2014 Worlds - Free Dance

[BlackPack]

Icenetwork article. The Shibs' quotes:

"We were aggressive and attacked every practice and every performance to make the most of the opportunity [and] to show people what they can look forward to from us for the coming years," Alex said.
He went on to confirm that he and his younger sister plan to continue competing and training under Zoueva.
"Next year starts right away for us," he said. "We have a great team of coaches around us; we really trust Marina. I know we are going to come up with some great stuff over the next four years."

So many fans have mentioned that Zoueva is clueless on how to train the Shibs. Ironic that they don't see she's not the person to distinguish them from others.

 

[Skater Boy]

Who cares if C&L win worlds again. They can still win more medals at worlds and possibly be contenders for a medal at the 2018 Games. That is reason enough to stay. As for not winning Europeans, of course they can. Who is there to even challenge them anytime soon, only B&S (unless I&K stay together).

We never know what is in the skaters mind but C and L might stay on because dance is so weak; they might not have been so enthusiastic if P and B, D and W and V and M were still around and if B and S had been healthy. This might egg them on to continue but I do think eventually Chock and Bates and a Russian team or two will pass them as well as a Canadian team too. The Canadian curse (they have a tendnecy to have trouble winning gold ie Dubreil and Lauzon might keep them down but C and L might want to consider moving on while they are on top and only have on the Euro tour to deal with P & B of recent years.

 

[Barb]

Icenetwork article. The Shibs' quotes:

"We were aggressive and attacked every practice and every performance to make the most of the opportunity [and] to show people what they can look forward to from us for the coming years," Alex said.
He went on to confirm that he and his younger sister plan to continue competing and training under Zoueva.
"Next year starts right away for us," he said. "We have a great team of coaches around us; we really trust Marina. I know we are going to come up with some great stuff over the next four years."

So many fans have mentioned that Zoueva is clueless on how to train the Shibs. Ironic that they don't see she's not the person to distinguish them from others.

Great news :yay:, thanks, I am not so happy about Marina but they seems very confident about it hwell:

 

[cptnhastings]

Who cares if C&L win worlds again. They can still win more medals at worlds and possibly be contenders for a medal at the 2018 Games. That is reason enough to stay. As for not winning Europeans, of course they can. Who is there to even challenge them anytime soon, only B&S (unless I&K stay together).

I think a Worlds win followed by a couple of bronzes doesn't look as impressive historically. You can think otherwise. I don't know if they want to commit for 4 more years but if they do, then C/L definitely should. If they're just looking for another year or two, retiring now looks better. I don't care if people disagree with me on this. I know history would look at them better if they retire now unless they win another Worlds.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Icenetwork article. The Shibs' quotes:

"We were aggressive and attacked every practice and every performance to make the most of the opportunity [and] to show people what they can look forward to from us for the coming years," Alex said.
He went on to confirm that he and his younger sister plan to continue competing and training under Zoueva.
"Next year starts right away for us," he said. "We have a great team of coaches around us; we really trust Marina. I know we are going to come up with some great stuff over the next four years."

So many fans have mentioned that Zoueva is clueless on how to train the Shibs. Ironic that they don't see she's not the person to distinguish them from others.

That will make me and Mrs P very happy. So much talent there--it would be a shame if they had retired at this point.

Also, more non-denials about an I/K breakup from Katsalapov. Interesting...

 

[Mrs. P]

That will make me and Mrs P very happy. So much talent there--it would be a shame if they had retired at this point.

Also, more non-denials about an I/K breakup from Katsalapov. Interesting...

Sorry, but I cracked up. We're going to decide after going on vacation? I'm glad that Nikita has his priorities straight! Cabo first, friends!

 

[kresslia]

The top three might as well be tied. Tough. P/B have to be devastated, but W/P have to be thrilled just to be there on the podium, even if they only lost by .02 lol. They've been in V/M's shadow for so long, nobody here in Canada has ever paid much attention to them. I did think P/B won after seeing their FS marks, but W/P and C/L really rose up to the challenge. I honestly thought W/P had it after their FD, oh well.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Sorry, but I cracked up. We're going to decide after going on vacation? I'm glad that Nikita has his priorities straight! Cabo first, friends!

Don't you ever make life changing decisions while lolling around on a beach?

