2025-26 Russian Grand Prix - Stage 1 - Magnitogorsk | Page 31 | Golden Skate

2025-26 Russian Grand Prix - Stage 1 - Magnitogorsk

I know everybody has their favorite skating discipline, but I really think pair skating is the most difficult of them all. The elements are so challenging and then to do them in sync with a partner. It's dangerous and the dangers are possibly life-threatening. You have to be fearless. But, the top Russian pairs have been the best in the world for decades for a reason. Today's competition is not going well for these kids which is sometimes the case. But, when it works, it's glorious.
 
I know everybody has their favorite skating discipline, but I really think pair skating is the most difficult of them all. The elements are so challenging and then to do them in sync with a partner. It's dangerous and the dangers are possibly life-threatening. You have to be fearless. But, the top Russian pairs have been the best in the world for decades for a reason. Today's competition is not going well for these kids which is sometimes the case. But, when it works, it's glorious.
Pairs are by far the most difficult, I think.
 
Well, that was actually good given Julia's propensity to biff the SBS jumps. Good for them. I'm always impressed when you can tell the lift didn't go up quite as planed, but man adjusts which gives the woman the opportunity to rebalance and nobody gets hurt.
 
My heart stopped during about two lift moments when it seemed to me Alexei is loosing Yulia but fortunately everything went well. Doubled jump is unfortunate but if nothing worse happened than it's OK.
 
I know everybody has their favorite skating discipline, but I really think pair skating is the most difficult of them all. The elements are so challenging and then to do them in sync with a partner. It's dangerous and the dangers are possibly life-threatening. You have to be fearless. But, the top Russian pairs have been the best in the world for decades for a reason. Today's competition is not going well for these kids which is sometimes the case. But, when it works, it's glorious.
In terms of technical skills (and guts), pairs is definitely the most difficult discipline, imo. So many different skills paired with the difficulty that comes with skating with a partner - It takes a special personality to deal with that calmly.

Other disciplines have their own difficulties - Women's is difficult because of how many competitors you have, while Ice Dance must be hard to deal with mentally due to the scoring, while men's has huge training loads (with the quads), but pairs feels the toughest. Especially the scariness at the start, anyone who has ever watched Novice/lower level Junior pairs knows how much courage it takes to even pick up pairs as a discipline.
 
Nobody wants to skate clean today?

These two have been having a difficult time so far this season, now the SP worked and the FS didn't :( Hope they are able to put together two clean skates at Nationals,
 
while Ice Dance must be hard to deal with mentally due to the scoring
Not only that.

Steps require a lot of stamina actually. Much more than is commonly believed.

Also, high lifts are prohibited, but dancing lifts are dangerous due to speed and difficult positions. A lot of women end up with concussions.
 
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