Canadian Pairs 2019/2020 Season News and Updates

Camille Ruest has posted about her and Drew Wolfe's WD on her IG (in French & English):

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as many of you know, we have withdrawn from Nationals 2020. we did our best to try and recover quick from a hip injury that happened earlier in the season. however it looks like time will be the best medicine for this...
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we wish all the best to our friends and teammates competing this weekend, we'll be cheering loud from the stands!
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Good skates by the top three! Just three points separating first and third.
Best I've ever seen W/M skate (though they still don't excite me), and huge kudos to I/B. Too bad for the underrotation on the toe, but still huge improvement for her from past years. They skate so well together - they look like they've been together a lot longer than they have.
Too bad for the mistake from MT/M, but aside from that, I found the actual performance a bit underwhelming too.
 
screech said:
Good skates by the top three! Just three points separating first and third.
Best I've ever seen W/M skate (though they still don't excite me), and huge kudos to I/B. Too bad for the underrotation on the toe, but still huge improvement for her from past years. They skate so well together - they look like they've been together a lot longer than they have.
Too bad for the mistake from MT/M, but aside from that, I found the actual performance a bit underwhelming too.
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I would have had I/B 1st w/m 2nd. Kmt 3rd and b/b 4th.
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I thought W/M had the best twist of the top 3 teams and same with the side by sides. Definitely most improved. I/B looking good but under rotating... MT/M was maybe feeling the pressure? Good event though, looking forward to tomorrow.
 
I was amazed at how good Evelyn and Trennt's triple twist looked. And really confident throw landing, too. Fingers crossed that this carries over for tomorrow, but regardless, they're making big improvements that I wasn't really sure they were capable of.

Really solid pairs event overall, and the most consistent event of the four we got today. Almost nobody was perfectly clean, but the second and third groups mostly just had things like a small stepout, UR, or a hand down, which is pairs is quite good.
 
Colonel Green said:
I was amazed at how good Evelyn and Trennt's triple twist looked. And really confident throw landing, too. Fingers crossed that this carries over for tomorrow, but regardless, they're making big improvements that I wasn't really sure they were capable of.

Really solid pairs event overall, and the most consistent event of the four we got today. Almost nobody was perfectly clean, but the second and third groups mostly just had things like a small stepout, UR, or a hand down, which is pairs is quite good.
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From what I have heard Andrew Evans has been working on the twists for not only Evelyn and Trent but Patricia and Zachary as part of the coaching collaboration with Alison. This makes sense given his own pair Brooke and Brandon have a nice triple twist considering Brandon is only 17.
 
Xsktrx said:
From what I have heard Andrew Evans has been working on the twists for not only Evelyn and Trent but Patricia and Zachary as part of the coaching collaboration with Alison. This makes sense given his own pair Brooke and Brandon have a nice triple twist considering Brandon is only 17.
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They said after the short that Maxim Trankov consulted with them on the twist when he was over for the RTR tour in the fall. Certainly a good person to go to for advice.
 
 
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Copying out Skate Canada's pairs selections:

4CC:
Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
Evelyn Walsh / Trennt Michaud
Lubov Ilyushechkina / Charlie Bilodeau

Junior Worlds:
Patricia Andrew / Zachary Daleman
TBD

Worlds:
Kirsten Moore-Towers / Michael Marinaro
TBD*
*To be determined after the 2020 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships
 
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I’m very surprised that McIntosh and Toste weren’t named for Junior Worlds outright.

I am pleased that the second pairs spot for Worlds is still up for grabs.
 
I'm shocked McIntosh/Toste were not named to jr worlds after their showing at YOG. And I guess Skate Canada wasn't convinced by Walsh and Michaud's result at nationals. 4CC is going to be a pressure cooker.

I wonder if some juniors will be sent somewhere for a skateoff.....
 
The McIntosh & Toste decision is pretty crazy considering their international result of 146 from YOG is higher than any of the other contenders’ scores at nationals where the scoring is easier. (It’s just two points shy of Andrew and Daleman, already named to the team). Bizarre.
 
Even though Walsh/Michaud skated great yesterday, their international results have been lacking so not a surprise that Skate Canada wants to see what they can do at Four Continents.

As for McIntosh/Toste not being named to jr world team, did skate canada just put TBD by mistake!?!? Bizarre to say the least.
 
Maybe other plans for Mcintosh/Toste. They didn’t look to have much verbal communication as a team and he has just finished grade12, I assume a few skaters will move forward with school. But Brandon really developed great expression on the ice, I hope he sticks around. Also Brooke took the single season off maybe the plan is to go singles. Time will tell.
 
That's interesting IF there is possibility that McIntosh/Toste are moving on to other things. Would make sense of the "TBD" for the second jr world spot.

How skate canada fills that is beyond me as most of the other teams have glaring weaknesses.
 
