German Skating News - 2022 / 2023 Season

[Wyliefan]

Yes, I'm a bit worried about that! But he's only skated junior so far, so maybe that will be a factor.

 

[text_skate]

Yes, I'm a bit worried about that! But he's only skated junior so far, so maybe that will be a factor.

If he wants success he will stay with his current partner. If there is one thing, we've learned over the past years: The most successful teams skated from junior to senior ranks without changing partners

 

[Hedwig]

Yes, I'm a bit worried about that! But he's only skated junior so far, so maybe that will be a factor.

About who? Luft Pfister?

 

[Wyliefan]

@Hedwig We were talking about the fact that Luft dates Michail Savitskiy, and hoping they wouldn't decide to form a new team, because we like Grimm/Savitskiy so much.

 

[Hedwig]

Ah okay, thanks. I could not find that conversation and was a bit confused.
that would be a pity, indeed

 

[sandra_persch]

Luft/Pfisterer have ended their partnership, because Max has been dealing with injury since December. Lara's looking for a new partner. (Cross-posted from the Dance Hall thread.)

Instagram

www.instagram.com

Makes me wonder if his injury is worse than they thought or if she is just hoping to find a new partner for next season.
And unlesss he has someone lined up already that should be a bit of a challenge for sure.

 

[sandra_persch]

@Hedwig We were talking about the fact that Luft dates Michail Savitskiy, and hoping they wouldn't decide to form a new team, because we like Grimm/Savitskiy so much.

I am so behind. I though she was dating Pfisterer.

 

[sandra_persch]

Looks like Mimi Hase is back in business!

DEU erhält Startfreigabe für neues Top-Paar Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

www.eislauf-union.de

Nikita Volodin has been release!

 

[Karen-W]

Looks like Mimi Hase is back in business!

DEU erhält Startfreigabe für neues Top-Paar Minerva Hase/Nikita Volodin

Die Deutsche Eislauf-Union e.V. ist nationaler Spitzenverband für Eiskunstlaufen, Eistanz und Synchroneiskunstlaufen und einer von nur 7 olympischen Wintersportverbänden.

www.eislauf-union.de

Nikita Volodin has been release!

I believe that this new partnership is eligible for 2 GP assignments due to Hase/Seegert's 6th place finish at 2022 Worlds, but I'm not positive. The GP document only addresses "Comeback Couples" who placed 1st-6th at Worlds in the last 10 years, and "Return Split Couples" who finished 7th-12th at the most recent Worlds, but I can't imagine that Hase/Volodin wouldn't be placed in the "Return Split Couple" category with her score of 189.61 from Montpellier putting them 10th on the SB list.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The GP document only addresses "Comeback Couples" who placed 1st-6th at Worlds in the last 10 years, and "Return Split Couples" who finished 7th-12th at the most recent Worlds,

The 2022-23 announcement currently reads:

Return of a Split Couple - “Returning Split Couple”Pairs or Ice Dance Couples, who were previously in the top 7 to 12 of an ISU World Figure SkatingChampionships in the past two seasons (2021 or 2022) but who split and now have a new partner, mayalways be chosen as an Organizing ISU Member Skater as per paragraph 2.2. f) and in addition, may beconsidered as an Organizing ISU Member’s Choice as per paragraph 2.2. g). They will be ranked in thelist of Grand Prix Season’s Best scores by taking the season’s points of their partnership with their mostrecent previous partner, if proof is given in writing by their ISU Member that they intend to continue theircompetitive career and their return is announced and confirmed by the date of the annual SelectionMeeting. Such Pairs/Dance Couples are defined as a “Returning Split Couple” and such Returning SplitCouples do not need to fulfill the requirement of a minimum Grand Prix score.

To limit the years to 2023 would be an explicit change, and I'd expect this year's announcement to include 2022 and 2023 in the definition "the past two seasons."

Is the 2023-24 announcement available with this change?

 

[Karen-W]

The 2022-23 announcement currently reads:



To limit the years to 2023 would be an explicit change, and I'd expect this year's announcement to include 2022 and 2023 in the definition "the past two seasons."

Right... and that's why I said I think Hase/Volodin will probably be eligible for a Return Split Couple GP assignment, but it's impossible to know for sure since Hase/Seegert finished 6th at 2022 Worlds and the Return Split Couple clause only applies to skaters/teams that finished 7th-12th (my presumption is the same as yours - that the 2023-24 GP Announcement will apply to teams who competed at 2022 & 2023 Worlds).

Is the 2023-24 announcement available with this change?

No, it's not available yet. Hopefully within a few weeks, but sometimes the GP Announcement isn't published until after the initial assignments are announced.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Right... and that's why I said I think Hase/Volodin will probably be eligible for a Return Split Couple GP assignment, but it's impossible to know for sure since Hase/Seegert finished 6th at 2022 Worlds and the Return Split Couple clause only applies to skaters/teams that finished 7th-12th (my presumption is the same as yours - that the 2023-24 GP Announcement will apply to teams who competed at 2022 & 2023 Worlds).

Oh, doh -- I was thinking they finished 7th, not 5th.

The paragraph applying to couples who finished 1-6 and then split has been missing from the documentation since either the first or second announcement with the provision, when the rules were different, IIRC, put them at the top of the alternates list. In practice, the last two Worlds have counted for those placing 1-6. The only question has always been whether the last 10 years that Comeback Skaters (1-6 at ISU Worlds) get applies to split couples, but I don't think we've had any that prove this out.

 

[Karen-W]

Oh, doh -- I was thinking they finished 7th, not 5th.

