U.S. Pairs 2019-20 season - News & Updates, Part X

[olympic]

I just want to say that I can’t count the years since I have watched several US pairs at Nationals and found most of them interesting:

S/T - They skated to check off the elements and it all seemed a bit robotic, but it’s great to see a US pairs gal land everything consistently. I think their goal this year was simply to gel and take it up a level

P/S - Their skills have remarkably improved in every way (speed, choreography, edges, lifts and gorgeous SBS jumps) but that music was hideous!

SK/K - WOW! There was talk about landing the SBS jumps, but where did those fast SBS spins come from?? For me, they historically threw away that element but they rocked it here

D/F - This was the downer of the event. The fall on one of their money elements was bad and I suppose the jumps weren’t going to happen after that rocky start. I hope they rock Lion King tomorrow.

L/M - I think that was the best skate of their lives. Lots of passion and their SBS jumps are so swish. Loved the arm variation on the twist and just about everything they presented last night including the costumes.

C/J - I love them. They skate with such a quiet power. Their pair elements are on par with the top teams in the World, so his wild landing in the sal was really a shame and spoiled the mood, but everything else was superb. I expect great things from them and remind myself that they have only been together 2 seasons.

CG/L - A valid DS would have put them easily in 2nd and in a dramatic head to head with the Knierims. I love their grace, lines, flexibility and swish Sals. The throw is their Achilles heel and I want to see her channel Chinese pair gal power eventually.

K/O - Lovely skate. I agree that the skate smaller and with less power than SK/K, CG/L and C/J but I am glad they turned the season around.

D/N - I love their lines and energy. I think they are better skaters right now than P/S and S/T, and would rather watch them any day. I hope they channel that beauty and energy into clean programs

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Thanks for your thoughts @olympic! Oh boy though, can people please use another word besides 'gel.' The overuse is becoming rather knee-jerk and robotic. I coined that word many years ago on FSU and it took off, and I wish it hadn't!!!

So first, the scoring really wasn’t all over the place. I was in the arena and placed every single team correctly before the results came up. Seeing the pairs in person, Ashley and Tim and Alexa and Chris were clearly better than everyone else. They were faster, their skating had more amplitude, better use of upper body, etc.
H/B have a beautiful twist. However, she looked stressed about the sal in warm up. Once she feel on the throw, the energy left them. They also don’t skate as fast as the first two pairs I mentioned.
T/D had a great skate and this program really suits them. However, their twist is very small and they aren’t super fast either. Overall, it was actually a very well skated event!

Good for you being in the arena. That's cool you were there in what was essentially not a very full arena. That's sad to notice when we look back many years ago and see packed arenas in the old days at U.S. Nats events.

As far as you being right about the scoring, indeed, sometimes I too have guessed accurately in trying to predict where scores may end up. This time it was a crap shoot, which is often the case when skaters make errors, and the judging starts out iffy with the first skaters. I understand that you are looking at the difficulty of the elements and the better viewing experience you have within the arena in real time.

I've already pointed out based on the performances where I believe the scoring should more fairly be. As I mentioned earlier, it is my opinion that Serafini/Tran were slightly low-balled largely because they skated first in the first group. Often that is enough to upset the apple cart with the rest of the scoring going forward. Lu/Mitrofanov held it together great with their elements, but they do not have great presentation skills. I think the overall quality of Denney/Frazier's skating and veteran experience is greater than both S/T and L/M. Granted that D/F had to be marked down for their mistakes, but I personally feel the markdown was a bit too harsh.

I checked the protocols, and it's clear to me that there was not generally a consensus of opinion in many cases regarding the scoring, including on GOE, etc. So I stick by my opinion that the scoring was all over the place. No one else has to agree with me. There's always subjectivity, emotion and perception involved in figure skating. Variances of opinion are the norm.

Enjoy the rest of your Nationals experience. Good luck to all the skaters!

ETA: When using first name initials, it might lessen confusion if you indicate T&D, or indicate their names first in full, or otherwise use K/O, the usual shorthand designation for Tarah & Danny's last names.