Colonel Green said:
Brooke & Brandon vanished into the wilds of Switzerland; the TBD is pending the search party finding them.
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LOL I know you're joking, but Toste was in Mississauga Friday night watching pairs and men's short. I saw a few other of the YOG team there too.
 
I really don't understand not naming McIntosh/Toste, even if he may be quitting skating after this season. I can't imagine that they would have planned on ending the season with YOG, and they've been much the best junior team internationally for the last 2 years (and the reason there are two spots at JW). Unless there's a new injury?
 
kalamalka said:
I really don't understand not naming McIntosh/Toste, even if he may be quitting skating after this season. I can't imagine that they would have planned on ending the season with YOG, and they've been much the best junior team internationally for the last 2 years (and the reason there are two spots at JW). Unless there's a new injury?
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If he wants to get into a competitive program and get scholarships, perhaps next semester he wants to concentrate on school. Exams are the last week of Jan and the semester starts first week of Feb
 
mackiecat said:
If he wants to get into a competitive program and get scholarships, perhaps next semester he wants to concentrate on school. Exams are the last week of Jan and the semester starts first week of Feb
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I expect we will know soon enough what the real story is, but if it turns out Brandon was done and moving onto school he might have felt YOG was the perfect place to end his career. He’s had a Jr Worlds experience so if YOG was their finale as a pair what a great skate and way to finish. I’m sure (and hope) we will see much more of Brooke. She has too much to offer to retire now.
 
Xsktrx said:
I expect we will know soon enough what the real story is, but if it turns out Brandon was done and moving onto school he might have felt YOG was the perfect place to end his career. He’s had a Jr Worlds experience so if YOG was their finale as a pair what a great skate and way to finish. I’m sure (and hope) we will see much more of Brooke. She has too much to offer to retire now.
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Yes, Brooke could be competitive in the Junior women field as well.

I’m sure We’ll know what will be going on soon enough
 
Vase said:
Yes, Brooke could be competitive in the Junior women field as well.

I’m sure We’ll know what will be going on soon enough
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I agree. It will be interesting if she continues in pairs how good she could be given she is pretty consistent on her triple throws and has reliable triple and triple combo jumps which she was unable to use with Brandon. I know there has been some discussion re her potential growth but that’s always an unknown. What is known is she has some pretty solid pairs elements for a girl having just turned 15. And if she decides to focus only on singles for the first time in 5 or 6 years how she fares there in junior would be interesting.
 
Xsktrx said:
I agree. It will be interesting if she continues in pairs how good she could be given she is pretty consistent on her triple throws and has reliable triple and triple combo jumps which she was unable to use with Brandon. I know there has been some discussion re her potential growth but that’s always an unknown. What is known is she has some pretty solid pairs elements for a girl having just turned 15. And if she decides to focus only on singles for the first time in 5 or 6 years how she fares there in junior would be interesting.
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Brooke had a good showing at a summer Junior Ladies events, then seemed to focus on pairs and she skated Nationals both singles and Pairs last year.

But my main concern with all the 13-15yr olds in the field, they still look like young girls, they have lots of growing to do and though I hope I am wrong, I can’t see growth being easy on all of them.
Patricia Andrew has grown and had struggles with her 2A this year, previous 2 junior pair seasons her 2A was solid. A nice one landed in the short program, so there’s hope she’ll get her 3Sal back, being that we see her landing some triple throws.
I’d say the end of this season is a better place to see long term potential, Kaiya and Audrey Carle being younger again they may have a year or more for actual growth.
 
danafan said:
I guess Skate Canada wasn't convinced by Walsh and Michaud's result at nationals.
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I thought Walsh/Michaud definitely showed a lot of improvement with better speed, smoothness and skating skills. Commentators said they have been working with a SS coach. W/M also exhibited a bit more of their usual brand of confidence and determination after a rough start to the season. From what I've seen of their career, W/M have generally tended to compete particularly well at Canadian Nationals. They also seem to share an on-ice connection with each other which bodes well for them continuing to define themselves and trying to set themselves apart as a team.

W/M still have some drawbacks IMO, but it's always possible to defy and go beyond what others think of your chances. There's nothing like putting self-belief into action, and that's what they managed to do in winning the silver medal this year at Cdn Nats.

I totally understand Skate Canada wanting to see more before making a decision on the second team to send to Worlds. SC surely would like to get Luba/Charlie some Worlds exposure and experience together as partners this season in their quest for Beijing, which will be their final hurrah. Whereas, W/M are younger and may have more mileage to go toward an additional Olympics cycle. Luba/Charlie experienced a few hiccoughs at Cdn Nats, but they also have melded together well, and they accomplished winning a medal on the GP in their first season together.

These TBAs are indicative of how difficult assignment decisions can be for federation committees to make, especially under the sport's problematic competitive structure.
 
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