2026 Olys Pairs FS PBP - Are We Not Entertained?

[Alilou]

I am sure she has other things to do at this point in her life but I sure enjoyed the commentary of Sandra Bezic on Gem for the pairs. I came away educated.

I enjoy Sandra well enough, but Kirsten M-T is much better.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Would it have mattered? Are you saying that the Japanese should not have won? Cause I'm fairly sure there were some calls that should have made for H/V and M/B as well. The positive GOE on the lift and the death spiral for the Georgians is a FAR worse crime IMO.

I used the term "purgatory spiral" on Threads and several people seemed to appreciate it.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

Hung Italians are wholesome? Who am I to disagree???

Sweet dreams are made of this...

 

[ks1227]

Kihara: I was going to retire.... and a miracle happened. I was given a chance to pair with Riku. My 4th Olympics. I want to thank all the people that supported me. And I have the respect to all the Japanese pairs skaters who paved the way to the Olympics. Thank you.

I forgot that he had been to four Olympics, I keep thinking this was his third! What a career! I'm so glad they skated so well today and got the Gold!

 

[Moto Guzzi]

Sandra Bezic sounds less snotty than she did in her US commentating days, but her voice is still very low-energy and monotone.

Some skating friends and I used to have skate watch parties back then. We referred to Sandra and Scott as Bitchy and Screechy.

 

[tangerine dream]

Didn’t realize Ryuichi is 33! And forgot that he had skated with NarumiTakahashi.

Yeah, I remember four years ago when Kni/Fraz won worlds and M/K were second and people were talking about how K/F were old and would surely retire after winning worlds, and that M/K were the hot young team even though Ryuichi is a few months older than Brandon.

 

[VGThuy]

I’m finally catching up with the Pairs LP. Is it me, or are Chan/Howe kind of amazing? I mean, of course she UR and fell on the SBS triple toe and the first throw had her feet foot scrape the ice, but they were still quite mesmerizing. They also really skate well with one another, like way the best pairs teams move with one another. I ended up watching it twice because that last third was to die for.

 

[Firedancer]

I’m finally catching up with the Pairs LP. Is it me, or are Chan/Howe kind of amazing? I mean, of course she UR and fell on the SBS triple toe and the first throw had her feet foot scrape the ice, but they were still quite mesmerizing. They also really skate well with one another, like way the best pairs teams move with one another. I ended up watching it twice because that last third was to die for.

Completely agree. I thought they were really great here

 

[skateboy]

I agree, it wouldn't have mattered, had the tech panel not overlooked Riku's blatant two-footed & under-rotated 3s - and that actually makes it even more egregious that they didn't review it. It matters that they & the judges were so set on Miura/Kihara winning that they didn't do their job for something that was obvious in real-time to many observers both in the arena & at home.

It sounds like you reeeeeeaally were not pulling for M/K to win...

 

[zigzig]

The Japanese were breathtaking - that is an OLYMPIC performance. Skating with so much attack, freedom and passion. Perhaps that botched lift in the short was a blessing in disguise.

The Georgians are so solid and their elements are spectacular (except for his patchy footwork on the lifts). Depending on retirements, they could easily be dominating the next quad (especially with better material - the short program was definitely better than the free).

Nerves got to the MiNiki - they have really grown as a pair and their short program was a great vehicle for them. They're both just 26 so would assume they'd stick around for another quad as I feel like they are just starting to blossom as a partnership.

The Hungarians - so solid and consistent. The individual elements are so secure but they need more of a connection with the audience and to raise the stakes of their choreography.

Sui/Han - much stronger than where they started the season. Not sure what their goals were heading into their comeback but a top 5 finish and a solid skate are something they should be proud of all things considered.

Conti/Macii - everything just felt tight and flat. In general I find their skating very effortful. But glad they were able to go home with a team medal.

Chan/Howe - the best skate I've seen from them in a while. In my eyes they surpassed expectations and should be incredibly proud of themselves. They are so appealing to watch on the ice.

Ellie/Danny - they really fought after a tough beginning. I think they won a lot of fans and admirers at these games and are going home with a team gold. I wonder if they'll continue given his age.

Deanna/Max - so bittersweet for me. The sweet part is that I'm glad that she got a lot of coverage about her comeback story and hope she inspires people to follow their dreams. I'm glad her injury was not so serious it prevented her from competing and I'm happy they came back with a solid freeskate after a slightly disastrous short. The bitter part is that while she finally made it to the Olympics, I wish it would have been the dream experience she envisioned. Also kind of sad to think how much momentum they lost after 2024 and at one point they seemed like ringers for a medal, and possibly even gold, here. But the most important thing is that they seemed content after their performance and are at a peace with how things turned out.

 

[Icetalavista]

I needed a little breather after so much skating so watched women’s large hill ski jump final. Ok, pairs women are gutsy, but…(!!!)

 

[Karen-W]

It sounds like you reeeeeeaally were not pulling for M/K to win...

Lol. You only picked up on that today? I've always been rather lukewarm to them as a team. I'm not upset they won, though in my dream world, Conti/Macii would have been the winners. Alas, they're injured and none of the other teams in contention have struck much of a chord with me, so I'm basically... whatever.

It's not that they didn't earn their win today but they're a far cry from past Olympic champs like Sui/Han, Savchenko/Massot, Shen/Zhao, Sale/Pelletier and Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze, Mishkuteniok/Dmitriev, & Gordeeva/Grinkov. I don't even consider them among my favorite World Champs or medalists - I'd have them below Mishina/Galliamov, Knierim/Frazier, Savchenko/Szolkowy, Pang/Tong, Kovarikova/Novotny, Meno/Sand, Wotzel/Steuer, & Brasseur/Eisler.

So, yeah, they're not very high on my lost of favorites, lol.

 

[allezfred]

Even if the Russians had been in Milan, they would have found it difficult to beat the Japanese. Wouldn’t have believed it four years ago that Miura/Kihara would be Olympic champions, but it was totally deserved. Hope it will encourage more skaters in Japan to take up pairs.

 

[rfisher]

Even if the Russians had been in Milan, they would have found it difficult to beat the Japanese. Wouldn’t have believed it four years ago that Miura/Kihara would be Olympic champions, but it was totally deserved. Hope it will encourage more skaters in Japan to take up pairs.

I've watched the Russian pairs all season and I agree they'd have to have been absolutely clean and would have likely needed the quad throw both top teams are working on to have won. The top 4 teams here are light years ahead of the rest of the field.

 

[Buzz]

Congratulations to the medalists! Would have loved to see Lia and Trennt win a medal but this just wasn’t their Olympics.

 

[slicekw]

Great skates all around!