U.S. Pairs 2021-22 season - News & Updates, Part X

I've posted D.C. trip photos shared by Alexa, Brandon & Ashley C-G in this thread in the 2022 Olympics subforum:

Olympians visit Washington, D.C. (White House celebration on May 4, 2022)

The White House's ceremony on the South Lawn for the 2020 Summer & 2022 Wnter Olympians on Wednesday, May 4 is scheduled to start at 11:30 am Eastern time (eta that the replay starts just before the 20-min. mark): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gb6LJFzFOMY&t=1180s
www.fsuniverse.net

ETA from that thread:
Spikefan said:
Today is Timothy’s birthday so it’s possible they chose not to go to spend it with loved ones.
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Frau Muller said:
It seems to be a worldwide problem. Makes one wonder if eventually Pairs will be folded into Dance…40+ years from now. New combined discipline?
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I've been thinking about how solo dance would be more fun. I'd love to see mixed pairs, but comparing M/F vs M/M vs F/F would require different scorings, just due to inherent physical strengths, so I don't want to think that hard.
 
shan said:
IG post about this past season from Smirnova/Siianytsia.

Instagram

www.instagram.com www.instagram.com

What an incredibly challenging season for them. I'm so glad they got to see some of their family after Jr Worlds! I hope Danil's health continues to improve as they look to next season.
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I didn't see shan's post in this thread last month and copied out Smirnova/Siianytsia's full post (for those without IG) here: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...to-other-countries.107351/page-5#post-6252409

There's a new Junior pair training in Delaware - Haley Beavers (2016 U.S. Novice ladies champ who has competed at the Senior level in singles in recent seasons) and Matthew Kennedy (8th in Intermediate Pairs at 2019 U.S. Nationals with Meryl Shackett) - 2nd photo: https://www.instagram.com/p/CcvDG0qraBq/
He is ~20 years old and she is 22: http://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00035473.htm

ETA:
mtnskater said:
^^Thanks Sylvia!! I will plan to attend for sure.
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@mtnskater did you end up going to Calalang/Johnson's farewell show in CO? Jessica's post a week ago with photos of them: https://www.instagram.com/p/CdCky4drmCO/
1 week since our last performance ?
This show will forever hold a special place in my heart. The audience was amazing all 4 shows. They felt our emotions - (well, my excessive emotions) especially during the last show on Sunday. We are very honored that we were invited to the 50th anniversary of @showtimeonice ?⛸ Thank you for living out last moments together in the ice. The show was incredible!!. I will miss flying across the ice with this dude
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haribobo said:
Collier/Mitrofanov appear to have a great amount of potential from that video. Excited to see how things progress!
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It is hard for me a judge potential based on one thrown together program but it was decently done for two weeks together I would think. Mitrofanov looked more animated than usual and Collier landed a triple toe +some playful choreography... I'm not mad about that! :psoty:
 
^^^ Hazel Collier has landed clean 3Lz+3T combos in competition. :)

@clairecloutier spoke with Alexa & Brandon before the 4/30/22 Boston SOI show:
figureskatersonline.com

Knierim and Frazier: “Our chapter means so much more than the titles and medals” - Figure Skaters Online

By Claire Cloutier, Team FSO contributing writer Stars on Ice photos by Melanie Heaney For Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, this season has been golden. In February, the duo competed at the Beijing Winter Olympics, where they helped win a team medal for the United States (and placed sixth in...
figureskatersonline.com
 
For those of you who follow Chelsea Liu on Instagram, please know her main account was hacked the other day Chelsea Liu Instagram

No, she did not invest in Bitcoin Mining with this Crazy Instagram Hacker and the hacker is sending DMs to those who follow her. Don't answer the messages but please DO feel free to report them and this account that is polluting our figure skating enjoyment with their scams! :cool:

(Also posted on another forum - please share so others who follow her aren't hacked)
 
Sylvia said:
^^^ Hazel Collier has landed clean 3Lz+3T combos in competition. :)

@clairecloutier spoke with Alexa & Brandon before the 4/30/22 Boston SOI show:
figureskatersonline.com

Knierim and Frazier: “Our chapter means so much more than the titles and medals” - Figure Skaters Online

By Claire Cloutier, Team FSO contributing writer Stars on Ice photos by Melanie Heaney For Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, this season has been golden. In February, the duo competed at the Beijing Winter Olympics, where they helped win a team medal for the United States (and placed sixth in...
figureskatersonline.com
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That is interesting! Where did she compete? I can find very little information about her skating career.
 
Jarrett said:
That is interesting! Where did she compete? I can find very little information about her skating career.
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Refer to my post about Hazel Collier here :): https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ws-updates-part-x.108528/page-23#post-6231823

ETA that Collier had the 11th highest Junior women's total score in USFS' Championship Series in qualifying for 2022 Nationals: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...oct-5-nov-20-2021.108695/page-20#post-6117382
She was credited with landing a clean 3Lz+3T in her SP at CS Norwood and previously qualified for 2020 Nationals in Junior as one of the top Novice level skaters in the Eastern section.
 
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New U.S. junior pair: Olivia Flores and Luke Wang, per Natalia Mishkutenok's Intagram post this morning.

​

In 2021-22 U.S. Championship Series, Luke competed in Junior Men and Liv competed in Intermediate Women.

(BTW, Liv is the younger sister of ice dancer Isabella Flores.)


