Canadian Pairs 2018/2019 Season News and Updates

[barbarafan]

Why do you say that? For some reason I expect the announcement to come after world's which is probably when they actually start training.

There is a big break between shows - Feb 18 to Mar 12..I am hoping they spend time together then & then know if it is a go or not. I am sure there would be no announcement until she lets Cirque know about her intentions.

 

[Colonel Green]

I wasn't a huge fan of KMT and Michael's short program when they debuted it, but seeing the 4CC performance really drove home that the mood they're going for is only achieved when it's skated basically perfectly. Great job by the two of them.

 

[Tinami Amori]

"I have waited to make my announcement because I have been campaigning to have the ISU add same-sex pairs to competition. My new partner, who is ONLY FOURTEEN, is... Stephen Gogolev!!!"

... and if his Russian parents ever read this, they will not wait for the outcome.. they will take him right back to Russia and study the "seduction of minors" law... (and to some degree, i am not kidding..)

 

[ChiquitaBanana]

Michael pulled a Nic Nadeau’s in the K&C, swearing i. French when he saw they were in first place...

 

[Rafter]

Michael pulled a Nic Nadeau’s in the K&C, swearing i. French when he saw they were in first place...

I wondered what he said! Thanks for clarifying. Gauthier seemed to get a kick out of it. I loved how Marinaro said “the other two fell”. Realistic about why they were in first.

 

[Colonel Green]

Well, if you had told me going into this competition that KMT and Marinaro would come within 0.06 of beating Sui and Han, I wouldn't have believed you.

Rough skates for our other teams. Sad for Evelyn and Trennt, who got off to such a great start, and that lift just killed the whole program.

 

[Skate Talker]

Yes I am feeling bad for Evelyn & Trennt too but - they are young and can bounce back - plus hopefully some experience they can take to Worlds to help them there.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Yes I am feeling bad for Evelyn & Trennt too but - they are young and can bounce back - plus hopefully some experience they can take to Worlds to help them there.

No matter what, they’re always gorgeous to watch.

 

[Sk8mom123]

B&B are listed on the Challenge Cup entry list https://www.schaatsen.nl/media/39166/entries-by-name-cc2019_update20190204.pdf

 

[Colonel Green]

B&B are listed on the Challenge Cup entry list https://www.schaatsen.nl/media/39166/entries-by-name-cc2019_update20190204.pdf

Oh dear, Mark has split with Justine Brasseur and teamed up with Justine Brossard, whoever that is. And their partnership was so promising.

 

[Catherine M]

Yay for Justine & Mark. Happy they are finally going to make their international debut.

And I guess Skate Canada wants another option besides R/W to submit as a sub for the World championships.

 

[Erin]

Happy to see Skate Canada giving Brasseur and Bardei another shot to get the minimums after injury got in the way earlier. I was hoping Matte and Ferland would also get a chance after they performed so well at Nationals, but they at least did have a chance earlier in the season so it’s not as though they haven’t had an opportunity.

 

[Rock2]

Yay for Justine & Mark. Happy they are finally going to make their international debut.

And I guess Skate Canada wants another option besides R/W to submit as a sub for the World championships.

Agree. It's that and as I said wrt Cotop and Orzel that if you're top 5 you're national team eligible and should be rewarded with some sort of assignment beyond nationals. I'm happy for them.

It's clear the talent and pieces of their skating are there. But it seems their development depends on getting out there and competing as they aren't entirely comfortable doing that yet. Big gap between competition and the way they practice so far so there's lots of upside.

 

[haribobo]

I'm really interested to see how Brossard/Bardei compete against Stielger/Kiefer and Hasselhoff/Seegert. There are other good teams too, like Hockestein/Blommaert and Ghirardelli/Ambrosini. It's honestly anyone's game...

 

[Sk8mom123]

Has anyone else seen this yet? National team in all disciplines is just top 3 https://noticeboard.skatecanada.ca/2019/01/25/2019-2020-national-teams/ I wonder why the change?

 

[barbarafan]

craziest thing I ever heard of. They were starting to go in the right direction with developing NEXT GEN and sending them out to competitions. What happens with funding? Will they only fund 3 in each discipline. This is very discouraging. Are there certain skaters and teams they want to quit? I think SC is very disorganized and those with good ideas are not in a position to carry them through. IMO they need to get rid of the old and bring in some new......and I am not referring to the skaters.

 

[Colonel Green]

I’m not entirely clear on how this works, because by strict reading that means Gabby Daleman wouldn’t be on the national team if she returned to competition next season.

 

[Alvyne]

Do they have to meet all criteria? For example, Gaby was not in the top 3 at Nationals, but if she is assigned to a Grand Prix, could she still be on the national team?

I know that being ont the national team gives extra funding, but what are the other "perks"?

 

[Sk8mom123]

craziest thing I ever heard of. They were starting to go in the right direction with developing NEXT GEN and sending them out to competitions. What happens with funding? Will they only fund 3 in each discipline. This is very discouraging. Are there certain skaters and teams they want to quit? I think SC is very disorganized and those with good ideas are not in a position to carry them through. IMO they need to get rid of the old and bring in some new......and I am not referring to the skaters.

