2015 Worlds Free Dance March 27

[fanofskating]

I am with you, more difficult steps and transitions, cool holds and shapes. I hope they go back, set amazing programs and we see them even better next year. I think everyone has written them off I remember a few years ago V/M placed 2nd, then 3rd then 1st...lets have a repeat of that pattern and see them win the world title in 2016! By the way the french are very good and will not stand still so this could push the sport in a very nice way. Have to say I have seen comments from all of the top 3 teams, that is a very classy bunch of young athletes and competitors.

 

[whatif]

It looks like P/C are the new "anointed ones", C/B and W/P do not look like the ones who could truly dominate the sport or seriously challenge the new champs. However if P/C regress, I can see us having different World champions every year all the way until the Olympics.
I think Y/M and H/B could potentially factor into the medal races come next year but Russians seem to give up on this discipline and Americans have too many horses to throw support for.

 

[gnom]

So happy for Papadakis/Cizeron. So sad for Shibutani/Shibutani. IMO they deserved a podium finish instead of Chock/Bates.

 

[Winnie_20]

Watched the archived ISU stream last night (my recording of Eurosport yesterday failed completely due to a major power outage that hit the western side of the country... and caused nation-wide problems with radio and telly stations and such).

Am thrilled with the result, just never been a fan of the Canadians, and C/B just grab my attention from start to finish. P/C, there are no words. Tears of joy at seeing them win. A dream come true. :dance:

Was it all justified? I don't know. The judges seem to think so, and I'm happy, that's good enough for me, lol.

 

[Ladskater]

Dammit, had tears in my eyes watching W/P's skate knowing their fate. This was probably the last chance they had at the world title too... sigh.

lol, CBC commentators are really not here for C/B at all. I'm not either.

I am with you...now I know why I hate watching Ice Dance.

 

[cocofeliz]

Gutted for Mitch (islam) and Alexandra (paul). They are such beautiful skaters and it was heartbreaking to see their disappointed faces in the K and C.....Does anyone think they should have a coaching change?

 

[icedinn]

I like alex and mitch but it's obvious the judges do not. Even if they'd change coaches I feel their scores will never go up. I hope I'm wrong though. We'll see next season.

 

[blue_idealist]

Gutted for Mitch (islam) and Alexandra (paul). They are such beautiful skaters and it was heartbreaking to see their disappointed faces in the K and C.....Does anyone think they should have a coaching change?

I thought they only recently switched to Krylova and Camerlengo. Weren't they with Lane and company at one point? I could be totally wrong here.

 

[sisinka]

Olympic Champion in Ice Dance Natalya Bestemianova once again needs to speak:

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20150327/818297474.html ...from 27th of March

“At this World Championships Stepanova & Bukin and Papadakis & Cizeron were revelation overall. Indeed they are representing some new wave in Ice Dance, mainly them, they will move up our discipline in nearest years. All other (couples), unfortunately, it is just a routine.“

Bestemianova told that FD of Stepanova & Bukin was fantastic. “Sasha and Vania skated absolutely greatly today, I saw all their programs in this season and I even didn’t expect that they can skate like this. And it is a very good quality for debutants – a quality to put themselves together after such failure in SD.“

“It is a pity that Sasha fell, but from another point of view, I think that (it is better) rather to fall in the beginning of the career and when they become more grown-up and there will be a fight for more serious positions (results) – there will be no such mistakes at more serious level. Simply it is necessary to become stronger – sometime to fall, sometimes to get up, all sportsmen are going through this.“

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20150327/818296473.html...from 27th of March

“I can’t say that there was no chance to finish higher in results at this World Championships, but our sportsmen simply didn’t skate like they could. Exterior look of Elena Ilinykh leave doubts that she came at World Championships to fight for the highest placements. It is not a game, it is the main start of the season and for some even in life. It is a disrespect to a partner, coach, to all of us.“

“I am so sorry, that it will play a role in how next year will look like. This touched a prestige of Russian Ice Dance a lot.“

“When a split of I&K happened and two new couples came, everybody had a mission to beat his/her ex-partner – because of a malice, because of an insult. And it is not right, initially flawed. And that is how it ended.“

