2022 Four Continents: Rhythm Dance

[gsk8]

Kana Muramoto/Daisuke Takahashi (JPN)

Takahashi: (on the fall) My step was a bit too late and the timing didn't match when Kana lifted her leg. That's why she fell.

Muramoto: We both had the wrong timing. After we finished, we watched our results. We saw that we can compete on an international level and that gave us self-confidence.

(on their preparation) After Nationals we went back to Florida on the second of January. We only had two weeks, the last week we reviewed our techniques and elements. We wanted to change a lot of things, but we didn't have much time. So we worked on the quality and on our confidence. We wanted to take another step forward and feel more confident in our own skating.

 

[gsk8]

Carolane Soucisse/Shane Firus (CAN)

Firus: I think overall the performance is getting better and better. There are a few problems but we’re very satisfied. (on competing for a medal) It’s always nice to get a medal, but we would be very satisfied even if we don’t.

Soucisse: (on their expectations in Tallinn) All season we’ve been working on consistency and doing better. We’ve been evolving throughout the season. And with the change of coach, it would be harder for us. We just want to do two best skates. If we get on the podium it would be great. If it doesn’t it’s still a great start for us.

 

[gsk8]

Caroline Green/Michael Parsons (USA)

Parsons: This is the best we have finished the rhythm dance this year, everything went smooth, it was very powerful, we felt great, it’s an honor to be here, we are very happy with the rhythm dance we put here. It was good to put a strong program after three days of traveling and missing the bags.

(on the Four Continents being a starting point) Our goal this year was to do all we could to make it to the Olympic team but we knew it was a long shot so even while not making the team we set ourselves up very well for the next four years and this is a great starting point right here. Not making the team is certainly a motivation

Green: Everything began to click this morning after the practice and this was the step into the right direction. It just really felt together this time.

(on the troubles getting here) We missed both the flights and the bags - our flights were redirected, we didn’t have our bags, it was a mess. (on not making the Olympic team) I think our goal this season was just to really challenge ourselves and to push the boundaries not just for ourselves but for our sport It’s a bit disappointing, but we have so much to show and we have so much to improve and it’s a step.

 

[gsk8]

Holly Harris/Jason Chan (AUS)

Harris: We could skate and that was good. I hit the chord unfortunately but other than that it was a really good skate. I’m disappointed about the mistake but overall it was a good experience.

 

[gsk8]

Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko (USA)

Carreira: It wasn’t our best, but still pretty happy, some stuff was better than in other competitions and some stuff wasn’t. It wasn’t our best, but we are happy with today. (on their training) Most of the time we train in London (Ontario) with Scott (Moir), maybe once a month we go to Montreal, a little bit more after Grand Prixs as we had a lot of changes to make, so I’d say it’s 75% London and 25% Montreal.

(on their next goal) Of course, the Olympics weren’t an option for us because I don’t have my citizenship, but our goal is to win the 2026 Olympics and we are just going to continue building until we get there. So we don’t really care that much about the points and results as far as we see the improvement and we keep building each year. That’s our main goal.

Ponomarenko: (on their next goals) That was a very challenging season for us, because we had new coaches, new programs, new styles, so this season we really looked on building on that, and then taking that momentum into the next four years.

 

[gsk8]

Marie-Jade Lauriault/Romain Le Gac (CAN)

Lauriault: It was not the best we can do, but we are very happy to be back at this level. Our goal today was to enjoy it. It has been two years since we’ve competed internationally.

(on switching from France to Canada) It was not an easy decision to take. With the pandemic, we certainly realized that we are very much at home in Canada, that our life is there. We felt that more and more as the years progressed and Romain has established himself there as well. It is also complicated with me studying and Romain working in Canada. We were thinking about our future and whether we want to continue, but one day we told ourselves were are just skating for ourselves. We feel even more passionate now than we did before.

Le Gac: There were a few little mismatches, but we were here for us today and to appreciate every moment. (on switching from France to Canada) I have been living for seven years now in Canada and it is our home. I am in the process of getting my citizenship.

 

[gsk8]

I apologize for cluttering the threads with quotes from the skaters - I thought more people might be interested

 

[dorispulaski]

Great idea! It is not clutter, it is GOLD.

 

[NYscorp6]

I apologize for cluttering the threads with quotes from the skaters - I thought more people might be interested

I find the quotes interesting, thank you.

 

[ladyjane]

I just watched the Rhythm Dance, and I was completely blown away by Caroline and Michael. Their Skate was just so inspiring, so different and yet such quality as well. I was really pleased to see they got a good score for it too. Well deserved. I'm already eagerly anticipating their Free Dance. And looking forward to the coming years too. This team just has an 'X' factor!

Kana and Daisuke had a great RD too. A pity about the timing-fall incident, but such a beautiful Dance. Original (not intended to be a pun about how they used to have an Original Dance in ID) and using the music in a great way. I hope they medal here!

I used to be a great fan of Christina and Anthony, but they seem to have stagnated a bit in their development? Sure, coaching changes and all that, and I really hope they can turn this around. Not that it was a bad skate or anything, just not really inspiring.

The same applies to Carolan and Shane. Not that they skated badly, but the whole programme was just a bit bland in my view. Perhaps I have too high expectations because of me always enjoying the programmes of the Disco Brits to this kind of music - but those two have more personality.

Great to see Marie-Jade and Romain here. They've had some 'bad' years, but it seems the switch to Canada has motivated them a lot. Not perfect (twizzles!) but nice to watch.

Emily and Ian were dynamos. I missed them at US Nationals, and they were a nice surprise to me here.

Haley and Nicolas were a tad disappointing to me. Don't get me wrong, their programme was alright, but for some reason I expected more of them.

