Surprise Dance Results

[aphrodite_xl]

When you compare Domshab's results of last year with what they score now in China you would see that then they scored 6.75 to 7.25 for PCS and now they score 7.00 to 7.50, that is not really a dramatic increase, is it? And I think they have always had more smoothness and extension as Belbin and Agosto, anyway.
Their TES has increased gradually as well, but is more difficult to compare because of changes in CoP.
I have to say that I was not impressed with B&A's OD here, it needs work still and as they had a stumble in the CD I think the results as they are, are caused by B&A not skating to their full potential here and not by Domshab being overmarked.

 

[aphrodite_xl]

Free Dance results - suprising or not so

1 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 93.13 47.50 46.63 7.75 7.65 7.75 7.90 7.90 1.00 #8
2 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO USA 91.50 45.00 46.50 7.80 7.60 7.80 7.80 7.85 0.00 #10
3 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI RUS 88.27 47.10 41.17 6.95 6.70 6.90 6.95 6.90 0.00 #9
4 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI ISR 79.53 44.40 36.13 6.10 6.00 6.00 6.10 5.90 1.00 #11
5 Pernelle CARRON / Mathieu JOST FRA 75.60 42.30 33.30 5.60 5.40 5.45 5.65 5.75 0.00 #5
6 Anastasia GREBENKINA / Vazgen AZROJAN ARM 75.27 42.50 32.77 5.50 5.25 5.40 5.70 5.60 0.00 #4
7 Lauren SENFT / Leif GISLASON CAN 72.26 41.00 31.26 5.30 5.10 5.15 5.30 5.25 0.00 #7
8 Mylene GIRARD / Bradley YAEGER CAN 71.20 40.80 30.40 5.15 4.95 4.90 5.25 5.15 0.00 #6
9 Olga AKIMOVA / Alexander SHAKALOV UZB 65.72 39.00 26.72 4.55 4.30 4.45 4.55 4.50 0.00 #1
10 Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG CHN 64.54 38.70 25.84 4.35 4.20 4.30 4.45 4.30 0.00 #2
11 Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG CHN 63.71 37.00 26.71 4.65 4.40 4.40 4.40 4.40 0.00 #3

 

[aphrodite_xl]

Final Standing

1 Oksana DOMNINA / Maxim SHABALIN RUS 188.41 1 2 1
2 Tanith BELBIN / Benjamin AGOSTO USA 187.15 2 1 2
3 Jana KHOKHLOVA / Sergei NOVITSKI RUS 173.86 3 3 3
4 Alexandra ZARETSKI / Roman ZARETSKI ISR 158.37 4 4 4
5 Pernelle CARRON / Mathieu JOST FRA 151.46 6 5 5
6 Anastasia GREBENKINA / Vazgen AZROJAN ARM 150.77 5 6 6
7 Lauren SENFT / Leif GISLASON CAN 143.69 7 7 7
8 Mylene GIRARD / Bradley YAEGER CAN 140.11 8 8 8
9 Olga AKIMOVA / Alexander SHAKALOV UZB 127.23 10 9 9
10 Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG CHN 125.91 9 10 11
11 Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANG CHN 124.09 11 11 10

 

[lanadd]

I don't think that D/Sh are "Another held up Russian pair", even the opposite, as a second russian pair IMO they have been held down, because of N/K.
They have been obviously the better team at this competition, and deserved their gold. About B/A, i think that they have been pushed up, and also they've had the greatest luck in the olympics-if all the contenders for the medals haven't made big mistakes, B/A would have stayed at the position they were at the CD-7 or 8 i'm not sure. And after that, they've even complained at the worlds about their placing(where were no more stupid mistakes)???And this year instead of proving they deserved the medals, they are looking even weaker. And the excuses that they haven't got time, well i am sorry, do the fans and the judges have to be sympatetic and give them the gold or any other medal as a gift?By the way, D/Staviski didn't had time neither but they skate their programs far better...

 

[aphrodite_xl]

By the way, D/Staviski didn't had time neither but they skate their programs far better...

that's because their skating skills are far better

 

[lanadd]

that's because their skating skills are far better

Exactly) For a month trening and after a bloody collision they've skated very well,thats what champions have to be!
However i am very happy for Domnina Shabalin, and i also hope that this year the judges won't be so generous about B/A, and they'll take medals only if they deserve them.

