2024-25 US Pairs Discussion - Triple-Twisting Through Tornado Alley

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

All I need is for Danill Parkman to get his release so that we can have a proper 3-way summer battle culminating at John Nicks IPC between McBeath/Parkman, Shin/Nagy and Fredette/Siianytsia. Heck, thrown in ANL's babies of Martins/Bedard for good measure!

Hahahahahah I was already ready to do one of those “fixed it for you” because I did not see the very last sentence lollll

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

All I need is for Danill Parkman to get his release so that we can have a proper 3-way summer battle culminating at John Nicks IPC between McBeath/Parkman, Shin/Nagy and Fredette/Siianytsia. Heck, thrown in ANL's babies of Martins/Bedard for good measure!

I’m staying very cautious because I’m not sold on McBeath and Audrey has a history of under rotations.

And I know absolutely nothing of Fredette/Siianytsia. And when he was with his sister, I think I’ve only seen him compete once.

 

[Karen-W]

I’m staying very cautious because I’m not sold on McBeath and Audrey has a history of under rotations.

And I know absolutely nothing of Fredette/Siianytsia. And when he was with his sister, I think I’ve only seen him compete once.

Whose sister? Danylo skated with Anastasiia Smirnova - not his sister. Are you confusing him with the Mokhovs? Who aren't even on the ISP at this time because of their low scores last season?

 

[Karen-W]

I’m staying very cautious because I’m not sold on McBeath and Audrey has a history of under rotations.

And I know absolutely nothing of Fredette/Siianytsia. And when he was with his sister, I think I’ve only seen him compete once.

Also, if we're going to discuss reasons to be cautious then I present to you Ryan Bedard's footwork during lifts...

 

[shan]

Okay, I'm absolutely here for the low-key new team rivalry response IG video compliation post that Audrey Shin just dropped an hour ago...

Audrey Shin 신수민 on Instagram: "…work in progress🩵"

2,127 likes, 53 comments - audreyshin.skater on June 21, 2024: "…work in progress🩵".

www.instagram.com

someone is already angling for that skam tbd and i for one approve

I agree with you both! I had forgotten about Shin/Nagy! ?‍

 

[BrightSkates]

Retrying in the correct thread?-
Mark Sadusky and Nica Digerness confirmed with WASA Pairs in new picture post
Certainly another SkAM TBD threat!

 

[Spiralgraph]

I need time to process all this. I'm off the Internet since yesterday afternoon and all these announcements happen. Dare I hope for the real improvement of more American pairs?

 

[ptvvibezz]

Audrey and Balazs didn’t come to play ?

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[Karen-W]

Audrey and Balazs didn’t come to play ?

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View this content on Instagram

But you're late to the party.

 

[Skaterbob]

But you're late to the party.

But it is party none the less ? ?

 

[DORISPULASKI]

But how are the throws? They are conspicuously missing ...

 

[Karen-W]

But how are the throws? They are conspicuously missing ...

Yeah, I saw some nice SBS jumps and lifts from Audrey & Balasz but the rest of your standard pairs elements were conspicuously absent. I'm more excited by what we saw from Fredette/Siianytsia yesterday, TBH.

 

[Rukia]

Yeah, I saw some nice SBS jumps and lifts from Audrey & Balasz but the rest of your standard pairs elements were conspicuously absent. I'm more excited by what we saw from Fredette/Siianytsia yesterday, TBH.

you don't have the vision i have also since when do you need throws to win the us champs

 

[Karen-W]

you don't have the vision i have also since when do you need throws to win the us champs

When you're using some sorcery to make sure your strongest competition's recovery from shoulder surgery is delayed and your next strongest competition has a blade break the day of the FS. After that, it was a cakewalk over the rest of a field filled with other teams just as inconsistent as you when it comes to landing those pesky throws.

 

[DORISPULASKI]

Now Audrey and Balasz are a very, very new pair, and AFAIR Audrey has not done pairs before?

Balasz, however, has done pairs for a long time. And he had decent throws when with Pavlova.

Perhaps Audrey, having nothing to unlearn, may manage to learn throws sometime this season. But even in the best case, I am not expecting it.

 

[marshallpond]

Perhaps Audrey, having nothing to unlearn, may manage to learn throws sometime this season.

They say once your triple jumps are mastered, pair elements like triple throws will be easy because you already know the mechanics of how your body should rotate. It is much easier to learn pair elements but much harder to learn jumps.

Saw Balazs in Canton for months before he went to Hungary. His jumps then were not quite there yet at that time. But after training in Russia when he competed for Hungary, glad to see the massive improvement in his jumps when he returned to the US.

I am very excited for this new pair, though I hope they won't feel too pressured with the expectations and the hype.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Hold on, when Audrey was posting clips of her learning pair elements with Chris Knierim and Brandon Fraser I thought I saw a throw or two. Now they could have been a throw double, but anyone else remember exactly?

 

[Rukia]

ok clown wigs on this is all part of their strategy. Audrey knows you don't want to show off all your skills at once, she just needed us to remember they were a big part of hot pairs summer and mission accomplished. it's all coming together (in my mind at least)

 

[Private Citizen]

Is that 3S+2A+2A still legal? I lost track in all the back and forth at the ISU Congress of which changes were getting implemented this season v. after the Olympics.

 

[Simone411]

I found this very interesting regarding the Triple Twist. I found a video where it shows a Triple Twist comparison between Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, CAN and Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, GER. It was from 2023 Skate America. The video is in slow motion to show the comparison.

What the author of the video explained is the correct way for the landing. I didn't know this about the Triple Twist. So I learned something new.

