2011 National Pairs Champions end partnership; Coughlin to skate with Caydee Denney

dwiggin3 · May 17, 2011

CARA said:
At the time of announcing their split (2/24/2011), Barrett remarked that he planned on coaching as well as show skating. Yankowskas are supposely looking for a new partner.

Assuming this is true, then I really can't hold much anomosity towards Denny since she was loosing a partner to begin with. It's John's situation now that make me uncomfortable ...leave the best partner you've ever had for an untested relationship?

Who out there can match Caitlin as a partner? I assume she wants to continue to skate?

roemerr · May 17, 2011

Does anyone know if this new pair will be placed in the team envelope since they both qualified with their former partners? When will we be able to see them skate? Will they get grand prix assignments?

BackStage Barbie · May 17, 2011

I would assume they'll have to skate in a competition like Nebelhorn Trophy to achieve a minimum score in order to qualify for Grand Prix events.

janetfan · May 17, 2011

roemerr said:
Does anyone know if this new pair will be placed in the team envelope since they both qualified with their former partners? When will we be able to see them skate? Will they get grand prix assignments?

I am not sure about the answer to either of your questions.

But it seems in today's world this new team will be rewarded before they have accomplished anything together on the ice.

Maybe US Skating could send them and other teams thinking of breaking up a signal by making them EARN their envelopes and GP spots rather than giving it to them on good will alone.

blue dog · May 17, 2011

Hernando said:
I am not about the answer to either of your questions.

But it seems in today's world this new team will be rewarded before they have accomplished anything together on the ice.

Maybe US Skating could send them and other teams thinking of breaking up a signal by making them EARN their envelopes and GP spots rather than giving it to them on good will alone.

Personally, I agree on making them earn it. All the new pairs, no matter how promising, should start from scratch--ie earn your spot to Nationals by going through regionals/sectionals. No GP's. Maybe senior B's, if you do well enough through regionals/sectionals.

Then again, they do not get to do GP's. Y/C give up their #6 slot to D/R.

roemerr · May 17, 2011

Only reason I ask is because I want to see them skate. Unlike many people on this board, I think they could be a very exciting team. I guess I may have to wait till nationals unless senior B's are broadcasted on the internet somewhere.

demarinis5 · May 17, 2011

blue dog said:
Personally, I agree on making them earn it. All the new pairs, no matter how promising, should start from scratch--ie earn your spot to Nationals by going through regionals/sectionals. No GP's. Maybe senior B's, if you do well enough through regionals/sectionals.

Then again, they do not get to do GP's. Y/C give up their #6 slot to D/R.

Do you think that D/C will get 2 GP assignments? I am a little confused how the
pecking order will work out for them.

BackStage Barbie · May 17, 2011

Marley & Brubaker did not get GP events this season so Denney & Coughlin should't get GP assignments this season. And they should have to go through regionals and sectionals.

The first US pairs to get Grand Prix assignments should be Evora/Ladwig, Marley/Brubaker, Castelli/Shnapir, and Cain/Reagan.

blue dog · May 17, 2011

D/C won't get GP's, unless they get in through the host pic (SA). That will be the only GP they have a chance of getting. Again, I agree with BSB--they should skate regionals and sectionals.

blue_idealist · May 17, 2011

dwiggin3 said:
Hold on a moment...I don't follow pairs much (which will shortly be obvious) but, let me try and get this straight:

Denny, who was paired with Jeremy Barrett, and who won at least two national titles/one Olympic appearance, trained in S. Florida AND who just had a sub-par season (but otherwise had a bright future), ended said partnership with Barrett (leaving Barrett wanting to skate but looking for a partner) and just paired up with John Coughlin, who after several years on the US Nationals “bubble” (i.e. near/on the podium) left his long-time (by US standards) partner Caitlin Yankowskas (who also still wants to skate but now lacks a partner) and will now skate with Denny in Colorado under the coaching of D. Sappenfield?

I thought Barrett WANTED to retire. That's what I got out of what was said on the Denney/Barrett split.

BackStage Barbie · May 17, 2011

This is a similar circumstance to Volosozhar & Trankov and even being Russian, they were given no special treatment and received no GP assignments. They even won Russian nationals and didn't get to go to Europeans because they didnt have an International base score. I think Denney & Coughlin will do at least one International B to get a base score so they can qualify for 4CC or Worlds if they are to earn bids via US Nationals.

R.D. · May 17, 2011

I would take it D/C would have to start all the way from the beginning, earning their stripes as they move up to EARN those GP assignments, and become strong enough to be contenders for the world team. Which makes this move so much more perplexing. Is Denney REALLY THAT MUCH better that Coughlin would dump what's already working (well, on the surface I guess- no knowing what's really going on, but for the sake of argument let's just suppose), go through the trouble of starting all over and re-establishing what took years to build- I dunno. Just seems "odd" to me.

blue dog · May 17, 2011

blue_idealist said:
I thought Barrett WANTED to retire. That's what I got out of what was said on the Denney/Barrett split.

He did. But she didn't, so she went looking for a partner.

demarinis5 · May 17, 2011

Thanks BSB for the explanation.

Jammers · May 17, 2011

What was John Coughlin thinking with this move anyways? Caydee is not a upgrade from Caitlin just the opposite. Caitlin is like a ballerina on the ice while Caydee isn't exactly the most graceful Pairs skater he could have found. And what's the deal with the coach Dalilah Sappenfield? Sounds like she was behind this move pairing John with Caydee. Almost looks like she backstabbed Caitlin in the back while she wasn't looking.

Spun Silver · May 17, 2011

Goodness, I must be an old-timer, but I seem to recall people on this board raving about Caydee and her "star power" only two seasons ago, when there was zero buzz about Caitlin. Caydee's still very young and has lots of room for development. I share the general amazement but I have to assume there are some powerful personal reasons for this radical change that I'm not privy to. I wish all of them well, especially Caitlin. I hope the right partner will turn up for her soon.

Tonichelle · May 17, 2011

blue_idealist said:
I thought Barrett WANTED to retire. That's what I got out of what was said on the Denney/Barrett split.

yes, Jeremy quit after a dismal skating season - a freak injury - and the fact that he was tired of training so far away from his fiance.

I think people are looking at Caydee like she's the "other woman". Chances are this wasn't a rash decision on anyone's part, and I just hope this was as amicable a split/new partnership as possible. As a fan of both D/B and Y/C I wish all four skaters the best. I don't think it's going to be the magical move that the pair/team is making it out to be. John and Caitlyn were just seeing results after four years - through consistency and steady climbing of the ranks - Caydee has cat like instincts, but pressure was getting to her this year. It'll be interesting next season. And what if they don't have the results they're used to? What then?

EWalker · May 17, 2011

I have been told that D&C have a new SP to Nessun Dorma.

Spun Silver · May 17, 2011

D&C -- hmm. Not the most enchanting of abbreviations, to English-speaking women.

And Nessun Dorma... ugh. It better be good.

shan · May 17, 2011

EWalker said:
I have been told that D&C have a new SP to Nessun Dorma.

Please :no: I hate this music. Meno/Sand ruined it for me when they skated it for a thousand seasons.

2011 National Pairs Champions end partnership; Coughlin to skate with Caydee Denney

dwiggin3

roemerr

BackStage Barbie

janetfan

Match Penalty

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

roemerr

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

BackStage Barbie

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

blue_idealist

BackStage Barbie

R.D.

blue dog

Trixie Schuba's biggest fan!

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!

Jammers

Spun Silver

Tonichelle

Idita-Rock-n-Roll

EWalker

Spun Silver

shan

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