U.S. Pairs 2020-21 season - News & Updates, Part XI

[chachacha]

Detail work from Ashley and Timothy, it’s quite nice I have to say. So they’re keeping last year‘s program but giving the choreography a jishhhh?!?!

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Is that their 2019 program? Looks like they are bringing it back. I enjoyed that program and it suited them well

 

[LL22]

Have I missed an announcement or have Kayne and Nagy never materialized? When the split happened, I just naturally assumed that they would pair up.

I heard Tarah retired and is looking to do shows.

 

[Sylvia]

Yes, C-G/L have a new SP and are bringing back their 2018-19 FS music -- their program info was posted here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...s-updates-part-xi.107350/page-19#post-6009759

 

[Aaron MB Fan]

I heard Tarah retired and is looking to do shows.

Is Balazs also retired? Hopefully he is planning to still skate competitively with a new partner.

 

[Sylvia]

6 teams in the Meno/Sand group are scheduled to compete on Friday & Saturday, July 9-10, at the Los Angeles Open:

Senior: Chelsea Liu/Danny O'Shea (debut), Katie McBeath/Nate Bartholomay, Kate Finster/Matej Silecky (debut)
Junior (all 3 are debuts): Cate Fleming/Chase Finster, Sonia Baram/Daniel Tioumentsev, Ashley Fletcher/Aidan Brown

Event info is posted here (this competition is being livestreamed for the first time): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...fying-competitions.108356/page-3#post-6018143

 

[LL22]

Is Balazs also retired? Hopefully he is planning to still skate competitively with a new partner.

He is still quite young I believe. I think he still wants to continue, but I don’t know what camp he is at or if he found anyone to continue with.

 

[kwanfan1818]

Nagy turns 23 on Friday, born 9 July 1998, according to Wikipedia.

 

[clairecloutier]

I'm cross-posting an interview that I did with Drew Meekins:

Drew Meekins: "Pairs skating is ready for a rebrand" - A divine sport

On first sight, you could almost mistake Drew Meekins for a current competitor in pairs skating (especially these days!). Fit and youthful at 36, Meekins retains an energetic passion for the sport of figure skating. It’s this drive that inspired him throughout his competitive career with pairs...

adivinesport.com

As mentioned elsewhere in this thread, I think, Drew is starting up a new pairs skating group at the Broadmoor in Colorado Springs. At present he has five pairs in his group (most notably Fakhroutdinov/Neudecker); we'll see where things go from there. Drew was also the 2006 Junior World pairs champion with partner Julia Vlassov.

 

[Sylvia]

Anyone know if Nica Digerness/Ian Meyh are still training together?

Nica Digerness and Mark Sadusky are a new Senior team in Monument, CO (lift clip from Mark's TikTok yesterday): https://www.tiktok.com/@marksadusky/video/6982279853257133317

Michael Poland's post yesterday (assume they are a Novice level team): https://www.instagram.com/p/CRCoJe5rCoD/

Big announcement: I’ve decided to move from Colorado to Michigan to begin a partnership with Maymay Padmasuta @may.padmasuta! We are very excited to skate together and work with coaches Jim Peterson @jpcoach and Amanda Evora @acevora84! We can’t wait to share our journey with you!

They will train alongside 2021 U.S. Junior Pairs bronze medalists Valentina Plazas & Maximiliano Fernandez (moving up to Senior this season) - clips of their 3twist and throw 3Lo posted on their joint account last month: https://www.instagram.com/p/CP_n7POLWSX/

 

[Sylvia]

45-second clip from the beginning of Calalang/Johnson's new SP to "Come Together" by Gary Clark Jr. (choreographed by Benoit Richaud), filmed by Jordan Cowan at Great Park Ice: https://www.instagram.com/p/CREaHlXHfqZ/

 

[PairSkater12345]

nice clip, however cut short with strange ending. I guess she didn't land the jump?

 

[Jammers]

So what is C/J's endgame here? Sit out the international season and then hope they magically can land all their jumps at Nationals and make the Olympic team? Insane strategy.

 

[chachacha]

So what is C/J's endgame here? Sit out the international season and then hope they magically can land all their jumps at Nationals and make the Olympic team? Insane strategy.

It is a head scratcher for sure.

