2025 Skate to Milano Pairs Short Program

[cocteautwin]

That's UZB, not AZE

Yep, thanks, already edited

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Yes, and if anyone thinks that Audrey

 

[Ichatdelune]

I don't think I'm going to be able to stomach the women and the inevitable sh*tstorm that's about to follow, I just might skip the first three flights...

 

[Karoltyna]

I missed last group, it looks like 3rd spot is still very much open, but not for US. Interesting.

 

[FlossieH]

Also, I know this is pairs. But if the standings hold up and Josefin does well enough in the women's event...does Sweden have the potential to make the team event?

Sweden need to qualify spots in 3/4 disciplines and place in the top 10 countries at the point where the entries are decided. At the moment, men is the only discipline where they have qualified. It would be touch and go whether they made the top ten. It would also depend partly on what happens with China, Germany and Switzerland.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

As far as I know, she doesn´t, but they havn´t spoken about it since Europeans or Worlds I think, were they were working on it but didn´t have a timeline But they started the process around early 24 with moving to Sweden, Milla is paying taxes there and all and I guess language test isn´t going to be a issue for her. So I think she has a chance to get it in time, but I honestly don´t know anything about the process and if Swedish Fed can speed it up. The weird thing about it all is that they made some newspaper interviews early in June about them going to this Qualifier and hoping to go to Milano - but there was nothing about the citizenship issue in the article.

As far as I know, people with Nordic citizenship can get Swedish citizenship after only 2 years of residency (normally 5), but that would still be cutting it awfully close (if not entirely impossible despite that).

 

[FlossieH]

Yep, thanks, already edited

I am glad I'm not the only one who keeps getting the Armenian and Uzbek pairs muddled.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

As far as I know, people with Nordic citizenship can get Swedish citizenship after only 2 years of residency (normally 5), but that would still be cutting it awfully close still (if not entirely impossible despite that).

Hmm yeah I thought about that. I’m wondering if she did move in December 2023, I recall the article about them relocating being written in early January 2024 would be a bit better but still close.

What if they married? I’m not saying they should but they are a couple outside ice and I think that thought must have occurred.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Sweden need to qualify spots in 3/4 disciplines and place in the top 10 countries at the point where the entries are decided. At the moment, men is the only discipline where they have qualified. It would be touch and go whether they made the top ten. It would also depend partly on what happens with China, Germany and Switzerland.

Switzerland is out of the running for the pairs event, no pairs team here (they wouldn't have an eligible one anyway) and no dance team either (Gina is injured).

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Hmm yeah I thought about that. I’m wondering if she did move in December 2023, I recall the article about them relocating being written in early January 2024 would be a bit better but still close.

What if they married? I’m not saying they should but they are a couple outside ice and I think that thought must have occurred.

I think that doesn't reduce it further (for non-Nordics, it does reduce it to 2 or 3 years from 5 years), but might have allowed her to register as a resident earlier? I don't know.

 

[cocteautwin]

I am glad I'm not the only one who keeps getting the Armenian and Uzbek pairs muddled.

They are all actually living and training in Russia so I kinda feel less bad about it
It always amazes me how fast they can get citizenship comparing to other cases.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

They are all actually living and training in Russia so I kinda feel less bad about it
It always amazes me how fast they can get citizenship comparing to other cases.

I mean, Karina is Armenian by birth (both of her parents are Armenian), so that explains her passport. Nikita probably got it through a special decree (like Allison got her Lithuanian citizenship), or they've gotten married since their engagement in 2023 and he got it through that.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

I think that doesn't reduce it further (for non-Nordics, it does reduce it to 2 or 3 years from 5 years), but might have allowed her to register as a resident earlier? I don't know.

Well that is kinda good to hear, because I don´t want a marriage to be the solution. I tried so search on articles online, and there is a article behind a paywall where the sport chief in Swedish Fed says "I hope Milla can get citizenship in time", the article was from December last year. I guess it means it´s possible, but the timeline is a bit tight. Hopefully somebody will ask more about it during the qualifier and we will get some status.

