U.S. Pairs 2020-21 season - News & Updates, Part XI

[Coco]

TSL was right again.

They were in the ballpark, not quite the same thing.

 

[her grace]

I will miss Kayne/O'Shea.

Loved their original "Take Me to Church" SP, and also enjoyed many of their warhorses. I'm especially fond of their 2014 "Don Quioxte" LP. What a rip-roaring international Championship debut! And when Kayne found out they finished second, she blurts out "by a lot!" Loved that feisty competitiveness.

Best wishes to both skaters.

 

[Frau Muller]

I will miss Kayne/O'Shea.

Loved their original "Take Me to Church" SP, and also enjoyed many of their warhorses. I'm especially fond of their 2014 "Don Quioxte" LP. What a rip-roaring international Championship debut! And when Kayne found out they finished second, she blurts out "by a lot!" Loved that feisty competitiveness.

Best wishes to both skaters.

Well, there went our CARMEN of the season!!! But seriously - K/O will be missed...I’ll personally miss his radiant smile.

 

[PairSkater12345]

Some speculation about this team split. Kayne To Nagy, If you think about it ,US figure skating likely has big plans for Danny. He's an amazing skater who really has talent and all the jumps. I think if you look at all the elements and skating skills he's arguably the best pairs man in the US. I know someone is going to say 'but the twist" Considering the total package he's the best. I'm sure there are very good options.

 

[Sylvia]

The new senior team featured in Amanda Evora's video clip is Valentina Plazas (new to pairs) and Maximiliano Fernandez, 25 (he last competed with Joy Weinberg - they were the 2016 U.S. Junior champs & placed 9th in Senior at 2017 Nationals: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00035038.htm ), who relocated from Florida to Canton, Michigan with Peterson/Evora.

Jim Peterson has shared clips of his new junior team of Valentina Plazas & Maximiliano Fernandez - 3 lifts here: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIlT1KUrnyS/
BO & FI edge death spirals: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIn2BL9LWQx/

 

[mjb52]

Hey u! How have u been??

Ugggg I can’t even imagine what the figure skating landscape is going to look like when all of this is over.

So Tarah to Balasz and Danny to Haven?

I wish I could swoop on in and team up with one of these gals, I got the brute and strength for the throws and the lifts. Although I’d already be Olympic champion with Yankowskas!!

Did you ever play hockey ANL? I think there's a movie about this!

 

[Frau Muller]

Vanessa James & Danny O’shea, anyone?

 

[skatingguy]

Vanessa James & Danny O’shea, anyone?

I think she's done, and getting a release from the French Skating Federation would not be a given.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

I think she's done, and getting a release from the French Skating Federation would not be a given.

I also think she’s done but I could see Pechalat release her if she asked. My money is on a jumper like Wessenberg or Serafini.

 

[Frau Muller]

I also think she’s done but I could see Pechalat release her if she asked. My money is on a jumper like Wessenberg or Serafini.

Oh, is Serafini looking? She & Tran are still a team, I believe.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

Oh, is Serafini looking? She & Tran are still a team, I believe.

No. She isn’t. But who knows how many partnerships are going to survive after US Nationals?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Did you ever play hockey ANL? I think there's a movie about this!

Lollll no..... BUT....

I am addicted to watching it. And there’s only one reason why… Do you understand?

 

[skylark]

Some speculation about this team split. Kayne To Nagy, If you think about it ,US figure skating likely has big plans for Danny. He's an amazing skater who really has talent and all the jumps. I think if you look at all the elements and skating skills he's arguably the best pairs man in the US. I know someone is going to say 'but the twist" Considering the total package he's the best. I'm sure there are very good options.

In an interview I heard a few years ago, Tarah took responsibility for their twist. She said that, because she likes to jump, she rotates the twist too early. She said she was working on it.

Since then, I've watched their twist carefully and the successful twists of others. I think Tarah was right. If the lady doesn't wait (and give the extra push to launch herself into the air), so that the twist comes at the top of the throw, then no amount of power and lift that the man gives her is going to help. Tarah's twist begins as she's still going up.

I believe her when she said she was working on it. It's possible she might do a twist quite a lot better in practice. That old muscle memory does take over when competition nerves set in ... as any skater who's tried to change an old technique knows.

 

[mjb52]

Lollll no..... BUT....

I am addicted to watching it. And there’s only one reason why… Do you understand?

Sure do!

 

[skylark]

If you think about it ,US figure skating likely has big plans for Danny.

I think you're right, and I think that's also probably why there was a 2-week delay between the rumors of the split and/or retirement, and the announcement of the split. Someone from USFS may have gotten in touch with Danny as soon as the rumor went out and begun the process of persuading him he has options.

I'm intrigued by the idea of Vanessa James, but it's rather hard for me to see her wanting to return to competition. But who knows. Another thought, which is almost more crazy, is that USFS still hasn't released Deanna Stellato to Canada! Could they have a crazy idea of pairing her with Danny? It seems unlikely, because she seems really happy with Maxime. It will be interesting to see what might be in the offing.

 

[skylark]

I also think she’s done but I could see Pechalat release her if she asked. My money is on a jumper like Wessenberg or Serafini.

I think Wessenberg is really the most obvious choice. She's a jumper, and she isn't committed to another partnership. Serafini is happy with Tran, and they're a couple off-ice, I've heard. Serafini also has a long way to go to looking comfortable in lifts.

