Pairs FS Worldwide: The Divine Discipline | Page 20 | Golden Skate

Pairs FS Worldwide: The Divine Discipline

moonvine said:
I think it’s because of the way they’ve been shafted this year. Not even a 4CC bid. At their level one’s season doesn’t typically end with US Nationals.
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Yeah, I really didn't understand why C/J were shafted, as you said! It was terrible. And after already missing out on Worlds due to the makeup issue when they had some good momentum... But I don't think they are going to give up so easily. I would be very surprised if they didn't come back next season.
 
I watched Pairs at Worlds, saw the World champions and was sufficiently entertained by all competitors based on a considerably lowered expectation level.
Then I watched Channel One Cup, saw the best teams in the world and was totally ecstatic.

Worlds without Russian and Chinese pairs is like the FIFA World Cup without Brazil, Spain, France, Italy, Argentina, Croatia, Germany and England all at once. Okay, North Macedonia just kicked Italy out, but that doesn't make them a better team in the grander scheme of things by any stretch of the imagination.

I know, there will be no Russians for a while and no Rostelecom, which breaks my heart. I understand the reasoning behind it, but I totally disagree. Sport should not be a political pawn, athletes are all the same everywhere, just like all people, really. Sadly, it'll always be like that.
 
I never enjoyed Denis Khodykin's skating, and in my opinion, he didn't match up well with Pavlyuchenko. The cool acrobatic moves were mostly thanks to Pavlyuchenko. If Pavlyuchenko can find a better suited partner, this could be great for her. How about Danny O'Shea and Pavlyuchenko?? Haha, I know that would never happen, but I think they'd look good together.
 
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TT_Fin said:
I was going to write the same. too. I borrow our local commentator (The Swedish talking one) Marianne Nyman: "Worlds was worth of World championships in all other disciplines, expect the pairs, where about the medalists only the winning pair was at championship level. The others made too many errors." It would have been better at least if the Chinese were there.
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This is not true, simply because the 'favored' Japanese team (Miura/Kihara) weren't great in the sp, and also faltered badly in the fp, M/K's subpar skating does not mean the rest of the pairs were unworthy! The Georgian pair had good performances, as did James/Radford (despite a couple of miscues in the sp). J/R had a very good fp, and should have edged Miura/Kihara overall. It was blatant that M/K were kept on the podium ahead of J/R. It's disingenuous to cite M/K's sp as keeping them on the podium when they had some problems in the sp too, but were gifted by the judges to keep them in third place. In addition, the German team of Hase/Seegert had two clean performances, and redemption after Seegert's injury hampered them at the Olympics.

The Georgian team are very promising. The only thing you could say that kept them a bit behind was their immaturity and inexperience. They were a bit tentative in the fp which is why they dropped behind James/Radford. Meanwhile, J/R should have also been in front of M/K after their really bad fp.

As well, everyone is mainly focusing on what happened to Ash/Timothy in the fp, without acknowledging how well they skated in the sp! :bang:

The biggest reason that there is an issue with not enough pairs teams, is because we are in a transitional period after the Olympics, and because the sport does not put a great deal of stock or development investment into the pairs discipline. It's too often a discipline that has been treated like an afterthought, despite being the toughest and most exciting in figure skating. Another thing I will say is that if only the Russians are going to be praised, admired, favored, worshipped, and touted as being the best and unbeatable, then this ongoing imbalance between teams from Russia vs other countries, will continue. It hurts the pairs discipline and the sport's growth.

Pairs was most exciting when there was depth and competitiveness among a number of countries during the Savchenko/Szolkowy years (2005-2014) and afterward when there were exciting teams from China, Canada, Germany, France, and Russia. After a long period of podium drought, during which there were some accomplished U.S. teams who set throw jump records, the current group of U.S. pairs skaters began to develop and to come to the fore. The dissing of U.S. pairs needs to stop.
 
BlissfulSynergy said:
The Georgian team are very promising.
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The Georgian team is Russian trained. He's from Moscow, she's from Ekatirenburg. The Japanese team is great, I liked them in Skate America, but if Russians are kept out of competition, what is the incentive for Japan to build more teams? Japan is already pretty much splitting all the podiums with Americans and will continue that way if Russians are out. Which will stagnate the spot, because they don't even have to try too hard any more as we had seen with that silver.

The Chinese seem to be losing interest in figure skating all together with no new pairs on the horizon. The Spanish pair, the discovery of this season, got caught doping. The new German pair, that looked so good in JGP a couple of seasons ago, didn't transition to senior competition well so far.

I am looking forward to seeing the new Philippines team, Italian teams to replace DM/G and Nadeau's partnership. From Americans, I liked L/M the most, but they had split. My problem with Canadian pairs is always the same, that they are so chronically boring with whiny music choices, but I love James and J/R certainly got class.

When I look at Russia, the competition in young upcoming pairs is insane. Nobody got a trip to JWC, but they had 4 junior pairs, and any one left out was a pity. P/R was off for one season, and I missed them, but they now have no chance. A/R just showed up and they are wonderful... G/M might not have the strongest jumping female partner, but they are well-matched otherwise. It's just crazy how different Russia is for pairs from everyone else simply in terms of breadth and depth. For some reason, they were reluctant to release pairs specifically, but imo they need it more than with women and they need more than Georgia as a conduit to the world stage. With P/R out of competition for a while, maybe they will leave... gosh, a girl can hope!
 
