Takahashi & Tran split

[LilJen]

It's like April Fools Day with these awful announcements. I LOVED Taka/Tran and hoped for great achievements for them in the next several years (Sochi ain't everything!!), so I am really sorry to hear this. Are there really any Japanese male pair skaters would could partner her (let alone achieve the TES minimums for competing in international competitions)??

[Vash01]

That's a shame. I thought they had a bright future.

[Kelvster]

obviously, one can only speculate the reasons for the split, but it looks as though Sochi 2014 (and perhaps even Olympics 2018 - btw, I don't know where this is gonna be held! Korea?) was an important factor. The lure of the Olympics .... is just too strong, and understandably so (it's every athlete's dream to make it there)

at least, their last competition was a "bang" ... what joy and what accomplishment for them. wherever this takes them they will always be World bronze medallists.

[love_skate2011]

there goes another Japanese Pairs talent down the drain

[Rob]

I bet this wouldn't have happened without that team event. Oh well, if things don't work out post-Sochi, maybe we will see them back together one day. Stranger things have happened.

[Whitneyskates]

This is definitely sad but not really surprising imo.

[genevieve]

darn I really liked that team, was hoping they'd stick together even if they were not Oly-eligible. Best of luck to them finding partners. Sigh.

[Carina]

This a sad day !!! I really enjoyed their skating.

[LadyNit]

Awwww... so sad to read that another quality pair splits up. The state of pairs skating world-wide has taken another blow with this announcement. I hope they are able to find suitable partners. I'll miss seeing them.

[jjane45]

I bet this wouldn't have happened without that team event.

Ditto

[whoa]

So sad to hear this!! Just when I was starting to think that pairs was getting interesting again.
Hope both will find great partners by the summer.

[fan]

can tran compete for canada in the 2014 season?

[Theatregirl1122]

Mervin is such a fabulous pair skater. I really hope he can find a strong partner with Canadian citizenship. It would be a shame not to see him skate at that level again. And I hope Narumi can find a Japanese skater to pair with for the team competition. I am so glad that they won their bronze medal last year. They were such an enjoyable team to watch and their reaction to that medal is one of my favorite figure skating memories.

[Mevrouw]

I wonder if Jessica Dube is 'free'?

[hanca]

Jessice Dube is not free. But Iluschetchkina probably is. If he has to sit out a season because he was representing Japan, he may as well choose the partner from any country.

[SamuraiK]

Narumi will have to partner with a Japanese guy as soon as possible and be ready to gain a spot at the olympic qualifying event (Nebelhorn) in September. Worlds 2013 is out of the question. So who could be??

I was thinking about Kento Nakamura. Hes relatively taller among the japanese men, great artistry and would be a top skater in any other country besides the big 6.

[SamuraiK]

Andrea Poapst has Canadian citizenship. I believe she is still looking for a partner.

Mervin Tran tweeted today:

Photo he tweeted: https://twitter.com/skate_moivo/stat...135361/photo/1

Sighes he sounds hurt

But still he has the better odd of a more succesful new partnership than her.

[Lara]

Awwww... so sad to read that another quality pair splits up. The state of pairs skating world-wide has taken another blow with this announcement.

I know.

[Andora]

can tran compete for canada in the 2014 season?

I understand why he wouldn't be (after what JSF has invested in him), but it would be too bad if he was held by them after being dropped by his partner.

I wonder if Jessica Dube is 'free'?

I wonder if she'd be too tall? I'm always surprised at how tall she actually is vs. how tiny she seems on the ice. (5'2"ish, right?)

[ioana]

This makes me sad. Especially since whatever partner Takahashi finds in Japan would be a big step down from Mervin.

I'm trying to remember if Wakamatsu and Fecteau who skated for Canada instead, but were not Oly-eligible since she didn't give up her Japanese citizenship kept skating after the Olympics.