I agree 100% this is so discouraging to those skaters who are up and coming and maybe do not have a shot at top three but just might make that top 5. Its really disappointing in my opinion.

 

[nimi]

Do they have to meet all criteria? For example, Gaby was not in the top 3 at Nationals, but if she is assigned to a Grand Prix, could she still be on the national team?

I don't think the vague wording is an accident. They could've written "athletes who meet all the following criteria", but they chose to leave it somewhat open to interpretation instead.

So, my read is that they want to have the option to add somebody like Gabby to the National Team on the basis of her GP assignments, but they also want to have the option to exclude "lesser" skaters who compete in the GP but who aren't perceived as accomplished/talented enough for the Team...

 

[fsfann]

Must come down to money?

This is discouraging news for those up and comers who NEED the support that being on the National Team provides.

Think of a team like S&F who likely won't finish in the top 3 for a while? Or someone like Conrad Orzel, Phan, or Sadovsky who are all young, solid skaters... but will likely be edged out by Messing, Nam & Gogolev for the next while... Just doesn't make sense to me.

 

[fan]

Must come down to money?

This is discouraging news for those up and comers who NEED the support that being on the National Team provides.

Think of a team like S&F who likely won't finish in the top 3 for a while? Or someone like Conrad Orzel, Phan, or Sadovsky who are all young, solid skaters... but will likely be edged out by Messing, Nam & Gogolev for the next while... Just doesn't make sense to me.

especially because gogolev won't even be able to compete on teh sr grand prix for a while - it's very discouraging to the other skaters if they're not funded

 

[jmtfti]

Most national team athletes are NOT funded through national team membership; if you receive funding via Sport Canada, you're not eligible for the national team grant. And most athletes who make top five nationally are nominated for carding unless citizenship issues prohibit it (for example, Nikolaj wouldn't be Sport Canada-eligible until he gains citizenship). I will note further that the AAP covers junior skaters.

Seems just as likely to be about greater wiggle room to name high-ranking skaters who have bad outings at Nationals. (Returning skaters get a bye-add, as we've seen.) It doesn't say they're limiting to three skaters/teams apiece, but seems to be readable as "top 3, as well as those who meet this criteria."

 

[Dobre]

Must come down to money?

This is discouraging news for those up and comers who NEED the support that being on the National Team provides.

Think of a team like S&F who likely won't finish in the top 3 for a while?

I'm thinking of Sales & Wamsteeker, who had to be thrilled to finish top 4 at Nationals and don't have a guaranteed GP berth for next season. It seems like S&F may still be named to the National team, but it doesn't seem like S&W have that chance.

 

[barbarafan]

Most national team athletes are NOT funded through national team membership; if you receive funding via Sport Canada, you're not eligible for the national team grant. And most athletes who make top five nationally are nominated for carding unless citizenship issues prohibit it (for example, Nikolaj wouldn't be Sport Canada-eligible until he gains citizenship). I will note further that the AAP covers junior skaters.

Seems just as likely to be about greater wiggle room to name high-ranking skaters who have bad outings at Nationals. (Returning skaters get a bye-add, as we've seen.) It doesn't say they're limiting to three skaters/teams apiece, but seems to be readable as "top 3, as well as those who meet this criteria."

I thought they would be carded if they had permanent residency.

 

[jmtfti]

Luba and Piper weren't.

National team membership is also not equated with Grand Prix assignments. Skaters not on national team have gotten them. Skaters on national team have gone without. Paul/Islam were national team members for 2012-13 and had zero GP assignments. Orford/Williams had two GP assignments in 2012-13 without being national team members.

 

[starrynight]

I wonder if the requirement to be assigned to a Grand Prix event is there to try to discourage skaters from making a habit of not doing the Grand Prix now that Virtue/Moir have announced another tour over the top of the 2019 Grand Prix season.

 

[RoseRed]

Luba and Piper weren't.

National team membership is also not equated with Grand Prix assignments. Skaters not on national team have gotten them. Skaters on national team have gone without. Paul/Islam were national team members for 2012-13 and had zero GP assignments. Orford/Williams had two GP assignments in 2012-13 without being national team members.

Yes, Luba was carded once she got permanent residency, but that didn't happen until before the 2017-18 season (citizenship often comes just a few months after the PR card when it's these expedited cases).

And I believe Nik said he's got his PR card already, so it shouldn't be an issue for them.

 

[barbarafan]

Luba and Piper weren't.

National team membership is also not equated with Grand Prix assignments. Skaters not on national team have gotten them. Skaters on national team have gone without. Paul/Islam were national team members for 2012-13 and had zero GP assignments. Orford/Williams had two GP assignments in 2012-13 without being national team members.

I believe Luba was once she was granted permanent residency.At that point she could also work. It was not long after that she became a canadian citizen.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I'm really interested to see how Brossard/Bardei compete against Stielger/Kiefer and Hasselhoff/Seegert. There are other good teams too, like Hockestein/Blommaert and Ghirardelli/Ambrosini. It's honestly anyone's game...

Stielger/Kiefer for world champions!