Yeah, but he's picking a skating partner, not a Vice President. The speculation is natural, and will continue until a name is announced - and then we'll speculate on the potential of the new partnership - and then we'll speculate about how long they'll stay together.
I understand the speculation, I just think Charlie shouldn’t be adding to it. He is in a position power and feeding the speculation to keep himself relavent at the expense of hard worker skaters who want a partner just rubs me the wrong way.Yeah, but he's picking a skating partner, not a Vice President. The speculation is natural, and will continue until a name is announced - and then we'll speculate on the potential of the new partnership - and then we'll speculate about how long they'll stay together.
Depends who it is. If it’s Lubov, I’d say that he needs her more than she needs him at the moment.
Not just you.
I agree. I loved Julianne and Charlie since the beginning, but I think it's awfully preposterous of him to think he's going to leave Julianne and get someone who's oh-so-much better. She wasn't Savchenko, but she was a solid skater who usually did a good job, and I don't think she was below his level.
I think the arrangement of Savchenko/Massot had a big impact on the world of skating. For starters, it has inspired lots of skaters to keep competing. But it also showed how a good partner can lift you from 15th at Worlds to iconic Olympic gold in a just a quad. Although Bruno went through hell and back to get that release from France.
Well......let's just say if he and KMT got together one of their biggest problems would be fighting over mirrors.
SASSSSssssssssssssssesssssssssss
Sale/Pelletier is an example of this too which I'm sure is in the back of every Canadian pair skater's mind.
I see a distinct difference though in all of the above cases (with the exception of Massot perhaps), compared to Charlie and Lubov. All of Sale, Pelletier, Volosozhar, Trankov and Savchenko we’re clearly exceptional pair skaters and it was clear that they could do exceptional things with the right partner.
). Lubov, despite her many abilities that Julianne didn’t have, lacks a vital piece of skill and that is jumping. In my view, Charlie isn’t going to get where he wants with Lubov either because of this. I don’t really see this as a win for either of them.
I think you have a point, but I have to disagree in a few spots...I see a distinct difference though in all of the above cases (with the exception of Massot perhaps), compared to Charlie and Lubov. All of Sale, Pelletier, Volosozhar, Trankov and Savchenko we’re clearly exceptional pair skaters and it was clear that they could do exceptional things with the right partner.
While I think Charlie and Lubov both are excellent pair skaters, I don’t look at them individually and think “ugh, if only they had the right partner”. I think they are both lacking in some qualities to make that happen, and I certainly don’t see it happening together. Actually I see this as a bit of a step down for each of them. Charlie is not as strong a partner as Dylan was (IMO, of course
But no harm in trying I guess, and I welcome more senior pairs in Canada.
But she had excellent potential and met it because she had an exceptional partner. This is why I think KMT has world-class potential, partner-dependent. But without the right fit, they aren't exactly a Volosozhar or Savchenko, who could make a metal pillar good.Charlie is 25 and Lubov is 27.
I don't disagree with you.
Ah, yes Sale never fails to be divisive, does she. I’m keeping her on my list. I saw her in 94 and thought, why is this star wasting her time with a guy who can barely lift her. Even at 16 she had star quality and a pretty solid mastery of pair elements. Just my view, but I think she was an exceptional partner. Not the skating skills of the others on that list, but they were adequate. She had plenty of other fine qualities that that some of the others didn’t. Cue the posts about how she sucks.I don't think anyone was considering Sale to be exceptional before she paired up with Pelletier. In fact, I'm pretty sure there are plenty on FSU who still don't think she was exceptional.
Also, I think you're underselling Charlie a bit. Dylan was a great lifter who became an even better skater in order to "skate up" to Lubov. Charlie isn't a slouch lifting either. My complaint with he and Julianne was her lack of stretch and line. That's not going to be an issue with Lubov, and I think their chemistry/packaging has much more potential than either did with previous partners.
He has some posture issues that aren’t magically going to be fixed because Lubov is beside him. It actually might magnify them. He doesn’t have a ton of charisma, and while a decent performer, I don’t even think of that as something he’s known for. Just as an all around skater, I don’t see him as Dylan’s equal. Others may disagree.
Now I know people are letting their heartstrings do their thinking. Honestly...???? 
They were such a great personality match. When I saw S/B in their first year in junior I thought what in the fresh h*ll is this and didn't see this going anywhere past juniors. They should be proud of their accomplishments.
No problem with my heartstrings.
I remember Julianne before she paired with Charlie, as a singles skater, and she was a bit of a mess artistically. I wish I could remember the FSUer who said she needed to go in to pairs to cover up her very distinct artistic/packaging disadvantages, because they were bang on. I think Julianne has more potential than I would have expected, and she was great for landing jumps.
But, honestly, better that Lubov?
I know a few people have already contradicted this, but I'll point out that there was a lot of buzz about Sale after her singles performance at 1998 Canadians, where Barb Underhill was gushing about how Jamie was competing in singles, but her heart was really in pairs and Barb really wanted to see Jamie find the right pairs partner. Jamie landed a triple toe and double axel in both programs at that competition and that spring, there was a lot of discussion online about who would be a good partner for her. Pelletier's name came up a lot, although people thought it might not work because they had already tried out in 1996 and it didn't work out then.
I agree with you on this. Charlie has a ton of charisma and has shown a real ability to interpret music. Julianne & Charlie were also one of the few Canadian teams with a decent triple twist. Whether it will turn out to be a trade up/trade down for Lubov will probably depend on their overall chemistry together. And whether it is for Charlie also depends on whether Lubov can get her jumps together in competition.
I absolutely agree with this. Sale & Pelletier remain one of my favourite pairs, and she has been massively underrated, imho, over the years. (During their amateur days, I mean) It's not that she wasn't a great skater, but I think she really needed the right partner to make it to the top, which she found. I don't think she could have done what Aliona did with Bruno Massot, is all.
She kinda-sorta had a flip. She tried it in the short, but it was well under and on two feet. I’m assuming she probably landed them sometimes or it wouldn’t have been in the program. Though at that point with Canadian women, who knows.
Oh yeah, I agree that she needed the right partner. But in 1998, Pelletier also looked like a diamond in the rough at best where he was finishing 6th at Canadians with Caroline Roy and having one 15th place finish at Worlds in 1995. One could argue that the Aliona-d each other.
yeah, who knows is right. I'm guessing the triple flip was a hail Mary based on how underrotated it was and given that back then, you would often get some credit for trying the jump and standing on your feet.