Pairs LPs (begining now!)

jan said:

I don't think that all of the pairs have been increasing the difficulty of their lifts. the gold medallists have very basic lifts....compare their lifts to Sale and Pelletier and you will see the difference.

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Salé and Pelletier had outstanding lifts, I agree. Difficulty, QUALITY, speed and ice coverage. Just one example: the lift in their 2001-2002 SP was unbelievable!!

But I was talking generally. It seems to me that the 2006 pairs as a group have more difficulty in their lifts than the 2002 pairs as a group. But I admit it's a general impression. I should go check my SLC tape.

Shmuzzy said:

CBC showed 12 but that was probably because of the two Canadian pairs in the 2nd to last flight.

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You mean during the Afternoon? Because they didn't do that during Primetime.

Ryan O said:

You mean during the Afternoon? Because they didn't do that during Primetime.

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Yes, they showed it in the afternoon. I was pleasantly surprised!

i' m so happy that TT/MM won the gold, because i believe they deserved it too much...all of their elements were flawless and after they completed the important elements they were so ambitios, especially Tatiana and looked happy as they know they won the gold... not only technical elements they also skated with a great artistry...i liked maxim kissing hands of his partner at the end of the program he was so sweet...i felt bad that i won't be able to watch this couple competing again
as for the chinese couples, zhang had a bad fall, i was nearly crying when i was watching, but i'd give the silver to Shen/Zhao, and the bronze to Pang/Tong.
also shame for Petrova/Tikhonov...i also couldn't understand why they got so low marks...didn't they only have one mistake? but all of chinese couples have better tehcnical elements than Petrova/Tikhonov...
i think if Zhang landed 4 salchow, and completed their lp without a mistake, they'd be 2nd again...couldn't win the gold! so, why did they take so much risk? they were nearly losing their medal chance...

Yes, T/M won gold but what a snoozathon of a performance. Technically fine blah blah blah. Unfortunately, my favorite team, S/Z, had too many bobbles to take the silver, which rightfully belonged to Z/Z, despite the fall. They had great strength and simply made fewer mistakes than S/Z, and the superiority of S/Z in presentation could not compensate at this stage. Pang & Tong gave a superb performance as well. I pretty much slept through Petrova/Tikhonov--what a dud of a performance!

I was really pleased for Inoue/Baldwin. They came in 7th, made history with the throw 3 Axel and gave two very solid performances. They should be extremely proud of themselves.

SusanBeth said:

What an amazing performance from S/Z and Z/Z under extraordinary circumstances. However, I do worry that once people look back on Z/Z's actual performance, it's going to be scandal time again. It was indeed magnificient under the circumstances, but ummm not Silver and maybe not Bronze.

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ITA. I think they received sympathy marks.

Vash

RealtorGal said:

Yes, T/M won gold but what a snoozathon of a performance. Technically fine blah blah blah. Unfortunately, my favorite team, S/Z, had too many bobbles to take the silver, which rightfully belonged to Z/Z, despite the fall. They had great strength and simply made fewer mistakes than S/Z, and the superiority of S/Z in presentation could not compensate at this stage. Pang & Tong gave a superb performance as well. I pretty much slept through Petrova/Tikhonov--what a dud of a performance!

I was really pleased for Inoue/Baldwin. They came in 7th, made history with the throw 3 Axel and gave two very solid performances. They should be extremely proud of themselves.

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I love T&M's skating and it was not a snooze for me. I loved every moment of it. Their fighting spirit showed throughout the performance.

I love Petrova- Tikhonov's skating too, for their basic skating skills and Maria's lovely posture. It was not their best performance but I like their choice of music and the light heartedness of this program. The chinese have big tricks but the basics are missing. It does not create great art. It only creates a 'jumping on ice' competition. The only ture Chinese 'pair' is Shen &Zhao but at this point T&M is clearly the best pair in the world.

