Pairs' FS - 2022 Olympics: Thoughts?

[gsk8]

Chinese edge out ROC for Pairs' gold in 2022 Beijing Olympics

The Pairs' Figure Skating for the 2022 Winter Olympics concluded with the Free Skate on February 19, 2022, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in the Haidian

www.goldenskate.com

Sui:

“People said we were a pair of underdogs because our builds were not meant for figure skating,” she said. “Traditionally, men were expected to be tall and women petite. The key is the spirit of never giving up. We both had many injuries, and we were told by many people that we are not suitable for pair skating, so at first it seemed like there was no way for us.”

 

[gordana]

Both Sui / Han and Tarasova / Morozov have produced the skate of their life and were rewarded for it. It's a pity that there is only one gold medal when two teams equally deserve it, bit this is sport.

 

[rain]

I actually cried I was so happy for Sui/Han to win gold. So happy!

Not that I don't like and respect the Russian teams, but aside from Boikova/Kozlovski (mostly her) I just don't find they bring the emotion. Moskvina's always clever choreography goes some way to covering for this, as it's at least interesting to watch, but nothing beats the emotion that Sui/Han can bring. So excited they went for and did the quad twist — in the end it saved them after the jump error.

Tarasova/Morozov have such beautiful form when they are on, but their music is blah, and they are not inherently charismatic.

 

[mrrice]

Great event, great skating, great result. So much emotion from many of the teams and I found myself tearing up as well.

I have nothing to complain about!

So happy for all the teams, and also for the Americans to have two pairs in the top 8.

I'm SO glad the Olympics ended on this note.

I must admit that I didn't watch. How did the US Teams perform? I know that Brandon and Alexa are planning to retire after this season. Were they happy with their performance?

 

[el henry]

I must admit that I didn't watch. How did the US Teams perform? I know that Brandon and Alexa are planning to retire after this season. Were they happy with their performance?

Alexa and Brandon were sixth and Ashley and Timothy were eighth. I think they are both happy with those results, and I am thrilled for them.

I have not read that Alexa was going to retire.

 

[NAOTMAA]

I must admit that I didn't watch. How did the US Teams perform? I know that Brandon and Alexa are planning to retire after this season. Were they happy with their performance?

That would be a real shame. They're still so new and there's so much untapped potential. With more milage I think they could take the next step and start to become a outside podium threat

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Beautiful skates by the top 3 and a lovely way to end the figure skating event after a rather tumultuous games for figure skating.

So happy Sui/Han finally have their gold! Definitely not their best freeskate with the salchow error.

T/M are to be commended for their perseverance and having a much classier FS this time around. Unfortunately their elements weren't executed well enough to get the scores to edge out Sui/Han (I think the result was correct, but tbh all 3 top teams were a bit sloppy towards the ends of their skates and had minor issues with their elements, like S/H's finally lift or T/M's scratchy 3S or throw a bit forward on the toe.

What really won ultimately between S/H was their willingness to take a bit more risk - with the quad twist to T/M's triple (even though T/M have been capable of a quad before), and forward outside death spiral to T/M's forward inside death spiral (should be worth more than a BoDs, IMO)

I'd also like to point out that a lot of people justified Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze's and Sotnikova's golds even though they each had an error in their freeskates while the other medalists were clean or close to it. Like Trusova, the judges were willing to give them the gold, but they just didn't execute their elements optimally.

Stellar performance by the Japanese pair too! If they get their UR's on point, and after likely retirements, they could really threaten for a World medal in the future. I just hope they keep pushing because the sky is the limit with them. Most improved team this season by far.

 

[cheerknithanson]

After a fun busy day with my dad getting a new phone and some stuff, I'll go catch up.

 

[Silvia451]

for me Sui/Han were the bridge over troubled waters at this olympics

 

[MaiKatze]

It was a wonderful competition, and the only one I can say I truly enjoyed after all the drama that happened in the last two weeks. I have never seen so much coverage of figure skating in mainstream media, from 8 o'clock news to newspapers all over the country before. Now a lot of people have a lot to say, and it just feels weird if you have been a follower of these skaters for so long. But now to the pairs.

I'm still heartbroken for Hase/Seegert but I think they will comeback and hopefully stronger. Covid is no joke, and this was an impossible situation for them....

