Rachel and Michael Parsons: Movin' On Up

[semogal]

Great skate today for Rachel and Michael at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy. They are currently in second place!!
67.48 (36.72 + 30.76) 7.85 7.50 7.75 7.70 7.65
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fb0QFl_nRSc

 

[VGThuy]

Their edge quality is simple World class. Easy to see why they received level 4 on their rhumba pattern and no touch steps.

 

[princeton123]

Their edge quality is simple World class. Easy to see why they received level 4 on their rhumba pattern and no touch steps.

I think they skate closer together than almost any other team in the world right now. It's breath-taking.

 

[Kultakissu]

Wow, just saw it. Absolutely marvellous!!!

 

[sap5]

That is really incredible for this early in the season!

 

[hockeyplayer2]

Their edge quality is simple World class. Easy to see why they received level 4 on their rhumba pattern and no touch steps.

They looked good today. US dance is going to dominate for many years to come.
Checking protocols, they actually got lvl 3 in rhumba, and PSt, lvl 4 in NtCiSt, straight line lift, and twizzles.

 

[semogal]

Although finishing in 3rd place in the FD, Rachel and Michael were able to win the silver medal today at Ondrej Nepela Trophy with a total score of 163.14:
95.66 (48.08 + 47.58) 8.05 7.70 7.85 8.05 8.00 0.00
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zafOSQOEmKA

 

[firstflight]

I just love the story too-- Alexei and Elena starting a program from the ground up and now their first two senior teams have transitioned into this season beautifully.

And these are local kids. They didn't move to be with this coaching team. They grew up in and have stayed in my city-- Rockville, Maryland.

 

[semogal]

Rachel and Michael have been assigned to Skate America!!
http://www.isu.org/docman-documents...series-files-10/entries/7514-gp-icedance/file

 

[barbarafan]

Actually I was mostly (95%) joking about waiting for the Parsonses to represent Canada. Michael has dated (still is?) Mackenzie Bent. Now Rachel is rumored to date a Canadian too. I should have added a wink . Ah young love.

Funny..knowing nothing about their personal life I was watching the Parsons earlier this yr and noted the similarity between Michael & Trent mostly in build but looks a bit. Some people say they are too small against their partners but I find both men are as strong and stable as a block of cement & feel their partners must feel very stable in their lifts.

 

[Jun Y]

Funny..knowing nothing about their personal life I was watching the Parsons earlier this yr and noted the similarity between Michael & Trent mostly in build but looks a bit. Some people say they are too small against their partners but I find both men are as strong and stable as a block of cement & feel their partners must feel very stable in their lifts.

While Michael is a stronger technical skater than Rachel, he has also committed more errors in competition over the years, based on my memory. I can't explain why ... But then this phenomenon seems quite pervasive in ice dancing.

 

[firstflight]

While they had twizzle errors at Rostelecom Cup, it didn't really affect their placement in their Grand Prix debut. There was little chance they would have beaten a clean P/M in the FD in Russia, so they would have needed a super clean SD to have a chance to place 6th overall.
I hope they're getting all their nervy twizzles out of the way in the beginning of the season! The judges like them.

 

[MRani]

I was sad for their twizzle errors but pretty sure it was just first senior GP competition nerves. Good to get it out of their system. I was totally blown away by how impressive that FD is though. I liked it when they debuted it but I loved it here. That last lift right before the end of the program...wow!
Looking forward to seeing them again.

 

[aftershocks]

Rachel and Michael are so superbly talented. It was tough on the twizzles out there for Michael in both programs, but it's their first major senior debut and it's all a learning process. They are clearly a great team with overall better talent than some of the teams ahead of them, but it takes a lot of experience which will come for them. Plus being newbies to seniors, it's important to skate clean to get the marks over more veteran teams with competent skills.

They are so fun to watch. I love how Charlie White (commentating for NBC) started by pointing out about Rachel and Michael in the SD that they are a young team who skate with control and passionate abandon, which is unusual. The twizzles just got away for a moment from Michael in the SD, which is easy to happen. And in the FD, Michael may have been thinking too much about not wanting to make another twizzle mistake, which can often lead to trouble. But their overall talent is obvious. I like how they and their coach handled it all in the kiss 'n cry. They'll shake it off and come back strong.

 

[Jammers]

The lack of height difference between them is a bit like H/B. Both Michael and Jean-Luc are rather short for male ice dancers and it hurts them i think not just in lifts but just generally with their look on the ice taller skaters just look more impressive.

 

[teacakes]

Personally, I really enjoy dance teams where the height difference is not as extreme.

 

[avivadawn]

Great senior GP debut for them. Their future is so bright.

 

[semogal]

That FD is really growing on me. I look forward to seeing how it has progressed by Skate America.

 

[Sylvia]

Time to revive this fan thread ...

Rachel & Michael already have compete 3 4 times internationally this season, winning silver medals at (eta) Lake Placid International (164.74) in late July, Asian Open Trophy (157.13) in early August, Lombardia Trophy (170.68) and Nebelhorn Trophy (180.95), both in September.

Here's hoping they have a positive week at NHK Trophy, their first GP of the season!

 

[Cayuse]

With PC out of the next competition (NHK), all kinds of opportunities abound for placements at this event. So looking forward to the battle for the Parsons with HB and ZG!

 

[firstflight]

A little off from their SB RD score here, but still in good position to win their first GP medal!

I think heading into this season, there was this slight fear that the young US teams wouldn't be progressing much score-wise because of the lack of retirements from the top 3. But, certainly, the Parsons and M/C are being rewarded this season with competitive marks to be able to medal in a Grand Prix. I hope the Parsons' FD sees more PCS marks into the 8's.

 

[DreamsofBliss]

Congrats on the first GP medal! The FD score was a little lower than I would have liked, but strong skate nonetheless and a good result.