Yu/Jin & Peng/Zhang switch partners

[caitie]

At first I was clinging to the hope that it was just an unfounded rumor. That's obviously not the case, so now I am clinging to the hope that this is just a trial and the Chinese federation will come to its senses and keep Yu/Jin together. It's just so hard for me to accept this because it seems, on the face of it, to be such a terrible, horrible decision. I can't understand it at all. Can anyone imagine any other federation breaking up a team who just won the Junior World Championships two times in a row, who made the GPF two times in a row???

I'm completely ~flummoxed by this, and this just seems like such a stupid decision that I can't help but hope that it will be averted somehow. Please, skate gods! I'm begging you!!!

 

[snowday]

I would call this a bad PR move, but I guess if they don't have to give a **** about anybody's opinion in the first place, then why would they care if this makes them look bad :roll9: Technically, can this even "blow up in their faces" if they don't give a damn about what anybody thinks anyway?

The TCC is next week. There'll be judges, coaches, skaters and most importantly, reporters. I really hope some of them will ask questions and pry open the CSA's mouth. Ugh... So tired of gleaning the tiniest bit of information from the most subtle clue. Why so secretive? What are they, the Patent office...

 

[neostra]

I'm thinking maybe some China's authorities are still living in 2006 when Zhang got a silver medal at Turin Olympics. They might be thinking since he's the only Olympic medalist who is still competing in China's pair teams, he might have a chance and a last chance to win another Olympic medal for him and his country even though it's been ten years.

Sui/Han is a strong and promising team so it's not possible to break them up. Yu/Jin is not that strong but they together won some medals especially a silver medal at 2016 4CC. On the other hand, Zhang/Peng didn't work out quite well and Peng has been consistently and harshly criticized for being the weaker part of the team.

Maybe they think even though Yu is not a perfect choice for Zhang but she's at least better than Peng and Zhang/Yu will not look like father-daughter team that much compared to Zhang/Peng. If they want to desert Peng, Yu might be the only choice for Zhang. (Wang Xue Han might be in the list but Yu has more medals.)

I feel so bad for Yu because it's obey or retire. Zhang/Peng didn't work and I don't think Zhang/Yu will work either. If you don't like your current partner, find someone else who is willing to join. If you can't find one, maybe it's time to retire. Breaking up a team like this is so disturbing.

 

[silverlake22]

I'm thinking maybe some China's authorities are still living in 2006 when Zhang got a silver medal at Turin Olympics. They might be thinking since he's the only Olympic medalist who is still competing in China's pair teams, he might have a chance and a last chance to win another Olympic medal for him and his country even though it's been ten years.

Sui/Han is a strong and promising team so it's not possible to break them up. Yu/Jin is not that strong but they together won some medals especially a silver medal at 2016 4CC. On the other hand, Zhang/Peng didn't work out quite well and Peng has been consistently and harshly criticized for being the weaker part of the team.

Maybe they think even though Yu is not a perfect choice for Zhang but she's at least better than Peng and Zhang/Yu will not look like father-daughter team that much compared to Zhang/Peng. If they want to desert Peng, Yu might be the only choice for Zhang. (Wang Xue Han might be in the list but Yu has more medals.)

I feel so bad for Yu because it's obey or retire. Zhang/Peng didn't work and I don't think Zhang/Yu will work either. If you don't like your current partner, find someone else who is willing to join. If you can't find one, maybe it's time to retire. Breaking up a team like this is so disturbing.

1.) The father/daughter vibe won't change based on one year. Peng is born in April 1997 and Yu in January 1996, I really doubt 15 months is going to make a big difference when it comes to their dynamics or appearance as a team. Yu and Peng look about the same age and in most cases, there isn't a huge difference in how a 19 year girl acts and looks compared to a 20 year old girl. The age gap is still huge and it's still going to be awkward.

2.) If the Chinese Fed is trying to desert Peng, why would they break up an existing, successful partnership of 7 years just to make sure she has a partner? If anything the Fed seems more invested in both Peng and Zhang and that's why they are sending Peng to skate with Jin who is a strong skater closer to her age with a long future ahead of him and sticking Yu with Zhang who isn't a good match and is probably 2 years from the end of his career.

 

[sylvie]

The TCC is next week. There'll be judges, coaches, skaters and most importantly, reporters. I really hope some of them will ask questions and pry open the CSA's mouth. Ugh... So tired of gleaning the tiniest bit of information from the most subtle clue. Why so secretive? What are they, the Patent office...

Yes, someone needs to get Hongbo to talk. After IFS posted their thing I should think that most of the skating community already assumes that the deal is done (it's not).

 

[topaz emerald]

You keep repeating that Peng and Jin would make a beautiful pair. Beautiful in what way? It is not a beauty pageant contest. The attractive physical appearance is just a very small fraction of what makes a successful pair. And lets not forget, Yu does not want to switch, so the whole "Peng/Jin attractivness" seems even more secondary and unimportant.

ETA And, as other mentioned below, I do not find anything wrong with Yu/Jin appearance. Quite the opposite, they look beautiful together.

Honestly, I really don't care about the chinese pairs. But there is nothing wrong with my comment. So what if I think they make a beautiful pair. Why does it offend people so much? It sounds to me like you just don't want to see them switch partners, but no need to be nasty about it.

