What is missing with the French dance team to keep being pushed off the podium!

What is missing with the French dance team to keep being pushed off the podium!

What on earth do Delboebl/Schoenfelder have to do to convince the judges to EVER give them a World medal no matter what they do. I thought they were finally going to get it last night but the judges low-balled them for another great performance last night. When they are in the top 3 in the free dance, they are too far back to get a medal, then when they are in the top 3 going into the free dance they are marked lower in the free dance than the times they were coming from behind it. Sorry I just dont get it. What is missing with this team for the judges to keep them off the podium no matter what they do.

I don't know. Personally I LOVE these two... I would love to have seen them have a medal but I guess it's just that there are too many top teams right now that are all so close, and only 3 can have it. I had been hoping myself for the silver for them, gold for Marie & Patch and to have bronze for either Lithuanians or Bulgarians... however, I also love the Bulgarians and are very glad they finall won too lol!

I don't know...I found their freedance to be a bit of an overkill. Too busy.

I've seen them skate better freedances than that one.

DelShoes FD lacked conviction and emotion. They skated like robots, no feeling between them, no connection with the audience. After they skated, the applause was tepid. I thought maybe it was because the audience was saving a big reception for D/L, but no. All the other teams who skated after them (Drobiazko/Vanagas, DenSta and B/A) got tremendous applause before and after they skated.

DelShoes skated a dud FD, and the judges' marks reflected that. They were the only team in the final group who got a lower mark at Worlds than they got at Torino, where they skated a LOT better.

What have Delobel and Schoenfelder to do to get on the podium ?
I really don't know.

My personnal ranking would be /L, Den/Sta, Del/Schoen.

Why on earth aren't they third. To let Belbin and Agosto on the podium (with their obious mistake and their "unflamencish flamenco"). And Drobriasko Vanagas were sacrificed (4th place, the worse) to bomb them out of the podium, to widen the gap between them and the podium.
Del/Schoen FD is a wonderfull program, very technic, very difficult, very original, clever and subtle. American and russian audiences are less found of these subtle programs than Europeans. They usually prefer the kind of program Drobriasko and Vanagas did yesterday, more "sexy" and appealing (but much less difficult in this case). The french dancers have always received a warm reception everywhere in Europe like in Torino.
I wouldn't put them first because they didn't catch the balance they had with Frida which is a pure wonder. They need a strong music to express themselves and except the Klaus Nomi part (the begining), their music is kind of weak. Their best program until now are Vivre and Frida the masterpiece, both of them on really strong music theme.

The weird thing is when you look at the Olympics and consider the FD ranking, If you ignore the retired, you get
1st Del/Schoen
2nd Belb/Ago
3rd Denk/Sta
4th Drobr/Van

Now and if you don't count in Dub/Lauz, you get
Drobr/Van (their FD is very nice but not difficult to compete with the others)
Denk/Sta
Belb/Agos (their FD has nothing to do with flamenco's spirit and they made visible mistakes)
Del/Schoen

Who is kidding who ? And Del/Schoen FD rank was definitly not a strategic move. Their 2nd place in FD was just a nice candy to help them wipen their tears for their undeserved 4th place.

If you consider that in another way, the podium is
- Natalia Linitchuk (Den/Sta were clever, that's how a small nation can get recognized and they are finally rewarded). She only fights for gold.
- the canadians (big federation, organising country and so far, no medal despite the strong team. Dub/Lauz were the most complete dancers this season, OD/FD)
- the americans (big federation, ISU trying to "sell" dance to the US, big media hype, the most uninteresting FD in the top 6 + mistakes)


Welcome back, diplomacy !

I'm disapointed but a big to the canadian and bulgarian teams. They have been rewarded at last. Nice for them. I would have liked it to be the same for Isabelle and Olivier. I just hope they will not be disgusted enough to retire.

To chuckm who think they lack emotion, if you mean they don't skate like lovers, you're true but their program theme was mystery and appearence game, not romeo and juliet. They skated strongly and nicely. But the judges weren't pushed by the audience like in Torino since the audience obviously didn't get mystery and appearance game. They could mark them that way without being booed which is precisely what they deserved.

They didn't perform their FD as well as they usually do last night. It had more speed and emotion at the Olympics.

The podium should have been the Canadians, the Bulgarians, and the Lithuanians last night, but I do think the French were robbed of the bronze or silver at the Olympics. They were unquestionably better than the Ukrainians in Torino.

Their program was much more difficult than the Lithuanians (even if I love them too). The Lithuanians program was fresh air since they succeeded in making a big romantic program (as powerfull as the old programs) but I consider first difficulties and risk level. The canadians and the french had the most difficult program. The bulgarians had a difficult program with great creativity and daring. The lithuanians had a very attractive program but not at the same level.

Sorry, the Canadians had the easiest program, and they skated it the slowest of all the top teams. They had great lifts and smooth elegance, but they had nowhere near the difficulty of the Bulgarians or B/A.

