They pushed the technical envelope but most of their elements had average quality at best, and the entries and exits to their lifts and throws has absolutely nothing to do with the music. Her lift positions were not very good though she improved at the very end. What little choreography they did have on occasion was typically not very inspired and was usually disconnected, as well as whatever her “interpretation” was.
They benefited hugely from the absence of Volosozhar/Trankov and Savchenko/Szolkowy, and Sui/Han injuries in 2014-2015 season which gave the impression that they were at the level of those pairs. That gave them momentum. And they again benefitted from injuries to Klimov, Volosozhar, Trankov coming back from a major shoulder surgery, and Sui in 2016.
Stolbova & Klimov are nowhere near the pair Duhamel & Radford are. Just look at their achievements.
Duhamel & Radford- Olympic Gold, Olympic silver, Olympic bronze, 2 world titles, 2 world silvers, Grand Prix final Champions, 3 time Grand Prix final medalists.
Stolbova & Klimov- Olympic Gold, Olympic silver, 1 world silver, no other world medals, Grand Prix final champions, no other medalst at Grand Prix final. 0 European titles.
The two teams are just not even in the same universe. The other pairs you mentioned maybe in the same league as the great D&R but certainly not perennial Russian #2 or #3 Stolbova & Klimov, who couldnt even stay ahead of Tarasova & Morozov in Russia.
Duhamel & Radford cannot benefit from the absence of a much inferior pair like S&K. Now moving on from the unworthy S&K to the real opponents of D&R you mentioned.
First Volosozhar & Trankov, they were at the 2016 worlds but got their butts kicked in badly by Duhamel & Radford, then promptly retired, realizing they could not compete against the improved competition with Duhamel & Radford, Savchenko & Massot, Sui & Han. Their LP at the 2016 worlds was a hot mess, but even in the short program when they were clean they placed behind both Sui & Han and Duhamel & Radford. They were a great pair and great champions, and in 2013 and 2014 they were indeed clearly above D&R but they did not have the technical content (no quad throw, no throw triple axel, no quad twist, no side by side triple lutz, no throw triple lutz) to compete with D&R of 2015-beyond even in their prime. Especialy as like D&R they were always known as a more technical pair than an artistic one, and technically they couldnt match D&R even at their best, let alone past their physical primes as they clearly were post 2014 regardless if they competed or not.
Duhamel & Radford beat Sui & Han at the 2013, 2014, 2015, and 2016 worlds. Sui & Han finally beat them at the 2017 worlds when D&R were injured, and at the Olympics, but D&R were certainly competitive with Sui & Han.
Savchenko & Massot (my favorite pair ever so if I am biased it is in favor of them) did not finally beat Duhamel & Radford until the 2017 worlds, again mainly due to Eric's shoulder injury. They lost to them decisively at Skate Canada that fall, showing that D&R were still up with and competitive with S&M. Of course at the GPF and Olympics S&M had a perfect long program and came out on top of D&R and everyone else, but D&R were certainly always competitive with S&M in their time competing together.
Duhamel & Radford have more world titles than all of Voloshar & Trankov, Sui & Han, Savchenko & Massot. All those pairs could only win 1, but D&R are so talented they won 2. They also have 4 world medals, more than all of those pairs, and 7 combined world and Olympic medals, again by far the most of all those teams (V&T are next with 5).