 

[aftershocks]

I'm sure that Haven/Brandon felt deflated after that mishap on the throw, which is one of their money elements. I hope they have not been unnecessarily distracted by the problems at the Zimmerman's rink, but I guess that may be too much to expect. Again, I simply feel the take down in the scoring for H&B was a bit harsh. I hope they can get their concentration back for their boffo fp. H&B usually have very good speed, but sometimes they are not smooth and flowing with their speed, so it looks choppy and stuttering. Still, their 3-twist, death spiral, (usually their throws) and especially their lifts are A+ world class. Since coming back from Haven's knee injury, the jumps have been difficult for them to ace, although they seemed to be making better progress this season.

It's obvious even not being in the arena that the Knierims have the best overall speed and power on their elements. I'm thrilled they pulled out their sp! I still think that score was overly high, but par for the course at home when the best team skates well. To get that score internationally, they need to lay it down consistently with confidence and grit! Maybe that will happen for them. Fingers-crossed!

Ash/Timothy really needed to skate clean in the sp and I expected them to, since they looked good in practices. I still believe the take down on the missed ds pivot which was not noticeable to most viewers' eyes, was a bit overly harsh. The double-foot on throw landing by Ash has to be fixed. Her throw landing looked better than ever in practices. It is great to see Tarah/Danny coming back with a lovely sp that suits them better. They have always been a gritty, competitive team. It will be interesting to see what happens in the fp. Figure skating is always a roller coaster ride.

Everyone exclaiming over the quality of U.S. pairs skating, where have you been? U.S. pairs has been germinating and building for the past 5 to 8 years or so, with upsetting setbacks due to the injuries and illness circumstances for our top teams. Those teams stuck in there, continued to work hard and to dream big and they've been persevering and improving by leaps and bounds. Meanwhile, Ash/Timothy and formerly Deanna/Nate came along to stoke a fire with competitiveness that has only helped make every team better, IMO. Also, kudos to Timlen/Highgate-Brutman for upping their ante and skating the best I've seen from them. Serafini/Tran have been steadily improving and gaining much needed international experience, which has been great to see. A shout out to Pfund/Santillan for hanging in there amidst so many injury setbacks. Kudos and keep going, keep your dream alive! And thank the skating gods for bringing together the magical union of Calalang/Johnson.

And pssst, with the good-looking U.S. juniors improving in the wings, continued good things hopefully are in store. But let's be supportive always, always. I love my U.S. pairs (and pairs generally) come rain or come shine!

 

[Carolla5501]

What the scoring proves is that you get five points for being married. They should’ve been in first but they should not be that far in first. We were building a pad so when they don’t land jumps in the long they can still win

Actually I thought Danny and Fraser we’re overscored too. Apparently the judges, ilike some people on here, want to reward them for their season, not for skating what they put on the ice. They quit delivering and that was not a great program

 

[aftershocks]

I want to see her channel Chinese pair gal power

Nope, no need. Ash just needs to harness and believe in her own power, determination, and grit, period.

Already, other international pairs teams, including Peng/Jin for example, are picking up on the burgeoning power, grace and creativity of U.S. teams. Fact.

Conversely, according to their schedule, NBC television is not planning to cover U.S. pairs free programs live on their telecast as they did last year.

D/N - I love their lines and energy. I think they are better skaters right now than P/S and S/T, and would rather watch them any day. I hope they channel that beauty and energy into clean programs

Yeah, I think D/N are looking better than ever. I was a bit surprised by their score too, but I figured it might have something to do with their youth or maybe the fact that Nika was out with an injury earlier in the season, so the judges aren't expecting much from them right now, and D/N also haven't been received well internationally to date.

 

[aftershocks]

What the scoring proves is that you get five points for being married... I thought Danny and Fraser we’re overscored too. Apparently the judges, ilike some people on here, want to reward them for their season, not for skating what they put on the ice. They quit delivering and that was not a great program

That's Denny/Frazier, btw. Whoa, over-scored ya think. IMO, D/F were taken down by a lot. Maybe my emotions enter the picture in my assessment, but at least I concede they deserved to be placed a bit behind L/M. I think some fans simply don't like D/F and thus aren't emotionally involved in their skating or in how they fared in the sp. It's definitely sad to see D/F and their training mate, Aymoz at Euros, tanking (likely due to distractions at their rink) after having stellar fall seasons.

