I love pairs skating, but that felt very unsatisfying. I wonder whether some of the genuine juniors maybe felt a bit intimidated by being mixed i with the seniors. Having a 10-year permitted age range for juniors creates more unfairness and pushes out those who really are juniors. Perhaps their needs to be an under-23 category between juniors and seniors, like there is in some sports.
2025 World Junior Championships Pairs SP
- Thread starter dorispulaski
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- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
They won their first ever international event last year after just having teamed up... at JGP stage.
They were at JGPF last year where they finished in 4th place. They finished in 5th place at JWC last year... after a disappointing LP. They were third after the SP.
You haven't seen them all season because he had shoulder surgery
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
well... when the top two teams are really senior teams, and there is only perhaps one small chance at a spot on the podium because of the strong Chinese team as well, I am not surprised by what happened to both F/W and K/E.... A lot of pressure.
The lift mistake was mental.
I think the DS mistake for Luke was also mental and led to the fall on the 2a and wobbly spins...
These are not mistake because due to developing skillset
comeback free!!
Nah, there's money to be collected and I'm sure that is why they are doing it, but it is embarrassing. Or at least it would be if they had any shame. The ISU needs to fix this, this is ridiculous and honestly unfair to real junior teams.
- Joined
- Jun 21, 2003
From Berulava:
"I want to address some of the comments I’ve read about me, like ‘What is this bald guy doing at Junior Worlds?’ I just want to say that there are skaters here who are even older than me, and the rules allow it. So why shouldn’t we compete here?”
Metelkina added: “Well, yeah, maybe we do some elements better than other junior couples, but that shouldn’t be a reason for us not to compete. We know there’s been a lot of criticism about this, but it’s allowed by the rules. For us, the most important thing is to gain more experience. We are still a fairly new team, and we want to do as many competitions as possible leading up to the Olympic season. This is only our second season together, so every competition helps us grow.”
The lack of applause in the arena was noticeable for them as well. I felt it showed on their faces.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
One last thought...
Thankfully for Ava and Yoni, the lift mistake was on the mandatory group 4 lift which is way way way less costly than on a group five lift
Base value is like a triple toe...
The issue is that their lift when fully performed, takes a whole lot of time and has great ice coverage... they felt lost and finished early afterwards, which was costly in PCS...
In any case, I may not even be able to watch the LP so I won't stress out about it too much
Thankfully for Ava and Yoni, the lift mistake was on the mandatory group 4 lift which is way way way less costly than on a group five lift
Base value is like a triple toe... The issue is that their lift when fully performed, takes a whole lot of time and has great ice coverage... they felt lost and finished early afterwards, which was costly in PCS...
In any case, I may not even be able to watch the LP so I won't stress out about it too much
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
and one one last thought...
this is my quote about the whole senior/junior situation
@4everchan : "It is not because the rules allow seasoned senior skaters to participate at Junior Worlds that it is the right thing to do"
this is my quote about the whole senior/junior situation
@4everchan : "It is not because the rules allow seasoned senior skaters to participate at Junior Worlds that it is the right thing to do"
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- Joined
- Jul 17, 2018
She being much more gracious about it
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
See, that answer, is better... But my counter-argument would be : Maybe you should be doing more senior competitions, like challengers. In those, you can do triples in the SP and you can also do a third lift Group 5 in the LP, which are elements that are crucial for an Olympic medalShe being much more gracious about it
The age change rules were made to allow more pairs to compete at junior worlds. Honestly, ISU should have seen this coming. Not sure if adding extra categories is going to fix the situation, there would be fewer competitors in each age range which was part of the problem anyway.
I don't mind M/B competing so much, I'm glad to see their performance has improved since I last watched them.
I don't mind M/B competing so much, I'm glad to see their performance has improved since I last watched them.
- Joined
- Dec 4, 2004
I just tried and I thought it was me but the comments on youtube say the same...for some reason, they offered only 15 min worth of coverage at this time. I dont know if labgoat got any single performances up but to do this without reason is bizarre. Another case of a big organization messing up without 'fessing up.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
The ISU and the sport as a whole need to get it together. While I realize TPTB have never made any effort to show they care about fans, it's quite ridiculous that they so far have posted only 15 minutes playback of the junior Worlds pairs short program. 
