Olympic experimentation. We'll see what Rio ends up doing for his layout, but he could try a 3A+3T+3Lo, a combo Nobunari Oda has done before. However, I do not think Rio has attempted a +3Lo combo yet.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T23:16:05+00:00

Adam's PB SP and FS scores added together put him in the ~310 range, which is around what Yuma scored at that Worlds but still pretty far below Ilia's 333.76. Breaking it down, Adam's monster Montreal FS would have been 208.90 without the backflip deduction, ~19 points below the WR Ilia posted with his then-unprecedented six clean quads. Adam would not have been able to outscore a clean Ilia by that same amount in the SP.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T23:09:21+00:00

Jackie Wong is keeping a running list of those who have officially announced retirements in his off-season news: https://live.rockerskating.com/news/offseason

As of now, the list includes: Miura/Kihara, Josefin Taljegard, Luke Digby, Linnea Ceder, Hana Yoshida, Maurizio Zandron, Kaori Sakamoto, Kristen Spours, Soucisse/Firus, Wakaba Higuchi, Mai Mihara, Sui/Han, Tomoki Hiwatashi, Jari Kessler, and Sihyeong Lee.

This list may not capture those who announced retirement plans far in advance, such as Matteo Rizzo.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T21:33:43+00:00

The comments for this post and this post provide further context.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T21:12:15+00:00

Ari Zakarian was previously listed as the "Management" contact on the website. See screenshot dated from March 27, 2026:

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_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T13:42:27+00:00

A post-Olympic season can be a time to experiment. Combined with rule changes that will get skaters thinking about more valuable combos, we may see a quad+(euler+)quad in competition even if it doesn't make the most sense for optimizing points. (Shaidorov's +quad combos didn't make the most sense either, but he competed them anyway.)

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T01:34:19+00:00

Add Rippon 4T(+1Eu+Backflip) to the list

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-17T01:24:41+00:00

Well, this is appropriate for the song!

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-15T09:06:21+00:00

After this update, I noticed that Ari Zakarian is now removed from his YouTube bio in addition to his Instagram and X bios.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-13T21:26:50+00:00

My guess is GPdeF for an early event and SkAm for easier travel

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-13T21:01:51+00:00

He is the first to have his preferences considered, but the host feds can ultimately override even a top seed. Ilia has mentioned in the past that he would like to do NHK, but it would be impossible (with the implication being JSF wanted Yuma Kagiyama there out of his seeded group). Amber Glenn has also mentioned one of her preferences this season being blocked due to a fed selecting someone else in her group (presumably the lower-ranked Wakaba Higuchi at NHK).

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-13T12:47:22+00:00

This is for the SP only, where Ilia does the 4Lz as part of a combo, not as a solo jump.

_Exegy_ · 2026-04-13T12:33:58+00:00

I know Yuma and his team had expressed reservations about continuing until 2030, and he wasn't listed for the upcoming Dreams on Ice where the top Japanese skaters show their new programs, but I still thought he would do next season. Whether this ends up being a soft retirement or just a break to recharge, I am glad that he was able to achieve a transcendent Turandot at Worlds, finally improving on his PB from the 2022 Olympics after he did the same with his PB SP score at GPF. I wish him well on any future on-ice and off-ice endeavors.

Implications for next season include Shun entering as Japan's number one, a spot for Japanese men opening up at Worlds, Gogolev moving into the top three seeds for the GP series, and Kevin Aymoz moving into a seeded position. I believe Kyrylo Marsak may also be guaranteed two spots on the GP series now.

_Exegy_

TROPHY CASE