In a triple twist the women is to be caught at the waste directly in front of the man and set down on the ice on one foot. Often this is not the case. Often the woman is caught over the left shoulder of the man and brought to the shoulder of the man on purpose or by error. Contact with the left shoulder of the man is a common error.

Lia Pereira and Trennt Michaud, CAN3Tw2 - caught over the left shoulder with contact GoEs: 0, 1, -2, 1, 2, 1, 1, 1, 1

Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel, GER3Tw4 - caught in front without contact - correct technique GoEs: 1, -1, 2, 2, 2, 2, 3, 3, 2

I noticed the difference in the GoEs, and it does make a difference if done correctly.

- YouTube

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[Karen-W]

Is that 3S+2A+2A still legal? I lost track in all the back and forth at the ISU Congress of which changes were getting implemented this season v. after the Olympics.

Yes, it is still legal. All of the proposed changes for Pairs (as well as losing 1 jumping pass for singles & switching to 1 spin to the new choreo spin) were approved with a delayed implementation until 2026-27.

 

[Skaterbob]

Just reposting ice coverage's post since it will get lost in the locked pairs thread for last season:

Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez ? have started a GoFundMe page.
Their expenses far outweigh their earnings from coaching plus their funding.
Val posted their GoFundMe link on X/Twitter tonight.

Donate to Fuel the Journey of Valentina and Maximiliano, organized by Valentina Plazas​

Our names are Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez, Team USA Pair… Valentina Plazas needs your support for Fuel the Journey of Valentina and Maximiliano

www.gofundme.com

https://x.com/xovalentina_/status/1798172392373801446

Another way to support Val and Max is to subscribe to their joint Instagram account @vmskates

Val & Max on Instagram: "Sunday vibes you know whats coming so subscribe to @vmskates if you want a look into our next few days #weekend #canada #choreography #dune"​

121 likes, 3 comments - vmskates on May 12, 2024: "Sunday vibes you know whats coming so subscribe to @vmskates if you want a look into our next few days #weekend #canada #choreography...".

www.instagram.com
https://www.instagram.com/vmskates/

 

[Karen-W]

Officially official - Digerness/Sadusky are at WASA, lol.

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[ice coverage]

Just reposting ice coverage's post since it will get lost in the locked pairs thread for last season:

Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez ? have started a GoFundMe page.
Their expenses far outweigh their earnings from coaching plus their funding. ...

Donate to Fuel the Journey of Valentina and Maximiliano, organized by Valentina Plazas​

... Another way to support Val and Max is to subscribe to their joint Instagram account @vmskates ...

Many thanks to Jarrett for giving the GoFundMe for Valentina Plazas/Maximiliano Fernandez a boost in the new season's thread! ?
Reiterating the direct link:

Donate to Fuel the Journey of Valentina and Maximiliano, organized by Valentina Plazas

2024 Our names are Valentina Plazas and Maximiliano Fernandez, Team US… Valentina Plazas needs your support for Fuel the Journey of Valentina and Maximiliano

www.gofundme.com

For anyone curious about their extra subscriber-only Instagram content, I should have said before that it is offered for $2.99/month.
(Which I would consider if I start using Instagram more often on my phone. )

Thanks again to any contributors! ?

ETA:​

Jun 24 article from Valentina's alma mater Florida International University:

Alumna is one of the top figure skaters in the country

Valentina Plazas Medina and her pairs partner are the U.S. national bronze medalists. The duo recently became the first Hispanic team in U.S. pairs history to compete at the World Championships.

news.fiu.edu

 

[clairecloutier]

McBeath/Parkman interview, looking back at their Nationals experience and their partnership so far:

McBeath/Parkman: "We learned a lot this season" - A divine sport

New American pairs skating team Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman talk about competing at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

adivinesport.com

 

[BrightSkates]

Any early predictions on the TBD SkAM spot?

Mcbeath/Parkman (if released?)
Digerness/Sadusky
Shin/Nagy
Fredette/Siianytsia
Wessenberg/Caputo?, Fitzpatrick/Bearinger?, Mokhovs?

Are Flores/Wang eligible?

 

[Rukia]

I want to (silently i guess) see everyone compete and then i'll be ready to make some predictions (but you can all guess who my heart wants)

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Any early predictions on the TBD SkAM spot?

MarBed
Shin/Nagy
Fredette/Siianytsia


Are Flores/Wang eligible?

Fixed it for you

 

[Karen-W]

Any early predictions on the TBD SkAM spot?

Mcbeath/Parkman (if released?)
Digerness/Sadusky
Shin/Nagy
Fredette/Siianytsia
Wessenberg/Caputo?, Fitzpatrick/Bearinger?, Mokhovs?

WessCap, FitzBear & Mokhovs aren't even on the ISP - they'd have to come out of the gate at Glacier Falls or Cup of Colorado with blockbuster scores to put themselves in the conversation, I think.

You left Williams/Lewer and Martins/Bedard off your list of possibilities.

I don't think we can really handicap the field yet. McBPark would be the clear leader but until he gets his release, the rest of the field has a reasonable shot at it. DigSad, MarBed and WilLew are the only teams currently on the ISP so they have a leg up on ShiNagy and FredSiia until those teams make their competitive debut.

Are Flores/Wang eligible?

Nope - she is a year too young for seniors this year.

 

[happycamper2554]

Any early predictions on the TBD SkAM spot?

Mcbeath/Parkman (if released?)
Digerness/Sadusky
Shin/Nagy
Fredette/Siianytsia
Wessenberg/Caputo?, Fitzpatrick/Bearinger?, Mokhovs?

Are Flores/Wang eligible?

Someone (ANL) will be very upset that Martins/Bedard were not included on this list.