I have to say, I don’t think skipping Worlds is a great idea for James/Cipres. Last year, their strength as a pair came from 1. fresh, unique programs, 2. momentum, and 3. staying on their feet when other pairs didn’t. If they take part of the season off, they’ll be losing the momentum, and I’m not sure if they will be in the incredible form they were in last year if they’re only doing a few competitions. I hope they prove me wrong - other skaters have taken time off and gotten better - but I’m doubtful.
To be clear, I do enjoy their skating and I wish them the best.
I'm not going to second-guess James/Cipres' career decisions. FYI: their programs have been fresh, unique, exciting and influential from 2016-2017 through last season! And even this season, we are still seeing the impactful influence of the ice-dance/pairs cross-fertilization which in recent years James/Cipres have epitomized, along with Aljona/Bruno when they were competing. Also, J/C are one of the more consistent pairs teams in the worlds on all of their elements, despite any notion to the contrary. In addition, despite any nay-saying that has been going on here, Vanessa rocking those catsuits/bodysuits has had a direct influence on the exciting catsuit design trend we have been seeing among pairs and singles ladies. When it works, it works.
J/C, in a recent EuropeOnIce article, and Silvia Fontana, in a recent GS interview with Ted Flett, have expressed the reasoning behind their revamped career decisions. As
@Sylvia indicated in an earlier post, everything is still in flux, and J/C's decisions might further evolve or change. I'm not going to prejudge what may or may not happen. J/C have expressed wanting to challenge themselves further, as they have been doing each season since their 2017 breakthrough at Euros. They (not unlike Savchenko/Szolkowy in their day) have not rested on their laurels. Of course, J/C have not dominated in results over a period of years like S/S, but it's no accident how J/C slam-dunked every competition they entered except Worlds last season.
S/H have not performed on the GP for three seasons in a row and they still garnered respect from judges not because of momentum but because of reputation, particularly in a less than stellar return at 4CCs earlier this year. At Worlds, S/H received a generous score in the sp, despite a tight sbs jump landing by Sui and less than their best performance level. Plus it wasn't a very memorable program. Moving forward, it was by sheer force of will that S/H blew aces through their fp at Worlds and regained the top spot claimed by Aljona/Bruno in the Olympic year.
Every team is different and I respect all teams who bring something unique and special to the ice. Let's wait and see where J/C's determination and drive will take them and those of us who appreciate their talent.
...
129 for that was high, especially when you consider that’s higher than their PB and it’s definitely not their best skate. They’ve definitely improved a lot though.
No doubt C-G/LD have improved tremendously even since 2019 Worlds, even with Ash marrying and honeymooning in June! In their first outing in the off-season, there was a hiccough in their sp and they nixed the fp. Yet still, it was obvious how strong, fast and improved they are. They've improved from day one of their partnership. They have a great connection with each other, are fast learners, and determined competitors.
Even Ash/Timothy were both surprised by their sp score. But yet, they owned it and they were stronger than everyone else in the fp, and thus as you admit, they earned the win. The number of mistakes by all of the teams in the fp was surprising, but Ash/Timothy (or Gribbles as you've nicknamed them
) are definitely looking confident with next-level strengths. Of course, jump errors will not be as rewarded on the GP nor in other major competitions with deeper fields.
I also take into account the fact that the judges over-rewarded Tarasova/Morosov for subpar sp execution. T/M's fp of course was even more fraught with surprising errors. If the judges hadn't scored T/M so highly in the sp, then they wouldn't have needed to go higher for C-G/LD who were visibly stronger than T/M in both programs. I think we have become accustomed to T/M receiving gifts from the judges when they don't perform well. And U.S. teams have tended to be looked down on even when they skate well. I hope this is a harbinger of those preconceived perceptions/ situations taking a turn in a fair direction!
The judges should show respect and appreciation when it's due. They should also try not to overscore or underscore any skaters, which as we know happens all the time from comp to comp.
www.instagram.com
www.instagram.com