Yes, I agree that was a very high score for the Knierims -- 74 or 75 would have been more reasonable. Still, they didn't get 5 points for being married -- no sarcasm is necessary.

 

[aftershocks]

What’s all the fuss about, as a neutral Judge I’d have the Knierims in first place and probably at 80 points. That was nothing short of an Olympic caliber program.

Quick, I must pull up NBC Gold and take another look, unless their sp performance has been posted on Youtube, which I doubt. IMO, throwing around the superlatives can be as overwrought and off-the-mark as throwing around the snarky quips and speculation about Chris' motivation when they didn't do so well on the GP. I know it's all about emotions and subjectivity for us fans. Personally, I'll save my superlatives for when the event is over.

Honestly, my heart was in my mouth the entire time watching Alexa & Chris in the sp. A lot was riding for them on doing well. I was hoping so hard they would keep it together. It seemed to me a miracle when Chris landed that wonky-in-the-air jump after them both having hiccoughs all season long. Yes the sp scoring was padding, but let's buck them up with huge support real U.S. pairs fans! The Knierims have clearly been working very hard and they deserved the standing ovation and their on-ice celebration. I love these two, and I wish the best for them. They are lovely people and courageous athletes. They have the goods, and they can deliver -- they just need to keep believing!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I’ve been extremely critical of Alexa and Chris this year, extremely! and I don’t think they were padded in that short program. They pulled out a miracle and had a killer program. Every element was exceptional. And where did the side by spins come from? That was the other weak element but not yesterday. It was brilliant. I have been extremely critical of them this entire season and neutral. I think they gave a top 3 world performance with that short!

I did not care for the D/F program but I thought that would’ve been a little bit higher points wise.

And yes I’m not a big fan of Tarah and Danny but they gave a really nice solid program and I think they deserve second place. All in all I think everyone is in the place they should be and I’m going to say it Alexa and Chris should be maybe closer to 80 points!

 

[aftershocks]

^^ Your true feelings, which I respect ANL. In any case, U.S. fed should always get behind their champion skaters!

Frankly, when talking about numbers in figure skating, as we know, 'anything goes.' Oh, speaking of which, maybe a pair team should skate to that particular tune. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r7NJ9ylAhos

It would be fitting since figure skating always showers us with the sublime and the ridiculous and everything in between.


SP pairs press conference. I'm looking forward to watching as I haven't yet had a chance:

Championship Pairs Short Press Conference

Watch the press conference live from the 2020 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina

www.youtube.com

ETA:
It's cool getting to see the skaters and their reactions. Of course Ash/Tim were not happy with their placement and performance, but they handled themselves graciously. I'm not sure the point of a full-blown press conference though if no one is going to ask questions of the 2nd and 3rd place skaters. We may as well get clips of the individual backstage interviews. A lot of the press is rather dim on what kinds of questions to ask...

It was nice hearing Alexa/Chris on working with Raf. I caught a glimpse of Raf on the sidelines during the pairs practice and I immediately thought, 'He's getting these two in gear, but how soon is it all going to come together for them with consistent improvement on their jumps?' Yep, Raf tells it like it is and he is a master jump coach, so they are in good hands. Now they need to keep stoking their confidence and put out their best on the ice to the point where the judges trust them. The judges always give some leeway to skaters who they feel are consistently trustworthy.

I hope Ash/Timothy dig deep and bring out their best. They fought hard and brought two Worlds spots back, so they deserve the opportunity to be awarded one of those spots. U.S. pairs need to show their mettle and get 3 spots for Worlds and Olympics going forward.

 

[nylynnr]

It's cool getting to see the skaters and their reactions. Of course Ash/Tim were not happy with their placement and performance, but they handled themselves graciously. I'm not sure the point of a full-blown press conference though if no one is going to ask questions of the 2nd and 3rd place skaters. We may as well get clips of the individual backstage interviews. A lot of the press is rather dim on what kinds of questions to ask...

