Pechalat and Bourzat: Challenging for the gold

[gsk8]

French ice dancers Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, who are well known and liked for their original and innovative programs, have come very close to the podium in European and World Championships in the past recent years.
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[dorispulaski]

Their take on the new rules was particularly interesting!

[Tinymavy15]

INteresting they are using a flamenco choreographer to help with the Golden Waltz.

[gmyers]

I loved their Thank God I'm A Country Boy program. So much fun! They match the required elements to the music so well!

[herios]

Their take on the new rules was particularly interesting!

It was, wasn't it?
Basically, they feel like the best ever team Torvill / Dean introduced one theme /rythm revolution in ice dance led to boring programs and now the judges want to see variety of rythms, what was actually in place in the 70's. So is this a step forward or 3 steps back?

On another note, I am very much looking forward to the battle in ice dance at the european level, between P/B, F/S and Kerr's plus the young russian teams. It will be very interesting to say the least.

[blue_idealist]

I loved their Thank God I'm A Country Boy program. So much fun! They match the required elements to the music so well!

Yeah, that was one of my favourite ODs of the past season. I hope they keep that program and do it as an exhibition sometimes.

[dorispulaski]

It was, wasn't it?
Basically, they feel like the best ever team Torvill / Dean introduced one theme /rythm revolution in ice dance led to boring programs and now the judges want to see variety of rythms, what was actually in place in the 70's. So is this a step forward or 3 steps back?

On another note, I am very much looking forward to the battle in ice dance at the european level, between P/B, F/S and Kerr's plus the young russian teams. It will be very interesting to say the least.

It's an odd view, considering that T&D led to the programs of the Duchesnay's, who were far from boring, whatever else one might say about them, and the earlier programs of Usova & Zhulin (also not boring) & Blumberg & Siebert (also not boring), and Rahkamo & Kokko, who were a kick & a half not boring. K&P were pretty much a 3 rhythm team no matter what the rules were, up until they did Lawrence of Arabia and Air, so I'd guess that if you were to say who was boring according to ISU, you'd have to say K&P, D&D and U&Z, because they were the medallists in the years preceding 1992/1993, before the "it must be dancy" rule came out-a rule that to me at the time seemed "back to the '70's".

So I found it an odd opinion.

I agree that the battle at Europeans should be very interesting! I'm hoping R&S make it to Europeans for Russia...a faint hope, but one never knows.

The battle for the 2nd spot at Canadians, and the 2nd and 3rd spots at US Nationals should also be interesting.

[gmyers]

I know they are on grand prix event schedules but R/S spoke so much of retirement is it known they absolitely will be competing?

[Lucky Star]

I know they are on grand prix event schedules but R/S spoke so much of retirement is it known they absolitely will be competing?

I heard that R/S will not skate at the test skate in Novogorsk (other teams will be there), so probably they retired, but it's not for sure

[dorispulaski]

Or having achieved their 2 GP spot(s), they don't need to test...Their assignments are France & Japan, and therefore not at the whims of the Russian Federation?

[Lucky Star]

Or having achieved their 2 GP spot(s), they don't need to test...Their assignments are France & Japan, and therefore not at the whims of the Russian Federation?

Actually other teams also have 2 spots (Ilinykh/Katsalapov, Bobrova/Soloviev) but they will be at the test skate.

[herios]

It's an odd view, considering that T&D led to the programs of the Duchesnay's, who were far from boring, whatever else one might say about them, and the earlier programs of Usova & Zhulin (also not boring) & Blumberg & Siebert (also not boring), and Rahkamo & Kokko, who were a kick & a half not boring. K&P were pretty much a 3 rhythm team no matter what the rules were, up until they did Lawrence of Arabia and Air, so I'd guess that if you were to say who was boring according to ISU, you'd have to say K&P, D&D and U&Z, because they were the medallists in the years preceding 1992/1993, before the "it must be dancy" rule came out-a rule that to me at the time seemed "back to the '70's".

So I found it an odd opinion.



The battle for the 2nd spot at Canadians, and the 2nd and 3rd spots at US Nationals should also be interesting.

Perhaps when Nathalie mentioned boring programs, she wasn't talking about the teams you were listing, rather the rest of the field. Let's not forget the judges have to watch not only the last flight at a WC, but rather 20+ teams.

And probably even us, who are the biggest fans, by the time you see group number 5 , you get bored, if the programs were snoozers combined with bad technique, in the first few flights.

Battle for spot #2 at canadians won't be a big thriller, because Canada has 3 teams qualified for worlds, and I see C/P developing fast, rather W/P will have to hang onto their 3rd to be able to go back to worlds after 3 years.
How lucky we are in Canada to have so many YOUNG good teams.
These 3 teams are all aged between 19-23. (youngest Paul Poirier not even 19 yet and oldest Scott and Andrew Poje 23, their ladies are all in between...

[Antilles]

I agree with Herios regarding their opinion. They specifically mention V&M as an example of a slow one-theme program working, but that it doesn't work for lesser couples. I think all of the other couples listed in this thread fall under the great-to-exceptional category. They could pull off anything.

I don't think P&B will challenge for gold at Worlds, but they could challenge for the podium. Europeans will definitely be interesting. I am glad so many teams stuck around.