Pairs Discussion Thread 2021-22

[Karen-W]

I don't see LuMit winning silver at RC. I am forgetting who is competing besides M/G.

The RC field is a mix of hot mess, IMO. Some of these teams are capable of skating really, really well and pushing PavKho off the podium but they haven't demonstrated it yet this season.

MishGal
PavKho
LuMit
DM/G
M-T/M
Hocke/Kunkel
Kadyrova/Balchenko
Ziegler/Kiefer (hopefully they don't have to w/d again)

 

[Vash01]

peng and jin's lp is my favorite pairs program of the season thus far. everything just works and makes sense and feels right (the choreography, the music, their costumes, their whole packaging) . and they seem more emotionally connected to each other and to the program itself than i can remember.

and she's just glowing throughout the entire thing. i have such high hopes for them this year.

They are definitely in the mix for a bronze.

 

[Vash01]

The RC field is a mix of hot mess, IMO. Some of these teams are capable of skating really, really well and pushing PavKho off the podium but they haven't demonstrated it yet this season.

MishGal
PavKho
LuMit
DM/G
M-T/M
Hocke/Kunkel
Kadyrova/Balchenko
Ziegler/Kiefer (hopefully they don't have to w/d again)

Unless P/K skate very poorly, I don't see them missing the podium. Top spot will go to M/G. I have not seen Kadyrova Balchenko, but I think P/K can win at least a bronze. All the other pairs are inconsistent. MTM can beat P/K, but only if they skate really well. I have not seen Z/K this season and I like them but I have no idea what shape they are in. So my prediction is M/G gold, MTM or P/K silver, and P/K or MTM bronze. If MTM have a bad day, then Lu MIT could sneak in.

 

[Karen-W]

Unless P/K skate very poorly, I don't see them missing the podium. Top spot will go to M/G. I have not seen Kadyrova Balchenko, but I think P/K can win at least a bronze. All the other pairs are inconsistent. MTM can beat P/K, but only if they skate really well. I have not seen Z/K this season and I like them but I have no idea what shape they are in. So my prediction is M/G gold, MTM or P/K silver, and P/K or MTM bronze. If MTM have a bad day, then Lu MIT could sneak in.

Well, right now, MTM are in such a sorry state that I don't think they'll get anywhere near the podium. I fully expect either KadyBal or LuMit on the podium unless ZieKie are back in shape.

 

[DreamSkates]

I disagree. I didn’t think their scoring was all that cushy at skate America. Also France audience doesn’t have a French home team to pull for.

They medaled! Cheering for them and even stuck around to watch the ceremony (via Peacock tv).

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from GSD threads:

This will be Ziegler/Kiefer's last season, as announced on Severin's Instagram:
https://www.instagram.com/p/CW4BYsLorbC/

I pretty much expected this, considering it will be their third Olympics, but still sorry to see them go! It has been a pleasure to watch them these past few years--they improved so much.

Miriam’s post after their season debut at Rostelecom Cup: https://www.instagram.com/p/CWz8McbIIoj/

In the post-win interview at Italian National Championships, Nicole Della Monica announced her retirement at end of the season.
Matteo Guarise is considering continuing and will try to find a new partner.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I don’t know Nicole wants to start a family. Is she in a relationship or married? I don’t know much about her

 

[Sylvia]

ISU Season Best total scores at the (early ) conclusion of the Grand Prix season (as of 11/27/21): https://results.isu.org/isujsstat/sb2021-22/sbtspto.htm

Looks like an interesting pairs comp. at the final ISU Challenger next week at Golden Spin in Croatia (19 teams as of today): https://results.isu.org/events/cscro2021_Pairs.htm

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

I don’t know Nicole wants to start a family. Is she in a relationship or married? I don’t know much about her

I don't think she's married, but she has been with her boyfriend for a long time.
She often posts cute pictures of the two of them and their dog on her Instagram.

 

[Andrea82]

Nicole was already present at Vancouver 2010 (with Yannick Kocon).

I don’t know Nicole wants to start a family. Is she in a relationship or married? I don’t know much about her

yes, among other things, in the short interview, she also mentioned about starting a family

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

They are definitely in the mix for a bronze.

One big problem for them though is the Chinese fed will be putting all their politiking into Sui & Han to improve their chances of gold.

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting here from the Chinese news thread:

Wenjing Sui posted her new combo 3T+3T on her weibo's account.