Initially, junior Worlds events were showing up as scheduled to air on Peacock, and then suddenly removed at the 11th hour. Was that also a mistake? I would have preferred Peacock viewing over this mess ISU is sputtering around with on their YT channel.
Only two full pairs teams plus part of Metelkina/ Berulava's last year's sp with the same costumes.
I had to do a double-take. Some fans were tired of M/B competing in juniors last season! I certainly was. Why allow M/B to come back again to junior Worlds, just to collect more hardware that could have gone to an actual junior team?! The rule was not made for the purpose of young experienced, top-level senior skaters going back to compete juniors in order to amass hardware because they happen to meet the adjusted age rule.
Initially, junior Worlds events were showing up as scheduled to air on Peacock, and then suddenly removed at the 11th hour. Was that also a mistake? I would have preferred Peacock viewing over this mess ISU is sputtering around with on their YT channel.Only two full pairs teams plus part of Metelkina/ Berulava's last year's sp with the same costumes.
I had to do a double-take. Some fans were tired of M/B competing in juniors last season! I certainly was. Why allow M/B to come back again to junior Worlds, just to collect more hardware that could have gone to an actual junior team?! The rule was not made for the purpose of young experienced, top-level senior skaters going back to compete juniors in order to amass hardware because they happen to meet the adjusted age rule.
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
The adjusted age rule for junior pairs was made in response to the problems some junior teams were facing as a result of the new senior age limit rule. The senior age limit had been instituted as a p.r. face-saving resolution to the Russian doping scandal that surrounded 15-year-old Kamila Valieva at the 2022 Olympics.
IMO, Metelkina/Berulava's sp was a fresher concept last season and they sķated it well in juniors all last season, though they had mistakes in the fp at junior Worlds last season. They have been up-and-down in seniors with the same programs. Certainly, the longer skaters compete the same programs, they should look more comfortable and improved. IMO, a rule is needed to guard against an experienced senior team like M/B capitalizing on and taking advantage of the junior age rule, simply because they can.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2007
My federation chanced the rules couple of years ago. Though we do not have pairs in juniors i write it here. As there has been for some years "Two best scores and one must be international" last season they chanced it "one must be juniors international". I like that rule. And before they allowed both scores be from seniors -3, today they allow one from seniors but deduction is -5. This is fair. "If you do not want to skate in junior competition, then you will not skate at JWC." is Finland's message and I hope every federation follows this rule. There would be easy way to keep junior competition only as a junior competition: Hold the JWC event closer WC and skaters should choose which one. This is not only about B/M, it is about some feds send senior skaters if they can, skaters who have not skated in juniors at all and during the current season and are just some weeks or even days young enough to go even when threre. Finland has done it too before changing the rules and I found it unfair also, having two good skates in seniors the deduction was only -6 together while there would have been skaters who had the TES, in women there have always been several. JWC should not be for skaters to secure more than one spot for a fed. It should a competition for young skaters.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2015
Someone said, what about, a number of senior competition is allowed, then after this number, you cannot skate junior events anymore... I like this very much... It allows skaters to transition smoothly... It allows them to plan properly.
For instance, if it were "after 5 senior competitions, you cannot skate in junior events anymore) then, a team who for instance has skated 2 challengers, 2 GP events will have to make a choice... to skate 4cc or Euros... OR JWC... I like that idea very much as it does give the choice to skaters to follow their own path and priorities. It's not too restrictive. It's not necessarily about age. It's about the field where you most compete.
For instance, if it were "after 5 senior competitions, you cannot skate in junior events anymore) then, a team who for instance has skated 2 challengers, 2 GP events will have to make a choice... to skate 4cc or Euros... OR JWC... I like that idea very much as it does give the choice to skaters to follow their own path and priorities. It's not too restrictive. It's not necessarily about age. It's about the field where you most compete.
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