2026 4CC - Pairs Free Skate

[tony]

I think he’s half asleep. I’m half convinced he gave them a glowing GP season, then switched to the concussion and them seemingly forgot it again

Either that or I’m half asleep.

He messaged me briefly after the mens short and I know he's not a fan of those longgggg breaks between events with the time difference. I'm almost sure he's half asleep

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Lady McBeth and guy are slaying!

 

[tony]

The things McBeath and Parkman do well are so stunningly good - that throw 3Lo just floated and she eased into the landing so perfectly. But there's always some big hiccup and the programs are always just there.

 

[victorskid]

Did Chris just make up a Grand Prix season for the Australians?! I was only half listening but I’m sure he gave them a bronze at the GPF

I think he might have been (mis)quoting from their ISU Biography:
"Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore are the first Australian Pair Skaters to win an ISU Grand Prix medal (bronze at Skate Canada 2024). The couple missed most of the first half of the 2025/26 season due to administrative issues and injury when Golubeva suffered a concussion in a practice accident. Golubeva received Australian citizenship in December 2025."

 

[Karen-W]

McBark - nice 3tw; SBS 3t - really beautiful; SBS 2f+2a - and down Katie goes which then caused him to put a hand down - total mess; throw 3lo - fabulous; first lift - very nice; FODS - excellent; combo spin - good; throw 3lz - gorgeous; second lift - strong; choreo seq - fine; last lift - nice.

Well, apart from the SBS jump combo, that was an excellent program from them - better than Nats for sure. Putting some real pressure on the teams ahead of them, IMO.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Good job, Katie and Danill! That's more like it.

 

[BittyBug]

I feel like McBeath and Parkman are on the cusp of greatness but they always seem to have some type of issue.

 

[miffy]

I think he might have been (mis)quoting from their ISU Biography:
"Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore are the first Australian Pair Skaters to win an ISU Grand Prix medal (bronze at Skate Canada 2024). The couple missed most of the first half of the 2025/26 season due to administrative issues and injury when Golubeva suffered a concussion in a practice accident. Golubeva received Australian citizenship in December 2025."

I thought he gave 2 results from the GP events and then said that qualified them for the GPF where they finished 3rd. But seeing as I seem to be the only person here who heard that maybe I was hallucinating

 

[tony]

That scream on the SBS 3S was without a doubt Duhamel's

 

[beckab81]

McBeath /Parkman weren’t perfect, but they’ve put together more good performances than bad this season. Maybe one day we’ll see them go fully clean?

 

[BittyBug]

Well this was a much better outing for Shin and Nagy but still lots of tiny issues.

 

[Karen-W]

ShiNagy - 3tw - alright; SBS 3s - done; SBS 3t+1a - she falls on the 2nd jump after a fought-for-landing on the 3t; throw 3lo - fine; first lift - good; throw 3s - bit wild on the landing but stayed up; FIDS - okay; combo spin - slow; second lift - fine; last lift - well, they didn't botch it like at Nats; choreo seq - meh.

They have so much work to do on every single one of their pairs elements to bring them up to the quality of even a team like McBark. That's the message from the judges at both Nats and here this month. I hope they & their team get it loud & clear because there is potential, but right now, it's all just rough.

Chris tells us that she got a < on the SBS 3s which doesn't surprise me.

 

[~tapdancer~]

Not bad for S/N, better than the SP. I liked the camera angle on one of their lifts, beautiful ice coverage.

 

[Hedwig]

this music I am so glad the program is over so I do not need to hear this wailing sound anymore

 

[miffy]

Aww shame for L/E on the jumps. I was always quite indifferent to them until this season, they won me over at SA and I’m kind of rooting for them now. They seem like such nice positive people too.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Laurin/Ethier not giving up on their program.

 

[~tapdancer~]

In the SP thread, someone mentioned about the Canadian team of L/E skating better than their talent and I think that's a perfect assessment. I think of them as journeymen skaters. They can often do the elements but there just isn't anything special and I don't think their GOE should be anywhere near the top skaters. For one thing, they skate so slow. But I admire their commitment.

 

[tony]

Crazy improvement from the last few years to this year - so watchable now. He's brushed up on his basics and posture A LOT. There's a feel-good thing going on with them, actually it was quite nice at Skate America where they really skated well.

Nice job.

 

[Karen-W]

LaurEth - and right from the off, Chris gives Canadians a ridiculous hope for a medal here. 3tw - very nice but only L1; SBS 3s - and he falls; SBS 2a+1a+2a - the last 2a was messy for her; first lift - fine; throw 3lo - beautiful; she always looks like she's about to have a breakdown in this program, lol; second lift - solid; last lift - good; throw 3s - gorgeous; BODS - nice; combo spin - alright; choreo seq - eh.