“Simply Lena couldn’t readjust to some high things which would help her. It is sad, because an athlete is talented, beautiful, there were a beautiful abilities, but it look to me that the couple with Zhiganshin didn’t happen (didn’t succeed).“

“If kids (Stepanova & Bukin) would skate clean original dance, they could shoot up like at European Championships, be in leaders as to Russian couples and then they would support them. But to think about something (to think about good result) being at current 14th place was not possible even with ideal skate of program.“

-------------------------

During first season (in this moments Ilinykh & Zhiganshin skate together for almost 12) months the couple:
… won Russian Nationals (I&K never won)…
…got silver medal at Grand Prix (I&K got silver Grand Medal during their 3 senior season)…
…qualified for Grand Prix Final (I&K got into Final after 3 years of trying and only once in during those four years)…
…got personal best for SD over 69 points – 69.94 points at European Championships and 69.46 points at World Championships (I&K got over 70 points just at home Olympics, during their career they achieved highest points in their last fourth season together – 69.54 points at European Championships 2015 and 69.07 points at TEB)…
…at their first appereance at European and World Championships they finished at 4th and 7th place (when I&K finished in such placements during their first senior year everybody called them very promising and next Virtue & Moir…when last season Sinitsina & Zhiganshin finished on exactly the same placement – 4th at their first European and 7th at their first World Championhips – it was just not too bad in meaning of Fed and fans)…

Let’s look at Stepanova & Bukin achievements after skating in seniors for two seasons and skating together since 2006 – for 9 seasons:
…they finished third at Russian Nationals…
…they won Bronze medal at Grand Prix this season…
… they didn’t qualified for Grand Prix Final…
…their personal best in SD is 64.95 points (but being objective S&B’s personal best for FD is about 1.02 point higher then I&Z’s personal best for FD)…
…they finished 3th and 9th at their first big events…

It really looks like that I&Z created something incredible during their first season together, and in this comparison it looks like that they are more succesfull team then S&B and looking at how long they skate together probably twice as talented. So if Bestemianova forces such team like I&Z to split because of poor results and speaks that the couple didn’t succeed, then she could also force S&B to split…or no?

Or maybe Natalya Bestemianova only wants all Russian couples with exception of S&B to split to allow S&B be number 1 in Russia. But what then? There are still P&C, Americans, Canadians, C&L, Spanish, dance couple from Denmark etc. Will Bestemianova force them all to split as well???

But seriously I am surprised that Russian Federation allows such insulting and humiliation of their athletes.

 

[Sam-Skwantch]

Or maybe Natalya Bestemianova only wants all Russian couples with exception of S&B to split to allow S&B be number 1 in Russia. But what then? There are still P&C, Americans, Canadians, C&L, Spanish, dance couple from Denmark etc. Will Bestemianova force them all to split as well???

I'm no ID expert but I think I/Z announced themselves to the whole world very well. If they work hard this offseason there is no reason for their scores not to improve. I just love these two and will always support them no matter their results. Something about them just feels right.

The judges will remember them and give them the scores they deserve. My impression of Ice Dancing is that teams need to establish themselves first and slowly move up the ranks more so than in singles. Probably because there aren't splat fests to take advantage of and everyone is on much more even ground. Higher consistency levels. (Do I sound like Tara Lapinski...comparing it to singles and all?)...anyway... I think they are on the fast track relative to other teams and that is pretty impressive.

 

[ice coverage]

I thought they only recently switched to Krylova and Camerlengo. Weren't they with Lane and company at one point? I could be totally wrong here.

I believe Paul/Islam have been with Krylova/Camerlengo for at least two or three seasons.

Before that, weren't they with Mitch's father? Skate Mariposa?

