Pairs Discussion Thread 2017-18--"Two Skating as One"

I had a look on the entries list for the Olys: 22 PAIRS http://isu.org/docman-documents-lin...ongchang/15918-owg2018-fsk-entries-pairs/file

Now I'm wondering who won't make the cut. I'm sure of team JAP and KOR, but then? I like Duskova/Bidar, the Australians, the Austrians by proximity and of course Hocke/Blommaert, but I fear for them. The Israelis might also not make the cut. I think Ryom/Kim will make it, not just because they are Koreans, but they're really talented and have their nerves in check. Peng/Jin and Astakhova/Rogonov might have a not so stellar skates, they make mistakes in the short.

What did you think?
 
^^ Will they be cutting the list to 18 or 20 for the fp?

If four will be cut, I think Kim/Kam (KOR); Suzaki/Kihara (JPN); Connors/Krasnopolski (ISR) are the likeliest right off the bat to not score highly enough to make the cut.

And then it's perhaps between Ziegler/Kiefer (Austria); and Hocke/Blommaert (GER) for the 4th cut. However, these two teams are also capable of skating well and pulling decent numbers, except that H/B are a newer team than Z/K and thus probably are more prone to newbie team errors.

I'd say that Alexandrovskaya/Windsor and Duskova/Bidar might also be vulnerable, but they are also good up-and-coming teams who are likely to make the cut if they are in good form. Ryom/Kim are new and young too, but coming off their 4CCs bronze medal, R/K seemingly will be bringing some confidence and they are good performers. As well, I think Ashtakova/Rogonov are good performers who are capable of going clean and pulling decent numbers. They performed fairly well on the GP this season.

A/W seem a bit vulnerable, as some of their weaknesses as a young team showed up in their 4CCs performances. I agree with Eurosport commentators' assessment of A/W's limitations and what they need to improve upon. Interestingly, it does seem that A/W are not interacting with each other that well as a team, granted that their schedule may have had them tired when they were at 4CCs. Although they have good elements when they are on and go clean, A/W aren't great performers and they need to find a way to connect with each other and project to the audience more. Harley has more flair and interest; he's the one who catches our eye, while Katia needs to work on learning how to express her personality -- Eurosport commentary of A/W's 4CCs fp: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSPBsWJBJwU
 
Last edited:
Reading through this thread it seems there are 2 pairs who a lot of people (different people in some cases but still a lot) feel have been overmarked and overrated in their careers thus far, particularly this quad, Duhamel & Radford, and while over less time as they are newer Tarasova & Morozov. Assuming Savchenko & Massot and Sui & Han are borderline a near lock for the gold and silver in whichever order, I bet based on a lot of the comments this thread a lot of people would like to see a shock for the bronze like say James & Cipres getting it. Especialy with Stolbova & Klimov who were probably the most likely spoiler now out. I am not speaking for myself as I like both pairs, especialy Duhamel & Radford, but it seems a lot of people in this thread do not like those two pairs and feel they haven't deserved their past medals or scores.
 
joubertelegant said:
Reading through this thread it seems there are 2 pairs who a lot of people (different people in some cases but still a lot) feel have been overmarked and overrated in their careers thus far, particularly this quad, Duhamel & Radford, and while over less time as they are newer Tarasova & Morozov. Assuming Savchenko & Massot and Sui & Han are borderline a near lock for the gold and silver in whichever order, I bet based on a lot of the comments this thread a lot of people would like to see a shock for the bronze like say James & Cipres getting it. Especialy with Stolbova & Klimov who were probably the most likely spoiler now out. I am not speaking for myself as I like both pairs, especialy Duhamel & Radford, but it seems a lot of people in this thread do not like those two pairs and feel they haven't deserved their past medals or scores.
Click to expand...

It feels like they are being forced on us; James and Cipres and even Marchei/Hotarek show more life and outward presentation than T&M..
 
eurodance2001 said:
It feels like they are being forced on us; James and Cipres and even Marchei/Hotarek show more than T&M
Click to expand...

Yeah although I like them, I agree. I think it is for a simple reason though, with Volosozhar & Trankov's retirement and Stolbova & Klimov's decline, they are Russian #1. Russian #1 in pairs, even today with the heyday of their dominance in the past, = big score and being a big contender up near the top. It seems that has passed in dance, atleast as an automatic, but not in pairs.
 
joubertelegant said:
Yeah although I like them, I agree. I think it is for a simple reason though, with Volosozhar & Trankov's retirement and Stolbova & Klimov's decline, they are Russian #1. Russian #1 in pairs, even today with the heyday of their dominance in the past, = big score and being a big contender up near the top. It seems that has passed in dance, atleast as an automatic, but not in pairs.
Click to expand...

Completely agreed; default #1 automatic mid 9's even with a stumble or fall for a boring/dull program..
 
eurodance2001 said:
Completely agreed; default #1 automatic mid 9's even with a stumble or fall for a boring/dull program..
Click to expand...

Last season I didn't mind their scores as much as their PCS were still lower than S&M, S&H, and even D&R, and they were having success as one of the only teams doing clean programs. This season though their overscoring is far more jarring. They won France with mistakes over a clean James & Cipres, which was unfair. They nearly beat a clean Savchenko & Massot in the SP of the GPF which is comical even if their SP isn't a hideous piece of choreography like their LP this season is. Europeans they were bigtime held up, the Russian #3 were probably even the rightful winners there.
 
