2019-20 Retirements, Splits & Partner Changes | Page 12 | Golden Skate

2019-20 Retirements, Splits & Partner Changes

Full list of competitors:

“First-time competitors include three-time World Ice Dance medallists, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, and two-time World Pairs champion, and two-time Olympic Games medallist, Eric Radford. Season 2 winner and two-time Olympic Games gold medallist in pairs skating, Ekaterina Gordeeva, and Season 4 winner and Olympian in pairs skating, Amanda Evora, will return to the ice. They join previously announced figure skaters Vanessa James and Violetta Afanasieva.”

https://www.cbc.ca/mediacentre/pres...of-figure-skating-competitors-for-battle-of-t

I guess we know what Kaitlyn and Andrew will be up to now! Battle of the Blades really wasn't what I was expecting their next move to be...
 
But they are entitled to two summer competitions in Canada. Is Chloe still on IPS?

They announced the split a little while ago. The reason seemed to be mainly that she'd outgrown him. Summer competitions aren't going to change their lack of height difference.

And yes, Chloe is still on IPS.
 
I'm wondering in this team's case that Shoya is 21, presumably in his last year of university and concluding that he's better off getting a real job than pursue an uncertain future as a figure skater.

Shoya has stated today on twitter that he wants to continue pairs skating and is looking for a new partner. I wish him the best of luck!

I'm hoping that Japan can form some new pairs partnerships :pray: but it just doesn't seem likely (ie. Kana/Chris)
 
Shoya has stated today on twitter that he wants to continue pairs skating and is looking for a new partner. I wish him the best of luck!

I'm hoping that Japan can form some new pairs partnerships :pray: but it just doesn't seem likely (ie. Kana/Chris)

Well, good on him! Hopefully he is getting some sponsorship so he doesn't have to worry about his future. A time when Japan has a critical labour shortage is probably the best time to defer career decisions. I don't know what's happening with Chris Reed - I thought he said he wasn't retiring yet. Does anyone know whether he is still looking for a partner? What about Kana?
 
I don't know what's happening with Chris Reed - I thought he said he wasn't retiring yet. Does anyone know whether he is still looking for a partner? What about Kana?

Kana finally put out a statement this off season saying that she had to sit out of competition last season and believes she can get back on the ice as soon as possible & move forward. (I have no idea what any of that means, but it sounds like she would like to skate; and there's no word about finding a partner in it).

Chris was reportedly coaching in Japan with Cathy recently. (I don't know if it was a short term or longer term thing as I can't read instagram). No word about finding a partner either.

That's the latest I've seen.
 
… Chris was reportedly coaching in Japan with Cathy recently. (I don't know if it was a short term or longer term thing as I can't read instagram). No word about finding a partner either. ...

Chris Reed is back in Canton.
I have lost track of time … don't want to hazard a guess as to when he returned.

And I don't know exactly how long he was in Japan with Cathy, but much of her Instagram content while he was there had a sentimental tone, IMO. As if their time together was very precious before his scheduled departure, however soon or not-as-soon it was going to be.


(deleted my last two sentences, which were meaningless)
 
Barquero/Maestu split. She talks about him being injured.

https://www.instagram.com/p/ByI_cCForEk/

Hielo Espanol announced this morning that Laura's new partner is Tòn Cónsul.

Source: https://twitter.com/Hieloespanol/status/1155457953371185152

I actually saw it on our own La Rhumba's Twitter page, but it has also been posted about by Clairecz in Laura and Aritz's Fan Fest.

Laura has paired up with Ton Consul Vivar! They'll be training in Italy. It's great that she's found a partner and that they can represent Spain. I have to admit I don't know anything about Ton but according to ISU bios he skated in juniors with Isabella Gamez up until the 2017/2018 season, they trained in Montreal..., seems he didn't skate in the last season and has returned now.

I have definitely seen him skating Singles. I think I might have seen him in Pairs. But, the strange thing is that I don't recognise Isabella's name, despite the fact that he had his best Pairs results with her. Instead, it is the partner he had before Isabella, Alexanne Bouillon, whose name rings a bell with me. Probably because she has a French name (she's Canadian).

All the best to them!

CaroLiza_fan
 
I have definitely seen him skating Singles. I think I might have seen him in Pairs. But, the strange thing is that I don't recognise Isabella's name, despite the fact that he had his best Pairs results with her. Instead, it is the partner he had before Isabella, Alexanne Bouillon, whose name rings a bell with me. Probably because she has a French name (she's Canadian).

CaroLiza_fan

The same for me because I read somewhere that Spanish fed didn't give Ton opportunity to compete in singles at Junior Worlds having decided that pairs event would be enough for him. Back then he was in a team with Alexanne Bouillon.
 
Not a huge fan of WeaPo but I thought their retirement came out of the blue. Will definitely miss watching them but it's possible Battle of the Blades would pay more than shows or competing might, given their results the past few years.
 
While it seems that all the Japanese pairs were resolved earlier, it's announced that a new pair team is formed:

https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2019/08/05/0012580308.shtml

So Riku Miura will team up with Ryuichi Kihara. And the new pair will be supported by the Kinoshita Group from Japan.

Hope this is an indication that Kihara is recovering well from the injuries....
 
While it seems that all the Japanese pairs were resolved earlier, it's announced that a new pair team is formed:

https://www.daily.co.jp/general/2019/08/05/0012580308.shtml

So Riku Miura will team up with Ryuichi Kihara. And the new pair will be supported by the Kinoshita Group from Japan.

Hope this is an indication that Kihara is recovering well from the injuries....

Sounds like a JSF intervention. I wish them well.
 
Hope this is an indication that Kihara is recovering well from the injuries....
Hopefully.

I’m still disappointed that Japan lost a young pair team and now the girl is being paired up with a guy a decade older (and who has ongoing injury problems). This feels like a pair that has an expiration date of “Olympic team event”.
 
Hopefully.

I’m still disappointed that Japan lost a young pair team and now the girl is being paired up with a guy a decade older (and who has ongoing injury problems). This feels like a pair that has an expiration date of “Olympic team event”.

Doesn’t matter. As long as there is a pair team, it will hopefully inspire others to try. And even if the decade older guy retires after the Olympics, in the meantime Riku Miura is getting more pairs experience. Better than missing the season searching for a partner.
 
This team may have better odds. And at least it exists.

Japan needs to support its pairs & dancers. They need a pair team (and considering how high the injury rate in pairs is, they could really use more than one). And they need either a dance or a pair team to qualify for the Olympics. Komatsubara & Koleto seem to have the best chance at the moment, but they are in bubble territory. (Twenty-first place with a third Russian team, the Georgian juniors, and a team for Korea likely to be added to the field this season). Anyway, a pro-active approach is not a bad idea here. It seems like there is one. (For example, we have three other Japanese dance teams on the international scene this season).
 
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