 

[Ice Diva]

The correct podium finish IMO. Loved that the two teams who actually DANCED came first & second. C/L's program may not be dramatic like I/K, but I see it as beautiful layering of elements & transitions. And they nailed their short. Love W/P's tango - such character (not to mention how hot Andrew is . Felt SO bad for P/B as I really like them & their program but altho' they skated it well, some of their lifts seemed awkward, skaky & they have a very open program. I/K - amazing ss but I hate some of their acrobatic / ugly lifts - too many contortions & not enough dancing ---

 

[rain]

The top three might as well be tied. Tough. P/B have to be devastated, but W/P have to be thrilled just to be there on the podium, even if they only lost by .02 lol. They've been in V/M's shadow for so long, nobody here in Canada has ever paid much attention to them. I did think P/B won after seeing their FS marks, but W/P and C/L really rose up to the challenge. I honestly thought W/P had it after their FD, oh well.

Yes, for my money, W/P should have taken the title. That is an absolutely stunning FD and definitely the best they've ever had (I must be the only person in skating fandom who hated Je suis malade, lol). I thought it was easily at least the half point better than C/L that they needed to overtake them. C/L were lovely, but their dance is entirely forgettable. I can't remember a single moment of it as I type this. Oh well, silver is none too shabby for your first time on the podium. I also thought it was very impressive that all three of the Canadian team finished in the top 10, immediately after losing top team V/M. Bodes well for the future.

What did not bode so well for the future was the scoring implication here that without a major error I/K are now untouchable by the other teams. I remember the Gritshuk/Platov era, and not with fondness. No need to repeat. I've so far refrained from commenting on the break up rumour, but it's really weird that nobody has come out yet and totally denied it flat out. If there's not some truth in it, why the heck not?

 

[slider11]

Yes, the podium was very interesting. I understand P/B's disappointment but Nathalie really was a mix of super sad/mad. A respectful look is in order and if you have to fake it then, like ice dance, fake it . This was, in essence, a three way tie. I am happy for C/L even though this is not my favorite FD. Kaitlyn and Andrew, I thought, stole the show. It's ironic that, after getting mixed review from the judges about the "clownish" clothes, maybe a slightly more conservative costume might have earned P/B the .08 points they needed to win!

I am thrilled to hear that the Shibs are sticking around with Marina. I think they will take the D/W approach to extreme hard work and hopefully come up with a program that works for them. And I think W/P are finally getting the recognition they deserve. I also thought Gilles and Poirier were very intriguing. The Hitchcock FD was innovative and engaging. Still waiting to connect with Paul/Islam. What is going on with I/K? Those Russians give new meaning to the word "drama"!

 

[Blades of Passion]

Loved that the two teams who actually DANCED came first & second. The correct podium finish IMO. Felt SO bad for P/B as I really like them & their program but altho' they skated it well, some of their lifts seemed awkward, skaky & they have a very open program.

How do P/B have a more open program than C/L? That's just not accurate. I don't see how they dance less either. Nor did I see any shaky lifts. Can you explain these viewpoints?

 

[kresslia]

Yes, for my money, W/P should have taken the title. That is an absolutely stunning FD and definitely the best they've ever had (I must be the only person in skating fandom who hated Je suis malade, lol). I thought it was easily at least the half point better than C/L that they needed to overtake them. C/L were lovely, but their dance is entirely forgettable. I can't remember a single moment of it as I type this. Oh well, silver is none too shabby for your first time on the podium. I also thought it was very impressive that all three of the Canadian team finished in the top 10, immediately after losing top team V/M. Bodes well for the future.

What did not bode so well for the future was the scoring implication here that without a major error I/K are now untouchable by the other teams. I remember the Gritshuk/Platov era, and not with fondness. No need to repeat. I've so far refrained from commenting on the break up rumour, but it's really weird that nobody has come out yet and totally denied it flat out. If there's not some truth in it, why the heck not?

That's a good point about not remembering anything from C/L's FD. I actually can't either. Not trying to be mean, and I am obviously biased to an extent as a Canadian, but nothing really stood out to me? I easily can remember I/K's and P/B's, on the other hand. C/L did skate very well and cleanly though as far as I remember, and their win is deserved (although I personally would have chosen W/P or P/B). I just absolutely adore W/P's FD, it turned me into a fan of theirs - I wasn't big on them before. Love at first sight with that one.

 

[slider11]

Canada has a good future in ice dance. With V/M likely to retire, W/P and G/P will nicely keep Canada in the running. Gilles and Poirier are edgy, different - I like that. The Americans need some help. I wonder if C/B have hit their ceiling. If Marina can reinvent the Shibs maybe they can have a resurgence to their former World bronze status.

 

[rosacotton]

What did not bode so well for the future was the scoring implication here that without a major error I/K are now untouchable by the other teams. I remember the Gritshuk/Platov era, and not with fondness. No need to repeat. I've so far refrained from commenting on the break up rumour, but it's really weird that nobody has come out yet and totally denied it flat out. If there's not some truth in it, why the heck not?

