- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
I don't think they had to. But @BlissfulSynergy made a good point that Kate may need a taller partner. According to Wiki, Kate is 5'4-1/2", and Balasz is 5'9-1/2." I had a conversation about height a couple of years ago with a GS member who said that with the current requirements in the pairs field, a 7- or 8-inch difference in height was the minimum needed for safety. She seemed knowledgeable, and cited Sui and Han, with a 8-inch difference, as an example of being at the edge. Since then, I've read a translation of a Cong Han interview when he cited his challenges near the beginning of his partnership with Sui, and how he had to work very hard to become strong enough.
Some people claim Ashley C-G is too tall for pairs, period. Again according to Wiki, Tim is 7 inches taller than Ashley. So, right at the edge. Another example is Trennt Michaud, who is 5'9." Evelyn Walsh's height isn't listed on Wiki, but they seem closer in height than most current pairs. I'm a fan of both teams, and they both are national medalists. Ashley & Tim of course have been US Champions and finished in the Top Ten at Worlds 2019. That alone seems to me proof that they're competitive. The requirements for pairs have changed a lot since Tai & Randy. But I think there's an argument to be made that every skater, and every pair, is bound to have challenges and it's a matter of how they maximize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses. Still, it's amazing how widespread the perception is that a 10-or-12-inch height difference is ideal or even necessary, in terms of looks as well as performing the required elements. One last note -- when Natalya Zabiiako/Alexander Enbert retired last year, she said that it's too hard to find a partner tall enough for her, and she had to have someone as tall as Alexander. She's 5'5" and he's 6'2", a 9" difference. I'd say some coaches are firmer on what's required than others may be.
It's not uncommon for a successful junior partnership to outgrow each other. Even Charlie White said in an interview that he and Meryl were fortunate in their families, in the fact that they lived close to each other growing up so they didn't have to leave home to train together, and that "nobody grew too tall for anybody else."
I also enjoyed seeing Kate and Balasz at Greensboro, but they struggled pretty badly in the ISP competitions in the fall. I have a theory, only valid in my own head -- and I'm not stating it as an argument. I read interviews where Balasz said that he returned to the US early, from time with his family in Hungary back in March, because he wanted to be sure and be back in Colorado for training, in case he wasn't allowed to fly back at the planned time. In a different interview, I read that Kate's mother wouldn't let her fly to Colorado around the same time, for fear that Kate would get stuck there and not be able to come home to Kentucky. So that may have left Balasz at a loss, having difficulty training for 2 or 2 1/2 months while not having his partner there to train with, even off ice. On a gossipy note, check out Tarah Kayne's IG.
