Pairs Discussion Thread 2021-22

[sk9tingfan]

Re-posting what @Trillian just wrote here for discussion:

Opinions?

The fact that China is making little or no effort to cultivate pairs is surely a sign.

 

[Sylvia]

Well the ISU organized their pairs development training seminar again in Berlin, Germany - these photos were posted on Ice Dundee's IG account in April: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ccdp6GFrg0D/ & https://www.instagram.com/p/CcV3mVxLLiA/

ETA link to a tweet back in April about a new Japanese (likely junior level) pair team -- Haruna Murakami and Sumitada Moriguchi: https://twitter.com/figureskatingm1/status/1517811909395095552

 

[leilaofpaper]

I also think pairs is a dying field and I’m pretty new to figure skating. I think especially with modern awareness about the dangers of concussion people aren’t too keen to go into it. and if you’re a more artistic skater and the jumps were your issue ice dance makes more sense.

 

[Wyliefan]

I think especially with modern awareness about the dangers of concussion people aren’t too keen to go into it.

It almost feels like one day all the pairs woke up and looked around and said, "Wait a minute, we're doing WHAT now?"

 

[leilaofpaper]

changes in sports often begin slowly then happen all at once. I don’t see pairs having a sudden resurgence, especially not with the Russians out of action.

 

[serialbather]

The ugliness of current pairs elements surely does not help

 

[once_upon]

I think every quad skating fans announce the demise of one discipline or the other.

I suspect the current void of pairs because of Russia issues will be filled - by who that's uncertain. That's what happens when one country dominates for a quad. China replaced by Russia. Russia replaced by....

 

[Trillian]

I think every quad skating fans announce the demise of one discipline or the other.

Maybe, but I’m not a new fan, and I don’t mean this in the sense of, “Ugh, pairs skating sucks now.” I actually think it’s been slowly dying for the last 20 years or so.

I suspect the current void of pairs because of Russia issues will be filled - by who that's uncertain. That's what happens when one country dominates for a quad. China replaced by Russia. Russia replaced by....

Russia replaced by no one is the problem. China isn’t investing in pairs anymore. Canada and the U.S. might have a shot given that they have a few of the strongest coaches outside Russia, but there aren’t many skaters to work with. Japan might have enough interest to pursue it, but they’d have a long way to go to build depth and teams have to go abroad for training.

More importantly, how much success has pairs ever had in any country without significant government funding? It’s too hard to maintain long-term partnerships. You take all the challenges that dance teams have - you need compatible personalities, talent levels, work ethics, families, finances, etc., over the course of years. On top of that, add the fact that there’s an incredibly narrow range of ideal physical characteristics relative to any other discipline of skating, so very few skaters have a shot at success in the first place. Plus the girls have to be Evel Knievel. Without a governing body that has deep pockets to find those skaters, pair them up, keep them funded, and hope their bodies don’t change too much, how much chance does anyone really have to develop a program?

 

[Alilou]

Really lovely interview with Wenjing Sui.

Wenjing Sui: “Most of famous choreographers are foreigners. I want to become a Chinese choreographer and see how far I can get.”

Olympic champion Wenjin Sui, who competes in pair skating with Cong Han, spoke about her future in the sport.

fs-gossips.com

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ Thanks! The “original” English version with video is here:

Exclusive interview with Sui Wenjing: I want to be a choreographer

news.cgtn.com

ETA: It's kind of amusing that the interview is conducted in English by both (her English is pretty good now! )

 

[Alilou]

^^^ Thanks! The “original” English version with video is here:

Exclusive interview with Sui Wenjing: I want to be a choreographer

news.cgtn.com

ETA: It's kind of amusing that the interview is conducted in English by both (her English is pretty good now! )

Thank you! Love her.

 

[Sylvia]

Oakville, Ontario looks to be quite busy so far this summer! Zhuk/Bidar (CZE) recently were there for a month: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ce9FuG2uiAN/

France's new pair of Piegad & Strekalin are there now with Miura & Kihara, Panetta & Thrasher and the new teams of Zabiiako & Daleman (first sighting of them on the ice together on social media?), Tilda Alteryd & Gabriel Farand (she's Swedish and announced their partnership back in early February - I heard they will skate for CAN), Austria's Sophia Schaller (new to pairs) & Livo Mayr in this group pic: https://www.instagram.com/p/CfNACwuOMif/
India's Nishchay Luthra is also tagged (he was on IPS but is no longer listed) and Cassandra Leung (Junior at 2020 Canadians with Paxton Fletcher) could be a new team.

Alteryd had paired with Paxton Fletcher last year but they didn't compete, AFAIK. Fletcher will begin rehearsals in Holiday on Ice's Supernova tour at the end of the year: https://www.instagram.com/p/CeUpBn0J8Zm/