The paragraph applying to couples who finished 1-6 and then split has been missing from the documentation since either the first or second announcement with the prevision, when the rules were different, IIRC, put them at the top of the alternates list. In practice, the last two Worlds have counted for those placing 1-6. The only question has always been whether the last 10 years that Comeback Skaters (1-6 at ISU Worlds) get applies to split couples, but I don't think we've had any that prove this out.

Agreed. It will be interesting to see how this plays out with the GP assignments. Either way, I expect that they'll get at least 1 right out of the gate, even with a sizable pool of teams still intact and eligible for assignments.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the Programs/Choreographers thread:

Jennifer Janse van Rensburg & Benjamin Steffan (GER)
RD: “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil, “Don’t Leave Me Now” by Supertramp, and “Runaway” by Bon Jovi
FD: Wild West theme
Choreographer: Pasquale Camerlengo

https://twitter.com/goldenskate/status/1664620571093528576

Copying out the text in Golden Skate's tweet:

Earlier this week we visited some skaters in Oberstdorf .
Update from Jennifer Janse van Rensburg and Benjamin Steffan:

“Our recent camp with the “Bundeswehr” (German militay) was really nice. We have a lot of freedom there, it’s a really fun time, we like connecting with other athletes there and we wear the uniform proudly!”

“This is our first week back on the ice.
We will start working on our two new programs with Pasquale Camerlengo this Saturday.
The Rhythm Dance will be: “Beds are Burning” by Midnight Oil, “Don’t Leave Me Now” by Supertramp and “Runaway” by Bon Jovi.
We haven’t finally decided on the Free Dance music yet but it will be “Wild West” style!”

As the financial situation for the German athletes is difficult right now (check our detailed interview with Annika Hocke and Robert Kunkel for more information on this issue: https://youtu.be/T9VgINFAupM ), they will not prepare in the US this summer, as they used to do the previous years.

“But we try to see also the positives: we can hopefully explore and hike some mountains here in Oberstdorf on our free days.”

They stated that the current financial concept of the federation is not possible to handle for the athletes.
“Competing at a Grand Prix should be a reward and a great time and not a financial worry!
In general it’s a simple calculation: in case the costs are higher than the income we can’t continue. Figure Skating is unfortunately an expensive sport.
We are talking with the federation though and are hopeful.
Our main goal is still to compete at the Olympics 2026! We are very motivated and still positive! ”

“Next season we would love to build on last season. We were pretty consistant and didn’t have many mistakes. We want to build on that,
want to push ourselves to our limits but mainly want to keep healthy and injury free!”

They plan to start their 2023/24 season at Nebelhorn Trophy 2023!

Nikita Starostin (GER): https://www.instagram.com/p/Cs-_REZr3Ve/
SP: The Trammps - Disco Inferno /mixed by @sk8mixhugo
FS: Backstreet Boys - I want it that way + Larger Than Life
Choreographer: Adam Solya

 

[Immortelle]

Not sure how I feel about Beds are Burning being used by a non-Australian team.

 

[Orm Irian]

Not sure how I feel about Beds are Burning being used by a non-Australian team.

Me either. The most intensely and specifically political of all Midnight Oil's intensely political protest songs.

 

[Miezekatze]

Only in German, but Robin and Aljona & Robin were on German television twice in the last days, Robin was in German talk show Riverboat, the show is 2 hours, but his part starts at about 1h16m:

Riverboat | ARD Mediathek

Riverboat | Video | Kim Fisher und Matze Knop begrüßen in Leipzig spannende Gäste. Diesmal dabei: Anna Loos, Tom Pauls, Michael Holm, Robin Szolkowy, Alexander Klaws, Dr. rer. nat. Doreen Werner, Petra Kusch-Lück und der MDR Kinderchor.

www.ardmediathek.de

Then there was a part with Aljona and Robin in this documentary about Chemnitz, their part starts at minute 32:

Der Osten - Entdecke wo du lebst: Unbekanntes Chemnitz | ARD Mediathek

Unbekanntes Chemnitz | Video | Chemnitz ist die Europäische Kulturhauptstadt 2025. Die viertgrößte ostdeutsche Stadt bietet Kreativen in Wirtschaft, Wissenschaft, Sport, Kunst und Kultur ungeahnte Möglichkeiten.

www.ardmediathek.de

Nothing too exciting in it, but quite nice. Robin talks a bit about his past and the start of his career and his plans now. He was asked if his relationship to Aljona during their career got worse when she started dating Ingo and he agreed to that (but I think that was already mentioned in the book about them). He said threesomes are always "shitty" when it's 2 against 1, but (ever the diplomatic self) that sometimes he and Aljona might also have ganged up against Ingo. Otherwise he talked about the difference between being a coach when he was a kid and now, he said back in his childhood, the parents weren't allowed to enter the rink and now they are very involved and sometimes he feels more like a family therapist or sometimes even a mediator between student and their parents.

In the documentary, Aljona and Robin visit a museum which has some some old belongings of Jutta Muller, like her last skates and some old furniture and they talk about their memories of her, Aljona again being very enthusiastic about how nice Jutta Müller treated her when she arrived in Chemnitz first and Robin a bit more reserved/diplomatic and Aljona talks a bit about returning to Chemnitz and that her whole family lives there and how Jutta Müller is her role model.

 

[Sylvia]

Aljona & Robin's joint coaching project in Chemnitz

Their new joint Instagram account: https://www.instagram.com/aljonarobinproskate2023/

 

[Frau Muller]

The first Frau Muller bit begins at 15.48 second mark.

 

[text_skate]

New season, new thread:

German Skating News - 2023 / 2024 Season

As the new season starts .... Yesterday German broadsheet die Welt published an article (link) Why Germany's best ice dancer changes nation excerpts: Our priority was very clear to start for Germany. But after months of discussions, the DEU remained too vague financially, so we have entered...

www.fsuniverse.net