The new IceTalk episode: Olympic pairs preview with Jackie & Brooke Castile
In the first of our four Olympic preview episodes, 2007 U.S. champion and current icenetwork commentator Brooke Castile joins host Jackie Wong to help break down the pairs competition at the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in PyeongChang, South Korea.
Click to expand...
https://itunes.apple.com/us/podcast/ice-talk/id1143138240?mt=2

Just started listening to this. They begin with talking about the scheduling. Brooke thinks it's mentally easier for pairs to have the individual event right after the team event although it's physically "an extreme challenge".

ETA: SPOILER! She loves Aljona&Bruno's FS... and doesn't love T/M's free.

ETA2: She thinks Aljona for sure will prefer to skip the team event and focus 100% on the individual
 
Last edited:
T/M certainly have superior skating skills and over S/M and definitely D/R. Aliona is great but this is pairs skating. Personally, I am not fond of S/M, D/R, or J/C. For me, Sui/Han and Stolbova/Klimov are the only saving grace of the pairs discipline. BY FAR.
 
MAXSwagg said:
T/M certainly have superior skating skills and over S/M and definitely D/R. Aliona is great but this is pairs skating. Personally, I am not fond of S/M, D/R, or J/C. For me, Sui/Han and Stolbova/Klimov are the only saving grace of the pairs discipline. BY FAR.
Click to expand...

Savchenko & Massot are amazing. I personally prefer Massot to Szolkowy who I was never a fan of. I especialy hated how he stuck his butt out while skating and stroking. I badly want them to win the OGM this year. They deserve it.
 
butyrskafanatic said:
Savchenko & Massot are amazing. I personally prefer Massot to Szolkowy who I was never a fan of. I especialy hated how he stuck his butt out while skating and stroking. I badly want them to win the OGM this year. They deserve it.
Click to expand...

Deserve it how??
 
butyrskafanatic said:
Savchenko & Massot are amazing. I personally prefer Massot to Szolkowy who I was never a fan of. I especialy hated how he stuck his butt out while skating and stroking. I badly want them to win the OGM this year. They deserve it.
Click to expand...

Get over beautiful butts please. Stop with the jealous hatin' and provocation. :P
 
I must be one of the few who preferred "Say Something" and I LOVED "Sound of Silence". I guess it just depends on what feeling they prefer to give off since the programs give off different moods.
 
^ Yay! I'm so glad they're gonna make it *fingers crossed*

The other recent Jr world champs are getting some mainstream media coverage - here's a link to recent ABC news clip:
https://twitter.com/duncs_h/status/960724040347353089

& here are others (from the Aussie news thread):
Bunny Hop said:
There is also a story on BBC Online:
http://www.bbc.com/sport/winter-olympics/42558786

And also Olympic Channel in the US: https://www.olympicchannel.com/en/p...australias-first-indigenous-winter-olympian/?
Click to expand...


Browsing through the skating twitter... Vale&Ondrej have arrived
https://twitter.com/valemarchei14/status/960753661939916800

Meagan&Eric have already had their first practice
In 2014 in Sochi I fell on a triple sal in my long program and it literally haunted me for years. To the point that we had to remove it from our long program. Today I went back on the Olympic ice and landed my triple sal. It was an emotional moment.
Click to expand...
https://twitter.com/mhjd_85/status/960685246936055809

Who's getting excited?! I know I am! :cheer2:
 
Savchenko takes fifth shot at Olympic glory

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/02/07/266016450

"Withdrawing from the European Figure Skating Championships last month may pay off for Germany's Aliona Savchenko and Bruno Massot.

Massot, who suffered from excruciating back pain at Skate America earlier this season, now says he is in "perfect" shape."

P.S. In SLC all we provided was a bed????? Shame.
 
AngieNikodinovLove said:
Savchenko takes fifth shot at Olympic glory

http://web.icenetwork.com/news/2018/02/07/266016450
Click to expand...
So, Brooke guessed wrong. Aljona does want to do the SP in team event.
"For us, it's like practice," Savchenko said. "We definitely want to do it."
Click to expand...


AngieNikodinovLove said:
P.S. In SLC all we provided was a bed????? Shame.
Click to expand...
LOL. No wonder Aljona expressed her unenthusiasm for Olympic village living conditions in some interview year or two ago. I'm glad to hear the Koreans did a better job in this respect!
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.

Users who are viewing this thread

Total: 1 (members: 0, guests: 1)

Similar threads

haribobo
2025-26 Grand Prix Assignments Discussion
3 4 5
Replies
140
Views
17K
Twilight1
Twilight1
Karen-W
2024-25 US Pairs Discussion - Triple-Twisting Through Tornado Alley
20 21 22
Replies
647
Views
127K
AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)
AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)
Karen-W
US Ice Dance 2024-25 News & Updates
22 23 24
Replies
706
Views
145K
Allskate
A
Karen-W
2023-24 Pairs General Discussion - Join the SBS Double Salchow Club!
11 12 13
Replies
362
Views
79K
Karen-W
Karen-W
R
  • Locked
Rough prediction of 2024-25 GP spot allocation
3 4 5
Replies
120
Views
20K
chameleonster
C
Back
Top
Do Not Sell My Personal Information