Pang and Tong Announce Relationship

[MikiAndoFan#1]

The latest article on Pang/Tong's website says that they feel energized by having received the record LP score at the Olympics, and they feel more motivated than ever to continue skating!

She also revealed that they will celebrate Valentine's Day together for the first time next year, because this year he didn't express his feelings for her until after V Day.

Given that Pairs SP was on 02/14, and LP was on 02/15, I think this is consistent with my hypothesis that he told her shortly before the LP, and that's why she smiled so happily throughout that whole program and was so relaxed.

Maybe he should propose to her just before World's, and then they can win gold there? Haha.

They're just the sweetest couple!

[bigsisjiejie]

why did you say that? she's obviously good enough to be his partner, no? and they have an olympic silver medal together to boost.

Actually I think Zhang Dan is the weak link on this pairs team, and doesn't even look thrilled with skating anymore. And I'm one of the people who think they didn't deserve that silver medal in 2006. But my original comment had to do with off-ice/romantic coupledom, not with skating arrangements.

But let's focus back on Pang-Tong, a couple I've always liked and enjoyed, and one which I thought has gotten the shaft from judges (maybe from own federation) in previous years. I'd love to see them grab that World Gold and end their competitive careers on a high note. Then appear in some professional shows. One can dream...

[feraina]

I certainly see them landing in some skating tours post this Olympic season. They have a fantastic exhibition program, "Adagio", that is really stunning. In the Olympics gala, I think they did both a triple twist and a triple throw, and their artistic expression is really outstanding. I think they should win a medal at World's if not a gold. If they can keep up their consistency, then maybe even gold, since their competitors all seem to falter more frequently.

[bigdeal]

I love this pair since many years. Technicians AND artists with a touch of timeless beauty.
They suffered being pushed down by their Federation and the judges far too many times.
After 2006., here is their time to repeat their World Gold maybe if they can keep everything up.
I will cross my fingers for them!

[Fae]

Just read a really long and detailed interview with Pang/Tong:
whole thing.

Thank you for translating!! I tried to read a bit of that interview but my pathetic grasp of chinese faltered and died 2 lines in. (My maternal gran would hav been mortified!)
Pang and Tong are so cute that they make my teeth hurt! haha. I'm glad that they're thinking of extending their competitive career and that they'll be at worlds in a couple of weeks =D Give S/S a good run for their $$!

[feraina]

I always heard people say that Pang/Tong should've won silver at 2006 Olympics, and always just assumed that they were held down on PCS or GOE. But I was just looking at their performance:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gu5XtBf8SBQ&NR=1
and then at the protocols to see where they lost points:
http://www.isufs.org/results/owg2006..._FS_Scores.pdf
and I was very surprised to note that they were credited with a 2T as the single jump in the LP, when they did a 3T. How did this happen? Was it an error? Or something wrong with my eyes? Was it noted at the time? Was there no complaint filed? If they had been credit with a 3T, they would've won bronze over S/Z, and who knows, maybe over Z/Z for the silver with a bit of a lift in GOE.

Thoughts?

[robinhood]

watching the video I noticed that they indeed made a 3T, but Pang's look underrotated. Looking at the entire sheet of protocols there isn't a single underrotation (<) marked for the whole competition and that seems odd to me. Maybe they didn't mark it before with the intentional jump and just made the downgrade effective in the protocol...

[feraina]

No, the under-rotation rule hadn't come into play yet in that season. It could affect the judges' GOE but there was no extra penalty -- and they did get relatively low GOE's on that jump. In any case, I don't think it should've been called a 2T. Anyone else?

[Tinymavy15]

watching the video I noticed that they indeed made a 3T, but Pang's look underrotated. Looking at the entire sheet of protocols there isn't a single underrotation (<) marked for the whole competition and that seems odd to me. Maybe they didn't mark it before with the intentional jump and just made the downgrade effective in the protocol...

Yes, she certainly underotated her triple. Maybe the rule was then that if it was obviously more than 1/4 turn you just got marked for the double. Strange that no complaint was filed....I gues Yao Bin knows tha rules pretty well. The complete lack of artistry in that program made their placement fair IMO.

[feraina]

I don't remember any such rule! Maybe Yao Bin didn't want to take away S/Z's medal? Very odd!

[aurora100]

AW!!!!

I wonder when they got together? It must be the reason why their chemistry suddenly got so much better

I recently re-watched Pang and Tong performance in 2006 Torino Olympics and they were as good but Pang didn't have that joy on her face she had in Vancouver. It was like she was floating on the ice...so happy.

Now, Zhang and Zhang has to get togeher. Goodness knows they need some spark to their technical skills.

[robinhood]

was there no underrotation rule at all? I remember shizuka not displaying the 3-3 in competition in fear they'd be called underrotated. IIRC, Lambiel got downgraded his 3A at the world championships, though he still won the lp portion