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

[clairecloutier]

Just wanted to mention again that I'm maintaining a list of news articles about pairs on my web site: https://adivinesport.com/2017-18-pairs-press-links/


As the Olympics approach, there's a ton of articles, and some of them are pretty fluffy. I'm mostly trying to list the ones with new quotes and/or new information. There's new links within the past 2 days to articles about Tarasova/Morozov, Sui/Han, and the Knierims.

 

[Anyasnake]

Vanessa & Morgan appeared briefly on National news today (about Olympic village and everything). They are not going to the Opening Ceremony (in fact, none of the French figure skaters will go - it is way too cold). Morgan : "4 or 5 hours standing when it's too cold. We have to stay healthy. I did the one in Sochi and I'll be doing the Closing here."

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

TEAM START orders are up y'all

http://www.isuresults.com/results/season1718/owg2018/SEG013.HTM

 

[nimi]

Vale&Ondrej's take on the team event: They consider podium as a possibility for Italy but it's not the primary goal; the primary goal is to give good performances which in turn will raise the odds of ending up on the podium. (source)

Too bad Matteo&Nicole didn't give the best performance they could -- I'm not an expert but the foot down on the throw looked somewhat unnecessary to me, like the throw itself was fine and Nicole just second guessed herself -- but Baby Rizzo placed better than I expected (i.e. ahead of Kolyada). And I don't see Caro or C/L bombing the short so bad Italy couldn't make it to FS, where it's M/H's turn to skate. (Although anything could happen, I guess.)

Speaking of Baby Rizzo, Vale refers to him as "cucciolino" i.e. "little puppy" on twitter

More adorableness: Valentina started out as a cute little rhythmic gymnast! http://www.ginnasticaritmicaitalian...ng-2018-valentina-marchei-ginnastica-ritmica/

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Vale&Ondrej's take on the team event: They consider podium as a possibility for Italy but it's not the primary goal; the primary goal is to give good performances which in turn will raise the odds of ending up on the podium. (source)

Too bad Matteo&Nicole didn't give the best performance they could -- I'm not an expert but the foot down on the throw looked somewhat unnecessary to me, like the throw itself was fine and Nicole just second guessed herself -- but Baby Rizzo placed better than I expected (i.e. ahead of Kolyada). And I don't see Caro or C/L bombing the short so bad Italy couldn't make it to FS, where it's M/H's turn to skate. (Although anything could happen, I guess.)

Speaking of Baby Rizzo, Vale refers to him as "cucciolino" i.e. "little puppy" on twitter

More adorableness: Valentina started out as a cute little rhythmic gymnast! http://www.ginnasticaritmicaitalian...ng-2018-valentina-marchei-ginnastica-ritmica/

I think Italy will finish 5th thus advancing to the Team Free. Not sure if they can medal but this cycle will be their best chance. Looking into the pipeline of juniors not much there for Italy. (or any Non-Russia Euro country)

Matteo's rise is coming just at the right time.

2 great dance teams. A worlds Champion lady and 2 pairs team that are very decent/good.

This will be their cycle to medal....

I think by '22 Japan, Korea, China and maybe Australia will develop their teams more fully.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Phew! That team event pairs short was awesome!
First of all, I feel so much more relaxed with Stolbova/Klimov out. The universe apparently decided that it would be too much for my nerves and spared me the pain.

I'm not a T/M uber but I have to say their SP felt very special under the circumstances and I'm happy for them. They delivered under pressure, showed the world that Russia is strong no matter what flag they're under, and created a moment at the Olympics. And hey, highest SP score of the season, not shabby!

Duhamel/Radford were awesome! I still can't believe they skated a CLEAN SHORT AT THE OLYMPICS! Let that sink in for a moment...

At least if Aliona was going to fall, she did it in the team event where Germany doesn't have a great shot. Come on, girl, nail it in the individual! Also HER DRESS: cue Adam Rippon singing "shine bright like a diamond"

ALEXA AND CHRIS OMG!!! His salchows have actually been looking REALLY good here! So shut up, haters, and make way for Goddess Alexa and her handsome prince. Also lol about her little stumble.

I'm officially in love with Xiaoyu Yu, she's absolutely gorgeous! The perfect white swan!

I know everyone's gonna complain that J/C were robbed but I honestly don't think so??? For me the program loses sparkle with rough elements and PCS go lower for that.

I have a soft spot for Della Monica/Guarise but I don't think this SP showcases them to their full potential.

I really enjoyed the Israelis' SP to Ghost. Besides her stupid fall in the step sequence, I thought it was a great performance for them.

The Japanese are cute but he leans WAY too far forward on those throws, he's bound to tip over! Also huge props for the teal costumes, they're so Aliona-and-Robin Pina!

 

[nimi]

Sui/Han have arrived!

There's an interview with them on youtube where they talk about Sui's injuries etc.
I haven't watched it myself yet but there should be English subtitles (says this tweet).


