Carreira/Ponomarenko Need a Cheer Thread

[Wyliefan]

Quote from Christina: "For me, I think I want to inspire young girls that maybe don’t necessarily have a God-given talent for [figure skating], but they work hard, and they love it. And that’s something I get criticized [on] a lot is I don’t have [a natural talent] like [Anthony], he has a natural God-given talent for this! (laughs) I’ve had to work really hard to get to where I am today, and I want young girls to know that it’s possible, and if you set your mind to it, you can do anything."

2020 Skate America: Ice Dancers In-Depth | Edges of Glory

A post-competition press conference isn’t normally the place you would expect ice dancers to open up and share their hearts, but that’s exactly what happened at...

edgesofglory.com

It hurts my heart a little to think that she has to hear that criticism. But she seems to use it to make herself work harder and get better. Mad respect for this girl.

 

[CassAgain]

Meryl and Charlie seemed to have that attitude, and it served them well. Christina is obviously talented and has a winning mindset, I think.

 

[Sylvia]

VERY UNFORTUNATE news posted by both Christina (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ4K4GFpLqg/) and Anthony (https://www.instagram.com/p/CJ4LKPwJNHq/) earlier today :

We have been very diligent and careful on staying healthy and focused on the US championships and that’s why we are so saddened to say that we have been in direct contact with a positive case of covid-19 at our training center on January 4th.

We notified USFSA on January 6th at 9 am after being informed of the positive test of the individual.

Both our PCR tests taken on Saturday January 10th came back negative.

To maintain the safety and security of the event, the athletes, officials and volunteers attending, and as required by USFS competition protocols, it is with a heavy heart and great sadness that we announce our withdrawal from the 2021 US Championships.

This is a very difficult decision, but health and safety are a priority above all else.

We wish the best of luck to all the athletes competing and hoping for continued health to all of you until we can bring an end to this pandemic.

Stay safe,

Christina Carreira
Anthony Ponomarenko

 

[Perky Shae Lynn]

Ughghghghghghggh.

 

[Rukia]

Just jumping in here before the free dance starts to let everyone know that Christina says they'll share footage of their revamped free dance. Yay!

 

[Sylvia]

Eva Pate shared this lovely message on her Instagram yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKFpKioHELu/

Thank you @christinacarreira for saving my season with your old skates that I’m wearing this weekend. After Skate America, an MRI discovered I had a cyst in my ankle. You let me try out your old skates and they were the only ones that allowed me to keep skating without pain. A little part of you is here with @logan_bye1 & me. You & @pom_pom9 have been in our thoughts everyday here. From the bottom of my heart, I can’t thank you enough. Wish you were here with us

 

[Wyliefan]

So sweet!

 

[Rukia]

Eva Pate shared this lovely message on her Instagram yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CKFpKioHELu/

Aww, that's awesome. She needs to tag Harlick too and get the hookup hahaha.

 

[Rukia]

Madison Hubbell sent some love out to C/P at the end of the FD press conference. I love the camaraderie shown by our teams. I noticed a lot of them also replied to both Christina and Anthony's posts about withdrawing from nats with words of encouragement.

Also Tanith did say on broadcast that they are petitioning to be on the world team, I would presume to be an alternate since there's no reason they shouldn't be one.

 

[Rukia]

Anthony posted a split video of their revamped FD. I loooooove the beginning. It really lets them hold their edges and gives them good flow. Definitely a good direction to go.

 

[Sylvia]

Christina posted their FD in IGTV format: https://www.instagram.com/tv/CKKndErp7WX/

 

[Sylvia]

Bumping up this thread to add USFS' press release yesterday: https://www.usfigureskating.org/news/press-release/carreira-and-ponomarenko-announce-coaching-change

Team USA ice dancers Christina Carreira and Anthony Ponomarenko announced today [Feb. 8, 2021] that they will begin training at the Ice Academy of Montréal (I.AM) under the supervision of Scott Moir, who is head coach and managing director of a second I.AM location in Southwestern Ontario. Moir won the 2018 Olympic gold medal in ice dance with partner Tessa Virtue.

