Canadian Pairs 2018/2019 Season News and Updates

[quartz]

Generally one can’t will themselves to become pregnant....

 

[oleada]

Meagan:
"... I was becoming so uptight about my ovulation calendar and thinking that I had a true fertility problem, I had started to give up and accept that maybe I couldn’t will myself to become pregnant, like I willed myself through so many difficulties in skating. I relaxed, took a month away from touring, made appointments at a fertility clinic, and bam. It happened. When I least expected it to. Life is funny that way."

I've heard so many stories like that of couples trying hard to become pregnant and having problems. As soon as they relax and stop worrying and focusing so hard, it happens when least expected. Good luck to Meagan & Bruno in their new life and in their pregnancy adventure!

I really hope you never tell this to anyone going through fertility issues.

 

[aftershocks]

I really hope you never tell this to anyone going through fertility issues.

I just commented briefly on personal anecdotal stories that I've heard, not connected with difficult and painful fertility issues, which Meagan's situation fortunately did not become. There was no intention by me to offend anyone. Every woman's experience of trying to conceive is very different, just as every pregnancy is experienced differently. I appreciate Meagan sharing her story with us in her blog.

Generally one can’t will themselves to become pregnant....

Obviously not. Those are Meagan's words and thoughts in her blog, personal to her. And if you know anything about Meagan's personality (which surely you do), maybe you get where her type A personality thinking comes from. She's obviously very driven, and I suspect that's what she was reflecting on and commenting on in a personally way. At least that's my take from the story Meagan shared.

 

[Japanfan]

Generally one can’t will themselves to become pregnant....

Or not become pregnant.

 

[shutterbug]

McIntosh/Toste working on their 3twist: https://www.instagram.com/p/BxhmuTJn90E/ Good start!

 

[Sylvia]

Francis Boudreau-Audet announced his new partnership with Nadine Wang today on his IG (in English & French): https://www.instagram.com/p/Bxkbwp_pHKV/

... We have kept things quiet for a while waiting to obtain both our releases. Finally got them recently and we are currently getting our clearance for Canada. Yes, we will represent Canada !! ...

There are 2 photos plus clips of a throw 3Lz (or F) and sbs 3F.

ETA that Boudreau-Audet turned 25 last November and competed with Sumire Suto for JPN through 2017 Worlds (ETA: and the following Grand Prix season in fall 2017): http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00035017.htm

Wang, now 20, was Spencer Howe's previous partner (they were 4th in Junior at 2018 U.S. Nationals and competed together once in junior internationally: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00103380.htm ); Howe has since paired up himself in Dallas: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-updates-part-ix.104932/page-19#post-5583731

 

[Catherine M]

Good luck to Wang & Boudreau-Audet with their partnership.

Skate Canada will have to get the checkbook out and send all these new senior teams out on the senior B circuit so they can get their min scores.

 

[Catherine M]

So by my count, Canada is up to 9 senior teams now:

Sr last season:

Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud
Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe
Lori-Ann Matte / Thierry Ferland
Justine Brasseur / Mark Bardei

Moved up from Jr:

Chloe Choinard/ Mathieu Ostiguy

New teams:

Lubov Ilyushechkina/ Charlie Bilodeau
Nadine Wang/ Francis Boudreau-Audet
Natasha Purich/ Bryce Chudak


Am I missing anyone??

 

[Sk8mom123]

Good luck to Wang & Boudreau-Audet with their partnership.

Skate Canada will have to get the checkbook out and send all these new senior teams out on the senior B circuit so they can get their min scores.

I’m looking forward to seeing who gets senior Bs anyone have predictions?

 

[Sylvia]

I’m looking forward to seeing who gets senior Bs anyone have predictions?

Maybe a better time to make predictions will be after the summer competition season is underway for pairs and/or some videos have surfaced? BTW, when might be a good time to start the 2019/20 Canadian Pairs thread?

 

[Mad for Skating]

I've heard so many stories like that of couples trying hard to become pregnant and having problems. As soon as they relax and stop worrying and focusing so hard, it happens when least expected.

I really hope you never tell this to anyone going through fertility issues.

I think you both have good points. I’ve heard of some women where relaxing has helped, and others who have struggled for many years with infertility. It’s different for everyone.

