Canadian Pairs in 2010-2011

[sap5]

IMO if Dube/Davison want to compete next season and are serious about their goals they need another coach. Aren't they the highest ranked skaters' Barabe' has? They're not training with anybody they can role model and learn from, and they're not be trained by anybody who has trained a team who routinely lands on the international podium. I'm beginning to believe they succeed despite their coaching. They need to aim way higher in GOES - whenever they post-mortem a program they're thrilled with something "basically clean". A skate that would be a satisfactory skate for another top team sends this team over the moon. They appear to have the tools and be working harmoniously but that coach has got to go or IMO they'll stay stuck. They need to set the bar so much higher so that when they have an off day they don't plummet off the podium immediately.

Agreed. Let's see if they're willing to make the change. The fact that they are keeping the same LP isn't encouraging.

[maggylyn]

Agreed. Let's see if they're willing to make the change. The fact that they are keeping the same LP isn't encouraging.

Maybe Jessica can take a page from Tessa's book and try a new dress at every competition. Maybe that will make it different enough so that we forget it's last year's (very boring) music?? :lol:

:P

[cygnus]

Lawrence ans Sweigers have some potential, if they can get more consistent. They have the excitement factor too. I hope they do well next season- they were my faves at nationals this year.

[Erin]

Lawrence ans Sweigers have some potential, if they can get more consistent. They have then excitement factor too. I hope they do well next season- they were my faves at nationals this year.

I love their skating and was so happy that they got some good choreography this past season (their programs the season before were lifeless and a waste of a team with such personality) but I'm not sure that they'll ever get that consistency. Paige's technique on the solo triple toe is not very good, plus they really need a second triple to get into the upper echelon of skating.

I think that jumps aside, they probably have the most potential in terms of line, musicality, lift positions, and the huge throws. But they really need the jumps.

[flowerpower]

Lawrence ans Sweigers have some potential, if they can get more consistent. They have then excitement factor too. I hope they do well next season- they were my faves at nationals this year.

I loved them at Nationals too. They had such personality and charisma. Hope she can get the jumps.

[ice.dance.girl]

Moore-Towers & Moscvotich are truck drivers. Unless they are both taking several ballet classes per week and change coaches, I just don't see this team doing much on the international scene.

They skated together for less than a year and did pretty awesome at Skate Canada and their team mates just finished as the best Canadian team at Junior Worlds...coaches can't be that bad ;-)
They are both great jumpers and have awesome lifts...there are enough other lovey-dovey-edgy-ballett teams out there. What's so wrong about being an athletic team? Plus the crowd loves them!

[maggylyn]

They skated together for less than a year and did pretty awesome at Skate Canada and their team mates just finished as the best Canadian team at Junior Worlds...coaches can't be that bad ;-)
They are both great jumpers and have awesome lifts...there are enough other lovey-dovey-edgy-ballett teams out there. What's so wrong about being an athletic team? Plus the crowd loves them!

I agree. I like this team and I like how their styles mesh well.

[Shariano]

They skated together for less than a year and did pretty awesome at Skate Canada and their team mates just finished as the best Canadian team at Junior Worlds...coaches can't be that bad ;-)
They are both great jumpers and have awesome lifts...there are enough other lovey-dovey-edgy-ballett teams out there. What's so wrong about being an athletic team? Plus the crowd loves them!


Amen....Well said.

[The Observer]

Cdn pairs is in shambles right now IMO.

Dube and Langlois are both headcases and neither team has really improved that much over the last three seasons (at least L&H have an excuse with that terrible injury Langlois suffered).

The jury is out on the alleged new pairing of Duhamel & Radford.

. . .

All in all, not looking good for pairs.

I agree with you that Canadian pairs is a mess.

IMO it has not yet recovered from the departure of Sale & Pelletier in 2002. Originally S&P were planning to stay past 2002, but the Olympics changed that and they broke their original plan. Their abrupt departure meant that Canadian pairs didn't have time to plan for a successor.

As a result it has gone through multiple title holders in recent years, and partner changing.

Winners:

2003 Nationals - LaRiviere & Faustino (split up after that year's Worlds)
2004 Nationals - Marcoux & Buntin
2005 Nationals - Marcoux & Buntin
2006 Nationals - Marcoux & Buntin
2007 Nationals - Dube & Davison
2008 Nationals - Langlois & Hay
2009 Nationals - Dube & Davison
2010 Nationals - Dube & Davison

After the brief blip of LaRiviere and Faustino, there was a bit of consistency for a while when Marcoux & Buntin were competing, but their progress was halted when Valerie decided to pack it in. Meanwhile, after years of ups and downs with Archetto, it took a while for Langlois to climb the ranks again after Archetto retired. Both Langlois and Dube have continued to struggle with consistency problems. Duhamel & Buntin, while not as strong as Marcoux & Buntin, brought Canada some consistency as a 2nd tier pair, but now Buntin has retired.

