Canadian Pairs 2019/2020 Season News and Updates

[aftershocks]

Based on one of the comments, I believe it is Benjamin Mimar, 5th in junior at Canadians and JGP competitor with Chloe Panetta

Yes. I wasn't sure but he looked familiar and so does his name. I watched a lot of Canadian junior pairs in the lead-up to Canadian Nationals, so I remember seeing Ben with Chloe Panetta. Too bad for Chloe. I wonder whether she will continue since it's so difficult to find the right partner, and there aren't many guys to choose from in figure skating.

I recall Ben and Chloe as being above average and competent in their skills together, but not that great of a match physically, and not much connection. They had a huge 3-twist:

Chloe Panetta / Benjamin Mimar (CAN) | Pairs Short Program | Zagreb 2019

Visit https://isu.org/JuniorGrandPrix for more information on the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating. PAIRS SHORT PROGRAM START ORDER 14:10:00 - 14:16:0...

www.youtube.com

There are plenty of other Youtube videos of Panetta/Mimar

Judging by the Instagram clips of Ben and Brooke, they seem very well-matched, especially if Brooke is continuing to grow. Ben is certainly tall enough to weather further growth by Brooke. It will be interesting to see how they develop.

 

[Catherine M]

When skaters say good-bye, I rarely cry but I just did reading Mathieu Ostiguy's farewell to competing on Facebook.

What a beautiful message to his family, coaches, and partners Justine and Chloe. Wish him all the best as this next chapter of his life unfolds.

 

[Sk8mom123]

When skaters say good-bye, I rarely cry but I just did reading Mathieu Ostiguy's farewell to competing on Facebook.

What a beautiful message to his family, coaches, and partners Justine and Chloe. Wish him all the best as this next chapter of his life unfolds.

I adore him

 

[aftershocks]

When skaters say good-bye, I rarely cry but I just did reading Mathieu Ostiguy's farewell to competing on Facebook.

What a beautiful message to his family, coaches, and partners Justine and Chloe. Wish him all the best as this next chapter of his life unfolds.

Ah, you mean Justine Brasseur and Chloe Chouinard. I haven't seen Mathieu's farewell comments. Is there a link?

 

[Vase]

I adore him ❤

I was a big fan of his too. Not easy to match a team and so many talented skaters move from the sport.

 

[aftershocks]

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Taking a look at these clips of Ben & Brooke again. The twist has great height and Brooke rotates quickly. The set down looks very good too. In the JGP sp clip I linked of Chloe P with Ben, the height was huge on the triple twist, but the set down was not clean (at least for that performance).

Ben and Brooke have excellent matching lines and physiques. The jumping pass looked good in the training clip but completing a program in competition is always a more difficult test, especially for new teams. Still, they have a lot going for them, and their progress will be interesting to witness. It's good that Ben won't be aging out over the next two years. That will give them a chance to develop in juniors and work on their on-ice connection and presentation skills.

 

[Xsktrx]

I agree completely. Certainly see some potential there in their similar body types and the couple of elements posted so far. Brooke and Brandon took a full season to develop a very nice triple twist so looking forward to see how Brooke and Ben’s comes along over the course of this season. As for another poster’s earlier comments about a lack of connection between Brooke and Brandon, if we see good connection and interaction between Brooke and Ben then that question will be answered. Here’s hoping for nothing but success and positive comments regarding a new Canadian pair.

 

[Vase]

I agree and let’s show positive comments towards all Canadian teams, especially for the athletes that are still kids. They have all showed improvement and working hard toward the same goal. May they all reach their potential.

 

[ChiquitaBanana]

When skaters say good-bye, I rarely cry but I just did reading Mathieu Ostiguy's farewell to competing on Facebook.

What a beautiful message to his family, coaches, and partners Justine and Chloe. Wish him all the best as this next chapter of his life unfolds.

What a bummer, I really liked that guy.

 

[Colonel Green]

Brooke & Ben's first triple throw effort:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

 

[Vase]

I agree completely. Certainly see some potential there in their similar body types and the couple of elements posted so far. Brooke and Brandon took a full season to develop a very nice triple twist so looking forward to see how Brooke and Ben’s comes along over the course of this season. As for another poster’s earlier comments about a lack of connection between Brooke and Brandon, if we see good connection and interaction between Brooke and Ben then that question will be answered. Here’s hoping for nothing but success and positive comments regarding a new Canadian pair.

Brooke & Ben's first triple throw effort:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Great start, can’t wait to see the whole package. Pleased they have the option of a 2 years Juniors to develop the whole package, which they may not need but at least the option is there for them.

 

[Xsktrx]

Brooke & Ben's first triple throw effort:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

Thanks for this. Am going to start following coach Andrew’s instagram. Love how he shares clips of his skater’s progress. Second pic of Brooke and Ben standing beside each other shows how happy they seem with this new beginning.