 

[Budapest2006]

As everyone is talking about Sweden, I have a question regarding the Team Event. If a team qualifies among top 10, and they only have skaters qualified in 3/4 events, do they get a spot for the individual event where they haven't qualify yet ?

 

[Budapest2006]

How about Uzbekistan*? Will they use their spot? I saw a lot of rumours about Geynish/Chigirev split last few days.

*Edited, not Azerbeijan of course

I don't wish and I'm unhappy about bad things happening to couple like that..... but if it really is happening that way, I'll be grateful that UZB releases its spot so that top 4 qualifies for Olympics...

because here obviously, we are with 4 pairs for 3 spots

 

[paulusfr]

Girl, they are not the ones who should have that look, it's the other teams with American citizenship - They could easily miss out on an Olympic trip due to a momentary slip of a toe-pick.

If you mean the team that don't have triples jumps, it's hardly a surprise they weren't selected.
Also has Parkman explicitly said he does not have citizenship? I haven't seen it. Only speculation. But maybe I missed something?

 

[katymay]

I thought their score would be a bit higher.

They got hosed PCS -which is a worrisome thing for the future of others from Russia, whether they are competing for AIN or other countries.

 

[Isk]

Akopova and the Japanese have the same coaches, and there are 3 spots? This leaves them no choice but for both teams to beat the Kovalevs in the free.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

If anyone thinks that Audrey & Balasz made slight contact on their triple twist dismount, then so did the French and Japanese teams. But the latter two teams received positive GOE. Let's look at all the angles closely for all these teams if they are going to negatively nitpick on Audrey/ Balasz's triple twist, which has been very well-executed this season. Bottom line, politics and perception reigns. As well, not exuding confidence and struggling in practices certainly did not help Shin/Nagy. But going in, the expectations and perceptions of S/N were low.

I knew the Japanese team would be held up with their mistakes, by virtue of their strongest qualities, and probably also due to how good they looked in practices. Sure, under new coaches, they are much improved this season. They have generally been strong on individual elements having both been singles skaters. Their pairs elements were where they needed improvement, and they have greatly improved. They always exhibited speed and power, but Nagaoka has had a tendency to make mistakes under pressure, which happened here.

The Chinese team is still young and obviously still feeling their way. But, they have high quality elements, which they managed to deliver with precision here, albeit that Huang did not perfectly land his sbs jump, and they had a lot of space between them on their spins, to be honest (I say that seeing as how nitpicky the judges have been on most of the teams). The other thing about Zhang/Huang is that they still need a lot of work in terms of style and presentation. IMO, they were slightly overscored.

The PCS, as usual, are out of whack. Valesi/ Bidar were quite lovely aesthetically, but you wouldn't know it from the low-ball pcs. Shin/ Nagy were also low-balled on pcs, as were Gamez/ Korovin. Somehow, the Japanese and Chinese teams are apparently pcs mavens. Nope. Technically, and in terms of skating skills, those teams have good qualities, but their choreo and presentation is not superior to a number of other teams (including the Kovalevs, who are looking good to qualify a spot for France). It's just that if a team's tech, and/ or power and speed are good, they tend to get a boost, especially if they rep a country that has political leverage and/ or rep status in relevant disciplines.

Mark Hanretty is very wrong in saying that the neck leg wrap swing is Nagaoka/ Moriguchi's 'trademark'. No. The Kerrs originally choreographed that move for Danny O'Shea & Chelsea Liu about 4 years ago. Ever since it has been copied by a number of pairs and ice dance teams. Just because N/M may use it often does NOT make it their trademark. N/M do not even have the nicest looking version of this leg wrap move.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Side by side cartwheels!

LOL! Everybody trying to get jazzy with cartwheels, headstands, and backflips, these days. I guess go for it if you can do it well and it matches the music.