US Pairs 2012-13 news & updates

[Sylvia]

I'm guessing it is because there are no other pairs with the required minimum score...

sammyf pointed out in the 2013 US Nationals forum in Kiss and Cry that Belt/Johnson (9th in Junior Pairs at Nationals) and Oltmanns/Santillan (11th) attained the minimums at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games and the JGP in fall 2011, respectively.

Belt/Johnson have yet to compete in a JGP -- they are still age-eligible this coming season, so hopefully they will continue to develop and progress in the months ahead. O/S (he) will age out of ISU Junior after this season.

[toddlj]

sammyf pointed out in the 2013 US Nationals forum in Kiss and Cry that Belt/Johnson (9th in Junior Pairs at Nationals) and Oltmanns/Santillan (11th) attained the minimums at the 2012 Youth Olympic Games and the JGP in fall 2011, respectively.

Belt/Johnson have yet to compete in a JGP -- they are still age-eligible this coming season, so hopefully they will continue to develop and progress in the months ahead. O/S (he) will age out of ISU Junior after this season.

Thanks! Perhaps then they simply assumed that the 3rd alternate would never come into play anyway, so no need to put pressure on these developing, but not ready for the big stage yet, teams.

[jjane45]

...and so the post-US Nationals begins???

Best of luck to Rockne!!

[sammyf]

Hopefully they will still add the third alternate?

[madm]

So anyone know whether Rockne will be at US Nationals this week?

Rockne was a commentator on Skate Radio (broadcast in the rink) during the Pair FS event on Saturday.

[madm]

Shouldn't the USFSA wait until they see how healed John is before assigning them to Worlds???

USFS is monitoring John's progress. I talked with his coach at Natls., and John is healing very fast. He and Caydee have been doing lifts and twists off-ice, and they begin working out on the ice today. John's labrum tear was caught early and his surgery was done laproscopically, so he has just 3 holes and no major incisions. He had a fantastic surgeon and he has been working out 9-5 daily with therapists at the Olympic Training Center. I'd say he has the best conditions possible and has a good chance of being in great shape in a month.

[Tesla]

USFS is monitoring John's progress. I talked with his coach at Natls., and John is healing very fast. He and Caydee have been doing lifts and twists off-ice, and they begin working out on the ice today. John's labrum tear was caught early and his surgery was done laproscopically, so he has just 3 holes and no major incisions. He had a fantastic surgeon and he has been working out 9-5 daily with therapists at the Olympic Training Center. I'd say he has the best conditions possible and has a good chance of being in great shape in a month.

Thanks for the update. That's awesome news!

[NadineWhite]

I'm hoping for the best for John (& Caydee), but I wish he would take a note from Gracie Gold & Courtney Hicks, whom both were injured in the past, took a year off, and came back smoking! Seriously, G.G. won the 2012 US National Jr. Title, and Courtney won the pewter medal her first year in Seniors.

On the contraire, too many skaters have been pushing their bodies too soon too fast after injury/surgery and as a result have seen their return sidelined by injury once again (e.g. Evan Lysacek, Evgeni Plushenko, Alissa Czisny). 'nuff said.

[Sylvia]

Every injured athlete's situation is different as well as their timeline for injury recovery.

BTW, Gracie Gold didn't take a year off - she didn't qualify for 2011 Nationals because she finished 6th at Midwestern Sectionals that season.

[NadineWhite]

True, Sylvia, that's a given.

As for John, I wish him the very best, they're still America's #! Pair Team and rightfully so.

Regards Worlds, we shall see...

[carriemarie]

First break up of the off season is Ladwig and Davis. They have broken up as of today. Probably be officially announced in a few days.

[euterpe]

Lindsay is 4'11". Might Rockne be interested?

[kirkbiggestfan]

Ladwig is 32. He is probably retiring unless a deal to pair him up with a superstar is in the making. (Love those Caitlin, Rockne, ..guessing games).
Let the US pairs musical chairs begin.

[olympic]

Lindsay is 4'11". Might Rockne be interested?

Tantalizing. She's a good jumper and does have decent extension. How old is she? I mean, is she in danger of a growth spurt? That would destroy a working partnership with Rockne.

But backing up, any scuttlebutt as to why D/L split?

[reese]

Just wow. Right as they were getting it together. So of course. Jeez, U.S. pairs....

[Skittl1321]

I'd be shocked if Ladwig takes another partner, but I was shocked he competed this year. It seems like time for retirement has come. He is a great skater, but has been on the national stage for a very long time. It isn't likely he'll make it to Sochi, and waiting for he next Olympics will be very long indeed.

[2sk8]

First break up of the off season is Ladwig and Davis. They have broken up as of today. Probably be officially announced in a few days.

Actually, I think Brenna Doherty & Craig Norris, were first, since - posted above - she is on IcePartnerSearch already, though that is Junior - still, US Pairs Musical Chairs is underway!

[kwanfan1818]

Thanks! Perhaps then they simply assumed that the 3rd alternate would never come into play anyway, so no need to put pressure on these developing, but not ready for the big stage yet, teams.

Aren't alternates required to keep training their current programs? If so, younger teams, especially, might rather focus on next season than be a third alternate with a miniscule chance of competing.

[euterpe]

Tantalizing. She's a good jumper and does have decent extension. How old is she? I mean, is she in danger of a growth spurt? That would destroy a working partnership with Rockne.

No danger there. Lindsay will be 21 in April. Agewise, she would be better suited to Rockne than his two previous partners.

[stjeaskategym]

I was kind of under the impression that Ladwig continued in part to see how he could do with a partner who could jump better than Evora. But pair skating is a lot more than that. Even while pretty much doing the best they could at Nationals in a depleted field, D/L still didn't really come close to making it to Worlds, which was probably discouraging. They did much better at Nationals than they did on the GP circuit, so they can be proud of that.