Savchenko/Massot sign with Holiday on Ice, keep options open

[Eislauffan]

Olympic Pairs Champions Aljona Savchenko/Bruno Massot have signed a contract with Holiday on Ice and will be guest stars through fall and winter shows.
Aljona told the German press that they take a break from competing and they don't know how long it will be. I guess we will wait and see if and when they return to competition. But after talking to Aljona in Oberstdorf I feel it is very well possible that they come back one day.

Article in the German press: http://www.ln-online.de/Nachrichten...e-verpflichtet-Olympiasieger-Savchenko-Massot

 

[AxelAnnie]

Good for them!

 

[skatfan]

Makes sense to me, especially since Bruno will be a dad this coming year.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Good for them, putting some $$$ in the coffers and thrilling the audiences who will be lucky to see them

 

[Eislauffan]

German TV report on the presentation of Aljona and Bruno as the new guest stars of Holiday on Ice in Hamburg:
http://www.ardmediathek.de/tv/Hambu...en/Video?bcastId=25231214&documentId=51927518

They performed a few elements from their legendary program on the ice and confirmed again that they keep their options open.

 

[Sylvia]

As of April 27th: https://holidayonice.com/de/de/2018...ljona-savchenko-bruno-massot-bei-holiday-ice/

Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot enter the ice show stage for HOLIDAY ON ICE for the first time in November. After the presentation of the two as new guest stars on 25.4.2018 at the first official appointment in Hamburg, the first show dates of the pair-run Olympic champion and world champion are now confirmed *:

Grefrath - EisSport & Eventpark 29.11.2018 at 19.00
Hannover - TUI Arena 13.12.2018 at 19.00
Leipzig - Arena Leipzig 20.12.2018 at 19.00
Cologne - Lanxess Arena 29.12.2018 at 16.30
Düsseldorf - Mitsubishi Electric Hall 03.01.2019 um 19.00 h
Frankfurt - Festhalle 09.01.2019 at 19.00 h
Trier - Arena Trier 15.01.2019 at 19.30 h
Dortmund - Westfalenhalle 1 18.01.2019 at 19.00 h
Stuttgart - Porsche-Arena 24.01.2019 at 19.30 h
Mannheim - SAP Arena 01.02.2019 at 19.30
Bremen - ÖVB-Arena 20.02.2019 at 19.00

(* except in case of illness or force majeure)

Further dates will follow soon.

ETA a side note: I believe Rohene Ward will be touring with this new Holiday on Ice show (Germany this fall/winter & France next spring).

 

[Sylvia]

Savchenko/Massot's press conference will take place tomorrow (May 17): https://www.eislauf-union.de/media1...2018?jsn_mobilize_preview=1/download/Generel_

 

[Debbie S]

Glad that Aliona/Bruno will be in shows. Based on the dates, I would assume we won't see Aliona at the boards with the Knierims at U.S. Nats. Bummer. But yay for Aliona and Bruno!

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from their fan thread:

No real news at the press conference today.

Aljona and Bruno annouced a competition break for 2018/2019 and nothing else.

Article: https://www.br.de/themen/sport/inha...vchenko-bruno-massot-legen-pause-ein-100.html

ETA:

Best written article so far about press conf is here: https://www.welt.de/sport/article17...Sawtschenko-Massot-macht-erstmal-Schluss.html

 

[Sylvia]

Re-posting from the German news thread:

Official press release by german fed:
https://www.eislauf-union.de/files/users/bettgenhaeuser/Pressemitteilung17.05.18.pdf

In case google translate might not be clear: The press release says that Bruno will be living in Switzerland. And that both will hold coaching seminars.

Aljona spoke with Jean-Christophe Berlot about her plans: http://www.icenetwork.com/news/2018/05/17/276810168
From the end:

Savchenko: I need to tell you: Some people think that [me and Bruno] stopped competing, but we don't want to stop -- we're just taking a break. Of course, we don't know what will happen, but we want to remain open about our options.
Icenetwork: If you decide to come back to competition, do you think it will be with Bruno or will you find another partner?
Savchenko (laughing): Oh no, never! I'm crazy, but I'm not that crazy. I've found the best partner, and I won't change. If I compete again, it will be with Bruno. We were joking the other day with some friends, and I proposed to continue my career in ice dance. It would be very interesting for me actually...but maybe it's only a joke!
But this year will be of a different kind for us: We will be coaching. We will work on different sides of ourselves and see how it goes.
Also (she smiles), I would like to have a baby. It's not there, but it's in the plan. The next generation needs to come, too!

 

[Bonita]

I would love to see Aljona as an ice dancer! She could compete another 20 years!

 

[aftershocks]

Will Aliona become the first senior competitive skater/ coach of a top senior team?

