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

[MacMadame]

Make your stomach sick? LOL

Possible concussions and brain damage. How funny! (not)

 

[angi]

You must be confusing pairs girls with dance girls.

Do you have any idea how many dance ladies skated through severe injuries? Or how many of them got injured while training lifts and such? Pairs ladies are amazing and tough as nails but dance ladies are just as strong and fierce and you don't need to raise some women up by bringing other women down.

 

[PairSkater12345]

Possible concussions and brain damage. How funny! (not)

Possible concussion or brain damage? I think that is an over reach. Now if you are talking about Ashley Last year you are on to something. That was a serious head to the ice crash and likely concussion. I believe getting on the ice for practice and competing shortly after was irresponsible by her coach and her parent. (One in the same) All major sports have a concussion protocol and if US figure skating had one she would not have been on the ice a week later. It worked out for them. I am astounded her parents took the chance.

 

[Lacey]

Possible concussion or brain damage? I think that is an over reach. Now if you are talking about Ashley Last year you are on to something. That was a serious head to the ice crash and likely concussion. I believe getting on the ice for practice and competing shortly after was irresponsible by her coach and her parent. (One in the same) All major sports have a concussion protocol and if US figure skating had one she would not have been on the ice a week later. It worked out for them. I am astounded her parents took the chance.

And you can say all of this and make your judgements because you are her doctor and were on site the whole week and each and every day since?

It doesn't matter whether or not what any of them did was right or wrong because it's none of our business.

 

[skylark]

This has got to be parity. Are you kidding? These pairs women are tough as nails and feisty. You must be confusing pairs girls with dance girls. LOL That little bump was nothing compared to a hard fall in a triple throw or falling on a lift. Both of these unfortunate mishaps happen all the time, and guess what she thought it was funny. The pairs girls get up and do it again immediately. Make your stomach sick? LOL

As a matter of fact, I've always been one of those people who's tough as nails, would get right back up and do it again (whatever "it" was, though I'm not a figure skater).

But when I see something like that and hear that sound, yes, it bothers me. It has nothing to do with knowing what pairs girls do all the time. I was just warning someone else who might have a similar reaction.

 

[skylark]

Possible concussion or brain damage? I think that is an over reach. Now if you are talking about Ashley Last year you are on to something. That was a serious head to the ice crash and likely concussion. I believe getting on the ice for practice and competing shortly after was irresponsible by her coach and her parent. (One in the same) All major sports have a concussion protocol and if US figure skating had one she would not have been on the ice a week later. It worked out for them. I am astounded her parents took the chance.

You have many things wrong, along with what sounds like an agenda. Here are the accurate facts.

First, Ashley got up to finish the program. She did almost instinctively what every skater does and is trained to do -- get up and finish the program no matter what. She wasn't thinking, she didn't stop to evaluate whether she was okay; she just finished the program. The referee IMO should have stopped them; that's who had the authority and the responsibility.

In the K&C, Ashley already was wearing neck brace, blanket, etc. and was taken straight to the hospital. She did NOT get on the ice for practice and/or compete shortly after. The FS was over. She was in ICU for many hours, then treated medically with observation between 3 and 5 days. After that, she followed the concussion protocol given by her doctors very carefully. She was NOT on the ice a week later, as you accused. For several weeks (I seem to remember it was 2 or 3) she was allowed to do nothing for skating except visualize her programs, which Timothy did with her. Then, they let her on the ice again and very gradually allowed her to train for US Nationals, which occurred about six weeks after the fall. All according to the medical advice she was getting.

It is flat wrong, inflammatory and insulting to give out false information, as you did, and blame her parents/coaches.

 

[PairSkater12345]

You have many things wrong, along with what sounds like an agenda. Here are the accurate facts.

First, Ashley got up to finish the program. So that's safe? The referee should have stopped it. She did almost instinctively what every skater does and is trained to do -- get up and finish the program no matter what. She wasn't thinking, she didn't stop to evaluate whether she was okay; she just finished the program. Your saying that's rational? OK? The referee IMO should have stopped them AGREED; that's who had the authority and the responsibility. The Coach/Parent should have stopped the program.