Regarding the team event, this bit of "information" was stunning indeed (from NBC recap)

In a stunning chain of events, both Nathan Chen and Alex and Chris Knierim fell on a triple axel attempt in the team event

I'M DYING

 

[skatingguy]

We really need a 'Great Figure Skating Journalism' thread to contain all these gems.

 

[nimi]

We really need a 'Great Figure Skating Journalism' thread to contain all these gems.

I did some digging and found this pre-existing thread, The Trashiest of the Trash Can

Originally created for "the worst skating gossip" but I guess the worst skating "journalism" could go there too?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Phew! That team event pairs short was awesome!
First of all, I feel so much more relaxed with Stolbova/Klimov out. The universe apparently decided that it would be too much for my nerves and spared me the pain.

I'm not a T/M uber but I have to say their SP felt very special under the circumstances and I'm happy for them. They delivered under pressure, showed the world that Russia is strong no matter what flag they're under, and created a moment at the Olympics. And hey, highest SP score of the season, not shabby!

Duhamel/Radford were awesome! I still can't believe they skated a CLEAN SHORT AT THE OLYMPICS! Let that sink in for a moment...

At least if Aliona was going to fall, she did it in the team event where Germany doesn't have a great shot. Come on, girl, nail it in the individual! Also HER DRESS: cue Adam Rippon singing "shine bright like a diamond"

ALEXA AND CHRIS OMG!!! His salchows have actually been looking REALLY good here! So shut up, haters, and make way for Goddess Alexa and her handsome prince. Also lol about her little stumble.

I'm officially in love with Xiaoyu Yu, she's absolutely gorgeous! The perfect white swan!

I know everyone's gonna complain that J/C were robbed but I honestly don't think so??? For me the program loses sparkle with rough elements and PCS go lower for that.

I have a soft spot for Della Monica/Guarise but I don't think this SP showcases them to their full potential.

I really enjoyed the Israelis' SP to Ghost. Besides her stupid fall in the step sequence, I thought it was a great performance for them.

The Japanese are cute but he leans WAY too far forward on those throws, he's bound to tip over! Also huge props for the teal costumes, they're so Aliona-and-Robin Pina!

Damn ARE YOU MY TWIN??? I agree with EVERY one of your statements!!!!!!

Alexa and Chris, Yu, The Israelis "Ghost", D&R, The Russians, D-M&G.. everything....

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Refresh my whiskey...

I thought D&R had ditched their free skate to go back to Muse in December.

Now they have ditched that and gone back to Adele again?

Or was it a dream?

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

And refresh this drink too....

Where was the 4twist of S-K & K??? They said just last week they were doing it for both. This was the time to do it not so much the pairs event.

Now Im grumpy....

 

[skatingguy]

Refresh my whiskey...

I thought D&R had ditched their free skate to go back to Muse in December.

Now they have ditched that and gone back to Adele again?

Or was it a dream?

They've been skating Muse most of the season, and then ditched Muse for Adele for Nationals.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

^^^ Ahh.. I thought they ditched their free during GP, went to Muse for the GP Final and full circle back to Adele?

Anywhooooo, HOW AMAZING for Vale & Ondrej. Without a time violation they woulda been just at 140 points. Awesome... All +GOE on all elements.... The best they have ever been... so strong, so confident.... (I can't wait for @clairecloutier write up on this. Claire, can I submit a guest review for Vale & Ondrej?????)

I want them to continue after this year.. In fact I want all Italian pairs and dance teams to keep going. Am I greedy?

 

[Jamalele]

I have 2 questions maybe anyone can tell me
Team event short S/M
1.Why did they only get Level 3 in the step sequence and not level 4?with that one more point and without misstake in the throw they should finally reach 80points
2.how could they confound Axel and Flip in the start as the entry is different.Or am I wrong

 

[Jamalele]

What about D/R ....isn't that to much skating the teamevent short and long?It could be costly to them?Well, we'll see next week.....

 

[VGThuy]

What about D/R ....isn't that to much skating the teamevent short and long?It could be costly to them?Well, we'll see next week.....

D/R know they can cinch a gold medal for Canada and thus they will become Olympic champions. That was too much to pass over.

 

[judgejudy27]

Especialy when it is not like their chances of individual gold are great. Heck their chances of an individual medal arent even great, they certainly have a shot at some kind of medal, but best bet right now might be they are the team slated for 4th place if things go as expected.

 

[clairecloutier]

My Olympic pairs preview & predictions: https://adivinesport.com/2018/02/13/olympics-2018-pairs-preview-predictions

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

My Olympic pairs preview & predictions: https://adivinesport.com/2018/02/13/olympics-2018-pairs-preview-predictions

Im gonna say Marchei & Hotarek are on fire and James & Cipres are not. I will go higher with M&H and lower with everyone's favorite J&C.

Im gonna say D&R bronze but Im not sure how..... lol

And are Knierims gonna bring 4 twist? And what happened to the Team event???

