The Dance Hall 13: When You Dance on the Ice and Your Feet Twizzle Twice, That's Amore

[puglover]

I am a big fan of Marjorie and Zach but I think it is unfortunate that they are even mentioned in this conversation. Sometimes the breaks work your way and sometimes they don't. This is about a much larger issue than fans disappointed in the placement of their favourites. I agree with Marta 24.

 

[marbri]

I agree to a point. I think because Finland and the 6th spot came down to those two teams puts the focus on those two teams. Many people felt G/F were judged brutally in France and had that not happened the 6th spot could have been between Z/K and them based on the other tiebreakers.

But it doesn't help that there has yet to be an explanation for why LaLa's twizzles were originally called L4 and dropped to L2 at SA. After they removed one element from SC where they were called a L3 to obtain a L4 at SA. If there has been I missed it. I look forward to seeing what changes, if any, they present at their next competition.

But good luck to all 6 teams at the GPF. It is certainly going to be an interesting competition, just to see how it all plays out and how the panels play it.

On a side note. When I was watching FD press conference it was my first time really noticing Z/K. I see she was born in the US and seems to have grown up there but does her family speak another language at home? I feel like I hear a slight accent on certain words that I don't associate with the various American accents.

 

[her grace]

Zingas’ father is from Cypress.

 

[Bigbird]

Well, let's put this in perspective, making the GPF doesn't automatically mean top 5 or 6 placement at the Games. It means you were ready early. I think we need to collectively take a chill pill. We aint seen nothin yet. Real pressure must be felt and managed, so let's get ready to rumble!

 

[alexikeguchi]

Zingas’ father is from Cypress.

To clarify, he is from the country Cyprus, not the Houston suburb Cypress (which would lead to an entirely different accent lol...)

 

[Tinycities]

I think she’s also just taken on Vadyms speech patterns as they spend so much time together. On TikTok she sounds more American, although with a Michigan accent.

 

[kwanfan1818]

They went from silver at Junior Worlds to thirteenth at Worlds. No one would have predicted that they would be the World Champions the following season, and yet they were.

After dropping off the world Junior podium in 2010, no one would have predicted that the Shibs would be Worlds Bronze medalists in 2011, yet they were. If anything, people would have expected it from Ilynikh/Katsalapov, the reigning 2010 Jr. World Champions, skating at home in their Worlds debut. (The other teams on the JWC podium, Paul/Islam and Monko/Khaliavin didn't compete at 2011 Worlds)

Aside from the Soviet days, where new USSR #3 would be expected to be in the top 5 or medal directly, “wait your turn” usually took years and a relative gradual climb one group at a time and expected plateaus, and a new team breaking out or jumping was unusual and heavily scrutinized, but it has happened a number of times.

Looking from 1999 on, these have been notable debuts and jumps:

• Dubreuil/Lauzon: From 7th in 2005 -> 2nd in 2006 (both N/K and G/G skipped and were done)
• Sinitsina/Katsalapov: From their debut in 9th in 2016 -- in 2017 and 2018 S/K did not compete -- ->2nd in 2019
• Virtue/Moir: From their debut in 6th -> 2nd ,and never off the podium when they competed
• Teams that debuted in 7th:
  • Ilinykh/Katsalapov in 2011
  • Chock/Bates in 2013, and never finished below that, and they medaled in half of their Worlds appearances after that
• Chait/Sakhnovsky, from 13th in 1999 -> 5th in 2000.
• Bourne/Kraatz: from 14th in 1993 -> 6th in 1994
• Smart/Dieck: from 19th in 2024 -> 6th in 2025, with a small medal in the FD.
• Gilles/Poirier: from debut in 18th in 2013 -> 8th in 2014
• Lajoie/Lagha: Debut at 14th in 2021/11th in 2022 -> 5th in 2024. (Did not compete in 2023, but I'm not still bitter.)
• Multiple big jumps:
  • Fear/Gibson, from 22nd/24th in 2017/2018 -> 13th in 2019 -> 7th in 2021
  • Weaver/Poje, from 17th in 2008 -> 5th in 2010 and never lower than 5th after that
  • Denkova/Staviyski, from 19th/17th in 1997/1998 ->11th/10th in 1999/2001 -- WD in 2000 -- -> 5th in 2002
• The Zaretsky's bounced back and forth from 20th ->14th -> 9th -> 13th -> 6th before they retired.

