Canadian Pairs 2017/2018 Season News and Updates

[Rock2]

I thought Walsh/Michaud looked good

They looked pretty polished in the SP. PCS in the 7s might be a bit of a gift. Skate this at 4CC and it's mid to high 50s vs the 62 they got here.

It's like the reverse situation of Savchenko/Massot where one of the pair has the ability to drive PCS for the team. Walsh is doing a good job learning the discipline but her PCS is more in the high 5s to 6 and his are in the 7s at the very least. To the extent the judges let him drive the total score they will benefit. International judges at junior or senior might not be ready to do that just yet.

 

[Sylvia]

Challenge Senior Pairs FS protocols: https://skatecanada.ca/results/2018challenge/2018CHALLSeniorPairFPDRO.pdf
Final standings:
1 Julianne Seguin / Charlie Bilodeau QC 70.32 (1) 132.14 (1) 202.46
2 Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud ON 62.30 (2) 114.60 (2) 176.90
3 Sydney Kolodziej / Maxime Deschamps QC 52.34 (4) 113.18 (3) 165.52
4 Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe QC 60.22 (3) 60.22
WD Shalena Rau / Johann Wilkinson ON

Question: Do both Ruest/Wolfe and Rau/Wilkinson advance to Canadian Nationals?

Junior Pairs FS protocols: https://skatecanada.ca/results/2018challenge/2018CHALLJuniorPairSPDRO.pdf
Final standings:
1 Lori-Ann Matte / Thierry Ferland QC 52.82 (1) 91.54 (1) 144.36
2 Mariah McCaw / Steven Adcock ON 49.36 (2) 90.00 (2) 139.36
3 Olivia Boys-Eddy / Mackenzie Boys-Eddy ON 48.94 (3) 87.74 (3) 136.68
4 Gabrielle Levesque / Pier-Alexandre Hudon QC 45.80 (4) 80.66 (4) 126.46
5 Gabriella Marvaldi / Daniel Villeneuve QC 44.52 (5) 74.52 (8) 119.04
6 Patricia Andrew / Paxton Knott ON 41.72 (6) 77.14 (6) 118.86
7 Isabella Mancini / Christian Reekie ON 39.16 (7) 75.52 (7) 114.68
8 Chloe Panetta / Steven Lapointe QC 36.64 (9) 77.98 (5) 114.62
9 Alison Schumacher / Zachary Daleman ON 38.60 (8) 70.50 (9) 109.10
10 Chloe Choinard / Mathieu Ostiguy QC 31.82 (11) 70.20 (10) 102.02
11 Katherina Frantz / Nicolas Frantz QC 33.26 (10) 57.94 (11) 91.20

Novice Pairs FS protocols: https://skatecanada.ca/results/2018challenge/2018CHALLNovicePairSPDRO.pdf[/QUOTE]
Final standings:
1 Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste ON 41.19 (1) 72.06 (2) 113.25
2 Camille Perreault / Bryan Pierro QC 38.19 (3) 72.27 (1) 110.46
3 Marine Pouliot / Alexandre Simard QC 38.49 (2) 68.89 (3) 107.38
4 Sophia O Brien-Doerksen / Josh Venema AB/NT/NU 34.88 (4) 60.48 (5) 95.36
5 Mackenzie Ripley / Owen Brawley ON 29.39 (6) 64.12 (4) 93.51
6 Emi Swanson / Raine Eberl SK 28.91 (8) 59.14 (6) 88.05
7 Minel Senses / Samir Andjorin QC 33.36 (5) 53.28 (8) 86.64
8 Véronique Turbide / William St-Louis QC 29.06 (7) 54.76 (7) 83.82
9 Lia Pereira / James Robart-Morgan ON 26.43 (9) 47.66 (10) 74.09
10 Laura Bergeron / Louis-Marie Labelle QC 25.67 (10) 48.38 (9) 74.05
11 Asha Gumpinger / Josh Brauner AB/NT/NU 20.80 (11) 42.65 (11) 63.45

 

[nadioso]

Question: Do both Ruest/Wolfe and Rau/Wilkinson advance to Canadian Nationals?

Yes they do. A maximum of 12 pairs can compete at nationals and we don't even have 12 pairs ( including the byed pairs ).

As long as the pairs have recorded a minimum FS TES score over the last 3 years in any domestic or international competition they qualify. You have to meet this standard to even compete at challenge so they are OK.

IOW , challenge only means something when there are more than 12 pairs nationally.

