Figure Skating Champions SURVIVOR: ICE DANCE ROUND 3

[SamuraiK]

We move on to Round 3 and we say goodbye to a team who IMO is the saddest, cruelest example of what really could have been a stellar career, but we never saw it because of those damn injuries... (and really bad program choices to be honest) Bye Bye DomShabs

11TH PLACE: DOMNINA & SHABALIN (29.65% of votes)

The remaining contenders are:

01. Oksana Grishuk & Evgeny Platov - RUS - 1994,1995,1996 & 1997 Worlds and 1994 & 1998 Olympic Champions.
02. Angelica Krylova & Oleg Ovsiannikov - RUS - 1998 and 1999 World Champions.
03. Marina Anissina & Gwendal Peizerat - FRA - 2000 World and 2002 Olympic Champions.
04. Irina Lobacheva & Ilia Averbukh - RUS - 2002 World Champions.
05. Shae-Lynn Bourne & Viktor Kraatz - CAN - 2003 World Champions.
06. Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov - RUS - 2004 & 2005 World and 2006 Olympic Champions.
07. Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviski - BUL - 2006 and 2007 World Champions.
08. Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder - FRA - 2008 World Champions.
09.Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir - CAN - 2010 & 2012 World and 2010 Olympic Champions.
10. Meryl Davis & Charlie White - USA - 2011 World Champions.

Already eliminated
12th Place: Fusar-Poli & Margaglio (48.77% votes)

Vote and discuss

[SamuraiK]

Well, this round is surely gonna come down to a debate between L&A and B&K. I vote for the later as I really loved Irina and Ilia towards the end of their careers, they matured a lot, while B&K seemd to deteriorate after 1998 and were forced to mimic the russian style to gain their World title.

Bye bye Bourne & Kraatz for me.

[gingercrush]

Lobacheva & Averbukh to go. Ewwww.

I'll defend Grishuk & Platov and Denkova & Staviski to the death as personally I think they're the two best Ice Dance teams here. I like Virtue & Moir and Delobel & Schoenfelder too. Otherwise bye bye.

[DaiKozOda]

B&K must go now. They were very entertaining in some programes but they suffer when compared with others (even with L&A).

[miffy]

Has to be L/A - they were so over-rated IMO. Can't believe they almost beat A/P! I did like L/A and enjoyed some of their programmes but I thought they were overmarked. I thought D/V and B/K were almost always better.

[Macassar88]

What's with all this Russian hate? Gonna vote for Bourne and Kraatz until they go, but I definitely think that Domnina and Shabalin were better. They had such amazing lines and extension and a beautiful look about them. Lobacheva and Averbukh are next for me after Bourne and Kraatz though.

[briancoogaert]

What's with all this Russian hate? Gonna vote for Bourne and Kraatz until they go, but I definitely think that Domnina and Shabalin were better. They had such amazing lines and extension and a beautiful look about them. Lobacheva and Averbukh are next for me after Bourne and Kraatz though.

Again, where do you see a russian hate ?
G&P, K&O, N&K have almost no votes...
But my vote goes to Lobacheva&Averbukh, not because I hate russian dance, but because they weren't as great as the others on the list.

[judgejudy27]

Voted for Bourne & Kraatz and will every round until they go. I like them and appreciate what they did for Canadian dance. However they arent of the caliber of the others on the list, apart from maybe Lobacheva & Averbuhk.

[Cherub721]

Has to be L/A - they were so over-rated IMO. Can't believe they almost beat A/P! I did like L/A and enjoyed some of their programmes but I thought they were overmarked.

Well B&K actually did beat A&P at GPF in 1997 and 2002... both in Canada, of course so they win the overmarked award for me. Amazing how they could even beat K&O in Canada. In fact all of B&K's biggest wins (not counting 4CC where they had no competition) came in North America. The Worlds 2003 win was crazy with that "World Skating Federation" thingie literally protesting outside the night of the FD, and still B&K barely won the FD.

I will give my best efforts to defend L&A.... way too soon for them to go!

In terms of direct comparison for me they beat B&K hands down when it comes to ODs:

1998 jive:
L&A http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eDcdYjEZ4Ps
B&K http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HRq-xnwmSA

2002 Tango/Flamenco:
L&A http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...APfZA7KE#t=55s
B&K http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9p3vJ...feature=relmfu

I wish I could find clips of B&K's 2000 Latin OD and Harry Connick FD, both choreographed by Shae-Lynn. And that classic fluff piece from Lifetime where they lose to FP&M the first time and Shae is all "I can't understand, I can't understand."

