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

[skylark]

Here's the throw triple loop by Alexa & Brandon:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBFNPKkHvE1/

Is Alexa intentionally growing her darker hair out, or is it just a factor of hair-salon lockdown? LOL. #totallyshallowcomment#

On another note, I love her smile when she landed the loop. I also love Brandon's honesty in the interview of them I read. Alexa's usual response is to go with the positive and paint an optimistic picture. When they were asked if matching any of their technique methods had been a challenge, Brandon nodded and said, "all of them" ... even simple things like handholds have to change.

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Could you provide a link to the interview you are quoting from? Thanks.

 

[PairSkater12345]

Here's the throw triple loop by Alexa & Brandon:

https://www.instagram.com/p/CBFNPKkHvE1/

It's a really good throw. Alexa's landing was quite good. She made a very slight adjustment lean to maintain balance and footing, but it was solidly landed on one foot. As a team, they will surely just continue training and working out, and getting used to each other's timing and rhythm. They seem to have a good connection already, which is probably helped by the fact that they know each other and have been very friendly through the years, what with sharing a lot in common. And of course, Chris and Brandon have been good friends for awhile too having trained together in Colorado early in their careers.

The discussion about what's going to happen moving forward for any of the athletes, is all up-in-the-air for everyone. It's rather useless to speculate. Alexa & Brandon, and all of the skaters are setting their goals and ensuring they are prepared for whatever comes. Seriously, who would have known last season that this new partnership would suddenly become a reality? Let's sit back and enjoy our passions and appreciate the good moments with gratitude and a spirit of lightheartedness during this difficult time globally.

Really good throw? I was expecting a very strong landing when you said that. She is pitched forward?

 

[Lacey]

Really good throw? I was expecting a very strong landing when you said that. She is pitched forward?

Hey, it's June 8th in the middle of the first week or so after a so far 3 month pandemic which is ongoing...????????????

SHE, NO THEY, did a REALLY GREAT JOB on this throw and she kept the landing, could you film yourself doing same?

 

[MacMadame]

could you film yourself doing same?

You don't have to be able to do a move to have a valid opinion on its quality.

Personally I thought the throw was decent but not spectacular or even "very good".

 

[yeslek]

Really good throw? I was expecting a very strong landing when you said that. She is pitched forward?

Well you’re extremely rude.

 

[skylark]

^^ Could you provide a link to the interview you are quoting from? Thanks.

I thought the link was in a post provided by someone here, in this thread. I'll look for it.


ETA: I found it! I feel like this interview allowed me to get to know Brandon much better than I had before, am seeing him in a new way. He's got his own responses and ideas and an interesting way of expressing them. Of course, Alexa rocks too. The part about adjusting technique is around the 10 minute mark. The whole thing is well worth watching.

Brandon Frazier and Alexa Knierim gave a Zoom interview to All Year FSC (which is Brandon's club):

https://youtu.be/u0KLjXgWQOI (May 21, 25:09)

The interviewers are Courtney Phillips, Molly (Rendel?), and Doug Williams.

 

[aftershocks]

I see that Jenni & Todd have posted clips from the pairs training workout mentioned earlier in this thread with
Chris Knierim assisting new pairs girl, Megan Wessenberg. Good luck to Megan in finding a good partner! She appears to be catching on very quickly! She certainly has that necessary pairs girl fearlessness.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[aftershocks]

Personally I thought the throw was decent but not spectacular or even "very good".

Well, they're just back on the ice as new pairs partners, learning each other's timing and rhythm. It's cool of them and their coaches to share these training clips with us in the first place. I doubt they are sharing in order to be harshly judged with a microscope, but just to include fans in their progress, which I truly appreciate. Kindness is a virtue.

I'm not a pairs coach or a skating judge, but to my eyes that throw landing, slight adjustment and all, seems better than just 'decent,' especially at this stage of their new partnership.

 

[skylark]

I see that Jenni & Todd have posted clips from the pairs training workout mentioned earlier in this thread with
Chris Knierim assisting new pairs girl, Megan Wessenberg. Good luck to Megan in finding a good partner! She appears to be catching on very quickly! She certainly has that necessary pairs girl fearlessness.

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Megan's form looks great to me. I remember thinking she showed a lot of personality in her single skating, so that bodes well, especially if she finds the right partner.

