U.S. Ice Dance 2016/17 season - news & updates

[Jun Y]

I did find it a bit scary that the Parsons siblings were skating so close to each other during the pattern that they were on the verge of knocking blades. I guess they know what they're doing.

 

[VGThuy]

It's wonderful how close they skate together. That is what's been missing in ice dance for a very long time.

 

[chameleonster]

Yikes, not a great competition for McNamara/Carpenter. I was actually thinking that they looked so much better here, more like last season, right before the fall. Carriera/Ponomarenko must be very pleased, big scores with two great skates, and a silver. No one is more pleased than the Parsons to finally get that National title, setting themselves up well for worlds. I'm so glad Lewis/Bye shook off that Sectionals performance and skated so well here. And the Greens look very promising.

 

[semogal]

A great day to be a US ice dance fan!

The junior event did not disappoint. The Parsons' FD exceded my expectations ( and they were pretty high!). So happy for them. So much talent today and such variety. The future is bright for the US.

Seniors was incredible as well.

 

[rlafler]

As far as I can tell, the fall on the diagonal step sequence cost McNamara/Carpenter a boat load of points (the whole step sequence was downgraded to a level 1, with negative GOE plus the point off for the fall) but even if they had maxed that element it doesn't appear they would have caught the Parsons.

 

[Jun Y]

Whatever is holding McNamara/Carpenter back this season (and I don't know what it is), I think it's a clear illustration of how slippery the ice is. Past history is any guarantee of future success, especially after transitioning from lower level to a higher level. Anyway, I like their new costumes in navy (?) blue.

On a separate note, congratulations to Rachel and Michael Parsons and Carreira and Ponomarenko. Good luck at Junior Worlds!

Does anyone know what happened in Cannuscio/McManus' short dance? Why did they get marked for invalid rotational lifts, and twice?

 

[tylersf]

Oh boy.

Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker had a nervous FD. The music and program was beautiful aside from the several mistakes. They had a roller derby like fall. Kailin had a visible stumble and put her hand down to prevent her butt from hitting the ice.

 

[tylersf]

Shibs got through their FD. It was a careful performance given that Hawayek and Baker and some stumbles. Alex hit the boards a little bit. They got a 1.00 deduction for something. Nice kids.

 

[aftershocks]

Cannuscio/McManus' short dance?

In the SD, I think C/M were rather hesitant and didn't display enough confidence. It's great that C/M battled back. I think H/B may have been feeling pressure from Benoit/Pogrebinsky in their FD, which is too bad. H/B have such a gorgeous program.


Oh, what's happening now. Did H/B jinx the ice with those two mistakes??

Madi of H/D just had a fall. H/D have a gorgeous FD too. Come on!

 

[tylersf]

OMG Hubbell and Donohue had a fall between elements. She cried on the ice after they were done. She was still crying in kiss and cry. At least she isn't having a meltdown in kiss and cry. I haven't seen that in years. Overall, it was a nice performance. They're in second so far.

 

[tylersf]

Great job Chock & Bates - they beat Shibs in the free, but they got 2nd overall.

 

[chameleonster]

Great fight from Chock/Bates, I thought the teams should have been closer in the SD. Winning the FD is big for them, Shibs are going to want to watch out.

 

[VGThuy]

I think the Shibs never took this for granted. Alex looked upset backstage before C/B even skated. I think they thought they gave it away.

 

[Twizzler]

Does anyone know what happened in Cannuscio/McManus' short dance? Why did they get marked for invalid rotational lifts, and twice?

They had a highlight in the beginning of the program where he was lifting her off the ice and rotated a full turn which is not allowed. That had to be called a rotational lift no level (because neither was in a difficult position). As a result, the rotational lift at the end of the program received no credit and they got a deduction for having an extra element (lift).

 

[aftershocks]

I think the Shibs never took this for granted. Alex looked upset backstage before C/B even skated. I think they thought they gave it away.

Yes, I wonder how much the Shibs' might have been affected by Hawayek/Baker making two uncharacteristic mistakes just before the Shibs skated. This wasn't the Shibs' strongest FD skate ever, but USFS could not ignore how great the Shibs have been all season long. Madi and Evan have some good programs this season and they have fight and politics behind them but USFS needed to be careful about crippling both teams for Worlds. The Shibs have shown they can beat Pap/Ciz in the SD, and the Shibs' SD has gotten even better. It was an anomaly for the less than decisive victory. And honestly all the top ice dance teams in the U.S. are so good. It's always going to be a battle and it's not going to get any easier going forward.

I think it was some of that competitive pressure that Kaitlin Hawayek was feeling. Plus NBC has just been commenting that the ice is apparently soft, which skaters need to compensate for. If you are the slightest bit off-balance like Kaitlin and Madi Hubbell were, and anxious about your footing like Max Aaron apparently was, disaster can strike. Ice is always slippery, but the conditions in an arena are another factor.

I don't think it's taken into account re how all of the changes in scheduling, rink environment, travel, food and physical ailments can affect athletes' performances.

 

[chameleonster]

I feel like Parsons and McNamara/Carpenter especially must be kicking themselves. Pogrebinsky/Benoit were hardly the most decorated or hyped junior team, but they had a very smooth transition to the senior level, got experience, and now are national medallists at the senior level. Hawayek/Baker had to give them that opening, sure, but they were easily going to be fifth. M/C have been struggling all season and hurting their reputation, and while Parsons are winning everything so far, P/B are still going to have this experience to build off of for next season. I don't think any of the three will be going to the Olympics next season, but there is going to be a very strong 4CC team in 2018.

 

[VGThuy]

We've seen new seniors beat juniors who turned senior earlier and placed well at Nationals. We've had four different pewter medalists in the past four years and 3 of them falling in the standings. So it's not as if the Parsons and M/C staying junior for one more year will hurt their reputation.