Carreira and Ponomarenko, who previously trained in Novi, Michigan, under Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo, won the 2020 U.S. pewter medal, and have won two World Junior medals (silver, 2018; bronze, 2017) and two Grand Prix Series medals.

“We’re so happy and excited to start working with our new coaching team,” Carreira said. “We’ve worked with Scott before and we really enjoyed working with him. Scott has so much enthusiasm and energy and will help us exploit our full potential.”

“We are excited to work with Scott Moir and the entire I.AM family,” Ponomarenko added. “From our first conversation, we’ve felt very welcome. I.AM’s enthusiasm and love for the sport is outstanding and we can’t wait to start this next chapter in our journey!”

Carreira and Ponomarenko have been partners since 2014.

(Christina and Anthony had shared the same message about their intention to change coaches on their respective Instagrams back on Jan. 27.)

A short London Free Press article about their switch to Scott Moir is posted in his news thread in GSD: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...-in-southwestern-ontario.108052/#post-5952708

ETA that Christina shared an old photo of her and Anthony with Scott Moir in her Instagram message yesterday: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLCfohFJNDi/

 

[Rukia]

C/P are going to be doing YouTube Live interview (? I guess) tomorrow, Feb 26, at 6pm EST. Maybe we'll hear some about their new training/coach?

Anyway, it will be nice to hear from them.

 

[Wyliefan]

Beautiful new picture by Liam Cross: https://www.instagram.com/p/CLwgePcnU6I/?igshid=r2sob3zkzayc

 

[Sylvia]

C/P are going to be doing YouTube Live interview[/URL] (? I guess) tomorrow, Feb 26, at 6pm EST. Maybe we'll hear some about their new training/coach?

Anyway, it will be nice to hear from them.

Link to watch soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGXcYJdT2PQ

 

[Rukia]

Very fun to watch. A couple interesting tidbits:

They are currently training at a different rink in Novi with Scott coaching over Zoom, but they plan on moving to London as soon as the season is over.

When asked if their new training style was different, Christina nodded yes emphatically. Haha. They also said it was a good sort of way to ease into their new training techniques while training their old program still because they are alternates to worlds.

They said both their families were excited by the coaching change. They also said they were in the "process" of changing after nationals, and their first choice was Scott/Montreal. Interesting wording there.

They said they have some "fun" ideas and options for next season.

Anthony says Scott is very enthusiastic, supportive, and cool. Also he explains things very well.

Not in the interview, but they were working with Sam Chouinard over the computer as well as posted in the Insta stories.

 

[marbri]

Link to watch soon: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FGXcYJdT2PQ

So I am listening to this as I was curious if there would be some talk about their new training centre. Not a lot but they seem very positive about working with Scott and IAM. They are currently still in Novi but training at a different rink and have set up three cameras around the rink to zoom with Scott (and maybe the others?). Said they are still training their current programs as they are alternates for worlds so it's been a fun practice run to see how IAM trains their skaters in the run up to competitions (paraphrasing here). IIRC they said they will move to London after Worlds.

What I am really curious about is Christina's accent. Is she French Canadian and/or is French her first language? I don't know if most would pick up on it as her english is very good but there are certain words/combinations that I feel like I am hearing the slight francophone twang.

 

[Rukia]

What I am really curious about is Christina's accent. Is she French Canadian and/or is French her first language? I don't know if most would pick up on it as her english is very good but there are certain words/combinations that I feel like I am hearing the slight francophone twang.

Yes, she is French Canadian and French is her first language.

 

[ccpompom]

They're training in Canton right now. Also, anthony will move to London while christina will live in Port Huron. He can't go back and forth and she has to stay in the US for her citizenship.

 

[marbri]

They're training in Canton right now. Also, anthony will move to London while christina will live in Port Huron. He can't go back and forth and she has to stay in the US for her citizenship.

