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

I wonder if the lack of Chan/Howe at 4CC is just more of situation of USFS saying: enough, take the time you need to heal. This has been going off the rails for the better part of two seasons now, and per the commentary they’ve only had two good weeks of training all season. Do we really think that another two weeks is really going to magically turn it around? Of course not. Their best bet is to take a break, heal whenever is going on and start fresh and early for next season. If nothing else, they are damaging their rep by continuing to put out programs like they have all season.
 
Private Citizen said:
What do you think about Chan/Howe being skipped over?

I've often said the USFS needs to get behind high potential skaters/teams more quickly, so I'm glad to see Shin and Nagy being set up well for next year.

If they are Olympic eligible and McBeath and Parkman are not, then I understand it. The USFS needs to set up Olympic-eligible teams with WS points, GP assignments, etc.

Hopefully Chan and Howe being benched means Jason Brown will be, too, but that's for another thread.
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I'm fine with Chan/Howe being skipped over for Shin/Nagy. There was just over a point difference between the teams and Shin/Nagy were much better in the FS and clearly have more potential for the future. Given that they didn't finish in the top 3 Chan/Howe shouldn't be surprised not to get 4CC.
 
ChillSkate said:
I used to love Chan & Howe - I think they are still exquisitely costumed and look great together but they are just not the same since his shoulder surgery. Maybe it is just rust or continued injury but something just seems very off with them.
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What I understand from :sekret: is that they haven't gotten along all that great since they stopped dating several seasons ago. I don't understand it as a hostile environment, but maybe more... indifferent and less focused?
 
peibeck said:
What I understand from :sekret: is that they haven't gotten along all that great since they stopped dating several seasons ago. I don't understand it as a hostile environment, but maybe more... indifferent and less focused?
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Heard it's not hostile but not that harmonious either, with lots of arguments. She especially gets distracted when the BF is in town training.
 
marshallpond said:
Heard it's not hostile but not that harmonious either, with lots of arguments. She especially gets distracted when the BF is in town training.
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That makes sense.

I always wondered what the climate was like there when Gabbie was still training singles.
 
McBeath and Parkman would have every right to Azerbaijan or Georgia's phone number. Complete political BS. I feel horribly for them, total crap. Screw the USFSA.

ETA: Right, Parkman wasn't respected well by the Georgian fed either IIRC. Hm
 
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kwanfan1818 said:
It's not even like Meno and Frazier are unknown coaches, and USFS is trying to give the team the message that they'd better switch to Sappenfeld or be dumped.
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none of these teams are coached by Sappenfield??? I mean technically no one is coached by her right now lol but yeah
 
Rukia said:
none of these teams are coached by Sappenfield??? I mean technically no one is coached by her right now lol but yeah
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We're still thinking that being coached by Ibarra is being coached by Sappenfeld by proxy. My analogy for M/P was more like it was in the old days. No wonder Nicks went deep sea fishing for much of the year.
 
kwanfan1818 said:
We're still thinking that being coached by Ibarra is being coached by Sappenfeld by proxy. My analogy for M/P was more like it was in the old days. No wonder Nicks went deep sea fishing for much of the year.
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Ahh ok I got you lol I've lived like a year in this week

But also I suspect you are correct about Ibarra. Which, usfs, this is literally in your back yard. You need to get your life together as it were.
 
Rukia said:
none of these teams are coached by Sappenfield??? I mean technically no one is coached by her right now lol but yeah
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That's a hard technically. A woman who is known for her behind the scenes work.... Even working through the initial safesport reports and openly disputing them- she's still got the upper hand at Monument. She's just not publicly named anymore, but she's still working through Larry.
 
Rukia said:
Ahh ok I got you lol I've lived like a year in this week

But also I suspect you are correct about Ibarra. Which, usfs, this is literally in your back yard. You need to get your life together as it were.
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This is where Hanns/Neudecker petitioning to Nationals steps in. If they had done that with Meekins I would say Meekins has the power to overrule the tech min. But Ibarra? I just can't see it without help.
 
peibeck said:
What I understand from :sekret: is that they haven't gotten along all that great since they stopped dating several seasons ago. I don't understand it as a hostile environment, but maybe more... indifferent and less focused?
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Too bad they can't work out whatever problems they have like Hubbell & Donohue did.
 
So, circling back to Efimova's citizenship status - someone over at GoldenSkate is claiming she & Misha are indeed married. Nothing to back it up and, as others have pointed out, still doesn't seem like she'd get her passport in time for the Olympics.

