U.S. Pairs 2019-20 season - News & Updates, Part X

[pairskatingfan]

I'm not sure why USFS used a second GP spot for Calalang/ Johnson when they won't make the GPF. Would seem to make more sense to send out a team with no GPs in that case.

 

[aftershocks]

^^ C/J are a good, young team. Perhaps U.S. fed want to give them experience and a vote of confidence. Which other team would you give a GP instead? Ability or chances of making the GPF aren't exactly the criteria for GP assignments.

Ash posted this on her Instagram 5 hours ago! I like it! I like it! Rockin' cover photo.

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Swiping through, it's a cool set of photos altogether...

 

[olympic]

I'm not sure why USFS used a second GP spot for Calalang/ Johnson when they won't make the GPF. Would seem to make more sense to send out a team with no GPs in that case.

Probably in the eyes of the USFSA, it was a contest between C/J and L/M. There was a promising Junior pair in the mix, too but they split (can't recall their names). Since C/J won Skate Detroit and were 5th at Nationals last year, the decision made sense.

Secondly, I would say that C/J have great SS and overshadow any of the other teams that weren't selected / have 1 assignment. L/M are good but C/J still are better untapped talent. The USFSA probably wanted to give them more opportunities to show their promise.

 

[olympic]

Good job by S/T at Finlandia! Scored above 60 in the SP and were mostly clean (he had a small stumble out of the SBS jumps). Great synchro for such a new pair.

By the way, where was L/M?? Weren’t they slated to compete here?

 

[clairecloutier]

Good job by S/T at Finlandia! Scored above 60 in the SP and were mostly clean (he had a small stumble out of the SBS jumps). Great synchro for such a new pair.

By the way, where was L/M?? Weren’t they slated to compete here?

L/M withdrew.

 

[aftershocks]

Probably in the eyes of the USFSA, it was a contest between C/J and L/M. There was a promising Junior pair in the mix, too but they split (can't recall their names). Since C/J won Skate Detroit and were 5th at Nationals last year, the decision made sense.

Secondly, I would say that C/J have great SS and overshadow any of the other teams that weren't selected / have 1 assignment. L/M are good but C/J still are better untapped talent. The USFSA probably wanted to give them more opportunities to show their promise.

I agree with your observations @olympic. The team you must be referencing who recently split is Feng/Nyman (who trained under Sappenfield -- Nyman is rumored to be looking for a new partner). ITA that Calalang/ Johnson have top-notch SS, huge talent and a ton of potential if it's nurtured, invested in and wisely guided.

I hope C/J get help figuring out and conquering the hiccoughs on sbs jumps. It would be so cool if their potential is fully realized. Although C/J didn't have the best showing at U.S. International Classic, they looked great at Skate Detroit, placing first.

 

[aftershocks]

Good job by S/T at Finlandia! Scored above 60 in the SP and were mostly clean (he had a small stumble out of the SBS jumps). Great synchro for such a new pair.

Olivia SERAFINI / Mervin TRAN USA Short Program 2019 Finlandia Trophy

Olivia SERAFINI / Mervin TRAN USA Short Program 2019 Finlandia Trophy #FinlandiaTrophy #FigureSkating

www.youtube.com

Yes, it looks like S/T have been making good progress under their new coach and new training environment. That's nice to see! Merv had a slight hand down on his sbs jump but he completed it, and they were strong on everything else.

CS Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2019 - Pairs - Short Program

 

[olympic]

Just saw the Finlandia results: Not bad. S/T slipped to 5th w/ a score of 167. While they were not as sparkling in the LP as the SP, they had overall a good first outing. I commend them for standing up on the jumps, even if the 3F wasn't so clean. Good ambition!

It looks like they lose a lot of points on levels. I assume they are still learning as a team and she is taking it slow being new to pairs and all (?)

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Yes, I think this is overall a good showing for Olivia & Mervin. They did okay in the FS, even though not quite as sparkling. Mervin tumbled out of the first jumping pass. Had he not done so, they may have gotten better results. There was a very slight adjustment on landing of the 3-twist. The 3-jump pass was completed and they both stood up. I don't know if there were any URs. They may not have gotten good GOE because they looked tentative on the 3-jump pass, and were slightly out of sync. But they completed it even if cautiously.