Well, if the TES holds, they'll stay ahead of McBark and I'm not sure I agree with that, though McBark were 6 points behind them after the SP, so I guess that's reasonable.

 

[BittyBug]

This team surprised me at Skate America and here again they impressed. Lots of potential.

 

[~tapdancer~]

I don't get it. I really don't. Don't agree with that score. But I realized how much of a cushion they had over Mc/P so not surprised they are leading. LOL that Chris thinks they could medal. But Chris is always so positive about the skaters. I admire that cause I think no matter what, they are doing something I could never do!

 

[Karen-W]

OMG, Chris, they're not getting a medal here. Stop jinxing the rest of the teams left to skate!

 

[PRlady]

ShiNagy - 3tw - alright; SBS 3s - done; SBS 3t+1a - she falls on the 2nd jump after a fought-for-landing on the 3t; throw 3lo - fine; first lift - good; throw 3s - bit wild on the landing but stayed up; FIDS - okay; combo spin - slow; second lift - fine; last lift - well, they didn't botch it like at Nats; choreo seq - meh.

They have so much work to do on every single one of their pairs elements to bring them up to the quality of even a team like McBark. That's the message from the judges at both Nats and here this month. I hope they & their team get it loud & clear because there is potential, but right now, it's all just rough.

Chris tells us that she got a < on the SBS 3s which doesn't surprise me.

You’d never know reading this that the two teams finished all of five points apart overall and one measly point in PCS. I think McPark do look more polished but their SBS are a mess in true American style and there’s nothing special about them. Shin/Nagy have had much less time together and it’s just not fair to keep dunking on them.

 

[Karen-W]

I don't get it. I really don't.

I don't get their PCS being 1 point better than McBark, that's for sure.

 

[tony]

You’d never know reading this that the two teams finished all of five points apart overall and one measly point in PCS. I think McPark do look more polished but their SBS are a mess in true American style and there’s nothing special about them. Shin/Nagy have had much less time together and it’s just not fair to keep dunking on them.

Not to mention it was quite obvious the opposite was true at Nationals - the judges would've handily given it to Shin and Nagy had they themselves not let it go with a lift error and other mistakes in the second half of the free skate. They were very much home free to a presumed Olympic spot but they gave it away.

 

[honey]

I really like Alissa’s wrap sweater she is sporting on the warm up. Would love one for myself lol

 

[Karen-W]

You’d never know reading this that the two teams finished all of five points apart overall and one measly point in PCS. I think McPark do look more polished but their SBS are a mess in true American style and there’s nothing special about them. Shin/Nagy have had much less time together and it’s just not fair to keep dunking on them.

There was an 8 point difference between the two teams in the Free Skate. The reason McBark only beat ShiNagy by 5 points overall is because of the SP, which is fair.

McBark had a gorgeous SBS 3t in their FS; both of ShiNagy's SBS jumps had issues - and Audrey got a < on her SBS 3s.

Given where McBark were a year ago when they'd been together about 1 yr & 9 months which is the amount of time ShiNagy have been together right now, ShiNagy are scoring in that same range that McBark were scoring last year.

I didn't say that ShiNagy should throw in the towel and they have no future. What I said is that their pairs elements still need a lot of work - and that's the message the judges at both Nats and here at 4CCs this week have sent, loud & clear. They may surprise me by showing up next fall with improved pairs elements and that will be good for them and US pairs but, right now, all I see is a team that has been rushed way too fast to get to the level they need to be at to stand a chance of beating any of the four US teams ahead of them without those teams fronting them 4-8 points with bad SPs.

 

[~tapdancer~]

I remember S/H as itty-bitties, wow, 19 years together. They are just one for the history books. Fun to see them back. Worrying about her hip, though. Hope they can skate well here!

 

[Karen-W]

Not to mention it was quite obvious the opposite was true at Nationals - the judges would've handily given it to Shin and Nagy had they themselves not let it go with a lift error and other mistakes in the second half of the free skate. They were very much home free to a presumed Olympic spot but they gave it away.

LMAO. This is such a joke of a response from someone who clearly didn't take a look at the protocols. The judges gave it to ChanHowe on GOE. If not for a horror show SP, the judges would have given it to ChanHowe - and the GOE told that story loud & clear. Keep trying.

 

[Kateri]

Holy shit, Zhang/Huang have the only split-position leg to face lift I've ever liked in my life. That was actually elegant and pretty.