 

[Rissa]

^^^

Practically nobody here wants to see them switch partners. We want to see pairs who skate well together and have good chemistry, not pairs who just look good standing next to each other. Beauty will not make up a good pair, it's the least important factor in what constitutes a good pair (as opposed to trust, years of experience together, mutual respect, compatibile characters) that's why some people might find hammering the looks factor annoying.

 

[Skater Boy]

Yes, someone needs to get Hongbo to talk. After IFS posted their thing I should think that most of the skating community already assumes that the deal is done (it's not).

Huh? But Hongbo is a puppet too. I don't think he has much say or power. He is an olympic medallist that the Chinese Skating fEderation took as a coach upon retirement. In fact if you watch him unlike Orser he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the best teaching instincts. He can help but he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the intuitive thought process.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Huh? But Hongbo is a puppet too. I don't think he has much say or power. He is an olympic medallist that the Chinese Skating fEderation took as a coach upon retirement. In fact if you watch him unlike Orser he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the best teaching instincts. He can help but he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the intuitive thought process.

When did you watch him coach? Do you understand anything he says to his skaters?

 

[tinlizzie]

^^^

Practically nobody here wants to see them switch partners. We want to see pairs who skate well together and have good chemistry, not pairs who just look good standing next to each other. Beauty will not make up a good pair, it's the least important factor in what constitutes a good pair (as opposed to trust, years of experience together, mutual respect, compatibile characters) that's why some people might find hammering the looks factor annoying.

I agree with you. Yu/Jin are a 'beautiful' pair to me because of their connection during their programs and an ethereal quality. Physical beauty is something else, not as important but they happen to have both

 

[gabriele]

:gaah: The thought comes to mind that Yu could just defect while in Canada and live happily ever after. We can all dream, right?

 

[sylvie]

Huh? But Hongbo is a puppet too. I don't think he has much say or power. He is an olympic medallist that the Chinese Skating fEderation took as a coach upon retirement. In fact if you watch him unlike Orser he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the best teaching instincts. He can help but he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the intuitive thought process.

I simply meant that since TCC is next week and one of his pairs will be competing there (I'm presuming he'll be there to coach them), someone should attempt to ask him what's really going on within his camp. It wouldn't hurt to ask.

I agree with @Violet Bliss, how do you know how effective he is as a coach? Have you ever listened in on a normal training session? How can you judge whether he's "a real coach" or not?

 

[jaq]

If Zhang can't make it work with a willing partner, how he manages to make it work with a reluctant one is totally beyond me. Instead of trying to improve the current partnership, he or whoever is calling the shots tends to think the best solution is to get another partner. It's always the girl's fault. Dan Zhang is too tall. Peng is too weak-minded. Wait for them to find fault with Yu. Oh, I know, Yu is too disobedient! Ugh...

Seriously, always the women's fault. It could never be his. Women are just something to throw (poorly) anyways, right? :sarcasm:

 

[Rissa]

Huh? But Hongbo is a puppet too. I don't think he has much say or power. He is an olympic medallist that the Chinese Skating fEderation took as a coach upon retirement. In fact if you watch him unlike Orser he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the best teaching instincts. He can help but he isn't a real coach - he doesn't have the intuitive thought process.

Where do I get to smoke what you did because it apparaently grants some godlike powers of mind reading.

Can you explain to us poor souls without the powers how you arrived at the conclusion that the champion Zhao didn't come into the possession of teaching instincts and intuitive thought process (what the ever) but champion Orser apparently did?

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Seriously, always the women's fault. It could never be his. Women are just something to throw (poorly) anyways, right? :sarcasm:

If you read snowday's other comments in this thread, you will realise that the last few sentences of this post was pure sarcasm.

snowday was getting fed up with the way the Chinese Federation always found fault in Zhang Hao's partners to explain why the partnerships were not being as successful as expected, rather than looking at the possibility that the common factor (i.e. him) might be the problem.

Hope this clears things up

CaroLiza_fan

 

[4everchan]

she would need to find a partner in canada... might be difficult unless there is some splitting involved... i think Mervin Tran can come back and skate for Canada with Yu

:gaah: The thought comes to mind that Yu could just defect while in Canada and live happily ever after. We can all dream, right?

(i am going to get some hate from the tran-castelli fans for this joke.... what i am intending is that there is tons of splitting in pairs and dance.. .it's just that usually people consent to it... MUAHAHA)

 

[Marta25]

I rewatched Yu/Jin`s SP from COC. The thought that we aren`t going to see them ever again...:sad21:

I always thought that they shared a similar connection as Shen/Zhao and I was expecting them to dominate, together with Sui/Han, the Chinese Pair Skating. I just don`t understand what their Federation is thinking. With Sui/Han they already have a team that can win the OGM in 2018, there is no need to break up such a promising team. My only hope is that if Zhang retires after 2018, they will reteam Yu with Jin.

 

[Pamigena]

If you read snowday's other comments in this thread, you will realise that the last few sentences of this post was pure sarcasm.

going out on a limb here :roll9: but I thought jaq's comment was supposed to be just as sarcastic.

 

[gabriele]

I need a Trankov comment to cope with this. :sad21:

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I need a Trankov comment to cope with this. :sad21:

Oh, definitely! That would be VERY entertaining! :agree:

going out on a limb here :roll9: but I thought jaq's comment was supposed to be just as sarcastic.

Ah. I thought jaq's comment sounded like somebody getting angry at what snowday said. It didn't cross my mind that it might be sarcastic as well.

Oops! :

CaroLiza_fan