Who do you prefer- Savchenko & Massot or Savchenko & Szolkowy

[VGThuy]

I am able to recognize what a great pairs partner Robin was and he and Aliona really brought some interesting and complex choreography in pairs skating. Ingo's choreography really embraced IJS from the very beginning and S/S were on board. I just wish I actually liked their aesthetic and choreography. I appreciate the difficulty and ambition but I never liked their programs. I think it was more Ingo's aesthetic rather than Robin and Aliona that I didn't like though I wasn't convinced when they did lyrical either.

I recognize that Bruno may not be the skater Robin is, but I just prefer their programs and how they skated together.

 

[kwanfan1818]

The Szolkowy years were undermined by her relationship with Steuer, which was hardly healthy; it would have been hard enough if everyone had been as mature and thoughtful as Duhamel, Radford, and Marcotte, and even they, until the last year, had Gauthier in the mix. She has been in a great relationship with her now-husband throughout her Massot partnership, and her coaches have been only that.

I loved Szokowy's blades and carriage, and his willingness to be so game for anything Steuer threw at them, programs that were often unusual and went counter to the prevailing romantic narrative as they came up during a time when skating was still suspended between 6.0 and IJS.

In their short time together, Savchenko and Massot have had as many great programs as any team, and that last season's FS was pure magic and not surpassed by any program I've ever seen.

 

[MAXSwagg]

The Szolkowy years were undermined by her relationship with Steuer, which was hardly healthy; it would have been hard enough if everyone had been as mature and thoughtful as Duhamel, Radford, and Marcotte, and even they, until the last year, had Gauthier in the mix. She has been in a great relationship with her now-husband throughout her Massot partnership, and her coaches have been only that.

I loved Szokowy's blades and carriage, and his willingness to be so game for anything Steuer threw at them, programs that were often unusual and went counter to the prevailing romantic narrative as they came up during a time when skating was still suspended between 6.0 and IJS.

In their short time together, Savchenko and Massot have had as many great programs as any team, and that last season's FS was pure magic and not surpassed by any program I've ever seen.

FS last season not surpassed by who? S/M or in all of pairs history?

 

[DimaToe]

The Empress/Anybody would be among my favorite pairs. If I had to pick I would pick her pairing with Massot. If only because after the 2011-2012 season I feel that Savchenko/Szokowy’s programs took a nose dive(IMO) while Savchenko/Massot’s programs kept on improving season by season.

 

[MAXSwagg]

The Empress/Anybody would be among my favorite pairs. If I had to pick I would pick her pairing with Massot. If only because after the 2011-2012 season I feel that Savchenko/Szokowy’s programs took a nose dive(IMO) while Savchenko/Massot’s programs kept on improving season by season.

Well, she was always one for whacky programs.

 

[kwanfan1818]

FS last season not surpassed by who? S/M or in all of pairs history?

I haven't seen every performance or program in Pairs history, but among those I've seen since the '60's, I have not seen a greater.

 

[antmanb]

With Robin they had 10 seasons worth of programmes so there are going to be ups and downs in programme quality over a decade of skating. But in pure numbers (because there's so many to chose from) there are more programmes I really liked/loved of theirs.

With Bruno they had three seasons worth of programmes, and their Olympic Programmes used the SP from the season before, and many highlights from the LP of the season before went into the Olympic LP which pretty much added more and more from the previous LP every time they put it out on competitive ice right up to Olympics and Worlds.

Assuming they aren't coming back it's a shame they didn't have more seasons to give us more programmes because I really did like their last two years programmes - I really loved their original SP, but totally understand why they went back to the previous one later in the season.

I also think both teams' programmes suffered with the never ending quest for the throw 3A. The later half with Robin was all about getting that damn axel out which would often hurt the programme when it wasn't landed, and with Bruno more so because their first season's programmes weren't as great because Bruno wasn't there yet. Then it was both the 3A and the 4S, which, as proved in the end, they didn't need.

Frankly I think it's a gift that we got to see her skate with two great partners and achieve so much with two different men with different qualities. I find that more impressive that Dmitriev despite the extra Olympic gold he has.

 

[Twilight1]

To me, the only Aliona and Robin program i liked was their Torino short program. This pair had a lot of messy performances and concepts that left a lot to be desired. Pina was a good concept.

Aliona and Bruno blew me away time after time. I understand that Aliona is who we will remember and she is top 4 pairs girls of all time behind Ekaterina, Natalia, Elena B. Bruno however set a new standard for strength and ability to THROW and lift. Aliona talked right away about that. I truly love them. Their programs, especially the free was from another world

I totally showed my age when I had to reread Elena B as NOT Bechke but Berezhnaya...

I agree about the pure joy with Bruno. I voted both but emotionally I think I lean more with S&M

 

[arakwafan2006]

I totally showed my age when I had to reread Elena B as NOT Bechke but Berezhnaya...

I agree about the pure joy with Bruno. I voted both but emotionally I think I lean more with S&M

Bechke was amazing as well.