US Ice Dance 2024-25 News & Updates

[BlueRidge]

for a start the way that USFS have announced it on social media ?‍

They are charismatic and it adds interest. That doesn't mean USFS is going to sacrifice younger teams to put them ahead.

I don't think Marina and Massimo would be by their side encouraging it if they didn't think they could be competitive at the top.

People think a lot of things.

 

[princeton123]

for a start the way that USFS have announced it on social media ?‍

I don't think Marina and Massimo would be by their side encouraging it if they didn't think they could be competitive at the top.

Why wouldn't Marina and Massimo want to get paid

It's been so long since they retired (7 years!) that it just seems kind of desperate. How could you not find anything in 7 years to transition to? It's not even like they ended their careers on a disappointment or anything - they reached the peak of their abilities and potential. Frankly their last Oly program was already scraping the bottom of the barrel. I have serious doubts they have anything fresh or new to offer

 

[Wyliefan]

I saw this on Threads and checked the date three times to make sure it wasn't April Fool's!

I loved them back in the day, but ... man, this SUCKS for the younger teams.

 

[nylynnr]

I am not at all surprised the Shibs are returning; I am surprised they waited until 2025/2026 to do so.

 

[tony]

The only people it's likely to affect, if any, are one of Green & Parsons or Zingas & Kolesnik. The rest of the teams weren't really looking at breaking into the top unless a major disaster, injury, or bad programs (see 2024).

This could always be a Sasha Cohen/Emanuel Sandhu type of comeback, but it's ice dance judging and the GOEs have no relevance to what the rules ask for a lot of the time.

 

[princeton123]

The only people it's likely to affect, if any, are one of Green & Parsons or Zingas & Kolesnik. The rest of the teams weren't really looking at breaking into the top unless a major disaster, injury, or bad programs (see 2024).

This could always be a Sasha Cohen/Emanuel Sandhu type of comeback, but it's ice dance judging and the GOEs have no relevance to what the rules ask for a lot of the time.

I don't even think Carreira/Ponomarenko are a safe third. They had a good showing at Worlds, but one bad program is all it takes

 

[Rhumba d’Amour]

I wish them luck, but am not automatically assuming that they will rocket to the top of the very crowded US ice dance field. They have not competed in seven years and the field has moved on quite a bit; nowadays teams that rely on good, precise technique, rather than flash, are not as favored as they were when the Shibs competed.

 

[Debbie S]

A lot has changed in ice dance since 2018. I don't see the Shibs' style meshing well with the more modern look of current programs.

They haven't even been doing shows the past few years. I assumed they had moved on from skating.

Admittedly, I wasn't really much of a fan in their later years but I find it irritating that after 7 years away, they've decided they're going to be able to suddenly return and beat all these clearly inferior teams, the ones who have been working hard for the Olys for the entire quad plus. And really aren't so inferior. It feels a little like entitlement.

 

[VGThuy]

Of course they’d decide to come back just in time for the Olympic season while all the other teams have been putting in the work for years to get those spots. You know USFS will fall over backwards for them. Don’t they have some more red carpets to walk somewhere to keep them busy?

Wow, maybe Maia shouldn’t have gotten cancer and needed Major surgery for them to please you. And yes, they do have red carpets to walk on between the training.

 

[Carolla5501]

I am not at all surprised the Shibs are returning; I am surprised they waited until 2025/2026 to do so.

Considering her cancer diagnosis I am not


IMHO they probably have been training and getting some feedback well before this announcement and the feedback is "you look good". These two are very smart, I don't think they'd make this public without having invested enough time and effort to realistically believe they can be competitive.

 

[Dobre]

Welcome back, Maia & Alex.

You realize this means I'm now going to have to go back to being nervous watching ice dance.

No expectations. Comebacks are hard, especially late ones; but I love watching them & I kind of love that Maia ultimately won her argument. Also of course that she is healthy enough to go for it.

 

[Wyliefan]

The only people it's likely to affect, if any, are one of Green & Parsons or Zingas & Kolesnik.

Yes, those were the younger teams I meant.

I'm glad that CPom have established themselves as a pretty solid U.S. second, but I'm even a little worried for them -- if there are enough shakeups, who knows what could happen?

 

[Barbara Manatee]

Wow. This is going to be fascinating. The Shibs are wonderful skaters but it has been a long time since they, and Marina, have been at the top. I'm excited to watch!

 

[BlueRidge]

Why do people think they have a sense of entitlement or are somehow casting aspersions on newer teams?

Admittedly I can't fathom why they would want to do this after not skating for so long, and sure they have to assume they will still be competitive but beyond that, maybe they just want to give it a shot?

 

[TAHbKA]

If they became US #2 wouldn't the Shibs ideally be ahead of them in the Olympics, too? And just what about Guillaume and Laurence?

