Lets be honest do we think any other US Pairs team would have finished in the top 10 and gotten the 2nd spot back? K/O haven't exactly set the world on fire and the Knierim's have been trending down for the last couple of seasons and are headcases at times with the jumps and just all around nervousness when they skate. D/F and S/B couldn't even get out of the SP and qualify for the LP leaving the Knierim's to have to fight to keeps spots. C/L may never win a world medal but they clearly were on the upswing and got it done when it counted.