U.S. Pairs 2018 - News & Updates, Part VIII

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sammyf said:
Looks like Wang/Howe get two assignments, they are listed for Mentor Cup http://www.mentorcup.pl/results/results-2018 in addition to Bavarian Open.
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I believe Wang/Howe are doing Mentor Cup in Torun, Poland only. Thanks, I've been waiting for the Torun entries to be published online - will go start a competition thread in Kiss & Cry.

ETA that I've replied to aftershocks' question above in the Pairs discussion thread in the Trash Can: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...wo-skating-as-one.101317/page-11#post-5262955
 
aftershocks said:
Alexandra Yao and Jacob Simon were not well-matched, although I can see the impulse to try if Yao was available, but not if she split up with her former partner Hale in order to try out with Simon. I thought Yao was better with Hale (albeit still lacking in expression and needing seasoning). And Simon had a deep connection with Lindsay Weinstein. I don't know the issues which caused the former break-ups. Alas. Good luck to them all for finding what they are seeking.



Yes, that's the same thing I was going to say. :) When these three teams are healthy and at their best, they can land their jumps (Danny is one of the best male pairs partners and a winning former singles skaters). K/O were always consistent technically, until their recent setbacks. It's nice to see K/O recovering so well and putting out good performances. Deanna is amazing and known to have good technical abilities as a singles skater, and Nathan was good with Felicia Zhang, and now he's obviously overjoyed to be paired with a strong technical and artistic skater in Deanna. Cain/LeDuc are also strong technically with backgrounds as singles skaters, plus they have excellent chemistry as the recent articles on them have highlighted:
shared by @allezfred in Cain/LeDuc fan thread: https://europeonice.com/2018/01/03/cain-and-leduc-finding-that-perfect-moment/
shared by @clairecloutier back in November: https://www.dallasvoice.com/breaking-the-ice-10245465.html

C/L especially looked inspired in their sp, and much sharper and precise technically. Their comeback showing at Nationals in their fp seems to have boosted their confidence and renewed their drive to improve. The throw jump was high and landed well by Ashley. They are both good performers too which enhances their skating. I thought that Deanna/Nate suffered in the marks a bit due to having to skate early. They deserved a bit higher I think: closer to at least 63+ I think (but the judges do tend to want to save scores for later teams, and S/B are not as well known internationally). While Deanna landed forward on the throw, they skated well, if a bit cautiously. It was obvious Deanna was unhappy with her forward landing knowing it would take away precious points. She's a fighter. I mean these pairs girls are all amazing fighters! Alexa, Ashley, Haven, Tarah, and Deanna, et al. Good luck to all three teams in the fp!



Thanks for sharing. I never saw Bridget and John skate together. John with hair, and he looks so young. :)



It went by fairly fast, but it was there. Scroll to about 2:15 for entry into what looked like a throw 3-twist. It did not get amazing height, but the rotations were quick, and John seemed to just launch Bridqet quickly and easily, although the catch was not completely clean. It was so quick, it looked like a triple but I'm not certain. Decent for a junior team.

Here are Bridget and John at U.S. Nationals (2007):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GsufPZZ6Ftc

Apparently, Bridget was one of Hamash Gaman's numerous partners:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dhbfXtSYEvI

Hamash had several North American partners: Caitlin, Bridget, and even briefly Vanessa James.
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Thanks! I never knew Bridget skated with Gaman. I thought she basically retired after John.
You are right about the twist. It was a 3 tw, but looked a bit iffy on the landing, but for the time and the level very decent. John and his partners always had excellent twists.
Not to bring in a sore subject, but it's such a shame about Caitlin. She had tryouts with several good Us pair guys and nothing worked (and not Rockne, their height differential was too small). Most said she was too tall (I would estimate her at about 5'5 in person), but Ashley Cain is at least 5'7 and found Leduc.
 
^^ Yes, it was such bad luck for Caitlin. She was well-paired with Gaman, but apparently there were financial problems that impacted their training. What might have happened had Caydee stayed with Jeremy Barrett, and John stayed with Caitlin at least another few seasons? :drama: Oh well, I wish I was in the rink when Evora and Brubaker tried out. Amanda had other commitments and location was partly the issue right?

