Tarasova/Morozov Cheer Thread

[Vash01]

Two weeks ago, I thought they would challenge for the world title this year. Now, I’m worried this will be held against them all season and they won’t make it out of nationals.

They will make the world team as long as they win a GP, and make it to the GPF, but it seems the international judges are already biased against them, so they have no chance of winning the worlds.

Their main internal competition this year is B&K because they are consistent. Z&E can challenge them if they are healthy. I like their chances of making the world team. I just don’t think the judges will let them win.

 

[Amy L]

I don't think their federation will write them off for a senior B that Russians usually never go to. They aren't scheduled for any more competitions in the USA and won't meet up again with the Gribbles until potentially the GPF. The Grand Prix will be a better judge of how they'll fare in the world - - but just think, last year they were 3rd at the GPF, the year before that - - 5th. Pairs is an accident-prone and wildly inconsistent discipline, once they're not gasping like fish on land it will be easier to tell how they're actually doing.

As for the judging, they lost to a home-advantage team who were more prepared. But they also beat Peng/Jin who beat them at last year's GPF. There just weren't enough high-calibre pairs here to actually tell where they're placed in the judges' minds.

 

[aka_gerbil]

They will make the world team as long as they win a GP, and make it to the GPF, but it seems the international judges are already biased against them, so they have no chance of winning the worlds.

Their main internal competition this year is B&K because they are consistent. Z&E can challenge them if they are healthy. I like their chances of making the world team. I just don’t think the judges will let them win.

T/M are the first pairs team I have ubered since Brasseur/Eisler were still competing. I'm mainly into ice dance, and momentum counts for so much there. Teams have to be ready and have to kill it everytime out from start to finish the whole season. Eff up at your challenger, it probably will be held against you in some way later on. After test skates, I thought they'd challenge, but they also needed to skate perfect every time out to make their case to the judges at worlds. I know pairs are more accident prone, but T/M couldn't afford accidents. So, here we are, first competition of the season and the world title is already gone.

 

[Vash01]

T/M are the first pairs team I have ubered since Brasseur/Eisler were still competing. I'm mainly into ice dance, and momentum counts for so much there. Teams have to be ready and have to kill it everytime out from start to finish the whole season. Eff up at your challenger, it probably will be held against you in some way later on. After test skates, I thought they'd challenge, but they also needed to skate perfect every time out to make their case to the judges at worlds. I know pairs are more accident prone, but T/M couldn't afford accidents. So, here we are, first competition of the season and the world title is already gone.

I really hope they can rebound and win their first GP. May be the judges will forgive them this one lapse. They cannot afford to have another less than stellar performance though. Consistency wins judges’ favor.

 

[mjb52]

Whoa everybody it is just one competition.

 

[Mad for Skating]

I agree that a rough outing can start the season on the wrong foot, but let’s not forget how Savchenko/Massot flopped at Nebelhorn Trophy at the beginning of the 2017-18 season, then walked away with an Olympic gold medal.

 

[love_skate2011]

panicking over a high altitude B event first competition ?

 

[Mad for Skating]

panicking over a high altitude B event first competition ?

Certainly, it’s not exactly comforting to see your favorite team struggling right out of the gate. But it’s early - I think it’ll be okay.

 

[Vash01]

I just watched their LP (SP video was blocked). I had expected to see multiple mistakes, because of the low marks and comments, but I only saw one mistake on the sbs jump combination. They looked tentative compared to the Russian test skate, but I didn’t feel that they deserved such low marks. I am sure once they get used to the new program, they will skate it much better. Will the judges give the marks they deserve? That is my main concern. The RSF needs to put their capital in this pair. I like B&K also but they are not yet fully developed.

I had liked the earlier end position better than the one used here. I am not sure that I liked her pale outfit. May be they will experiment with a few others.

 

[Amy L]

I just watched their LP (SP video was blocked). I had expected to see multiple mistakes, because of the low marks and comments, but I only saw one mistake on the sbs jump combination.

They didn't attempt/land any triples, they exited a lift early, and she tripped coming out of a death spiral.

I am sure once they get used to the new program, they will skate it much better.

And the rest of the season will be spent at lower altitude which will help too. Almost all of the pairs had lift problems and pretty much everyone finished their programs gasping. It's not an auspicious way to start a season, why the ISU chose to put pairs through that I have no idea.

