- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Might as well send someone.
2025-26 U.S. Pairs Figure Skating
- Thread starter BlissfulSynergy
- Start date
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2024
I hope they send someone else to Nebelhorn. Unfortunately the ISU website is not up to date, they still have Ellie and Danny listed.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
New article/ interview with Liu/ Bedard:
Chelsea:
"It was never my intention to step away from skating; I always wanted to continue competing. However, I found myself in a situation that brought me more pain than happiness. While making sacrifices is part of any career, I eventually realized where 'the line' was for me—I was not willing to sacrifice my mental well-being for success in sport. During this period, I dedicated that time to truly understanding what I needed both as an athlete and as a person outside of sport..."
Chelsea:
"It was never my intention to step away from skating; I always wanted to continue competing. However, I found myself in a situation that brought me more pain than happiness. While making sacrifices is part of any career, I eventually realized where 'the line' was for me—I was not willing to sacrifice my mental well-being for success in sport. During this period, I dedicated that time to truly understanding what I needed both as an athlete and as a person outside of sport..."
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2014
Just working my way through each discipline because I need the full picture in my head.
Bye Criteria:: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/2026 Qualifying Bye Advancement Criteria.pdf
CTES: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/TN 319 Minimum TES 2026.pdf
Byes:
Last Year's Top 5: Efimova/Mitrofanov, McBeath/Parkman, Kam/O'Shea, Chan/Howe, Shin/Nagy
3 Assignments:
Williams/Lewer: John Nicks, JGP Riga, JGP Gdansk - I think it's likely they have the bye already, but if they'd cement it if they make the JGP Final.
Plazas/Fernandez: Kinoshita, Tayside Trophy and Skate America
2 Assignments:
Moss/Galbavy: JGP Ankara, JGP Bangkok,Trialleti Trophy,
Flores/Wang: John Nicks, Skate America,Nebelhorn(withdrawn)
Liu/Bedard: John Nicks and Tayside Trophy
Fitzpatrick/Bearinger: John Nicks and Tayside Trophy
1 Assignment:
ETA: Moss/Galbavy because they've now gotten a senior Challenger...wasn't expecting that.
Bye Criteria:: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/2026 Qualifying Bye Advancement Criteria.pdf
CTES: https://www.usfigureskating.org/sites/default/files/media-files/TN 319 Minimum TES 2026.pdf
Byes:
Last Year's Top 5: Efimova/Mitrofanov, McBeath/Parkman, Kam/O'Shea, Chan/Howe, Shin/Nagy
3 Assignments:
Williams/Lewer: John Nicks, JGP Riga, JGP Gdansk - I think it's likely they have the bye already, but if they'd cement it if they make the JGP Final.
Plazas/Fernandez: Kinoshita, Tayside Trophy and Skate America
2 Assignments:
Moss/Galbavy: JGP Ankara, JGP Bangkok,
Flores/Wang: John Nicks, Skate America,
Liu/Bedard: John Nicks and Tayside Trophy
Fitzpatrick/Bearinger: John Nicks and Tayside Trophy
1 Assignment:
ETA: Moss/Galbavy because they've now gotten a senior Challenger...wasn't expecting that.
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- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Isn't it still possible for Liu/ Bedard to get another assignment before or after U.S. Pairs Challenge? I think so. Perhaps even Skate America, as L/B had a better showing at John Nicks than Shin/ Nagy; Flores/ Wang; Williams/ Lewer; and Fitzpatrick/ Bearinger!
BTW, has anyone heard whether F/W are injured or rethinking their partnership? What's up with their lift problems?
BTW, has anyone heard whether F/W are injured or rethinking their partnership? What's up with their lift problems?
- Joined
- Jul 15, 2024
An interview with Elizabeth Hansen and her new partner Hudson Lewis. Interesting read. She explains her growing so much was the reason she and William Church split.
https://figureskatersonline.com/new...eam-series-elizabeth-hansen-and-hudson-lewis/
https://figureskatersonline.com/new...eam-series-elizabeth-hansen-and-hudson-lewis/
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Thanks for sharing. I'm glad to see that Hudson has found another partner. I believe he switched to pairs skating from another sport, and he was briefly partnered with someone else at MMPairs at Broadmoor World Arena. I remember Hansen with Church, vaguely. Their names are more familiar to me than their skating partnership, likely because I didn't see many of their performances.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Updated GP assignments indicate that Shin/ Nagy were given SkAm. U.S. fed is going all out to push S/N, who do not yet have 2026 World minimums according to skatingscores. McBeath/ Parkman are scoring in the 180s and are 23 on the Worlds Standings list; Chan/ Howe are 25 on the list; and Shin/ Nagy are 46, with total scores in the 150s to 160s range.
With their recent 183.81 score at Nebelhorn Trophy for 5th place, McB/ Park would have won the third spot at Skate to Milano over the Japanese team. It would have been good experience for McB/Park as a team with rising momentum. It also would have been notable and prestigious for the U.S. to have had three spots in every discipline for 2026 Olympics. But clearly, U.S. fed does not care.
As U.S. silver medalists McB/Park should have been sent to 2025 4CCs over Shin/ Nagy, too! It does not help a new team (esp. with one partner adjusting to a new discipline) to be constantly pushed, which adds undue pressure, uneven results, and disappointment. In the end, it's going to be up to Audrey & Balazs to decide what they want; figure out who they are as a team; and speak up for their needs and desires to U.S. fed
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
I have to ask why Shin/ Nagy deserve two GP spots over McBeath/ Parkman and Chan/ Howe, who both have only one GP assignment?