Sui/Han, omg, I'm back on a trip to memory lane. I really seriously started to follow figure skating in the 2011/2012 season, after being more of a casual watcher for years and I remember these tiny chinese skaters in their 'yeehaw' outfits....how far they have come. The pressure on them must've been so enormous, I cannot even imagine. They have presence, power and charisma. They have speed and are amazing for being so small (for pairs skaters). You wouldn't think it, but if you've seen them live you know what I mean. They command the ice. They are the deserved Olympic Champions. I'm beyond thrilled for them.

Miura/Kihara and wow, what a moment, he was absolutely beside himself smiling from ear to ear the entire skate. I know they didn't have the pressure of the top pairs, but it always reminds me what fun it can be when the skaters just enjoy themselves and everything just seems to work and flow. It's so funny, because it was again 10 years ago, when I went to see figure skating live for the first time (I actually really wanted to see Yuna Kim and Savchenko/Szolkovy) and there in men's single skating there was Ryuichi Kihara. I remember seeing him with a big bag of merchandise of Borrussia Dortmund (german soccer club) running around the arena. There are so many people who were in that competition that had their moments today. For example, Tarasova/Morozov skated at that NRW Trophy.....it's been such a long time and it seems like these people have worked so many years and had so many hardships, I'm honestly happy for them. I don't even care that T/M are with Tutberidze now, I'm just happy they got their silver after being almost written off entirely. Although I have to say that Lighthouse will forever be a Savchenko/Massot program to me.

M/G, technically perfect. Their days on top of the Olympic podium will come, they have two or even three more Olympics in them, I'm sure. To say I'm not a fan of B/K is an understatement, so I'm not actually shedding a tear over their 4th place finish.

With Sui/Han on top I think this podium is my favourite podium of the figure skating competitions, because I can honestly say, I like them all and I am happy for them, and they all are equally deserving. Pairs is an amazing discipline, and maybe Sui/Han will continue. I have a small hope, hehe. Even if not, there is a lot to look forward to in the next Quad.

Sorry, that was a long rant. Lots of feelings, I guess.

 

[yume]

Thank you pairs for saving this competition. Always the best discipline.

This was hella tight but i'm glad that so many pairs skated close to their full potential. Congrats to Sui/Han for a well deserved gold and to Tarasova/Morozov for skating so well when it mattered

And huge congrats to Miura/Kihara for that PB!

 

[solani]

I think I haven't seen so many good throw jumps ever in one competition!
And the quad twist made the difference ... as it could've made four years ago. Aaah! What a competition, loved it! Tomorrow I'll watch it all over again with another commentary. Sunday treat.

 

[twirlingaround]

Alexa and Brandon were sixth and Ashley and Timothy were eighth. I think they are both happy with those results, and I am thrilled for them.

I have not read that Alexa was going to retire.

Me neither, where was this stated they are retiring? I hope they keep going at least a couple more years

 

[anonymoose_au]

I'm so happy for T/M!!!

After the pain of Peyongchang! After the nasty comments of them not being medal-worthy! After all the struggles of this past quad as they've gone far and wide for coaches and help!

They put together two perfect programs! Here at the Olympics and won the silver!

Best of all they're looking forward to Worlds and may not retire ASAP after all!

 

[noskates]

I thought Alexa was unusually emotional - couldn't stop crying in the K&C. She and Chris have been married now for 5 or 6 years and she's 30 years old. Maybe she wants to start a family? Just conjecture. I haven't heard anything about retirement and I would be sad because I think she and Brandon have a whole lot more in them. They came together so quickly and just get better and better.

But I'm still marveling at Sui and Cong's quad twist. OMG. That was thrilling. I do agree that Tarasova and Morosov aren't too charismatic. Their music and, quite frankly, their costumes were sort of underwhelming but they have incredible technical skills. They always seem so solid in their programs. What a wonderful competition!

 

[cheerknithanson]

Just finished watching. HOLY MOLY! That was amazing! Also I love they did the medal ceremony right after the event. With actual medals. Can they do that again for the future Olympics please?

 

[skatesofgold]

Just finished watching. HOLY MOLY! That was amazing! Also I love they did the medal ceremony right after the event. With actual medals. Can they do that again for the future Olympics please?

Yeah, I still don't understand why they stopped having the medal ceremonies in venue starting with 2014. 2010 was the last time everyone got their medals right after competing.

 

[skated011]

AT Least Figure Skating ended with great skate event and DRAMA FREE

 

[cheerknithanson]

Sui/Han's program was SPECTACULAR. Oh my gosh. And their reaction seeing they won. Beautiful.

 

[jrh]

for me Sui/Han were the bridge over troubled waters at this olympics

For the day for sure and sure hoping the investigative followup to these Games will ensure a clean future for figure skating.