Seemingly they need more confidence and sureness with each other on the jumping passes. I think Mervin may be worrying about Olivia, and trying to stay in unison. But Olivia is a good jumper, so maybe it's a matter of getting the timing and rhythm down, and relaxing. Olivia is doing well with the pair elements which are new for her. So of course, she has to build difficulty as she becomes more comfortable with the basics. They have nice qualities and a good rapport with each other. So all-in-all, this event was a good experience for them.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MqlIs1mWCg0

CS Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2019 - Pairs - Free Skating

Final Results

CS Finlandia Trophy Espoo 2019 - Pairs

It looks like 4th place Ziegler/Kiefer of Austria had a tough outing in the sp, but came back better in the fp which helped move them up over S/T. Plus, Z/K are a team with more experience than S/T as a pair. When Z/K skate well, they are usually scored somewhere in the low to mid-60s, so this wasn't their best outing. Meanwhile, Olivia & Mervin did very well for themselves in this field, all things considered

 

[Sylvia]

2 minute Pre-Skate America video on Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3X6SJwgk58/
They have been assigned to their second ISU Challenger, Warsaw Cup in mid-November, along with Nica Digerness/Danny Neudecker (their first international this season).

Audrey Lu/Misha Mitrofanov's 3-minute "portrait" video filmed by USFS in Dallas: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3dOZobA-if/

 

[aftershocks]

2 minute Pre-Skate America video on Jessica Calalang/Brian Johnson: https://www.instagram.com/p/B3X6SJwgk58/

Thanks for sharing. That was funny and casual. It's always cool getting to know more about the personalities and off-ice interactions between pairs partners. This is really the first time I've ever heard Jessica's speaking voice. She has a deep tone to her voice.

It seems that Jessica is more fashionable, more organized, and a better cook, while they both have good taste in music, depending upon the decade. Neither have attempted celebrity vocal impersonations, but Brian often gets told he kinda resembles Nick Jonas, or some other dark and handsome celebs. Although Jessica disagrees, I do think Brian has a bit of a facial resemblance to Jonas. But maybe Brian can't carry a tune.

Good luck to Jessica & Brian at Skate America this weekend!

ETA:
Audrey Lu is also more organized than her partner, Misha Mitrofanov! It always amazes me how young athletes manage to do academic work combined with heavy training, travel and competition schedules. I guess it's helpful in one's youth to be free of all the extra baggage in one's thinking that often comes with age and experience. Plus, as teenagers they don't necessarily have to be burdened with worrying about living expenses and food preparation when parents are taking care of those necessities.

 

[olympic]

Again. Hat tip to the USFSA for using all these Senior Bs for our pairs. Excited to see D/N get Warsaw. I also expect C/J are working to get more mileage on their partnership and the programs regardless of what happens at SA or SC.

ETA - Are there any other US pairs w/o an assignment that could get one?? Pfund / Santillan?

 

[pairskatingfan]

Again. Hat tip to the USFSA for using all these Senior Bs for our pairs. Excited to see D/N get Warsaw. I also expect C/J are working to get more mileage on their partnership and the programs regardless of what happens at SA or SC.

ETA - Are there any other US pairs w/o an assignment that could get one?? Pfund / Santillan?

They are not currently in the ISP so they cannot get one. Perhaps Timlen/ Highgate-Brutman could?

 

[Sylvia]

Perhaps Timlen/ Highgate-Brutman could?

They didn't skate their FS at the Eastern Sectional Pairs Challenge earlier this month so not sure what their current status is.

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc - Pre-Skate America IGTV video (almost 6 min. feature filmed by USFS in Dallas last month): https://www.instagram.com/p/B3nkiGPAdDs/

 

[aftershocks]

... Pfund / Santillan?

They are not currently in the ISP so they cannot get one.

Here's Josh and Jessica's most recent blog on their official website, discussing their injury travails and their commitment to continuing to compete. The blog post was already linked earlier in this thread:

Joshica’s Blog – Banter, fun, and updates on us!