 

[mackiecat]

Audrey and Gabe with a new throw triple https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xCE1zpUVF/?igshid=1qebckqbi5a1m

 

[Vase]

Audrey and Gabe with a new throw triple https://www.instagram.com/p/B8xCE1zpUVF/?igshid=1qebckqbi5a1m

So happy to see this, confirms the rumours of them splitting weren’t true. Let’s go Junior Pairs!

 

[Xsktrx]

So happy to see this, confirms the rumours of them splitting weren’t true. Let’s go Junior Pairs!

Well done! Glad she has decided to continue with pairs. Speaking of which, assuming the JGP eligible pairs who get assignments will skate Junior internationally this season but who might we see making the move up to Senior at next year’s Nationals?

 

[Vase]

I think it will depend on the season, not sure how many junior teams we will have going by the splits, and who’s moving up but a lot of the girls left are still young. Staying junior for most may not be a bad idea for them.
But I think teams all will gain in strength, elements, growth, connection and performance. It’ll be interesting to watch.
Just watching how our three top senior teams skated this season, unpredictable. MTM, most consistent but definitely not the nationals free skate they wanted. And then look much improvedW/M showed at Nationals. And then, MTM took a few years to find their consistency and levels they skate with now. B/B were another favourite team that didn’t make the top three spots. Equally strong in there own ways, I cant imagine its predictable.
To mention a few juniors,
KellyAnn is young, steadily improved throughout the year, achieving the JW spot Purkiss/Evans teams, Brooke and Patricia are both strong in different ways, Brooke may have the big jumps and more years competing pairs but I recall Patricia and Zac won sectionals and challenge. But being ‘teammates’ I would hope a great positive competitive friendship for them
Maybe add some extra excitement to the season. Then theres their Novice team that won Nationals, Lilys the same age as the girls, just super tiny, I’d say they are in good hands with their coaches.
Audrey, has the jumps and developing strong pair elements, and she’s maybe the youngest of the girls mentioned? They are also in good hands with experienced coaches and MTM as teammates.
We’ll have to wait and see whoever else are confirmed to Skate together.
I mentioned the girls only because they are younger, Im not sure jumping to the end of the season is an accurate call right now. I’m sure they’d all love to be Senior ready by the end of the season and I hope that they are.

 

[Xsktrx]

I think it will depend on the season, not sure how many junior teams we will have going by the splits, and who’s moving up but a lot of the girls left are still young. Staying junior for most may not be a bad idea for them.
But I think teams all will gain in strength, elements, growth, connection and performance. It’ll be interesting to watch.
Just watching how our three top senior teams skated this season, unpredictable. MTM, most consistent but definitely not the nationals free skate they wanted. And then look much improvedW/M showed at Nationals. And then, MTM took a few years to find their consistency and levels they skate with now. B/B were another favourite team that didn’t make the top three spots. Equally strong in there own ways, I cant imagine its predictable.
To mention a few juniors,
KellyAnn is young, steadily improved throughout the year, achieving the JW spot Purkiss/Evans teams, Brooke and Patricia are both strong in different ways, Brooke may have the big jumps and more years competing pairs but I recall Patricia and Zac won sectionals and challenge. But being ‘teammates’ I would hope a great positive competitive friendship for them
Maybe add some extra excitement to the season. Then theres their Novice team that won Nationals, Lilys the same age as the girls, just super tiny, I’d say they are in good hands with their coaches.
Audrey, has the jumps and developing strong pair elements, and she’s maybe the youngest of the girls mentioned? They are also in good hands with experienced coaches and MTM as teammates.
We’ll have to wait and see whoever else are confirmed to Skate together.
I mentioned the girls only because they are younger, Im not sure jumping to the end of the season is an accurate call right now. I’m sure they’d all love to be Senior ready by the end of the season and I hope that they are.

Thanks for your take on it.

 

[greenapple]

New article on Lubov Ilyushechkina and Charlie Bilodeau on the ups and downs of their first season together.

"From the first step on the ice, we felt there was something, just with our bodies and the way we were communicating. The first element we did was a death spiral. We did four revolutions and it was ‘OK, just like this already?’”

 

[aftershocks]

Brooke & Ben's first triple throw effort:

Login • Instagram

Welcome back to Instagram. Sign in to check out what your friends, family & interests have been capturing & sharing around the world.

www.instagram.com

I wish I could see this in slow-motion. I looked at it a few times, and I notice how Brooke holds one arm folded behind her back and the other arm in front. Her elbows stick out slightly at her sides. The rotations in the air are quick and fast, and she checks out with her arms efficiently, bending her knee to ace the landing. The set-up on the throw entry was very good by Ben and Brooke.

