Carreira/Ponomarenko Need a Cheer Thread

[ccpompom]

Massive improvement from Christina beyond belief

 

[Wyliefan]

They looked great, and it was lovely to see them back!

 

[angi]

It's hard to believe it's the same Christina that is skating out there, everything about her is so improved - her skating skills, her posture, her extensions, her confidence, and her performance level. Hell even her packaging is better. Adrian Diaz gave them an RD that is tailored to their strengths and while I wish they had more speed, I think what Scott Moir managed to do with them in a season and a half is incredible, especially considering Anthony was injured and off the ice for a long time.

 

[sap5]

Along with improved tech skills, C/P are beginning to show personality and presence, which is something some teams never figure out how to do.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Great to see them back. Excellent improvement. They certainly have the coaches to make them a better team. Already seeing it. I enjoy when partners actually look at each other during the program and I saw that in their RD. Hoping for a good season for them.

 

[Rukia]

I am pleased as punch with how that went. Everything was just massively improved in just their first outing this season! So much good stuff to build on. Can't wait for the free tomorrow!

 

[Rukia]

A currently functioning youtube link for any who need it:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

Also I read that Anthony said he had been dealing this ankle issue since 2015(!) and finally got the surgery that had been suggested. He definitely looks stronger than last season for sure.

 

[litenkyckling]

I really can’t wait to see how they grow into this programme - I think IAM have their number now. These two can exude classy kind of sultry jazzy so well (I think up until now their 3 best programmes were their junior Latin SD, junior blues SD and their tango RD). I think Anthony will get much stronger as he recovers. After 7 years injured he probably needs to relearn everything - even what he is able to do in lifts as he’s probably been compensating for so long. Christina looks like a different skater entirely!

 

[Karen-W]

I agree with @litenkyckling about the style that seems to best suit CarPon. They seem like a team re-born this season, in so many ways. I think they're well on track to reasserting their position as the #3 or #4 team in the US. They were only a point lower than what GrePar scored at SCI and this is their season debut. Can't wait to see what their FD looks like in full tomorrow, but based on the practice videos, I think they have the edge over GrePar for that #3 spot and the Worlds team.

 

[sap5]

That he’s been injured since 2015 but only had it fixed in 2022 is sad. I hope he’ll be able to look after his health better going forward.

 

[marbri]

I saw on an instagram story Christina shared (I think there might be an Absolute Skating interview to come) that Scott partnered with her to practice while Anthony was off ice healing.

I actually thought Christina showed a lot of improvement last season, just seemed to me she finally had a team who saw her individual worth and brought out some personality on ice. Anthony was the one struggling and there were a lot of criticisms that he wasn't giving the same effort into the new training centre as she was. Now that we know he was dealing with an injury and finally had it seen to it will be interesting to see how they grow.

Not going to lie, my interest is in part with their move to Scott. BUT it also really hit me years ago in an interview with Igor that when he was asked about his teams (past and present) he skipped over these two (who had just medalled at Junior worlds, not sure if it was 2017 or 2018 one) and was raving about the potential of N/K. And I thought at the time how shitty it must have been for them to read that and realise they were just filler for Igor.

So I have a soft spot for skaters/teams that seem to not really have the interest of their coaching team and like to see what they can do in a positive training environment.

 

[litenkyckling]

I’ve enjoyed them since they were juniors - I just saw them and really liked them (you know you get those skaters sometimes!). However - over the years I’ve enjoyed seeing how hard they work and they seem like good people (which usually sways me). But so many people are quite dismissive and can be quite picky about them and sometimes a bit mean and I’m not sure why! Every other team seems to get more of a chance in some ways. I think people forget that as a team they’re younger than LaLa and Anthony is only a year older than Gage Brown.

 

[Karen-W]

I’ve enjoyed them since they were juniors - I just saw them and really liked them (you know you get those skaters sometimes!). However - over the years I’ve enjoyed seeing how hard they work and they seem like good people (which usually sways me). But so many people are quite dismissive and can be quite picky about them and sometimes a bit mean and I’m not sure why! Every other team seems to get more of a chance in some ways. I think people forget that as a team they’re younger than LaLa and Anthony is only a year older than Gage Brown.

