Canadian Pairs 2019/2020 Season News and Updates

Alvyne said:
From Finlandia, short program

Lubov and Charlie
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Lubov Ilyushechkina & Charlie Bilodeau - 2019 Finlandia Trophy SP

October 11, 2019 Finlandia Trophy.Music: "My Funny Valentine" by Michael Bublé;Choreography by: Marie-France Dubreuil & Guillaume Cizeron.
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Evelyn and Trennt
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Evelyn Walsh & Trennt Michaud - 2019 Finlandia Trophy SP

October 11, 2019 Finlandia Trophy.Music: "Benny and the Jets" by Elton John;Choreography by: Alison Purkiss.
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thanks
 
After their first outing, Luba & Charlie are looking more confident and moving together more fluidly. Even in their first showing they had a nice vibe and exhibited great lines. It looks like they did the 3-twist here, which is good, but still a work-in-progress in terms of timing and perfecting the set-down. But they look good and they aced sbs jumps. I also like that Luba ditched the red dress. This gold one works. I love her fist pump and her smile at the end :)

Boy, they sure had a long wait in the kiss n' cry! The score seems reasonable I suppose. Teams with less recognition factor and Fed political clout would have scored lower. I'm sure they were looking for a tad more, but they are a new partnership. If they continue to improve, so will their scores.
 
Man, I/B skated decently, but everything about that SP is boring, from the soporific Buble music to the choreo or lack thereof. IMO, obviously. :yawn:
 
I finally had a chance to watch Lubov and Charlie’s program from Finlandia after work and it’s great to see Lubov looking so happy and confident. Like night and day with the way she seemed in her last season with Dylan. What I was most impressed with was that the jump wasn’t perfect but she just stayed relaxed and let it happen...I don’t think she would have done that in the past. And yes, I think she got lucky with the calling and it probably should have been called underrotated. But I’m still pleased she didn’t panic and pop or fall. Also nice to see the triple twist was added since the summer.
 
If Lubov can be at the point where she mostly stands up on the 3T, even when it's UR, then they're (a) in a much better place than she and Dylan were ever at, and (b) pretty much in the same boat as most other elite pairs competing. Of the three pairs generally considered the best in the world at the moment, do any of them reliably hit their jumps every time? James/Cipres would be the closest, and even in their case the SBS jumps cruelly deserted them when they needed them most in Saitama.

The other big question we'll get some sense of tomorrow is what their plan is for their other SBS jump content in the free skate.
 
Taking another look at L&C's sp at Finlandia, it's notable how happy they seem skating together. That bodes well. In addition, they are looking more confident and are showing steady improvements from their first competitive outing at Autumn Classic. Luba's gold dress is more sophisticated and less cliche than the red one.

The fact that the sp music selection is safe and unadventurous is understandable for a newly paired team getting their feet wet together after both haven't competed for a year. They match well and are making decent progress. Plus, their recognition factor with judges, as prior competitors with different partners, can work in their favor if they continue to perform well. I'm sure in due time, they will explore more interesting music. Building a winning partnership involves a lot and can't be rushed.
 
pairs are on now on a free livestream ...it gets wiped by this user later

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For the first time competing their freeskate, I thought Lubov & Charlie did amazingly well. Need to clean up the twist exit and sbs jumps but overall, they should be very pleased with this competition, especially getting the highest PCS marks in the free. And I thought the free music was just fine and works well for their skating style. Can't wait to see how the program develops in the coming weeks/months.

As for Walsh & Michaud, I don't think either of their programs this season work for them all that well. Have alot to improve on as the season continues.
 
Just glanced briefly at the scoring sheet for Lubov/Charlie, and I think the GOE/PCS marks they got today clearly validate the choice to start this partnership. I know some people questioned it. But I don't think there is anyone else in Canada whom Charlie could have teamed up with and gotten the marks they did today in a first event out. They were in the mid-8s in PCS with most judges, and I think that very much reflects Lubov's overall quality of skating (and also some pull with the international judges--they know and respect her). Although she'll never be the best jumper, she knows how to present every pair element to its best advantage. That counts when it comes to PCS/GOE in pairs.
 
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I loved Lubov and Charlie’s performance! Some little technical glitches but the program is beautiful. I think it suits them better than the SP, and I loved getting to see her godly lift positions. Considering that this is their international debut, that was excellent. I adore the pair spin with the catch-foot position!
 
Catherine M said:
For the first time competing their freeskate, I thought Lubov & Charlie did amazingly well. Need to clean up the twist exit and sbs jumps but overall, they should be very pleased with this competition, especially getting the highest PCS marks in the free. And I thought the free music was just fine and works well for their skating style. Can't wait to see how the program develops in the coming weeks/months.

As for Walsh & Michaud, I don't think either of their programs this season work for them all that well. Have alot to improve on as the season continues.
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My thoughts exactly. for I/B I didn't think twist and throws could come this far based on where they were in the summer.

Not a fan of the LP music - instrumental part is OK - but it won't work against them. I'm accepting it as a safe play like the short, and a strategy call for Montreal; and as I posted earlier this week if they plan a highlight carry lift at the end, it will leave the audience with the desired effect regardless of what happens before. Bingo.