So I guess they didn't make their season debut at Southwest Florida Fall Classic? Maybe they are still rehabbing from their injuries? I wish them luck and I hope they are still able to make it to Nationals in January. ❤

 

[aftershocks]

Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc - Pre-Skate America IGTV video (almost 6 min. feature filmed by USFS in Dallas last month): https://www.instagram.com/p/B3nkiGPAdDs/

Thanks for sharing. That's a cool clip of Ash, Timothy and Mylo! I raise my hands for Mylo going to Vegas and SA too!!!

ETA:
I love that it was raining cats and dogs behind them when they filmed this. Were they standing inside a garage with the door raised behind them? Did they plan the rain on purpose to match the theme of their sp, or was it just a coincidence or 'kismet' as the interviewer Haley Maxwell suggests? I love that Ash pointed to Mylo when asked who has the highest spirits during tough times.

Maybe they spoke about the meaning of their sp previously. But this is the first time I realized that Ash's sp costume signifies a bird in a storm (with Timothy being the storm), as he explained during the interview. That's pretty cool. The red on Ash's outfit looks like flames, but I can see it being a bird's wings, now that they mention it. I hope they are in fact keeping their 'stormy gray' sp outfits. It makes sense now too why Timothy's outfit does not have any red in it.

 

[pairskatingfan]

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Speaking of P/S, can anyone ID this music?

 

[aftershocks]

Forgive me, but I gotta say it: Can someone grab Tara L and put a muzzle on her? Bejaysus! She over-anticipates and jabbers away in the booth (particularly during Ash & Timothy's sp). Why can't she and Johnny, but especially she, learn from Ted Barton's example and wait until after the performances to make remarks during replays!? Jabbering takes away from enjoying performances.

Kudos to U.S. teams for hanging in there. Talent is written all over our teams in spades. Settle in and rock steady. Believe! Sending lots of love to Josh and Jessica too as they continue to train for a return to competition. Perseverance and desire equals profiles in courage! ❤

 

[mtnskater]

The American commentators and hardly any others I’ve ever heard from other countries do not do what Ted Barton does. To expect that of network commentators is really unrealistic....sorry. Personally I like some commentary If they are identifying elements and educating the audience during the performance.

 

[aftershocks]

Sure, but most of these blabber-mouth commentators are NOT educating the viewing audience, whether diehard fans or general public, with comments that over-anticipate what the skaters are going to do or have done in the past right as they are going into their elements. Tara acts equal parts nervous herself and/or fangirling, and/or rushing to fill every bit of air space. That's NOT necessary. No one needs to hear in the early stages of a sp that a team would be the first this or that if they won the event! Good grief. Take a breath and watch the performances. Tara could be a much better commentator if she wouldn't try so hard.

Too often Tara smothers a fairly interesting insight Johnny might try to get in edgewise. But he allows it of her, and so do the producers. I'm not suggesting they would ever be as quiet as Ted Barton, but they could take a breath every now and then, particularly right before important moments in programs. Let the performances evolve, and be judicious with insights. It often ends up feeling like Tara is jinxing skaters with overly anticipatory commentary. Johnny sometimes has a few thoughtful and informative things to say that usually get drowned out by Tara's jittery largesse. Not everything Tara said was horrible or inappropriate, but much of it was ill-timed and unhelpful IMO.

Mike Weiss & Charlie White (as I recall) did a fairly decent and entertaining job of calling events for NBC Gold broadcasts during 2019 U.S. Nationals.

 

[Bob Mc]

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Speaking of P/S, can anyone ID this music?

Short Program is Creep by Brian Justin Crum;
Freeskate is to the movie soundtrack from Interstellar

 

[haribobo]

Update on the min scores for Nationals in senior- pairs is 68 TES total.

Both teams from Midwestern Sectional (the only pairs sectional with a completed competition for senior pairs) made the minimum score for Nationals.

Digerness/Neudecker got a TES of 48.60 in their FS and 28.18 in their SP for a total of 76.78.
Chan/Howe got a TES of 37.36 in their FS and 30.76 in their SP for a total of 68.12. Phew!

 

[PairSkater12345]

I'm not sure why USFS used a second GP spot for Calalang/ Johnson when they won't make the GPF. Would seem to make more sense to send out a team with no GPs in that case.

Skate America C/J 4th CG/L 5th.

 

[olympic]

Here's Josh and Jessica's most recent blog on their official website, discussing their injury travails and their commitment to continuing to compete. The blog post was already linked earlier in this thread:

Joshica’s Blog – Banter, fun, and updates on us!

