Gilles/Poirier: Risk of falling outside the top 10?

Do Gilles/Poirier Fall Out of the Top 10 at the Olympics?


  • Total voters
    82
  • Poll closed .

tony

Throwing the (rule)book at them
Messages
17,677
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier probably have had the worst season start of any top skater or team this year. Off the podium at both of their Grand Prix events, missing levels on major elements in each program, and really mixed opinions about both programs.

Following 2016 Worlds, many people thought they would pass Weaver and Poje, but the return of Virtue and Moir seems to have stunted any room for improvement.

With three American teams, Papadakis/Cizeron, two other Canadian teams, two Russian teams, and two Italian teams competing in PyeongChang, is it possible that Gilles and Poirier become the odd 11th team out?
 

MR-FAN

Kostner Softie
Messages
6,635
Can't see them dropping below Italians #2, but yeah, any momentum they carried from last season is all but evaporated
 

CassAgain

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,434
I think most days/skates they would be behind the six Grand Prix finalists, plus Russia 1, 2, and 3, Weaver and Poje and maybe Italy 2. So yeah, I would predict 11 or 12 for them.
 

firstflight

Well-Known Member
Messages
578
I think most days/skates they would be behind the six Grand Prix finalists, plus Russia 1, 2, and 3, Weaver and Poje and maybe Italy 2. So yeah, I would predict 11 or 12 for them.
In the dance thread, we discussed how theyā€™re fortunate Russia can only send two to the Olympics. If they hold off G/F they would place 10th which even in itself is a bad result for them.
 

CassAgain

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,434
Oh, that's true. I forgot Russia can only send two. They should be able to make top ten.
 

firstflight

Well-Known Member
Messages
578
Gilles/Poiriers' PCS went backwards-- almost 3 points lower than what they got at 2017 Worlds in the FD (and 3.5 points less than the FD at Skate Canada last season). Stepanova/Bukin in their two GP events this season almost exactly matched their FD PCS from 2017 Worlds. Guignard/Fabbri's FD PCS are also very close, a bit higher actually, to their 2017 Worlds FD PCS.
G/P are barely holding off G/F right now.
 

AngieNikodinovLove

Frangi & Piazza & Paul & Hektor & Theo. Oh My! šŸ˜
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12,671
They are my favorite team.

I feel that their scores as well as Hawayek & Baker have gone south in the same ways.....
 

topaz

Well-Known Member
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15,236
I hope not, I like this team alot and they have an important 'voice' in ice dance that needs to be seen. They are missing levels on the key elements.

There pcs has looked really bad this season. I'm afraid if their season does not improve, they may consider retiring which would be bad for ice dance and a disaster for Skate Canada.
 

chantilly

Well-Known Member
Messages
2,014
I think Anna and Luca are being gifted this season with their PCS.
Usually I love them and their programs.
This year I find them shaky in their lifts and slow all around.
And completely dull in their expression and performance execution.
Also all this talk about G and P having poor skating skills is a head scratcher for me.
They have great deep edges. Not as deep and clean of the top three, but better then Anna and Luca IMO.
They have simply not executed their programs as well as last year.
Their lifts and twizzles had issues.
And their programs are just not as good as last year.
Politics isn't helping them either.
 

firstflight

Well-Known Member
Messages
578
This hasnā€™t been mentioned in this thread yet even though itā€™s been discussed in other threadsā€” What about the Lane-Gilles-Soloviev dustup?

I personally think it was such a sloppy move on Laneā€™s part because *every* stakeholder (uber fans, federations, judges, etc) knows about it by now and I doubt anyone can remain completely neutral.
 

overedge

Mayor of Carrot City
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35,792
Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier probably have had the worst season start of any top skater or team this year.
I think Ashley Wagner would beg to differ with this statement.

Off the podium at both of their Grand Prix events, missing levels on major elements in each program, and really mixed opinions about both programs.

Oh really? Not getting the calls for the levels and not winning medals doesn't mean the programs aren't good.
 

Coco

Rotating while Russian!
Messages
18,535
Have they made more mistakes this season than previous years, or am I imagining this?

I feel like their mistakes have contributed to the declining PCS.
 

muffinplus

Well-Known Member
Messages
4,321
I think Anna and Luca are being gifted this season with their PCS.
Usually I love them and their programs.
This year I find them shaky in their lifts and slow all around.
And completely dull in their expression and performance execution..

Strange. i have such different views of them this year; I don't see any problem with C/L expression in FD, their storytelling skills are superb. I'm very much engrossed into it...