Canada seems to have this fetish for slow and (apparently) powerful music. I mean I love slow stuff but you have to give it to the right people who have the tools to bring it to life and create impact. I/B have some of those tools at least. For W/M and many others it can just come off as bland.

So I'm pretty meh about the Canadian pairs programs this year and banking on some real creative exploration for the rest of the cycle in an effort to better stand out from the pack. The good news is we can see a path for I/B and MT/M to collab to land 3 Beijing spots under the right conditions. Keeping my eye on the longer term prize.
 
clairecloutier said:
Just glanced briefly at the scoring sheet for Lubov/Charlie, and I think the GOE/PCS marks they got today clearly validate the choice to start this partnership. I know some people questioned it. But I don't think there is anyone else in Canada whom Charlie could have teamed up with and gotten the marks they did today in a first event out.
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Agree 100% with this. And clearly there is potential for the scores to go up from here.

Love their look, they have good chemistry, match well together, and again, great to see Lubov looking so solid. Not just the jumps, but the throws looked really secure. The programs don’t really make them stand out, but I think are also perfectly fine and I’m glad to see they are still taking advantage of her flexibility with that last lift. Would like to see more moments like that and see them show a little more personality on the ice as I know they both have it, but that can all come with time. I think they are right to focus on getting clean, solid programs in this year and building from there.
 
Full circle back to the observation that Luba/Charlie seem to be happy and having fun together, which means a lot. They were smiling throughout the FS. So they obviously enjoy the music and lyrics. And for those who were wanting to see something special from Luba in the lifts, well we got it! :encore: The FS is a good place anyway to bring on the drama and difficulty with lifts. Luba's Cirque experience and innate bendability was on full display. The layback catch foot position by Luba in the combo spin is surely a signature move. I don't recall seeing anyone else perform this move in a combo spin, though do correct me if I'm wrong. :)

Those final lifts coming at the end of the FS are spectacular (a similar touch to what Denney/Frazier are doing in their Lion King program with powerfully dramatic ending lifts; that's wonderful strategically when you have great lifts in your arsenal). Once again, I think L&C's vertical upside-down lift with leg split variation has got to be a Luba signature. I don't think we've seen a lift position performed in exactly this way by anyone else. Pairs 101: Up the ante with unique difficulty and set yourself apart from the pack.

Moving forward as a new partnership, L&C still have to improve execution of their 3-twist, but the fact they are putting it out there as new partners is huge. Luba fought for landing on the first throw, and aced the second one. She looks lovely in the air and she has good technique on throws, and she looks less nervous on sbs jumps. Of course, they are also still learning each other's rhythms and figuring out their signature style as a team. They have nice lines, a smooth flow, and striking potential. The FS music is okay. It won't exactly thrill audiences, but it's pleasant and L&C seem to enjoy skating to it. If they make it to Montreal Worlds next year, it should work perfectly in that venue. At this point, L&C want to make an impact in ways they can without attempting something too intricate, fast or overly challenging. That will come as they grow together.

For Evelyn & Trennt, they don't seem to have yet figured out who they are and what direction to go in. They seem to be trying on different styles for size, and incorporating moves and themes from other inspirations, rather than first figuring out what's unique about their partnership and their personalities.
 
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aftershocks said:
For Evelyn & Trennt, they don't seem to have yet figured out who they are and what direction to go in. They seem to be trying on different styles for size, and incorporating moves and themes from other inspirations, rather than first figuring out what's unique about their partnership and their personalities.
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I like Evelyn and Trennt's programs this year, particularly the FS. However, I've joined the club that worries if their small height difference is holding them back. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's much harder to execute a high twist and good-quality throw jumps when partners are close in size. For example, if the girl can't get high enough on the throw, she won't be able to make the rotation and she's more likely to fall. I love them and wish them the best, but I wonder if that is why they are struggling. Hopefully they can get it together on the Grand Prix, because I would love to see their programs clean.
 
Mad for Skating said:
I like Evelyn and Trennt's programs this year, particularly the FS. However, I've joined the club that worries if their small height difference is holding them back. I'm not saying it's impossible, but it's much harder to execute a high twist and good-quality throw jumps when partners are close in size. For example, if the girl can't get high enough on the throw, she won't be able to make the rotation and she's more likely to fall. I love them and wish them the best, but I wonder if that is why they are struggling. Hopefully they can get it together on the Grand Prix, because I would love to see their programs clean.
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I remember last year w/m were a bit of a mess at the beginning of the season but really improved towards the end. But realistically they probably can’t be a top team. They probably know this themselves. The Russians always seem to have well matched teams in this aspect but there is a larger talent
Pool to choose from I suppose.
 
Janef said:
I remember last year w/m were a bit of a mess at the beginning of the season but really improved towards the end. But realistically they probably can’t be a top team. They probably know this themselves. The Russians always seem to have well matched teams in this aspect but there is a larger talent
Pool to choose from I suppose.
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This is for sure...There is a very small percentage of people in Canada who could afford figure skating past the huge group lesson stage. So the majority of the pop. however talented will never be known of.
 
barbarafan said:
This is for sure...There is a very small percentage of people in Canada who could afford figure skating past the huge group lesson stage. So the majority of the pop. however talented will never be known of.
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You are so right. I often wonder how it works. I guess in Russia where they always seem to have such a talent pool it must be cheaper or expenses covered
 
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