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

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
It looks like TJ Nyman's new Russian partner is Nadya Labazina, 15 (she shared photos from the Royal Gorge bridge & park in CO Springs yesterday): https://www.instagram.com/p/B683b7TJLSp/
He will turn 20 in April (ISU Junior age-eligible for one final season in 2020-21).

Labazina previously skated with Nikita Rakhmanin (they were 11th at Russian Nationals last year) but they did not compete internationally: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00105626.htm
She and Maxim Miroshkin had a competitive program choreographed by Misha Ge last summer (refer to this post: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ove-33-summer-2019.105726/page-6#post-5606514 ) but their partnership did not work out.
 

maureenfarone

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,819
The post about TJ Nyman reminded me I haven't seen anything posted about his former partner, Sarah Feng. I really enjoyed her skating but haven't seen anything about tryouts or possible new partner for her. Is she still skating?
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
Last I heard, Sarah Feng is focusing on school and hasn't ruled out returning to skating if the right opportunity arises. Wishing her all the best!

Last month the Skating Club of Boston posted a congratulatory news item re. Fleming/Isbell being selected to compete at the Youth Olympics:
Since beginning their pairs skating career at the Club in 2015, Cate and Jedidiah have been continuing to climb the ranks within the pairs discipline. They are three-time U.S. Championships medalists, five-time U.S. Championships competitors, and have qualified to compete in their sixth U.S. Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina, in January 2020. Cate and Jedidiah won bronze in their first international competition, the North American Series in Toronto, in August 2018. This summer they took 3rd place in the first-ever U.S. National Qualifying Series in the junior pairs event.
They are coached by Fred Palascak and Melanie Lambert at ScoB.
 

Doggygirl

Banned Member
Messages
11,107
Stellato/Deschamps are scheduled to compete at Canadians next week.

Awesome! I haven't looked at the rosters so didn't know! I'm so excited she is still able to skate at the national level - seems she really wanted to! :kickass:

ETA: For anyone else in the US who has been missing/wondering about Deanna, here they are performing their SP to New York State of Mind at 2020 Skate Canada Challenge: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QD59RjA0MvY (thank you @Colonel Green - just subscribed to your channel!)
 
Last edited:

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
^^ From the link Sylvia posted @Doggygirl, you can see there's been plenty of discussion about the Deanna/Max partnership in the Canadian pairs thread where the video links are posted. I add my thanks to Colonel Green for the Youtube vids! Dailymotion archived streaming of the entire SC Challenge event was also available at the time.

Deanna and Max landed in first place after the sp at the Challenge event. A bit of nerves got the better of them (especially Deanna apparently) in the fp, so they ended up in third overall behind Walsh/Michaud and Brasseur/Bardei, but neither of those teams were completely clean, so it was entirely possible for D&M to have persevered in first place. Still, overall, it was a very good showing for D&M which qualified them to compete at Canadian Nationals. I look forward to witnessing their progress.

Good luck to the new U.S. junior pairing of Nadya Labazina with TJ Nyman.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
FYI--
Canadian Nationals takes place from January 13 -17, 2020 (senior pairs sp Fri, Jan 17; senior pairs fp in 2 separate groups Sat, Jan 18)
https://skatecanada.ca/2020-canadian-tire-national-skating-championships/ click button for detailed schedule

U.S. Nationals takes place from January 21 - 26, 2020 (senior pairs sp Thurs, Jan 23 @4:30pm; senior pairs fp Sat, Jan 25 @6:00pm)

It appears that the first group of U.S. pairs partners will skate the fp at 6pm followed by ice dance FD, and then the 2nd group of pairs, or else the ice dancers will perform after the second group of pairs skaters. It's not clear on the NBC broadcast schedule.
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Icegirlash on Instagram:

Tarah Kayne on Instagram:

Alexa Knierim on Instagram:

Jessica Calalang on Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B47-elhnU8D/ celebrating Warsaw Cup victory
https://www.instagram.com/p/B4xrGTdHtbS/ A clip from the On Ice Perspectives shoot

Congrats to Haven & Brandon on their GP medal wins this season!

Good luck to all U.S. pairs teams!
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
Last month the Skating Club of Boston posted a congratulatory news item re. Fleming/Isbell being selected to compete at the Youth Olympics:

They are coached by Fred Palascak and Melanie Lambert at ScoB.
Unfortunately I can't read this Boston Globe article on Cate Fleming/Jedidiah Isbell but it's great they're getting the coverage!
ETA that I was able to read the article via my phone:
Excerpt:
However, Fleming’s trip was in jeopardy because of a concussion she suffered early in 2019, the third one she has had in her skating career.
“When Cate had her concussion, they both had to work [through] personal issues,” said Palascak. “For pairs skaters, the individual elements are often weaker, but it’s actually one of their strengths. They’ve spent six seasons together and really developed a strong bond.”
The injury forced Fleming to miss several competitions, including the Skate Detroit event in July that has become a premier showcase for the nation’s youngest figure skaters.
“My family, my coaches, and my partner were all really supportive through it,” Fleming said. “I worked with a great medical team and I was back working pretty quickly to how bad the concussion was.”
Fleming recovered in time to compete in the first US National Qualifying Series in the junior pairs last summer, and she and Isbell finished third to qualify for the Youth Olympics.
 
