Pechalat/Bourzat switch to Shpilband (May 20) | Page 3 | Golden Skate

Pechalat/Bourzat switch to Shpilband (May 20)

tulosai

Record Breaker
Joined
Dec 21, 2011
Hmm... well, I won't say Pechalat/Bourzat are washed up but I personally never found them very interesting to begin with. I don't know if Schpilband can save them but I don't think he can hurt them. They were always a distant 3rd in my mind and now there are several teams that can challenge for 3rd so the heat is on.

And I agree with several of you--I will be utterly shocked if D/W and V/M don't finish 1-2 in some fashion but my 3rd place bias is Cappellini/Lanotte. Assuming D/W and V/M both retire after Sochi, I'll be interested to hear who's moving to Zoueva's camp.

I think V/M are done for sure after Sochi. D/W I do not see retiring but I could be wrong. They don't have any injuries that we know of (at least not serious ones) and for some reason I get the vibe that they are not ready to be done. If an OGM would change that is open for debate, I suppose.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
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United-States
Wow, what a shock! :eek:

I think P&B will do very well with Igor. Fabian's twizzles need a little of the Shpilband magic, and P&B have done well but not perfections in the SD pattern dances. Igor's team of Fusar-Poli & Klimova (and himself of course) have been very successful to help teams up their technical ante. I just hope C&B and C&L don't get lost in this shuffle.

I don't think P&B are done, I don't think they're boring, and they have done amazing the last 2 seasons considering their injuries and difficulties. One can't deny however, that age is not on their side.

I believe V&M have always said they will retire next year, D&W said not, but if they win the Olympics, I would not be surprised if they do retire--which would be a leg up for every other country's dance teams.
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
^ I think the feeling about Virtue and Moir is that they peaked two or three years ago and are struggling now to hold their place. The physical strains alone appear to be taking their toll.

I suspect that Virtue's leg injuries are a bigger problem than they are letting on, and as a result cannot skate with the sheer power and abandon they had in Vancouver. But to say that Sochi is going to be--at least at this point--anything other than an epic battle between Voir and Marlie for the gold and at least a four-way dogfight for the bronze is to ignore the past three years of ice dance.

But yes, things can change. The question is, how much?
 

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
Facts please! So Bollywood wasn’t taking chances against the overused flamenco in 2010? And D/W’s complex tango and stunning Der Fledermaus waltz wasn’t different from each other and Samson&Delilah? And Giselle ballet wasn’t the best interpretation of the polka OD? Some people just refuse to see what is there and rely on stereotypical comments generated by those with their own biases.

This ^ x a zillion.

The reason why the Notre Dame dance wasn't as successful for me as a piece of choreography was precisely because it seemed to a step backward after three years of technical and artistic progress for Marlie. And even this year, Charlie in particular has made great artistic strides, particularly in his connection to Meryl AND his control--he's finally showing that he can hold back and control that amazing power of his, to hold then release a move, rather than go balls-to-the-walls as he did for years. I would love to see Marlie skate that tango program now--that choreography was intense (enough so that they had to change it in order to temper the momentum of the program at one point), and with their undeniable improvements in connection and control, I think it would really be something. There is no doubt that Voir are the more naturally gifted, but to deny that Marlie hasn't taken incredible chances with their artistry--and succeeded beautifully--is something I cannot disagree with more strongly.
 

gmyers

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 6, 2010
Igor is the one who can get level 4 for them which is what they need since they already have good PCS. If Igor made it possible for C/L to get a level 4 on steps at the GPF when D/W and V/M didn't, why is it so impossible for P/B to do it? Everyone just keeps calling them "done" but this has been said so many times and they always managed to get back in top 3. After 2011 worlds disaster they came back with an amazing season and even last season they beat every team except D/W and V/M until Fabian's surgery.The scores the Russians put at worlds are beatable (in fact, I believe the French couple got higher scores until the injury than the Russians at worlds). I agree with you on this and I would put my money on P/B to get the Olympic bronze

