Are Duhamel & Radford underrated?

[CantALoop]

I wouldn't call them artistic, but I do think their smarts and drive is underrated. While other skaters let their coaches or families dictate what elements they'll do, analyze their scores, watch the competition, etc., D/R seemed entirely in the driver's seat. Both know the IJS extremely well and how to strategize to gain points out of their strengths while hiding their weaknesses - not that they didn't know their weaknesses and try to improve those as well. Duhamel in particular is an IJS/strategic guru as far as I'm concerned.
I think more skaters could be more successful if they took this mindset into competition. Look where motivation, ownership, and strategy got D/R, Savchenko, Kostner, and Wagner despite their "old" ages. While Savchenko was the most successful of that group in recent years, I think Duhamel is the one that was able to gain the most from it. Without her smarts and drive I doubt they'd be thought of as even an outside shot for the Olympic podium.

ITA, and I think your post is why I think they were a fantastic pair but I don't think they were underrated at all and were sometimes held up.

I think Megan Duhamel is a f'ing BOSS and also a fantastic person. I also think D&R were technically amazing, and I think Megan is one of the smartest skaters ever.

That being said, I tried my best to like their skating, but to me it always seemed like they were basically skating from trick to trick more like an X-Games slopestyle run than an actual cohesive program. It always seemed like they were ticking off the boxes on a mental checklist rather than telling a story or performing for an audience.

 

[Willin]

@CantALoop Exactly. I respect Meghan so much for how smart she was and how much she was able to milk out of the scoring system through her intelligence. I also credit her with the race for throw quads and more difficult side-by-side jumps in pairs, because it seems most teams weren't doing them in competition until D/R stepped up and landed a few.

But did I enjoy watching them? Not really.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

@AngelaNikodinovLove, what did you think of Stolbova & Klimov's winning performances at the 2016 Grand Prix final? Also how do you think they would have faired at worlds with them had they duplicated them there. I could see them contending with Duhamel & Radford for gold and being ensured atleast silver since Sui & Han blew it in the worlds LP.

I liked their GPF but never really went back to rewatch. Of all their programs it was their SP to Crouching Tiger I watched the most.

I think at 16 Worlds D&R did everything needed to become the Champs even if S&K repeated GPF performances. D&R were that good, with quad and all.

 

[savchenkoboss]

I liked their GPF but never really went back to rewatch. Of all their programs it was their SP to Crouching Tiger I watched the most.

I think at 16 Worlds D&R did everything needed to become the Champs even if S&K repeated GPF performances. D&R were that good, with quad and all.

I think Sui & Han skating a perfectly clean LP would have still won, but I am not sure if they have ever had a clean LP even to this day. The triple salchows always give them some kind of problem. I was super thrilled for Eric & Meaghan, defending their title with an amazing skate, probably the skate of their life, when most didnt have them pegged to win unlike the previous year.

I felt bad for both Russian teams though. I knew Volosozhar & Trankov's comeback probably just wasnt going to pan out at that point, and I could almost sense Stolbova & Klimov's momentum might be done for good. Sure enough Tarsaova & Morozov usurped them easily as the Russian #1 next season.

And you just sensed when Savchenko & Massot made the podium which surprised a lot of people, their partnership was going to make it big and boom further from there, and just maybe culminate in Aliona's goal of that OGM finally.

 

[VGThuy]

What would you guys say is the top two Pairs LP of the past four seasons? To me, unquestionably, it would be Stolbova/Klimov's 2015-2016 GPF LP and Savchenko/Massot's Olympic LP. Any others?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

What would you guys say is the top two Pairs LP of the past four seasons? To me, unquestionably, it would be Stolbova/Klimov's 2015-2016 GPF LP and Savchenko/Massot's Olympic LP. Any others?

Not to sound repetitive but K&S's "Manfred Symphonies" by miles.

The passion in that program..wow... and that ending Combo Spin seemed to go on for an hour!!!!

 

[savchenkoboss]

What would you guys say is the top two Pairs LP of the past four seasons? To me, unquestionably, it would be Stolbova/Klimov's 2015-2016 GPF LP and Savchenko/Massot's Olympic LP. Any others?

Duhamel & Radford's 2016 Boston Worlds LP was utterly amazing. Even if you arent their biggest fan the energy, athleticsm, emotion, and excitement they created that day was incredible. It would be hard for me to not include that in my top 2. Probably would pick Savchenko/Massot Worlds LP or Olympic LP as the other, the two were basically the exact same skate.

 

[MAXSwagg]

What would you guys say is the top two Pairs LP of the past four seasons? To me, unquestionably, it would be Stolbova/Klimov's 2015-2016 GPF LP and Savchenko/Massot's Olympic LP. Any others?

It's probably those two.

Top 5 for me, in no particular order:

Stolbova/Klimov 2015 GPF
Savchenko/Massot 2018 Oly
Volosozhar/Trankov 2016 Europeans
Sui/Han 2017 Worlds

Would include Kavaguti/Smirnov Manfred but I can't even remember if they ever skated that clean. Either that or Stolbova/Klimov 2017 Worlds.