 

[insideedgeua]

So what is C/J's endgame here? Sit out the international season and then hope they magically can land all their jumps at Nationals and make the Olympic team? Insane strategy.

I’m going to place my bet on a country change. Nothing else really makes any sense. Mind you, I thought they would make the team for the Olympics anyway, but maybe they feel this is a better shot.

I did notice that amongst all the hash tags on the Instagram post, US Figure Skating and Team USA weren’t listed.

I’m just guessing though.

 

[Rukia]

I feel like a country switch doesn't make a lot of sense to me. Would the US even release them? They show such promise, and I feel like USFSA would not want to give them up that easily.

At any rate I hope they get to compete this year. Their program looks interesting.

 

[miffy]

Maybe that is why the silence - USFSA haven’t agreed to release them yet so they are keeping their options open? They wouldn’t want to announce it if it wasn’t agreed in case they then have to change their minds?

 

[clairecloutier]

USFS still hasn't even released Deanna Stellato, at least that we've heard of.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I’m going to place my bet on a country change. Nothing else really makes any sense. Mind you, I thought they would make the team for the Olympics anyway, but maybe they feel this is a better shot.

I did notice that amongst all the hash tags on the Instagram post, US Figure Skating and Team USA weren’t listed.

I’m just guessing though.

Has anyone pulled an ANL on this?

Meaning heading to her Insta and asking as a concerned fan what’s going on? Maybe some tears would help as well!
I’ve never been above turning on the waterworks

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

I don’t understand anyways why they would want to represent a different country. They’re basically the second best in the USA. Arguably maybe the best. It’s not like they’re buried behind six other teams… I don’t even know if I think switching countries is the answer here

Switching countries seven months before the games? Doesn’t make a lick of sense to me. And I haven’t had any drinks today so my own hypothesis makes sense to me.

 

[Doggygirl]

Has anyone pulled an ANL on this?

Meaning heading to her Insta and asking as a concerned fan what’s going on? Maybe some tears would help as well!

ANL should definitely do this!!

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

ANL should definitely do this!!

I have many times before. I’m not above it.

30% concern
20% class
20% psychology
15% luck
15% smoke and mirrors

 

[SidelineSkater]

Inquiring minds want to know ANL...

There are a lot of clues pointing to a country switch (no longer in funding envelope, not on GP, withdraw from World's, no reports of injury etc.) Maybe it's not a country change for 2022, but longer term? If that's the case, it may take several years to happen.

However, it's just so strange to switch as they are in the top tier for US pairs, and would be very competitive for an Olympic spot.

It'll all come out sooner or later, but in the summer season with slow news, many of us are very curious about what this means.

 

[miffy]

ANL, at this stage I think your idea is our only shot at finding out!

 

[Jammers]

If C/J are changing countries whoever is advising them needs to be fired right now. You do it in an Olympic year when you had a great chance to make the US team? If they do change countries they are going to give up the possibility of going to the Olympics for another 4 years skating for a far less powerful Federation.

 

[Sylvia]

Not really trying to derail the speculation train here (because I know I can't ) but, FWIW, the TeamToddandJenni (Meno/Sand) IG account re-posted OIP's clip of C/J's SP yesterday and included #teamusa as one of the hashtags: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRFQBvdjRce/

 

[Sylvia]

Kate Finster/Matej Silecky will make their team debut together tonight at LA Open - she shared a new OIP clip montage today: https://www.instagram.com/p/CRHT9hKjzzS/

 

[TanithandBenFan]

C/J were scheduled to go to their first Worlds after waiting a whole year from their first missed opportunity in Montreal. There’s no way on earth they voluntarily didn’t go. The country switch rumor makes less than zero sense.

 

[AngieNikodinovLove (ANL)]

ANL, at this stage I think your idea is our only shot at finding out!

I am hearing you. I’m feeling you.

Let me think of the approach I’m going to use and degree of difficulty I’m going to use and I may just go directly in.

 

[Sylvia]

LA Open Junior Pairs SP now, followed by Senior Pairs SP: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...fying-competitions.108356/page-3#post-6019097

 

[Brenda_Bottems]

Meaning heading to her Insta and asking as a concerned fan what’s going on? Maybe some tears would help as well!

Honey. No.

We shall find out in due time.

-BB