 

[4everchan]

Olympic Champion in Ice Dance Natalya Bestemianova once again needs to speak:

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20150327/818297474.html ...from 27th of March

“At this World Championships Stepanova & Bukin and Papadakis & Cizeron were revelation overall. Indeed they are representing some new wave in Ice Dance, mainly them, they will move up our discipline in nearest years. All other (couples), unfortunately, it is just a routine.“

Bestemianova told that FD of Stepanova & Bukin was fantastic. “Sasha and Vania skated absolutely greatly today, I saw all their programs in this season and I even didn’t expect that they can skate like this. And it is a very good quality for debutants – a quality to put themselves together after such failure in SD.“

“It is a pity that Sasha fell, but from another point of view, I think that (it is better) rather to fall in the beginning of the career and when they become more grown-up and there will be a fight for more serious positions (results) – there will be no such mistakes at more serious level. Simply it is necessary to become stronger – sometime to fall, sometimes to get up, all sportsmen are going through this.“

http://rsport.ru/figure_skating/20150327/818296473.html...from 27th of March

“I can’t say that there was no chance to finish higher in results at this World Championships, but our sportsmen simply didn’t skate like they could. Exterior look of Elena Ilinykh leave doubts that she came at World Championships to fight for the highest placements. It is not a game, it is the main start of the season and for some even in life. It is a disrespect to a partner, coach, to all of us.“

“I am so sorry, that it will play a role in how next year will look like. This touched a prestige of Russian Ice Dance a lot.“

“When a split of I&K happened and two new couples came, everybody had a mission to beat his/her ex-partner – because of a malice, because of an insult. And it is not right, initially flawed. And that is how it ended.“

“Simply Lena couldn’t readjust to some high things which would help her. It is sad, because an athlete is talented, beautiful, there were a beautiful abilities, but it look to me that the couple with Zhiganshin didn’t happen (didn’t succeed).“

“If kids (Stepanova & Bukin) would skate clean original dance, they could shoot up like at European Championships, be in leaders as to Russian couples and then they would support them. But to think about something (to think about good result) being at current 14th place was not possible even with ideal skate of program.“

-------------------------

During first season (in this moments Ilinykh & Zhiganshin skate together for almost 12) months the couple:
… won Russian Nationals (I&K never won)…
…got silver medal at Grand Prix (I&K got silver Grand Medal during their 3 senior season)…
…qualified for Grand Prix Final (I&K got into Final after 3 years of trying and only once in during those four years)…
…got personal best for SD over 69 points – 69.94 points at European Championships and 69.46 points at World Championships (I&K got over 70 points just at home Olympics, during their career they achieved highest points in their last fourth season together – 69.54 points at European Championships 2015 and 69.07 points at TEB)…
…at their first appereance at European and World Championships they finished at 4th and 7th place (when I&K finished in such placements during their first senior year everybody called them very promising and next Virtue & Moir…when last season Sinitsina & Zhiganshin finished on exactly the same placement – 4th at their first European and 7th at their first World Championhips – it was just not too bad in meaning of Fed and fans)…

Let’s look at Stepanova & Bukin achievements after skating in seniors for two seasons and skating together since 2006 – for 9 seasons:
…they finished third at Russian Nationals…
…they won Bronze medal at Grand Prix this season…
… they didn’t qualified for Grand Prix Final…
…their personal best in SD is 64.95 points (but being objective S&B’s personal best for FD is about 1.02 point higher then I&Z’s personal best for FD)…
…they finished 3th and 9th at their first big events…

It really looks like that I&Z created something incredible during their first season together, and in this comparison it looks like that they are more succesfull team then S&B and looking at how long they skate together probably twice as talented. So if Bestemianova forces such team like I&Z to split because of poor results and speaks that the couple didn’t succeed, then she could also force S&B to split…or no?

Or maybe Natalya Bestemianova only wants all Russian couples with exception of S&B to split to allow S&B be number 1 in Russia. But what then? There are still P&C, Americans, Canadians, C&L, Spanish, dance couple from Denmark etc. Will Bestemianova force them all to split as well???

But seriously I am surprised that Russian Federation allows such insulting and humiliation of their athletes.

was she skating with bukin's father? biased… i wouldn't bother with this

 

[WeakAnkles]

was she skating with bukin's father? biased… i wouldn't bother with this

Like I always say, take it from the source.

I/Z had an amazing first season, but their FD is, for me, a perfect illustration of why great technique alone isn't enough. Next season will be more telling of how they are as a couple.

I actually like S/B quite a bit, but their Eleanor Rigby program was, again for me, a rip off of Crone & Poirier's superior ER program of a few seasons back. Frankly, in two seasons on the senior circuit, about the only thing that really sticks out in my mind about their programs is what I think of as their "shoot the duck" twizzle variation from this season. The rest all fades into a general "Oh yeah, nice program."

