Is the situation of Hurtado/Khaliavin and Smart/Diaz the most unfair and frustrating one there is

[allezfred]

Imagine if they finally get 2 spots and they both retire…

Has it been decided who is going to Worlds, are they splitting it like they did in 2018 or are S/D going if they won all the head to heads?

The two teams decided that whoever got the Olympic spot would also go to Worlds.

 

[leilaofpaper]

The two teams decided that whoever got the Olympic spot would also go to Worlds.

makes sense, the higher ranked team is also more likely to finally get them two spots at Worlds

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

The two teams decided that whoever got the Olympic spot would also go to Worlds.

If they had just done this back in 2018 maybe they could have avoided the mess since.

 

[Bigbird]

If they had just done this back in 2018 maybe they could have avoided the mess since.

Well considering that now they both get their Olympics experience I am not troubled by their situation. Their programs, both were ill fitting and their skating skills seemed flat.They have no chemistry, Sara comes off as trying too hard. Zhulin and Durnev as expected invested the majority of their efforts in S/K. Hurtado should have understood this was going to be the case given Russian politricks. Now if S/D do get that top 10 spot I would be thrilled to see both compete together at next years worlds before leaving the sport. That could be a treat.

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

I mean with Zhulin they were his #2, where Smart/Diaz are like the what. #5 or something in Montreal? Then again they have so many coaches perhaps that doesn't matter there.

 

[MsZem]

Well considering that now they both get their Olympics experience I am not troubled by their situation. Their programs, both were ill fitting and their skating skills seemed flat.They have no chemistry, Sara comes off as trying too hard. Zhulin and Durnev as expected invested the majority of their efforts in S/K. Hurtado should have understood this was going to be the case given Russian politricks. Now if S/D do get that top 10 spot I would be thrilled to see both compete together at next years worlds before leaving the sport. That could be a treat.

IIRC, originally Hurtado wanted to return to Montreal. I don't know how realistic that was, especially after Smart and Diaz teamed up, but I'm guessing once she decided to skate with Khaliavin, anything outside of Russia was off the table. I don't know that there was a better option for them than Zhulin, given that.

I think in hindsight the Spanish federation splitting the major assignments in 2018 was not a good move, and made it difficult for either team to build up momentum for the next season. And unfortunately, there was no opportunity in 2020, and neither team was in top form last season.

 

[clairecloutier]

I don't feel that Hurtado/Khaliavin have necessarily suffered what with being #2 behind S/K in their training group. In fact, I think in some ways they may have benefited a bit politically from the Russian association (of course I have no proof of that). Honestly, Hurtado/Khaliavin had a good quad--three top 7 placements at Euros, 2 GP medals, CS medals. I think there is a lot of second-guessing right now, when really, they have done well. Even last year after Sara's shoulder injury, they placed 11th at Worlds, which seemed fairly good considering the circumstances.

Things only really went off course this season. Unfortunately, H/D's programs this season just proved to be not the best selections strategically, in a year when Smart/Diaz had probably their best programs of their career. It seems that after the Grease RD, Smart/Diaz realized that their strength was crowd-pleasing, character-driven programs, so they went with that again this season in the FD, and it worked. Plus they had the advantage of not starting from scratch with the "Proud Mary" SD, but adapting something they had used before.

If Sara/Kirill had gone with more classic programs this season, which is more their strength IMO, they might have done better versus S/D. But they still did have quite a respectable season anyhow.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I’ve only read the first couple posts in this thread and I’m sure it’s already been discussed here but….. yeah both teams announced actually quite a while ago that this was it for them.

And I had talked about this a week or two ago in a different thread that it sucks that Spain qualified three teams for Europeans next year and probably won’t have any teams to send. I think @Karen-W replied to me saying that there might be one coming up the pipeline

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Looking back on the season I did not care for H/Ks Programs that much. In fact she basically has the same exact costume for the rhythm dance and the free dance. The programs of smart and Diaz had my attention from the beginning this season

 

[Karen-W]

I’ve only read the first couple posts in this thread and I’m sure it’s already been discussed her but….. yeah both teams announced actually quite a while ago that this was it for them.

And I had talked about this a week or two ago in a different thread that it sucks that Spain qualified three teams for Europeans next year and probably won’t have any teams to send. I think @Karen-W replied to me saying that there might be one coming up the pipeline

Yes, they have a junior team, Sofia Val & Nikita Vitranyuk http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00110783.htm, that are brand new this season who are promising - looks like Vitranyuk ages out this year so they should wind up on the senior B circuit and probably will get the third Euros spot if both teams stay around another season.