[Cherub721]

But my vote goes to Lobacheva&Averbukh, not because I hate russian dance, but because they weren't as great as the others on the list.

I think they're way better than N&K... surprised that they are coming off so unscathed in this poll (but I bet they will pick up the anti-Domshabs/L&A voters). I would also rank L&A above Delschoes who I found to be one of the least musical and least exciting teams, but I know that's controversial since Delshoes are so popular.

[judgejudy27]

Actually I had forgotten DelSchoes were in the poll. I would have voted for them. They could have easily ended their career without a World medal had things gone differently in 2008 (DomShabs hurt, Virtue & Moir messing up their OD, Belbin & Agosto falling), and they were far removed from ever being a dominant team. All these teams in their primes would probably have crushed them, even the weaker ones like B&K, L&A, and N&K. If Belbin & Agosto were in this poll they probably would be gone already, and even they regularly and almost always beat DelSchoes.

[Cherub721]

Actually I had forgotten DelSchoes were in the poll. I would have voted for them. They could have easily ended their career without a World medal had things gone differently in 2008 (DomShabs hurt, Virtue & Moir messing up their OD, Belbin & Agosto falling), and they were far removed from ever being a dominant team. All these teams in their primes would probably have crushed them, even the weaker ones like B&K, L&A, and N&K. If Belbin & Agosto were in this poll they probably would be gone already, and even they regularly and almost always beat DelSchoes.

Yup. DelSchoes routinely placed behind a lot of solid, but unremarkable teams like B&A, D&L, and DomShabs. They didn't win the FD once in their world winning season (losing to teams like Khokhlova & Novitsky in the TEB FD and a very young V&M at Worlds).

[Vash01]

B&K really need to go now. I never cared for their constant whining, and they were just so so as skaters. They were lucky to win a world championship in a weak field.

[pani]

B&K really need to go now. I never cared for their constant whining, and they were just so so as skaters. They were lucky to win a world championship in a weak field.

For me Lobacheva were so-so skater and she prove this in Russian TV show so many times... Bourne have such a greate personality, they hab such soft knees and when they were young, they show a lot off innovative moves.

[Macassar88]

I think they're way better than N&K... surprised that they are coming off so unscathed in this poll (but I bet they will pick up the anti-Domshabs/L&A voters). I would also rank L&A above Delschoes who I found to be one of the least musical and least exciting teams, but I know that's controversial since Delshoes are so popular.

It's the power of the headband!

[Macassar88]

I like certain DelSchoe programs (namely their 2006 and 2009 FD's) but other than that, I didn't really care for them. Their 2007 FD was pretty good as well. But I still like them more than BK and LA.
I think it's gonna be really hard to choose after these three go away.

[miffy]

And that classic fluff piece from Lifetime where they lose to FP&M the first time and Shae is all "I can't understand, I can't understand."

Oh I loved that, Sharpie had that on video. That was a classic.

B/K did do some crappy programmes, but I actually really loved their 2003 FD - I think I might have been the only one??

[nuge]

B/K to go .I really loved their 03 Waltz OD and I really liked the 02 Tango but there was far too much hydroblading and that other move where they crouched and stuck their legs out sorry does anyone know the move I mean ?
It was a shame they had to change their style to win although I do like the Adagio too Miffy

[Katarzyna]

We move on to Round 3 and we say goodbye to a team who IMO is the saddest, cruelest example of what really could have been a stellar career, but we never saw it because of those damn injuries...

One of the saddest stories in ice dance ever! I still remember how promising they looked when they won JW!

B&K really need to go now. I never cared for their constant whining, and they were just so so as skaters. They were lucky to win a world championship in a weak field.

My vote went to B/K as well. I couldn’t stand the whining in particular given their skating level.
Regarding L/A: their OD in 2002 is one of my favourite ODs ever.

[Alex Forrest]

Please B/K. Del-Schoes next but let's clean house first. SLB gets on my last nerve. She whined and cried and whined some more, and I don't think she ever watched her competitors or a video of herself 'dancing'. eek