Thanks for boiling the issue down to it's essence
@VIETgrlTerifa in your #1080 post responding to
@Domshabfan! That's it in a nutshell. I saw your response after completing my below thoughts.
Why, the quality of US pairs has been abysmal, why should they get the spot when the lost out based on the rules, nothing so far this year or last has shown that thei performance was a fluke. I feel the same way as Russian ice dance third spot, they don’t deserve it, let other teams get an opportunity to qualify a team.
You know, there's another way of looking at this. While the U.S. lags behind in successful pairs teams, it's not for lack of talent. And the U.S. does have a decent history of doing pretty well in pairs up to 2002, especially considering Russian domination since the 1960s. I've been doing research, which is fairly easy to conduct online.
The problems have been discussed often, but it boils down to the need for better coaching; the need for young teams that form to stick, or to put teams together more judiciously in the hopes they will stay together; managing injuries better/ preventing injuries; better supporting teams financially so they are able to afford sufficient training time; greater interest and motivation by U.S. fed in developing their pairs division. And let's face it, the only way to improve is to have the opportunity to compete often!
There are promising pair teams with potential in the U.S. but they tend to get stuck in a bottleneck (if they even stay together long enough). Meanwhile some pair teams in the second and third tiers from other countries aren't necessarily significantly better than U.S. teams. The difference is that teams e.g., such as Ziegler/Kiefer, and Della-Monica/Guarise when they were green and not that good starting out, had the chance to go to Worlds every year and compete and learn and gain recognition with the judges, and above all slowly improve while getting to go to Worlds every year. They were able to build momentum, and not have enormous pressure placed on them at their Nationals (because of less competitive depth in their countries).
A U.S. team which has stayed together for awhile and who have shown great promise: Calalang/Sidhu have unfortunately experienced a great many setbacks in their development over the past several years due to Zach battling back problems. Pfund/Santillan have been battling injuries and lack of funds for sufficient training time. It becomes a vicious cycle wherein they struggle to improve, making one step forward and two steps back one season, and one step forward with 3 steps back the next season. P/S showed great promise in the first season and they've fought valiantly against a number of setbacks. I root for them to succeed.
Last season was unfortunate for U.S. pairs with top teams and mid-level teams injured. There were new promising pairings who showed steady improvement, and yet some other good teams with weaknesses that haven't improved. And a number of up-and-coming skaters in seniors who faced injury setbacks and resultant slowing of their development. Many promising U.S. juniors continue to split-up every season.
I would ask that everyone take a look at GoldenSkate's new interview with James/Cipres of France and listen carefully.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7Lyke6pE5Q
It's very eye-opening to realize that even a good team like J/C can wander around in the wilderness for many years working hard and trying to get better, but it's a tough and a slow process with so many factors involved in trying to make it to the next level. Again, they were at least fortunate that being in a country with less competitive depth, they've been able to go to Worlds every year and improve incrementally. And then they were lucky enough and good enough and had paid enough dues and put in the hard work consistently to end up finding magic with the right coaching team.
U.S. pairs skaters face enormous challenges in addition to the ones already mentioned. One of the biggest challenges is the negative perception of them that just never seems to stop, plus pressure and over-expectations, coupled with a lack of enough good pairs coaches. And the rampant politics involved in scoring. And issues with jumping elements for many teams. However
to be honest, it was largely the injuries and the way the ISU limited the pairs field and the cut-off after the sp at Worlds that deep-sixed our two teams' chances at salvaging two pairs spots for the Olympics. And that's true also because pairs teams from other countries are improving across the board. This adds another challenge for our top pairs to be competitive enough to break through and to do well enough in the standings for nabbing enough spots to allow U.S. teams the chance to make it to Worlds. If you can't compete, you can't significantly improve.
IMO, U.S. pairs have enough decent teams to at least consistently maintain two spots at Worlds. But if they are deep-sixed by the rules, politics and negative perceptions, that only adds to the obstacles they have to overcome. I agree our U.S. pairs were not good enough at 2017 Worlds even despite the rules going against them. But both teams were hampered due to injury setbacks, loss of momentum and development progress, and loss of training time due to recovering from injury. Under those conditions, Alexa & Chris performed as well as they could and the judges received them fairly well due to them having some established rep from their boffo quad-twist, which they cautiously have to build back to performing.
I truly believe there is not a single pair from US that deserves it over 6 or 7 teams that are competing this week in Germany for a spot at olympics. At least, let others qualify a team.
Yeah well, apparently you subjectively fancy other teams over U.S. pairs teams.
Enjoy the skaters who make you happy.
