2025-26 US Pairs Discussion - Milano-Bound By Way of Beijing & St. Louis

[BittyBug]

They only really seem to pull it when there's a very promising team/skater and a very underwhelming field of older teams/skaters - which is the case here.

There is an underwhelming field of older teams but I don't see Shin/Nagy as a "very promising team." They might get better, they might not. They're certainly not the equivalent of Aboian & partner in ice dance. Now that's a promising team.

 

[angi]

Meagan Duhamel was a guest at the Runthrough liveshow and apparently confirmed that there was a skateoff and S/N blew the rest of the field out of the water at that time.

I would take her narratives with a grain of salt. It's not that I don't believe S/N skated better than the rest because I do, I just doubt that they skated as well as she's trying to paint it, and I still side-eye the way she (or Bruno) leaked stuff to Dave Lease during Champs Camp in order to raise S/N's stocks while reducing the efforts of the rest of the teams.

I do think S/N were sent to the qualifier because there probably wasn't any other solid choice, and I don't hold the results against them. Given how they skated yesterday, I would send them to 4CC, but would not send them to the Olympics or to Worlds.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Or perhaps everyone else skated that much more badly, especially with two main contenders having been on the ice for so relatively short a time and others with limited experience and not trying to peak at Champs Camp because there was a snowball’s chance in hell of being chosen. You can “blow away” a field like that with a basic performance.

 

[Badams]

I get tired of reading how terrible the US pairs is. And how 3 spots isn't deserved. 2 spots aren't deserved. Enough, already! They performed at worlds last year. They DID earn those spots. And I think it sucks that they didn't get the third.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Theoretically, TPTB have had their meeting already and have made their decision. And we have to wait almost 24 hours to know which two teams are going.. any Secret sources out there?

 

[tangerine dream]

The pairs event at Nats was so underwhelming that all I care about at this point is who Starr is going to skate with next season.

 

[livetoskate]

I'm not a pairs expert, but I was really impressed by the top 4 even with their mistakes. It could've been that C/H skated in the early group, but I was blown away by their speed & lifts. They all had wonderful moments.

 

[Skaterbob]

Meh, watching the pairs just made it all more clear that the U.S. doesn't need 3 spots at the Olympics even if E&M were both U.S. citizens. I like Shin and Nagy as people I guess but they were sloppy AF in both segments. I don't think Meagan is going to be the type of coach to clean up this team artistically/presentation wise so hopefully someone else is brought on to assist her. It reminded me a lot of Mirai (which I am huge fan) when she would get all excited post-frank carrol/lori nichol and flopped her arms all over the place showing "emotion."

I hope they can get better but all those people saying Nagy is such a great partner I don't know. He looks short, not as strong and sturdy as other pairs men, and he has gone through quite a few partners and is relatively young but not actually young at 27 going to be 28 by summer.

Audrey Shin (since 2024)
Chelsea Liu (2023–24)
Maria Pavlova (2021–22)
Kate Finster (2018–20)

Like I'm not even kidding but who is going to be shocked if he shows up next season with Starr and she bleached her hair blonde? No one.

 

[BittyBug]

Wrong thread.

 

[BrightSkates]

Meh, watching the pairs just made it all more clear that the U.S. doesn't need 3 spots at the Olympics even if E&M were both U.S. citizens. I like Shin and Nagy as people I guess but they were sloppy AF in both segments. I don't think Meagan is going to be the type of coach to clean up this team artistically/presentation wise so hopefully someone else is brought on to assist her. It reminded me a lot of Mirai (which I am huge fan) when she would get all excited post-frank carrol/lori nichol and flopped her arms all over the place showing "emotion."

I hope they can get better but all those people saying Nagy is such a great partner I don't know. He looks short, not as strong and sturdy as other pairs men, and he has gone through quite a few partners and is relatively young but not actually young at 27 going to be 28 by summer.

Audrey Shin (since 2024)
Chelsea Liu (2023–24)
Maria Pavlova (2021–22)
Kate Finster (2018–20)

Like I'm not even kidding but who is going to be shocked if he shows up next season with Starr and she bleached her hair blonde? No one.

