U.S. Ice Dance 2022-23 news & updates

[BlueRidge]

Wolfkostin and Chen have split:
https://twitter.com/fsonline/status/1623387426470129665?s=46&t=_mJnJFauK_TqJ2SxJPn8dA

ouch.

 

[kirkbiggestfan]

Maybe Anvonley can unretire and skate with Chen! 2 weeks after US nationals is always splitsville time!

 

[Rukia]

Wow I'm kind of shocked by that

 

[BlueRidge]

Wow I'm kind of shocked by that

I'm not shocked because I mean it just wasn't working for them, but I'm really disappointed.

 

[Karen-W]

Wow I'm kind of shocked by that

Same.

I'm not shocked because I mean it just wasn't working for them, but I'm really disappointed.

Yeah, but at least this saves us years of nail-biting our way through each of their programs, praying they make it through without a fall or major error.

 

[love skating]

I wonder if Jeffrey has a partner lined up already? Katarina's post sounded like she was more surprised. I'm sad because they were one of my faves. Johnny even said at Nationals that Tanith told him they are so promising with no ceiling. Fans had already been trying to match up dancers together so who do we think will be a good match for both of them?

 

[VGThuy]

I'm surprised honestly. They had a bad SD showing, but they had a great FD performance. They also had a great Nationals FD last year too, but I guess they were always hitting a wall with their consistency and seemingly throwing away opportunities. I wonder if both can continue and with whom.

I will say, I wasn't a fan of their FD earlier this season, but they made it WORK by Nationals. I'll always enjoy both their senior Nationals FDs.

 

[thvu]

I'm not surprised. They weren't consistent, and in Ice Dance that's throwing away momentum and reputation GOE and PCS.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

It sounds like this was not Katarina’s decision despite Jeff’s post. I hope she can find a new partner and new inspiration!

 

[VGThuy]

I kind of found it entertaining that Karen Chen posted the same response on both their IG posts about the split. I don't know why I found it so amusing, but I did. ""

 

[litenkyckling]

I’m surprised but also not surprised? I wonder if they have a new partner lined up for him? Because I agree it seemed more of a shock to her than it did to him.

 

[Lara111]

Maybe Anvonley can unretire and skate with Chen! 2 weeks after US nationals is always splitsville time!

I do not think Chen will continue skating. Why ruin a partnership that works well for him? He is probably a weaker skater of the two or with less potential as an ice dancer.

 

[litenkyckling]

I wonder if USFS would release her if she found a partner from another country? In such a deep field, I don’t know who’s available and also she may reach her international goals more quickly skating for a fed who don’t have as much depth.

 

[thvu]

I do not think Chen will continue skating. Why ruin a partnership that works well for him? He is probably a weaker skater of the two or with less potential as an ice dancer.

 

[Colonel Green]

I do not think Chen will continue skating. Why ruin a partnership that works well for him?

Clearly he did not think it was working well for him, based on their recent results.

Also, regardless of one's assessment of relative talent levels, as a male ice dancer Chen is inherently more in-demand due to limited supply. An unfortunate reality that has all too often inflated the egos of male ice dancers and pair guys.

 

[Dobre]

They were just really getting started. Sheesh.

Jeffrey's goals have been longterm for years.

Gave some teams some breathing room there. Every time there's a young team with the potential to reach the top over the past quad, they go splitsville & it's back to the drawing board. Sigh.

(He could skate with Lorraine).

 

[greenapple]

It is so frustrating when young teams split. We all get excited about their potential and then poof! they are gone.

They were inconsistent on a consistent basis but it takes a lot of years to strike a winning balance.

 

[mtnskater]

Avonley come back!! She was such a talent. I want to see Nguyen and Chen v. Zingas and Kolesnik.

And yes I’m shocked too about the split. Both are devine skaters in their own right.

 

[PRlady]

I’m unhappy about this. I was thinking after Nats RD that H/D used to make mistakes at the worst times (hello Helsinki Worlds) but finally grew out of it.

 

[Dobre]

Per wikipedia's last update, Avonley, who is a wonderful ice dancer with a vibrant ice-dancer personality on the ice, is only 5 ft 1/2 in. per her last wikipedia update. I would love to see her come back (particularly without the Igor choreo, which of course, would probably not be what happened), and she can sell a program beautifully. If she is still that small, I do think the partnership would lack the raw physical power that Wolfkostin & Chen are capable of.

 

[PRlady]

Per wikipedia's last update, Avonley, who is a wonderful ice dance with a vibrant ice-dancer personality on the ice, is only 5 ft 1/2 in. per her last wikipedia update. I would love to see her come back (particularly without the Igor choreo, which of course, would probably not be what happened), and she can sell a program beautifully. If she is still that small, I do think the partnership would lack the raw physical power that Wolfkostin & Chen are capable of.

Which is why I actually want her to skate with Ian or Gage.

 

[Dobre]

The first year a team moves down at senior nationals is always the most risky season. It's ironic that I wasn't worried about W&C, but it was obvious they lucked out last season with Carreira & Ponomarenko mucking up. And then W&C switched rinks, which I took as a sign that whatever had happened or was wrong, they were committed to sticking together. Plus, the first real season in seniors. It's usually the next season that I start to worry. Le sigh.

 

[Dobre]

Congratulations to Ilin & Cain for finishing first in all portions of the advanced novice event at the Egna Dance Trophy.

 

[georgiana08]

I try and never get attached to juniors, but Olivia and Dylan are totally charming. I can't wait to see their JGP debut next season.

 

[azcalder]

I try and never get attached to juniors, but Olivia and Dylan are totally charming. I can't wait to see their JGP debut next season.

Olivia and Dylan made their junior debut this season with a great Free Dance to Grease. They were too young for the JGP circuit.

 

[love skating]

I too like Ilin and Cain. I also really like Li & le Coq who just won the advanced novice at the Bavarian Open. And even though I know the dangers of falling for such young skaters - I do anyway lol. So many either split or quit, etc. I tell myself not to get attached, but it's so hard!!

 

[Trillian]

If it’s any consolation to anyone, being excellent at the lower levels in dance is a much better predictor of senior level success than in any other discipline. They’re not all going to make it, and some of them might swap partners along the way. But I can remember enough of our top ice dancers being on the podium their juvenile and intermediate days that I don’t mind getting a little bit attached to the really promising ones.

 

[Lizziebeth]

If it’s any consolation to anyone, being excellent at the lower levels in dance is a much better predictor of senior level success than in any other discipline. They’re not all going to make it, and some of them might swap partners along the way. But I can remember enough of our top ice dancers being on the podium their juvenile and intermediate days that I don’t mind getting a little bit attached to the really promising ones.

So true. I fondly remember the first time I spotted the Shibs!

 

[her grace]

So true. I fondly remember the first time I spotted the Shibs!

Me, too. The first time I saw them in-person, they were novices. To this day, I don’t think I’ve seen a more serious young little skater listening to everything his coach was saying as he warmed up off the ice.

 

[Tinycities]

This is extremely random, and probably previously discussed years ago, but I was listening to older episodes of Polina Edmunds podcast because I only came across it recently. She had an episode a few years ago regarding next gen of American ice dance, and it featured a few skaters she grew up with which were Lorraine, Anthony and Logan.

Anyway, this was clearly early into Logan’s partnership with Eva, but he made a comment that it’s unlikely they’ll go past 2026, because it’s important for them to move on with their lives past skating. I know skating and partnerships are unpredictable, and that many teams will break up and form a new by and post 2026, but I was just so surprised to hear him being relatively firm about that. Obviously things can also change, but it was still surprising. That team is relatively young.