Eric Radford and Vanessa James to compete in pairs together for Canada

[mackiecat]

Brooke and Ben’s Jr scores this year were higher than the Sr minimums, so barring injury, they should have no issue getting them.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Everyone I can think of, their partner didn't medal. Irina Rodnina........Artur Dmitriev........Savchenko........B&S, but not worlds........

Rodnina's first partner, Alexei Ulanov, who left her for Lyudmila Smirnova, won the silver medal with Smirnova at the first two Worlds after the split and after Rodnina paired with Zaitsev.

 

[Vagabond]

If I'm not mistaken, and I might be, Vanessa James is the first skater to win World medals with two different partners while skating for two different countries.

 

[Colleen]

I have to say - I found them much more enjoyable today. More emotion, more connection. I hope they have the motivation and desire and health to continue on competitively.

 

[jao86]

Ok, to be fair... none of us saw THIS coming. It took a very scary accident for them to make the podium.

 

[skatfan]

@MacMadame: What will hurt is that the Russian market is no longer a possibility for them. But who could have predicted that?

The Russians didn’t really invite outside skaters to participate in their shows all that often so that isn’t really a loss.

 

[manhn]

Interesting how many don’t want to asterisk K&F’s win, but plenty of posters want to asterisk R&J’s bronze—which btw could have easily been a silver.

 

[karmena]

I don't who MT is but Meagan Duhamel did not complain "all the time." She complained at how the breakup with her was handled (and rightly so) and then she shut up and moved on.

On top of that, Skate Canada -- who are the ones with the real power -- hyped them to the skies. So they had plenty of support, from their coaches who kept the team-up secret from Meagan for month even though one of them was Meagan's SIL all the way to their federation.

- thank you. I meant to say/write KMT, not MT. Thank you for pointing this out, I edited my post too.

 

[Vagabond]

Ok, to be fair... none of us saw THIS coming. It took a very scary accident for them to make the podium.

To be fair, ice is slippery.

Calling the efforts of any skater good enough to go to Worlds "a waste of everyone's time" should be beneath everyone on FSU.

 

[Excidra]

Yay! For Vanessa and Eric on a well deserved bronze medal. Now they will be announced as world medalists when they skate in shows.

 

[Jammers]

Ok, to be fair... none of us saw THIS coming. It took a very scary accident for them to make the podium.

Not sure with the way C/G/L were skating that they would have made the podium Ashley was really struggling from the start.

 

[Karen-W]

Not sure with the way C/G/L were skating that they would have made the podium Ashley was really struggling from the start.

I don't think there's much question that Ash & Tim had likely fallen off the podium by the time she had her 3rd fall. I think the ankle injury must have flared up though because she doesn't usually biff her throws or the 3s like she did today.

 

[fsfann]

So many thoughts...

I don't think there's much question that Ash & Tim had likely fallen off the podium by the time she had her 3rd fall. I think the ankle injury must have flared up though because she doesn't usually biff her throws or the 3s like she did today.

anything's possible. I thought the Japanese pair were toast after all of the mistakes but they still finished ahead of the Cdns which surprised me.

 

[mackiecat]

So many thoughts...

anything's possible. I thought the Japanese pair were toast after all of the mistakes but they still finished ahead of the Cdns which surprised me.

Japan was third in the free. Their short program score held them up. The had a 4 point lead going in.
C-G/L already had 3 fall deductions when the program was stopped. They had a 9 point lead from J/R going into the free. Those 3 missed elements would be worth 6-8 points plus the 3.0 for the falls. so who knows what would have happened if she hadn’t been injured and they could have continued and gotten the program back on track (which as a skater would be very difficult but not impossible)

 

[Former Lurve Goddess]

So now that J&R are WBMs are they going to get last-minute CSOI invites?

 

[Habs]

So now that J&R are WBMs are they going to get last-minute CSOI invites?

Maybe guest spots? MTM are already on the tour so adding J&R to the cast seems unlikely.

 

[Judy]

Maybe guest spots? MTM are already on the tour so adding J&R to the cast seems unlikely.

They probably will. I don’t know how the money thing works though with paying skaters etc.