At this event, many questions were addressed in the mixed zone. Some reporters, dim or not, have deadlines and do not attend all of the press conferences.

 

[aftershocks]

At this event, many questions were addressed in the mixed zone. Some reporters, dim or not, have deadlines and do not attend all of the press conferences.

Right it seemed as if there weren't many reporters at the pairs sp presser since there weren't many questions. The camera didn't show any views of reporters. As I said, the full press conferences don't seem worth the time if only the first place skaters are going to be asked questions, which happens quite often. So once again, it would be better to see some clips from the mixed zone.

It is definitely a skill to know enough about the sport and the skaters, and to do the advance prep necessary to ask thoughtful, interesting questions, which a number of reporters are able to do, e.g., Jackie Wong (during the ladies sp press conference).

 

[mademoisellebug]

Hi everyone, do any of you know if we can find novice and junior pairs events online? My daughter wanted to watch them. Thank you

 

[acraven]

No novice events at Nationals this year. Top 6 novice singles skaters competed in the junior events

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Wow what a pairs event!

You would think with this kind of excitement we had tonight that we weren’t a heck of a lot more competitive on the world scene!

I love the jump sequences by L&M

And what a great program and whopper of a score For C&J

Strange, I don’t think we will be seeing anymore of CG & L or D & F this season

I don’t even think that CG & L will be going to 4 CC to even compete for a world spot and they were the ones who secured the additional spot!

 

[shan]

Hi everyone, do any of you know if we can find novice and junior pairs events online? My daughter wanted to watch them. Thank you

NBC Sports online has full event replay for Jr Pairs.

 

[alchemy void]

I coined that word many years ago on FSU and it took off, and I wish it hadn't!!!

Shocky, surely you jest!

You would think with this kind of excitement we had tonight that we weren’t a heck of a lot more competitive on the world scene!

Really impressed with US pairs this week. Clearly, the Knierims are world class and competitive to contend right with the final group at Worlds IF they land their SBS jumps, like the short program. Unfortunately that LP had their usual SBS issues, but everything else was world class, and performances like that would have probably had them winning bronze at Euros.

Calalang/Johnson delivered, and it's extremely satisfiying to see them skate to their potential. They have amazing basics and they've already gelled together, lovely connection. Stunning elements, too.

Kayne/OShea skated well, but it all seemed very dated.

I love the Gribbles, and I'm sad they could only manage 4th here. It's been a rough season. I like the packaging and the programs, but it hasn't come together. And quite honestly, C/J already have better basics and more flow.

 

[NAOTMAA]

Shocky, surely you jest!



Really impressed with US pairs this week. Clearly, the Knierims are world class and competitive to contend right with the final group at Worlds IF they land their SBS jumps, like the short program. Unfortunately that LP had their usual SBS issues, but everything else was world class, and performances like that would have probably had them winning bronze at Euros.

Calalang/Johnson delivered, and it's extremely satisfiying to see them skate to their potential. They have amazing basics and they've already gelled together, lovely connection. Stunning elements, too.

Kayne/OShea skated well, but it all seemed very dated.

I love the Gribbles, and I'm sad they could only manage 4th here. It's been a rough season. I like the packaging and the programs, but it hasn't come together. And quite honestly, C/J already have better basics and more flow.

It's funny you say that because Tarasova/Morozov made the exact same mistakes there that the Knierims made here and they scored 135. So yeah take away the nationals inflation (SP and FS) and they likely would have been neck and neck with P/K for Bronze.

I think Calalang/Johnson were robbed. They were way better in the free then just 6.92 points. If the Knierims were properly punished for the sbs jumps it would have happened but they weren't. They even got positive goe for the sbs double salchows!

I do agree about Kayne/O'Shea who in my personal opinion were very bland. They were skating to emotional music yet looked totally disconnected from it, like they were going through the motions. They didn't look like they were back for redemption after last year's disaster at all.