This clip makes me happy for another reason; it must feel really good, and satisfying, for Chris to be able to use his awesome pairs elements skills to help others learn right now. Affirming after a tough time.

 

[skylark]

Well, they're just back on the ice as new pairs partners, learning each other's timing and rhythm. It's cool of them and their coaches to share these training clips with us in the first place. I doubt they are sharing in order to be harshly judged with a microscope, but just to include fans in their progress, which I truly appreciate. Kindness is a virtue.

I agree. First I watched Alexa's landing, then for a couple of views, I focused on Brandon after he'd thrown her. Not to judge him with a microscope (haha) but because I'm interested and I do like the details, I noticed that he came to a stop and kind of did a turning step out. That isn't typical for him ... Brandon always kept his speed up and presented Haven beautifully as she completed the landing. So I figure he's working through and making adjustments there.

I love to see this sort of "in progress" stuff, which shows not just the magical finished product, but also some of the steps and stages that go into it. I really appreciate that they're willing to share it.

It reminds me of a remark about a lift that Meryl and Charlie did in their Olympic FS. At US championships, Terry G. said they'd been working on that lift for five years to get it to that point, something which Tanith confirmed somewhere or other. Even Tanith was awed by it.

 

[Sylvia]

I didn't see this link posted here... Nate Bartholomay officially announced his new partnership with Katie McBeath on his Instagram back on May 28 (includes a soundless clip of their SP choreography from March): https://www.instagram.com/p/CAwHmJ7Bgkr/

Today Katie re-posted a clip of herself landing a triple toe at the Patriot Ice Center (Newark, DE) so I assume that's where she and Nate (his hometown is in nearby PA) are currently based: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBQ3_G_JIhn/

Team Sand & Meno's IG post from last month indicated Nate & Katie have not moved to Cali yet: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAinaQLDvWM/

 

[Sylvia]

Alexandra "Sasha" Fakhroutdinov (will turn 23 in Sept.) and Danny Neudecker (turned 24 in March) have officially paired up: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRof6mp4FA/

Fakhroutdinov placed 3rd in the Senior Ladies event at North Atlantic Regionals in October 2019, qualifying for the Eastern Sectional Singles Final where she finished 18th of 19. She previously competed at 2019 U.S. Nationals in the Novice Pairs event with Christopher Aaron Singletary (they were coached by Oleg Makharov & Larisa Selezneva in NY) and placed 9th in Detroit.

 

[skatingguy]

I didn't see this link posted here... Nate Bartholomay officially announced his new partnership with Katie McBeath on his Instagram back on May 28 (includes a soundless clip of their SP choreography from March): https://www.instagram.com/p/CAwHmJ7Bgkr/

This is what happens when you're not around.

 

[PairSkater12345]

Hey, it's June 8th in the middle of the first week or so after a so far 3 month ********* which is ongoing...????????????

SHE, NO THEY, did a REALLY GREAT JOB on this throw and she kept the landing, could you film yourself doing same?

Maybe.....lol Well you never know......lol

 

[PairSkater12345]

Well you’re extremely rude.

Extremely Rude? Who are you to Judge (no pun intended). I have a different opinion of what is a good throw. If you think standing up is a good throw, it was good. How was the GOE on that one? Maybe all the judges are rude too.....lol

 

[thvu]

@PairSkater12345 , you do realize, you’re being defensive about someone’s opinion of you by defending having an opinion...

 

[Sylvia]

Here's a clip of Nadya Labazina/T.J. Nyman's triple twist that he shared on his IG late last month: https://www.instagram.com/p/CAyuRgrgclS/

Re-posting from the Russian news #36 thread:

Also, new policy on switching countries was adopted:
skaters who represented Russian on international circuit will have to wait for two years to get a release, those who participated at Nationals - for a year.

Labazina last competed at Russian Nationals in December 2018, placing 11th in Senior with Nikita Rakhmanin, and they never competed internationally together, according to their ISU bio: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00105626.htm

Benoit Richaud did choreography via video for Labazina/Nyman (music not yet known) as well as for Kate Finster/Balazs Nagy (SP music is "Lost Without You" by Freya Ridings), according to recent Instagram stories I saw.