Same for me! I saw them as juniors and just loved them. I've been an uber for awhile, even as they clawed their way past the Greens, the Parsons, McNamara/Carpenter, and are now battling with GrePar, and I just like them, their work ethic, their entire vibe. I have a way with picking teams that are very promising as juniors, get a bit of initial success as seniors, then seem to stall out for a few years before finally hitting their stride (Shibs, HawBak). I hope CarPon is the next in that list.

 

[chameleonster]

I saw on an instagram story Christina shared (I think there might be an Absolute Skating interview to come) that Scott partnered with her to practice while Anthony was off ice healing.

I actually thought Christina showed a lot of improvement last season, just seemed to me she finally had a team who saw her individual worth and brought out some personality on ice. Anthony was the one struggling and there were a lot of criticisms that he wasn't giving the same effort into the new training centre as she was. Now that we know he was dealing with an injury and finally had it seen to it will be interesting to see how they grow.

Not going to lie, my interest is in part with their move to Scott. BUT it also really hit me years ago in an interview with Igor that when he was asked about his teams (past and present) he skipped over these two (who had just medalled at Junior worlds, not sure if it was 2017 or 2018 one) and was raving about the potential of N/K. And I thought at the time how shitty it must have been for them to read that and realise they were just filler for Igor.

So I have a soft spot for skaters/teams that seem to not really have the interest of their coaching team and like to see what they can do in a positive training environment.

I can't remember where, but I also vividly remember C/P talking about how much they love Rach 2 as music and had ideas and really wanted to skate to it, but Igor told them to wait until they were more mature...and then immediately gave N/K that Rach 2 FD. It was just so blatantly disrespectful and dismissive that even if I didn't like them as a team I would have told them to leave.

 

[~tapdancer~]

A currently functioning youtube link for any who need it:

- YouTube

Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

youtu.be

Also I read that Anthony said he had been dealing this ankle issue since 2015(!) and finally got the surgery that had been suggested. He definitely looks stronger than last season for sure.

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed seeing it again where I could pay more attention. Just wow. That was really good, Scott is doing wonders with them. I enjoy them about 1000x more than Green/Parsons. I honestly feel the 3rd spot for US nationals is wide open and they are certainly in the mix now.

 

[princeton123]

Christina is just an entirely new skater. Still a bit of upper body stiffness to combat, but my goodness. I suppose if anything was going to help her, it was going to be working with the skater who has maybe the best skating skills ever in any discipline.

Scott needs to start working on Anthony’s partnering. He has really regressed in the past couple of years and I know that he’s still recovering from his injury but I don’t think it’s something he ever learned how to do properly.

It’s still very early in the season but I would like to see more energy and attack for them. The RD was a bit muted.

I feel like they’re a team, if they get the packaging right, very much has the potential for “it”. Some teams you know will just never get there - but some you know with just the right push could be great.

 

[Rukia]

I thought this was cute because not only do you see Anthony and Christina hugging Scott when they got off the ice, Anthony also greets Gage Brown as they pass. I also read that Anthony & Christina were cheering loudly for Natasha McKay during her footwork sequence and that they and the Browns were cheering Isabeau on. Just friendly Team USA-ness all around.

https://twitter.com/x/status/1591590583277178882

 

[Lara111]

Thanks for the link. I enjoyed seeing it again where I could pay more attention. Just wow. That was really good, Scott is doing wonders with them. I enjoy them about 1000x more than Green/Parsons. I honestly feel the 3rd spot for US nationals is wide open and they are certainly in the mix now.

They just need more mileage for this program. Anthony was probably too nervous. It has a great potential

 

[litenkyckling]

They just need more mileage for this program. Anthony was probably too nervous. It has a great potential

Yeah I think I need to keep reminding myself that this is basically September for them!

Although him being injured for so long (and through puberty which doesn’t seem wise?) is awful and makes me question who was monitoring the coaches to allow them to dismiss athlete health so easily - in a way that means that Scott and team can fully take him back to basics in terms of skating, partnering etc. With an off season more like Christina’s had this year I think we’ll see him come on leaps and bounds.

 

[sap5]

Yeah I think I need to keep reminding myself that this is basically September for them!

