Canadian Pairs 2017/2018 Season News and Updates

Both D/R and I/M have said they're retiring, so it could happen.

By chance do you have a source for I/M saying they will retire? I mean, I expect Dylan to retire, but who knows, if IJS changes de-emphasize things like jumps I thought they might take it year by year if they see room to move up.
 

Thank you!

Too funny, I never made it to the end of that interview when it first came out. I should have stuck it out.
So Luba is definitely retiring, too, and both will go on to a pro career together. Great for them, but so much for the dream pairing with Michaud. Back to the drawing board....

As for national team, I think all pairs should compete against themselves and go for great national/international results. There looks to be a number of open slots on the national team for anyone deemed worthy.
 
New Bev Smith article on I/M: https://bevsmithwrites.wordpress.co...ina-and-moscovitch-skating-for-the-maple-leaf
Her new Canadian citizenship will allow Ilyushechkina to represent Canada at the Olympics next February. It’s been years in coming, but it arrived just in time. While Moscovitch has been to an Olympics before, Ilyushechkina has not. “I can see the level of excitement is higher at our rink,” she said. “It is, too, for me, but I try not to get overthinking.”
 
Thank you!

Too funny, I never made it to the end of that interview when it first came out. I should have stuck it out.
So Luba is definitely retiring, too, and both will go on to a pro career together. Great for them, but so much for the dream pairing with Michaud. Back to the drawing board....

As for national team, I think all pairs should compete against themselves and go for great national/international results. There looks to be a number of open slots on the national team for anyone deemed worthy.

did you watch the whole interview this time? About how the long program came about...It was all David & Sandra & they were so excited so they trust them & now they love it too. It keeps playing in my head. Did u notice the beautiful triple double Luba did in it. I am so sorry they will not compete after this year but I think CDn skating needs them in other roles as well. I would love to see them help out with other pair teams for the extra touches and all skaters with her beautiful lines and movement.
 
did you watch the whole interview this time? About how the long program came about...It was all David & Sandra & they were so excited so they trust them & now they love it too.

Well, major international judges didn't. I/M got low 7s for this program in Regina. (Yes, I know it was a bad skate and they were in first group but they were a seeded team here who would normally get benefit of the doubt from judges being a top 8 world team last 2 years. But no.)

Let's see if they ditch it after their second GP.
 
I think Dylan's body is starting to wear out and they are realistic about how far they can go with weak sbs jumps. It sounds from the interview that they see some pro opportunities and I agree they would have a lot to offer in that environment. So this could be it for them as they say.

I thought Luba would take up with another partner but I guess kinda like Jamie Sale she's not all about competition and feels better suited to pros. I also thought they'd wait and see the new IJS changes that de-emphasize jumping, which could play to their PCS strength before making a final decision. I guess none of that is happening.

As for this year they are now under pressure and have big decisions to make on both programs and TES composition (e.g. quad or no?). Until this week I had them along with D/R to be a lock for the Olympic team with a 6th place at worlds. Another performance like this in their next GP assignment (along with better numbers from S/B and MT/M) and I think it becomes wide open for the other 2 slots behind D/R.
 
I/M need to ditch that program ASAP and go back to an old one. It's not good at all IMO. They don't have the chemistry to pull it off.
 
I/M need to ditch that program ASAP and go back to an old one. It's not good at all IMO. They don't have the chemistry to pull it off.

they have shown tons of chemistry in other programs. This program needs to be skated fast and clean for the message to get through. I wanted them to do something dramatic and sharp (Carmen had come to mind) but David Wilson & Sandra Bezic definitely know what they are doing so hard decisions coming. I think they need some sort of transitions going into the sbs jumps.It is a wait and see what happens for me.
 
they have shown tons of chemistry in other programs. This program needs to be skated fast and clean for the message to get through. I wanted them to do something dramatic and sharp (Carmen had come to mind) but David Wilson & Sandra Bezic definitely know what they are doing so hard decisions coming. I think they need some sort of transitions going into the sbs jumps.It is a wait and see what happens for me.
While I personally don't agree that they have shown "tons of chemistry" in previous programs, I do acknowledge that they have shown at least some form of connection that has worked for them in the past. However, I completely agree with @Rafter that they don't have the type of chemistry needed to pull off what Bezic was trying to go for with their current FS. That type of program needs a very raw, sexual type chemistry and the type of connection I/M have managed to pull off in the past has not been remotely raw or sexual. Without that kind of chemistry, the program falls flat and just seems generic and boring, IMO.
 
