State of Chinas pairs going forward- will they ever remain as contenders

[skateboy]

I'm not convinced time is up for Z/Z just yet. Barring permanent injury, they do have the potential for a comeback. They're not as old as Shen/Zhao were when they emerged from a technically competent but not very artistic pair. Z/Z are capable of combing their technical prowess with artistry--it's rare but they have done it at times.

But this, of course, depends on their hunger for success, not to mention being taken seriously by their coaches and choreographers.

[Yukari Lepisto]

I'm not convinced time is up for Z/Z just yet. Barring permanent injury, they do have the potential for a comeback. They're not as old as Shen/Zhao were when they emerged from a technically competent but not very artistic pair. Z/Z are capable of combing their technical prowess with artistry--it's rare but they have done it at times.

But this, of course, depends on their hunger for success, not to mention being taken seriously by their coaches and choreographers.

The major problem for Z/Z right now is not the injury, it's her height, something people always ignore. His shoulder injury's also caused because of her height. She's over 170cm in height now.

Dan Hang hit several growth spurt starting at the ISU bio age of around 21 or 22 years old... which I'm not gonna comment on.....

[Yukari Lepisto]

Never heard of these two before. They are pretty good!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FqrpHUs4qkc

Very nice sbs 3T. Where did they place?

Agree that they're quite good! I much prefer them to Sui/Han actually.

[judgejudy27]

I'm not convinced time is up for Z/Z just yet. Barring permanent injury, they do have the potential for a comeback. They're not as old as Shen/Zhao were when they emerged from a technically competent but not very artistic pair. Z/Z are capable of combing their technical prowess with artistry--it's rare but they have done it at times.

But this, of course, depends on their hunger for success, not to mention being taken seriously by their coaches and choreographers.

They have a number of problems it seems:

1. Technically they are not one of the dominant teams anymore. They have declined somewhat, their big tricks arent as spectacular as once and they are more inconsistent, while others like the Russians, Germans, younger Chinese, and even Canadians are raising. A move like the triple twist they used to be the best in the World at, yet now compare their GOE and points on that move to what a team like V/T got at the GP final.

2. The judges are no longer on their side and havent been for awhile.

3. Relating to #2 I dont think they are the Chinese fed. favorites anymore. They are no longer their current nor future investment. Amongst current pairs they will politik more for Pang & Tong and Sui & Han, and then there are other up and comers they will politik more for in the future. While it "might" be due to injury, it is also perhaps telling they were left off the 2 pair Chinese team for Worlds.

4. While they have improved their artistry, their PCS have actually dropped further. They used to be too high for what they put out, and now they seem too low often, which relates to #2 and #3 as well probably.

5. She seems to have grown more which is probably why their air tricks arent quite as spectacular as before, why they seem to struggle with lifts sometimes now, and he has a number of injuries the last couple years.


Add to all that they have been competing at the top level for a decade now, will be 30ish after Sochi, which is the point they would have to shoot for being real contenders again if they continued as teams like Savchenko & Szolkowy and Voloszhar & Trankov are clearly out of their, and most everyones, reach until that point.