Interesting. So how will that work under the current situation which I assume will still be in effect once Worlds is over? And does she plan a daily commute or return on weekends ?

 

[ccpompom]

daily commute. she has no option. she's canadian and i think because of that she won't have any problems crossing the border. The real issue is Anthony because every time he steps out of Canada and come backs he'll have to isolate for 14 days thats why he's the one moving while she stays in the US until she gets her citizenship.

 

[Wyliefan]

Sounds like a giant pain in the neck! They must have really needed a change.

 

[sap5]

Sounds like a giant pain in the neck! They must have really needed a change.

Seems like an hour commute each way? Considering the number of people in the US who have 1 hour commutes (or did, pre-pandemic) it doesn't sound like that big of a deal to me.

 

[Wyliefan]

I meant for him to have to move to Canada while the pandemic/quarantine is still ongoing. I know skaters have to move all the time, it's just a difficult time to do it. But I hope it all works out well.

 

[princeton123]

daily commute. she has no option. she's canadian and i think because of that she won't have any problems crossing the border. The real issue is Anthony because every time he steps out of Canada and come backs he'll have to isolate for 14 days thats why he's the one moving while she stays in the US until she gets her citizenship.

Wait, Christina won't need to quarantine coming into the US from Canada?

Google says it's a 1h 18 min drive from Port Huron to London, but who knows how much longer it would take with traffic/crossing the border. A ~2 hour commute each way every day sounds like such a hassle.

 

[Rukia]

I know loads of people who commute 2 hours living near a big metropolitan area. So while it's a huge inconvenience and will probably be draining in the long run, it can be done. Although hopefully she can get her citizenship sooner rather than later and none of this will matter anymore.

I am very excited by this coaching change, and I think it can bring really great things for them. They seem equally excited, which is the best thing you can ask for them. Hopefully the drive isn't too awful for Christina in the meantime.

 

[marbri]

Wait, Christina won't need to quarantine coming into the US from Canada?

Google says it's a 1h 18 min drive from Port Huron to London, but who knows how much longer it would take with traffic/crossing the border. A ~2 hour commute each way every day sounds like such a hassle.

I find that hard to understand under the current rules but since they aren't making the move until after Worlds/season ends they could just be optimistic that the current quarantine rules will not be in effect during that time? I would also think a daily commute at some point isn't necessary to fulfil residency requirements?

 

[sap5]

Wait, Christina won't need to quarantine coming into the US from Canada?

Google says it's a 1h 18 min drive from Port Huron to London, but who knows how much longer it would take with traffic/crossing the border. A ~2 hour commute each way every day sounds like such a hassle.

The new school is in Komoka, not London, I believe.

 

[sap5]

Wait, Christina won't need to quarantine coming into the US from Canada?

Google says it's a 1h 18 min drive from Port Huron to London, but who knows how much longer it would take with traffic/crossing the border. A ~2 hour commute each way every day sounds like such a hassle.

Don't essential workers cross the border and return everyday? If she's allowed to commute like this, there must be some sort of border exception that's letting this happen.

In the interview though, she said they'd both be moving to London. If she was going to stay in the US and commute across, why wouldn't she have said that?

 

[princeton123]

I love VM and think Scott is probably one of the most gifted skaters I’ve ever seen, but I am not that jazzed about this move if CP become even more VM-lite than they already are. I thought they were already pushing it with Igor recycling so many old VM programs for them, but then they did Latch for their exhibition and Christina was aping so many of Tessa’s old costumes, and it started to cross a line from “becoming inspired by” to straight up mimicry. I hope Scott can encourage them to grow their own identity in the sport... but for some reason I’m not hopeful lol

I am still very interested to see the impact Scott will have on them, especially Anthony. Anthony’s a fantastic skater, but is lacking as a partner imo. He doesn’t always lead and frame Christina as well as he should, which is one thing Scott always did very well for Tessa. But I honestly have no idea what he can do for Christina that Igor couldn’t do.