Figure Skating Champions SURVIVOR: ICE DANCE ROUND 6

[SamuraiK]

Voidy frenchies say bye bye to the game..

8TH PLACE: DELOBEL AND SCHOENFELDER (37.45% 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. Tatiana Navka & Roman Kostomarov - RUS - 2004 & 2005 World and 2006 Olympic Champions.
05. Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviski - BUL - 2006 and 2007 World Champions.
06.Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir - CAN - 2010 & 2012 World and 2010 Olympic Champions.
07. Meryl Davis & Charlie White - USA - 2011 World Champions.

Already Eliminated:
09th Place: Bourne & Kraatz (41.85% votes)
10th Place: Lobacheva & Averbukh (46.60% votes)
11th Place: Domnina & Shabalin (29.65% votes)
12th Place: Fusar-Poli & Margaglio (48.77% votes)

[SamuraiK]

Davis & White for me this time..

I looved them until 2009/10. They have been the ultimate definition of vanilla after that. Plush they have a weaker record than all the other teams with the exception of Denkova & Staviski but they pale against the bulgarians when it comes to great programs or performances.

[gingercrush]

Yep I'm choosing Davis & White too. Also small aside which I know won't happen but can we get rid of Anissina & Peizeret before Virtue & Moir and maybe even Denkova & Staviski and Navka & Kostomorov.

[judgejudy27]

I had a hard time choosing between Davis & White, Navka & Kostomarov, and Denkova & Stayviski. Ultimately I went with Davis & White. N&K were a dominant team for 3 years which must count for something, and even if some debate their wins, none was a major controversy. D&S are just real quality technicians and artists who many consider the best team of the mid 2000s despite N&K's greater medal haul.

So Davis & White it is, worthy rivals to Virtue & Moir, but mostly destined to still be second fiddle to them probably, artistically not all that inspiring to date even though they have improved, and also arguably a team who benefits from inflated scores. They deserve their medals for the most part, including some impressive victories over even V&M, and a very impressive 3 GPF wins in a row, but I still enjoy watching even a team like Weaver & Poje more than them often.

[briancoogaert]

Davis and White.

[babayaga]

Davis and White for me too.

[Zemgirl]

Davis and White, whom I have always found to be overrated. Also, they have less range as performers than the remaining teams (and some of the eliminated ones).

I don't even like N/K, but they should certainly outlast D/W.

[briancoogaert]

Davis and White, whom I have always found to be overrated. Also, they have less range as performers than the remaining teams (and some of the eliminated ones).

I don't even like N/K, but they should certainly outlast D/W.

That's exactly my opinion !

[DaiKozOda]

My vote goes to Davis & White.
I like their speed and athleticism. They really shine in elements such as twizzles, spins and lifts. That's the great thing about them.
But sometimes I can't help but thinking that their programs look like a mere collage of required elements more than anything. In what concerns their overall image, I feel that they are a bit stereotyped as this sort of Disney characters. Charlie is like a prince from a fairytale and Meryl is a little princess. This could make them look great together. Nevertheless, there are occasions is which they seem disconnected. Like if there is no chemistry between them. It's like two persons who actually happen to be on the ice at the same time but aren't really together. In my opinion that affects the overall impact of their skating. I would also like them to try something a bit different instead of giving this vybe that they're doing the same FD all the time no matter what the music or the theme is. That's probably not their fault. Maybe they could develop more artistically if they had a different choreographer. I loved their OD in 2010 and I wish they could show more programs that stand out just like that one did.
In my eyes, Navka & Kostomarov and Denkova & Staviski both had their kind of "thinking outside of the box" moments like Pink Panther and Bach to Africa. Some people didn't like it, others adored it, but very few were indifferent to it.
In terms of results, one cannot ignore that Davis & White are still competing and that they can improve their record. Still, they got their world title in a season when Virtue & Moir were away for most of the time due to injury and the others were to far behind and with mistakes (like Pechalat & Bourzat). The Shibutanis weren't really a threat for them. But, despite being a huge fan of Virtue & Moir, I think Davis & White were very unlucky not to win gold at the 2010 worlds.