This program needs to be skated fast and clean for the message to get through. I wanted them to do something dramatic and sharp (Carmen had come to mind) but David Wilson & Sandra Bezic definitely know what they are doing so hard decisions coming.
Program that need to be skated clean to work are problematic to begin with, unless the skater is Medvedeva. It's especially problematic if they're attempting at 4s throw that won't be landed and two hit-or-miss jumping passes.

Both Wilson and Bezic, like all choreographers, have choreographed duds before.
 
When you look past your like or dislike for the music of I/M's long you're next faced with buying into the chemistry between them. If you don't, the program reads like an SOI program, with choreo a lot about passionate embraces and highlight moves that are lengthy although fairly average to watch, never mind skated on two feet.

If you dig the music and/or the chemistry between them, you're good. If neither work for you, you become less impressed with this program compared to other things they have done.

Having said that I'm warming up to the short more and more. I like the mood of it and I buy into the interpretation using the arms and head/face. This type of simplicity works for me whereas it just doesn't for the long.
 
Watching the short live, it was great. No problems with the construction of the short. They have other issues.

Their long didn't work as well for me, aside from performance problems. The ending seemed soooooo drawn out.
 
If they do get the sbs, they don't have a chance. I watched their LP and the sbs were awful and very disruptive. Also, no chemistry
 
Both Wilson and Bezic, like all choreographers, have choreographed duds before.

Yes, and I/M's FS is a complete dud. I'm not sure what they were thinking, it's a terrible fit for them and is never going to work. I'm surprised Skate Canada didn't tell them to change it.

Not a fan of recycled programs but they really should go back to last year's FS. It was a bit of a mess at the beginning of the season but you could see they connected with it, you could see the potential. That really isn't the case with this year's program.
 
I need to go back to when they first debuted this long. IIRC correctly I was one of about three who hated it. The bulk of the reception was quite positive. I'm both validated and amused now by the :lynch: that's happening.

But anyways, if I'm them I see how the next GP goes and if they aren't pulling well into the 8s with this, I say ditch it and do something new. That's a big decision at this stage of the season but they'd have almost two months to prep a new program. They are talented and can do it. It's your last year. Pull out all the stops.

D/R were very workmanlike in this program and they needed this result badly. Levels, GOE and PCS left on the table, even with 148. They can now settle in and focus on making the program 10% better over the next 2-3 months. Less daunting of a task than what they were facing a few weeks ago. < whew >
The message with their 9s is that the panel sees them as Olympic gold contenders. Even with the missed lutz in the short, this event couldn't have gone any better.
 
It would have been bad if they (D/R)had skated a blinder this early. As it was, they mostly did their jobs. I wonder if this is the mindset they have to be in, with tangible, measurable goals, ie, like levels and GOE, to be at their best.

For I/M, it's not so much chemistry as a lack of believability as a romantic, goo-eyed couple. They both have more oomph than that.

Have they ever said why they changed the triple jump entrance from holding their hands behind their backs, with which they had some success last season? It kept her upright, with her shoulders back and even, while in the one practice I saw and in the programs, she was titled badly, and unlike Uno or Cha, she can't save that.
 
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It would have been bad if they (D/R)had skated a blinder this early. As it was, they mostly did their jobs. I wonder if this is the mindset they have to be in, with tangible, measurable goals, ie, like levels and GOE, to be at their best.

For I/M, it's not so much chemistry as a lack of believability as a romantic, goo-eyed couple. They both have more oomph than that.

Have they ever said why they changed the triple jump entrance from holding their hands behind their backs, with which they had some success last season? It kept her upright, with her shoulders back and even, while in the one practice I saw and in the programs, she was titled badly, and unlike Uno or Cha, she can't save that.

The problem, they have said is Lubov tries so hard she tightens up...overthinking it...she can do the jumps...she did a nice triple dbl combo at Finlandia. I thought they should put a small transition before the jumps to split her attention then they do the hands thing which seemed to work as well. I hope they put something in there now. I guess it is hard if she does it ok in practice.
 

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