I'm enjoying G/P FD more and more. I do think the second section does get a little bit boring.
 

ruffledgrouse

Member
Messages
56
This hasnā€™t been mentioned in this thread yet even though itā€™s been discussed in other threadsā€” What about the Lane-Gilles-Soloviev dustup?

I personally think it was such a sloppy move on Laneā€™s part because *every* stakeholder (uber fans, federations, judges, etc) knows about it by now and I doubt anyone can remain completely neutral.

I missed this, what happened?
 

Areski

Well-Known Member
Messages
673
Strange. i have such different views of them this year; I don't see any problem with C/L expression in FD, their storytelling skills are superb. I'm very much engrossed into it...


I'm enjoying G/P FD more and more. I do think the second section does get a little bit boring.


I think one of my problems with C/L is related to ... Anna's FD dress. Beautiful, but this white colour simply make her blend into the ice - making this whole dance look more bland. His costume also needs some refining for me.

I don't find their free dance as captivating in choreography & concept as their Charlie Chaplin one either.

It is still much better than their SD though that gives me the impression of two kids dancing chaotically in kindergarten with each other. I like their cheeky interpretation though. I am quite disappointed though so far, some of it likely has more common with my perceived regress of skating skills.
 
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tony

Throwing the (rule)book at them
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17,677
@overedge - I actually like their programs and think the FD has a cool, unique theme. But Iā€™ve noticed people either really like their programs or just donā€™t get them. At all. Maybe the judges are the same way. I think brushing up on/changing the middle section would help, because it gets lost.
 

MarieM

Grumpy Cynical Ice Dance Lover
Messages
9,967
They'll pay for the "It's Russia" comment from Lane + Piper's comments on social media.
And they should know, by now, that you can't say anything about results.

And they also have their worst set of programs ever, by a very very huge gap. Piper is no star ice dancer, she still can't skate. Even Stepanova is better than her now.
 

Anyasnake

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,100
They'll pay for the "It's Russia" comment from Lane + Piper's comments on social media.
And they should know, by now, that you can't say anything about results.

And they also have their worst set of programs ever, by a very very huge gap. Piper is no star ice dancer, she still can't skate. Even Stepanova is better than her now.
Funny how someone left a comment on her instagram saying something like "Bad habits to go back to old programs, but can you go back to your tango FD from last year ? it was special" and Piper liked that comment.

The comments "well it's Russia" were unecessary. I don't know if it affected them too much but for sure, they can't use that anymore. I don't think they're the only one being outskated by Step/Bukin. Some skaters should watch out.
Their programs this year aren't... there. There is nothing special. I like the last part of the FD and maybe the idea, but it really does not come across at all and it doesn't go anywhere.

The issue with G/P is not complicated : it's nice to be original, but it's not good to try too hard and to let it show.
You take Pechalat/Bourzat : it wasn't forced, it was very studied. It made sense, it was original in an excellent way. Le Petit Prince is also a famous story but even if you don't know, it was told into the dance.
And then you have skaters who are originals in their own way, with their skating, not necessarily with their music or programs. P/C have a unique way of moving, C/L have an original charm to them that transcript well on the ice...
Being different takes a lot more than come up with weird ideas or to force it. Their tango last year reflected that quite well.
 
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Scrufflet

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,207
I wonder too what impact being the "quirky" team has on their scores. Judges do not seem to respond well to "different". I remember Rakkamo/Kokko didn't do well until they did a mainstream Beatles routine. That wonderful German dance team of a few years ago was a fan fave but not judges. And it does not help when your coach makes "homecooking" accusations re Russia. Then the skaters start to believe it and get chips on their shoulders and that affects the skating. I may be oversimplifying things here but that's the impression I'm left with. Sad as I want to see them do well.
 

kittysk8ts

Well-Known Member
Messages
1,820
Piper recently made a FB post about mentally struggling "with trying to figure out what's missing in our programs". I asked her if they had received feedback from the judges to which she replied "Not really, which makes it hard for us to make improvements." She also said in the comments that they are welcoming any of our feedback. Please be kind if you do :)
 

MarieM

Grumpy Cynical Ice Dance Lover
Messages
9,967
What lacks? About everything. The choreo? Absent. The music? Dreadfull. The costumes? Brrrrrrrrrr.
There is not one single thing I like in it, and IMO I'm not alone. It's like the Pechalat/Bourzat "Time" horrid FD they had in 2010.
 

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