In the K&C, Ashley already was wearing neck brace, blanket, etc. and was taken straight to the hospital. She did NOT get on the ice for practice and/or compete shortly after. Yea right she finished the program IMMEDIATELY AFTER THE HEAD INJURY! THE MOST DANGEROUS TIME. The FS was over. She was in ICU for many hours, SO GIVEN THE FACT THAT SHE WAS IN THE ICU FOR MANY HOURS YOU THINK IT'S OK TO TAKE THE RISK AND SKATE SO SOON?(Got on an Airplane shortly after as well) then treated medically with observation between 3 and 5 days. After that, given by her doctors very carefully. OK. Do you think the Doctor OKed her return to the ice so quickly? The Doctors most certainly saw the tape. She was NOT on the ice a week later, as you accused. For several weeks (I seem to remember it was 2 or 3) she was allowed to do nothing for skating except visualize her programs, which Timothy did with her. Then, they let her on the ice again and very gradually allowed her to train for US Nationals, which occurred about six weeks after the fall. So you think it's ok to train for a competition and compete SIX weeks after a horrific accident like that? All according to the medical advice she was getting. Again do you really think the doctor gave her the OK to get on the ice and perform those dangerous lifts six weeks after the concussion?

It is flat wrong, inflammatory and insulting to give out false information, as you did, and blame her parents/coaches. I stand by the comment that it was irresponsible to allow her finish the program, to get on the ice six weeks after such a serious injury period. As a parent you have to ask yourself is it really worth the risk? Coach Parent obviously did. If you think it's insulting to call out a serious risk that's your problem.

Concussions are very serious injuries, That have long term effects like memory damage and epilepsy. Definitely not worth the risk of competing in a skating event. Her coach especially a parent for gosh sake should have not let her skate in six weeks. Not worth the risk and the people around her should have more sense.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, "A TBI is caused by a bump, blow or jolt to the head or a penetrating head injury that disrupts the normal function of the brain. Not all blows or jolts to the head result in a TBI. The severity of a TBI may range from “mild,” i.e., a brief change in mental status or consciousness to “severe,” i.e., an extended period of unconsciousness or amnesia after the injury."

From "Diary of a Concussion" by science writer Elizabeth Lopatto, "You don’t even need to be hit on the head to have one. Your brain is a gelatinous mass, floating in a pool of cerebrospinal fluid inside your skull. A concussion occurs when the brain hits the skull, even if the person’s head doesn’t collide with an object. Whiplash alone can generate a concussion. After all, it doesn’t take much to deform Jell-O. The force of the impact with the skull can cause the brain to twist or even rebound against the other side of the skull.
The result is chaos, says John Leddy, a concussion expert at the University of Buffalo. Brain cells stretch and twist, blood vessels become leaky, and the chemicals that the brain uses to communicate dump at random into the spaces between brain cells. The electrical activity of the brain is dampened. There’s a period of diminished activity from brain cells, as well as reduced blood flow in the brain, according to research on the concussion cascade."

 

[Jeschke]

Cross-Posting from German thread

Short article about Szolkowy in the US. There is another longer Interview but I can't read it because it's behind a paywall

Sport - Freie Presse

Hier finden Sie Nachrichten aus der Welt des Sports rund um die Uhr aktualisiert. Hier lesen.

www.freiepresse.de

 

[pairskatingfan]

There is a thread for Canadian Pairs, and for other countries there are specific threads for some countries, and some general threads by region for other countries with smaller footprints in figure skating. Then there's also a pairs only thread in the trashcan.

I used the search function to look for any posts with the topic "pair" or "pairs".. Didn't find the general pairs discussion one in trash

 

[skylark]

@PairSkater12345 -- We agree that the referee should have stopped the skate. As far as your question, did I think it was rational for Ashley to finish the program, maybe you didn't understand what I'd said before. I said she didn't think; that's more or less synonymous with not being rational. She didn't stop to evaluate whether or not she was okay; in fact I said she acted almost intuitively (maybe a better word would be "automatically") ... and she did what skaters are trained to do, get up and finish the program.