 

[aliceanne]

You guys are going to have to help me out here, because as I said elsewhere, pairs is my least favorite discipline and I don't follow it closely. What exactly is so dreadful about I/M's LP? Is it just that a lot of people don't like the song?

They haven't skated it well, it hasn't been well-received by audiences or judges, and their body language towards each other has been decidedly cold this season.

The music is an 80's ballad where a guy moans about how his girlfriend doesn't love him anymore. It doesn't have any musical highlights and ends on a down note, which leaves them and the audience deflated.

 

[skatingguy]

Okay, I'm officially obsessed with Seguin/Bilodeau's free skate music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWa6EzkCh4&list=RDgoWa6EzkCh4
SYML - Where's My Love
I'm not sure they'be gotten the performance quite right to this point, and of course with this type of music they have to hit every element perfectly or the mood is ruined.

 

[barbarafan]

Okay, I'm officially obsessed with Seguin/Bilodeau's free skate music.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=goWa6EzkCh4&list=RDgoWa6EzkCh4
SYML - Where's My Love
I'm not sure they'be gotten the performance quite right to this point, and of course with this type of music they have to hit every element perfectly or the mood is ruined.

I loved it. I watched it live and the speed and clarity of moves are beautiful. Just the jumps were a problem.

 

[Catherine M]

Good luck to all the teams this week at Canadians. With the time difference, I doubt I'll stay up for the late night events in novice/junior pairs during a work week. Thanks to Skate Canada for making the stream not geoblocked so if I do decide to watch these events, I can.

Oh, I saw on social media that Justine Brasseur & Mark Bardei are still a team and are looking forward to next season. Can't wait to see her back on the ice in pairs!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^^Thanks so much for the Brasseur update!!

 

[DFO]

With the time difference, I doubt I'll stay up for the late night events in novice/junior pairs during a work week. Thanks to Skate Canada for making the stream not geoblocked so if I do decide to watch these events, I can.

Gee! Thanks for the reminder! I was forgetting this was not Eastern time...

 

[nimi]

Good luck to all the teams this week at Canadians. With the time difference, I doubt I'll stay up for the late night events in novice/junior pairs during a work week. Thanks to Skate Canada for making the stream not geoblocked so if I do decide to watch these events, I can.

I really appreciate that not only do they stream the events, they also make the archived streams available on the Skate Canada DM channel (e.g. novice pairs SP is here: https://www.dailymotion.com/video/x6cvqv5)

In other words: Thank heavens for Ted Barton!
https://www.ifsmagazine.com/canada-invites-global-audience-nationals/



ETA: Over at the Ted B. thread, @DFO pointed out this:

Yes, McIntosh/Toste did great. In fact,their SP score was the highest ever novice pairs SP score in recent (and probably all) history of canadians championships!

 

[DFO]

Copy from the Ted Barton post:

With a SP of 44,86, McIntosh/Toste are clearly besting all previous results:

Last year Novice champs, Chloé Panetta / Steven Lapointe QC got a 41.91 SP.
Before that at the Nationals: 2016 Jamie Knoblauch / Cody Wong WO 40.90
2015 Justine Brasseur / Mathieu Ostiguy QC 36.91
2014 1 Keelee Gingrich / Davin Portz AB/NT/NU 38.62
2 Allison Eby / Brett Varley WO 40.25
2013 1 Rachael Dobson / Alexander Sheldrick WO 34.00
2 Judith Murtha-Anderson / Trennt Michaud EO 34.98
2012 Hayleigh Bell / Alistair Sylvester CO 39.76

And nobody reached the 40's in 2011 and 2010.

The best overall score in Novice pairs was done by
1 Jamie Knoblauch / Cody Wong WO 40.90 79.00 119.90
in 2016.

I guess McIntosh/Toste could beat that today...

 

[DFO]

Yup! I was right. New canadian record with 120,24 for McIntosh/Toste.

Also, this is a strong novice pair group.

