U.S. Pairs 2021-22 season - News & Updates, Part X

[MacMadame]

It seems weird that they didn't wait until after Jr. Worlds to split but I guess Jr Worlds being pushed back factored into the decision.

 

[Karen-W]

It seems weird that they didn't wait until after Jr. Worlds to split but I guess Jr Worlds being pushed back factored into the decision.

Lu/Mitrofanov? They're too old for Jr Worlds and just won 4CCs.

 

[skatfan]

I honestly think it’s very inappropriate of us to just assume that skaters can put off college forever so that we can watch them skate. If they’re ready to move on and go to college good for them.


Yes you can wait and go to college when you’re older, but that’s a totally different experience. I have 2 degrees. One I got when I was 21 and one I got when I was older. It was not the same experience and I’m certainly glad I didn’t miss the first experience.

Lu got into UCLA and I’m truly glad for her! Hope she does really well there and is happy for all the accomplishments she has had in skating.

 

[Sylvia]

Yes its pretty sad that we only have 1 team going to jr worlds now and nobody super strong waiting in the wings there.

It's too early to call them "super strong" but, IMO, Baram/Tioumentsev are quite promising based on their performances throughout this season. They will be ISU Junior age-eligible in 2022-23.

I saw a recent Instagram story clip of Junior champs Sonia Baram/Daniel Tioumentsev starting to learn a triple throw jump (forgot which one but they deliberately did double throws this past season, their first together).

 

[~tapdancer~]

One thing I have decided I've learned about FSU. If a rumor is posted, it's true. Eventually.

 

[haribobo]

oh yea I forgot to take B/T into account, who are great

 

[Jarrett]

Re-posting here from the Spring/Summer shows thread (^^^ @skatingguy was faster):

Yes, apparently so. Hazel Collier (national level junior singles skater new to pairs) and Misha Mitrofanov are listed as skating together in the EWC show, April 9-10: https://www.aneveningwithchampions.org/cast.html

ETA: Hopefully Audrey will let us know her plans herself when the time is right.

Audrey is listed on the ladies as a singles performer as well. She just posted on the Instagram yesterday that she was excited. Maybe she is going back to singles, who knows??

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

I wonder if her struggles to land sbs 3's was a factor in her leaving pairs. Thus, it would surprise me if Lu went to singles - ie. a high-achieving individual doesn't like to not-win.

 

[wickedwitch]

I wonder if her struggles to land sbs 3's was a factor in her leaving pairs.

What struggles? She was quite consistent.

 

[2sk8]

Also, UCLA does not allow typically allow deferred admissions. In the rare cases they do, it is for a max of one year.

This is true of the UC schools. It is easier to start, then take a leave, than it is to defer at all or at least for more than a semester. There is simply too much demand for spots at these highly ranked universities!

 

[AxelAnnie]

This is true of the UC schools. It is easier to start, then take a leave, than it is to defer at all or at least for more than a semester. There is simply too much demand for spots at these highly ranked universities!

How very California of them!

 

[Sylvia]

U.S. Pairs pre-Worlds article by Brandon Penny for NBC Sports (Knierim/Frazier drew #11 & Cain-Gibble/LeDuc #14 of 14 teams in the Pairs SP tomorrow in Montpellier):

Believe it or not, all eyes on U.S. teams for pairs’ podium at figure skating worlds

Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier and Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy LeDuc are favored to win the first U.S. worlds medal in 20 years.

olympics.nbcsports.com

Fan Zone article on Knierim/Frazier by Karen Rosen:

Knierim and Frazier Look Forward to Historic Opportunity at Worlds - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier find themselves in an unfamiliar position going into the 2022 World Championships: They're the favorites.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Scheduled skate times on Wednesday, March 23 (France is 5 hours ahead of Eastern time):
20:18:20 - 20:24:40 11 Alexa KNIERIM / Brandon FRAZIER USA
20:37:20 - 20:43:40 14 Ashley CAIN-GRIBBLE / Timothy LEDUC USA

 

[Wyliefan]

"Believe it or not." The shade.

 

[LeafOnTheWind]

I really hope they can skate well and not let the thought of actually winning mess with their heads.