We're now in a new trajectory, and I'm hoping to just try to enjoy the process and progress of our current promising senior and junior teams. :)
 
aftershocks said:
^^ Yes, it was such bad luck for Caitlin. She was well-paired with Gaman, but apparently there were financial problems that impacted their training. What might have happened had Caydee stayed with Jeremy Barrett, and John stayed with Caitlin at least another few seasons? :drama: Oh well, I wish I was in the rink when Evora and Brubaker tried out. Amanda had other commitments and location was partly the issue right?

We're now in a new trajectory, and I'm hoping to just try to enjoy the process and progress of our current promising senior and junior teams. :)
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Location was the primary issue with Evora and Brubaker, I believe. Neither were willing to relocate. Also, Amanda accomplished many of her career goals and was working towards her degree and coaching at the time. I know Jeremy wanted to retire and still has a good relationship with Caydee, so she pretty much had to go elsewhere. With John and Caitlin all that was said is that he made his own choices and their relationship was contentious at best. Too bad, but I thought Denney/Coughlin had huge potential until injury sidelined them.
 
Sylvia said:
Jonah Barrett is turning 21 at the end of this month and is aging out of ISU Junior. He and Elli Kopmar, 14, were each other's first partners and had 4 very productive seasons together -- Intermediate & Novice titles, Junior silver medalists last year and J5 this season, plus 1 JGP this past fall (7th in BLR). Elli competed very successfully in Juvenile singles this season as well.

Eliana Secunda, 18, is also listed on IPS; Boulder, Colorado is her location. She and Blake Eisenach competed from the Intermediate (silver in 2016) to the Junior level nationally (10th this year). They qualified for USFS' International Selection Pool this past summer.

Ian Meyh, who will be 18 in May, paired up with Sarah Rose in Ellenton, FL, in 2017 and they placed 7th in Junior
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Jayar said:
Which juniors called it quits?
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Junior 5th (K/B), 7th (R/M) & 10th (S/E) in my earlier post quoted above.

Since then, Junior 6th (Peterson/*Schwab), 8th (Hanns/*Ogren) and 9th (*Findley/Rounis) have one partner* listed on IPS. Meiryla Findley will turn 17 in June; Griffin Schwab 22 in June; and Kristofer Ogren 22 in May.

2 pairs that qualified for 2017 Nationals in Novice Pairs are all listed on IPS:
Mark Sadusky will be 20 next month (WD from Junior Men at Pacific Coast Sectionals) & Grace Knoop, 17 - both are based in Ellenton, FL
Scott Dudley, 23 in April & Lauren Ball, 16 in March (they placed 6th at Midwestern Sectionals this past November) - both are based at Detroit SC in Bloomfield Hills, MI

Danil Siianytsia, 17, qualified for 2018 Nationals in Intermediate Pairs (with Ariana LoPinto) but they WD. He was born in Ukraine and is based in Shakopee, Minnesota.
 
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I know it was a weak field, but never did I think two US teams would be on the podium, let alone 1 and 2 with both having scores over 190! In fact, Kayne and O'Shea beat the Knirem's season's best - 192.51! So we have three teams over 190 at least once this season. I've never felt so pleasantly surprised with US pairs. Now if only they could do this well consistently...
 
Congratulations to Tarah & Danny, and Ashley & Timothy! They both fought hard and came out on top! Cheers also to Deanna & Nate for their fine effort.

I see some commentary about the top teams in the world not being at 4CCs, but you have to compete against who is there, and this was not a slam dunk for anyone by any means. The battle was extremely close between the top 6 teams. And what a battle. Ashley & Timothy were brilliant in the sp, and they battled some nerves under pressure in the fp to medal.

Sorry for Harley & Katia. They were in a position to win, but their nerves and relative inexperience as seniors let them down with that botched final lift (it was probably a bit of rushing and their timing was off). They didn't get any points for that lift, which doesn't help the PCS mark either, and they had negative GOE on a jumping pass too. Also frankly, they aren't as mature artistically as four of the other five top placed teams. If they could have kept that lift up though they still might have just made the podium since Ryom/Kim had two mistakes on jumping elements. Ashley & Timothy had issues on a lift too, but they managed to keep it up in the air with the revolutions, covering the obvious bobble. And C/L are also great performers.