As a result, Canada is left with 2 pairs, L&H and D&D both who struggle with consistency problems, and a lot of question marks for all the other teams below them.

I think it will be several years before a Canadian pair is on the World podium again. The U.S. pairs are now even catching up with the Canadian pairs, something that was evident at the Worlds and Olympics.

[geoskate]

They are both great jumpers and have awesome lifts...there are enough other lovey-dovey-edgy-ballett teams out there. What's so wrong about being an athletic team? Plus the crowd loves them!

The problem is that even skating clean (as they did at Skate Canada) they don't break 100 points. They couldn't do any more technically, nor should they have to. They NEED better PCS and GOE scores if they want to make an impact internationally. If they don't get those, they will never make the podium at a Grand Prix event.

I guess if their only goal is to make the crowd happy, they won't worry about their currently low PCS/GOE scores. However, I think they wouldn't mind winning a few medals too, and that will require improving their quality of execution for their technical elements (to get the GOE points) and developing better basic skating, unison and style (to get the PCS points).

The question is whether the PCS and GOE scores will come with more time together and more experience, or whether their lack of them is a fundamental problem related to their coaching. Hopefully it's the former, because I like this team.

[flowerpower]

The problem is that even skating clean (as they did at Skate Canada) they don't break 100 points. They couldn't do any more technically, nor should they have to. They NEED better PCS and GOE scores if they want to make an impact internationally. If they don't get those, they will never make the podium at a Grand Prix event.

I guess if their only goal is to make the crowd happy, they won't worry about their currently low PCS/GOE scores. However, I think they wouldn't mind winning a few medals too, and that will require improving their quality of execution for their technical elements (to get the GOE points) and developing better basic skating, unison and style (to get the PCS points).

The question is whether the PCS and GOE scores will come with more time together and more experience, or whether their lack of them is a fundamental problem related to their coaching. Hopefully it's the former, because I like this team.

Exactly.

[gwagner]

Anyone know if D/D have considered using the 3toe instead of 3S? With them both being strong singles skaters not too long ago, I am surprised to see Jessica having confidence problems with the salchow

[yfbg722]

The question is whether the PCS and GOE scores will come with more time together and more experience, or whether their lack of them is a fundamental problem related to their coaching. Hopefully it's the former, because I like this team.

At the risk of hijacking the thread, aren't PCS and GOE still the judge's playground? IMO this is still where the judges can play favourites - and sometimes it still seems like skaters/team have to put in their time. This team hasn't put their time in yet so they haven't been rewarded yet.

I love their energy and enthusiasm and they are both just so cute! As others have said, they've come a long way in just a year together and I'm pretty excited to see where they will go with it.

I also quite like Paige and Rudi. I loved their short program this year. IMO both these teams are just a lot of fun to watch. I know mainstreamers prefer the pretty ballerinas - and I like some of them too but I can also appreciate teams like these two.

As for the juniors coming up - I think there are some really good possibilities there too. We've already hashed it out in other threads but there were lots of teams attempting and landing some of the big tricks and if they are willing to "put in their time" together there could be lots of promise there too. Sometimes I think we are just too quick to write off all these kids have to offer the sport!

Okay, getting off my soap box now :P

[manhn]

IMO it has not yet recovered from the departure of Sale & Pelletier in 2002. Originally S&P were planning to stay past 2002, but the Olympics changed that and they broke their original plan. Their abrupt departure meant that Canadian pairs didn't have time to plan for a successor.

I think the success of S&P merely masked a long history of a flawed Canada's pairs program, which commenced when Brasseur/Eisler retired. S&P were a bit of a fluke--they paired up late in their skating careers and then BAM! Instant success. It's hard to attribute their success to anything Skate Canada did for them. Kinda like crediting Russia if Tatianna and Maxim end up being a successful pair.

Canada just seems to be behind the ball, technically. I mean, inconsistent jumps is one thing--hello, Canadian ladies! But why is the triple twist such a rare move amongst the current Canadian pairs?

Maybe Canada's stronger skaters are deciding to choose dance over pairs. In a different time, maybe Crone/Poirier would've done pairs.

Anyways, given our country's population numbers, it'll be really hard to replicate the depth of other nations like the US, Japan and Russia. Has Canada experienced a better era when it comes to success in all four disciplines? Even back in 1988, the pairs was the weak link. At least pairs at its worst is not as bad as ladies at its worst.

ETA: In London for Canadians, I actually found the pairs the most generally well-skated discipline. The top 3 skated their best all season and I really liked a lot of the younger teams. I am not sure why the teams cannot replicate the same quality internationally.

[Rafter]

Anyone know if D/D have considered using the 3toe instead of 3S? With them both being strong singles skaters not too long ago, I am surprised to see Jessica having confidence problems with the salchow

Jessica Dube cannot do a 3toe jump. She never has been able to. It is her worst triple jump.