 

[missing]

Chris Knierim is really tall for a skater (Wikipedia has him at 6 foot 2) and I think he would be better served by consulting with successful tall skaters (Evan Lysacek being an obvious choice, but Laurent Tobel would also work) on how they rotated and landed their jumps. It's got to be a specific skill set because there are so few tall men's skaters.

It would hardly matter how graceful he was or how many miles away he skates from Alexa because a landed skate from a different continent will still be an improvement over a fall in the same county.

I think if he learns from a guy who had to learn himself how to do it, he'll have a much better chance of mastering it than if he goes to a coach who probably hasn't coached many 6 ft. 2 inch tall guys. And I'd like to see the Knierims land their jumps. I think they could be a pretty terrific team if they stayed on their feet at the appropriate moments.

 

[mackiecat]

In both programs, if both skaters do a double jump, it is not an error. The jumps are assessed with the normal criteria and yes, can be positive.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Wow what a pairs event!

You would think with this kind of excitement we had tonight that we weren’t a heck of a lot more competitive on the world scene!

I love the jump sequences by L&M

And what a great program and whopper of a score For C&J

Strange, I don’t think we will be seeing anymore of CG & L or D & F this season

I don’t even think that CG & L will be going to 4 CC to even compete for a world spot and they were the ones who secured the additional spot!

Really, if just a couple of disappointing, or mediocre results in a competition meant that a team would just retire and move on that would mean that
Alexa and Chris, Haven and Brandon Tarah and Danny, etcetera would have ALL retired and moved on by now. Skaters especially our pair teams can be very inconsistent as we know. They have to take the long view, not get too high or too low about how they've skated and strive to improve. I doubt Ashley and Tim will retire. As for Haven and Brandon? They've been together a long time and have faced worse troubles than her not landing triples. Same with Chris and Alexa. Give them all time to breathe and assess their skating. Making judgments and decisions in the heat of the moment is not very prudent.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

Really, if just a couple of disappointing, or mediocre results in a competition meant that a team would just retire and move on that would mean that
Alexa and Chris, Haven and Brandon Tarah and Danny, etcetera would have ALL retired and moved on by now. Skaters especially our pair teams can be very inconsistent as we know. They have to take the long view, not get too high or too low about how they've skated and strive to improve. I doubt Ashley and Tim will retire. As for Haven and Brandon? They've been together a long time and have faced worse troubles than her not landing triples. Same with Chris and Alexa. Give them all time to breathe and assess their skating. Making judgments and decisions in the heat of the moment is not very prudent.

Why in the world are you addressing this to me? I was nothing but positive in my thread. Retirements? I think u meant to respond to someone else. I have no idea in the world as to what you’re talking about

Let me at least finish my cereal and Bailey’s before I read this dribble.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Why in the world are you addressing this to me? I was nothing but positive in my thread. Retirements? I think u meant to respond to someone else. I have no idea in the world as to what you’re talking about

Let me at least finish my cereal and Bailey’s before I read this dribble.

I goofed that up nice and proper. I'm very sorry ANL. I now have cleaned my eyeglasses and you're probably right about not seeing those teams again this season. 4CC is only two weeks away..Which teams will have enough energy and/or motivation to go? Who knows

 

[Ena Grins]

Chris's take on their win

Just had to pop in here and share that tweet. It's perfect

 

[aftershocks]

Shocky, surely you jest!

You may find it hard to believe, alchemy. However, figure skating is a small world. The discussion happened some years ago on FSU, and I don't have the ability to research the archives for it. I remember very clearly (as a huge pairs fan) that a group of us were discussing the difficulty surrounding new pairs teams putting it altogether. There was a popular commercial airing at the time about Dr. Scholl's shoe inserts 'gellin like a felon.' https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmCyulrusIY

That popular series of commercials and the image of two individuals gelling together on the ice was in my mind when I talked about how it takes time for new teams to 'gel.' Now I don't think anyone consciously started using 'gel' because I used that word. Still, that descriptor began to suddenly be picked up within the skating community on forums and in articles until it has become so widely used to the point where I feel it's now overused. It's not unusual for words and concepts to be widely picked up when we are speaking of language usage. That's what the commercial is about too. Engaging advertising that capitalizes on a concept, image, word or phrase that sticks in our collective minds. Writers, humorists, and cultural observers often tend to make connections between certain words, images and concepts.