I know that at some of these competitions, the internal pecking order/politiks were in play, and in other Worlds, the top skater or skaters were out -- see 2014 in particular -- or ill/injured, but, while P/C was the most shocking -- Smart Dieck's small medal FD was probably close, but generally viewed with delight -- they did defend their title all but twice, once in 2017 in direct competition with V/M, and the second when they WD from 2021 Worlds, after a season of travel difficulties due to the pandemic. They had a total of five Worlds titles, 2 x 2-in-a-row, interrupted by the cancellation of 2020 Worlds.

The only other teams to repeat their titles from 1999 on are:

• Navka/Kostomarov: 2004, 2005
• Denkova/Staviyski: 2006, 2007
• Chock/Bates: 2023, 2024, 2025

For many rest of the years it's been a lot of flipping back and forth, and it would likely have been more of a battle the year had Piper Gilles not had a cancer diagnosis and treatment earlier in the season.

 

[marbri]

I think she’s also just taken on Vadyms speech patterns as they spend so much time together. On TikTok she sounds more American, although with a Michigan accent.

Okay, that makes sense as well. That happened to me in the 90s when I spent a lot of time with some girls from Northern Ireland. Some accents have an infectious rhythm it's hard not to pick up. And she would spend a lot of time with a coach and partner with similar accents.

 

[Habs]

For many rest of the years it's been a lot of flipping back and forth, and it would likely have been more of a battle the year had Piper Gilles not had a cancer diagnosis and treatment earlier in the season.

Gilles and Poirier were on track for gold at worlds that season.

 

[Karen-W]

Gilles and Poirier were on track for gold at worlds that season.

Were they? Their FD was certainly stronger than ChoBat's, but their RD was one of the weaker offerings from the top teams. Yes, they won the GPF, but we've seen plenty of times where the GP results are not the best predictor of the ISU Championships results.
I think that 2023-24 was GilPoir's best chance at winning Worlds, but I don't know that I think they were "on track" for it.

 

[DreamSkates]

I don't expect much to come out of this investigation, but I hope that the ISU takes the criticism seriously to adjust the technical rules for the next quad. The RD is unwatchable. The technical requirements compared to the former Short Dance format are ridiculous and I don't think I have ever detested any element more than the Choreo Step Sequence. Ice Dance is my favorite discipline and to see what Rettstatt has done to it is absolutely terrible.

I understand that skaters and coaches are so fed up with the decisions the IDTC has made for this quad. I can only hope that better things are coming for them.

It would be beyond frustrating to have to put up with what has changed right before the Olympics and in a way that appears not to enhance actual technical ability or what should be the beauty of the dancing on the ice to the viewer.
(This opinion from someone who knows what a Twizzle is but that's about it. The RDs this year won't draw more viewers. I don't bother to watch them. Mostly hideous music).

 

[my little pony]

even my favorite teams' RDs are a hate watch, I don't blame the skaters. but I have to watch them in case someone gets no credit because their elbow moved and it changes the standings.

 

[Rackon]

People are saying Rettstatt is a paid consultant of Zingas/kolesnik, such as picking their previous programs and that is the main reason for their rise. It has been all over Twitter the last few weeks, can someone clarify if this is accurate?

This is not true. ZK consulted with Rettstatt’s husband (who is in the fashion industry) on their costumes for their 2023 FD (BatB). Rettstatt certainly never picked their programs and he’s not their paid consultant. ZK have been consulting with Benoit since the 2023 season.

 

[skateblessing]

They should take a peek at SA while there are there as well. Same guy in charge.

I feel like they really should have been looking into Skate to Milano, but I guess it´s not the right teams competing there. Because that was something that really caused consequences - like missing out on Olympic spots...

 

[Orm Irian]

Natalia Zabaiiko has posted a vlog covering her week skating with Gabriella Papadakis! It's really interesting, watching their process of learning lifts and how they developed over the week.

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