and that resilience can be an action:
www.instagram.com
All I was looking at was skating scores.com under their main summary page around 50% of their jumps were called under.Do you mean more often than pairs girls who are also among the top ten pairs teams in the World Championships, twice? Or do you mean more often than 50 percent of all pairs girls competing in the World or even in the US? It's one thing to be openly "campaigning" against someone in threads, and trying to convince others of your favorites or non-favorites. But I'm not sure your statement about Ashley Cain-Gribble is accurate. Of course if you've comprised statistics, that's another thing.
I'd like to say a huge congratulationsto Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc for their good skating at Finlandia last week-end, and for their bronze medal.* It was a good step for them to have two clean skates in the competition, and it was also fabulous that they skated two lovely performances of beautiful skates! I love these programs, especially the SP, and I believe they both highlight the unique beauty of Ashley and Timothy's skating: their gorgeous lines, their unison, their passion and mutual commitment to the music. I like to see a lot of diversity in styles in pairs skating, so I'm very appreciative of their good qualities, which are different from the qualities of most pairs skaters. *ETA: this was a stacked field, so C-G/L's accomplishment is even more impressive.
Consistency is wonderful and allows the judges to begin to trust skaters and ready to give them their due. Still ... I'd rather watch a team that has some interesting moments and may or may not deliver consistently than a solid team that doesn't give me something emotionally.
Very happy that the USFSA utilizes all these comps; many pairs need as much international exposure as possible
Although I still think I/B should have medaled in 2006. It was a pretty unique set of circumstances that led to that success in ice dance that started with the collapse of the Soviet Union. It's hard to pinpoint an event that could lead to the same series of improvements in US pairs.
One fantastic pair, with charisma and results, would possibly inspire future generation of teams who sees them as role models. Of course, that's a big ask.
I think in the end all it will take is one great coach to start the process, just like with ice dance.
Daniel shared this clip in early August from the beginning of their Glacier Falls FS (high 3twist & sbs 2A): https://www.instagram.com/p/CSD8dA5r3jQ/
By the way, wasn’t Robin Szolkowy supposed to start a pairs rink in the US? Along the lines of it may just take one great coach like in Ice Dance …
Szolkowy was based in Irvine, CA from April 2019 to fall of 2020 and also worked as a pairs consultant with USFS during that time (before c0vid hit). He and his family have since returned to Europe but he has been making occasional coaching trips this year to the Northeastern part of the U.S. for Krigor Studio (run by Igor Lukanin).
Which coach do you mean? I ask, because I think the coaches who started the process were the brilliant team of Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva. They completely re-visioned the discipline, along with their students Belbin-Agosto, Virtue/Moir, and Davis/White. At least that's how I see it ... not as a consequence of the collapse of the Soviet Union.
One could argue that the collapse of the Soviet Union made it more difficult to succeed in ice dance because it resulted in a proliferation of quite competent teams from former Soviet republics.
True and also Shpilband defected and came to the U.S. before the USSR dissolved. Not sure about Zueva.
It did create a lot of new countries some of whom have had successful programs in ice dance, but the resulting influx of coaches and skaters into the US as the '90's progressed were very influential in creating a successful US ice dance program.
The group of skaters that defected along with Shpilband did so before the Soviet Union had dissolved, but it was well on its way to collapse at the time.
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
Great Park Ice shared some practice photos of the 3 pairs before they left for Las Vegas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOfiCTvEve/
USFS Fan Zone article on Liu/O'Shea (Oct. 20):
Excerpt:Out of Retirement, Chelsea Liu and Danny O’Shea Seek Joy at 2021 Skate America - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone
Danny O'Shea didn't formally announce his retirement after 2020 Guaranteed Rate Skate America, but he knew he needed a break. In 2019, Chelsea Liu had also stepped
Great Park Ice shared some practice photos of the 3 pairs before they left for Las Vegas: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVOfiCTvEve/
A few practice clips from earlier today in Las Vegas (thanks @thvu!):
Calalang & Johnson Slow-mo Triple Twist: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTL-dsl6y3/
C/J sbs 3S: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTNE0QlqzV/
Knierim/Frazier throw 3F: https://www.instagram.com/p/CVTM8csFpT-/
Thanks for the link to the article about Liu/O'Shea. I did notice an error by the writer, who says that the Kerrs choreographed their Free Dance.. Uh, no not a free dance...
"Fix You" was Brandon's idea for their FS - in his words:
They faced C/J and T/M. My guess was also because they had an early GP? Autum classic wouldn’t have been too difficult for them to get to but I’m assuming they had to go to John nicks challenge since he was their coaches coach and helps them which was the same weekend.
Not with that loud electronic modern music blasting away. Mute button! The top 3 skated to far more tasteful music.
