Canadian Pairs 2018/2019 Season News and Updates

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Habs said:
Senior director of performance excellence: https://skatecanada.ca/2019/02/skat...ky-as-senior-director-performance-excellence/
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Hey, thanks @Habs and @shutterbug. How cool. I kinda feel embarrassed to admit that I only knew Shae Z by name, and by the fact that he'd collaborated with the other, more well known Shae on choreography for a number of skaters, including U.S. pairs skaters Tarah Kayne & Danny O'Shea -- on that fabulous and very successful Swan Lake fp that took K/O to another level of confidence and impact. That's why missing their final lift on that program at 2019 U.S. Nats was so devastating, especially in that penultimate moment of no return on salvaging that lift. I'll never understand why people dogged Tarah for showing how utterly devastated she felt. That final lift was the pièce de résistance for the entire program.

Again, I'm embarrassed to also admit I didn't even register previously that Shae Z is male. :shuffle: I probably never had the opportunity to see him perform with his former ice dance partner. He seems multi-talented and very accomplished. No wonder Skate Canada has shored up the inimitable Dr. Z and other Canadian talents to help in their dedicated rebuilding process for all their disciplines.
 
So, David-Alexandre Paradis has teamed with Isabella Gamez of Spain. Are they planning to represent Spain or Canada?
https://www.instagram.com/p/BrobTfXHTlS/

Here's Gamez as a junior with Ton Consul
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yf8d5s5M6MI Gamez/Consul 2017 JGP Gdansk

Paradis seems to be something of a peripatetic free agent taking on pairs skating opportunities whereever he can find them. He skated in the U.S. with Ai Setoyama, apparently after growing up in Canada and competing in the lower level SC pairs ranks.

In 2016, Paradis skated with Dana Sara Jane of the U.S. (Jane now skates with Livio Mayr in juniors, representing Austria)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAHocstzSbQ Dana Sara Jane / D. Paradis

In 2013, Paradis competed with Bourassa in Quebec:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KUj-zi31pRo Émilie Bourassa/ D. Paradis 2013
 
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Habs said:
I'm actually very intrigued that Natasha Purich says she'll have something to announce soon. The Canadian pairs field is pretty bleak right now. Purich may have a reputation as being a bit.... difficult, but she's an excellent skater.
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Yes, I’m always a little concerned for whoever her next partner is but there are so few pairs in Canada these days that I am excited for anything and Natasha has a lot of talent. And you never know...maybe the time off the ice and a serious injury could have helped her grow up? (I’ll try to be an optimist here) It would just be great to see more than two flights of pairs at Canadians for once.
 
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Erin said:
Yes, I’m always a little concerned for whoever her next partner is but there are so few pairs in Canada these days that I am excited for anything and Natasha has a lot of talent. And you never know...maybe the time off the ice and a serious injury could have helped her grow up? (I’ll try to be an optimist here) It would just be great to see more than two flights of pairs at Canadians for once.
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What about Purich and Tran?
 
aftershocks said:
So, David-Alexandre Paradis has teamed with Isabella Gamez of Spain.
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Before teaming up with Ton Consul in 2017 for Spain, Isabella Gamez placed 9th in Junior Pairs at 2017 U.S. Nationals and won the 2016 U.S. Novice Pairs silver medal with Griffin Schwab. She was born in Florida and her last international competition with Consul was 2018 Junior Worlds: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00103171.htm
In 2016, Paradis skated with Dana Sara Jane of the U.S. (Jane now skates with Livio Mayr in juniors, representing Austria)
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It's Sarah Jane DANA: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00106065.htm
 
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Didn't Mervin and Natasha already skate together before? I thought I remembered them being at Canadians and it not going too well.
 
clairecloutier said:
Sorry for the double post, but can you let us know if a recording is available, @Jayar? Thanks.
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@clairecloutier there was no audio, just texting/typing by all participants. I've started a thread in the Trash Can for those who'd like to read the chat transcript and/or discuss it: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ric-radford-ashley-wagner-joe-johnson.105501/

BTW, I noticed Zachary Freedman, 21, is on IPS. He competed with Cirinia Gillett at the junior level internationally for the Philippines in 2018 (covering 2 seasons: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00104672.htm ) and states he has both Canadian and Great Britain citizenship.
 