 

[Mad Hatter]

Now this is news to wake up too!! :agree:
Kudos to DomShabs, they are finally getting the respect they deserve.
Glad to see BelGostos aren't being held up anymore by the judges, it is obvious that DomShabs is the superior team; in terms of skating skills and talent. Oh, did I just say that. As much as I like BelGostos, they have alot of work to do.

 

[aphrodite_xl]

As much as I like BelGostos, they have alot of work to do.

I don't know why B&A have chosen this collection of evergreens for their Free Dance, because it does absolutely nothing for them. I bored me and I kept thinking "come on! you can do better than that". There were no "WOW"-moments in their FD at all. Even Khokhlova and Novitski had a better FD if you ask me.
So they certainly have a lot of work to do. They need better elements, less waving of the arms, less skating around. Belbin and Agosto are a good team, but this isn't a good dance.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

I can't get that horrible Latin Dance of Dom/Shab out of my head from last year. I just don't enjoy their dancing. Much too stiff and everything is so pronounced by the book, I see nothing special about them, but that's me.

Joe

 

[Ptichka]

I don't know why B&A have chosen this collection of evergreens for their Free Dance, because it does absolutely nothing for them. I bored me and I kept thinking "come on! you can do better than that". There were no "WOW"-moments in their FD at all. Even Khokhlova and Novitski had a better FD if you ask me.
So they certainly have a lot of work to do. They need better elements, less waving of the arms, less skating around. Belbin and Agosto are a good team, but this isn't a good dance.

Just wanted to add that the base value of B&A's FD is ridiculous - it's lower than the Zaretskis! That means they must change it a lot to have a chance against Denkova & Staviyski, Delobel & Schoenfelder, Dubreil & Lauzon, and even Chait & Sakhnovsky!

 

[rain]

Had the situation been reversed (B&A rising suddenly in their marks), I am not sure that you would have questioned it the way you did with DomShab. First of all, DomShab could have worked hard and improved over last year. Second, when B&A appeared on the scene, they moved up very quickly. Did you interpret that as an effort to insert a dominant North American team to replace B&K?

In terms of placements, it is not a surprise that DomShab are in second place overall, after the OD. This is a pretty weak field (Den-Sta and Del-Schoel who are among the top teams were not at this GP). In terms of marks, they are close to B&A's. CD could be DomShab's strong area. B&A did win the OD, but it sounds like you wanted them to blow away the field and it did not happen, so you are questioning the marks. You may still get your wish after the FD, but I doubt that it will be a landslide victory for B&A. I expect that DomShab made some improvements during summer, while B&A were busy touring with COI (nothing wrong with touring, I am just thinking that touring keeps skaters from working on their competitive programs, although financially it is a good opportunity for them).

BTW Virtue and Moir placed second at SC, ahead of the more experienced Faela &Scali. Would you question that as an effort to move Canadians up? Probably not.

You make a lot of assumptions (wrong ones) about me in this post, so I feel I should respond. First, I actually do believe B/A's rise to the top had political backing.... while I don't think it was to assert a North American couple in the post-B/K era (North Americans have a notoriously difficult time climbing the ranks in dance and a lot of it is a long history of being on the wrong end of the ice dance political ranks) I do think it had a lot to do with elevating a team to second place that they thought would not be at the Olympics, thus giving N/K a virtually unimpeded path to the title. And since you seem inclined to take everything I post in a very negative way, I feel I should emphasize that I don't think N/K shouldn't have won....I just don't think they should have been as untouchable in their last competitive seasons as they were.

I have no feelings one way or another about who I wanted to win this competition. Good for D/S if they won. I like B/A as well, but I haven't seen any of the performances so would not even consider arguing they should have won. I think it's quite possible they are not yet really ready for the season.

Your assertion about D/S possibly being held down while all the political influence went to support fellow Russians N/K no doubt has some truth to it. Remember Moniotte and Lavanchy from France? One year they're on the podium, the next A/P are on the rise and M/L are relegated to also-rans.

I was at Skate Canada. The placements were very close between F/S and V/M — F/S gave them the opening by having a serious error in their OD. And their freedance - I don't know if you've seen it yet this season - is more of an exhibition-type piece with great highlights than a cry to be taken seriously.