 

[rfisher]

Seriously, people think this event is the end of their season? They could hardly breath when they finished. Jin aborted a lift and he never does that. Almost every team aborted lifts because the man was struggling to get enough oxygen into his system. There's a reason most top teams do not do this challenger because unless they train at altitude all season, it's too dangerous to be there only a couple of days. Tar/Mor will be just fine. They have excellent programs and are in great physical shape. The best they've ever been. And being in shape has nothing to do with lack of oxygen at high altitudes. It's all about red blood cells and oxygen carrying capacity. It takes weeks to really adjust. You can't do it in a few days time. I'm at some of the worrying here. Hanyu skated terribly last week. Do you think the judges have written him off for the season?

 

[NAOTMAA]

They never lost to the Americans before have they? It's not the end of the world but it always leaves a bad taste in my mouth when one of my favorites adds a new skater/team to the list of people who have beat them. When they're first starting fine but not when they're at this point in their careers like T/M. It feels like it's opening the door and inviting the judges to do it again later. It's a big fear of mine

Their first GP event is Canada. Their first ranked team will be there and everyone knows how hard Skate Canada goes for their top skaters so I am more worried now then I was a week ago. Hopefully it really was the location and nothing else.

 

[aka_gerbil]

No, they have never lost to C/L before.

Your worries are my worries. It's setting a precedent for the judges to do it again. Next thing you know, they miss one tiny thing at worlds and are buried in 8th or 9th place. Like I said, two weeks ago, I thought they'd challenge for the world title. Now, I think this event killed those chances. I feel really bad for T/M.

I wish they had just skipped this event, at altitude, basically immediately after they had schlepped to Europe and back. They didn't need the rankings points and had feedback from the test skates.

 

[NAOTMAA]

No doubt T/M don't make things easy on themselves but I still believe they are heading in the right direction and this is only a minor hiccup. They got a great team behind them now who know what to do and they are very determined themselves. And when it does finally come together (2022!!!) it will taste very sweet

 

[clairecloutier]

T/M are the first pairs team I have ubered since Brasseur/Eisler were still competing. I'm mainly into ice dance, and momentum counts for so much there. Teams have to be ready and have to kill it everytime out from start to finish the whole season. Eff up at your challenger, it probably will be held against you in some way later on. After test skates, I thought they'd challenge, but they also needed to skate perfect every time out to make their case to the judges at worlds. I know pairs are more accident prone, but T/M couldn't afford accidents. So, here we are, first competition of the season and the world title is already gone.

Pairs doesn't work the same way as ice dance. It's very different. It's probably the least "fluky" of the disciplines. It usually takes a long time for pairs to become real contenders at the World level, and once they are, they stay that way as long as they perform well. There are many examples--Pang/Tong making the World podium after taking almost a year off, Volosozhar/Trankov winning Euros after taking a full season off. Remember, twice, Sui/Han have skipped the fall season and come back to win Worlds. I am not worried about T/M. If they skate well at their GPs, it will be like this event never happened. But they DO need to step up their game on the GP circuit, because competition is increasing.

 

[nimi]

Ah, the warm fuzzy feeling you get when you check a team's CHEER THREAD and find people being dramatic about an early season Challenger and declaring that the world title is already goooooone!

Remember T/M's messy Skate America FS three years ago? You know, that time they were the clear favorites to win and were first after the SP, but in the end they dropped to third and Seguin/Bilodeau walked away with their first GP gold? Even if you weren't following pairs that season, you can probably guess which one of those two teams ended up winning their first GPF title, first Euros gold and first World medal that season and which one didn't quite manage to get into the top 10 at Worlds...

So yeah, I think I'll wait until the GPF/Euros/4CC roll around until I make any predictions about the World podium.


ETA: Oh yeah, forgot to add...

They never lost to the Americans before have they?

I'm not a native speaker so I'm a bit unsure if by "never lost to the Americans" you mean C-G/L in particular or American teams in general, but fun fact: T/M lost that SkAm silver to Denney/Frazier. You know, the US team that didn't make the FS cut at Worlds that season (ouch!)

