A Divine Sport blog

clairecloutier

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So glad you're back Claire! It took some soul-searching for me to get back to covering skating again too. I don't know about you but I just couldn't stay away in an Olympic year.:D Looking forward to your posts! ❤️

It was the same for me, @kwanatic. :D

I've been doing more interviews and profiles recently, but I really wanted to write a bit about pairs at the start of the Olympic season. Hopefully I can do more as the season progresses! And I'm looking forward to listening your new-format podcasts! :)
 

ЭPiKUilyam

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Thank you for posting your blog, Claire! I may even start getting interested in pairs skating again. I've just found it cringey with all the deathly dangerous skills they are attempting now, to where I'm more worried they'll get hurt than appreciate their difficulty. Hopefully that will change this year.
 

clairecloutier

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Thank you for posting your blog, Claire! I may even start getting interested in pairs skating again. I've just found it cringey with all the deathly dangerous skills they are attempting now, to where I'm more worried they'll get hurt than appreciate their difficulty. Hopefully that will change this year.

I agree with you in some ways--I too get a bit nervous watching some of the elements, especially lifts. And, ever since seeing Sara Conti fall 6 feet to the ice last spring at Challenge Cup when her partner failed to catch a twist, I've been nervous for that element too. :eek: (I love twists, but I'm still a little nervous.)
 

ЭPiKUilyam

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I agree with you in some ways--I too get a bit nervous watching some of the elements, especially lifts. And, ever since seeing Sara Conti fall 6 feet to the ice last spring at Challenge Cup when her partner failed to catch a twist, I've been nervous for that element too. :eek: (I love twists, but I'm still a little nervous.)
Ashley Cain's mishap a couple years ago did me in.... :(
 

text_skate

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Thank you so much for sharing your thoughts on pairs. I've missed your in-depth analysis, thoughts, and eloquent writing. Wonderful article!

I loved the recaps, I probably said that more than once. Hopefully, you'll find the time to write more. I'm fine with previews, reviews, recaps, ... 😊

Your preview even made me change my predictions on SkAm :sneaky:. I went back to my original strategy of putting Tar/Mor in a prediction game at #1, as long as S/H aren't in the mix. (Well, nowadays their "head" is an equally serious contender as Sui/Han) (And yes Mis/Gal are great)
Tar/Mor are so good. Their lines, their glide and speed, the elegance. They stand out. In my experience: they look so much better live than on screen. I realised it, when I saw them some years ago at Nebelhorn. Back then I had the impression they will beat Sav/Mas at the OG.

When I read your blog post, I took the oportunity to read the linked post about the junior Russian pairs. There is just one and a half pair left standing: Boi/Koz and Mishina.

(Plus Zhuk now for CZE with Bidar, Efimova possibly with Blommaert)
 

clairecloutier

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After a 7-year break, 2014 U.S. pairs champions Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir are reteaming to skate in a benefit show this weekend at The Skating Club of Boston. I talked with Marissa & Simon about what's been going on with them and why they decided to team up for this event:

 

clairecloutier

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I know that most people's minds are very much on the women's event at the Olympics. But ... pairs starts tomorrow. And, before the Valieva saga began, I had started working on a preview/prediction column for the pairs. For those interested, here it is:

 

clairecloutier

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Here's a new interview I did with Canadian ice dancers Marjorie Lajoie/Zachary Lagha:

 

Lizziebeth

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A short interview with Bruno Marcotte, coach of Miura/Kihara and Moore-Towers/Marinaro:

Claire, your articles/interviews are so well done. I look forward to more of them.
 

clairecloutier

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Here is my latest from last week's Worlds. It's a piece on Keegan Messing (one of my faves). Lots of quotes from both Keegan and his coach, Ralph Burghart.

 

clairecloutier

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Here's a short piece about Roman Sadovsky and his thoughts on his performances at Worlds and the Olympics:

 

clairecloutier

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A review of this year's U.S. Stars on Ice show (with some great photographs courtesy of SOI and show photographer Olga Trofimova):


I'll have a couple short interviews coming from this show later this week/early next week. They'll be at the Figure Skaters Online web site.

Also, I have one or two more articles yet to come (belatedly) from Worlds. Stay tuned! ;)
 

clairecloutier

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Here is my final bit of coverage from Montpellier Worlds. It's a look back at the significance of these championships, both political and personal, and the performances that I found most memorable:

 

kwanfan1818

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Anytime some Russian skating person tries to claim Malinin as one of their own, they should be made to stand in front of a mirror and repeat this quote five times in a row with a straight face:

“I just came here to try to put my best into the program, and that was one of the elements that I’m happy I landed.”
 

clairecloutier

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Here is my look back at U.S. Classic in Lake Placid, with quotes & notes from a lot of the skaters who competed there:

 

clairecloutier

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Here's some photos from Skate America, shot by Jordan Cowan of On Ice Perspectives:


This is the first time I've had skating photos on my web site! Pretty exciting. :)
 

clairecloutier

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clairecloutier

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Here's an interview I did with Ben Agosto at Four Continents:


The focus of this was on his work as a commentator, and the role of commentators in skating.
 

clairecloutier

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So I was on a little break for a while ... But I'm back & I wanted to share some of my recent content here. I have a bunch of interviews out ahead of Skate America.





Also, I'll be covering Skate America this weekend ... if interested, follow on social media:

 

clairecloutier

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Here's some stuff from the mixed zone at Skate America:

Coaches' Corner at Skate America: Patrice Lauzon, Jenni Meno, and Greg Zuerlein's comments on their skaters' performances

Lajoie/Lagha at Skate America: Their comments at the event

I may also have some shorter interview snippets from Skate America coming out on Instagram ... if interested, you can follow at:

 

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