 

[fsfann]

Japan was third in the free. Their short program score held them up. The had a 4 point lead going in.
C-G/L already had 3 fall deductions when the program was stopped. They had a 9 point lead from J/R going into the free. Those 3 missed elements would be worth 6-8 points plus the 3.0 for the falls. so who knows what would have happened if she hadn’t been injured and they could have continued and gotten the program back on track (which as a skater would be very difficult but not impossible)

yes, I know they finished 3rd in the Free, but their marks seemed high given the number of issues they had with the program itself.

 

[Andora]

Thrilled they put a medal-winning skate together, and gave Canada 3 spots next year as a potential parting gift!

I never want to hear about their olympic spot again. Personally that argument was closed.

Edit: good Lord, 3 spots. Damn auto-costco.

 

[MacMadame]

Damn auto-costco.

 

[hanca]

Ok, to be fair... none of us saw THIS coming. It took a very scary accident for them to make the podium.

It took removing top five pairs (3 from Russia, 2 from China) and one scary accident for them to make a podium. So in reality they are more like top ten at worlds pair, with accidental medal.

 

[Karen-W]

It took removing top five pairs (3 from Russia, 2 from China) and one scary accident for them to make a podium. So in reality they are more like top ten at worlds pair, with accidental medal.

But they still have the medals and the ISU isn't going to mark the results with an asterisk. You can only compete against the teams that finish the competition.

 

[hanca]

But they still have the medals and the ISU isn't going to mark the results with an asterisk. You can only compete against the teams that finish the competition.

I am not arguing about them having or not having the medal. But the medal won’t make their skating miraculously better.

 

[marbri]

I am not arguing about them having or not having the medal. But the medal won’t make their skating miraculously better.

What is wrong with you? Like seriously?

 

[kwanfan1818]

Plus $45K USD, which is more than that in CAD, so that paid for a chunk of this year (or replenished their savings). No asterisk in that, either.

 

[hanca]

What is wrong with you? Like seriously?

Yes, seriously. I just don’t think it was a world medal worthy skating. Fine, they got medal, but that doesn’t make me miraculously love what they show on the ice. It needs a bit more work.

 

[marbri]

Yes, seriously. I just don’t think it was a world medal worthy skating. Fine, they got medal, but that doesn’t make me miraculously love what they show on the ice. It needs a bit more work.

The question for me is what is fundamentally wrong with you that you feel the need to have that conversation here?
You don't have to answer..

 

[hanca]

The question for me is what is fundamentally wrong with you that you feel the need to have that conversation here?
You don't have to answer..

Why wouldn’t I state my opinion here? Where else would it be appropriate, in your view? I don’t hate them, in fact, from the aesthetic point of view I like this pair more than Duhamel/Radford because they have better lines, but world medallist I just imagine skating better. And I don’t think there is anything fundamentally wrong with me. In fact, what is fundamentally wrong with you that you hate me having different opinion than yours and try to shut me up?

 

[Karen-W]

Yes, seriously. I just don’t think it was a world medal worthy skating. Fine, they got medal, but that doesn’t make me miraculously love what they show on the ice. It needs a bit more work.

But the thing is, it IS world medal worthy skating. And, to be fair, Vanessa & Eric skated a fine FS in which they scored over 130. That's nothing to sneeze at. Whether it would have won a medal in a different season or with a different slate of competitors is a different debate and probably belongs in the Trash Can. No, they certainly aren't one of the greatest pairs teams of all time. They're not even in the top 5 of greatest Canadian pairs teams (how could they be when there are 7 Canadian pairs teams that won Worlds?), but that doesn't make the skates they had this week less worthy of a world medal. If that were the case then some other team would have won that bronze instead of them. The fact that they DID win the medal is what makes it medal worthy skating.

 

[Vagabond]

It took removing top five pairs (3 from Russia, 2 from China) and one scary accident for them to make a podium.

jao86, is that you? Seems like just the other day you said:

Ok, to be fair... none of us saw THIS coming. It took a very scary accident for them to make the podium.

To which Jammers astutely said.

Not sure with the way C/G/L were skating that they would have made the podium Ashley was really struggling from the start.

Wash. Rinse. Repeat.