2025 U S. Nationals Senior Pairs Free Skate

I got 25. If the men do their usual damage I might be on page two...so much for tracking all the skaters all year, watching endless videos, crunching numbers, considering the possibilities of implosion - it's only a game for me, it's a career for them... I rarely play the game, and usually I...
www.goldenskate.com www.goldenskate.com
 
Karen-W said:
So, circling back to Efimova's citizenship status - someone over at GoldenSkate is claiming she & Misha are indeed married. Nothing to back it up and, as others have pointed out, still doesn't seem like she'd get her passport in time for the Olympics.

2025 U S. Nationals Senior Pairs Free Skate

I got 25. If the men do their usual damage I might be on page two...so much for tracking all the skaters all year, watching endless videos, crunching numbers, considering the possibilities of implosion - it's only a game for me, it's a career for them... I rarely play the game, and usually I...
www.goldenskate.com www.goldenskate.com
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Well, I wouldn't put it past Letov and Ganicheva to suggest getting married to expedite stuff. Maybe they got married immediately after their tryout like Flores/Desyatov. I kind of remember him having a girlfriend at that time, though there is no trace of it online. Who knows?
 
Karen-W said:
So, circling back to Efimova's citizenship status - someone over at GoldenSkate is claiming she & Misha are indeed married. Nothing to back it up and, as others have pointed out, still doesn't seem like she'd get her passport in time for the Olympics.

2025 U S. Nationals Senior Pairs Free Skate

I got 25. If the men do their usual damage I might be on page two...so much for tracking all the skaters all year, watching endless videos, crunching numbers, considering the possibilities of implosion - it's only a game for me, it's a career for them... I rarely play the game, and usually I...
www.goldenskate.com www.goldenskate.com
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yeah someone sent me a message about this on tumblr too, but everything is anon there so I have to take it with a grain of salt and didn't mention it here lol
 
This may have been shared previously, but I came across this article from the official Olympics site which has multiple references to their goals being Milano 2026:

"Before they pursue their post-sports careers in cars and medicine, however, Efimova and Mitrofanov still have one big, shared dream to achieve – qualifying for the Milano Cortina 2026 Olympic Games. If they accomplish that, it would mark an Olympic debut for both."
 
Karen-W said:
So, circling back to Efimova's citizenship status - someone over at GoldenSkate is claiming she & Misha are indeed married. Nothing to back it up and, as others have pointed out, still doesn't seem like she'd get her passport in time for the Olympics.

2025 U S. Nationals Senior Pairs Free Skate

I got 25. If the men do their usual damage I might be on page two...so much for tracking all the skaters all year, watching endless videos, crunching numbers, considering the possibilities of implosion - it's only a game for me, it's a career for them... I rarely play the game, and usually I...
www.goldenskate.com www.goldenskate.com
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Russian sports media is picking it up:
https://www.sovsport.ru/figure/arti...t-s-sh-a-no-na-olimpiadu-ona-mozhet-ne-popast

"The skaters also dream of the Olympics. To do this, Alisa needs to obtain American citizenship. There are rumors that Efimova married Mitrofanov - perhaps for this very reason. The situation in world figure skating is such that with clean performances and a certain amount of luck, an American couple can win a medal at the World Championships. After that, it would be logical to aim for a place in the top three at the 2026 Olympic Games."

I'm torn...this is Alisa and Misha's moment of glory, and they can do what they want in their personal life. But in the context of other Russian-American "marriage after tryout" situations, this is getting a little disturbing...
 
Maybe because they’re 25 & 27 I’m less bothered by it. At that age, there’s plenty of people getting married for even more dubious reasons. I don’t think it’s comparable to the marriages at WASA Dance. At that point, it’s up to the immigration officials to make the call if they think the marriage is valid enough or not.
 
Tinycities said:
Maybe because they’re 25 & 27 I’m less bothered by it. At that age, there’s plenty of people getting married for even more dubious reasons. I don’t think it’s comparable to the marriages at WASA Dance. At that point, it’s up to the immigration officials to make the call if they think the marriage is valid enough or not.
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We don't know though- they actually could be together as well. They have a lot in common being they both have Russian backgrounds, they are both private people, hardworking, etc.
 
It occurs to me that in that print interview I posted the link to the other day, Misha said, "We are a huge Formula 1 household." I thought maybe he was just talking about his own family of origin -- but maybe not?
 
I've said that a secret marriage would be the most hilarious outcome and I stand by this statement, HOWEVER if this turns out to be the case again, I really do think USFS needs to say something at this point even if it's just "we don't meddle in the private lives of our skaters" because let's be real here, this is happening so much at this point.
 
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