You're missing his brief stunt with Tarah Kayne as well

 

[Skaterbob]

You're missing his brief stunt with Tarah Kayne as well

Thanks! That was just copied from his Wiki entry.

 

[Karen-W]

Well, so much for having people sign NDAs if they know who made the team in their discipline...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010326539859284460

 

[Skaterbob]

Well, so much for having people sign NDAs if they know who made the team in their discipline...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010326539859284460

No exhibition from the winners?

 

[Spikefan]

I don’t know that account, but if just a fan why would they sign a NDA. If I see a potential selectee leaving this morning I will report on it too.

 

[Karen-W]

I don’t know that account, but if just a fan why would they sign a NDA. If I see a potential selectee leaving this morning I will report on it too.

The word from several media outlets last night is that all of the newly-minted Olympic team members & anyone else who knows which has been selected were required to sign NDAs. But just because you sign an NDA, the USFS can't stop you from leaving St Louis before the Gala today, even if you don't violate the NDA and any random member of the public may very well spot you heading home before said Gala, lol.

 

[Carolla5501]

Well, so much for having people sign NDAs if they know who made the team in their discipline...

https://twitter.com/x/status/2010326539859284460

The word from several media outlets last night is that all of the newly-minted Olympic team members & anyone else who knows which has been selected were required to sign NDAs. But just because you sign an NDA, the USFS can't stop you from leaving St Louis before the Gala today, even if you don't violate the NDA and any random member of the public may very well spot you heading home before said Gala, lol.

And this would be some kind of breaking news? Did anybody hear any news yesterday about congress meeting to approve citizenship?

Ii don’t think this couple has disclosed anything that wasn’t already very well known as they are not eligible for the Olympics.

 

[Karen-W]

And this would be some kind of breaking news? Did anybody hear any news yesterday about congress meeting to approve citizenship?

Ii don’t think this couple has disclosed anything that wasn’t already very well known as they are not eligible for the Olympics.

Honestly, I could see the USFS making them sign a NDA about getting her citizenship until the team announcement, though I do acknowledge that it isn't something I think could have been kept from public knowledge given the only real path for her to get citizenship was with a Congressional bill.

 

[my little pony]

but would they really leave before the gala? that doesnt make any sense

 

[Spikefan]

I think the gala is only Olympic Team members, hence them leaving.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

but would they really leave before the gala? that doesnt make any sense

The gala is only for the Olympic team members.

 

[BrightSkates]

I think the gala is only Olympic Team members, hence them leaving.

That would be really crappy. Winning Nationals and not even being recognized for it immediately after.

 

[my little pony]

yikes that gives xenophobia - hey 2 time Natl champs we'd rather watch these people who couldnt beat you

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

I can picture Andrea Joyce at the gate: are you flying to Mara Lago or back home?

 

[Carolla5501]

but would they really leave before the gala? that doesnt make any sense

There are two possibilities 1. they changed their flight because they knew they weren’t going to be in the gala. 2 they knew all along they weren’t going to be in the gala because they weren’t going to be in the Olympics and this is the flight they booked originally.

 

[farahfan]

That would be really crappy. Winning Nationals and not even being recognized for it immediately after.

They might have turned down a special invitation. Unlikely but who knows. I think we just don’t know the whole story yet. Hopefully they’ll do another interview to clear up a lot of questions about the last eight months.

 

[my little pony]

if someone too young for the olympics won, there is no way they wouldn't include them

 

[Tesla]

I'm not sure how anyone expected Alisa to have her citizenship expedited, especially in this climate.

 

[Vagabond]

That would be really crappy. Winning Nationals and not even being recognized for it immediately after.

They  were recognized. At the medal ceremony.

 

[AYS]

The national champions should be skating in the gala for nationals, period. What ding dong came up with "only Olympic team members". Did they not foresee this situation (which was pretty easily foreseen)?

 

[BittyBug]

They  were recognized. At the medal ceremony.

It is a long-standing tradition that medalists are invited to participate in a gala exhibition, with the champions skating last. Maybe it was clear to participants that the gala would be different this year, but to fans, it seems like a slight.