Although him being injured for so long (and through puberty which doesn’t seem wise?) is awful and makes me question who was monitoring the coaches to allow them to dismiss athlete health so easily - in a way that means that Scott and team can fully take him back to basics in terms of skating, partnering etc. With an off season more like Christina’s had this year I think we’ll see him come on leaps and bounds.

Agree. The more I think about it, the angrier I become. It’s no wonder that C/P looked to be stagnating for years. But also agree that this is an opportunity to rebuild everything. It all comes down to whether IAMO is willing to withstand the pressure/criticisms of not rocketing up the standings right away and stay focused on building the foundation that will eventually get them there.

 

[Karen-W]

It occurred to me, earlier this morning, that we don't know the full details about why Anthony put off having the surgery 7 years ago. It could be that his doctor at the time said "oh, well, you can, and it might make a difference, but it might not," so he and his parents/coaches decided it wasn't worth it. Or, that he was managing the problem well without the surgery, until it reached a point where that was no longer the case. Or, that surgical techniques have advanced to the point where having the surgery was a certain fix. Or, well, they got to IAM-fauxLondon and Scott/IAM realized the extent of the problem and helped Anthony recognize that he was limiting himself and the team by not getting the surgery done. There are any number of reasons why the surgery didn't happen, and let's not act like Anthony had no agency in any of this. He is, after all, an adult; not to mention, at least in California, he would have had full control over his own medical decisions since he was 12 or 14.

 

[Wyliefan]

I'm over the moon for Christina and Anthony! They finally have two programs and they had a great first outing with them. Can't wait to see them get better and stronger!

 

[Karen-W]

I just love their FD. It's one of the best they've ever had! The first third is sooooooo sultry! And the opening lift, with her legs rising with the beat - stunning.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Their FD is incredible! I loved it! That opening lift and a later lift had so much control. I loved the sultry and I think it can improve as the season goes. I will say it again, that Scott Moir has coached this team to amazing improvement. I also see a bit of Maddie Hubbell in there, did anyone else? I wanna watch this FD over and over! Really happy for them.

 

[ccpompom]

That FD is so so good and this only their first outing. I wish the choreo elements were stronger at the end but other than the extended lift, it was great outing. They always seem to peak at nationals and being in San Jose - Anthony's hometown - I'm sure they do everything to have the performances of their career there. This year they really deserve that bye to 4CC and worlds.
Last thing they mentioned how madi and scott wanted to skate to summertime but couldn't and now cpom are skating to it

 

[tony]

That FD is so so good and this only their first outing. I wish the choreo elements were stronger at the end but other than the extended lift, it was great outing. They always seem to peak at nationals and being in San Jose - Anthony's hometown - I'm sure they do everything to have the performances of their career there. This year they really deserve that bye to 4CC and worlds.
Last thing they mentioned how madi and scott wanted to skate to summertime but couldn't and now cpom are skating to it

I'm not sure what you mean by bye-- unless you just meant the spot in general.

Either way, should be a good fight for the bronze medal come Nationals.

 

[sap5]

It occurred to me, earlier this morning, that we don't know the full details about why Anthony put off having the surgery 7 years ago. It could be that his doctor at the time said "oh, well, you can, and it might make a difference, but it might not," so he and his parents/coaches decided it wasn't worth it. Or, that he was managing the problem well without the surgery, until it reached a point where that was no longer the case. Or, that surgical techniques have advanced to the point where having the surgery was a certain fix. Or, well, they got to IAM-fauxLondon and Scott/IAM realized the extent of the problem and helped Anthony recognize that he was limiting himself and the team by not getting the surgery done. There are any number of reasons why the surgery didn't happen, and let's not act like Anthony had no agency in any of this. He is, after all, an adult; not to mention, at least in California, he would have had full control over his own medical decisions since he was 12 or 14.

I’m not familiar with California medical law, but giving a 12 year old full control over medical decisions seems .

 

[Karen-W]

I’m not familiar with California medical law, but giving a 12 year old full control over medical decisions seems .

I can't remember if it's 12 or 14 in California, but I do know that it's relatively young, like here in Oregon, and has been for at least the last decade.

 

[emason]

That FD has made me a fan of this team for the first time. What a great step forward for them. Yay, CarPons, keep it up!

 

[Bigbird]

Thank you to the IAM team for their complete transformation. Both their programs are superb. All the best for the new season.