Scimeca / Knierim Cheer Thread!

[olympic]

I didn't see a thread for them and wanted to start one.

They deserve major props for only recently getting together, winning Coupe de Nice against a ranked Russian Pair, finishing 4th at their first ever GP assignment, and finishing 2nd at Nationals (while winning the LP, which they changed only like 6 weeks ago). They also have all the big moves and surprisingly, have a excellent track record of going clean!

Yes. They need to work on many aspects of their PCS, but the foundation is there. She has and he is a great male partner (technically solid and strong). I won't uber them ... yet. I'm almost convinced US pairs are jinxed. But, let's see what happens.

[Garden Kitty]

I really enjoyed their performances and wish them all the best at 4CC!

[Whitneyskates]

I really like them and they definitely show a lot of promise, but they make me nervous. They're a couple off the ice and lord knows many a promising pair team have met an early demise because they were in love then came Hopefully they'll stick it out because they have a lot of great qualities.

[olympic]

I really like them and they definitely show a lot of promise, but they make me nervous. They're a couple off the ice and lord knows many a promising pair team have met an early demise because they were in love then came Hopefully they'll stick it out because they have a lot of great qualities.

Another reason I won't uber them yet. They are a couple.

[Sylvia]

Link to their official site if you haven't seen it yet: http://alexascimecaandchrisknierim.webs.com/
(Blog & Guestbook links are located under the "More" tab in the navigation bar up top)

[~tapdancer~]

I'm scared to uber them, too, but I sure love them! Such potential and yet they are already a joy to watch. Sure hope they stick together!

[Sylvia]

News: Scimeca/Knierim have withdrawn from Four Continents due to her injury (right foot) - USFS press release: http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=48972&type=media

Hope she heals quickly and well!

[aftershocks]

Sorry to hear this news. Warm wishes to Chris and Alexa (heal quickly)

Kudos to Chris and Alexa on their boffo debut season!

[Sylvia]

Alexa @lexxapaige just tweeted:

The pain I'm having is too severe for me to push thru. Im starting my recovery now & hope to be back training ASAP! Good luck all #4CC2013!

@ChrisKnierim and I really appreciate all the kind words and support. The fans and friends are what help us keep our thoughts positive! Thx!

[shan]

((S/K)) I know they must be so disappointed. I hope she has a quick recovery.

[Sylvia]

Here's the official press release confirming that Scimeca/Knierim are going to Worlds with Castelli/Shnapir: http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=48995&type=media

(2/18/13) - U.S. Figure Skating announced today that Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim will represent Team USA at the 2013 ISU World Figure Skating Championships March 10-17, 2013, in London, Ontario, Canada.

Scimeca and Knierim, the 2013 U.S. silver medalists, were the first alternates for a spot on the World Team. They withdrew from the 2013 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships because Scimeca was experiencing right foot pain. Upon her return to Colorado Springs, where the team is based, Scimeca was evaluated and cleared to continue training.

ETA: Glad they will have an opportunity to gain ISU Championship ranking points that they missed out on at 4CC.

I've cross-posted the news in the U.S. Pairs thread in GSD: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3841598

[lauren329]

I really like what I have seen from them and am excited they will have this opportunity. Hate to see anyone out with injury but I really won't miss D/C.

[~tapdancer~]

So happy for them! Going to Worlds their first season. What a great experience it will be. Will be rooting for them!

[olympic]

Here's the official press release confirming that Scimeca/Knierim are going to Worlds with Castelli/Shnapir: http://www.usfsa.org/Story.asp?id=48995&type=media

ETA: Glad they will have an opportunity to gain ISU Championship ranking points that they missed out on at 4CC.

WOW. I feel bad for D/C. I realize they aren't very many people's faves, but this has got to sting. Obviously, they weren't ready though.

However, I am psyched for S/K! Unlike men's or ladies' singles, US pairs weren't really going to have a shot at 3 spots or a medal, so perhaps C/S and S/K can just relax a little more and skate their best, get good scores for the olympic season

[leafygreens]

Another reason I won't uber them yet. They are a couple.

I wouldn't worry about that. Judging by what they have made public on the internet, they don't look like a couple that will ever break up. (It's kind of sickening, but good for them if they're happy.)

[aftershocks]

WOW. I feel bad for D/C. I realize they aren't very many people's faves, but this has got to sting. Obviously, they weren't ready though.

However, I am psyched for S/K! Unlike men's or ladies' singles, US pairs weren't really going to have a shot at 3 spots or a medal, so perhaps C/S and S/K can just relax a little more and skate their best, get good scores for the olympic season

I'm sure Caydee and John will come back strong. They need to use this time to work on improving their weaknesses too, and further maximizing their strengths. I think the writing is on the wall with S/K being such a strong team with all-around skills right out of the blocks. Mostly what S/K lack right now is experience.

I really enjoyed watching Chris in 2012 with his former partner, but it's so interesting to see how with the right partner things can click along faster. Alexa matches Chris so much better than other partners he's had. But I'm sure his experience with his former partners is what prepared Chris to be ready when Alexa came along. It's sweet that they are a couple off the ice too, and I hope they are able to separate their different intense emotions (re love and competition) and make their relationship work beautifully both on and off the ice.

I also enjoy watching C/S (Marissa and Simon), and I think they make a striking pair. It's harder for them to match unison particularly on spins because of their huge height difference, but I'm sure they're working on that aspect of their skating and they've improved so much this season with their choreography by Julie Marcotte. Lifts and throws are two of C/S strengths (Marissa has to even compensate for the huge height she gets from Simon on their throws). I'm hoping C/S will pull off at Worlds some of the difficulty they have up their sleeves.