Whether you like it or not, politics has always had a huge influence on dance and the Russians have always been master players. When the latest champions retire, there's always a team that's been lurking in the middle of the pack that makes a rise up the standings in their wake. Some of that is that they continue to turn out great teams, but part of it is also political.

 

[Vash01]

Actually you made the assumption that D&S'a higher placement (than B&A) was due to politics. Give them credit for being more prepared than B&A. I don't deny that there are politics in FS (and Russia is not the only country that plays it; the N.Americans have had their favorable share too). However, your statement sounded like jumping to conclusions. B&A may simply not be as ready as they should be, and others may be, at this point in the season.

 

[rain]

Actually you made the assumption that D&S'a higher placement (than B&A) was due to politics. Give them credit for being more prepared than B&A. I don't deny that there are politics in FS (and Russia is not the only country that plays it; the N.Americans have had their favorable share too). However, your statement sounded like jumping to conclusions. B&A may simply not be as ready as they should be, and others may be, at this point in the season.

Oh, I'm not denying N. America plays the political game too. But in ice dance particularly, they have not had the political clout other nations such as Russia have had.

Perhaps D/S were more prepared than B/A. As I said, I have not seen the performances. However, I stand by my notion that their sudden rise has to do with politics as well as skating.

 

[aphrodite_xl]

We'll have to wait and see what happens at Cup of Russia, between these two teams I think, because I have seen both performances, and like I said earlier B&A's FD simply lacked the elements to win here.

Figure skating and politics will always be closely linked I fear, that's true, but I certainly don't see Domnina and Shabalin as a team which have made a sudden rise from what you call the middle of the pack. They were third at both their Grand Prix events last year, fourth in 2004-2005. And I wouldn't call a 6th place finish at Europeans anywhere near the middle either, but would call that the top. They have been gradually rising through the ranks in the past years, but I absolutely agree with you that it is an advantage to be the no. 1 Russian team.

It is now up to Belbin and Agosto to come back with a stronger dance!

 

[Gericho2004]

Based on Belbin and Agosto's showing at COC, what are their realistic chances of contending for a world title this year? This year may be their only opportunity, as it is almost certain that the new Russian team will be top contenders (in the judges eyes) for world titles in the following years.

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

Based on Belbin and Agosto's showing at COC, what are their realistic chances of contending for a world title this year? This year may be their only opportunity, as it is almost certain that the new Russian team will be top contenders (in the judges eyes) for world titles in the following years.

From what I understand, there is usually a conference during the summer where the dance judges learn how to score the contestants for the world's podium.

I really dont know if the above is true, but that's what I heard.

Joe

 

[Tesla]

I really wouldn't count B/A out for this year's Worlds or for subsequent worlds. In the world of ice dance, they are still very young. They even admitted that they aren't that well prepared having spent the summer touring. Considering the costs of skating, I don't blame them for choosing to tour for money. They have several months the get their programs ready for Nats and Worlds. I'm sure now, while not happy with their performances, they know what they need to work on. As for D/S winning, I think politics may have been involved, but I also think they earned their win by being better prepared, since they weren't touring over the summer.

 

[Gericho2004]

Thanks for your input. I think B/A are a wonderful team and wish them well this season.

 

[Dibs]

I've watched B/A's performance and can't say I was blown away and have not seen D/S's to compare, but I have a sneaking suspicion that B/A won't take it lying down. They're too competitive to be content with the low PCS and want the world title too badly to not go back and do some retweaking or perfecting. I think they will be in fine form by Worlds.

 

[dwiggin3]

I don't know why B&A have chosen this collection of evergreens for their Free Dance, because it does absolutely nothing for them. I bored me and I kept thinking "come on! you can do better than that". There were no "WOW"-moments in their FD at all. Even Khokhlova and Novitski had a better FD if you ask me.
So they certainly have a lot of work to do. They need better elements, less waving of the arms, less skating around. Belbin and Agosto are a good team, but this isn't a good dance.

I can't agree more. What bizzare music for them...looks more like a show number to me. Also, normally Tanith has such great costume, but this white fluffy skirt is terrible! Hmmm....hopefully they're just tired and not thinking straight. I say if they're behind with the training and are not preforming this new FD well, bag it and go back to last years....If there was a year to do that, this is it.

Just my 2 cents.