Can be viewed here: https://twitter.com/SuiHanFans/status/1467891982718881795

 

[Sylvia]

Sui/Han definitely know they have to up their game against the Russian pairs at the Olympics - this was posted originally in the Chinese news thread on Dec. 13, 2021:

According to a protocol sheet posted by an insider in Tieba (the Chinese version of Reddit), Sui/Han have brought back the quad twist in a closed-door test skate recently [original link no longer works]

Found a copy of the (fuzzy) protocol sheet on Twitter: https://twitter.com/wenjinqsui/status/1471338673144750084

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I miss the quad twist

Five or six years ago who were the teams doing that? Them, T&M and Knierims?

 

[Fadeevfanboy]

It is good Sui & Han are bringing back the quad twist as their side by side jumps are already easier than the Russians, and pretty inconsistent to boot. Smart.

 

[Kateri]

I didn't think quad twist was worth it these days. S/H's twist isn't amazing though, so maybe they figured the higher BV was worth the relatively minor GOE loss?

 

[rfisher]

I didn't think quad twist was worth it these days. S/H's twist isn't amazing though, so maybe they figured the higher BV was worth the relatively minor GOE loss?

It's not. The Russians will likely still score higher with their better triple twists. I think it's a desperation move.

 

[Sylvia]

These are the 19 pairs qualified for/named to the 2022 Olympics (thanks @Karen-W) - ISU Season Best total scores included [in brackets]:

Austria - Miriam Ziegler/Severin Kiefer [163.80 GP RUS 2021]
Canada - Vanessa James/Eric Radford [196.34 GP FRA 2021; WD from Nationals after SP]
Canada - Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro [184.37 CS FIN 2021; won Nationals]
China - Cheng Peng/Yang Jin [211.86 GP ITA 2021]
China - Wenjing Sui/Cong Han [224.55 GP ITA 2021]
Czech Republic - Jelizaveta Zukova/Martin Bidar [159.73 Euros 2022]
Georgia - Karina Safina/Luka Berulava [184.05 Euros 2022]
Germany - Minerva-Fabienne Hase/Nolan Seegert [188.37 CS FIN 2021]
Hungary - Ioulia Chtchetnina/Mark Magyar [175.80 GP RUS 2021]
Israel - Hailey Kops/Evgeni Krasnopolski [167.08 CS GER 2021]
Italy - Nicole Della Monica/Matteo Guarise [179.26 GP ITA 2021]
Italy - Rebecca Ghilardi/Filippo Ambrosini [178.90 GP ITA 2021]
Japan - Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara [209.42 GP JPN 2021]
Russia - Aleksandra Boikova/Dmitrii Kozlovskii [227.23 Euros 2022; 2nd at Nationals]
Russia - Anastasia Mishina/Aleksandr Galliamov [239.82 Euros 2022; won Nationals]
Russia - Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov [236.43 Euros 2022; 3rd at Nationals]
Spain - Laura Barquero/Marco Zandron [189.99 CS FIN 2021]
United States - Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy LeDuc [202.79 GP JPN 2021; won Nationals]
United States - Alexa Knierim/Brandon Frazier [202.97 GP USA 2021; WD from Nationals]

 

[Sylvia]

I enjoyed the top 4 Pairs short programs in the Olympic team event.

 

[Seerek]

Kind of a shame pairs is last on the Olympic schedule - #1 to 4 were so on.

 

[zee703]

The Chinese, as hosts, want to end the O's on a high note with S/H as gold medalists.

 

[yeslek]

Kind of a shame pairs is last on the Olympic schedule - #1 to 4 were so on.

??

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting clairecloutier's preview/predictions here before the start of the Olympic pairs event :

Olympics 2022: Pairs Preview & Predictions

The past week’s events in figure skating have almost rendered predictions pointless. Because who could have predicted that the biggest Olympic women’s favorite in recent memory would have a positiv…

adivinesport.com

 

[Vash01]

Deleted. Wrong forum.

 

[Peepsquick]

ClaireCloutier has posted her predictions for pairs on fsu. She has lusted the top 20 in order, with SH gold and MG silver. TM in third.

I would like TM for Gold!

 

[Vash01]

I would like TM for Gold!

I had to delete my post. I didn't intend it to be here, since Claire has already posted her predictions here.

 

[Amantide]

I'm so happy Pairs are closing these Olympics for me.
Whoever wins I'm happy, and no controversy. At least I hope so. lol

I can just watch and enjoy.

 

[Sylvia]

I'm so pleased with the pairs podium at the Olympics!

GOLD - SUI Wenjing / HAN Cong CHN 239.88 1 1
SILVER - TARASOVA Evgenia / MOROZOV Vladimir ROC 239.25 2 2
BRONZE - MISHINA Anastasia / GALLIAMOV Aleksandr ROC 237.71 3 3

 

[oleada]

The entire pairs event was wonderful.

 

[Amantide]

Two words: Pairs Rock!

Such a pity there was no big audience. They would have brought the house down.
Okay, that was more than two words. lol