- Joined
- Jun 16, 2010
The biggest question mark going into this season in ice dancing is probably the team of Bobrova & Soloviev. Last year was an interesting season for them to say the least. They did well on the grand prix amidst many thinking their skating and programs were not that strong this season, and they were the biggest wuzgifted team of the early part of the season. Even with that they began to lose regularly to Pechalat & Bourzat, their main rivals for the Sochi bronze. They went into Sochi as firm Russian #1, but found themselves overtaken with a huge bang by their younger teammates who won the bronze while B&S ended up 5th behind P&B again. That team though who looked like the heir apparents for Russian #1 for years to come, are now dunzo, yet have split up to form 2 new teams, and nobody knows how those 2 reincarnations of I&K will pan out, atleast in the short term. Seemingly putting B&S back at #1 for the moment, but that could change, and we will have to see what direction the Russian fed. wants to go in once they see how all 3 teams look to start the season. They then missed worlds with a back injury, the same worlds the now discontinued I&K were supposed to cake walk to gold at but finished 4th after a monstrous OD error.
They are the real wild cards of the whole season. They could conceivably be passed by Chock & Bates, the 2 new Russian teams, and drop to 2nd or 3rd Russians or 5th/6th in the world. Or they could come back with a vengeance and overtake Weaver & Poje and Capellini & Lanotte and become the World Champs. Even their grand prix assignements are very interesting, meeting Chock & Bates in their first outing, Capellini & Lanotte in their 2nd, and a couple up and comers in both. They could conceivably win both events, and be down in 3rd in both.
It will be interesting to see how their fortunes pan out, and how they are scored. Whether they are still a judges pet graced with inflated marks their skating does not merit (like most Russian skaters) or if their skating and programs are actually really strong this year, a big improvement of last year, and merit the high scores they might get. Also whether the Russian fed considers them #1 again thanks to the split of I&K or if they would rather promote one of the new teams above them right away.
They are the real wild cards of the whole season. They could conceivably be passed by Chock & Bates, the 2 new Russian teams, and drop to 2nd or 3rd Russians or 5th/6th in the world. Or they could come back with a vengeance and overtake Weaver & Poje and Capellini & Lanotte and become the World Champs. Even their grand prix assignements are very interesting, meeting Chock & Bates in their first outing, Capellini & Lanotte in their 2nd, and a couple up and comers in both. They could conceivably win both events, and be down in 3rd in both.
It will be interesting to see how their fortunes pan out, and how they are scored. Whether they are still a judges pet graced with inflated marks their skating does not merit (like most Russian skaters) or if their skating and programs are actually really strong this year, a big improvement of last year, and merit the high scores they might get. Also whether the Russian fed considers them #1 again thanks to the split of I&K or if they would rather promote one of the new teams above them right away.