What really impresses me is how Chock & Bates have been able to climb themselves back up to being real contenders again, and could possibly retake the U.S #1. I would have never thought it possible, not even after their noticeable improvements last season. I figured the hierarchy of dance alone would not allow such a thing.
I think this was the general feel for decades, but signs over the past several years say that teams can now drop & climb. Particularly over the past 4 years.
The Shibs, Sinitsina & Katsalapov, and Weaver & Poje all lost spots at Nationals and then climbed above the teams that defeated them there. And all of the top teams have done so internationally as well. I am glad to see signs that this can happen under the new scoring system, as it is new and much more in the hands of the judges than the previous system.
If Chock & Bates do regain the U.S. National title, with Hubbell & Donohue present, I do think it would be quite an achievement. We've seen a lot of teams come back from losses recently; but you don't see too many national champions drop & stick around long enough to climb back up. Weaver & Poje technically did it, having won post-Sochi, losing to G&P in 2018 and regaining the title last year. Bestemianova & Bukin most likely would have technically done it if Klimova & Ponomarenko had attended the 86-87 Soviet Championships. In order to regain a title at Nationals, both teams have to show up for the rematch & so often we haven't seen that happen because teams have either avoided the head-to-head, moved up to the next level of competition, or achieved/not achieved their goals at the Olympics and moved on.
We are seeing the trend of dropping & climbing happen with younger and lower-ranked teams at U.S. Nationals as well. Hawayek & Baker did it. McNamara & Carpenter did it. Carreira & Ponomarenko have shown they could do it. I think it is a very healthy message within the sport that proximate teams can battle it out and trade results for years if they keep growing, challenging themselves, stick it out together, and develop as competitors.
Russia is primed for exactly the same scenario if the teams will stick it out together. Stepanova & Bukin and Sinitsina & Katsalapov fighting it out could be good examples for the many proximate developing teams now crowding the ranks.
I'm not rooting for Chock & Bates in particular this season. Neither for nor against. The trend with fans rooting for someone to overturn the U.S. champions every year still feels very "let's-undermine-this-team-so-maybe-my-favorites-will-have-a-better-shot" feel to me. But I would like to see a fair contest between competitive teams in which the stronger skate has a shot at winning. Ditto for Russian & Junior Russian Nationals and the battle for the bronze at Canadian Nationals.
This year I have been enjoying almost all of the programs and looking forward to seeing them again...both junior and senior. It is so exciting...No more calculating the time my favourites will skate and muting it to go about other stuff until them.
Yes, I am enjoying watching the programs develop this season. I still like all of the ones that I liked early on. And I'm enjoying watching the majority of the others either for signs of evolution, actual evolution, or being performed with more strength & confidence.
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