I am intrigued by the way Brooke positions her arms on the throw 3-lutz. I wonder if she positions her arms this way for every jump or just on certain throws. Also, do skaters generally count when they are making their rotations so they know when to check out for the landing? Or since it all happens so quickly, do they simply have to go by feel and muscle memory?

Also, why are there so many different techniques in figure skating for executing various elements?

 

[Canada33]

Hard to believe less than 2 weeks before Tallinn. SC very deliberate this year selecting both Jw & worlds team on more than just Nationals results and supports they want to invest in skaters who can best manage success under the pressure at the international level. Still surprised T/M did not continue through JW as they clearly had strongest international showings on JGP circuit and even better at YOG. But what an impressive season and exciting opportunity for last years Can Novice champs to already be at JW’s. Cheering for the teams heading to JW to be able to put down great clean skates on the international stage and secure 2 spots again for Can next year. The countdown begins....

 

[Xsktrx]

Hard to believe less than 2 weeks before Tallinn. SC very deliberate this year selecting both Jw & worlds team on more than just Nationals results and supports they want to invest in skaters who can best manage success under the pressure at the international level. Still surprised T/M did not continue through JW as they clearly had strongest international showings on JGP circuit and even better at YOG. But what an impressive season and exciting opportunity for last years Can Novice champs to already be at JW’s. Cheering for the teams heading to JW to be able to put down great clean skates on the international stage and secure 2 spots again for Can next year. The countdown begins....

Toste had decided to move on from skating right after YOG and declined to continue to worlds. Thus the second spot was TBA and reason Brooke has a new partner in Benjamin Mimar. But yes they would have been a logical choice had Brandon continued skating.

 

[Colonel Green]

Them not continuing to Junior Worlds makes sense, when you think about it. YOG is a much bigger event (there were far more people there than there will be at Junior Worlds), they skated superbly there, and ending things now gave Brooke 2+ additional months to find and train with her new partner.

 

[Canada33]

Them not continuing to Junior Worlds makes sense, when you think about it. YOG is a much bigger event (there were far more people there than there will be at Junior Worlds), they skated superbly there, and ending things now gave Brooke 2+ additional months to find and train with her new partner.

Agree that YOG is a much bigger “event”, but JW has a higher age restriction which opens it up to way more top international junior pairs to qualify, making it a higher level competition even if there are few spectators. It makes sense that SC would have really wanted T/M to go to JWs as Canada’s top performing international junior pair and also increase chances of a top 10 placement to send 2 teams next year. Totally agree that T not wanting to finish season for academic reasons did give his partner more time to find a new one.

 

[Xsktrx]

Them not continuing to Junior Worlds makes sense, when you think about it. YOG is a much bigger event (there were far more people there than there will be at Junior Worlds), they skated superbly there, and ending things now gave Brooke 2+ additional months to find and train with her new partner.

I agree. And once Brandon had decided to make YOG his finale it probably would have been difficult for him to re-energize mentally after YOG which was about as good an ending as they could have hoped for to a successful partnership that started when Brooke was like 8 or 9. Jr Worlds might have been a less successful outing and not enabling them to finish on a high note. And I completely agree that the extra time may be the reason Brooke and Ben will now skate together. Had Brooke gone to Jr Worlds she would not have been able to make it known she was looking until after Jr Worlds and there is a chance Ben would have found another partner in the meantime.

 

[mackiecat]

And Brandon would have missed a lot of school at the beginning of his last semester

 

[Erin]

It makes sense that SC would have really wanted T/M to go to JWs as Canada’s top performing international junior pair and also increase chances of a top 10 placement to send 2 teams next year.

There are only 16 pairs at junior worlds this year. The two Canadian teams only need to finish 12th and 16th or 13th and 15th to earn two teams for next year. Hopefully, that is not too high of a bar. Laurin & Ethier just came off of beating two of the teams at Bavarian Open.

 

[Canada33]

There are only 16 pairs at junior worlds this year. The two Canadian teams only need to finish 12th and 16th or 13th and 15th to earn two teams for next year. Hopefully, that is not too high of a bar. Laurin & Ethier just came off of beating two of the teams at Bavarian

Thank you for this information. Agree bar not too high.

 

[Colonel Green]

Evans’ latest Instagram Story is of Brooke & Ben doing a very nice throw. Good distance.

 

[Xsktrx]

Evans’ latest Instagram Story is of Brooke & Ben doing a very nice throw. Good distance.

Was that a throw triple loop? If so that’s something I don’t believe Brooke was doing last year so a new element which is great. Also I assume Brooke and Ben will have a triple double jump combo which will be another upgrade from last year. I am looking forward watching Brooke and Ben this year with some new elements.

 

[Colonel Green]

Was that a throw triple loop?

Yes.