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blue_idealist said:
I thought it was a decent match. They came 4th at Canadian nationals.
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Oil and water....along just about every dimension you can imagine.

I remember being at their first comp, Quebec summer skate. Watching them trying to do 3ZTh in practice, warmup and in comp. Zero timing between them. I said to my friend that element will never happen, and it came out after that event, replaced by 3TTh. Their styles and personalities don't match well otherwise, as well.

Having said that, Mervyn and his new partner look like they are prepping for their first year on the JGP. What a step down for him - agonizing to watch. Maybe they'll reunite -- better than current situation for both. Not sure who would coach them as I don't think Bruno or Richard would take them and Lee isn't doing pairs.

The guy would likely have to move west to train with her and L/H? Would Trennt make the move to be closer to KO esp if she decides to continue? I'm curious how he sees his chances getting to Beijing with a 3Tw that may never get 5 pts and a partner with only one reliable triple. Bump that up against a fully cooked MT/M, I/B, B/B and I see them slotting in 4th at best in the pecking order as the cycle peaks in a few years.

The only other thing going on is that SC I'm told has been active in recruiting singles skaters for pairs. The names I have heard who have received 'letters' is a bit eyebrow-raising. Stand by for something potentially random!
 
There can't be too many Canadian pairs announcements for me this off-season.

Best of luck to Natasha and Bryce!
 
Sylvia said:
Before teaming up with Ton Consul in 2017 for Spain, Isabella Gamez placed 9th in Junior Pairs at 2017 U.S. Nationals and won the 2016 U.S. Novice Pairs silver medal with Griffin Schwab. She was born in Florida and her last international competition with Consul was 2018 Junior Worlds: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00103171.htm

It's Sarah Jane DANA: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00106065.htm
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Thanks for those clarifications.

Paradis and Gamez apparently have various options for which country to represent: U.S., Canada, Spain. And if it's Spain, that would be another case of two skaters representing a country where they were not born and bred, despite obtaning citizenship, a la Savchenko/Massot. Although in Gamez' case, perhaps her parents have Spanish ancestry.
 
Bryce Chudak!
That's awesome -- didn't see that name coming.
IIRC he stuck around in skating, training etc without a partner as if he'd hold out as long as possible to keep skating...and then sort of moved on as things weren't coming together for him.

Glad he (and she) is getting another kick at the can.

Another new team! Woohooo!
 
IloveFS said:
Wasn't there some speculation about the team splitting because of their results at US Nationals?
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They just recently started out as a team, and Serafini is completely new to pairs skating. She was previously a singles skater. I believe Merv & Livia had skated only twice before in exhibition, not competition. For big time U.S. Nats being their first competition as a team who haven't been together for even one year yet, they did not skate horribly. Livia still has much to learn, and their partnership has miles to go and many milestones to conquer if they are both willing to put in the effort together.

Regardless of what anyone thinks, 2019 U.S. Nats featured a lot of promising pairs teams. And things can turn around for Mervin & Livia. It just depends on how committed they are.

At every competition, someone has to come in last. Everything is not always based on placements anyway. Shen & Zhao came in last place at their first Worlds (1994 21st place). Two years later, they landed in 15th place, then 11th, and then they made a big jump to 4th, and they never looked back. From then on, they were always on the podium in either 2nd, 3rd or 1st position. :)

blue_idealist said:
https://www.instagram.com/tashapurich/ (We finally know! And it's not Tran!)
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Uhh, as others have noted Purich and Tran were already partners for a forgettable season. They just missed out on the 2014 Canadian Olympic team: https://media.gettyimages.com/photo...g-day-one-of-trophee-eric-picture-id450004115
Why on earth would either wish to have revisited their former partnership, especially with Tran recently having committed to a new partner in the U.S.?? Why would Mervin throw all that work down the drain and run back to Purich? Not to mention, he must have already made the decision to continue pushing forward with obtaining U.S. citizenship, especially since he doesn't have to give up his Canadian citizenship in the process.

RoseRed said:
Serafini/Tran did still spend part of the year training in Montreal this past season, and Bruno was with them at Nationals.
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Most likely, Mervin moved to California to begin training with Livia on her home turf. As things progressed, they obviously moved on to train in Montreal. Mervin had been fairly clear when he was partnered with Marissa Castelli, that he prefers to keep Gauthier/Marcotte as his coaches through thick and thin.
 
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