Wolfkostin/Tsarevksii are also entered in the domestic event, so that's going to be really interesting
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Not anymore interesting than it already was at Dallas Classic. LOL! Except that we didn't actually get to see the competition, which is always more instructive than simply viewing photos and protocols. Reviewers who were there said that W/T skated fairly clean, but not perfect since they are a new team and this is still the summer, so programs are rusty. It's obvious that F/D lost points on twizzles in the RD, plus some judges had issues with choreo and music violations, yet it's not clear what that entailed re F/D's programs. Judging from training clips, F/D have wonderful programs, so hopefully summer comps will only strengthen and refine both.
It's just as well that Bratti/ Somerville skipped the Dallas competition, unless one or both are injured. B/S have been more established domestically as a senior team than the rest of the Dallas field. Honestly, I would find it more interesting when/ if Kat DelCamp Akalin & Berk Akalin ever run into Bratti/ Somerville competitively.
As far as the weird Dima & Bella split, she surely went through a lot suddenly, and she surely grieved. But she ultimately had the strength to move on, and to wish Dima well on Instagram, without (at least initially) hearing from him. Not everyone could recover from such disappointment and then be willing and courageous enough to salvage their career in skating. We don't and won't know exactly what happened to Dima. But apparently, he still loves skating, so it's nice to see him back. What happened to Bella apparently strengthened her growth and maturity. The bonus is that she was able to find another partner whom she may have an even better match with physically and emotionally (matching lines and mutual goals).
All the skaters know and respect each other, having grown up competing together (albeit Vanya did not know any of them as well since he grew up in Russia). Bella & Dima first flirted with skating together when they were 14, but they did not end up partnering until they were 17. Very early on, Dima skated with Leah Neset (in novice?) before she was partnered with Artem Markelov. Meanwhile, Bella was once partnered, in novice ice dance, with Mikhail Gumbah (later Johnson) who switched to pairs with Winter Deardorff, before he ultimately left figure skating to study medicine.