Vash

zeytin said:

i' m so happy that TT/MM won the gold, because i believe they deserved it too much...all of their elements were flawless and after they completed the important elements they were so ambitios, especially Tatiana and looked happy as they know they won the gold... not only technical elements they also skated with a great artistry...i liked maxim kissing hands of his partner at the end of the program he was so sweet...i felt bad that i won't be able to watch this couple competing again
as for the chinese couples, zhang had a bad fall, i was nearly crying when i was watching, but i'd give the silver to Shen/Zhao, and the bronze to Pang/Tong.
also shame for Petrova/Tikhonov...i also couldn't understand why they got so low marks...didn't they only have one mistake? but all of chinese couples have better tehcnical elements than Petrova/Tikhonov...
i think if Zhang landed 4 salchow, and completed their lp without a mistake, they'd be 2nd again...couldn't win the gold! so, why did they take so much risk? they were nearly losing their medal chance...

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Petrova-Tikhonov had 3 mistakes. He doubled the sbs 3toe, then she doubled the sbs 3salchow. In their pendulum lift, everything looked fine but on landing she had a little stumble. Pet-Tik have better skating skills than the Chinese but they don't have big tricks so they have to skate clean to have a chance to win a medal.

I also think the COP is helping the Chinese pairs because they don't have to pay a lot of attention to artistry; just collect points on elements.

I believe Z&Z went for the quad salchow because they had worked on it, and they wanted to do it in the Olympics. Also, if there was even a grain of a chance of winning, they wanted to take it. I admire that attitude. However, I was very happy with T&M's win and their reaction when they finished was very touching.

Vash

Vash01 said:

Petrova-Tikhonov had 3 mistakes. He doubled the sbs 3toe, then she doubled the sbs 3salchow. In their pendulum lift, everything looked fine but on landing she had a little stumble. Pet-Tik have better skating skills than the Chinese but they don't have big tricks so they have to skate clean to have a chance to win a medal.

I also think the COP is helping the Chinese pairs because they don't have to pay a lot of attention to artistry; just collect points on elements.

Vash

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i'm totally agree with you, chinese pairs (not S/Z) have great technics, but i don't enjoy their programms as i enjoy the russian pairs...TT/MM are so smooth and soft on the ice... they have great ice coverage and transitions...some posters find TT/MM boring? i really can't understand, when we were watching them last night with my mum, we were like crazy they were so excited throughout the programms after they finished their elements.
and the routines of 2 chinese pair are also very excited but it's just because their great technical abilities, jumps and twists. what a height in throw jumps and zhangs 3twist! she was nearly flying

zeytin

I Loved the fact that in an iverview with Gwendal, Tatiania said that Z/Z would not let them warm up and she felt the dreadful fall was for the most part, what comes around goes around!!!:O Maxime just stood there silent!! Then she stood soo far away from them and only shook their hands when approchaing the podium!! She did hug the #3s!
Bravo to T/M!
Fauve

Shen and Zhao are my favorite team, but I don't really have a problem w/ the Zhang's getting 2nd instead - I would've been fine either way. You have to take into account that the Zhang's had a lead over them going into the free skate and that despite the fall, their program had more level 4 elements in it and most of them were performed well.

Haven't watched my tape yet but I did see Pt/Tk whom I felt a bit sorry for because they really have been coming along quite well with their presentation. Sorry again that they retire medalless.

Didn't see S&Z but from their SP I thought they skated a routine without much practice. Very sad for them.

Zhang and Zhang - Whoa that fall. Not easy to continue but she did!!! I think they got extra points for that. The standing ovation perks up the judges.

The most improved Pairs is Pang and Tong. She has come a long way from just being someone to toss around in the air. They had quite a rapport with each other and with the audience, too. The wave of the future?

