2022 Olympics Team Event Day1: Pairs Short Program

[*~RussianBleux~*]

The battle for the fifth spot is between Italy (the Pairs team should have finished lower as they were a disaster), Canada and Georgia. I’m not sure who is even skating for Italy. But, those 2 points don’t seem to be enough as ITA can place behind GER, UKR and CHN. It looks like title will be a battle royale between Madeline and Anastasia Gubanova for the fifth spot and I’m here for it.

There was no room to put the Italians lower. The Czech team also messed up the jumps and the Ukrainians were very subpar on almost everything. It is not just jumps that matter. If you look at the quality of all elements as a whole you can see how Italy stayed ahead of the Czech and Ukraine team (considering Czech team also made significant errors on jumps).

Ukrainians actually are pretty consistent on their throw and Sbs in the short and they still didn’t qualify for the individual pairs event because they are just not skilled enough yet. They came only so Ukraine could have a full team (as per rules).

 

[Wafflecakes]

I disagree

All the US ladies have recently shown SPs that could score around 70

I don't think even with a fall they'll be down at 7-8

Don't get me wrong. I would be THRILLED.

The US ladies over the last 15 years have just beaten all optimism out of me.

 

[RatedPG]

Don’t forget than in the free skate, it will most likely be Vincent Zhou skating for USA. I wonder who the Americans are going to send for the ladies portion of the Team event. Remember, Karen Chen finished only behind the Russians at World Championships. So, they could finish as high as second

I’m just curious, if a team ties in total points, what is the tiebreaker? Say Madeline finishes one spot lower than Anastasia, Canada was higher in pairs and dance, but, Georgia was higher in Men’s and Women’s. Who would go? Also, I shouldn’t count out Italy as they could finish 2 points lower and also be tied.

 

[readernick]

At Worlds, Karen was only beat by the 3 Russians. Even if she were to be beat by the Japanese entry as well, the other women she's competing against aren't exactly at the tier of the Russian and Japanese women. It's not a done deal but it's also not like it's a Herculean/incredibly wishful thinking effort to finish 3rd.

Finishing 3rd in the SP is the most likely outcome for any US woman who competes. However, if the technical caller is strict this may hurt Karen. I think Karen is more at risk in the LP of falling behind several other skaters here including Madeline and Gubanova. However, they might not make the FS.....

 

[Blades of Passion]

Lol 3rd is a BIG ask from 2 girls who can't rotate and have not really had triple triples this season.

I also don't think the US holding up in pairs FS is a lock by any means.

3rd is not a big ask at all. That's the exact expected placement for USA in this Team Women's field. Triple-Triple's are not required, but regardless they do have the ability, and did it at Nationals in the SP.

Nothing is a lock, but the fact is USA absolutely has the win within their grasp. They should definitely put Nathan Chen in the LP, otherwise they are just recklessly harming the team's chance of winning, to a massive degree.

 

[Mista Ekko]

Don't get me wrong. I would be THRILLED.

The US ladies over the last 15 years have just beaten all optimism out of me.

So far if you think of Olympic Team Events the US ladies have kinda been delivering though,
Mirai Nagasu, Gracie Gold...

 

[Wafflecakes]

Don’t forget than in the free skate, it will most likely be Vincent Zhou skating for USA. I wonder who the Americans are going to send for the ladies portion of the Team event. Remember, Karen Chen finished only behind the Russians at World Championships. So, they could finish as high as second

I’m just curious, if a team ties in total points, what is the tiebreaker? Say Madeline finishes one spot lower than Anastasia, Can was higher in pairs and dance, but, Georgia was higher in Men’s and Women’s. Who would go? Also, I shouldn’t count out Italy as they could finish 2 points lower and also be tied.

Its funny, but I actually feel pretty confident about Vincent. He is one of those ping pong players where failures/mistakes tend to motivate him to really attack his next competition with focus. Coming off his LP at nationals I think he does well.

That said. If he nails the team FS I 100% expect him to bomb in the individual where he has a solid shot at a Bronze with an outside shot at silver.

 

[Wafflecakes]

3rd is not a big ask at all. That's the exact expected placement for USA in this Team Women's field. Triple-Triple's are not required, but regardless they do have the ability, and did it at Nationals in the SP.

Nothing is a lock, but the fact is USA absolutely has the win within their grasp. They should definitely put Nathan Chen in the LP, otherwise they are just recklessly harming the team's chance of a winning, to a massive degree.

