Maia And Alex Shibutani announce return to competitive skating

[pesto]

Competitors really get the itch when they aren't competing, don't they?


7 years! Well, they are still in the age group to be able to skate well.

I don't think expectations should be super-high, American ice dance is stacked, and while they were an elite team, they weren't world champions, so there won't be quite the reputation bonus that Cizeron can get, if he and LFB can give the judges any reason to do so.

 

[GinaHatim]

My absolute favorite sibling pair in ID ever. Excited to see them back. I know they wanted to come back last quad but illness kept them away. I'm happy she's healthy enough now to make a comeback.

 

[CoyoteChris]

My absolute favorite sibling pair in ID ever. Excited to see them back. I know they wanted to come back last quad but illness kept them away. I'm happy she's healthy enough now to make a comeback.

It was quite an era. Tan and Ben, Charlie and M. and the Shibs, each with their own style.

 

[throw_triple_flip]

The Shibs had retired well before Maia's cancer diagnosis.

I don't think that's true. At the time they said they were taking a break. She also refers to being glad about being healthy enough to come back. That doesn't sound like an official retirement unrelated to her health.

Not that it actually matters either way. People are allowed to unretire!

 

[Lamente Ariane]

On the one hand, I’m excited to see Maia and Alex again! On the other hand, selfishly I kind of wish they’d waited one more year because I feel pre-emptively bad for whichever US team could get displaced by them at Nationals and miss out on the Olympics (Green/Parsons? Zingas/Kolesnik? Perhaps even Carreira/Ponomarenko…) as US dance is so stacked and the talent log jam is real. But obviously they want to go to the Olympics again and if they can make top three in the US they deserve it.

 

[sworddance21]

What's the deal with the twitterverse talking about dislike between Chock and Bates and the Shibs?

 

[ucrgirl]

Interested to see how they do. Ice Dance has changed since their last competition. I'm not assuming that they will be able to get on to the US Olympic team and if they do, I expect them to be the third US team. We shall see. Unless Maia and Alex update their style, I think I would prefer to see either Green and Parsons or Zingas and her partner on the Olympic team. (I like the style of both teams and I don't think the Shibs are likely to keep going after the Olympics.)

It will make next season more interesting to be sure.

 

[saine]

What's the deal with the twitterverse talking about dislike between Chock and Bates and the Shibs?

Part of it looks to be about not splitting the team event in 2018.

 

[humbaba]

What's the deal with the twitterverse talking about dislike between Chock and Bates and the Shibs?

Part of it looks to be about not splitting the team event in 2018.

Had dance been split in 2018, Hubble/Donohue would almost certainly have been the second team chosen, not Chock/Bates. Madi Hubble and Zack had just won Nationals, while Madi Chock and Evan placed third behind the Shibs.

There was an argument to be made for using C/B in the free dance portion of the team event. They had beaten both the Shibs and H/D in the FD at GPF and had the highest FD score of the three teams.

However, given that the Shibs and H/D ranked ahead of C/B and Madi had the added liability of skating on a broken foot, I'm guessing that Madi C and Evan knew the odds were against them being assigned to the team event, even if dance was split.

 

[Mathman]

What's the deal with the twitterverse talking about dislike between Chock and Bates and the Shibs?

I believe that the tension started when coaches Zoueva and Shpilband parted company in 2012 in an acrimonious dispute, featuring a lengthy law suit, Alex and Maia's father figured into it somehow. Maia and Alex stuck with Zoueva while Madison and Even went with Shpilband to his new operation.

OT -- By the way, in looking this up just now I found out that when Madison broke up with her former partner Greg Zuerline in 2011 and was searching for a new partner, two of the male dancers in the conversation were were Paul Poitier and Todd Gilles, brother of Piper. The small world of ice dance. )

 

[CoyoteChris]

What's the deal with the twitterverse talking about dislike between Chock and Bates and the Shibs?