It's like track runners who fall during a race, get up and finish the race, don't feel the pain during the race and then collapse in pain as soon as the race is completed, then are discovered to have been seriously injured. They're only focusing on finishing the race and there's no room for rational evaluation.

We do agree that the possibility of concussion should be taken very seriously. I think there's more awareness of that in the figure skating community all the time now.

Ashley said in several interviews after Nationals 2019 that she was following medical advice and being monitored very carefully in the 7 weeks before US nationals. I believe her.

 

[kwanfan1818]

I used the search function to look for any posts with the topic "pair" or "pairs".. Didn't find the general pairs discussion one in trash

Pairs Discussion Thread 2019-20: “Two skating as one”

Starting a new pairs thread for 2019-20. The off-season so far: — Tarasova/Morozov’s new coaches will be Marina Zoueva and Nina Mozer. Apparently they’ll be moving to Florida to work with Zoueva. — Aliona Savchenko and Meagan Duhamel are both pregnant! — Duhamel and Bruno Marcotte are...

www.fsuniverse.net

This is one of pages of pairs threads in The Trash Can that can be found by going to that forum, putting "Pair" in the search box, selecting "This forum", and clicking on the "Search titles only" checkbox.

 

[aftershocks]

Cross-Posting from German thread

Thanks for sharing @Jeschke. The page won't translate for me. Can you provide a synopsis? Thanks!

ETA:
Does anyone have a link to Brandon Frazier's Instagram post where he's showing Alexa some of the lifts he did with Haven? I don't see that Alexa has posted anything herself.

 

[Spiralgraph]

Thanks for sharing @Jeschke. The page won't translate for me. Can you provide a synopsis? Thanks!

ETA:
Does anyone have a link to Brandon Frazier's Instagram post where he's showing Alexa some of the lifts he did with Haven? I don't see that Alexa has posted anything herself.

Ooh I'd be interested in seeing that post as well.

 

[Jeschke]

Thanks for sharing @Jeschke. The page won't translate for me. Can you provide a synopsis? Thanks!

Here the interesting parts (via google translate)

"I have had no income for seven weeks because I only get money if I can give lessons as a trainer," the 40-year-old told the "Freie Presse".

«But all the time I was on the road only once with two potential candidates for three days. There are many good ideas and a lot is planned. But so far too little has been implemented here, »said the five-time pair skating world champion.

The four-time European champion has therefore been working at his own expense since last November: "I give private lessons, no matter what age group."

The plan to look for new job opportunities in Europe in March failed due to the pandemic. Despite the lack of income, the former world-class athlete is optimistic about the future. "Perhaps I will continue to make arrangements in the USA, step on the gas again," said Szolkowy, "I don't know at the moment. But I'm a stand-up man. »

 

[chachacha]

Thanks for sharing @Jeschke. The page won't translate for me. Can you provide a synopsis? Thanks!

ETA:
Does anyone have a link to Brandon Frazier's Instagram post where he's showing Alexa some of the lifts he did with Haven? I don't see that Alexa has posted anything herself.

I follow both Alexa and Brandon and have not seen any post where they are doing lifts? But if you find one please share

 

[maureenfarone]

Here the interesting parts (via google translate)

Thanks Jeschke for the translation. Google translate wouldn't work for me.

 

[love skating]

Jenni and Todd's instagram had this post showing their pairs practicing off ice a few days ago, thought it was interesting to see the off ice work.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0Pv8CpJ9r/

 

[aftershocks]

I follow both Alexa and Brandon and have not seen any post where they are doing lifts? But if you find one please share

Maybe it was an Insta-story. I'd heard that Brandon shared how he was showing Alexa lifts. Or maybe it was just a reference to the cool clip Ashley C-G provided on her Instagram where the top U.S. pairs teams did short routines using Tik Tok. In the final video, Brandon & Alexa did a cool routine, ending with the lift that Brandon & Haven had ended with for their revamped Lion King program.