God I wish.

My respect for Nathan would grow 1000% if he saw they had a shot at gold and did the free. That said, despite my deep love for him, I don't think he is a team player in that way (not a bad thing necessarily.... I don't think there are many gold medal contenders who would risk their individual chances to help in the team).

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

M/G have some truly stunning elements.

Stylistically, not my cup of tea. There's something inauthentic about that program.

Oh it’s contrived and performative but they play to their strengths and they’re still a super new senior team.

Let’s not forget that Sui/Han looked juniorish for the loooooongest time, but then found their maturity eventually.

 

[Blades of Passion]

My respect for Nathan would grow 1000% if he saw they had a shot at gold and did the free. That said, despite my deep love for him, I don't think he is a team player in that way (not a bad thing necessarily.... I don't think there are many gold medal contenders who would risk their individual chances to help in the team).

He doesn't risk any chance to skate a watered down LP in the Team Event. It's literally just the best practice session possible for him before the individual event. He needs to do his job, is he an Olympian or not.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

imo Canada was never in the silver race, really just fighting for a medal, but I would say Japan is out of silver medal contention barring a few disasters.

Canada needed to overperform and get disasters from Japan to have a shot at a bronze. But Japan delivered and the absence of Messing and G/P under delivering killed any chance of that.

 

[bekalc]

God I wish.

My respect for Nathan would grow 1000% if he saw they had a shot at gold and did the free. That said, despite my deep love for him, I don't think he is a team player in that way (not a bad thing necessarily.... I don't think there are many gold medal contenders who would risk their individual chances to help in the team).

I am not sure USFSA would want to risk Nathan’s gold medal chances.

I mean are Sui and Han competiting in the pairs because they are the only team who can beat one of the Russian pairs in the long.

 

[eterialskating]

It really is a travesty. Sui/Han were perfection and M/G shaky at best, and yet the scores are that close... Shenanigans are going to go down in the individual event.

At least their World Champions. The US meanwhile will have their zero accomplishments "who are they" pairs team in third by hook or by crook so they can have their team gold.

 

[Wafflecakes]

He doesn't risk any chance to skate a watered down LP in the Team Event. It's literally just the best practice session possible for him before the individual event. He needs to do his job, is he an Olympian or not.

You are right. I just don't think HE thinks that way.

That Olympian jab was trashy though. Just being an Olympian doesn't mean you need to shape your strategy around your federation and their wants.

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

Well, Then Canada will make it over Italy, And then you just have to see how CHN and GEO do

I think Madi loses to Japan Russia and probably USA. I think she beats China, Italy, Germany, Czech Republic. Her biggest competition is Georgia and Ukraine.

I think Lara Naki will lose to Japan Russia USA Georgia Ukraine Canada and I have a feeling about China doing better than the bottom in ladies. Her biggest competition is Nicole from Germany and Eliska from Czech Republic.

So I feel like Canada 5 and Italy 9 is pretty realistic. Then Canada will be in. They are not out. This is possible.

 

[yume]

Wow judges were nasty not to give it to the Russians.

Home crowd advantage!

Chinese judge gave M/G the first place. What home advantage?

 

[*~RussianBleux~*]

Honestly the idea that K/F should have been lower in this competition is pretty laughable. Maybe the edge could have gone to the Japanese team. It’s one of these “it could have gone either way” things IMO. But that’s just one placement.

But like the idea that we need to “hook or crook” so we can beat Canada Japan and Italy and still lose to China and Russia in pairs is silly.

 

[flanker]

Replay of pair competition on Czech TV has finally started, so I can see with my own eyes that the competition takes place in China

 

[Mista Ekko]

So I feel like Canada 5 and Italy 9 is pretty realistic. Then Canada will be in. They are not out. This is possible.

What I'm saying is if Georgia does well enough, They might be the 5th country
advancing to the final over both Canada and Italy, China is far ahead but we have
to see how their Woman does as well

 

[readernick]

Chinese judge gave M/G the first place. What home advantage?

Yes, actually. The only judge who was super pro-Sui'Han was the American judge. This may have been because the American judge really loved Sui/Han's SP/ (I did) or it may just have been because putting the Russian's second helps the US chances. I think the Chinese judge has to be very careful here because of the issues that arose from their very blatant nationalistic scoring at the last Olympics.