 

[nimi]

Im gonna say Marchei & Hotarek are on fire and James & Cipres are not. I will go higher with M&H and lower with everyone's favorite J&C.

Im gonna say D&R bronze but Im not sure how..... lol

Jackie posted his predictions and he's with you: he puts D/R for bronze, M/H for 5th, J/C for 6th
http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2...-preview-pairs-is-it-a-two-pair-race-for-gold

 

[RoseRed]

I'm really excited for the pairs event. Coming into this season, I didn't really have a preference in terms of who won between S/H and S/M, but Aljona and Bruno completely got me at the GPF. I hope Jackie and Claire are right and that she gets that gold finally. And I would love to see D/R pull out the bronze. I like them a lot, and I also prefer both their programs to what T/M have. I just can't with the Candyman and the yellow and black polka dots. Hopefully they have better programs next season.

 

[clairecloutier]

Jackie posted his predictions and he's with you: he puts D/R for bronze, M/H for 5th, J/C for 6th
http://www.rockerskating.com/news/2...-preview-pairs-is-it-a-two-pair-race-for-gold

Jackie is an M/H fan, so I’m not surprised he went high with them. And who knows, it could happen after that team event LP. Although there’s also the crowd appeal of J/C’s “Sound of Silence,” and that throw quad, which has been getting close to clean.

I like that Jackie went with MT/M for 10th. Their numbers don’t necessarily support that, but Kirsten is such a strong competitor, and she’s totally unfazed by big events like this. So yeah, I won’t be surprised if they do well here.

@AngieNikodinovLove The Knierims stated before the Games that they were going for quad twist in both LPs. In the team event, I think they probably backed off to triple twist to ensure a cleaner program, not wanting to jeopardize the team medal. I think it was a totally understandable decision in the TE as the triple twist is just more consistent for them and is basically guaranteed to score well. I do expect to see the quad twist back in the individual event, unless they’re very nervous.

 

[CassAgain]

Looking at the roster for the short and feeling

The cuts are going to be brutal--I don't even want to speculate.

 

[Xela M]

I'm really excited for the pairs event. Coming into this season, I didn't really have a preference in terms of who won between S/H and S/M, but Aljona and Bruno completely got me at the GPF. I hope Jackie and Claire are right and that she gets that gold finally. And I would love to see D/R pull out the bronze. I like them a lot, and I also prefer both their programs to what T/M have. I just can't with the Candyman and the yellow and black polka dots. Hopefully they have better programs next season.

Never thought I would say this, but I agree that I hope D&R medal over T&M (as long as it's not a GOLD medal )

 

[s_parks]

I was predicting S/M for gold as well, but with Aliona's nagging foot pain... I'm not as sure, especially since the throws aren't consistently clean. Hope it's not serious and we can see an exciting battle with clean skates all around.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

@AngieNikodinovLove The Knierims stated before the Games that they were going for quad twist in both LPs. In the team event, I think they probably backed off to triple twist to ensure a cleaner program, not wanting to jeopardize the team medal. I think it was a totally understandable decision in the TE as the triple twist is just more consistent for them and is basically guaranteed to score well. I do expect to see the quad twist back in the individual event, unless they’re very nervous.

Hmmmmm I agree with Tara. The more appropriate place to do the 4 twists the Team Event where they had a shot for bronze or even silver... In individual no shot for a medal.

The Olys are where you take your risks.. like Tara and Sarah Hughes, etc etc.

Even Mirai took her risk for both Team and most likely individual.

I have always felt since the 80s if you get to The Olys and your goal is to go conservative then you shouldn't be on that Team.

But thats just me...

And since they do have some weak elements.. (any and all jumps) I think they should have gone for the 4 twist. (I dont want to hear about a 4 twist and a 3 axel.. at some point we need to see them.. enough talk.)

Anywhoo... r u stoked for tonight? Are starts orders up? I gotta check.

 

[CassAgain]

I was looking at the 2014 results--the lowest qualifying score was 51.64 by Della Monica/Guarise. This year's will probably be 10 points higher.

 

[Amantide]

That was a hell of a competition. Bravo Pairs. They kick ass tonight!

I have a "confession" to make. I know is wrong and not fair to Aljona, but I kinda wish she doesn't win this. Half the reason is cause I like Sui&Han better. But half of it it's also cause it means Bruno wins this too, instead of Robin. And I do not find that "fair", at all, or deserving. It bothers me, somehow. I know it's petty but yep. Guilty.

 

[s_parks]

That was a hell of a competition. Bravo Pairs. They kick ass tonight!

I have a "confession" to make. I know is wrong and not fair to Aljona, but I kinda wish she doesn't win this. Half the reason is cause I like Sui&Han better. But half of it it's also cause it means Bruno wins this too, instead of Robin. And I do not find that "fair", at all, or deserving. It bothers me, somehow. I know it's petty but yep. Guilty.

Same. Exact. Thoughts.