It would be really wonderful to see U.S. Pairs improve enough to garner three teams if not in time for next year, at least by 2015. Zhang/ Bartholomay have improved a great deal this season too, and they seem to be really happy performing together. I'm also hoping that Donlan/ Speroff can turn things around and perform great in their hometown next January. I'm also crossing my fingers for Rockne Brubaker finding a great match in an on-ice partner who will stick for the long haul.

[Jammers]

I'm sure Caydee and John will come back strong. They need to use this time to work on improving their weaknesses too, and further maximizing their strengths. I think the writing is on the wall with S/K being such a strong team with all-around skills right out of the blocks. Mostly what S/K lack right now is experience.

I really enjoyed watching Chris in 2012 with his former partner, but it's so interesting to see how with the right partner things can click along faster. Alexa matches Chris so much better than other partners he's had. But I'm sure his experience with his former partners is what prepared Chris to be ready when Alexa came along. It's sweet that they are a couple off the ice too, and I hope they are able to separate their different intense emotions (re love and competition) and make their relationship work beautifully both on and off the ice.

I also enjoy watching C/S (Marissa and Simon), and I think they make a striking pair. It's harder for them to match unison particularly on spins because of their huge height difference, but I'm sure they're working on that aspect of their skating and they've improved so much this season with their choreography by Julie Marcotte. Lifts and throws are two of C/S strengths (Marissa has to even compensate for the huge height she gets from Simon on their throws). I'm hoping C/S will pull off at Worlds some of the difficulty they have up their sleeves.

It would be really wonderful to see U.S. Pairs improve enough to garner three teams if not in time for next year, at least by 2015. Zhang/ Bartholomay have improved a great deal this season too, and they seem to be really happy performing together. I'm also hoping that Donlan/ Speroff can turn things around and perform great in their hometown next January. I'm also crossing my fingers for Rockne Brubaker finding a great match in an on-ice partner who will stick for the long haul.

One of the best examples of the right skaters getting together was Elena Berezhnaya and Anton Sikharulidze. Even though both had some success with their former partners when the two of them got together it was obvious right at the start that they had something special together. So even though it usually takes years for Pairs teams to get to a certain level when the right skaters are matched together what usually takes years to accomplish sometimes takes only months to achieve.

[aftershocks]

^^ Perhaps the same could be said for Volosozhar/ Trankov and Savchenko/ Szolkowy.

[olympic]

I'm sure Caydee and John will come back strong. They need to use this time to work on improving their weaknesses too, and further maximizing their strengths. I think the writing is on the wall with S/K being such a strong team with all-around skills right out of the blocks. Mostly what S/K lack right now is experience.

I really enjoyed watching Chris in 2012 with his former partner, but it's so interesting to see how with the right partner things can click along faster. Alexa matches Chris so much better than other partners he's had. But I'm sure his experience with his former partners is what prepared Chris to be ready when Alexa came along. It's sweet that they are a couple off the ice too, and I hope they are able to separate their different intense emotions (re love and competition) and make their relationship work beautifully both on and off the ice.

I also enjoy watching C/S (Marissa and Simon), and I think they make a striking pair. It's harder for them to match unison particularly on spins because of their huge height difference, but I'm sure they're working on that aspect of their skating and they've improved so much this season with their choreography by Julie Marcotte. Lifts and throws are two of C/S strengths (Marissa has to even compensate for the huge height she gets from Simon on their throws). I'm hoping C/S will pull off at Worlds some of the difficulty they have up their sleeves.

It would be really wonderful to see U.S. Pairs improve enough to garner three teams if not in time for next year, at least by 2015. Zhang/ Bartholomay have improved a great deal this season too, and they seem to be really happy performing together. I'm also hoping that Donlan/ Speroff can turn things around and perform great in their hometown next January. I'm also crossing my fingers for Rockne Brubaker finding a great match in an on-ice partner who will stick for the long haul.

If you look at D/C vs. C/S and S/K, I noted that C/S w/ mistakes isn't that far off of a clean D/C score-wise. In fact, I think that a clean C/S in the SP will outscore a clean D/C in the SP.

It remains to be seen what a more experienced S/K can do, but I can tell that they have more raw talent than D/C. Of course, that depends on them 1) staying together and 2) avoiding injury. Impossible to get your hopes up, because, we are talking about US pairs, after all!

Anyway, I hope that all this motivates D/C for next season. Caydee seems quite competitive and strong contenders will hopefully push them to improve.

US pairs are generally better this year than ever before at doing the difficult jumps, throws and twists, but they are also much better at getting higher levels on the non-explosive elements - lifts, DS, FW, spins, etc. But, I'd like to see the top US pairs raise the bar next year and go for SBS 3toe and SBS 3sals next year in their LP's. I'd also like to see D/C and S/K work on their PCS elements, too. That might help them march up the standings.

--------

BTW, do you all think we will see a throw 3x from C/S at Worlds?

[Sylvia]

Interesting thoughts, olympic - I've re-posted them in the U.S. Pairs thread in GSD since this is the S/K cheer thread.

I re-posted your and aftershocks' earlier posts above in the GSD thread here: http://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/show...=1#post3841867

Here's the link to the Guestbook on S/K's site if anyone would like to send a message of support: http://alexascimecaandchrisknierim.w...pps/guestbook/