ISU GP 2016 Progressive Skate America - Pairs

www.isuresults.com

 

[Vash01]

Everyone is talking about altitude in SLC. I was at the 2002 Olympics there and I did not hear that word mentioned even once, as far as figure skating was concerned. Why is it an issue now? If it was Denver, I would consider that a bigger challenge than SLC.

 

[love_skate2011]

I just check their wiki and results, seems Tarasova / Morozov dont do well competing in USA events ?
their gp are in Canada and Russia so there you go. For supersticious beliefs

 

[oleada]

For the Olympics, teams likely acclimated to the altitude weeks before. It’s not worth it for just a Senior B. Also, the lifts are a lot more complicated now than under 6.0.

It may not be Denver but try running a mile in SLC after being used to training at sea level.

I also think this is just a senior B and things will be fine in the long run

 

[Rukia]

Everyone is talking about altitude in SLC. I was at the 2002 Olympics there and I did not hear that word mentioned even once, as far as figure skating was concerned. Why is it an issue now? If it was Denver, I would consider that a bigger challenge than SLC.

Because everyone goes to the Olympics early enough to acclimate to the altitude. They also usually do high altitude training before.

T/M had a loooooooooot of mistakes here, but their basic skating and choreography was really good. They got lowballed in PCS, but I doubt that's going to happen anywhere else. I think they will be fine this season. They finally have programs that are as good as they are. I look forward to seeing them progress through the season.

 

[Vash01]

I just check their wiki and results, seems Tarasova / Morozov dont do well competing in USA events ?
their gp are in Canada and Russia so there you go. For supersticious beliefs

They won Skate America last year in Everett, even with a few mistakes.

 

[liv]

I have no worries that they will be well received if they skate well. Fact is, they were sloppy here. Their basic skating skills and elements are top notch. Just a blip in my view.

 

[puglover]

Well I thought confidence and less than compelling programs have been their issues most recently. I am hopeful Marina can help turn those things around for them. People saw some real improvement at the test skates. Time will tell.

 

[Mad for Skating]

Let’s just calm down and see how they look at their first Grand Prix

 

[Vash01]

I am eagerly awaiting their first GP, and worried that my expectations may jinx them. Hopefully it will be better than their performance in SLC. Their main competition may be fellow Russians Boikova-Kozlovsky, who I like, but not as much as I like T&M (at least right now). I think T&M have good programs this season and I have already seen some improvements in them this season. I am rooting for them to skate well at Skate Canada- one competition at a time. I do wish Zhenya would wear a cat suit instead of the dress she wore in SLC for the LP.

 

[aka_gerbil]

This is a very long Russian interview with Marina Zoueva: https://m.sport.business-gazeta.ru/article/246626/

Granted, I read it via Google translate, but it sounds like Katia Gordeeva wants to work with them. Also, it seems like they lost a week of training with the trip to Prague to get their visas after test skates. Then, they pretty much came straight from Russia to SLC. OOOOF.

 

[Vash01]

Will T&M continue to disappoint me? I am not ready to give up on them, but I wish they would skate clean consistently. Bolero is a good piece of music for them, but they have to land the jumps. They looked a bit tight in the SP but if Vladimir had landed the 3t, the judges might have placed them ahead of B&K. Now they have to fight back and skate a clean LP. They need to win at least a silver at SC to have a chance to make it to the GPF.

 

[NAOTMAA]

They are only 2.88 out of the lead after committing a pretty big error. The score isn't that bad either considering. If he had done the triple there is no doubt they would be in first. And they would likely have a nice little cushion as well. This is still their competition to lose

 

[Mad for Skating]

I think it’s definitely possible for them to still win. Boikova/Kozlovskii are so talented, but Tarasova/Morozov still have the higher personal bests. If both go clean, it’ll be T/M on top.

 

[love_skate2011]

Will T&M continue to disappoint me? I am not ready to give up on them, but I wish they would skate clean consistently. Bolero is a good piece of music for them, but they have to land the jumps. They looked a bit tight in the SP but if Vladimir had landed the 3t, the judges might have placed them ahead of B&K. Now they have to fight back and skate a clean LP. They need to win at least a silver at SC to have a chance to make it to the GPF.

Their next event is CoR and they have no competition there except B/K, A little score tweaking in favor for them against their compatriots and they are into GPF, but they really need to be consistent this season, the judges are kind of looking at the new russian pairs M/G, B/K and P/K