Virtue and Moir #22 - To Russia with love

[elle123]

haha you beat me to it, Ioana!

[Golightly]

Thanks! I think they can get a bit closer. Yes, the judges do like DW's SD better, but that was also the case last year with the FD. They will continue to improve. I think they should be happy and even if they want to win, I am sure they want to skate well more.

Also, I won't get bitter at the low GOEs, mostly disappointed. It's not like they're skating bad, so I don't see why a lovely program isn't a bit more well regarded. But, alas! Worlds is the goal.

[ddtpdx]

The good news: the levels in the polka, 3 and 4. Great job! They were very careful with the pattern, I thought, maybe that's why the enthusiasm/performance level was lower than at CoR.

The bad news: the judges seem to appreciate D/W's SD more, and they might get stuck with second place in this portion throughout the season. Which wouldn't be a disaster, especially since the real difference is just 1 point (Tessa and Scott lost the TES on account of the twizzles), IF the same wonderful judges marked the obvious difference of choreography, originality and difficulty between the two FDs. We'll see tomorrow, but I'm not too hopeful...

Emdee, there are actually about 4 banners in total! I think only Japanese skaters have more!

I'm glad they got those polka levels as well.
I'm not surprised about the judges' appreciation for D/W's SD - it's a traditional and easy concept to digest that doesn't require any imagination.
I'm just going to try to enjoy tomorrow and hope they skate well (and not be too worried about the standing). I'll try anyway, LOL.

[bmcg]

I think I'll wait for worlds to get my hopes up D&W have a 2 point lead after the SD. They will skate last tomorrow and true to form are skating their FD to potential at this stage of the season whereas V&M typically have programs that are growers. I think it's better for everyone's blood pressure to accept they will not win a GPF title. Especially as there seem to be at least one judge who isn't enamoured with them ( 8.75 for skating skills )

Just hope that unlike last season they just stick with the SD they have and work to skate it to potential to max out GOE and PCS. No panic like last year and really work that FD because that is their masterpiece. I don't think any of the other SDs behind them should threaten if they skate theirs to potential.

[Emdee]

4 banners- WOW!
I am glad they are so well loved in Sochi - Imagine 2014 year at the games!

[elle123]

I think I'll wait for worlds to get my hopes up D&W have a 2 point lead after the SD. They will skate last tomorrow and true to form are skating their FD to potential at this stage of the season whereas V&M typically have programs that are growers. I think it's better for everyone's blood pressure to accept they will not win a GPF title. Especially as there seem to be at least one judge who isn't enamoured with them ( 8.75 for skating skills )

8.75 is suspect.

I wouldn't count them out just yet for the gpf title, but I agree ... the big picture is all about Worlds and the bigger picture - Olympics!

4 banners- WOW!
I am glad they are so well loved in Sochi - Imagine 2014 year at the games!

Glad the fans are showing their love!

[IoanaC]

8,75 for skating skills and 8,50 for choreo is absolutely freaking ridiculous.

Bmcg, I think you're right, it's better to accept they'll never win a GPF, but that doesn't mean I'll ever wrap my head around the idea. It feels very wrong.

Speaking of "working" the SD, does anyone else feel that the changes they've made - the ending of the step sequence and the final pose - aren't that great? I wish they went back to the original finale. I don't like the simplified step seq and it makes me a bit nervous for the two gorgeous step sequences in the FD which, apparently, have been modified as well.

[aka_gerbil]

8,75 for skating skills and 8,50 for choreo is absolutely freaking ridiculous.

Bmcg, I think you're right, it's better to accept they'll never win a GPF, but that doesn't mean I'll ever wrap my head around the idea. It feels very wrong.

I'm also trying to get my head wrapped around the fact that they're never going to win this. I keep reminding myself that Yagudin never won Russian Nationals and of other similar things, but it's not working. I know the big goal is worlds, but I know they have to have wanted to win this one since it's the only major title they don't have. I feel bad for them.

Speaking of "working" the SD, does anyone else feel that the changes they've made - the ending of the step sequence and the final pose - aren't that great? I wish they went back to the original finale. I don't like the simplified step seq and it makes me a bit nervous for the two gorgeous step sequences in the FD which, apparently, have been modified as well.

I'm not thrilled with the changes and am also worried about the step sequences in the FD.

I keep trying to remind myself that the GPF always seem to be the worst competetion of the year and it'll hopefully things will just go up from here.

[bmcg]

Hey to look for a silver lining they did get a seasons best Onward and upward <---Maybe that should be the next thread title, a bit of positivity never hurts.

[Cherub721]

I'm just depressed, nothing else to say really.

[bmcg]

I'm just depressed, nothing else to say really.

Cheer up! It ain't over til the last dance team skates in London

[aka_gerbil]

I'm just depressed, nothing else to say really.

I knew this was coming, but I'm still sad, angry, and depressed over it.

