Senior Pairs SP

[roemerr]

What. Was. That. lol. Weird event.



I would also hope they keep in mind that NO American pairs have looked overly solid at any competitions this season, and Keauna and Rockne have consistently had the highest American scores. Their great qualities are not based around skating cleanly. However, they need to not have another meltdown in the LP. No more falling on death spirals. With a good skate, they should be fine. They can make up a 10 pt deficit. They may not win, but they surely can get top 2 with a solid skate. I hope they aren't too down right now, but I'm sure skating so uncharacteristically poorly must sting. They need to just think positively for the long and skate how they've been skating in practice. I don't believe a bizarre SP at one competition should keep a country's top team off the Olympic team... It just shouldn't, IMO.

Based on everyone's season best long program scores a 10 point deficit will be very difficult to overcome. Not only would they have to skate very well, the other top teams would have to make major errors. Check out season best scores at http://www.figureskatingonline.info/ If you click on the American Flag it will show you only American scores.

[Mathman]

Wouldn't that be something if Amanda and Mark made the Olympic team?

[~tapdancer]

Don't forget, guys, the criteria for being named to the Olympic team is not just finishing top two at Nationals. McBru aren't out yet. Granted they need a lights out FS and probably some falters by other teams but they aren't buried.

And the proof will be in the FS...4 minutes and more elements to get through.

I'm definitely not counting them out. All things considered (and international results), they are our best pair overall.

[cornell08]

...but M/B fall or touch down at every competition since Junior Worlds. Though the USFSA will probably still give them consideration if they place outside of the top two, they ought to be ruled out completely if they don't skate a clean freeskate imo. If they don't skate clean tomorrow, theres absolutely no reason to believe they will on the Olympic stage.

[Juli®]

Any stream than we can watch even be out of the American Continent? Please, i need one!

[~tapdancer]

...but M/B fall or touch down at every competition since Junior Worlds. Though the USFSA will probably still give them consideration if they place outside of the top two, they ought to be ruled out completely if they don't skate a clean freeskate imo. If they don't skate clean tomorrow, theres absolutely no reason to believe they will on the Olympic stage.

Doesn't matter. Any pairs we send to the Olympics have little to no chance of medaling. Even D/B, good as they are, don't measure up to the top pairs in the world. They just don't. I agree that McBru need to skate clean tomorrow but in the end, it just won't matter much which pairs we send.

[skatemom1122]

...but M/B fall or touch down at every competition since Junior Worlds. Though the USFSA will probably still give them consideration if they place outside of the top two, they ought to be ruled out completely if they don't skate a clean freeskate imo. If they don't skate clean tomorrow, theres absolutely no reason to believe they will on the Olympic stage.

I agree. Denney and Barrett have proved they can skate UNDER PRESSURE. IF Y/K or I/B beat M/B tomorrow they should be awarded a spot. I can't remember the last time M/B did a clean program (SP or FS) without a pop, fall, two foot, hand down etc.

[cornell08]

Doesn't matter. Any pairs we send to the Olympics have little to no chance of medaling. Even D/B, good as they are, don't measure up to the top pairs in the world. They just don't. I agree that McBru need to skate clean tomorrow but in the end, it just won't matter much which pairs we send.

I disagree-- it matters to the skaters. Plus, if it doesn't matter in terms of medal placement-- and I agree that the US has zero shot at a medal-- then all the more reason to NOT give M/B a spot on the team if they don't come in 1st or 2nd.

[Tonichelle]

Wouldn't that be something if Amanda and Mark made the Olympic team?

kwanfan1212 would be over the moon and they'd need to sedate her in hte Spokane arena!

[Tesla]

I'd be ok with Mc/Bru not going to the Olympics, but def. send them to Worlds. They'd have a better shot at maybe securing more placements for 2011 Worlds.

[museksk8r]

I'd be ok with Mc/Bru not going to the Olympics, but def. send them to Worlds. They'd have a better shot at maybe securing more placements for 2011 Worlds.