Despite the board touch fall, I liked watching Holly and Jason. I always like to see athletes from Australia, and their skate was right among the rest of the pack (except for the first two who were exceptional).

Having a couple here from New Zeeland is an extra treat. Not a bad outing at all, and nice to watch.

Inda and Eron (also from Aus) were a bit behind the rest, but I was just happy to see more than one couple from Australia here. It will come!

 

[princecharming]

So is it locked that Muramoto/Takahashi are NOT going to the Olympics?

 

[keasus]

So am I. Maybe I am prejudiced because I loved his parents when they competed, but I am always impressed with Anthony's skating. I wasn't aware that he had a foot injury, but that could explain some of the mistakes and low levels. They had the added complication that Christina still doesn't have US citizenship, so that may affected them as well. Give them time. I still believe in them.

 

[mikeko666]

So is it locked that Muramoto/Takahashi are NOT going to the Olympics?

Yes. Muramoto/Takahashi scored 72+ with a fall, which is still 4+ points higher than Komatsubara/Koleto's SB, but JSF is determined to send K/K to Beijing hoping the singles and pairs alone will be strong enough to get Team Bronze.

 

[Flying Feijoa]

Charlotte Lafond-Fournier/Richard Kang In Kam (NZL)

Kam: (on their decision to team up together)
"It took a many years break and I always still had an ambition to compete again and then I had a try-out with Charlotte and it worked really well as a team. She was training in my old training center in Montreal, so it was an easy decision for me as well, as I really trusted these coaches, so we decided to team up around the pandemic. We were just practicing, we were luckily able to get some good practicing before the actual competition season. (on representing New Zealand) I was born in New Zealand, I always had a citizenship and I always wanted to represent New Zealand as well, so it became a right decision at that time, I think. (on the goal for 4CC) It’s our first championships together, it’s not the score or placement, it’s not the most important thing, for now it’s just getting we’ve been proud of what we worked for and been able to perform what we’ve trained. I think, that’s the right step to get on the next stage.

Lafond-Fournier: (on their decision to team up together) We started to skate together last year, last season, but there were no competitions due to the pandemic. (on next goals) We were working to go at Worlds, because we got our minimum score, and hopefully we’ll be able to go to the next Olympics, but I need the passport for New Zealand.

My kind-of Kiwis got all their key points
Hope they can visit NZ sometime when the world is back to normal, maybe bring a Gadbois coach to hold some camps. We need more interest in ice dance!

Interesting factoid, Richard shares something in common with Ted Barton: born in Auckland, raised in Vancouver.

 

[4everchan]

I miss Alex Kam

 

[figureskatingandrainbows]

Yes. Muramoto/Takahashi scored 72+ with a fall, which is still 4+ points higher than Komatsubara/Koleto's SB, but JSF is determined to send K/K to Beijing hoping the singles and pairs alone will be strong enough to get Team Bronze.

To be fair, this is KanaDai's second fall in the RD, and the one at Nats was on an element. While they have much higher scoring potential than K/K, if they wipe out at the Olympics thanks to nerves, they could plummet in the standings especially in the RD. After Nats, I was a bit upset about the choice, but now I think it might've been the right one. It's very clear M/T are still struggling with nerves and it being a new partnership.

 

[mikeko666]

To be fair, this is KanaDai's second fall in the RD, and the one at Nats was on an element. While they have much higher scoring potential than K/K, if they wipe out at the Olympics thanks to nerves, they could plummet in the standings especially in the RD. After Nats, I was a bit upset about the choice, but now I think it might've been the right one. It's very clear M/T are still struggling with nerves and it being a new partnership.

Being able to skate w/o a fall doesn't necessarily means you can get a higher score though. K/K have never scored above 70 in RD internationally while M/T have never scored below 70 in RD internationally. It's easy to skate safe if you are slow with flat edges keeping distance with your partner. K/K won't receive levels at Olympics as they did at Nationals. The tech panel at Nationals was very lenient to K/K, even giving level 4 to Misato's twizzles with multiple mistakes in FD. Good luck to them in Beijing.

 

[ManyCairns]

Green and Parsons were ON FIRE -- agree that's the best performance all season of an already riveting RD. Wow. They've made me such a fan this season.

 

[dorispulaski]

Four Continents has always been a bellweather for non-European ID, hasn't it? I see Green and Parsons taking the title, which should set them up nicely for the next quad (and for the inter-US rivalry with Hawayek and Baker). And the Olympic year FCCs are always so interesting because you get to see not only skaters from unexpected places (New Zealand this year! Yay NZ!), but the best of the second tier (shall we say) non-European dance teams. I'm sorry I have to miss it, but hopefully someone will post videos of the competition (HINT HINT HINT).

The ISU posted the whole thing and it is viewable in the US!

 

[cathlen]

Marie-Jade Lauriault/Romain Le Gac (CAN)

Lauriault: It was not the best we can do, but we are very happy to be back at this level. Our goal today was to enjoy it. It has been two years since we’ve competed internationally.

(on switching from France to Canada) It was not an easy decision to take. With the pandemic, we certainly realized that we are very much at home in Canada, that our life is there. We felt that more and more as the years progressed and Romain has established himself there as well. It is also complicated with me studying and Romain working in Canada. We were thinking about our future and whether we want to continue, but one day we told ourselves were are just skating for ourselves. We feel even more passionate now than we did before.

Le Gac: There were a few little mismatches, but we were here for us today and to appreciate every moment. (on switching from France to Canada) I have been living for seven years now in Canada and it is our home. I am in the process of getting my citizenship.

Now I understand why they switched to Canada. Thanks for this!