The best year was 2015 with 4 pairs over 100.
1 Justine Brasseur / Mathieu Ostiguy QC 36.91 74.72 111.63
2 Olivia Boys-Eddy / Mackenzie Boys-Eddy CO 35.74 72.70 108.44
3 Lori-Ann Matte / Thierry Ferland QC 35.52 68.08 103.60
4 Jamie Knoblauch / Nathan O'Brien WO 34.32 67.03 101.35

In 2016 there were 3 pairs over 100:
1 Jamie Knoblauch / Cody Wong WO 40.90 79.00 119.90
2 Katrina Lopez / Kurtis Schreiber AB/NT/NU 34.96 69.85 104.81
3 Hannah Dawson / Daniel Villeneuve EO 38.33 65.17 103.50

This year, 5 pairs broke the 100 score.
1 Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste ON 44.86 (1) 75.38 (1) 120.24
2 Marine Pouliot / Alexandre Simard QC 39.94 (3) 70.18 (2) 110.12
3 Camille Perreault / Bryan Pierro QC 37.43 (5) 69.68 (3) 107.11
4 Sophia O’Brien-Doerksen / Josh Venema AB/NT/NU 37.41 (6) 66.28 (4) 103.69
5 Minel Senses / Samir Andjorin QC 37.23 (7) 62.90 (5) 100.13

And if you look at the names in 2015 and 2016, this is a nice crowd!

 

[clairecloutier]

So, based on this afternoon's practice at Canadians, Duhamel/Radford have returned to their "Hometown Glory" LP, while Ilyushechkina/Moscovitch are keeping this year's "At This Moment" LP (despite some people's hopes that they might change it).

 

[screech]

IMO, Lubov's 3T was no more underrotated than Julianne's 3S, though Lubov seemed really tentative throughout (so I'd have S/B ahead of I/M overall)
I would have MTM second, though.

 

[Rafter]

I/M seemed sluggish on the pairs spin and even the lift. Is Dylan injured?

 

[screech]

I/M seemed sluggish on the pairs spin and even the lift. Is Dylan injured?

He had a bandage wrapped around his hand. On the Dailymotion livestream they said he had a bad injury, but I didn't hear what it is.

 

[aftershocks]

Did Josh Reagan and Brittany Jones split? Or is there an injury?

 

[mag]

He had a bandage wrapped around his hand. On the Dailymotion livestream they said he had a bad injury, but I didn't hear what it is.

Something was definitely up. He didn’t have any of his usual sparkle. Not sure it this showed on the livestream, but before the last flight went on for warm up there was quite the hug fest going on just off the ice. I&M exchanging hugs with what looked like both MT&M and D&R.

 

[Sylvia]

Yup! I was right. New canadian record with 120,24 for McIntosh/Toste.

A LIGHT SHINES ON NOVICE PAIRS by Beverley Smith (Jan. 11): https://bevsmithwrites.wordpress.com/2018/01/11/a-light-shines-on-novice-pairs/
Excerpts:

Brooke McIntosh just turned 13 years old five days before the National Skating Championships. She hasn’t wasted her time in this life, plucking daisies or fluffing pillows. She’s a speeding torpedo on a mission.
A blurred vision in pink, McIntosh scorched the competition with her 15-year-old partner, Brandon Toste, winning a gold medal in the novice pair event by more than 10 points on Wednesday.
She and Toste out-footed, out-lifted, out-spun, out-twisted and out-threw 10 other teams.

This victory signaled a rebirth of pairs in Canada, perhaps. The best thing about it was that McIntosh and Toste didn’t come from the usual pair schools that have developed so many of Canada’s top skaters in past years. Their coaches? Andrew Evans, a 29-year-old former Canadian junior pair champion, and Brian Shales, a 32-year-old former novice and junior pair champion, working out of the Ice Skating Academy in Mississauga.
Evans used to skate with Julianne Seguin and with Kirsten Moore-Towers, too, both now medal contenders at the national championships this week.

 

[Sylvia]

@aftershocks, this is the only mention I've seen (posted earlier in this thread back on Oct. 27, 2017):

Any news on Jones & Reagan? They are not listed to compete at Sectionals.

Done

 

[honey]

Per her Instagram, Brittany and Joshua are engaged now.

 

[screech]

My first time seeing Dylan/Lubov's LP, and I enjoyed it (minus the mistakes) much more than I thought I would, considering all the vitriol towards it on this site.

 

[shan]

My first time seeing Dylan/Lubov's LP, and I enjoyed it (minus the mistakes) much more than I thought I would, considering all the vitriol towards it on this site.

I always thought it would be great with mileage. I'm they had such a rough nationals. I wonder what happened to Dylan.

 

[supergirl573]

I always thought it would be great with mileage. I'm they had such a rough nationals. I wonder what happened to Dylan.

Bad cut on his hand, I've heard.

