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

[text_skate]

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?

 

[aftershocks]

^^ 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

 

[text_skate]

I'd say they will cut to 16, unless they changed the rules

 

[misskarne]

@aftershocks, Zeigler/Keifer don't skate for Australia (AUS). They do, however, skate for Austria (AUT).

 

[aftershocks]

@aftershocks, Zeigler/Keifer don't skate for Australia (AUS). They do, however, skate for Austria (AUT).

Well thanks, so I got the abbreviation wrong. Those weird abbreviations...

 

[joubertelegant]

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.

 

[eurodance2001]

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.

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..

 

[joubertelegant]

It feels like they are being forced on us; James and Cipres and even Marchei/Hotarek show more than T&M

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.

 

[eurodance2001]

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.

Completely agreed; default #1 automatic mid 9's even with a stumble or fall for a boring/dull program..

 

[joubertelegant]

Completely agreed; default #1 automatic mid 9's even with a stumble or fall for a boring/dull program..

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.

 

[nimi]

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.

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

 

[oleada]

I really hope Ziegler/Kiefer make the FS. They have really grown on me and the improvements they have made are amazing.

 

[MAXSwagg]

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.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^ And The Knierims Boo.

 

[butyrskafanatic]

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.

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.

 

[MAXSwagg]

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.

Deserve it how??

 

[MAXSwagg]

^^^ And The Knierims Boo.

Yes! Love them too!

 

[butyrskafanatic]

Deserve it how??

Since if they skate like they did at the GPF LP they are the best team out there today. Their near 160 score was well deserved and that was without even their throw triple axel which they can do easily.

 

[ross_hy]

According to Morgan Cipres's Instagram, they're going back to Sound of Silence for the Olympics.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BexUDAQBy0K/?hl=en

 

[skatingcheckers]

Love their Sound of Silence!

 

[MAXSwagg]

Oh, dear...

 

[aftershocks]

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.

Get over beautiful butts please. Stop with the jealous hatin' and provocation.

 

[VGThuy]

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.

 

[Seerek]

I'm not Claire but I recently posted an update in another thread:

Anna and Martin are good to go it appears:

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=528985094138613&id=223411081362684

 

[nimi]

^ 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):

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/?

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.

https://twitter.com/mhjd_85/status/960685246936055809

Who's getting excited?! I know I am!

 

[julieann]

According to Morgan Cipres's Instagram, they're going back to Sound of Silence for the Olympics.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BexUDAQBy0K/?hl=en

Excellent choice! Any idea if we can convince T/M to go back to a former program? Any former program!!!

MT/M are on their way too, they should arrive soon.

 

[oleada]

As per Aljona’s instastory, Savchenko/Massot are there and had their first practice

https://www.instagram.com/aljonasavchenko

 

[nimi]

As per Aljona’s instastory, Savchenko/Massot are there and had their first practice

https://www.instagram.com/aljonasavchenko

link to Aljona's instastory on twitter: https://twitter.com/FSIgstories/status/960683391124475904

I like those cute purple zambonis!

I also really liked this Jackie Wong tweet about Bruno's many faces
https://twitter.com/rockerskating/status/960824327812894721

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

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.

 

[nimi]

Savchenko takes fifth shot at Olympic glory

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

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."

P.S. In SLC all we provided was a bed????? Shame.

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!