Yes, I realized that as well! It would not have been close at all if I/K hadn't the twizzle mishap in the short and then performed the free like they did last night. Makes me all the more appreciative of this year's podium!

 

[hyperinflation]

That's a good point about not remembering anything from C/L's FD. I actually can't either.

you're not the only one, i literally couldn't remember anything that happened in it like half an hour later.

i don't really understand all the praise for w/p's tango though, it seemed to lack sharpness. kaitlyn has terrible lines

 

[kresslia]

Let us remember though that W/P and C/L (P/B too, but they're retiring so) improved their season's best here by at least a couple points and thus were a lot closer to I/K in the FD than we would have thought after the Olympics. It looks like the judges are warming up to them. I was thinking after the Olympics that I/K might dominate these teams like V/M and D/W did.

 

[rosacotton]

Let us remember though that W/P and C/L (P/B too, but they're retiring so) improved their season's best here by at least a couple points and thus were a lot closer to I/K in the FD than we would have thought after the Olympics. It looks like the judges are warming up to them. I was thinking after the Olympics that I/K might dominate these teams like V/M and D/W did.

My sense was that at the Olympics practically everyone who was not Russian and D/W and V/M were held down. Had the competition been anywhere but Sochi, who knows what the scores may have looked like... But yes, it was wonderful W/P, C/L, and P/B seemed to finally get some respect from the judges!

 

[Ziggy]

I feel physically sick about this result. I guess it's a logical extension of what I was complaining about after the Short Dance (and in pretty much every thread for every competition ever ). The judges' lack of attention to detail means that it's the base value coupled with 'the general impression' that provides the results.

Pechalat/Bourzat had a program that was subtle and their performance was restrained and not flashy but that was a deliberate intention, given their theme. It seems to me that because their performance wasn't as 'outward' and 'in-your-face' they ended up placing 4th on the PCS. But if you look at their program closely, it featured extremely detailed upper body movement throughout, which was fluid and refined, and there were no 'empty spots' at all. Their basic skating was not as strong as I/K's but superior to C/L's and W/P's (and I/K's FD seemed to lack ice coverage). I didn't see any problems on their technical elements and they were all executed to a high standard (I had them on +1s and +2s for everything).

Cappellini/LaNotte gave it their 110% and it was no doubt a strong and confident performance but their choreography was quite simple, the program was quite open and it didn't seem to have a lot of style or character. Their edges - whilst much improved - are still a bit shallow. That was especially noticeable on the step sequences, which didn't have a great deal of speed or flow. The second one in particular (so I don't think that single '-1' was an input error - I had them on 0 for that element because of their edges being quite shallow and a little scratchy). I also thought the spin was a little slow and the last curve lift with changes of position didn't have a lot of flow or ice coverage.

Weaver/Poje also gave a very strong performance. The only (small) issue that I noticed was Poje very slightly losing his balance on the second twizzle set (so I had them on 0) but all other elements were solid. That windmill rotational lift with the unexpected entry from a transition was spectacular. I feel conflicted about that program. It was well skated but I am not convinced it had enough tango character in terms of both how their movements choreographed and how they were delivered (you want really sharp and staccato movement in a tango). Their basic skating, whilst decent, is still not great.

Finally, whilst Ilinykh/Katsalapov did without a doubt skate very well, I thought that the huge scores they have received were way overboard. I had them on +1s and +2s for everything (other than the straight line kneeling lift, which lacked flow changing positions) but I didn't see anything +3 worthy and I have seen them skate that program better. It seemed like a 80% performance at best. I still some issues with their program. It doesn't seem to cover a lot of ice and I don't get what the idea behind it is. It's neither balletic enough to be a classical Swan Lake, nor creative enough to be a re-invention of it. It seems 'stuck in between.' At least it's better than "Ghost."

All in all, I think that Pechalat/Bourzat have done enough for the gold, even considering how much they messed up the SD. They did deliver on the elements and got a high TES and it seems that just because they did something different and out-of-the-box, they judges 'didn't get it' and held back the PCS. And that makes me very sad. This is why most skaters don't take risks.

I would have had Weaver/Poje second and I guess considering the overall quality of their performance, I could probably understand them winning as well. Between their choreography being quite generic and their basic skating still a little subpar, I don't think that Cappellini/LaNotte should have placed higher than third.

The fact that was P/B's last competition and it was all between fractions of a point makes it all sting even harder.

 

[YagsFan]

They must have done that on the Sixth Day, after they created all the beasts of the field and the birds of the sky. :sarcasm:

I wanted to stay out of the D/W--V/M thing, 'cause, gee, they're not even competing here, but . . . yours is the BEST COMMENT EVER!!!