In fact, D/L lost to DenSta because of the lack of speed.

The French lost out on the podium because they lacked expressiveness and pizzazz and they were on the slow side, too. The Lithuanians were too far back after the CD and OD to medal, even though they finished 2nd in the FD.

chuckm said:

Sorry, the Canadians had the easiest program, and they skated it the slowest of all the top teams..

Click to expand...

I would not call it "easier".

You're completely wrong, D/V have 46.5
D/L have 46.5
B/A have 46.5
Denk/Sta have 46.2
Del/Sch have 45.8

The French Team

Robotic is the word for their skating and their music is God awful. She needs to get a new hairdresser and costume designer. They are too bizarre for words. because their "package" is so bad, you tend to lose what they are doing on the ice.

As I mentioned in a previous post, I think Delobel/Schoenfelder suffer in the judging because their overall body line and posture is not quite as good as the other top teams. Also, Delobel is not as flexible and fluid in her back/upper body movements as some of the other top female dancers. Despite this, though, I do like this team, and especially loved their Frida program.

Frankly speaking, their free dance looked too much like a pair program. Barb and Paul both commented their dance spin looked like a pair sit spin. Also their costumes were way over the top and there was no connection with their music. I find the French are always too flamboyant in their choice of costume and music. I found the same thing with Brian Joubert. His Matrix program left me cold.

I think that the french have the perfect package to be champions as far as programs/music/choreo is concerned(plus, they have the best coach ever!). Their problem, for me, is them. They never give it absolutely everything expression-wise. Isabelle looked too nervous both at the Olys and yesterday, even in Lyon. She didn't give anything to audience. Also, there's no chemistry between the two of them. That's their problem, and it's been the reason why I haven't been able to really cheer for them. They are great, I like them a lot, but they don't have that *extra*. If another team had skated that program, with emotion, it would have been marked higher. JMO.

Who?

That's their problem for me, in a word.

Seriously, ITA with Chuckm and Anniemg. I'll take over-the-top if the SKATERS are into over-the-top. Del/Schoen skate with each other but they don't skate together. JMO.

Rgirl

Thanks all for your comments. I was very interested to hear some other opinions on this. It just seems, for whatever reason, this team finds itself just off the podium. Also now after dropping off the podium from ahead at a major event, that is now another way of missing the podium, since they usually start from behind and cant quite catch up to get a medal.

Also I recall many people being upset that they did not win atleast the free dance, and take atleast second overall at the 05 and 06 Europeans, and did not medal over the Ukranians at the the last Worlds and Olympics. This is one of the first times there was not alot of talk about this team possably being robbed of a placement though, usually there is.

kyla2 said:

you tend to lose what they are doing on the ice.

Click to expand...

Yes, very good observation

Saundy said:

I would not call it "easier".

Click to expand...

I would. D/L don't have the difficulty in the transitions that Denkova/Saviyski, Delbel/Schoenfelder, or Belbin/Agosto have.

I had no problem this time with Del/Schönf. didn't make the podium.
My only problem was why Drobiazko/Vanagas didn't get it?????


Their skating skills , ability and artistry couldn't be beaten by Belbin/Agosto!!!!!
No way! Otherwise: as I hoped that was the most fairly judged Ice-Dance competition since years!!!!!!!!

Just a note : "co-operating" Federations should hope that, Denkova/Stav will realize that Gold not necessarily can be repeated by the judges , that was a unique possibility to get the points they deserved ( I wonder, how they could menage to get the points finally: maybe Linichuk_Karponosov did a good background for that, maybe even promised, this pair is able to retire if they get the points at least ones in their life) and they will retire, like Delobel/Schönfelder after getting the Gold next year.
And than Let' bias for the next Russian couple to win the next Olympic (doesn't matter which one(((.
They are able and tent to "build up" polished, but boring couples to win the big things.

Next year:
1. Delobel/Schönf.
2.Domnina/Shabalin
3.Belbin/Agosto

2008.
1. Domnina/Shabalin
2.Belbin/Agosto ( forever as long as they will compete, except their last World after the Olympic, when the Russians won't take part of it).
3.Khohlova/Novitski or (MAYBE, and I would love to see that) Kerr/Kerr.

Don't forget my words, especially if you remember my thread about Ice-Dance before the WorldChamps.


We all will remember to this WorldChamps. like the one, where judges told their real opinion.
If Grushina/Goncharov would be there, wouldn't be at the top 4, for sure.

This thread reminded me of Isabelle's reaction at the Olympics when they where 4th. For me, there, they should have been on the podium, mostly because I dont like G/G at all. The french reporters were waiting for them after they came off the kiss and cry and Isabelle was crying so much....It was very sad to see And they had said that they would give it all at Worlds so that they will have a medal there. I really liked them last year, with their Frida program, and when I saw this year's program I said to myself that they would have a medal at the Olympics. But they never skated it to its potential. Such a shame.

He is one of the best ice skaters technical-wise.