T&M have never been of any interest to me (sorry T&M fans) and they continue to be of no interest. That slow cautious approach to everything just isn't skating with my requirement of a joie de vivre. It can win medals, though, and I definitely believe they deserved the gold. Their calculated precision technical is very special. (aside: Sasha has a much better R&J with an invisible R)

JMO - Joe

Considering I have always been a fan of Russian figure skating, having gotten into the sport watching pairs as the first discipline, with G & G and M & D, I have to say the pair I most enjoyed at the LP competition was Dube & Davison. It was my first time seeing them in competition, and I loved their chemistry. I think they have great artistic ability and look forward to seeing them develop more. If I had to pick the pair I could watch over and over again, it would be Dube/Davison. Yes, even after the Zhangs' drama, the Chinese tricks, and the technical perfection of T/M. Why? Because I enjoyed their chemistry and artistic interpretation, two elements I didn't see much of from the other pairs last night.

I loved the entrance to the Polish pair's LP. I thought it was cool.

T/M's performance was technically perfect. Their cautiousness was felt, however, I thought as big a story as it is, interpretation of R&J could be more artistic, and I didn't feel emotion until the end. However, from the perspective based on the new system of numbers, I think T/M deserved the gold. I hope Russia pulls out a new pair. I've watched O/S, and I'm not inspired by them as I was with Bechke/Petrov, G/G, B/S, and M/D (not K/D). I wonder whether we will see another Russian pair like them. I guess only time will tell.

I was happy that Shen and Zhao were able to finish their long program as well as they did. Their lifts weren't the best I've seen from them - there was a tentativeness I sensed, especially from the exits of those lifts, and their SBS spins were off. Technically, I see how Pang and Tong and the Zhangs could have outranked them last night. Artistically, I think Shen and Zhao still carry themselves above the other two. But like SunshineSlayer, I'm fine with the outcomes between the three Chinese pairs. I agree with the assessment of the Zhangs lead from the SP and the level 4 elements.

The German pair was also enjoyable to watch. They would be one of my favorite pairs to watch in the coming years. I liked their extensions and transitions in both programs.

Totally agree with you Muse about D/D. This is virtually the only pair I'm excited to see. As a fan of the Russian pairs of the past, I'm not surprised these two grab you - they have an almost Russian pairs quality about them - something about the lines and a certain aristocratic air. It's just icing on the cake for me that they are Canadian, as am I. I spent virtually the entire pairs final wishing I liked one or two of the top teams more.

I don't really enjoy T/M's skating. It was fine and all, but didn't seem extremely special to me. Tot has always looked cold and harsh to me. Did she change her red hair to blonde to seem warmer to audiences? It just made her look like an ice queen =/ And her comment about the Z/Z fall being divine retribution or whatnot just put me off. I'm sure they WERE aggressive during warmups, but geez... sympathy?!

Yay for S/Z, I'm happy to see them back. P/T's skate was good, but I think the rankings were correct for them, even though I'm partial to Phantom of the Opera music lol.

Just wanted to say that I agree with Muse's assesment, although I have to say I was also a big Dimitriev-kasakova fan too (and G/G and M/D)

rain said:

Totally agree with you Muse about D/D. This is virtually the only pair I'm excited to see. As a fan of the Russian pairs of the past, I'm not surprised these two grab you - they have an almost Russian pairs quality about them - something about the lines and a certain aristocratic air. It's just icing on the cake for me that they are Canadian, as am I. I spent virtually the entire pairs final wishing I liked one or two of the top teams more.

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It's funny, because Dube/Davison are probably the first Canadian pair, after Hough/Ladret, that I could really sink into and like. But like you said, D/D just has that quality that I felt from the pairs of the past. I know they've got a little more work to do technically, but I think they could definitely have a chance for a medal someday because they already have the chemistry and artistry at such a young age.

emma said:

Just wanted to say that I agree with Muse's assesment, although I have to say I was also a big Dimitriev-kasakova fan too (and G/G and M/D)

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I didn't mind K/D. I liked them well enough actually, but some of their moves reminded me too much of Natalia, and I didn't feel the same chemistry between them like I did with M/D, who I still miss... *sigh*

T/M's performance was technically perfect

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It was the best of the night, technically, but it sure the heck was not perfect. Every one of the lifts should have been -1 for man's footwork unsteady. There was also a chest crash on the triple twist, another deduction.