In other news, in their fan fest thread, Ellie/ Danny's podcast interview with Polina Edmunds was posted. A must-listen for Ellie/ Danny fans:
In other news, in their fan fest thread, Ellie/ Danny's podcast interview with Polina Edmunds was posted. A must-listen for Ellie/ Danny fans:
The Iron Butterfly: From Practice to Podium ft. Ellie Kam & Danny O’Shea
I interview 2024 U.S. Pairs Champions Ellie Kam and Danny O’Shea on their partnership journey and goals for the upcoming Olympic season.
bleav.com
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2014
McBeath/Parkman just picked up a second assignment the other day because they were at the top of the alternates list.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Gosh, I just saw the news that Nate Bartholomay has teamed up with someone named Charlene Bailey, and they will be competing at the Boston Open. I guess Nate still loves skating despite all of his injuries. I suppose he's inspired and rejuvenated by Danny O'Shea's success and maybe a bit envious of his former partner, Katie, building momentum and success with Parkman.
Nate is 36 and Danny is 34.
Nate is 36 and Danny is 34.
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- Joined
- Jun 26, 2012
I would be envious of Deanna who even got herself a World title with Maxime! Second place would be Katie.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
Honestly, Nate, and coach, Jim Peterson, had a great deal to do with aiding Deanna in her initial comeback chapter as a pairs skater. She knows this, accepts it and acknowledges it, as I once saw her do up front, without any hesitation, in a comment section on her Instagram.
Nate was badly injured after he and Deanna won their second U.S. Nats bronze medal. He let Deanna know that he wasn't certain he would be able to come back after surgery, so they mutually split w/o any hard feelings. It was a clean break on both their parts, so while Nate may have desired to reach the heights with Deanna, it wasn't meant to be. I'm not sure Nate has any personal regrets about not making it with Deanna. His injuries have hampered his later career more than anything else. In Maxim, Deanna found her perfect partner, and all the puzzle pieces fell into place in a way that could not have happened with Nate. We can tell from how Nate's partnership with Katie McBeath transpired. Meeting Katie and partnering with her gave Nate a new breath of figure skating competitive life. They were good together, but again, Nate's injuries slowed his progress with Katie. Ultimately, they split professionally, and seemingly personally, too, as Katie began achieving promising career results with Parkman.
Deanna is fiercely determined and ambitious, and the U.S. pairs discipline, at the time of her split with Nate, was chock full of veteran teams. Deanna was eager to advance. There has subsequently been rumors that U.S. fed did not take Deanna seriously enough as a top contender with great potential. Reportedly, U.S. fed focused on facilitating the coming together of Alexa and Brandon at the time, while Deanna was left to look further afield. She decided to contact Bruno Marcotte about a potential new partner. And the rest is, pairs figure skating history.
I suppose we will learn more about Nate's new partnership and the motivation and intention behind this move. Perhaps Chelsea Liu's essentially third or fourth comeback, unexpectedly now with Ryan Bedard, has also been inspirational for Nate (as he has previously been a coach at the Great Parks Ice rink, in Irvine).
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
It's also worth pointing out that Nate and one of his earliest partners, Felicia Zhang, won the silver medal at 2014 U.S. Nats, which earned them a pairs skating berth on Team USA for the Sochi Olympics. So, no matter what, Nate will always be an Olympian.
I suppose it can become addictive to try and reach those heights of emotion and achievement again, especially after your first taste of such a prized and sought after experience. Or, just the adrenalin rush of high level competition in and of itself is exhilarating and apparently worth the downsides and hard knocks for many skaters (and athletes generally).
I suppose it can become addictive to try and reach those heights of emotion and achievement again, especially after your first taste of such a prized and sought after experience. Or, just the adrenalin rush of high level competition in and of itself is exhilarating and apparently worth the downsides and hard knocks for many skaters (and athletes generally).
- Joined
- Oct 22, 2022
I wasn't an Olympian, and family life became more important than the long hours and the travelling involved with competing, but the adrenaline and the exhilaration of just the skating itself...yeah, that's what's still driving me on the ice, many years after retiring from the competitive side of pairs skating. That really is addictive.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Yes! Lets normalize comebacks at any age!
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
My kids Moss/Galbavy are amazing.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
If you got it physically and still have the chutzpah, determination, and desire to battle and prevail, mentally, physically, and emotionally, then, Go for it!!
- Joined
- Feb 12, 2014
Argh.....I'm not putting in pairs' assignments for Tayside Trophy in my chart until after the event happens. 
So, USFS updated the assignments page, and only lists Fitzpatrick/Bearinger and Plazas/Fernandez. The entry list has Fitzpatrick/Bearinger, Liu/Bedard, and Williams/Lewer. So, who knows what's going on there, or if USFS made an entry error which has happened in the past.
So, USFS updated the assignments page, and only lists Fitzpatrick/Bearinger and Plazas/Fernandez. The entry list has Fitzpatrick/Bearinger, Liu/Bedard, and Williams/Lewer. So, who knows what's going on there, or if USFS made an entry error which has happened in the past.
