Best pairs split twists of all time?

[Xela M]

It's the element that divides the good teams from the really great ones.

Whose was/is the best? Post videos if you can.

I think Savchenko & Massot's probably is the best I have ever seen https://youtu.be/UAfQPm0nIVM

The Knierims also had a really really good one https://youtu.be/TICGR5flRIY

There were many other teams with great twists.

What is it about the twist that some teams just can't learn it and others can so easily?

 

[puglover]

Most of the Russian pairs get level 4 on theirs. ET/VM have a fantastic twist and according to Wiki they are 5.3 and 6.3. S/H from China can do a quad and their respective heights are listed at 4.9 and 5.8 so both about a foot difference. Not sure how much height difference plays into it.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Back in the older days, I seem to recall that the Moscow based pairs had way better twists than the St. Petersburg ones. Does anyone know why? I could never figure out how B&S could have such an awesome double twist and a mediocre triple twist.

ETA: Gordeeva and Gringov's quad twist from 1987.

 

[Habs]

Back in the day, Brasseur & Eisler had an amazing twist.

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

Back in the day, Brasseur & Eisler had an amazing twist.

Didn't they have two different kinds?

 

[Stephanie]

Chris Knierim and his former partner Brynn Carman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwCldcB1XJc

 

[Habs]

Didn't they have two different kinds?

They had a regular split twist and they also did a triple lateral twist, IIRC. Both were spectacular.

 

[love skating]

Am I crazy or I feel like T&M's twist has less height recently? It got a perfect score at the Olympics and it still was the best twist there, but I feel like it used to get even higher. Not sure if it's just camera angle or what not. For twists I immediately think of T&M, S&M, G&G, Knierims, Paniflova & Rylov and Calalang & Johnson too. I know there a ton of others that I'm forgetting! I'm impressed with those who improve their twist technique - Cain & LeDuc and Lu & Mitrofanov both have surprised me by getting much better twists than a couple years ago. So it is something that can improve.

 

[s_parks]

S/H - they might not have the craziest height but the technique is just impeccable. I really love the speed and flow (which also goes for their other pairs elements) they have in and out of it. Despite the little height difference, they're the only ones to have regularly performed a quad twist.
Panfilova/Rylov- Hands down best pairs elements I've ever seen. They have the incredible height like say, T/M and S/M, but the speed and flow is just next level. The only thing is that they don't consistently hit level 4 despite the great quality, so that could be improved on.

Regarding your last question, I don't think height difference is decisive. It certainly helps with the amplitude (e.g., S/M) in most cases, but the other aspects that make a quality twist are technique dependent. The Chinese pairs are remarkable in the way that they have very little height difference but the catch is always very solid and they almost always get all the features for level 4. As I mentioned with S/H- favorite pairs technique.

ETA: A less well-known one, but Fedorova/Miroshkin (when will I stop liking pairs without triples?) had a very special twist. great cantilever entry and I loved that it was more vertical than most but had superb height.

ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final 2014. SP. Lina FEDOROVA / Maxim MIROSHKIN

http://sporteveryday.info/ - новости фигурного катания

www.youtube.com

 

[canbelto]

Back in the older days, I seem to recall that the Moscow based pairs had way better twists than the St. Petersburg ones. Does anyone know why? I could never figure out how B&S could have such an awesome double twist and a mediocre triple twist.

ETA: Gordeeva and Gringov's quad twist from 1987.

I think Moscow pairs emphasized their purity in things like the throw triple twist, while St. P pairs emphasized their strength in SBS jumps and throws. G/G never did a throw triple loop or SBS triples, and those were elements St. P pairs did all the way in the 1980s.

 

[Spun Silver]

Most of the Russian pairs get level 4 on theirs. ET/VM have a fantastic twist and according to Wiki they are 5.3 and 6.3. S/H from China can do a quad and their respective heights are listed at 4.9 and 5.8 so both about a foot difference. Not sure how much height difference plays into it.

These heights cant be right. There's a much bigger difference between T/M than there is between S/H.

 

[Amy L]

G/G never did a throw triple loop or SBS triples, and those were elements St. P pairs did all the way in the 1980s.

G&G did the triple toe during the 1990 season.

 

[s_parks]

These heights cant be right. There's a much bigger difference between T/M than there is between S/H.

Yeah, I'm pretty sure Han is more like 165 cm max. He can't be more than 5 cm taller than Tarasova judging from the photos of the medalists together on ice.