Tarah & Danny had the best choreographed fp and they paced themselves well with just a slight negative GOE on the middle jumping pass, but recovered nicely. Their program built so well and ended with brio. They don't have the greatest speed and polish, but they are great competitors. This win will be so wonderful for their resume heading into Worlds. C/L and K/O were so excited on the medal podium. It was lovely to witness. :)
 
Tarah & Danny are THE world-class team among all USAers. Class, finesse, aesthetic lightness and elegance, coupled with tech skills. Sorry that they won’t be in Pyeongchang but we’ll see them at Worlds! Congrats on winning this important ISU championship - their first step to Beijing-2022!
 
nimi said:
The winning free skate: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-W4pEgwbL0

The medal ceremony: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q2abnFEDM-w

(Americans & N. Koreans on the podium smiling and hugging... US & DPRK flags rising to the ceiling side by side... If this footage won't get used by some serious news outlets, I'm gonna be very disappointed!)
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You know, I wonder what kind of coverage this will get in North Korea too. I half fear that instead of celebrating their remarkable accomplishment, it will somehow be twisted by the PRK propaganda machine into a failure because they lost to the "evil Americans" - and there is very much an "evil empire" narrative to the North Korean news media when it comes to the US.

I'm also curious whether or not this is covered by any serious/mainstream media outlets in the US. I'm not sure figure skating gets much of a blip but North Korea certainly does and with the Olympics two weeks away it might get 15 seconds of airtime. If it is reported on by more than one outlet, I would love to analyze and compare the coverage (the communication major in me is showing, isn't it?).
 
Some quick quotes by the pairs skaters after 4CCs fp:
http://cloud.isu.org/index.php/s/pDN5aUhkXQQl4hZ#pdfviewer

Interesting to see what each team had to say after fp results. Especially check out Tarah/Danny, Ash/Timothy, and Deanna/Nate's comments and their next steps/ what they are looking forward to working on for next season (after Worlds for K/O of course).

Sorry to hear from Ashley that her Grandfather is in the hospital and may pass soon. (((Hugs))) :saint:

Ashley: "... I fought for [my grandfather] and I skated for him. It wasn't easy for us, coming in the first place team after the short program in such a huge event. We kept our eyes straight forward for the free skating... It's been a hard season, and it's been a lot of learning. We're really fortunate to have been able to train with people like Nina Mozer ... she has taught us so much that we're now ready to apply to the off-season."

Timothy: "... we helped each other for the performance today... the best thing that we showed for our future... is that we're fighters, and that we can trust each other to push under any circumstances."

Tarah: "I feel really great about our performance... this is a stepping stone... Next season we will definitely work on a higher technical mark ... and continue this hard work to get higher scores."

Danny: "... I am very happy with the improvements from Nationals to here, and I think we can keep growing as the season continues."
 
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Comments from the Knierims pre-Olympic teleconference (from Jackie Wong's twitter)
Knierims: Training has been fun. Of course there are ups and downs in training but we are leaving in a few days to go to our biggest dream ever.
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Knierims: We are both really excited for the team event. It's a big opportunity to compete both the short and long - and it's a chance for us to do it twice for the world. Chris and I tend to strive in the second half of the season. I feel like we will peak at the right time.
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Knierims: For me (Alexa), Dalilah changed me into the athlete I dreamed about being. She became a bit of a second mother to me ... Dalilah took me on like a daughter [during my illness]. We created a bond that is unbreakable. She's the one everyone should be giving credit to.
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Knierims: [Chris] I have been with Dalilah for 13 yrs. She's a great coach, but she's a better person. It's something special to be able to take her to her first Olympics because we've been together for so long. It's an honor to get her to where she should have been years ago.
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Knierims: Fun fact - we have asked Dalilah to come with us to get our Olympic rings tattooed together.
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^^ Are you afraid of getting one yourself, or is it that you just don't like seeing them on other people's skin? :lol: #NotForTheSqueamish

Some tattoos are works of art, others not so much. Personally, I'd have to go for the non-permanent variety. :p

Willin said:
Now if only they could do this well consistently...
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If only we could manage our expectations as fans, and consistently support skaters who go through ups and downs in trying to build their careers and go after their dreams. Ups and downs are all part of life. :)

In refashioning a stronger U.S. pairs discipline, the skaters have to start from somewhere, and I'd say the way K/O have come back from so many challenges over the past several years, they've been building toward this new beginning. And kudos to them! As well, C/L and S-D/B have faced and overcome some amazing challenges as slightly older skaters who are yet nurturing new partnerships that will require much seasoning. What an amazing start over their first two seasons for C/L and S-D/B! This year's 4CCs showing for all three teams is something to celebrate, to be proud of, and to enjoy as it is without getting ahead of ourselves harboring too many expectant yearnings and demands.

