2020-21 Canadian Pairs News & Updates

[Sedge]

She may have 4 citizenships.
She was born in Canada , competed for GRB and FRA and even USA ,domestically . Her family has strong ties to Bermuda

 

[dramagrrl]

Whoa. That would definitely be interesting if it pans out.

 

[Colonel Green]

She may have 4 citizenships.
She was born in Canada , competed for GRB and FRA and even USA ,domestically . Her family has strong ties to Bermuda

Three, I believe -- no US citizenship, but yes to the others.

British by jus sanguinis, Canadian by jus soli, French by naturalization.

 

[pat c]

Well shiver my timbers...........that would be very interesting. It's certainly got my attention.

 

[Xsktrx]

Well shiver my timers...........that would be very interesting. It's certainly got my attention.

Coached by?

 

[Colonel Green]

Coached by?

It'd have to be one of the Quebec coaching teams, I'd imagine.

 

[Xsktrx]

It'd have to be one of the Quebec coaching teams, I'd imagine.

Eric probably watched our current senior pairs and felt with the right partner he could be back on top again. It will be interesting to see if this motivates Kirsten and Mike to take their technical game off of cruise control or maybe that ship has sailed.

 

[honey]

There was a clip of Eric and Vanessa doing some stroking exercises together after Battle of the Blades.
They looked good, matching physically. This will be very interesting if it comes to fruition.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

Come on Meagan! Shock the world and outdo Eric. Pick up the phone and get Moscovitch or Bilodeau to come back!

 

[Alilou]

Come on Meagan! Shock the world and outdo Eric. Pick up the phone and get Moscovitch or Bilodeau to come back!

Moskovitch please. Bilodeau would say yes and then dump her 6 months later when it all got to be too much.

 

[skategal]

I want Lubov to come back.

 

[Desperado]

How serious could this be? He’s 36 now and from his latest IG post, seems to have all the medals he can handle.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CN0mFKQpib8/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

 

[manhn]

I would like to attribute this potential pairing to Skate Canada’s leadership and their more progressive language.

 

[Lemonade20]

An Eric & Vanessa pair-up?!?! YES!!

 

[Catherine M]

I def could get behind a James/Radford pairing.

Though I hope unlike Deanna Stellato's situation, Vanessa's release by the French Federation has already happened or is forthcoming, if indeed she's coming back to competitive skating.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

Nathalie Pechalat would release her former teammate. She can’t have more bad publicity after all the scandals that were released last year. In the past, I always wondered how a James-Massot team would have looked like.

 

[greenapple]

My guess is their coach will be Bruno Marcotte. James has likely already been released by France.

 

[manhn]

I didn’t realize that a skater would need the country’s release to skate for a country they are already a citizen of. I also didn’t know you needed their release even though they have not competed in two seasons.

 

[fan]

Is this a done deal?

 

[Orm Irian]

I def could get behind a James/Radford pairing.

Though I hope unlike Deanna Stellato's situation, Vanessa's release by the French Federation has already happened or is forthcoming, if indeed she's coming back to competitive skating.

Given that her retirement from competitive skating for France was formally announced over a year ago, would she actually need to be released?

 

[Colonel Green]

Is this a done deal?

It hasn't been formally announced and TSL couched it in "keep an eye on this", but given their track record one imagines it's happening - and also, very likely this is what this post earlier in the thread is referring to:

The good news is, things are percolating beneath that top layer and behind the scenes. Let's not assume that the landscape tomorrow will reflect what we see today. Excited to see what we put out on the grand prix this fall - something tells me we might have a battle at next year's nationals that I hope will elevate all teams to push that much harder.

 

[dramagrrl]

I have to say, though, I would be kind of crushed if Evelyn and Trennt end up being Canada #3 (behind MT/M and a potential James/Radford pairing) and miss the chance to compete at the Olympics. I know that's getting way ahead of things, but the thought just popped into my mind.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I didn’t realize that a skater would need the country’s release to skate for a country they are already a citizen of. I also didn’t know you needed their release even though they have not competed in two seasons.

Under Rule 109 (also Communication 2030), if they skated for another country internationally They need a release from the last Fed regardless of whether they have a passport for the new country or how long ago they represented that Fed. Whether the ISU Council wants to put some teeth into the request is up to them -- the language is deliberately vague about when they might step in ("unjustified denial of a permit by an ISU Member to a Skater who has not represented that ISU Member for a number of years, unjustified or unreasonable conditions of an ISU Member for issuing a permit,") -- and if they ever have, it was behind the scenes. Unless the ISU is willing to act, the last Fed can do what it wants for whatever reason or demand they want.

Germany proposed a change to put a fixed limit on the length of time a country could hold a skater without a release, but it was voted down, primarily by a large number of smaller Federations. That was after Gailhauguet held Massot for ransom after it was reported at the time that the ISU told France and Germany to figure it out themselves.

ETA: According to the Olympic Charter, if an athlete has competed in Federation championships within three years of the Olympics, the athlete needs the IOC to grant an exception to let them participate in the Olympics for another country, regardless of whether it's a new citizenship, or the athlete had it already. Since James competed for France at 2019 Worlds, she would need an exception, as the 2022 Olympics are less than three years after 2019 Worlds.

 

[Alilou]

I def could get behind a James/Radford pairing.

Though I hope unlike Deanna Stellato's situation, Vanessa's release by the French Federation has already happened or is forthcoming, if indeed she's coming back to competitive skating.

Given that Cipres is no longer skating, and that Vanessa is without a partner, and that the head of the French Fed is now Nathalie Pechalat and not Gailhaguet - maybe there's a chance. After all it's not as if there's anyone in France she could team up with. Nathalie may be more accommodating that Didier.

 

[greenapple]

Is this a done deal?

This "news" has been floating around for the past couple of weeks so no doubt someone - Skate Canada or the skaters themselves - will make an announcement shortly.

 

[aka_gerbil]

I have to say, though, I would be kind of crushed if Evelyn and Trennt end up being Canada #3 (behind MT/M and a potential James/Radford pairing) and miss the chance to compete at the Olympics. I know that's getting way ahead of things, but the thought just popped into my mind.

I fell in love with Evelyn and Trennt at nationals in 2018. I’d also be crushed if they missed the chance to go to the Olympics. They are the future of Canadian pairs.

 

[honey]

This "news" has been floating around for the past couple of weeks so no doubt someone - Skate Canada or the skaters themselves - will make an announcement shortly.

There’s also Duhamel’s Instagram comments which would lend credence to this whole idea of a Radford/James pairing. I thought it was strange a couple of days ago when she made it clear she would not be doing shows with Radford in the future, but said she was still looking to skate in shows herself. And then a quote posted today that said “There’s something wrong with your character if opportunity controls your loyalty”

 

[mackiecat]

Is there a strong clockwise pair girl out there? Nadeau skates clockwise, doesn't he?

Proft is fsirly strong-has sal, toe and loop

 

[litenkyckling]

My guess is their coach will be Bruno Marcotte. James has likely already been released by France.

I don't imagine Meagan would be too happy about that!

 

[Lemonade20]

Duhamel has a baby girl now, I can see her returning to skate for fun but not to compete again. If Radford wants to compete, she should be supportive of him rather than throw shade at him. Just my thoughts.