Last edited:

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
^^^ I started a news thread yesterday: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-opening-ceremony-rehearsal-accident.106677/

Regarding Junior Pairs Sectionals:
...
Of note, Derrick Griffin has a new partner in Arianna Varvoutis (Pines FSC).
There's some info about the new junior pair of Varvoutis/Griffin in the second half of this local Florida article from last month:
Excerpts:
Griffin, 23, of Sunrise, has skated for 20 years and has been skating pairs for about four years. In his first year skating pairs, he won a U.S. National title in the Novice Division with Erin Coleman, who has since retired because of injury.
Griffin battled through an injury of his own and said he was close to hanging up his skates if someone didn’t come along.
“If no one came along I was ready to just do shows,” Griffin said, who paired with Varvoutis about eight months ago. “I felt I still had life in my legs to go on a little bit.
Varvoutis, 16, who lives in Lighthouse Point and is a sophomore at Pine Crest School, said she was pleased with their performance at sectionals. She is a converted singles skater.
“We did really well because I am still relatively new to this,” Varvoutis said. “I think it got us mentally and physically prepared for Nationals. I am really excited about going to nationals. It is great to see how all of these people can make the sport look so amazing."
“We went in not expecting to win,” she said. “This year, I jumped to a really high level. It is about me learning the elements. The biggest difference between solo and pairs is the mentality of being thrown and caught. You have to get through the mental block.”
 
Last edited:

olympic

Well-Known Member
Messages
10,892
Who is the US pair that finished 6th at YOG? Their attempted elements aside from the 2 Twist were Sr. level. They look like they can land SBS jumps, too.
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
Who is the US pair that finished 6th at YOG?
@olympic, the Boston Globe had an article about Cate Fleming & Jedidiah ("Dia") Isbell that I linked in post #550 above.

Their 6th place finish overall today in Lausanne (4th in SP!) was really great for them considering this was their international debut for Team USA! They landed sbs 2A in both programs, plus sbs 3S and throw 3F & 3S cleanly in their FS, exceeding my expectations of them! :)

ETA clip from their SP (throw 3F hand & sbs 2A):
 
Last edited:

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
Who is the US pair that finished 6th at YOG? Their attempted elements aside from the 2 Twist were Sr. level. They look like they can land SBS jumps, too.

If you get NBC Sports Gold, you can see Fleming/Isbell compete at the 2020 U.S. Pairs Challenge Final in the junior event. That's where I saw them for the first time. They skated very well and finished 4th:

They are a nice looking young team and I wish them well in their ongoing development and future challenges.
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
Cate Fleming/Jedidiah Isbell finished their Youth Olympic Games experience yesterday with a flourish, winning a Mixed NOC Team Event SILVER medal with fellow teammates Kate Wang (USA), Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) and Tyutyunina/Shustitskiy (RUS).

2 withdrawals from Nationals to report:

SENIOR (originally 13 teams, now 12/3 groups of 4) with the WD of Emily Chan & Spencer Howe :(

JUNIOR (originally 12 teams now 10) with the WD of Evelyn Grace Hanns & Jim Garbutt and Grace Knoop & Blake Eisenach.
 

maureenfarone

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,819
Cate Fleming/Jedidiah Isbell finished their Youth Olympic Games experience yesterday with a flourish, winning a Mixed NOC Team Event SILVER medal with fellow teammates Kate Wang (USA), Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) and Tyutyunina/Shustitskiy (RUS).

2 withdrawals from Nationals to report:

SENIOR (originally 13 teams, now 12/3 groups of 4) with the WD of Emily Chan & Spencer Howe :(

JUNIOR (originally 12 teams now 10) with the WD of Evelyn Grace Hanns & Jim Garbutt and Grace Knoop & Blake Eisenach.
:cry:
 

Sylvia

TBD
Messages
79,983
Local Dallas news story on Cain-Gribble/LeDuc (aired last night):
 

PairSkater12345

Well-Known Member
Messages
345
Thanks for your reply. I'm trying to understand peoples thought process around music fit and chor for any pair team.
Why do you think sweet dreams was "Totally Unsuited" for their short?
 

HeatherC

Searching for Sanity
Messages
11,845
I think Les Miz will work just fine for them if they change the weeping part to more normal music. That's the distracting part for me. It will be interesting to see if they've changed that since Golden Spin. I'm excited to see their new SP! :cheer:
 

aftershocks

Banned Member
Messages
17,317
New SP for Kayne/O'Shea to Clair de Lune


It looks interesting, but it's a very short clip, so not easy to fully assess. The moves shown are of the currently popular innovative variety adopted from an ice dance aesthetic chiefly popularized by J/C's choreo in recent years, and by some of S/M's choreo (in both cases programs choreographed by former ice dancers).
 

Users who are viewing this thread

Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information