Of course, go ahead and keep laughing because you think I'm crazy for taking credit for starting the trend usage of that word surrounding pairs teams. I simply remember using the word to describe how pairs teams come together, when that word hadn't been widely used before in that context within the skating community. Your reaction is par for the course though, and expected.

Chris Knierim is really tall for a skater (Wikipedia has him at 6 foot 2) and I think he would be better served by consulting with successful tall skaters... I think if he learns from a guy who had to learn himself how to do it, he'll have a much better chance of mastering it ...

Ummm, Todd Sand is Chris' coach. Just sayin'

 

[aftershocks]

I have a lot of thoughts about the pairs event, as I'm sure all pairs fans do. So much is happening in this sport, as usual, behind-the-scenes and on the ice in the heat of the moment.

First, a shout out to all U.S. pairs teams. Hold your heads high, and keep up the great work!

Kudos to Calalang/Johnson for putting it altogether and skating the way they train in practices at their rink. Tanith knew what she was talking about when she observed that C/J's emotions immediately after their fp probably had a lot to do with them finally skating in competition the way they always train. They can do the jumps! They just need to believe in themselves and continue gaining confidence and momentum.

C/J were very good together right from the beginning of their partnership. It's amazing they were training together with separate partners for so long without recognizing they were made for each other, until events led to them trying out, and the rest is history! ♥ I want to say that I wish they had been paired sooner, but sometimes things happen the way they are supposed to when they are supposed to.

Good questions and responses at the pairs fp presser:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Vkr1PsFmhM

It's special hearing from the Knierims how much Jenni & Todd care about them as people first and foremost. And it's cool that C/J and the Knierims are two wonderful pairs teams who are friends and training partners who push each other. That sounds like a great rink environment altogether, with Raf around to help on jump technique, and perhaps John Nicks stopping by occasionally to give tips even though he no longer coaches full time. Christine Binder and Robin Szolkowy also make up the pairs coaching crew at that new rink. I'm absolutely overjoyed for Jenni & Todd having their teams go one and two at U.S. Nationals! Their steady guidance and wealth of experience are invaluable.

Greensboro surely will always hold magical memories for Alexa & Chris. I wish they'd been able to go cleaner in the fp. But hopefully, they will simply continue to gain confidence and put more oomph into their fp going forward. Maybe they should enlist Charlie White to choreograph one of their programs next season. Charlie mentioned during his commentary that he felt the fp music doesn't enhance who they are as a team the way their sp does. Ah well, congratulations to the medalists.

My heart goes out to Haven/Brandon and Ash/Timothy. I hope they take what they learned this season and push forward to better self-belief and greater heights.

 

[olympic]

Have the assignments been announced yet?

 

[aftershocks]

Have the assignments been announced yet?

Doesn't that usually happen the following day after the event has ended? Or perhaps within hours of the event ending? I suspect the top three medalists at Nationals might be sent to 4CCs. Perhaps how C/J and K/O finish there might determine selection of the second team, with the Knierims being named to Worlds outright.

We'll soon find out. I could be wrong, and they may go with the top two finishers, particularly since C/J won Skate Detroit and Warsaw Cup, with decent showings at their two GPs considering their newbie status.

OTOH, politics may factor in, with some on the selection committee wishing to favor K/O for their broader experience.

Re this season's BOW:
C/J -- 1st Skate Detroit; 6th Int'l Classic; 4th Skate America; 6th Skate Canada; 1st Warsaw Cup; 2nd 2020 U.S. championships, but 1st in the free skate

K/O -- 2nd Golden Spin; 4th Int'l Classic; 6th Cup of China; 6th NHK; 3rd U.S. championships

It's kinda interesting back story that Jessica and Danny skated together early in their careers (when Danny had a head full of hair):

https://tse2.mm.bing.net/th?id=OIP.cYHGbY-blHJhX1kqjYEfhgHaHa&pid=Api&P=0&w=300&h=300

 

[aftershocks]

The announcement of assignments is on Fan Zone, linked by seabm7 in men's thread:

U.S Figure Skating Announces Men’s, Pairs and Ice Dance Selections for World and Four Continents Teams, and World Junior Camp - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

U.S. Figure Skating has announced its men's, pairs and ice dance selections for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2020 and ISU Four Continents Figure Skating

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Shocker: Ash/Timothy get to attend Worlds with the Knierims! Good choice IMO!