Jenni and Todd's instagram had this post showing their pairs practicing off ice a few days ago, thought it was interesting to see the off ice work.

https://www.instagram.com/p/B_0Pv8CpJ9r/

Thanks for sharing. If that is asphalt, it seems scary to be doing lifts on that surface. But what do I know, I'm just a diehard pairs fan! ♥


Thanks for the translation @Jeschke. That interview explains a lot about what had been happening for Robin at the Irvine rink. He seems like an upbeat optimist. I'm sure things will work out for him, as he's been praised for his talent with coaching.

 

[yfbg722]

Thanks for sharing. If that is asphalt, it seems scary to be doing lifts on that surface. But what do I know, I'm just a diehard pairs fan! ♥

When my daughter was a pair girl, they practiced lifts in the parking lot as well as arena lobby every day. Her partner at the time lived with us and they'd do lifts almost everywhere they went lol

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Ashley and Tim are back on the ice this week

USA figure skaters training in College Station

For all athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic made their seasons come to an abrupt halt, that includes members of the USA Figure Skating team.

www.kbtx.com

 

[skylark]

Ashley and Tim are back on the ice this week

USA figure skaters training in College Station

For all athletes, the COVID-19 pandemic made their seasons come to an abrupt halt, that includes members of the USA Figure Skating team.

www.kbtx.com

That's a really nice featurette of A&T and also Amber Glenn.

 

[Lacey]

So, next week their rink will be open permanently?

They're lucky, I am sure not all rinks are ready for opening.

 

[Rukia]

So, next week their rink will be open permanently?

They're lucky, I am sure not all rinks are ready for opening.

They are having a phased opening starting with just freestyles (and Pro Time sessions whatever that is) and limiting the number of people in the buildings.

Meanwhile my home rink is still closed and they canceled Skate Dallas for this year. But I would say a majority of people in the area skate at Star Centers, so they probably had some major push to reopen.

 

[Lacey]

I forgot my state is probably going to be one of the last to reopen, and ice rinks might be at the bottom...

 

[Bob Mc]

I forgot my state is probably going to be one of the last to reopen, and ice rinks might be at the bottom...

Several Florida rinks are already open and more opening on June1.

 

[Carolla5501]

Possible concussions and brain damage. How funny! (not)

Possible concussion or brain damage? I think that is an over reach. Now if you are talking about Ashley Last year you are on to something. That was a serious head to the ice crash and likely concussion. I believe getting on the ice for practice and competing shortly after was irresponsible by her coach and her parent. (One in the same) All major sports have a concussion protocol and if US figure skating had one she would not have been on the ice a week later. It worked out for them. I am astounded her parents took the chance.

I am always so impressed with the ability of FSU posters to do medical diagnosis with absolutely no facts. I wish they could use this skill to help mankind.

 

[HeatherC]

FYI, I recently spoke with Tarah and Danny and there's now a new Q&A with them posted on their official website. It's not a long interview but it was great to catch up with them and I'm happy to report that they're doing well overall (and yes, their site will be getting a new header over the summer, LOL).

Link: https://kayne-oshea.figureskatersonline.com/home/qa-with-tarah-danny-season-recap-and-update/

 

[Bellanca]

FYI, I recently spoke with Tarah and Danny and there's now a new Q&A with them posted on their official website. It's not a long interview but it was great to catch up with them and I'm happy to report that they're doing well overall (and yes, their site will be getting a new header over the summer, LOL).

Link: https://kayne-oshea.figureskatersonline.com/home/qa-with-tarah-danny-season-recap-and-update/

I absolutely love the first photo. Danny looks Basic black works every single time.

 

[skylark]

I absolutely love the first photo. Danny looks Basic black works every single time.

It's true; I love this photo of him. But I also loved the commentator's remark at 4CC that Danny was rocking the look of a Bouncer at a night club with this outfit.

 

[skylark]

Ashley and Tim joining the Club Twist Over Concrete. I don't imagine it's the first time, but it's still quite something as a fan to see it. I think I'd call it the Second Story Window.

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And this new-to-A&T move, which I call the Tilt-A-Whirl. Ashley has another name for it.

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