 

[tony]

Then of course there was the throw 3x at 06 us nats where John Baldwin is clearly seen mouthing "take that Meagan!" after it's landed.

And you can never trust babble fish, but it seemed that in a German press interview last March, savchenko credits the Canadians with inspiring her many years of t3f attempts.

There were other pairs trying big things- I’m not denying that. In 2007, Vise/Trent did land a throw 4S and Miller/Moram of Canada came very close. Inoue/Baldwin had the throw 3A several times.

Yes, there were always a few teams getting ambitious-- but the huge majority, absolutely not.

In regards to Stolbova/Klimov, their 2015-2016 GPF free skate was brilliant. I adored this team so much but it got to the point that it seemed like their lack of connection to the music was covered by skating to angsty music where their stone faces could be used as ‘feeling’. In 2017, their program also could’ve been brilliant but it really fizzled when they didn’t skate well- which was more often than not.

 

[barbarafan]

They have always been generous in this way Pairs events at Canadian Nationals have always been cool because they are all high fiving each other before taking the ice for warm up. Pretty cool

A lot of that was a Dylan thing,,,that is who he is.....hope it continues...I loved it

 

[Icetigger]

Duhamel & Radford's 2016 Boston Worlds LP was utterly amazing. Even if you arent their biggest fan the energy, athleticsm, emotion, and excitement they created that day was incredible.

I disliked that performance.

 

[kittysk8ts]

I disliked that performance.

Ok, I can respect that. But I daresay every human in the audience liked if not loved it. Lotsa Canadians there I am sure but still, an international crowd. I love this performance. Pure joy. I respect this team because they are not a natural fit and do not have the aesthetic that we all appreciate in a great pairs team. They poured their blood and guts into their training and strategizing.

Many of their detractors even said that performance was special

 

[kittysk8ts]

A lot of that was a Dylan thing,,,that is who he is.....hope it continues...I loved it

Yes, you are probably correct At 2012 Canadians, Dylan was running laps around the rink, prepping, warming up. He was focused but still took the time and care to return the high fives coming at him. This type of behaviour means a lot to me. I agree with you and hope some of the young skaters will carry that forward.

 

[barbarafan]

Yes, you are probably correct At 2012 Canadians, Dylan was running laps around the rink, prepping, warming up. He was focused but still took the time and care to return the high fives coming at him. This type of behaviour means a lot to me. I agree with you and hope some of the young skaters will carry that forward.

He was highly competitive and tried so so hard to be the best but only wanted to win if he was the best on the day....and everyone else did their best....He is certainly a role model that won't be forgotten.

 

[znhurston]

^^^ Honestly nothing was more brilliant in pairs in the last 8 years than The Manfred Symphonies!! What a masterpiece.

AGREED!

 

[znhurston]

I had zero appreciation for D/R until I saw them skate in person at 2016 worlds in Boston. Stylistically, they will never be my cup of tea but I have enormous respect for their work ethic and for making the most of their abilities.

 

[MAXSwagg]

Ok, I can respect that. But I daresay every human in the audience liked if not loved it. Lotsa Canadians there I am sure but still, an international crowd. I love this performance. Pure joy. I respect this team because they are not a natural fit and do not have the aesthetic that we all appreciate in a great pairs team. They poured their blood and guts into their training and strategizing.

Many of their detractors even said that performance was special

Calling that thing a performance is a stretch. But it certainly was an interesting athletic display.

 

[Guinevere]

ITA, and I think your post is why I think they were a fantastic pair but I don't think they were underrated at all and were sometimes held up.

I think Megan Duhamel is a f'ing BOSS and also a fantastic person. I also think D&R were technically amazing, and I think Megan is one of the smartest skaters ever.

That being said, I tried my best to like their skating, but to me it always seemed like they were basically skating from trick to trick more like an X-Games slopestyle run than an actual cohesive program. It always seemed like they were ticking off the boxes on a mental checklist rather than telling a story or performing for an audience.

Totally agree. I don’t mean to take away from them as people and their work ethic and drive and determination, because that’s really not what I was watching when they skated. I just didn’t like their skating. It didn’t grab me (the Adele program was the closest to a program I enjoyed and I’m glad they used that for the Olympics) and her unpolished positions bothered me. Like they put so much effort into quads and lutzes so why couldn’t they fix this aspect?

And I think it showed because as soon as they had a bad technical skate, there just seemed nothing there in the program.

Having said that, I am sooo glad they went out on such a high note. Team Gold and individual medal! Watching Meagan celebrate for Aliona was so touching. I feel like her sportsmanship represented the best of Canada then.

 

[kittysk8ts]

Calling that thing a performance is a stretch. But it certainly was an interesting athletic display.

I'll take it @MAXSwagg !

 

[muffinplus]

I think Eric has nice line/carriage... I wonder what would have happened had he teamed up with Aljona...

 

[muffinplus]

I almost spit out my drink when I watched Tarasova's bitchy/nasty commentary of that 2016 FS, "every element is clean, they must have had some of our Meldonium"
"All Canadians are standing, all Americans are standing, you stand up as well, but I'll take a seat"