After all, A&T (Gribbles) helped get back the two Worlds spots, and they are a better team in terms of speed, lines, and 3-twist than K/O. Albeit that K/O are gutsy fighters -- Tarah needs to work more on her SS to help increase their speed. Plus K/O need more power, pop and amplitude on their elements.

Meanwhile, A&T just need to get their confidence going again. I am surprised though because it appeared the judges were favoring K/O a bit on GOE. For example, K/O got huge GOE on their mediocre twist in the fp compared to the same mediocre twist getting much lower GOE in the sp. Plus, I thought the ds pivot call against Ash/Timothy was overly harsh, but I guess that was the tech specialist. I can't see a pair getting no points for a ds that showed no visible wobbling or incomplete turns. If anything, lower GOE would have been sufficient. No points was confounding and unfair. It wasn't like it was an aborted lift.

As anticipated, C/J, the Knierims, and K/O get 4CCs.

Are any of the medal ceremonies available anywhere?

 

[olympic]

The announcement of assignments is on Fan Zone, linked by seabm7 in men's thread:

U.S Figure Skating Announces Men’s, Pairs and Ice Dance Selections for World and Four Continents Teams, and World Junior Camp - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

U.S. Figure Skating has announced its men's, pairs and ice dance selections for the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2020 and ISU Four Continents Figure Skating

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

Shocker: Ash/Timothy get to attend Worlds with the Knierims! Good choice IMO!

After all, A&T (Gribbles) helped get back the two Worlds spots, and they are a better team in terms of speed, lines, and 3-twist than K/O. Albeit that K/O are gutsy fighters -- Tarah needs to work more on her SS to help increase their speed. Plus K/O need more power, pop and amplitude on their elements.

Meanwhile, A&T just need to get their confidence going again. I am surprised though because it appeared the judges were favoring K/O a bit on GOE. For example, K/O got huge GOE on their mediocre twist in the fp compared to the same mediocre twist getting much lower GOE in the sp. Plus, I thought the ds pivot call against Ash/Timothy was overly harsh, but I guess that was the tech specialist. I can't see a pair getting no points for a ds that showed no visible wobbling or incomplete turns. If anything, lower GOE would have been sufficient. No points was confounding and unfair. It wasn't like it was an aborted lift.

As anticipated, C/J, the Knierims, and K/O get 4CCs.

Are any of the medal ceremonies available anywhere?

IDK. I would've sent all of C/J, K/O and CG/L to 4CCs and let the best of the 3 accompany Knierims to Worlds. But maybe the USFSA wants the Knierims to go in order to reestablish some momentum

 

[aftershocks]

^^ A valid approach, but I can understand why US figure skating are going in this direction. The Knierims need to keep building confidence and momentum. C/J will have an opportunity to attend their first 4CCs and continue gaining international experience and exposure. K/O are being rewarded for their gritty competitiveness and their wonderful new sp.

Looking toward Worlds, Gribbles get the opportunity to rebound after a tough season. Plus, they are being rewarded for their hard work last season getting back two spots for Worlds.

C/J need to continue gaining international exposure and building their confidence and their resume, which they can get at 4CCs. At the moment, no matter how good C/J are, the ISU judges might not rate C/J highly at Worlds due to gnarly politics, especially if they aren't squeaky clean. Plus, having never been to Worlds, C/J would not get a good starting order draw for the sp, whereas Alexa/Chris and Ash/Timothy have greater recognition advantage and mid-to-later starting group standing.

It would be cool being a fly on the wall in the selection committee meeting room.