2026 Worlds Pairs FS PBP - Loathe Story

[delayedaxel]

OMG I've just been relistening (for the umpteenth time) to the entire Bat Out of Hell album wishing someone, anyone would skate to it, any of it. It's so iconic and brilliant. Paradise by the dashboard lights! A whole new generation should be introduced to Meatloaf and that album.

Sounds great! Hocke and Kunkel should really sleep on it (and give us the answer in the morning).

 

[allezfred]

They said after the SP they hadn't been really training but they had been skating & staying active. They performed their SP at Ice Chips the 1st weekend of March & are obviously preparing for SOI.

It doesn't sound like ANY of the alternates had much information/contact from the USFS before they were notified they were going to Prague. Even Sarah sounded like she didn't realize Bradie had declined the 1st Alt spot until Alysa withdrew. Clearly, Sarah had the most time to prepare, and Jacob at least was just coming off of Jr Worlds 3 weeks ago. The only alternates who I think have been training with any expectation of going to Prague are GreenP because it was obvious as could be that ChoBat's last competition would be Milano.

Dropping to 2 pairs next season isn't ideal buy it isn't the worst thing in the world for the US. I'd rather it be the 1st season of the new cycle than the 3rd like we had this past Olympic cycle.

Also, all the ChanHowe detractors are just going to have to suck it for at least one more season. See their post-FS comments shared in the US Pairs thread.

Wait, did someone not spend the last six months banging on and on about how losing spots was the worst thing ever? I guess I should be surprised by the hypocrisy…

 

[Private Citizen]

Chan and Howe were already being pushed into retirement by US judges during the past couple of seasons, and I can't see this result changing that trajectory .

I empathize that they had to compete at the last minute without much notice. IIRC there were no more alternates possible, so it didn't make a difference whether they competed or not -- declining (as they probably should have done, given lack of training) wouldn't have improved the situation.

That said, they need to live with the result they put out in Prague. I don't think attitudes toward losing a third spot would be as generous if another team were responsible for it.

I suspect E&M and K&O will continue to have a one mistake advantage over Chan and Howe in the short program -- i.e., that they could miss the SBS jumps or throw and still beat them as long as they get the base value (or 70% of it). That advantage is probably up to two and a half mistakes in the free skate. K&O could probably fall on both throws and have a problem with one SBS jump and still beat them, and Efimova could miss all her SBS jumps and two-foot a throw and still come out ahead.

Chan and Howe are of course welcome to stay in, but I'd sooner bet on a "Jason Brown" type ending with them being shovelled off the ice in disgrace than with them ever being on another World team.

But hey it's US pairs and I suppose anything could happen!

 

[Hindernisse]

For Savin’s teams, their “home” choreographer is Sofia Evdokimova, but she had only choreographed for the Armenians

She choreographed only their LP which they kept from previous seasons. They worked with an Armenian choreographer for SP.

 

[marbri]

I can't think of a single context in which this phrase would make sense

And I am sad for you, genuinely sad

 

[Karen-W]

I suspect E&M and K&O will continue to have a one mistake advantage over Chan and Howe in the short program -- i.e., that they could miss the SBS jumps or throw and still beat them as long as they get the base value (or 70% of it). That advantage is probably up to two and a half mistakes in the free skate. K&O could probably fall on both throws and have a problem with one SBS jump and still beat them, and Efimova could miss all her SBS jumps and two-foot a throw and still come out ahead.

What makes anyone think KamO are continuing? Ellie's back home in Colorado Springs practicing throws with at least one other pairs guy while Danny is in Prague doing "behind the scenes" social media fluff for the ISU. Obviously they'll fulfill their SOI commitment but there's even less from them that would indicate they're going to keep competing but Danny's 35.

 

[SkateFanBerlin]

Don't know where to put this. My first time at an international event. I have developed here much more compassion for the skaters. All have sacrificed to be here and are trying their best. Yesterday was probably the worst day in Chan/Howe's career. I'm sure Chan was as surprised as we were by so many mistakes

 

[her grace]

The whole U.S. team underperformed here. E/M finished in the lowest possible place they could and still possibly retain 3 spots. McBeath/Parkman, who finished higher than Chan/Howe at nationals, didn’t step up here. And, of course, C/H were a disaster in the FS. But is anyone really shocked? I was more surprised that USFS got 3 spots last year than that they went back to 2 spots here.

 

[Karen-W]

The whole U.S. team underperformed here. E/M finished in the lowest possible place they could and still possibly retain 3 spots. McBeath/Parkman, who finished higher than Chan/Howe at nationals, didn’t step up here. And, of course, C/H were a disaster in the FS. But is anyone really shocked? I was more surprised that USFS got 3 spots last year than that they went back to 2 spots here.

Agreed. No one is hating on any of these three teams because they all underperformed. None of them survived the SBS jumps unscathed in either the SP or the FS, which is par for the course with US pairs, but still... I get the post-Olympic struggle for most of the skaters/teams competing this week, but what's the excuse for those who weren't at the Olympics for whatever reason?

 

[Vagabond]

Sounds great! Hocke and Kunkel should really sleep on it (and give us the answer in the morning).

I need to know right now!

 

[Alilou]

Sounds great! Hocke and Kunkel should really sleep on it (and give us the answer in the morning).

But I do have to say, much as I enormously appreciate anyone skating to Meatloaf, the song they skated to, although good, didn't come from the Bat Out of Hell album, which is by far his best work.

I wanna see the song Bat out of Hell as a FD! Can you imagine the ending - I'm dying at the bottom of a pit in the blazing sun and the last thing I see is my heart still beating, I'm breaking of my body and flying away like a bat out of hell! With that full orchestration. It would be epic! The music alone would make all the R&J endings look boring and hackneyed.

 

[Bunny Hop]

Pereira/Michaud's surprise third place here is why I'm glad skating still has a World Championships after the Olympics (some sports don't have Worlds in an Olympic year). I am thrilled for them and that they were able to perform as well as they could when it really mattered. That's not an easy thing to do.

And beyond excited for Hase/Volodin's win! I enjoy watching them so much and hope they continue for at least part of the next cycle.

Team Japan also great.