 

[Mad for Skating]

So by my count, Canada is up to 9 senior teams now:

Sr last season:

Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud
Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe
Lori-Ann Matte / Thierry Ferland
Justine Brasseur / Mark Bardei

Moved up from Jr:

Chloe Choinard/ Mathieu Ostiguy

New teams:

Lubov Ilyushechkina/ Charlie Bilodeau
Nadine Wang/ Francis Boudreau-Audet
Natasha Purich/ Bryce Chudak


Am I missing anyone??

And here we were thinking Canadian Pairs was going to be empty this year...

 

[Catherine M]

I’m looking forward to seeing who gets senior Bs anyone have predictions?

The Challenger series is only having pairs at five events:

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic Salt Lake City / USA Sep 17-22, 2019
Nebelhorn Trophy Oberstdorf / GER Sep 25-28, 2019
Finlandia Trophy Espoo / FIN Oct 11-13, 2019
Warsaw Cup Warsaw / POL Nov 14-17, 2019
Golden Spin of Zagreb Zagreb / CRO Dec 4-7, 2019

So there won't be alot of spots to go around, especially since Autumn Classic in Canada won't be having a pairs competition.

As Sylvia said, summer monitoring will be crucial for getting chosen. Maybe some of the teams should look into going to Skate Detroit, as its earlier than the Canadian summer comps and usually has a good pairs event.

 

[RoseRed]

The Challenger series is only having pairs at five events:

U.S. International Figure Skating Classic Salt Lake City / USA Sep 17-22, 2019
Nebelhorn Trophy Oberstdorf / GER Sep 25-28, 2019
Finlandia Trophy Espoo / FIN Oct 11-13, 2019
Warsaw Cup Warsaw / POL Nov 14-17, 2019
Golden Spin of Zagreb Zagreb / CRO Dec 4-7, 2019

So there won't be alot of spots to go around, especially since Autumn Classic in Canada won't be having a pairs competition.

As Sylvia said, summer monitoring will be crucial for getting chosen. Maybe some of the teams should look into going to Skate Detroit, as its earlier than the Canadian summer comps and usually has a good pairs event.

They can always send them to senior B events that aren't challengers. That wouldn't count for SB scores, but teams could get their tech minimums that way at least.

 

[Dobre]

They can always send more than one team to an event. I think all of the CS hosts would have been thrilled to have more teams at their events last season.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Autumn Classic in Canada won't be having a pairs competition.

Well that’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard

 

[RoseRed]

Well that’s the dumbest idea I’ve ever heard

Because the entries were so low for the pairs at CS events last season (so multiple ones didn't count), they decided that only half the 10 events would have pairs. It's not a terrible idea, but I'm not a fan of the way they spread them out. And it would be much better to have pairs at Autumn Classic than at the US Classic with altitude.

 

[Dobre]

Hopefully by next season there will be enough pairs to validate more events. And if not, probably they will rotate the pairs to the Autumn Classic then. Bringing the number of events down will mean that more U.S. and Canadian pairs need to travel overseas; but at least there will be less worrying that if one more country drops out prior to one's event that there will be no World Standing points.

 

[kwanfan1818]

This season, we're back to fewer than 75 Pairs on the SB list, and, if the same formula for GP minimums holds (3/5 of the World Champions' total score), only 2/3 will qualify. (The ISU had already dropped technical minimums/program as alternated criteria.)

 

[aftershocks]

And here we were thinking Canadian Pairs was going to be empty this year...

Well the field was sparse, no lie. Thinking it was going to stay that way without any efforts being made to remedy the prospects and the outlook was faulty. Stuff is always happening. What can ultimately make a difference is the response to what happens.

Obviously, even prior to 2019 Worlds, Canadian pairs fans were voicing concerns and realizing that Canada would have to rebuild in practically every discipline, aside from ice dance. In pairs, the concern was due to the retirements of Duhamel/Radford and Dylan Moskovitch, as well as the partner split of Seguin/Bilodeau post-Worlds.