[Macassar88]

Davis and White for me. I find them quite overrated. I thought that their tango program was their best in terms of intricate holds and transitions, but other than that, it's mainly just open skating. I appreciate their speed but they sacrifice unison and cleanliness for it. I think that Meryl is a good performer, but Charlie bores me. He doesn't emote well and he often looks like he's concentrating on technique rather than performing and communicatin with Meryl and the audience.
As for Denkova and Staviski, I found them kind of boring until they went to Linichuk. I feel that she really brought their skating to a new level technically and found much nicer lifts for them. I loved their uber dramatic free dances in 2006 and 2007.
I hope that Navka and Kostomarov don't get eliminated because I loved them and I thought that Navka was especially amazing. There was an aura about her that always made me smile when watching them. I would definitely consider her one of my favorite female ice dancers of all time. I know that Roman wasn't the best male ice dancer, but he presented her really well. And they did dominate with solid programs for the better part of three seasons including the 2006 season where they deservingly won the Olympics.

[Kasey]

Tatiana Navka dragging a dustmop known as Kostamarov around on ice for years worthy of still being in this poll? Posh, be gone!

[kwanette]

Tatiana Navka dragging a dustmop known as Kostamarov around on ice for years worthy of still being in this poll? Posh, be gone!

LOL! I'm with ya!

[judgejudy27]

Davis & White were never a dominant team like Navka & Kostomarov. All the others on the poll except for Davis & White were the dominant team for a period.

[DaiKozOda]

Kostomarov was far from being a bad partner for Navka. Actually, I think he was perfect for her. They were physically very well matched, looked really hot together, he framed her very well without just staying in the shadow. Someone like Navka can easily overshadow anyone else but Kostomarov was there with her side by side.
Kostomarov is a tall guy with a bodytype that could indicate that he can't dance or move properly to the music but it doesn't seem to be a problem for him. I love him in these exhibitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Z8gqh39otSQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=xvglcG42g0M

[vivika1982]

Tatiana Navka dragging a dustmop known as Kostamarov around on ice for years worthy of still being in this poll? Posh, be gone!

I can't believe i am defending Kostomarov but the poor guy just didn't stand a chance next to Tania's "Look at me attitude"

I love him in these exhibitions: http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=Z8gqh39otSQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature...&v=xvglcG42g0M

I like those EX too but then their Tarzan and Jane version of "Missing" comes to my mind and ....

[missysays]

Davis & White were never a dominant team like Navka & Kostomarov. All the others on the poll except for Davis & White were the dominant team for a period.

I think this is a difficult judgement to make right now since Davis & White are still in the middle of their competitive careers while Navka & Kostomarov have already retired and you can see the full run of their competitive track record.

One argument I would make is that I think that Davis & White may have a larger impact on the sport in general than Navka & Kostomarov. N/K didn't really influence their fellow competitors in the long run on the technical or artistic sides. N/K were very polished and aggressive competitors. Whereas, I feel that on the technical side that D/W have really pushed their competitors and influenced a new generation of skaters that have come up after them. I see many of the competitors pushing the technical difficulty and trying to keep up with the technical pace that D/W have set. D/W still have some work to do in terms of upping the ante on the artistic side of their skating but as technicians and athletes they're at a very high level.

Don't get me wrong I don't think D/W are gamechangers in the way that Torvill and Dean were or as well rounded and legendary as G/P, A/P, and K/P but I think they have had an impact on the sport that will be felt longer than N/K's impact on the sport.

[pani]

O, so close fight between N-K and D-W....

[chipso1]

Denkova & Staviyski.

[Yazmeen]

LOL! I'm with ya!

Add me here!

[Cherub721]

In D&W's favor, they were the first to get all level 4s and they did it their first year senior. I have a feeling dance was becoming more technical, though, with or without D&W, once the old timers like Navka and Grushina retired. But they were the first so they get credit.

I do give N&K some credit for having to adapt to a completely new system, especially since Navka had been competing in senior ice dance since 1991! They also had better CDs than D&W, though with the CDs being dropped, we'll never know how much D&W would have improved. Navka was also the only ice dancer to win the Olympic gold (or any medal, afaik) after having a child, if that counts for anything. I must say though, their contemporaries, like DenSta, did a much better job adapting to the new system (probably because they were pushing the level technically under 6.0).

I think I actually like D&W's best dances (Die Fledermaus and S&D) more than N&K's, but I generally liked N&K more, and they had a better career and the polish that I value, so I voted off D&W.

Actually I would've had N&K out before L&A and maybe even FP&M, so I'm surprised they're still here, and I thought D&W would win this poll since they are the most popular current couple.