 

[aftershocks]

My first time seeing Dylan/Lubov's LP, and I enjoyed it (minus the mistakes) much more than I thought I would, considering all the vitriol towards it on this site.

Dylan & Lubov went back to their last season's sp, and it looks like they went back to last season's fp too, but no it's the one from this season. However, I think both fps are similar in style (although last year's program was more successful):

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZFiVOQJUtRg I/M 2017 fp
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nIZL_6Glsro I/M 2018 fp

Per her Instagram, Brittany and Joshua are engaged now.

Is there a link?

Thanks for the info you found @Sylvia. I guess Brittany & Josh did not make an official retirement announcement.

 

[nimi]

So sad for Luba&Dylan.

Bad cut on his hand, I've heard.

Such an unfortunate timing for an injury like that.
(And who knows what other injuries he's currently dealing with...)

Still several hours until the official announcement, of course, but considering how I/M have struggled throughout the season and how well the others skated (and jumped) in the FS yesterday, I just don't see them getting picked for Olys.

Btw, do Walsh/Michaud have their sr minimums for 4CC? I was just thinking that if the top3 won't go and if Dylan's injury is such that I/M choose to skip 4CC as well, does Canada even have 3 eligible sr pairs for that event?

 

[honey]

@aftershocks this is the photo from Brittany’s instagram

https://instagram.com/p/BbSERC4g_q_/

 

[aftershocks]

Wouldn't surprise me if MT/M beat I/M at Nats and go to Olys.

Somewhat prophetic (as you posted back in November), but right not surprising since it's been clear this season how much MT/M have improved, even though Michael still has more to learn as a pairs partner. Ted Barton mentioned in his commentary for the pairs sp that in M-T/M's first two seasons, he was not sure their partnership would work. And then Barton was effusive about how much Michael has improved. Anyway, the key for M-T/M was the move to Gauthier/Marcotte, and lucky for Kirsten & Michael that Meagan was not against it. Kirsten reportedly spoke to Meagan about it first. Julie Marcotte has also done wonders for Kirsten & Michael. It's obvious how well suited K&M's fp music and choreo are for them, and they exude joy in skating to it.

Once again, this Canadian pairs event proves how important the right music and choreo are to the success of a team. Eric is said to have explained the reason why he & Meagan returned to Hometown Glory: the music gives them energy and inspiration, whereas the Muse venture Eric said made them feel tired just trying to get through it (despite it being a lovely program).

It is extremely sad for Dylan and Luba. I'm reminded of them saying how they planned to retire after this season, but maybe they should have hedged on answering that so definitively. I suppose Dylan is feeling it with the body aches, pains and injuries though (similar to how Robin Szolkowy was apparently feeling even before his final season, since reportedly he continued mainly because Aliona strongly desired to keep going). It's always so sad seeing the disappointed looks on athletes' faces. And then of course, it's much happier for those who are experiencing sheer joy and excitement.

Kirsten knows what the Olympics feels like since she and Dylan placed fifth in 2014. She'll be getting to go back again when a season or so ago, it seemed like she & Michael might have to wait. The pairs field is very deep now, so she won't be placing fifth in Pyeongchang. Wow, I just noticed that Kirsten's Wiki page still only has photos up of her and Dylan, even though her partnership with Michael is of course prominently mentioned.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I love all four teams, but my heart breaks for I/M. To me they have the best artistry of the four and it's just insane to imagine an Olympics without them for me. On the other hand, I'm happy for the other three! Good luck at the Olympics!

 

[Sylvia]

[Challenge Junior Pairs results from early Dec. 2017:]
3 Olivia Boys-Eddy / Mackenzie Boys-Eddy ON 48.94 (3) 87.74 (3) 136.68
...
5 Gabriella Marvaldi / Daniel Villeneuve QC 44.52 (5) 74.52 (8) 119.04

In case anyone was wondering about these two teams' withdrawals from Canadians this week (re-posting from the Kiss & Cry section)...

Olivia Boys-Eddy posted on her Instagram on Jan. 6 that she had suffered a recent shoulder dislocation: https://www.instagram.com/p/BdnVpl5BTw1/
She and her brother Mackenzie are ISU Junior age-eligible through the 2019-20 season (he turns 20 after July 1st): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00055060.htm

Marvaldi/Villeneuve had to withdraw due to his concussion (he texted this in to Ted Barton during the Junior Pairs event); they have one more season of ISU Junior eligibility together (2018-19 season): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00101239.htm