Choreographer Randi Strong recently worked in person with Kayne/O'Shea on their FS to Carmen: https://www.instagram.com/p/CA_HDwcJugP/

 

[nylynnr]

Extremely Rude? Who are you to Judge (no pun intended). I have a different opinion of what is a good throw. If you think standing up is a good throw, it was good. How was the GOE on that one? Maybe all the judges are rude too.....lol

Come on, it was a commendable ***** throw. Jenni and Todd are only getting two 50-minute sessions a day in Aliso Viejo. Judges (U.S. ones, anyway) will understand.

 

[Bellanca]

Is Alexa intentionally growing her darker hair out, or is it just a factor of hair-salon lockdown? LOL. #totallyshallowcomment#

I don’t know about the hair, could be stylist-deprived. #totallyshallowanswer# but I do appreciate the throw triple loop!

ETA: people, remember, new team, working out the kinks.

 

[PairSkater12345]

@PairSkater12345 , you do realize, you’re being defensive about someone’s opinion of you by defending having an opinion...

Well dragon, I recognize when someone judges someone as rude because they have an opinion......lol

 

[PairSkater12345]

@PairSkater12345 , you do realize, you’re being defensive about someone’s opinion of you by defending having an opinion...

You call someone Rude, When the person calls you on it the persons defensive. Do you REALIZE you judge people, no mirrors in the house.....lol

 

[thvu]

@PairSkater12345 I’m definitely one of FSU’s resident judgemental b*tches. Calling out garbage nonsensical posts is my speciality. I’m not Usova’s Apprentice for nothing!

 

[yeslek]

You call someone Rude, When the person calls you on it the persons defensive. Do you REALIZE you judge people, no mirrors in the house.....lol

I haven’t seen anyone being defensive besides you.

 

[ZilphaK]

Alexandra "Sasha" Fakhroutdinov (will turn 23 in Sept.) and Danny Neudecker (turned 24 in March) have officially paired up: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRof6mp4FA/

Fakhroutdinov placed 3rd in the Senior Ladies event at North Atlantic Regionals in October 2019, qualifying for the Eastern Sectional Singles Final where she finished 18th of 19. She previously competed at 2019 U.S. Nationals in the Novice Pairs event with Christopher Aaron Singletary (they were coached by Oleg Makharov & Larisa Selezneva in NY) and placed 9th in Detroit.

I remember seeing her skate singles at Challenge Cup at Phila Skate Club Humane Society, I believe. She definitely had presence and her own definable style on the ice, that "something " that made her stand out at the time.

 

[aftershocks]

Alexandra "Sasha" Fakhroutdinov (will turn 23 in Sept.) and Danny Neudecker (turned 24 in March) have officially paired up: https://www.instagram.com/p/CBRof6mp4FA/

In this photo, Sasha doesn't look as tall as I thought she was next to Danny. From their skating clips and this photo, they seem to be a very good match. I hope the same is true for Nica and Ian.

 

[casken]

I haven’t seen anyone being defensive besides you.

The person who resorted to posting in caps, freaking out that that someone politely disagreed with them over the the quality of a throw jump, wasn't defensive?

Maybe there needs to be separate thread for people to realistically discuss US pairs, and leave this one for people who can't?

 

[Sylvia]

Ben Jalovick is newly listed on IPS. He is 26 and has competed in the Senior Men's event at 4 of the last 5 Nationals (2016, 2018-20).

ETA:

Cassie Andrews, 26, also has an IPS profile that was last updated in February.

 

[aftershocks]

Ben Jalovick is newly listed on IPS. He is 26 and has competed in the Senior Men's event at 4 of the last 5 Nationals (2016, 2018-20).

ETA:

Cassie Andrews, 26, also has an IPS profile that was last updated in February.

Thanks Sylvia. This means they are searching for pairs partners? Good luck to them.

Didn't Cassie perform at U.S. Pairs Challenge event this past season with a partner? As I recall, they had to withdraw from the fp. It looked as if Cassie's partner wasn't as skilled in pairs skating. She skated with Timothy LeDuc in juniors and for a year or so in seniors I believe, before Timothy hooked up with Dee Dee Leng. Apparently, Dee Dee is now working as a coach. She briefly paired with Simon Shnapir before they both retired with injuries.

 

[Sylvia]

This means they are searching for pairs partners?

Yes, that's why I posted.

Not all skaters who are looking for pairs (and ice dance) partners elect to use icepartnersearch.com, however; some rely on word-of-mouth via coaches, etc.