Pairs LP, Saturday 11/26/11, 6:45AM EST | Page 2 | Golden Skate

Pairs LP, Saturday 11/26/11, 6:45AM EST

Mirunna

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 12, 2009
I love S/S. Such a nice comeback after the competition in Japan! K/S were great too. Beautiful competition overall, really enjoyable
 

demarinis5

Gold for the Winter Prince!
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 23, 2004
Only mistake from S/S was a stepout on the 2A from her. K/S and S/S back to back here were insane. If K/S don't get a fair shot at the world title this season, I'll will be royally pissed. What beauty from both teams. What magnificence. SO so so happy.

Ditto!
 

Buttercup

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 25, 2008
Only mistake from S/S was a stepout on the 2A from her. K/S and S/S back to back here were insane. If K/S don't get a fair shot at the world title this season, I'll will be royally pissed. What beauty from both teams. What magnificence. SO so so happy.
Two amazing teams and such different programs - it was a real treat to see them both perform so well today, for sure. Congrats also to Berton/Hotarek for their first GP medal!

Pairs has been very enjoyable this season so far; can't wait to see the top teams go head to head at the GPF, Euros and Worlds.
 

gold12345

Medalist
Joined
Dec 14, 2007
Savchenko/Szolkowy's choreography is so innovative, superb, and sophisticated. And they had technical brilliance to back it up today. What a great competition between them and K/S, but it was a well deserved victory for S/S!
 
Joined
Aug 16, 2009
Sounds great! I can't wait to see footage of S/S. I'm coming to like them more and more, and to respect Ingo Steuer more by the year. When he was skating, one could see his interest in innovative choreography, and now he's really following that trail. It's great that he's found two skaters who can do justice to his vision.
 

Art&Sport

Medalist
Joined
Apr 28, 2011
Watching S/S fp again it is amazing how difficult this program is -- innovative choreography, interesting music, and difficult elements beautifully performed. This program is like a minefield because of its technical difficulty combined with the unusual modern dance movements. At their last GP event, S/S timing was slightly off, which shows up so much more with this kind of program. That's why when they skate it so well, it is an amazing feat. They can still steadily improve in performing this program. I look forward to GPF, Europeans and Worlds.

BTW, S/S can do classic lyrical skating just fine -- they have shown over the years the wide range that they have. Out of Africa, Casablanca, and many of their exhibitions come immediately to mind. Their 2007 Europeans lp to The Mission was simply breathtaking -- one of their finest performances.

K/S seem very comfortable with both their programs and are performing more confidently this season. I think Yuko's look is much more sophisticated and not so little girlish. For those who wish K/S to have a "fair shot" at Worlds gold -- all the top competitors should have/ will have, right? As far as last season at Worlds, K/S messed up and were scored accordingly. I believe V/T are the more highly favored Russian team at this point.

ETA: I would have scored S/S even higher in transitions, choreography, and interpretation.
 
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BlackAxel

Final Flight
Joined
Oct 31, 2009
I haven't watched S/S's LP yet but I can say that Kavaguti/Smirnov's LP performance was beyond words. Each time they perform their program I start feel a little more sentimental. Overall, they skate extremely well with only minor mistakes. I am still awaiting their perfect performance to this beautiful piece of music. :)
 

StellaCampo

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 19, 2011
I am still awaiting their perfect performance to this beautiful piece of music. :)

So am I, so are K/S & Moskvina!! At the end of the performance Yuko had this look of "if only I'd managed the throw landing" and then seemed to forgive herself. From her position in the air I was 100% sure she would land it...
 

katia

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 20, 2006
I am so glad that S/S skated without any major mistakes, they have such a great program. It is a great pleasure to watch them skate.
I also admired K/S.
And because S/S and K/S have such a different programs it is hard to say which is better. It's like comparing apples and oranges, both are tasty and both are sweet and one can not say which is more delicious.
 

tdnuva

On the Ice
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Now S&S skated 3 times at a grand prix event. Can someone enlighten me how the scoring regarding the finals is? Are the two best results taken? Or did they have to choose in advance or is there even another rule about it? I have not much insight to the scoring rules concerning the grand prix....
 

