Senior OD

[Dyan]

I hope that 95.20 is enough for NavBom to stay in 3rd please.

As do I but I am let down that S&G won't be in the final warm up group. They have one of my favorite FD's this season.

....As for Tessa and Scott, I think they are no match for Meryl and Charlie. They had an absurdly high score considering that she almost fell twice. And not only did so because the Scott held her.

....

I guess that's the thing about being figureskating fans. There are as many different opinions as there are skaters and posters.

I can see the argument over B&A and D&W but D&W are better than V&M? Just in skating skills alone there is a difference in favor of V&M. Or at least there should be.

I suppose part of putting together a package for their skaters is to maximize their strengths and downplay any weaknesses and Shpilband/Zoueva have defintely done that. D&W do continue to work and improve but others have as well. With one admittedly amazing OD team D&W have been able to give the illusion that they are far better than they actually are. My hat's off to Igor and Marina. Out of the two teams with pretty equal skates IMHO V&M should be ahead but clearly the judges agree with you.

Or maybe it's because I was never a huge D&W fan in the first place rather I am a fan of several of their programs. This season is making me feel the same way about D&W that I felt about K&N during the 07/08 season.

I won't even get into the trashing of B&A's work ethic and competitive record other than to say I disagree and it's a shame Tanith and Ben (who have worked just as hard as D&W for the dance program) are being seen as the bad guys by some and in some cases have been getting the Russian #1 treatment.

[Tonichelle]

Vis a vis Maleficient--sounds like a rip off of Wicked to me.

Just like tooth fairy seems to be mining the same vein as The Santa Clause and Elf.

tooth fairy is definitely a spring version of TSC LOL


but don't knock Maleficent, she's teh best baddie ever!


was not into Pratt and Partner's music cuts. horrid. didn't go together at all (but it had Brad Paisley so it's not ALL bad )

[ImaginaryPogue]

I won't even get into the trashing of B&A's work ethic and competitive record other than to say I disagree and it's a shame Tanith and Ben (who have worked just as hard as D&W for the dance program) are being seen as the bad guys by some and in some cases have been getting the Russian #1 treatment.

Unfair? Probably. I do think D/W have benefited from it though.

[dorispulaski]

Warmup Group
11 Madison Hubbell, Ann Arbor FSC
Keiffer Hubbell, Ann Arbor FSC

Ukrainian folk.
She didn't do the same number of turns on the twizzles as he did. First set good, second not.
Rotational lift in a stag position to end.
Very high energy, but unison not wonderful overall.

They changed coaches preparatory to the next quadrennium. They are with Elizabeth Punsalan and Krylova

28.27 25.89 total 54.16 overall 88.49 into 4th.

12 Madison Chock, All Year FSC
Greg Zuerlein, Arctic FSC

Afro Cuban

She's a bird (in yellow, similar tail to Khoklova's firebird) He's in white non descript tropical hunter.

This seems a lot more coherent than in the GP.
The lift was very smooth, cartwheel up and transition to his knee.
Twizzles very good.

The end was a salsa step sequence and finally looked like salsa (didn't before) They took classes.
Requisite salsa booty shaking.

29.35 25.52 total 54.87 overall 88.99 into 4th ahead of Hubbells.

13 Emily Samuelson, Ann Arbor FSC
Evan Bates, Ann Arbor FSC

Texas folk (Dixie chicks, white trash wedding, and Long Time Gone)

red Dale Evans short dress, but with a cut out back. He in Cowboy basic w/hat

Another standing O

Best they've done this year, definitely

I still think White Trash Wedding is not Olympic year appropriate & Dixie Chicks more pop than country,
however:

Twizzles good., Particularly impressed that they do not do excessive toe pointing and do some
heel pointing (which is country appropriate). They had a lot of fun (at least appeared so) It still isn't anything like Texas 2 step, which is what they should be doing in those outfits. It isn't even all that recognizable as line dance.

I'd have this ahead NavBoms. They just skated it better. that's all you need.