 

[Sylvia]

Alexa & Brandon interview (under 2 mins.) via USFS: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CImGJysAt0s/
They were featured yesterday on USFS' Instagram stories answering questions for #FanFriday and their clips can still be watched now (including one showing much improved timing on sbs 3T): https://www.instagram.com/usfigureskating/

 

[Sylvia]

A new junior pair team that was added to USFS' International Selection Pool (too late to compete in the ISP Points Challenge) is Catherine (Cat) Rivers, 17, and Timothy (Timmy) Chapman, 20 - link to their new Team USA bio: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...nbsp-catherine-rivers-and-timothy-chapman/445
Rohene Ward is one of their choreographers (believe he did their SP) and he shared this practice clip of them yesterday that includes sbs 2A: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIq85NinqWO/

 

[miffy]

A new junior pair team that was added to USFS' International Selection Pool (too late to compete in the ISP Points Challenge) is Catherine (Cat) Rivers, 17, and Timothy (Timmy) Chapman, 20 - link to their new Team USA bio: https://usfigureskatingfanzone.com/...nbsp-catherine-rivers-and-timothy-chapman/445
Rohene Ward is one of their choreographers (believe he did their SP) and he shared this practice clip of them yesterday that includes sbs 2A: https://www.instagram.com/p/CIq85NinqWO/

Very nice to see an unusual entry into the jump. Hopefully we’ll see more of this new team

 

[Sylvia]

Calalang/Johnson and McBeath/Bartholomay are scheduled to perform today in Great Park Ice's holiday show - direct link to watch on FB will be posted (if all goes well) in the TV Alerts thread here:

Great Park Ice Holiday Show to be live streamed on Dec. 13, 2020

Info passed along to me today... there will be a FREE livestream today (Sunday, Dec. 13) starting at 5 pm Eastern time from Great Park Ice in Irvine, California of the rink's Holiday Show - link to watch will appear here: https://www.facebook.com/JohnHurd89/ Schedule in Pacific time of the...

www.fsuniverse.net

 

[supergirl573]

Vanessa James & Danny O’shea, anyone?

Didn’t she continue to skate shoes with Morgan after the first accusations? She’s now toxic and not the publicity that USFS needs right now.

 

[happycamper2554]

Didn’t she continue to skate shoes with Morgan after the first accusations? She’s now toxic and not the publicity that USFS needs right now.

All publicity is good publicity.

 

[olympic]

Calalang/Johnson and McBeath/Bartholomay are scheduled to perform today in Great Park Ice's holiday show - direct link to watch on FB will be posted (if all goes well) in the TV Alerts thread here:

Great Park Ice Holiday Show to be live streamed on Dec. 13, 2020

Info passed along to me today... there will be a FREE livestream today (Sunday, Dec. 13) starting at 5 pm Eastern time from Great Park Ice in Irvine, California of the rink's Holiday Show - link to watch will appear here: https://www.facebook.com/JohnHurd89/ Schedule in Pacific time of the...

www.fsuniverse.net

I never got to see C/J's SA performances. They were not televised and I don't find them anywhere online . Were they ever posted somewhere?

 

[Sylvia]

I never got to see C/J's SA performances. They were not televised and I don't find them anywhere online . Were they ever posted somewhere?

Peacock Premium if you subscribe (there's a free trial option).

ETA:

Hurd Video posted C/J's ISP Points Challenge #2 programs on their YT channel back in early October - just found the links today:
FS (scored 139.25 via virtual judging): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OwKeCe7EKU
SP (76.41; landed their sbs 3S): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40VGvbiTI1E

 

[Theatregirl1122]

All publicity is good publicity.

Weird, my ignore list keeps getting longer since people are dumb enough to think that "US figure skating supports sexual abuse apologist" is good publicity.

 

[happycamper2554]

Weird, my ignore list keeps getting longer since people are dumb enough to think that "US figure skating supports sexual abuse apologist" is good publicity.

This was a joke.

 

[olympic]

Peacock Premium if you subscribe (there's a free trial option).

ETA:

Hurd Video posted C/J's ISP Points Challenge #2 programs on their YT channel back in early October - just found the links today:
FS (scored 139.25 via virtual judging): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0OwKeCe7EKU
SP (76.41; landed their sbs 3S): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=40VGvbiTI1E

Thanks. Went to the Free trial of Peacock and told me SA 2020 wasn't available. Suppose I will try again later SIGH

 

[Sylvia]

Qualifying free skates can be watched by Peacock Premium subscribers for the following Senior Pairs (all 6 teams qualify for 2021 Nationals) - in skate order:

Sarah Burden/Matthew Rounis (new)
Emily Chan/Spencer Howe
Laiken Lockley/Keenan Prochnow
Evelyn Grace Hanns/Jim Garbutt (6th in Junior at the Pairs Final in Nov. 2019 but WD from 2020 Nationals)
Winter Deardorff/Mikhail Johnson
Brynne McIsaac/Mark Sadusky

Type "Sr. Pairs' Free Skate 1" in the search box.
Chan/Howe (7th at Skate America in their Team USA debut) and Deardorff/Johnson (2020 U.S. Junior bronze medalists/13th at Jr. Worlds) are the 2 senior pairs currently in the ISP.

ETA link to the competition thread started in Kiss & Cry post with spoiler scores/placements: 2021 USFS Championship Series (virtual qualifying competition for 2021 US Nationals)

 

[haribobo]

So based on this it seems that Timlen/Highgate-Brutman, Mokhova/Mokhov, Digerness/Meyh, and Fakhroutdinov/Neudecker are either split, retired, or taking the season off?

 

[Sylvia]

Maria Mokhova & Ivan Mokhov (11th in their senior debut at 2020 Nationals) were still training together as of late November: https://www.instagram.com/p/CH6Hl4hj88a/

Also still training together in Monument, CO are the new teams of Sasha Fakhroutdinov & Danny Neudecker (heard they both recently recovered from injury) and Nica Digerness & Ian Meyh (Nica was off the ice for 9 months and just returned last month).

I haven't seen anything online about Allison T. & Justin H-B since they went to Florida for choreography in early March (pre-p*ndemic).