If anyone is interested in more bkgd on Hazel Collier:

In May 2020, Hazel was the guest for a SCOB Instagram Live as part of Jimmy Morgan's excellent series of interviews during the early months of the pandemic. (I went back to re-watch it after the Evening With Champions cast announcement.)​
The interview took place a few months after Hazel had competed in the Junior Women's competition at 2020 Nats, for which she qualified by placing second in Novice at her sectionals.​
At the time of the Live, Hazel was age fifteen, and it was nice to get a sense of her poise and her fun personality.​
​
Disclaimer that I am not transcribing anything verbatim -- am only paraphrasing some bits:​
​
- From the very beginning, Hazel took Learn To Skate at SCOB, and looked up to SCOB's older skaters.​
When asked for examples, Hazel immediately named Marissa (Castelli), which led to Jimmy asking Hazel about any interest in pairs. Hazel said that she naturally wanted to skate pairs to be like Marissa.​
- Asked about future goals, Hazel included possible pairs opportunities as part of her answer, as well as aspirations that seemed to be in reference to her singles career.​
- Asked about her full plate of both school and training, Hazel mentioned that she had added pairs during the previous school year (if I understood the timeframe correctly). My interpretation is that she meant that without being in a partnership (although I could be wrong about that), she had added pairs training to her singles training.​
- Toward the end, Jimmy asked some questions from viewers. One of them was, "Are you still planning to do some pairs?" Hazel's answer started with: "We'll see ..." (The interview took place during the extended and disruptive period when skaters were not allowed to train on ice at all, because of the pandemic.)​
​
 
Thanks for the summary, @ice coverage! I remember watching Hazel's fun IG Live with Jimmy Morgan. :)

Luke Wang is a good skater and I'm glad he's decided to give pairs a try.

Since I belatedly posted the 3 other discipline award winners today... Ashley & Timothy won the PSA's Pairs "Best Performance" award at 2022 Nationals (for the second time [eta: for FS; 3rd overall - see skylark's post below) - they previously won in 2019 for the same program) - the Professional Skaters Association published a press release back on April 14, 2022 ("The award is based on the "total performance" with an eye to costuming, presentation, music selection, choreography, style, and technique."):

Ashley Cain-Gribble / Timothy LeDuc — Championship Pairs Free Skate Program
PSA Coaches – Peter Cain, Darlene Cain, Nina Mozer
Choreographer – Pasquale Camerlengo
Music Selection – "Dance For Me Wallace" and "Charms" from the W.E. soundtrack
Costume Design – Denise Freye, Darlene Cain

She picked up the award in person at USFS' Governing Council meeting last month: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc_DEu1LJcA/
 
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Sylvia said:
Since I belatedly posted the 3 other discipline award winners today... Ashley & Timothy won the PSA's Pairs "Best Performance" award at 2022 Nationals (for the second time - they previously won in 2019 for the same program) - the Professional Skaters Association published a press release back on April 14, 2022 ("The award is based on the "total performance" with an eye to costuming, presentation, music selection, choreography, style, and technique."):

Ashley Cain-Gribble / Timothy LeDuc — Championship Pairs Free Skate Program
PSA Coaches – Peter Cain, Darlene Cain, Nina Mozer
Choreographer – Pasquale Camerlengo
Music Selection – "Dance For Me Wallace" and "Charms" from the W.E. soundtrack
Costume Design – Denise Freye, Darlene Cain

She picked up the award in person at USFS' Governing Council meeting last month: https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc_DEu1LJcA/
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Actually, this year is the third time Ashley and Timothy won the PSA's Pairs "Best Performance" award at Nationals. For the FS this year, 2022, and for their FS in 2019. And they also won it the very first year they competed at Nationals - 2017, for their Short program to "I've Put a Spell on You."

I looked through all the listings. Ashley and Timothy are the only pair to have won this award 3 times together (at least since 2000, which was as far back as the results were listed). Alexa Knierim won it twice with Chris and once with Brandon.

I'm really proud of Ashley and Tim for this. It shows their commitment to artistry and performance: costuming, presentation, music selection, choreography, style, and technique -- all from the beginning of their partnership.
 
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Since it's bound to be pointed out sometime soon, she's not following him on IG anymore either. :(
 
tony said:
Since it's bound to be pointed out sometime soon, she's not following him on IG anymore either. :(
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Sounds pretty acrimonious. A friend pointed out his absence during Worlds and I went out to her IG account. At that time, there were 1400 postings including him. :confused:
 
sk9tingfan said:
Sounds pretty acrimonious. A friend pointed out his absence during Worlds and I went out to her IG account. At that time, there were 1400 postings including him. :confused:
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I thought he was in her Instagram posts/stories from vacation after worlds, but could be remembering wrong. Either way, breakups don’t always follow a linear timeline, so who knows.

I hope Ashley is doing well. She seems to have a great support system in her parents, but the last few months have obviously been… a lot.
 
Trillian said:
I thought he was in her Instagram posts/stories from vacation after worlds, but could be remembering wrong. Either way, breakups don’t always follow a linear timeline, so who knows.

I hope Ashley is doing well. She seems to have a great support system in her parents, but the last few months have obviously been… a lot.
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Yes he was. She posted them on vacation.
 
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Yesterday was "Coach Danny" O'Shea's last day at Great Park Ice, per GPI's reposting of a skater mom's appreciative Instastory.

What looked like a heartfelt good-bye party was held outside, with a big "We'll Miss You, Danny!" photo banner, balloons, food, etc. No doubt he is well-loved by his young students. ?
 
ice coverage said:
Yesterday was "Coach Danny" O'Shea's last day at Great Park Ice, per GPI's reposting of a skater mom's appreciative Instastory.

What looked like a heartfelt good-bye party was held outside, with a big "We'll Miss You, Danny!" photo banner, balloons, food, etc. No doubt he is well-loved by his young students. ?
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Hopefully he is going to another rink to skate with another partner
 
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