30.98 28.62 total 59.60 overall 96.96 into 3rd (judges agree)


14 Trina Pratt, Broadmoor SC
Chris Obzansky, Salt Lake Figure Skating

More Western folk

He's in black Buffalo Bob outfit
She's in white skirt, tied up red blouse (bare midriff)
Rough n Ready, Neon Moon, and another piece
Now this is more like what you'd see at the Broken Spoke.
Texas 2 step, country waltz, line dance
Nice handling of change of tempo
Better character, not top notch skating but nice to see them bring the authentic
Wonderful split and interesting entrance to their lift.

They're really happy with this So are their coaches.

27.06 22.80 -1 total 48.86 overall 79.29 into 8th personal best


15 Lynn Kriengkrairut, All Year FSC
Logan Giulietti-Schmitt, Ann Arbor FSC
Mexican Folk Dance

black Lace camisole. burgundy asymmetrical skirt with black fringe
he's in those black mexican style pants (well kind of like that)
white shirt.

Terrible trouble on the twizzle for both

23.33 22.19 total 45.52 overall 75.52 in 9th

[semosk8tfan]

I have always loved B/A's skating. But since changing coaches something has changed. Technically they may have improved edges and lines but they have lost the spark that set them apart from other skaters and made them stand out. In their quest to be #1 they forgot the maxim "to thy own self be true".

[colleen o'neill]

I'm sorry Tanith and Ben made the move they did. No matter how hard they work, their programs are going to be lacking by comparison to both D/W and V/M. Linichuk may be a good technical coach..( personally, even there I think she generally pushes speed a bit too much, to the detriment of technique )..but she's not a very sophisticated choreographer. Her program concepts often fall into a very sort of juvenile or melodramatic mode. Zueva, on the other hand...genius.. my preferences are showing.

[Tonichelle]

I think where Tanith and Ben get knocked is we're so used to their more upbeat and fast programs... the judges didn't receive their serious pieces when they were with Igor and Marina any more than they are now.

[piano18]

In technique and skating skills and basics everything Linichuk is THE coach to train with, not Zueva/Shpilband.............cannot stand marina /igor....btw marina zoueva called belbin/agosto 'selfish' in an article today ...........lol

im a canadian but think all the NA teams thus far this season are just meh

[Dyan]

Unfair? Probably. I do think D/W have benefited from it though.

Apparently.

And I'll just agree to disagree about B&A's skating and then shut up about it since not many agree with me.

And NavBoms into 4th as well. This Nationals has not been good for most of my favorites. At the rate things are going I fully expect both Sasha and Mirai to finish out of the top two spots after the LP tomorrow night.

[Tonichelle]

btw marina zoueva called belbin/agosto 'selfish' in an article today ...........lol

please back that statement up with posting a link to said article?

[ImaginaryPogue]

This was menitioned elsewhere, but I think what B/A tried to avoid with their move (being overshadowed by a teammate) occurred anyway (as DomShabs moved to Linichuk soon after). I understand why they made the move, and the fact is that it worked in that their technique HAS improved considerably. But they're not operating in a vacuum.

[piano18]

well I agree with you Dyan, that is belbin agosto have improved themselves and their edges but i soo cannot stand all the luck they had in the past, but the past aside i think tanith is starting to skate like a WOMAN ice dancer now, not the limp rag she once used to be under Igor Shpilband.

[ImaginaryPogue]

That's harsh.

[piano18]

please back that statement up with posting a link to said article?

Here is said article from the miami herald http://www.miamiherald.com/sports/story/1439217.html

Davis, 23, and White, 22, were the up-and-comers, finishing third at the world junior championships the same year that Belbin and Agosto became the first U.S. dance team to win an Olympic medal in 30 years.

Belbin and Agosto weren't necessarily mentors -- ``they were nice but selfish,'' Zoueva said -- but they were examples.

``They were successful and we were able to train with them and soak that in,'' White said.

[ImaginaryPogue]

Tonichelle, here's the article

Basically, I took it to read "self interested" - as in Belbin/Agosto aimed to better themselves first for themselves as opposed to being mentors to the younger teams in the Shpilband crew.