2023 Four Continents Pairs Short Program

[4everchan]

Looking at the protocols for the pairs SP is fascinating and kind of horrifying.
For example, Riku and Ryuichi got from a -1 to a +5 on their twist and literally everything in between.
Chan and Howe got from a -2 to a +4 on their death spiral.
The judges didn't know what the heck to do with Pereira/Michaud, giving a -1 to a +3 on their side by side jumps, and a -2 to a +3 on their twist.
I know there's some subjectivity, but this isn't even agreement on what they're judging on (as in what should incur a bonus, and what should incur a deduction), from the looks of it. I really hope they have a judges' meeting where they have to explain their thought process at least, ideally with some video to show and tell.

Pereira Michaud are one of the best SBS jumping team in the field..-1 is ridiculous for good triple toes
Howe had issues in his pivot, i guess some judges didn't see it... i did... HA ! lol but of course, i am watching on the screen

what bugged me the most in this event was the low pcs of deanna and max, for their mature and refined tango. I like chan and howe's enthusiasm but at times, the over the top energy makes it messy... and with a fall, how on earth did they manage higher PCS than SD/D? Maybe something that only was apparent at the rink...

Earlier in the thread people were talking about comparing the American #1 team vs Canadian #1 team... but the reality is the Chan and Howe are not USA's number 1 team. Earlier at Skate America, KF and SD/D had a great battle.. and those two teams, with the Japanese team and Conti Macii are the top contenders for the podium. Chan and Howe have been all season a tier under these teams. I'd put them in company of Brooke and Ben and Pereira Michaud, not equal to Deanna and Maxime. I don't know yet enough K/O but they probably belong in this group as well.
Laurin and Éthier are younger and though they have strong tech, they do need to work a bit more on presentation. Platas and Fernandez have great lifts but lack on the jumping elements particularly. These two teams have different strength and weaknesses but, IMHO would constitute good comparison points.

When looking at the PCS this way, USA teams, were given the edge over Canadian teams, C/H ahead of everyone, even SD/D... and PF ahead of L/E. I can understand K/O being ahead in PCS but with the many mistakes, it did have a negative impact on their presentation.

I, too, was very unimpressed with the judging... mostly the PCS.