True that the silver lining is a SB score though.

[martyross]

congratulations to our wonderful dancers, that skate was fantastic, so much to love in it. polished, secure, flowing and royal. it's my favorite.
we all knew the outcome and it seems even Tessa and Scott have put their mind on rest on it. things will be different in the second half of the season

[IoanaC]

The only silver lining I see right now are those darned polka levels. They did better than I had expected - I was hoping for 3-3.
Otherwise... yeah, I'm depressed too. I think they have two fabulous programs this season and it must be frustrating, especially in the PCS department. And, as someone pointed out in the pbp thread, they should have had higher GOE for the YP than D/W.

Oh Marty, do you really think their minds are at ease? If we can't wrap our heads around it, imagine how they must feel.

However... onward and upward, that's the spirit.

[walei]

Another year, another GPF that I gag over. Scott did kind of mess up his twizzle a itty tiny bit so I guess I'm okay with their TES score but that PCS is plain wrong.

Is this another year where the judges went overboard in the Grand Prix series with whatever crack they are smoking and bring themselves back to reality during the 2nd half of the season??

[IoanaC]

SD (RAI version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM0L9KbO1l8

The polka pattern was gorgeous.
For me, the step sequence has lost a little bit of its charm, however... The previous ending steps were much more spectacular.

[bmcg]

The only silver lining I see right now are those darned polka levels. They did better than I had expected - I was hoping for 3-3.
Otherwise... yeah, I'm depressed too. I think they have two fabulous programs this season and it must be frustrating, especially in the PCS department. And, as someone pointed out in the pbp thread, they should have had higher GOE for the YP than D/W.

Oh Marty, do you really think their minds are at ease? If we can't wrap our heads around it, imagine how they must feel.

However... onward and upward, that's the spirit.

That's the main problem with the judges from my viewpoint. They are influenced by their overall impression of the program itself that they aren't judging the dance patterns as they should because there is no way possible to say the YP patterns skated by D&W were worthy of higher GOE than the patterns skated by V&M. That is not subjective, the edges have to be clean and unless things have changed kicking up a snowstorm (especially in the first pattern) should not earn a 3 in GOE.

BUT that's the way things are with the SD. In trying to combine the CD with the OD they completely butchered the importance of the CD and the qualities that should be rewarded and were important save a few key points and it's the overall concept of the OD that is being rewarded.

I just don't want to see them get frustrated like they did last year with the SD so feel they just need to keep practicing it to hit all their levels and skate it as best they can and attack with the FD.

And fwiw D&W have won the last three GPF´s because they are always the team most prepared at this point of the season and that could happen again. I'm more curious to see what the judges do with the FD scoring of V&M because I always find the GPF a platform for a bit of jostling for position. It's the first time the top teams meet and all the teams get an idea of where they stand with the acceptance of their material and it's usual the first time for veteran judges to sit around chatting about the competitors in a head to head.

Onward and upward

[bmcg]

SD (RAI version): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CM0L9KbO1l8

The polka pattern was gorgeous.
For me, the step sequence has lost a little bit of its charm, however... The previous ending steps were much more spectacular.

And still only level 3 so nothing really gained. Has ANY senior ice dance team earned a level 4 for steps this season? Starting to wonder if there is a secret memo forbidding anyone handing them out until London.

[aka_gerbil]

And still only level 3 so nothing really gained. Has ANY senior ice dance team earned a level 4 for steps this season? Starting to wonder if there is a secret memo forbidding anyone handing them out until London.

It could change tomorrow, but so far this season, no senior ice dance team has earned a level 4 for steps in either the SD or the FD. I'm too starting to think there's a secret memo forbidding them this year.

The only silver lining I see right now are those darned polka levels. They did better than I had expected - I was hoping for 3-3.
Otherwise... yeah, I'm depressed too. I think they have two fabulous programs this season and it must be frustrating, especially in the PCS department. And, as someone pointed out in the pbp thread, they should have had higher GOE for the YP than D/W.

Oh Marty, do you really think their minds are at ease? If we can't wrap our heads around it, imagine how they must feel.

However... onward and upward, that's the spirit.

They have to be frustrated at this point. They have the best set of programs they've ever had, yet they're not getting rewarded for it. For all of the talk about Worlds being the main focus, etc., in V/M you have to self-professed competetive people. This is the ONLY major title they don't have, and you know they have to have wanted this one badly. I can't imagine their minds really being at ease, and like you Ioana, if we can't wrap our minds around this, imagine how they're feeling right now.

I'm not a particularly huggy person, but I sort of wish I could give each of them a great big hug right now.

[Golightly]

There was an 8.50 too, in case you missed it

Never mind, you did not miss it LOL. I laughed when I saw that. It's sad, but I laughed. I was going to say on Twitter that that was disrespectful too, but I thought against it. What's the point?