ImaginaryPogue

Record Breaker
Joined
Jun 3, 2009
Now S&S skated 3 times at a grand prix event. Can someone enlighten me how the scoring regarding the finals is? Are the two best results taken? Or did they have to choose in advance or is there even another rule about it? I have not much insight to the scoring rules concerning the grand prix....

tdnuva, it's the former. The two best scores are taken and used to determine ranking at the GPF. The skaters that choose three events DO NOT have to select which ones count in advance. And lucky, too, as I suspect at least two skaters would've selected against their advantage.
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
Her form is too sloppy & unfinished for my taste. They remind me of circus performers.

I will always prefer style & substance over flash & dash. Classic over modern. Old school versus new school.

Jmho.

ps: I love K&S's 2A/2A combo. sequence, solid, and lovely. :)


I find this an extremely interesting post when it's not Yuko but Aliona who's got more of the classical Russian training. Aliona has better posture and positions, and actually points her toes unlike Yuko. Aside from that, as a team, S/S definitely have better flow and speed. S/S program is anything but just flash - it's got lots of difficult transitions, musicality, originality and a lot of hard content. Yes, it's modern, but modern does not equal lack of substance. You are entitled to your own taste, but saying that S/S's program is just flash is just flat out wrong.
 

DianaSelene

Medalist
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
I find this an extremely interesting post when it's not Yuko but Aliona who's got more of the classical Russian training. Aliona has better posture and positions, and actually points her toes unlike Yuko. Aside from that, as a team, S/S definitely have better flow and speed. S/S program is anything but just flash - it's got lots of difficult transitions, musicality, originality and a lot of hard content. Yes, it's modern, but modern does not equal lack of substance. You are entitled to your own taste, but saying that S/S's program is just flash is just flat out wrong.

I would definitely not say that Savchenko has classical Russian training. That is anything but beautiful Russian skating. Though Kavaguti doesn't have it either, I find it a lot more pleasing to look at Kavaguti than Savchenko. Also, transitions and choreography are not what defines classical Russian skating. If you are a truly beautiful Russian skater, you can skate to crappy music and choreography and still look pleasing to the eye. Though the Germans do very difficult things, I find nothing pretty in their skating- ugly death spirals, spins, and lifts all to rack up extra points.
 

oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I would definitely not say that Savchenko has classical Russian training. That is anything but beautiful Russian skating. Though Kavaguti doesn't have it either, I find it a lot more pleasing to look at Kavaguti than Savchenko. Also, transitions and choreography are not what defines classical Russian skating. If you are a truly beautiful Russian skater, you can skate to crappy music and choreography and still look pleasing to the eye. Though the Germans do very difficult things, I find nothing pretty in their skating- ugly death spirals, spins, and lifts all to rack up extra points.

I wouldn't call either Yuko or Aliona particuarly classic. Aliona is definitely more athletic. But good line & posture & extension are things associated with Russian training, and Aliona definitely has those things over Yuko. K/S had a lovely skate & a great program, but Yuko's lines are quite broken and positions are ugly.
 

DianaSelene

Medalist
Joined
Aug 2, 2011
I wouldn't call either Yuko or Aliona particuarly classic. Aliona is definitely more athletic. But good line & posture & extension are things associated with Russian training, and Aliona definitely has those things over Yuko. K/S had a lovely skate & a great program, but Yuko's lines are quite broken and positions are ugly.

Maybe Kavaguti's awkwardness has something to do with the fact that she is just extremely skinny and tiny. But while I agree that Savchenko has better posture and extensions, I find most of her positions uglier than Kavaguti's.

And don't think that I absolutely love K/S over S/S. I'm kind of neutral about them because there are many things that I don't like about both of them. My favorite over all though is V/T because her lines, posture, and everything else are just amazing- better than Savchenko's. But that's just my opinion. :biggrin:
 
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oleada

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 27, 2007
I'm an S/S uber, in my dream they and V/T share the gold in Sochi :D But if I have to pick, I'll pick S/S every time.

I'm not a fan of K/S, mostly because of her. I don't find her skating appealing at all. And I don't think her bieng small and skinny have to do with her ugly lines and poor positions as many thin, tiny skaters (Sasha, for one :D) hit beautiful positions.
 
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