Enjoy the process of individual skaters' journeys, as the Olympics is approaching fast, and many of us are likely already overdosed on the season's figure skating news, drama, and multiple events across disciplines over a short span in recent weeks.

Pretty soon the Olympics will be over, and some skaters will be on to Worlds while others will be charting their off-seasons and thinking of new programs, while yet others will be contemplating retirement plans and figuring out new directions.

We'll probably start thinking of what music and programs skaters might choose for next season, if we are not too burnout by the end of February, let alone by the end of March. ;)
 
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Back to 4CCs for a moment. It’s great to see K/O nail it like that and capable of scoring around 200 clean at a major international event. I think the key to greater success and being amongst the best are 1) more speed first and foremost, and 2) more explosiveness on the big tricks - throws and especially the twist. Maybe they could spend time with Dalilah and the Knierims.

I actually think C/L have the ability to skate bigger than K/O: Bigger twist at least and harder SBS jumps. Their height makes their lifts pop more too.

I think US pairs have a way to go but it got more interesting
 
olympic said:
Back to 4CCs for a moment. It’s great to see K/O nail it like that and capable of scoring around 200 clean at a major international event. I think the key to greater success and being amongst the best are 1) more speed first and foremost, and 2) more explosiveness on the big tricks - throws and especially the twist. Maybe they could spend time with Dalilah and the Knierims.

I actually think C/L have the ability to skate bigger than K/O: Bigger twist at least and harder SBS jumps. Their height makes their lifts pop more too.

I think US pairs have a way to go but it got more interesting
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I agree with all you said.
 
olympic said:
Maybe they could spend time with Dalilah and the Knierims.
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K/O train with Jim Peterson, and are unlikely to seek assistance from Dalilah and the Knierims (especially not if the Knierims are continuing). In any case, it's the same scenario as when I suggested Chris should speak to tall former male skaters who are now coaches like John Z and Peter Oppegard to get some tips regarding his jumping skills. I believe @Cleo1782 and others pointed out that Dalilah works with Chris and would be unlikely to seek out jump training help from rival coaches. There are the summer pairs training camps and probably options to bring in specialists to work with skaters at their home rinks. Collaboration and coordination to a point may happen, but seemingly rival U.S. pairs coaches will probably not be sharing their top skaters amongst each other.

Knierims' media teleconference in advance of the Olympics:
http://web.icenetwork.com/video/topic/265554398/v1873667383

When was the quad twist allowed in pairs sp? I thought it wasn't allowed previously in the sp.
 
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nimi said:
It isn't allowed in SP. The requirement is still 2Tw or 3Tw.

See e.g. USFSA 2017-18 pairs SP requirements or ISU 2017-18 media guide (p. 9) or ISU pairs tech handbook (p. 27).
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That's what I thought. But in their media teleconference, Alexa said something about her and Chris going to or wanting to rock the quad twist in both programs and how they looked forward to performing four programs within a week's time. They were both saying how that's what they do anyway in training. I would just caution them to realize that doing four or more programs during a week's training is not the same kind of atmosphere or mental stress pressure of having to do it four times at the Olympics in one week.

Chris also said that even if there were two U.S. pairs teams who made the Olympics, he and Alexa would still be the ones chosen to perform two programs in the team competition. Really?? I mean probably, but maybe not. I think it would have depended upon the overall team strategy. At this point, it's going to be difficult for the U.S. to make a decision about who performs in the team event and who doesn't. It will be exceedingly difficult to tell one of the ice dance teams they can't perform in the team event. Same goes for ladies and men too. But I guess that's a conversation for an Olympic team strategy thread.
 
olympic said:
I think the key to greater success and being amongst the best are 1) more speed first and foremost, and 2) more explosiveness on the big tricks - throws and especially the twist. Maybe they could spend time with Dalilah and the Knierims.
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On the latest TSL it was mentioned that Delilah wasn't happy when John Coughlin worked with K/O on their twist, so I don't think this is in the cards.
 
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