 

[baramin]

So the big question is...if K/F win worlds this year, do they get World Champion scoring inflation next year?

 

[manhn]

When's the last time the US has had two medalists in pairs?

 

[Spiralgraph]

Tries not to get too excited.. oh for a little while I'm thrilled about the results in the SP. Go US pairs!

 

[Trillian]

When's the last time the US has had two medalists in pairs?

My gut instinct was “never,” but Wikipedia tells me I was wrong. Silver and bronze in 1949.

 

[~tapdancer~]

We know all the reasons why, but how exciting is it that our US pair teams are 1 and 2 in the SP at Worlds? I am enjoying it for all it's worth!

 

[nickp]

USA 1-2 after the pairs short program at Worlds if you told me this 4 years ago

 

[skatingguy]

USA 1-2 after the pairs short program at Worlds if you told me this 4 years ago

If you told me that 4 weeks ago I wouldn't have believed it.

 

[orbitz]

This year's Worlds looks like Skate America during *****.

 

[Karen-W]

This year's Worlds looks like Skate America during *****.

Except better skates from the top 6?

 

[Spikefan]

Unless something horrible happens we will have three spots next year. When did that last happen?

 

[barbk]

Unless something horrible happens we will have three spots next year. When did that last happen?

I'm guessing that it might have been when Jenny/Todd and Kyoko/Jason were skating around '96/97? I don't remember the qualifications for 3 couples back then.

'98 was when Kyoko/Jason had to w/d because she conked him on the head coming down from a twist in practice.

 

[ioana]

It was 2003, as far as I could tell. Ina/Zimmerman had gotten bronze and Scott/Dulebohn were 7th the year before. No idea if 13 total or less was in effect for 3 spots next year back then. 10 was well under that, either way. Post-Olympic Worlds are good to to US pairs .

 

[centerpt1]

This IS US Pairs. Anything can happen. Anything.

 

[tony]

It was 2003, as far as I could tell. Ina/Zimmerman had gotten bronze and Scott/Dulebohn were 7th the year before. No idea if 13 total or less was in effect for 3 spots next year back then. 10 was well under that, either way. Post-Olympic Worlds are good to to US pairs .

13 or under (two teams, or top two teams out of three) started with 1998 Worlds. Remember Urmanov withdrawing from that event in 1997 and even with Russia's 3rd and 5th, they still only got 2 spots to Nagano because of the criteria in place at the time.

Same thing with US men in 1997: Eldredge was 2nd and Weiss 7th, but because Hollander didn't make it out of his qualifying group, they also ended up with just 2 men in Nagano.

 

[Trillian]

It was 2003, as far as I could tell. Ina/Zimmerman had gotten bronze and Scott/Dulebohn were 7th the year before. No idea if 13 total or less was in effect for 3 spots next year back then. 10 was well under that, either way. Post-Olympic Worlds are good to to US pairs .

13 or under started with 1998 Worlds. Remember Urmanov withdrawing from that event in 1997 and even with Russia's 3rd and 5th, they still only got 2 spots to Nagano because of the criteria in place at the time.

Technically the “new” system went into effect at the ‘97 Worlds, but the rule was initially written with different standards depending on whether a country had one, two, or three skaters. After situations happened that @tony described (plus the U.S. women barely squeaked out three spots with 1+2+13), the general consensus was that the math with three spots was bad and they dropped it.

Prior to ‘97, though, spots were pretty much just allocated based on the top finisher at Worlds, so the new math was a big shift at the time. Pre-Olympic year was a lousy time for a test run.

The U.S. missed out on three pairs spots in ‘98 because the three teams at the ‘97 Worlds were 4+5+15 (another example of it being silly to count all three). In ‘98, Ina & Dungjen withdrew, but Lyons & Wells did manage to step in and help earn three spots for ‘99 anyway (2+10). After that, ‘03 was the last time.

 

[Lizziebeth]

I'm guessing that it might have been when Jenny/Todd and Kyoko/Jason were skating around '96/97? I don't remember the qualifications for 3 couples back then.

'98 was when Kyoko/Jason had to w/d because she conked him on the head coming down from a twist in practice.

I was sitting near the boards and that happened right in front of me