2024 Grand Prix de France Pairs Short Program

[BlissfulSynergy]

The USA are rebuilding their program with two new teams with imported Russian skaters

I totally agree with your defense of Canadian pairs teams against @Skater Boy's usual baseless negativity. However, this particular comment you made is inaccurately phrased. Obviously, there are Russian skaters everywhere in skating. In fact, there are a number of skaters with Russian ancestry who were born in the U.S., including Misha Mitrofanov; Dimitry Tsarevski; Anton Spirodonov, et al. There are a number of Russian coaches and skaters who emigrated to the U.S., without the involvement of U.S. figure skating.

If you are particularly referring to McBeath/Parkman and Efimova/ Mitrofanov, U.S. figure skating did not seek to 'import Russians' to form those partnerships. Parkman has said that his former coach, who is friendly with Meno/Sand, reached out on his behalf to request help finding him a new partner. Parkman came to Irvine and had a successful tryout with McBeath, period. As we know Misha Mitrofanov lost his former pairs partner, Audrey Lu, to academic pursuits. It took Misha a long time to find a new partner. He was beginning to believe it wouldn't happen after he made a trial effort with an inexperienced partner that did not work out. When Finnish-Russian Alisa Efimova split with her former German partner, Ruben Blommaert, Misha asked Alisa for a tryout. She said 'Yes,' and so far they have matched beautifully. For Alisa, the jumps and occasionally the throws are still a work-in-progress. Neither Parkman nor Efimova were 'imported' to help rebuild the U.S. pairs discipline. They each came here on their own, under separate, isolated circumstances to rebuild their careers with U.S. partners who are seeking to further their own pairs aspirations.

Interestingly, when he was young, Balázs Nagy's family emigrated to the U.S. from Hungary, and he learned pairs skating in Colorado Springs. Nagy had a successful junior career with Kate Finster. He later returned to Hungary and skated one season with Maria Pavlova before returning to the U.S. and partnering briefly with Chelsea Liu. Balázs & Chelsea had one of the best triple twists I've ever seen. Balàzs is now partnered with former singles skater, Audrey Shin. It is safe to say that U.S. figsk is fully behind developing this promising team for the future of the U.S. pairs discipline. But no one has been 'imported' in the process. It is more like Audrey & Balázs have been 'exported' to Canada to train under Bruno Marcotte. LOL! I'm not sure that Julie Marcotte should have been employed as one of their choreographers, but we'll see how it goes.

 

[aroundtheworld778]

I totally agree with your defense of Canadian pairs teams against @Skater Boy's usual baseless negativity. However, this particular comment you made is inaccurately phrased. Obviously, there are Russian skaters everywhere in skating. In fact, there are a number of skaters with Russian ancestry who were born in the U.S., including Misha Mitrofanov; Dimitry Tsarevski; Anton Spirodonov, et al. There are a number of Russian coaches and skaters who emigrated to the U.S., without the involvement of U.S. figure skating.

If you are particularly referring to McBeath/Parkman and Efimova/ Mitrofanov, U.S. figure skating did not seek to 'import Russians' to form those partnerships. Parkman has said that his former coach, who is friendly with Meno/Sand, reached out on his behalf to request help finding him a new partner. Parkman came to Irvine and had a successful tryout with McBeath, period. As we know Misha Mitrofanov lost his former pairs partner, Audrey Lu, to academic pursuits. It took Misha a long time to find a new partner. He was beginning to believe it wouldn't happen after he made a trial effort with an inexperienced partner that did not work out. When Finnish-Russian Alisa Efimova split with her former German partner, Ruben Blommaert, Misha asked Alisa for a tryout. She said 'Yes,' and so far they have matched beautifully. For Alisa, the jumps and occasionally the throws are still a work-in-progress. Neither Parkman nor Efimova were 'imported' to help rebuild the U.S. pairs discipline. They each came here on their own, under separate, isolated circumstances to rebuild their careers with U.S. partners who are seeking to further their own pairs aspirations.

Interestingly, when he was young, Balázs Nagy's family emigrated to the U.S. from Hungary, and he learned pairs skating in Colorado Springs. Nagy had a successful junior career with Kate Finster. He later returned to Hungary and skated one season with Maria Pavlova before returning to the U.S. and partnering briefly with Chelsea Liu. Balázs & Chelsea had one of the best triple twists I've ever seen. Balàzs is now partnered with former singles skater, Audrey Shin. It is safe to say that U.S. figsk is fully behind developing this promising team for the future of the U.S. pairs discipline. But no one has been 'imported' in the process. It is more like Audrey & Balázs have been 'exported' to Canada to train under Bruno Marcotte. LOL! I'm not sure that Julie Marcotte should have been employed as one of their choreographers, but we'll see how it goes.

Yeah agree with this. I don't see evidence of an organized effort to recruit Russians. It just happens because coaches and skaters have connections. And because American skaters have money and are always looking for partners.
US citizenship takes forever... (unless one marries an American...ahem). Efimova in theory should not have citizenship for the 2030 Olympics, since she just came to the US in 2023. True, the pair could gain spots for the US for the Olympics. But I would think that the US would be especially interested in promoting those pairs who could possibly get on an Olympic team, not trying to recruit mature foreigners who need 8-10 years to become eligible.
Efimova/Mit are going to be fun to watch. I personally think they might have hit their ceiling at SKAM due to Efimova's jump history but I am excited for whatever they can bring to the sport. Who knows, there might be some big surprises in store.