Of course. Shibs taking silver, Italians of French the bronze

In general I don't believe the USA will be given 2 ice dance medals at the Olympics, and while Shibs and Chock/Bates will be deciding who is n.1 in the USA CAN has a chance to win the gold.
Pretty much like Sakamoto and Glenn were the favourites for the Worlds this year.

Anyway, Shibutanis are one of my all time favourites, so don't care where do they end up as long as I get to see them competing again

 

[caseyedwards]

Lol is it May fools day now? I guess i mean they are still younger than bates so that makes everyone young

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Wow, maybe Maia shouldn’t have gotten cancer and needed Major surgery for them to please you. And yes, they do have red carpets to walk on between the training.

Wasn’t that about five years ago? They probably could have done a comeback last season. I was no V/M fan, but at least they put in the work and didn’t wait until the Olympic season to make their comeback.

 

[VGThuy]

Why do people think they have a sense of entitlement or are somehow casting aspersions on newer teams?

Admittedly I can't fathom why they would want to do this after not skating for so long, and sure they have to assume they will still be competitive but beyond that, maybe they just want to give it a shot?

Because of anxiety. We all already have very little confidence in the legitimacy of the scoring of this sport, so adding an unknown who can upset the established Apple cart people have gotten used to is upsetting to fans of certain teams.

 

[VGThuy]

Wasn’t that about five years ago? They probably could have done a comeback last season. I was no V/M fan, but at least they put in the work and didn’t wait until the Olympic season to make their comeback.

Are you her doctor? Are you aware of Maia’s recovery process both physically and mentally? Listen, I know where your anger is coming from because I’m not new, so I’ll let you deal with your premature grief. Maybe things will work out for you and you’ll have a gleeful season enjoying Maia and Alex’s failures.

 

[BlueRidge]

Because of anxiety. We all already have very little confidence in the legitimacy of the scoring of this sport, so adding an unknown who can upset the established Apple cart people have gotten used to is upsetting to fans of certain teams.

I guess all my anxiety is already committed elsewhere. I agree with a point made above that if any team could be knocked out by Shibs its Green and Parsons, and they are my fav US team, but I'm like well let's enjoy the skating, I'm not at all worried that Shibs will win out over GrePar without earning it.

 

[On My Own]

Why do people think they have a sense of entitlement or are somehow casting aspersions on newer teams?

I mean it's skating. Nothing is supposed to make sense.

 

[On My Own]

I hope they do roxanne

 

[ChelleC]

I literally just screamed when I read this.

Don't know how I feel right. But if they replace Chock and Bates as US #1 it will be both and

 

[VGThuy]

I literally just screamed when I read this.

Don't know how I feel right. But if they replace Chock and Bates as US #1 it will be both and

Even if they don’t, this thread has already provided both. It’s going to be a season, that’s for sure.

 

[BlueRidge]

They won't beat Chock & Bates. There's no way they can get to that level in one year.

 

[TanithandBenFan]

Are you her doctor? Are you aware of Maia’s recovery process both physically and mentally? Listen, I know where your anger is coming from because I’m not new, so I’ll let you deal with your premature grief. Maybe things will work out for you and you’ll have a gleeful season enjoying Maia and Alex’s failures.

I’m not sad because I think they’ll challenge for the top spot. I’m sad for the younger teams who have been putting in the work for the spots and won’t get the automatic boost that is likely coming.

 

[nylynnr]

Considering her cancer diagnosis I am not

Maia's cancerous kidney tumor was, thankfully, removed in 2019 .... I remain surprised they chose the 2025/2026 season, rather than at least 2024/2025, to attempt a comeback. If anything, the illness plus the pandemic derailed a return for 2022. To wait this long is, to me, unfathomable, but it certainly is their prerogative. I would not be so certain USFS will "fall over backward."

 

[On My Own]

They won't beat Chock & Bates. There's no way they can get to that level in one year.

If this were twitter people would point out that chock and bates don't have a level

 

[tony]

They won't beat Chock & Bates. There's no way they can get to that level in one year.

AFAIK since this ended up true, they’ve already been back on the ice practicing at some level of seriousness for at least 8 months. Of course they haven’t faced the judges, but neither has the brand new team in France and people are worried that they will swoop in for Olympic gold apparently.

You never know what can happen over the course of one season.

 

[BlueRidge]

If this were twitter people would point out that chock and bates don't have a level

They have what they skated at Worlds. Which I saw live. People can snark as cleverly as they want. It won't change that Chock & Bates weren't has-beens just waiting to be knocked off, they were in top form.

I say this as someone who was tired as heck of them and thought they should have been done. But seeing them live I had to give them their due.