Going deeper, it's obvious that Kirsten/Michael got off to a slow start because of injury this past season. They faced some up-and-down adversity, even as they were clearly Canada's best pair team, with Ruest/Wolfe and Walsh/Michaud not as strong challengers internationally. R/W are lovely aesthetically, but they have tech and consistency issues. W/M are strong on gumption and confidence, but I don't think they are a very well-matched team. W/M are definitely able, gung-ho competitors who get along well and who can be consistent and entertaining, but they still have a lot of work to do. I'm not sure how far they can go as a team in jockeying for position against more well-matched teams who have better assets and greater potential. But on-paper assessments are always speculative. Victories are won on the ice, the field of play.

Clearly, the pairing of Lubov/Charlie reinvigorated the Canadian pairs outlook in one fell swoop, no? Where's the happy dance icon? Meanwhile, Kirsten/Michael aren't going anywhere, so we'll find out how they rebound from last season. They did not have as good programs last season as they did the season before. Plus, the slow start due to injury also affected their forward momentum. And K&M also admittedly struggled a bit with being the only Canadian front-runners in pairs last season. That set of circumstances will obviously no longer be a factor. I haven't heard yet whether K&M will be relocating to Hamilton Ontario with Bruno & Meagan. Regardless of where they will be training, K&M have gained experience and knowledge that will aid them in battling a much more competitively viable Canadian field than existed last season.

 

[dramagrrl]

I haven't heard yet whether K&M will be relocating to Hamilton with Bruno & Meagan.

Oakville, not Hamilton.

 

[Japanfan]

Clearly, the pairing of Lubov/Charlie reinvigorated the Canadian pairs outlook in one fell swoop, no? Where's the happy dance icon?

I'll wait to see what they actually do on the ice before thinking about whether they merit a happy dance.

 

[aftershocks]

I'll wait to see what they actually do on the ice before thinking about whether they merit a happy dance.

That's certainly true for any new team, but just looking at how happy Luba and Charlie are makes me smile. As skating fans, why not just enjoy the moments and the journey in the process of unfolding? Why be so focused on outcomes all the time? In the end, it's only the journey and the moments and the emotions that truly matter, not the cold hardware.

 

[barbarafan]

That's certainly true for any new team, but just looking at how happy Luba and Charlie are makes me smile. As skating fans, why not just enjoy the moments and the journey in the process of unfolding? Why be so focused on outcomes all the time? In the end, it's only the journey and the moments and the emotions that truly matter, not the cold hardware.

ITA- I am also excited about B/B ...Hope they have gotten their second wind going strong and their problems all resolved. Has anybody heard if Annabel and Cody have arrived at Pierrefonds Quatre Glace yet? I believe Bryce and Natasha have arrived but not sure if they are training yet.

 

[Sylvia]

Natasha Purich/Bryce Chudak are in Pierrefonds and their FS has been choreographed by Joey Russell. Here's Chudak's photo with them and Anabelle Langlois: https://www.instagram.com/p/Bx6uP4XnXSF/

ETA - scroll past Dance for the compilation of Senior/Junior/Novice Pairs split updates: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-2018-2019-season.105311/page-3#post-5585493

 

[yfbg722]

Not sure if it's been posted anywhere yet but according to Jean Michel Bombardier's Facebook the Wirtzes are moving back to Montreal.

 

[clairecloutier]

KMT posted on her Facebook that former pairs skater Paige Lawrence married Richi Champion this weekend. So she is now Paige Lawrence-Champion.

 

[barbarafan]

Not sure if it's been posted anywhere yet but according to Jean Michel Bombardier's Facebook the Wirtzes are moving back to Montreal.[/QUOTE

Pls say no!!! Weigh ins and body shaming not necessary to figureskating....Ruin some other city pls......Where in Mtl? and what is happening with pairs at Kitchener/waterloo

 

[Mad for Skating]

KMT posted on her Facebook that former pairs skater Paige Lawrence married Richi Champion this weekend. So she is now Paige Lawrence-Champion.

This is honestly so cute.

 

[VALuvsMKwan]

KMT posted on her Facebook that former pairs skater Paige Lawrence married Richi Champion this weekend. So she is now Paige Lawrence-Champion.

This is honestly so cute.

No doubt Die Frau ohne Schatten will disagree with you, but then one must consider the source in such matters.