So I guess they didn't make their season debut at Southwest Florida Fall Classic? Maybe they are still rehabbing from their injuries? I wish them luck and I hope they are still able to make it to Nationals in January. ❤

Is there a chance for P/S to be at Nationals?? Don't they now need a TES minimum?? They haven't competed in a long time and is there an opportunity for them to compete somewhere (if they are even ready) ?

ETA - Watched the Spanish broadcasts of D/F and C/J on Youtube. I love the softer voices

C/J - They really are talented. The Spanish broadcasters were saying 'Que Pena' after their programs, so they are recognized as a talented pair abroad that needs to do better.

They showed Knierimitis - She down on the SBS jumps in the SP, and he down on the jumps in the LP . Though, glad to see they did have a set of clean SBS triples in the LP. Because they are a new pair, I hope it is something to work out w/ time. When they are clean, they get over +1 on GOE on the elements. That is pretty promising for a new pairs and they did snag 4th w/ a score over 180. So, they did accomplish something here. I hope they get better at SC.

And I can watch Mr. Johnson skate in costume all day

D/F - Just great. Clean jumps in the LP!

The 2A-1L-2S is a great idea for US pairs, BTW: You work a 3 jump combo into the program and it's something that US pairs might be able to handle. The USFSA should set it as a mandate for all those pairs struggling w/ triple jumps for a certain no. of years. (Knierims)

 

[Bob Mc]

Is there a chance for P/S to be at Nationals?? Don't they now need a TES minimum?? They haven't competed in a long time and is there an opportunity for them to compete somewhere (if they are even ready) ?

ETA - Watched the Spanish broadcasts of D/F and C/J on Youtube. I love the softer voices

C/J - They really are talented. The Spanish broadcasters were saying 'Que Pena' after their programs, so they are recognized as a talented pair abroad that needs to do better.

They showed Knierimitis - She down on the SBS jumps in the SP, and he down on the jumps in the LP . Though, glad to see they did have a set of clean SBS triples in the LP. Because they are a new pair, I hope it is something to work out w/ time. When they are clean, they get over +1 on GOE on the elements. That is pretty promising for a new pairs and they did snag 4th w/ a score over 180. So, they did accomplish something here. I hope they get better at SC.

And I can watch Mr. Johnson skate in costume all day

D/F - Just great. Clean jumps in the LP!

The 2A-1L-2S is a great idea for US pairs, BTW: You work a 3 jump combo into the program and it's something that US pairs might be able to handle. The USFSA should set it as a mandate for all those pairs struggling w/ triple jumps for a certain no. of years. (Knierims)

Pfund/Santillan are planning to compete at the US Pairs competition in Texas on Nov 14-16

 

[Dobre]

The American commentators and hardly any others I’ve ever heard from other countries do not do what Ted Barton does.

Actually Ben Agosto was purposely not talking during the performances of top teams in various events not too long ago. (During the Olympic year, maybe?) It was quite nice. Ben does a very nice job giving informed commentary about how athletes earn the levels, which is what I appreciate the most about his commentary. But you can do that during the replays. It doesn't have to be done during the performance. I don't mind when commentators speak up to acknowledge significant technical achievements or mistakes during a skate. It's when the TV gurus seem compelled to talk about personal anecdotes during the footwork sequences and/or non-jump sections that I find it really annoying. (Especially when they throw in tabloid-style negativity). There is no reason they have to interrupt the storytelling of the program in order to do that. They seem to think the audience will become bored just because no one is jumping, but it can really interrupt the spell that a program casts.

 

[Dobre]

Also, I think Ecaterina Bobrova had the same "don't-talk-during-the-performance" philosophy when I heard her doing commentary last year. (It was quite nice, especially as I definitely don't get anything out of commentary in Russian).

 

[aftershocks]

Boy, taking a deep breath (the season is just beginning). I hope Ashley & Timothy can regroup. Before their fp, I wasn't thinking about them winning, just skating solidly like they can. Hopefully, this will be a learning experience for them dealing with mental pressure going forward, i.e, knowing it's possible to win and dealing with the pressure of skating in your home country with a chance to win, and being mentally prepared to deal with any unexpected setbacks on the fly. There definitely was an outside chance for A&T to win even after the fluke fall in the sp. It was important to stay within themselves and do what they could do, but perhaps it was a new kind of pressure they were feeling?