Yeah the PCS for P/B totally indicates they are right in there for third place. They do need to improve their TES and that could be done by healing from Fabian and good coaching by Shpiliband. So P/B are right in the place of returning to 3rd and did really well in the SD in London considering the injury and tremendous amount of lost training time! Like a HUGE amount of training time was lost. More than when Pechalat broke her nose. THe nose breaking wasn't as bad as what Fabian had! That was real bad. But now they can return and do well and have no doubt. There is nothing going on that could reduce the PCS of VM or DW from 58 down to the P/B B/S 53 and nothing that can raise 53 to 58 in free dances for any team. The PCS barrier is just enormous and shows that only the retirements of both VM and DW will make worlds golds conceivable for any other team. Right not for every team in the world but VM and DW gold and silver are totally inconceivable for any other team to even think of or consider and every team knows that for the GPF and Olympics the only slot open if DW and VM are there is bronze and no non VM or DW can even dream about even silver.
 

meem

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 24, 2006
"There is no doubt that Voir are the more naturally gifted" ..."They do have a romantic vibe that D/W don't" What romantic vibe? IMO, V/M look like brother and sister: same build, same looks (fair-skinned brunettes): Nan & Bert, the Bobbsey Twins of ice dance. And "the more naturally gifted"? Really? Please, enough of these condescending comments, descriptions. And as far as which teams will end up on the podium, nothing is a sure thing at this point. Back on topic to P/B: maybe this switch to Shpilband is their "go big or go home" decision/action and it will be interesting to see what changes, if any, he'll make.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
More from IN (May 28)

More from IN (May 28)

Pechalat, Bourzat turn to Shpilband for final run
Gailhaguet suggested move, but skaters 'trust Igor 100 percent'

By Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork.com
(05/28/2013)
http://web.icenetwork.com/news/article.jsp?ymd=20130528&content_id=48847450&vkey=ice_news

Quotes from Pechalat, Bourzat, Shpilband, and Camerlengo.

Two of the many details in the article:

- "Shpilband hopes to bring many of his teams to the 2013 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships in August. As of last week, he had not discussed Lake Placid with Péchalat and Bourzat."

- And Bourzat says: "We have about eight months left in our career ..."
(Had they already announced their plan to retire??)​
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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Jul 26, 2003
Country
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I think they have said they are only staying in until the Olympics...after all, Fabian is 32.

I see that they finished their programs in France before coming to Igor.
 

ice coverage

avatar credit: @miyan5605
Record Breaker
Joined
Feb 27, 2012
Thanks, Doris. Totally understandable that Pechalat/Bourzat will feel ready to retire.
I was not sure whether they had said anything out loud before, as they did in the IN article.

So at the very least, Virtue/Moir and P/B (if not other ice dancers) will be completing their competitive careers in Sochi. :cry: :bow:
Will be interesting to see what paths they will choose next. :popcorn: No doubt that each could be very successful outside the world of skating. :) Best wishes to all four!
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
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It will be fascinating to see who suddenly takes the lead in dance, especially if D&W retire too. Behind D&W, V&M, and P&B, the next 4 or 5 teams have been pretty even.
 

FSGMT

Record Breaker
Joined
Sep 10, 2012
"It was unexpected, a surprise for us," Camerlengo said. "Of course, when you say, 'the French federation,' that means [federation president] Didier Gailhaguet. He makes the decisions, and he said he wouldn't help Nathalie and Fabian economically unless they decided to switch.
"It is really disappointing he put them in this situation. They were used to working with us; they were enjoying working with us. [Didier] thought it wasn't working; sometimes, when everybody thinks one way, he likes to think the other way. I don't know any other reason, but the choice was made."
Again: :disapp::frown:
 

pangtongfan

Match Penalty
Joined
Jun 16, 2010
It will be fascinating to see who suddenly takes the lead in dance, especially if D&W retire too. Behind D&W, V&M, and P&B, the next 4 or 5 teams have been pretty even.

I think if D&W win in Sochi 100% they are retiring. I would guess if they dont win 50% chance they retire (and if they dont would definitely be in it for the long haul until 2018 even if they stopped dominating, as long as they were still in the top 3 or 4 and felt they even had a slim shot atleast for the 2018 gold). Since I think they are 70% likely to win in Sochi though that would leave only 15% of them staying in probably though by my estimation.

So probably (not sure in case of D&W but probably) we will see all 3 done after next season. Who knows if Weaver & Poje will even continue, probably after next season, but maybe not all the way until 2014. Capellini & Lanotte would be a question mark of continuing or not too. The Russians probably are for sure, as well as most of the other Americans.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
Dancers often stay in quite late-Bourzat is 32, for example; I expect C&L to stay in, because with P&B, D&W (probably) and V&M retired, they have a definite shot at Worlds medals. And it isn't as though the younger Italians are particularly nipping at their heels.
 
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