Whoa! I hope that doesn't happen. How have M/B's senior level international results earned them a free pass onto the World team if they don't skate like they deserve it at Nationals? It's not like they've ever finished in the top 5 at the Senior Worlds, or even top 10, for that matter. They've never won a medal at the senior GPF either. They've never won a GP gold medal at the senior level. If some of the other teams out-skate M/B in the LP too, then I really hope the USFSA does the right thing and ensure said teams make the Olympic and World team. It's the only fair thing to do!

[ImaginaryPogue]

I disagree-- it matters to the skaters. Plus, if it doesn't matter in terms of medal placement-- and I agree that the US has zero shot at a medal-- then all the more reason to NOT give M/B a spot on the team if they don't come in 1st or 2nd.

Making it to the Olympics is an achievement in and of itself (so basically, what cornell said, but I'm reiterating it because it's important).

[Tesla]

If Mc/Bru skate a blinder in the free, but only place 3rd, I don't have a problem with them not going to the Olympics, but going to Worlds.

[gold12345]

M/B's main problem today was a botched death spiral that gave them 0 points and plummeted them a bit in the standings. That's not enough to write them off, and inconsistent or not, they are generally always (for 3 years now) the U.S.'s highest scoring team. I don't anticipate them missing a death spiral again tomorrow, and they've been practicing well. Writing them off after 1 crazy SP would be silly, IMO.

Based on everyone's season best long program scores a 10 point deficit will be very difficult to overcome. Not only would they have to skate very well, the other top teams would have to make major errors. Check out season best scores at http://www.figureskatingonline.info/ If you click on the American Flag it will show you only American scores.

I don't think we can go by season's best scores here... If we were really going by season best scores, Yankowskas/Coughlin would have scored in the low 50s for their clean SP, and Denney/Barrett would be in the 55-60 point area for the clean SP of their own. Instead, they both scored 60+ points today. My point is, with a decent skate, M/B are capable of making up a 10 point deficit, especially under Nationals scoring where the judges can reward huge scores for good skates.

It's not like American pairs (or any pairs for that matter) are known for their clean LPs. I don't think M/B would have to skate perfect tomorrow to make up a 10 pt deficit... There will probably be mistakes from all teams (except perhaps D/B), and we've seen time and time again in pairs, it's not just about skating clean...There's a lot more than goes into pair skating, and a lot more that goes into skaters' scoring potential. How many times already have we seen D/B skate rather clean internationally and still not score all that well?

I agree. Denney and Barrett have proved they can skate UNDER PRESSURE.

I definitely agree Denney and Barrett have proven themselves Olympic worthy, but there's not much pressure on them. If they win, that's awesome, but there is no bulls-eye on their back and no real expectations for them yet. Several people even predicted I/B would make the Olympic team over them. A year and a half ago, they were at Sectionals trying to qualify to Nationals. Everything is probably just icing on the cake right now.

IF Y/K or I/B beat M/B tomorrow they should be awarded a spot. I can't remember the last time M/B did a clean program (SP or FS) without a pop, fall, two foot, hand down etc.

Last season at Skate Canada was the last time... Y/K and I/B aren't exactly models of consistency either, and it helps they do a simpler throw 3 sal and sbs 2As, respectively, in their SPs. One of MB's problems has been element order... Putting their throw dead last in their SP last year created problems, and this year, I don't know how wise it is to have a throw dead last in their LP. But they are young, and one of these days, I think it will click and they will start doing clean programs more consistently (SPs, at least... most pairs don't do clean LPs). Some pairs are inconsistent because they just stink at the technical elements, but M/B aren't bad at all technically. Again, it has been their overall package, not consistency, that's gotten them the results/scores they have gotten on the international stage thus far.

Okay, I hope M/B finally skate they way they do in practice in competition tomorrow, so that I don't have to defend them anymore. They are so much better than they show sometimes.

[DesertRoad]

How is Keauna McLaughlin like a comet?

They both got a tail full of ice.

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