Congratulations to Maia and Alex and another strong performance. So much "noise" surrounding the Grand Prix event, which is understandable. But I expect that Maia and Alex are staying above and beyond it, as they know their goals and how to achieve them. They really are masters at handling competitive challenges and turning the faux narrative of skeptics into motivation, not distraction. For starters, they have had to deal their entire career in particular with what I think is not inappropriate to call "prejudice," against the notion of being a top contender in this sport as a sibling team. Given the preponderance of the history and culture of ice dance, which still pervades the judging hierarchy/mindset, but is something they share little to no indigenous connection to (by not being caucasian and having central casting blonde girl + brunette boy look) they lacked another obvious advantage. I do not underestimate how much in the way of character and grit it has required for them to persist and prevail, becoming the legit pioneers that they are as the first ice dancers of Asian heritage to win Grand Prix and ISU championship events. At times it must have seemed it required them to be 110% better just to be on a level playing field from the "perception" standpoint with international judges especially. I mean seriously, would you have bet on a pair of Asian siblings making it to the top echelons of the sport of ice dance?
I don't think it is a stretch to believe that Maia and Alex bring an exceptional level of smarts and dedication to their craft. Especially during this current Olympic cycle, they committed themselves to doing everything they could to become champions. This has included doing things differently from others, not just following instructions from coaches, and certainly not listening to arm chair critics who flippantly speculate on coaching changes at the drop of a dime, expecting that whatever coaching school in vogue is the panacea and could "fix them.". By taking ownership of their material to a level none of their peers even approach, putting incredible and dedicated effort into discovering their own identities and defining their path in this highly subjective and political sport, they not only "fixed" themselves, they achieved the unprecedented. The unexpected. And they did it the hard way. They earned it.
To me, they show such guts and the kind of core spirit of champions. I cannot imagine how difficult it must have been for them after the short dance at Worlds last year, not to mention the several years that they endured with so much grace, persisting in their goal of always improving step by step. Being ranked third in the short dance in terms of both PCS scores and total GOE, only to get so punished by the technical panel (the level 2 in PsT and level 3 in footwork, versus the levels 3 and 4 they received at both the GPF and Four Continents) cost them 3.0 points just in base value. If they merely attained these same levels that they had earned throughout the season, it would have actually put them 2nd after the short dance. To speculate on "what if's" is reflexive, but clearly THEY did not dwell. Instead, they were 5th after the short, and 3rd amongst the US teams. The feeling in their stomachs and hearts must have been so hard to swallow. How it must have been so frustrating and discouraging, especially given the amount of thought they put into every ounce of their programs, from each beat of the music, blending the two disparate themes (blues + hip hop = really?), bringing fresh insights to choreography, and even costuming which surprised, raised the bar and helped make everything classy and cohesive.
But, they rose to the occasion like the competitors that they are. The pressure of final group at worlds must be immense. And they showed their mettle! So much fortitude. They delivered. They made a believer out of me and I continue to always believe in them. Looking forward to them showing what champions are made of during the Free dance and the rest of this season.
, it is the most ridiculous comment I've read in a long time
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, and they don`t give the typical emoticon answer, almost all answers seem so long, like each person is writing her a sonnet or something.
It is wonderful how many different countries they appeal to. No wonder they are getting all these deals! 