 

[chameleonster]

We've seen new seniors beat juniors who turned senior earlier and placed well at Nationals. We've had four different pewter medalists in the past four years and 3 of them falling in the standings. So it's not as if the Parsons and M/C staying junior for one more year will hurt their reputation.

I don't think Parsons have hurt their reputation, missed out on senior experience, but not hurt their reputation. I have a hard time seeing how M/C haven't hurt their reputation though. They've been messy all season, were third in the FD at their second JGP, only around four points ahead of C/P at JGPF, and now lost the national silver to C/P. That doesn't at all mean that their career is doomed, they can definitely shake off one subpar season. Aside from the fall I thought they looked much stronger and more like themselves. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them bounce back, and this doesn't mean Pog Ben will maintain an advantage. But M/C, at least in the short term, have definitely hurt their reputation.

 

[VGThuy]

I don't think Parsons have hurt their reputation, missed out on senior experience, but not hurt their reputation. I have a hard time seeing how M/C haven't hurt their reputation though. They've been messy all season, were third in the FD at their second JGP, only around four points ahead of C/P at JGPF, and now lost the national silver to C/P. That doesn't at all mean that their career is doomed, they can definitely shake off one subpar season. Aside from the fall I thought they looked much stronger and more like themselves. I wouldn't be at all surprised to see them bounce back, and this doesn't mean Pog Ben will maintain an advantage. But M/C, at least in the short term, have definitely hurt their reputation.

I use the Shibs as my example. They had a rough junior year their last year at juniors. Then they make their senior debut and beat Chock/Zuerlein who beat them at 2009 junior Worlds and were top 5 at the nationals the year before. They actually win the silver. Then they win silver at 4CC. Then they beat the reigning junior champs at senior Worlds. Teams can make big turn arounds.

 

[aftershocks]

How do we know that it wasn't USFS who suggested to M/C and P/P that they stay Junior another year, since they were eligible?

 

[chameleonster]

I use the Shibs as my example. They had a rough junior year their last year at juniors. Then they make their senior debut and beat Chock/Zuerlein who beat them at 2009 junior Worlds and were top 5 at the nationals the year before. They actually win the silver. Then they win silver at 4CC. Then they beat the reigning junior champs at senior Worlds. Teams can make big turn arounds.

I'm honestly not sure what you're arguing here, considering I already said that they can absolutely bounce back. I think they made a tactical error this season and, results aside, have stagnated a bit on the junior level and have had a bad season that has hurt their reputation. I also think that they're talented enough that they can turn it around and have this last junior season be a weird dark blip in their career. These things are not mutually exclusive.

 

[VGThuy]

My response is due to the fact that when most people say they made a "tactical" error they're arguing that they did something wrong and will suffer for it. I don't see this so much as an error as I don't think it has any bearing on what's going to happen to them as seniors.

Let's say they did move up to seniors this year. If they skated the way that they did all season and in the FD at Nationals with the mistakes...which is hard to imagine because their programs and everything would be different...and actually placed below P/B at Nationals, people would say that would have been a tactical error and they should have stayed on as juniors as they would have "dominated" there. So in the end, I don't think it makes much of a difference.

 

[Sylvia]

How do we know that it wasn't USFS who suggested to M/C and P/P that they stay Junior another year, since they were eligible?

FWIW, my unofficial hearsay info is that the Wheaton coaches made the decision.

In the case of the Parsons siblings, it's worked out really well for them so far and most people don't seem to be questioning their decision to stay junior.

Perhaps in the case of McNamara/Carpenter, there are off-ice reasons to which we're not privy (such as McNamara being a senior in a private high school?). This was a Baltimore Sun article published after Junior Worlds last year about the relationships between the partners and teams: http://www.baltimoresun.com/sports/...ce-dance-marylanders-0327-20160326-story.html

 

[Bellanca]

The silver lining is … getting the mistakes out of the way now.

Congrats to the Shibs!!!!

(((H&B)))

 

[Sylvia]

http://www.usfsa.org/story?id=90301&type=media

(1/21/17)- U.S. Figure Skating has named its selections for the 2017 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, 2017 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships and 2017 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships in ice dance.

ICE DANCE
2017 World Championships
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani

Alternate 1 - Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker
Alternate 2 - Elliana Pogrebinsky and Alex Benoit
Alternate 3 - Julia Biechler and Damian Dodge

2017 Four Continents Championships
Madison Chock and Evan Bates
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani

Alternate 1 - Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker
Alternate 2 - Elliana Pogrebinsky and Alex Benoit
Alternate 3 - Anastasia Cannuscio and Colin McManus

2017 World Junior Championships
Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko
Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter
Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons

Alternate 1 - Chloe Lewis and Logan Bye
Alternate 2 - Eliana Gropman and Ian Somerville
Alternate 3 - Emma Gunter and Caleb Wein

 

[VGThuy]

Interesting but not surprising nor undeserving really to see Hawayek/Baker being first alternates over Pogrebinsky/Benoit. Is it a surprise that Gunter/Wein are third alternates?

 

[wickedwitch]

Interesting but not surprising nor undeserving really to see Hawayek/Baker being first alternates over Pogrebinsky/Benoit. Is it a surprise that Gunter/Wein are third alternates?

Considering no one else has minimums, no.

 

[VGThuy]

Considering no one else has minimums, no.

Ah, thanks.

 

[Sylvia]

Is it a surprise that Gunter/Wein are third alternates?

No. The Greens are too young and the 2 other teams that placed ahead of G/W have not gone out internationally (no minimums).

 

[NadineWhite]

CONGRATS to the Shibutanis ~ exciting to watch!!!!

Too bad about that one couple that fell multiple times.