Denney/ Frazier have a very powerful fp, and it was so great to see them doing well on their sbs jumps. Great for them! A lot of teams internationally are going to be drawing from the great playbook of the way D/F's fp has been put together with those dramatic lifts building at the end with the music (which Brandon credits as John Z's brainchild). I love Calalang/Johnson's lightness, and speed over the ice. They are so good together. Already, they are being viewed internationally as a promising team. Peng/Jin has apparently copied Jessica's sp death spiral move (unless they have the same choreographer). Jessica looked so calm and she managed to do better on landing the jumps, but apparently Brian was worrying about her too much and missed his jumps! Is there some kind of sbs jump pill teams can take to just do it, and not worry about their partner? I guess it's hard to just think about your own jump when there's the concern of being in sync.

All three of A&T, C/J and D/F are quality pairs competitors with great potential, and now is the time to steadily build. The key is going to be confidence and consistency. Learning from every outing; regrouping from unexpected setbacks; and once opportunities fall into place, learning how to cope under pressure. Not worrying about winning when the opportunity is there, but remaining confident and doing what you know you can do is probably the hardest thing to master. A&T had improved so much and they were so strong at International Classic, so how can they bounce back from this huge disappointment and the lost opportunity? Perhaps the best takeaway for A&T is applying what they've learned and coming out solid at IDF, where they can still do well. Since GPF is now out of the question, they need to reset goals and keep moving forward.

With this turn of events, it's now going to be neck-and-neck for Ash/Tim, the Knierims, and Denney/Frazier making noise the rest of the way on the GP and battling it out at U.S. Nats for the two Worlds spots. I still think Ash/Tim will come back strong, as they made so many improvements over the off-season. D/F have an outside chance to win another GP medal at IDF. Ash/Timothy will be at IDF too, also with a chance to medal, and maybe even win if they can regroup and re-stoke their confidence. While Tarah/Danny are very competitive, I think the other three top U.S. teams have more weapons and better SS.

Calalang/Johnson are simply delightful and a pure joy to watch. The commentating was better in pairs for the fp and Tara was less hyper. They had some insightful things to say about Jessica & Brian. I hope C/J can continue to gain confidence and improve their jump landing consistency. Hey, is there a sbs jump whisperer out there, somewhere?

 

[aftershocks]

Skate America C/J 4th CG/L 5th.

Results are results, but do not tell the whole story. Anything can turn on a dime throughout this season, which is a building season for skaters trying to break through and position themselves in this transitional quad. C/J are a team on the rise, but they are not expected to medal on the GP this season. Ash/Timothy obviously had a chance to win SA had they skated solidly. The sp fall was a fluke, and the problems in the fp for A&T were very uncharacteristic. The key will be how A&T rebound and rebuild momentum. They have previously done well rebounding from setbacks.

C/J will be skating again next week at Skate Canada in a very packed field. If they perform well, they will be fortunate to make 6th place in an 8-team field. Anything higher for them would be gravy... Hopefully, the Knierims will make the podium in Canada, but they have to skate well against the two top Canadian teams and two technically proficient Russian teams. I think with their great programs and confidence, Alexa & Chris could take silver or bronze. If K/M-T/M perform their best, they are sure to win in their home country (unless T/M have found their missing mojo).

Figure skating is a tough, unforgiving sport, and especially pairs skating, which is so athletic and based so much on timing and rhythm in performing amazing pairs moves.

I'm rooting for all U.S. pairs teams. They are so fun to watch! Tweak the downsides and keep on rising!

 

[aftershocks]

I admire Ashley & Timothy for their positive attitudes, which should hold them in good stead. At the end of the day, figure skating is a competition and there are bumps along the way. Just as in life, it matters how you respond to what happens to you, good or bad:

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Yay Team USA! Thanks for your diligent efforts Haven/Brandon, Jessica/Brian, Ash/Timothy! There are lots of great lessons to be learned for these three teams at SA. Plus, all three teams have such well put together programs and costumes too! As do other U.S. teams this season. There's a lot to be proud of and to continue building upon for the U.S. pairs discipline.