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I know I might get shot and how commentators, posters here, Dave Lease and Co. say they enjoyed Worlds and that it wa pure and that there was joy but I missed China and Russia especially in the pairs. I know Alexa is feisty and wanted a medal - gold here but without China and Russia the level was lower. The team that medalled do not have the speed or amplitude of Sui and Han or the top 3 Russians. Since the last quadrennial the tech levels have gone down. Timothy and Ashley try triple loops but nothing like the triple lutzes of Duhamel and Radford. And this year I think, think, Sui and Han were the only team really doing super hard content - quad twist. The US deserved gold here out of those who skated and that is the reality. They won gold, and yes it based on who is there at worlds for whatever reason but the pairs level was not so divine with no disrespect to the medallists.
 
We have to enjoy what is given to us and to be grateful that bombs are not failing on our heads, or that there is no some other disaster. Worlds indeed were fantastic without all that artificially created dark drama; a true liberation of the spirit and pure joy of skating.

Yes, Moskvina indeed is a genius, amazing, brilliant pair coach True to herself and her principles and love of skating. All respect to her. And, yes, her pairs are exquisite, always. However...there somehow never has been dozens and dozens of threads about Moskvina being a great coach like it has been about Eteri... Why? think about it... Also, there has not been dozens and dozens of threads about Marie-France Dubreil as a great coach even though her three teams won the worlds and most of the competitions lately, also at Olympics. Actually, not even a word.
At the same time, a masterfully elaborated propaganda in disguise of the sport and, consequently, artificially created threads for brainwashing of " average people" ( which actually destroys the very soul of the figure skating) which flooded for the last few years.... from where they came from?

You can still watch your favorite pairs on youtube. Worlds indeed- and first time in long run- were a pure joy of sport, free of darkness.
 
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Skater Boy said:
I know I might get shot and how commentators, posters here, Dave Lease and Co. say they enjoyed Worlds and that it wa pure and that there was joy but I missed China and Russia especially in the pairs. I know Alexa is feisty and wanted a medal - gold here but without China and Russia the level was lower. The team that medalled do not have the speed or amplitude of Sui and Han or the top 3 Russians. Since the last quadrennial the tech levels have gone down. Timothy and Ashley try triple loops but nothing like the triple lutzes of Duhamel and Radford. And this year I think, think, Sui and Han were the only team really doing super hard content - quad twist. The US deserved gold here out of those who skated and that is the reality. They won gold, and yes it based on who is there at worlds for whatever reason but the pairs level was not so divine with no disrespect to the medallists.
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I didn’t miss a thing. Most enjoyable Worlds for me in ages.
 
Sort of getting irritated that some feel so negative about this competition. Isn't the winner the best that shows up on that given day? Didn't the medal pairs work just as hard and probably just as long as the pairs teams y'all are worshipping? I found Worlds to be very enjoyable - both with the medal winners and the also-rans. It's refreshing when one country doesn't dominate a discipline. I think it will give impetus to MORE teams competing rather than less. The Japanese, for example, don't need the Russians in the competition to keep growing and improving. They had a couple of unusually bad skates but the talent and the drive is still there. The Georgians have been given a taste of succeeding....they will try even harder next time. Can't we all be satisfied with what we've been given and stop with the "what ifs?" I think Pairs as a discipline has been given a shot in the arm with this competition.
 
Skater Boy said:
I know I might get shot and how commentators, posters here, Dave Lease and Co. say they enjoyed Worlds and that it wa pure and that there was joy but I missed China and Russia especially in the pairs. I know Alexa is feisty and wanted a medal - gold here but without China and Russia the level was lower. The team that medalled do not have the speed or amplitude of Sui and Han or the top 3 Russians. Since the last quadrennial the tech levels have gone down. Timothy and Ashley try triple loops but nothing like the triple lutzes of Duhamel and Radford. And this year I think, think, Sui and Han were the only team really doing super hard content - quad twist. The US deserved gold here out of those who skated and that is the reality. They won gold, and yes it based on who is there at worlds for whatever reason but the pairs level was not so divine with no disrespect to the medallists.
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Considering what is happening in our world currently with the war and that Russia invaded Ukraine, I think this particular wording is in poor taste.
 
Just wanted to share an interview with pairs coach Bruno Marcotte from Worlds:

adivinesport.com

Bruno Marcotte: "Miura/Kihara are very special" - A divine sport

“I have mixed emotions,” coach Bruno Marcotte confessed Thursday night, after his students Riku Miura, 20, and Ryuichi Kihara, 29, won the silver medal at the ISU World Championships in Montpellier, France. Seeing Miura/Kihara reach the World podium–less than three years after they first teamed...
adivinesport.com adivinesport.com
 
The rumours around the Russian forum are that Akhanteva/Kolesov, Kostiukovich/Briukhanov, Mironov/Geinish, Labazina/Svyatchenko, Storublevtceva/Gritsaenko, Kadyrova/Balchenko, Pavliuchenko/Khodykin have all split.

Allegedly Kadyrova/Kolesov and Kostiukovich/Svyatchenko have teamed up.

Basically the off-season Russian carousel of pairs is in full-swing.
 
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