C/T look beautiful, but if they cannot complete the big elements done routinely by the elite, it won't matter.
I am a bit shocked that the judges put them TEN POINTS behind M-T/Marinara sauce in PCS. Okay, no, I have NOT seen M-T/M skating in person since Skate America, but they would have to have improved a MASSIVE amount to be that much better in basic skating skills, stroking, unison, style, choreography than C/T. I call BS from the judges, and marking down due to errors on elements.
Can you imagine how frustrated they must be?? I've been longing for them to get it together technically. They skate together just BEAUTIFULLY--based on seeing them in person at SA last fall they were among the top in unison and general skating skills, but the technical goofs get them EVERY.TIME. It's gotta suck a lot of the joy out of competing
I have no doubt they've been doing everything they possibly can, working with every expert they possibly can, to get past it. I'm with you, aftershocks: take the Denney/Coughlin approach and just jump out of flippin' unison
I am with you
@LilJen. Sure and it's got to be so frustrating. But now
@olympic, let's back up and realize that C/T did not start out their partnership with total problems technically. Taking a look back, I would say their difficulties began with the fact that they were
forced into a slow start competitively (due to Merv needing to be released by Skate Canada before they could compete internationally). The other part of that is although they received encouragement from people around them, there may also have been a bit of unconscious resistance to their unusual pairing (U.S./Canada, not that it hasn't happened before particularly in ice dance; but in C/T's case, Merv was more associated with being Canadian & previously skating for Japan, than Kaitlyn Weaver has been associated with being from Texas, and than Tanith was associated with being from Canada, and than Piper is associated with being American, especially since her Mom has Canadian roots).
Also, C/T must have initially felt the transition would work more smoothly than it has with dividing themselves between training in Montreal and Boston. Of course, that did not work well and they are now training exclusively in Montreal. Meanwhile,
tech issues which should have been obvious from the beginning were not adequately noted and addressed before they simply spiraled out of control, apparently. To me, it seems a matter of different learned technique accompanied by nerves
complicating their rhythm on technical execution. Their
lack of success then leads to a lack of confidence, and then they can't seem to get the nervousness and hesitation re tech elements out of their minds during competition -- a vicious cycle.
Cain/LeDuc's rise last season shows that
new teams need the chance to get out there to compete in order to get better. And they also need a lot of
support and encouragement. In view of C/T's individual success with other partners, they likely did not anticipate having so many problems pulling it all together. They have great chemistry and they move together so beautifully. I think they are both wonderful people and very modest and generous with everyone they work with. At this point, they've absolutely
got to be more selfish and focused on their goals as a team. Of course, they can continue having lovely personalities, but they've got to beef up the intensity. Just talking the talk without doing the walk and showing increasingly improved results on competitive ice will not cut it for them.
I don't wish to be harsh about this, especially since I'm not directly involved or know them and what their training has been like exactly. I have spoken with Marissa one-on-one previously, so I know how sweet she is as a person. And Merv has such a delightful and mischievous sense of humor. But here goes:
C/T need some undivided attention. Gauthier/ Marcotte have a lot of Canadian teams, as well as some young 'on-the-rise' international teams (North Korea, Japan). I'm sure there's a lot of loyalty to Mervin as well as a desire to help C/T improve. But it
seemingly is not working for Merv/Marissa in Montreal if the coaching team has been unable to help them figure out the tech problems, which were minor in the beginning, but have simply escalated to an alarming degree. C/T had a great program going at 2016 Skate America -- they had landed their sbs jumps, and were doing great, and then poof: uncharacteristic wobbles on a lift! They lost too many points to make up on that sp lift miscue, and ended up with a disastrous overall showing which obscures how well they had started out at SA before the crazy lift snafu. Gauthier/Marcotte (understandably) were unable to accompany C/T to the most important competition of the season: U.S. Nationals. Okay Julie was there, but she's their choreographer, not a coach. USFS seemingly was supportive initially, but not so much with the Olympics pending, other promising U.S. pairs on the rise, and C/T not showing any marked improvement on crucial tech elements.
Problems like these stem from
growing pains, and need to be looked at that way by a coaching team that has time to be more supportive and encouraging. Instead, C/T right from the beginning (at their Skate Canada debut a few seasons ago) began
losing ground to M-T/M by a few points, and now the points difference has increased. Seemingly, it's partly
politically-based. When M-T/M joined the Montreal camp, eh, a changed dynamic. Why? Because M-T/M needed a lot of help, and they've been getting it and slowly improving, which is to Kirsten/Michael's credit (and I cheer the way they are looking so improved -- I enjoy watching them). But M-T/M have also received some help politically in the scoring events based in Canada vs C/T, right from the beginning. Now there is a more obvious gap technically, but certainly not on skating skills, speed, and style (which C/T at this point should be edging). What is not helping C/T is obviously the unresolved tech problems, but also unfortunately the politics of the situation.
C/T were already good stylistically when they paired up, but not enough attention was paid to noticing and resolving tech issues before they got completely out of hand. Meanwhile, Kirsten & Michael needed to repair perceptions re Kirsten's split with Dylan, as well as meld together better and define their style. Michael also needed to improve his partnering skills, line and flexibility. Once Kirsten bit the bullet and moved to Gauthier/Marcotte with Meagan Duhamel's approval (since they were former rivals), it all began to land in place for M-T/M with great coaches and in a supportive environment. In a strange way, it seems to me that M-T/M training in the same environment with C/T has actually benefited M-T/M much more than it has C/T.
That said, I truly hope Marissa & Mervin
hang tough and weather these very difficult obstacles. They definitely have the talent. Now they need to examine their will and their intentions, and find the fortitude to endure, and the guidance to
make some tough decisions. Sure, they can stay in Montreal if that's where they feel most comfortable (especially in the short term). But if I were them, I would seriously begin scouting out
other opportunities to learn in different settings by taking from some other pairs experts. C/T were not at any off-site training camps this summer that I'm aware of, not even the helpful camps in the U.S. with Mozer and Szolkowy. I do hope and pray C/T are simply doing what they can at the moment, and trying to build something stronger together while biding their time for a breakthrough precipitated by making some significant and well-considered changes post this Olympics season.
Relax and breathe M&M! You have a lot of fans pulling for you! I am so eager to see you skate that beautiful fp cleanly and to watch it evolve over the course of the season.
Please read Neurosculpting, by Lisa Wimberger. It's not specifically sports/athletics-focused, but some of the mind-changing tips might be helpful.
I wouldn't read too much into C/T vs M-T/M PCS, I mean one of the judges gave Duhamel & Radford 9.5's for a lot of their PCS, in the debut of their SP which wasn't even clean. 
it'll be much different later on this year so I really wouldn't worry about it.
It's not that our other teams aren't very good, but we only have one spot and nobody else can score as high as the Knierims on an off day. An off day for any of our other pairs means not advancing to the long program, right? All just my opinion, but it's an extremely strong argument to send Alexa and Chris no matter what happens at Nationals IMO. 