 

[Sylvia]

Savchenko/Massot's upcoming show schedule:

Denis Ten & Friends - June 9 in Astana: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/threads/denis-ten-and-friends-2018.103931/

Fantasy on Ice shows in Japan - Kobe (June 15-17), Niigata (June 22-24) and Shizuoka (June 29-July 1): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...n-japan-over-5-weekends-may-25-july-1.103743/

 

[Sylvia]

Tatjana Flade interviewed Aljona & Bruno at Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf in English for GS (they "talk about their new roles as coaches as well as work on show numbers and the future"): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U5Xnl5In6ME

Re. their upcoming shows with Holiday on Ice:

ATLANTIS
Nürnberg - Arena Nürnberger Versicherung 22.12.2018 at 20.00
Munich - Olympiahalle 04.01.2019 at 19.00 clock & 05.01.2019 at 15.00
Berlin - Tempodrom 28.02.2019 at 19.00

NEW SHOW
Grefrath - EisSport & Eventpark 29.11.2018 at 19.00
Rostock - StadtHalle 06.12.2018 at 19.00
Hannover - TUI Arena 13.12.2018 at 19.00
Leipzig - Arena Leipzig 20.12.2018 at 19.00
Cologne - LANXESS Arena 29.12.2018 um 4.30 pm
Dusseldorf - Mitsubishi Electric HALL 03.01.2019 at 3.30 pm
Dusseldorf - Mitsubishi Electric HALL 03.01.2019 at 19.00
Frankfurt - Festhalle 09.01.2019 at 19.00
Trier - Arena Trier 15.01.2019 at 19.30
Dortmund - Westfalenhalle 18.01.2019 at 19.00
Stuttgart - Porsche-Arena 24.01.2019 at 19.30
Mannheim - SAP Arena 01.02.2019 at 19.30
Bremen - ÖVB-Arena 20.02.2019 at 19.00

They also mentioned Daniel Weiss' show(s) in Germany - not sure when they are happening this year.

Music on Ice show dates are January 11 & 12, 2019 in Bellinzona, Switzerland: https://www.musiconice.com/en/home_en.php

Art on Ice show dates are: 7-10 February in Zurich, 12-13 Feb. in Lausanne, 15-16 Feb. in Davos and 17 Feb. in Basel: https://www.artonice.com/en/

 

[Rock2]

There's this viral video of a 90 ish yo woman competing in masters gymnastics. That will be Aljona with skating, I have no doubt. Protopopovs 2.0, she'll be landing double throws doing shows well into her 60s.

She's good for another 2-3 Olympics. From what she has said in the past I think Bruno will be her last partner. Considering what he has achieved (probably beyond his expectations) and the status of his health, he will probably be the determinating factor if they resume.

I'm more than good if they do.

 

[Sylvia]

Cross-posting @Eislauffan's links from the German news thread (I posted a direct YT link to their GS interview yesterday in my post above):

Video interview with Aljona and Bruno on Golden Skate:
https://goldenskate.com/2018/09/savchenko-and-massot-its-a-difficult-path/

Tea or Coffee bitz interview with them on www.figureskating-online.com:
http://www.figureskating-online.com/tea-or-coffee.html

Bruno and Sophie welcomed their son Louca today.

 

[kwanfan1818]

And Massot's and Sofie Levaufre's son was born today:
https://twitter.com/ifsmagazine/status/1046863066976215044

Congratulations to Bruno Massot and Sofie Levaufre on the birth of their son Louca today. https://www.instagram.com/p/BoZgRR-B-ye/?hl=en&taken-by=bruno_massot …​

​

Massot's IG post is "Life is perfect now... "​

​

Wheeeee!

 

[UMBS Go Blue]

Here's a Deutsche Welle segment on Holiday on Ice.

Savchenko/Massot are featured, as well as Rohene Ward, Robin Cousins, and Valentina Marchei.

https://www.dw.com/en/olympic-medalists-steal-the-show/av-46491692

 

[annie_mg]

There were on a show called 'Menschen 2018' (kind of like "The people of 2018"). Nothing new, but here's a short recap:

When asked what Bruno had that was different to her previous partners Aljona said 'Bruno has everything' (which made Bruno smirk and the audience clap). She found the best partner: tall, strong and funny, which is important. She changed me, she said.

Then Bruno was asked how he carried the weight of having to fight for the Olympic gold after Aljona failed in 2010 and 2014. He said it wasn't easy, so much stress so much pressure, a few minutes that can change your whole life. But they learned to deal with the pressure and to have fun on the ice.

Aljona said that when they found out they won it was like she had a short film in her head of everything she had gone through and that it took them 2 months to realise what they had done.

For the Germans, it's on the ZDF Mediathek!