 

[Vash01]

Among current skaters who are competing T&M have the best triple twist. They enter it after footwork. They used to do the quad twist In the previous quad. Here is their 2018 Euros LP. Their first move is the quad twist.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kTMYzvXPJaM

Gordeeva Grinkov didn't have the same height As the modern pairs. I think the Chinese pairs started the very high twists.

Panfilova Rylov, who were out due to injury last season May have the best and the highest triple twist.

 

[liv]

Actually, I would say G/G started the trend of very high split twists. Her feet were usually over his head, especially in their younger years (before their comeback). None of the other pairs at that time had twists like theirs until Brasseur/Eisler did theirs. Then we started to see more pairs trying to do high twists. The Chinese pairs program started out by watching videos of G/G, so it's no surprise they emphasized high twists.

 

[aussieSKATES]

Gordeeva and Grinkov did a quadruple twist lift at the 1987 World Championships. It was so fast Scott Hamilton had to correct himself after originally misidentifying the move as a triple at the 1987 European Championships.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjMQKE5Gj24

 

[aussieSKATES]

We love this amazing opening sequence from Irina Vorobjeva and Alexandr Vlasov from the Soviet Union at the 1976 World Championships. They do a double twist followed by the rare double axel twist and finish with a throw double axel.

https://youtu.be/IFFr0nlHO8Y?t=467

 

[aussieSKATES]

Actually, I would say G/G started the trend of very high split twists. Her feet were usually over his head, especially in their younger years (before their comeback). None of the other pairs at that time had twists like theirs until Brasseur/Eisler did theirs. Then we started to see more pairs trying to do high twists. The Chinese pairs program started out by watching videos of G/G, so it's no surprise they emphasized high twists.

We were at the 1996 World Championships in Edmonton. China's Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao made a name for themselves at this event and absolutely stole the show in the pairs' free skate.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mmYH7Ck2tiA

 

[emason]

Why do I keep reading the title of this thread as Best Pairs Split of All Time? (Ulanov dumps Rodnina and she pairs up with Zaitsev.)

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Chris Knierim and his former partner Brynn Carman: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cwCldcB1XJc

Holy moly I think they’ve done the best quad twist of any of them that I’ve ever seen

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

Actually, I would say G/G started the trend of very high split twists. Her feet were usually over his head, especially in their younger years (before their comeback). None of the other pairs at that time had twists like theirs until Brasseur/Eisler did theirs. Then we started to see more pairs trying to do high twists. The Chinese pairs program started out by watching videos of G/G, so it's no surprise they emphasized high twists.

While Brasseur & Eisler had a great, great twist, I would still give the edge to G&G on the triple since their catch was better. The height and other aspects were comparable. Brasseur & Eisler did do a triple lateral twist though which no other team, G&G or anyone else, could do, and super difficult (G&G were the only ones able to do the quad twist back then though). I think Brasseur & Eisler and Berezhnaya & Shkliakov had the best double twists of any team though.

 

[barbk]

We love this amazing opening sequence from Irina Vorobjeva and Alexandr Vlasov from the Soviet Union at the 1976 World Championships. They do a double twist followed by the rare double axel twist and finish with a throw double axel.

https://youtu.be/IFFr0nlHO8Y?t=467

That double axel twist looks very cool. I've never seen it before.

 

[bcash]

Shen/Zhao's double twist with a delayed rotation was always excellent. Of course their triple should make any top list as well.

 

[bardtoob]

Why do I keep reading the title of this thread as Best Pairs Split of All Time? (Ulanov dumps Rodnina and she pairs up with Zaitsev.)

Then Rodnina turned around, and beat Ulanov at Worlds the next year with no music and Zaitsev, a partner found by holding cold call auditions.

 

[VGThuy]

I didn’t know Ulanov was the one who dumped Rodnina. Interesting.

 

[Amy L]

I didn’t know Ulanov was the one who dumped Rodnina. Interesting.

He dumped her because he wanted to skate with his then-wife Ludmila Smirnova.

Their daughter Irina skated pairs with both Alexander Smirnov and Maxim Trankov. I personally saw Ulanova & Trankov at 2001 Jr. Nationals, they finished near last but I clearly remembered Trankov because he was a super OTT kid

 

[Areski]

Why do I keep reading the title of this thread as Best Pairs Split of All Time? (Ulanov dumps Rodnina and she pairs up with Zaitsev.)

The same here, lol.