I wouldnt believe everything you see on the web. Social media has pushed a number of people to take their own lives. If there are provable quotes, that is one thing. But in any case, people have the right to not like other people.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I don't think that's true. At the time they said they were taking a break. She also refers to being glad about being healthy enough to come back. That doesn't sound like an official retirement unrelated to her health.

Not that it actually matters either way. People are allowed to unretire!

The unexpected cancer diagnosis came after they had retired or taken a break, whatever. Maia did NOT receive a cancer diagnosis while they were still competing. The diagnosis may have hampered a desired comeback, but it did not 'end their career.'

 

[throw_triple_flip]

The unexpected cancer diagnosis came after they had retired or taken a break, whatever. Maia did NOT receive a cancer diagnosis while they were still competing. The diagnosis may have hampered a desired comeback, but it did not 'end their career.'

I didn't say she got diagnosed while competing. Nor did I use the actual phrase career ending.
But call it having a career cut short or a hampered comeback.. It's the same thing, just different phrasing in my opinion. Not that it actually matters.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

There were talk about them returning already 1-2 years ago. If that is when they started to train again, they might be in better shape then we think

 

[Mathman]

There were talk about them returning already 1-2 years ago. If that is when they started to train again, they might be in better shape then we think

I even remember some time ago that there were rumors that Maia (being younger) wanted to return bur Alex didn't, and that she was considering looking for a new partner. I don't know if this was really true or just gossip, though.

 

[CoyoteChris]

On the one hand, I’m excited to see Maia and Alex again! On the other hand, selfishly I kind of wish they’d waited one more year because I feel pre-emptively bad for whichever US team could get displaced by them at Nationals and miss out on the Olympics (Green/Parsons? Zingas/Kolesnik? Perhaps even Carreira/Ponomarenko…) as US dance is so stacked and the talent log jam is real. But obviously they want to go to the Olympics again and if they can make top three in the US they deserve it.

Alex said on social media he just thinks the feeling of being out there on the ice is wonderful. OK. Fine. My prediction is they are out there for a one and done "another" Oly experience. They could do ice shows till the cows come home and people would love them. But I dont think that is them. I dont follow them on social media anymore so I dont know what they have been up to, actually...but they are two interesting people and IMHO great ice dancers and I wish for them the best no matter where life takes them....

 

[CoyoteChris]

I even remember some time ago that there were rumors that Maia (being younger) wanted to return bur Alex didn't, and that she was considering looking for a new partner. I don't know if this was really true or just gossip, though.

I am not attacking you or even me but I have inside first hand info on some skaters that I would never put out there...personally, I think we should also keep rumors without references to a minimum . If GS asks Maia that question, and she decides to answer it or to not answer it, that is fine. Or even what she has been up to the last 10 years....

 

[Jammers]

Part of it looks to be about not splitting the team event in 2018.

Didn't H/D win nationals in 2018 why were they not given the choice of skating in the team event instead of the Shibs?

 

[Mathman]

Didn't H/D win nationals in 2018 why were they not given the choice of skating in the team event instead of the Shibs?

For better or for worse, the USFSA in these decisions follows the same procedure as they do for selecting who goes to the Olympics in the first palace. "Body of work" and international standing are more heavily weighted than any one event standing alone, even U.S. Nationals.

Plus there are considerations like how many days rest the skaters have in different disciplines before they have tp skate again, which disciplines can be split, etc.

I think it goes something like this. First there is a ranking among the 4 disciplines as to which has the best chance of producing big scores. In 2014, for instance, it was dance first, then women, then men, then pairs. So Davis and White got first say-so overall, and they chose to do both segments and rack up the numbers for the U.S. In women's, Gracie Gold chose to skate the LP and Ashley Wagner did the SP based on body of work even though Polina Edmunds had won the silver at U.S. Nationals with Ashley 4th. (And in fact there had already been controversy about putting Wagner on the team ahead of Mirai, the I.S. bronze medalist that year.)

In 2018, although Hubbell and Donohue were disappointed they were gracious about the situation, at least in public.

 

[FlossieH]

Remember, also, with the Team event that changes can only be made between programmes in two of the four disciplines.