The Dance Hall 9: Bring the Bling or No Beijing 2021-2022

[On My Own]

This is one of those times I wish the "mute words" setting on twitter were available on forums, because I'd like to hide all posts about Davis/Smolkin, Tutberidze, so on and so forth.

Also, if they and Tutberidze are really switching to the US, who's going to coach the Eteri girls?

 

[Flake99]

Also, if they and Tutberidze are really switching to the US, who's going to coach the Eteri girls?

I can't answer this question, but I've heard Sambo hired Kamila Valieva's grandfather as a full-time medical consultant.

 

[litenkyckling]

I’d rather see fast tracked citizenship for skaters from Ukraine like Kolesnik and Yehorov before I see a team jumping ship from Russia being allowed to compete for the US because of a secret Vegas wedding.

 

[Karen-W]

Y'all do realize that Diana and Gleb have been a couple for awhile now, right? And getting married young is perfectly normal and acceptable in Russian culture. Whatever their reasons for getting married, congratulations to the happy couple!

 

[Lara111]

I just heard via reddit that Diana Davis and Gleb Smolkin got married in Las Vegas.

Assuming this is true, I hope that their marital bond is at least as sincere and long-lasting as the average couple who decides to marry in Sin City.

It's a prep for moving and representing the US. Now he will get citizenship very fast.

 

[Lara111]

I’d rather see fast tracked citizenship for skaters from Ukraine like Kolesnik and Yehorov before I see a team jumping ship from Russia being allowed to compete for the US because of a secret Vegas wedding.

Well, Diana is a citizen and can marry whoever she wants. Athletes in Russia do not have a choice but jump a ship now - there is nothing wrong with it.

 

[On My Own]

I can't answer this question, but I've heard Sambo hired Kamila Valieva's grandfather as a full-time medical consultant.

Surely not. Eteri must be smuggling him into the US. I've heard old men can easily fit into her suitcase.

 

[Bouffantrex]

Y'all do realize that Diana and Gleb have been a couple for awhile now, right? And getting married young is perfectly normal and acceptable in Russian culture. Whatever their reasons for getting married, congratulations to the happy couple!

They married two weeks after the ISU banned Russia from competing at the World Championships. Even I, a hopeless romantic and torch bearer for young love, find the timing of this marriage to be dubious at best.

If they do in fact represent the USA, I certainly hope they choose more tasteful programs. Tacky programs are incongruous with American ice dance.

 

[Karen-W]

Tacky programs are incongruous with American ice dance.

And yet, Hubbell/Donohue gave us "Daddy" featuring Marilyn Monroe and Joe DiMaggio, as well as that dreadful "A Star Is Born" remake just in this past quadrennium. And let's not forget the wildly age-inappropriate material for Green/Parsons' RD in their debut season. American ice dance absolutely has it in them to deliver trashy, tasteless programs on the regular.

 

[Frau Muller]

Y'all do realize that Diana and Gleb have been a couple for awhile now, right? And getting married young is perfectly normal and acceptable in Russian culture. Whatever their reasons for getting married, congratulations to the happy couple!

Remember how, during an Olympics press session, Gleb lovingly protected Diana from the harsh questioning - almost barking - of Christine Brennan? That’s when my respect for Gleb Smolkin went way up.
Best wishes to the happy couple!

 

[litenkyckling]

Whether you think they’re a cute couple or not is kind of irrelevant though? It’s a question of integrity for USFS here - should they happily put resources and will behind a team that were quite happy to represent Russia on the world stage for years, even though they (clearly) had the option? The athletes in question are kind of not important - it’s about how feds choose to politic. Not in the least - what support are they going to offer their athletes who have citizenship issues and have put their careers on the line in some way by choosing to compete for the US but they don’t have marriage certificates?

 

[Dobre]

She's a U.S. citizen. If Russia releases her, she has every right to compete for the United States; and there's a very long track record of international teams doing so prior to the partner obtaining citizenship. As far as a matter of integrity, all that is important there is that USFS give those teams the opportunity to succeed or fail based on their skills. No favoritism. No prejudice. That would be my assessment of integrity on the issue.

This is a deep dance field, and there are no easy rides in it. What citizenship gives Davis & Smolkin is a shot.

 

[Rukia]

I would love to be a fly on the walls of the camps most likely to be affected by a change like this though. In my mind Scott Moir is furiously texting Charlie White to complain and just gets "I know, feels bad man" in response.

 

[Lara111]

Whether you think they’re a cute couple or not is kind of irrelevant though? It’s a question of integrity for USFS here - should they happily put resources and will behind a team that were quite happy to represent Russia on the world stage for years, even though they (clearly) had the option? The athletes in question are kind of not important - it’s about how feds choose to politic. Not in the least - what support are they going to offer their athletes who have citizenship issues and have put their careers on the line in some way by choosing to compete for the US but they don’t have marriage certificates?

Nobody put any careers on the line by coming to the US and finding sponsors to support them and give them a shot at career

 

[Dobre]

Carreira & Ponomarenko had options, international connections, and parents with influence in the sport. (That bronze at 4CCs relocks them into USFS). I think they'll be the last to gripe about Davis & Smolkin having options.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if the D&S drama helped push Wolfkostin & Chen MIDA's ways so Charlie's probably fine with it.

 

[Sylvia]

Scott Moir's first tweet since February 2021!

https://twitter.com/x/status/1542274898181103616

 

[sap5]

I would love to be a fly on the walls of the camps most likely to be affected by a change like this though. In my mind Scott Moir is furiously texting Charlie White to complain and just gets "I know, feels bad man" in response.

I don’t know. I feel like Charlie would write a philosophical paper with extensive footnotes in response.

 

[Andrea82]

Oh well, Davis/Smolkin left Igor for WISA according to her latest Instagram post.

Or did we already know it and I just missed it?

 

[Sylvia]

Oh well, Davis/Smolkin left Igor for WISA according to her latest Instagram post.

Or did we already know it and I just missed it?

Scroll to the end of Dobre's June 20th "Summer Dance Drama Update" post: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...beijing-2021-2022.108381/page-99#post-6267627

For those who can't access Instagram, I've copied out a machine translation of the text of their joint post today in GSD here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-updates-in-2022.109490/page-35#post-6271235

 

[Belsornia]

I’m a bit surprised Davis/Smolkin have settled at WISA/ION, given their track record with senior teams. But I guess with Zueva semi-retired, if they need to stay in the US it was either them or someone untested at elite level.

 

[alexikeguchi]

I’m a bit surprised Davis/Smolkin have settled at WISA/ION, given their track record with senior teams. But I guess with Zueva semi-retired, if they need to stay in the US it was either them or someone untested at elite level.

I agree, but I somehow missed the explanation of why they left Shpilband to begin with since it obviously wasn't to train in Russia. I apologize if this has already been discussed, but is anyone able to provide a synopsis?

 

[Bigbird]

I agree, but I somehow missed the explanation of why they left Shpilband to begin with since it obviously wasn't to train in Russia. I apologize if this has already been discussed, but is anyone able to provide a synopsis?

My first guess would be the lacklustre material and his lack of political pull. The only teams that seem to have that with the judges are Zhulin and IAM. Zhulin for whatever reason is a no go and IAM surely wouldn't give ET the time of day. So Eteri as they say is just shooting the breeze.

Well, that's my two sense.

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm interested to see if ION/WISA can improve Davis/Smolkin's skating skills. A lot of the skaters that come out of that group have really good basic skills.

 

[allezfred]

The 2021-2022 season is over so time for a new thread.