 

[elif]

Bestemianova skated with Andrei Bukin, father of Ivan Bukin. Yes she is biased. This is why Stepanova's fall is ''pity'' but Ilinykh's mistake is ''disrespect to a partner, coach, to all of us''. I don't like the way Stepanova&Bukin's camp talks about their rivals. They are very aggressive about other couples. After the Europeans, they were after Papadakis/Cizeron, this time Ilinykh/Zhiganshin.

“If kids (Stepanova & Bukin) would skate clean original dance, they could shoot up like at European Championships, be in leaders as to Russian couples and then they would support them. But to think about something (to think about good result) being at current 14th place was not possible even with ideal skate of program.“ [/I]

Like how Zoueva says beauty and blue eyes for S/K in every opportunity, Stepanova/Bukin's camp mention how S/B should be russian number 1 in every interview. By the way even If you replace level2 steps with fall from S/B to level4 step with super GOE (10.80 W/P and C/B got) they still will be below Ilinykh/Zhiganshin. I feel like a naive/stupid customer when they tried to sell S/B like that.:disapp:

 

[4everchan]

the issue is that with all their BS, they often manage to create judging momentum for teams…. meh…

Bestemianova skated with Andrei Bukin, father of Ivan Bukin. Yes she is biased. This is why Stepanova's fall is ''pity'' but Ilinykh's mistake is ''disrespect to a partner, coach, to all of us''. I don't like the way Stepanova&Bukin's camp talks about their rivals. They are very aggressive about other couples. After the Europeans, they were after Papadakis/Cizeron, this time Ilinykh/Zhiganshin.


Like how Zoueva says beauty and blue eyes for S/K in every opportunity, Stepanova/Bukin's camp mention how S/B should be russian number 1 in every interview. By the way even If you replace level2 steps with fall from S/B to level4 step with super GOE (10.80 W/P and C/B got) they still will be below Ilinykh/Zhiganshin. I feel like a naive/stupid customer when they tried to sell S/B like that.:disapp:

 

[Sugarpova]

poor S/B actually
Ugh cant this supposed team see that their HURTING their rep with such distasteful comments
really reflects badly on my poor guys
why oh why why cant people concentrate on supporting their team instead of bashing another :scowl:

 

[Bue]

It also made me unexcited for them because I feel as if I watched a team be anointed rather than win. As a fan of ice dancing I recognize their talent but their win felt empty to me.

This exactly. I was really looking forward to seeing the future of this team, but yesterday's scoring has left a very sour taste in my mouth. It's irrationally turned me against P/C somewhat, even though the scoring debacle isn't the skaters' fault. These two have actually had quite a patchy season and some not-great performances, despite the loveliness of their FD. To see them already scoring near the level of V/M and D/W's top scores (always with perfect twizzles, natch!) is beyond ludicrous.

 

[Alba]

This exactly. I was really looking forward to seeing the future of this team, but yesterday's scoring has left a very sour taste in my mouth. It's irrationally turned me against P/C somewhat, even though the scoring debacle isn't the skaters' fault. These two have actually had quite a patchy season and some not-great performances, despite the loveliness of their FD. To see them already scoring near the level of V/M and D/W's top scores (always with perfect twizzles, natch!) is beyond ludicrous.

That's true, but the problem is that other teams were overscored as well, IMO. So how can you beat that if not by overscoring the next one, who you think should win? Tricky.

 

[SHA]

All the top teams were great. Especially loved PC's program which also had an audible rhythm added. The other had nice melodies but didn't seem to have dance rhythms per the rule. Kind of like Pairs Programs with smaller lifts.

 

[sisinka]

Presentation in mind:

Gilles & Poirier:
…thanks to weak technique I have problem to appreciate this couple more, but what I can say for sure – this was a dance, not only program skated by two people…

Monko & Khaliavin:
…the couple creates an opinion of multiple energy, they are very powerful and dynamic in movements (like in technique)…needs to improve body posture and spacing…
…together with Shibs the best Twizzles of the day…

Hubbell & Donohue:
…I am glad that such ice dance program exist, it gives more diversity at such competitions and it helps to remind that there are more dance styles that classical elegant or flirting style…
…unfortunately it is not welcomed by judges…

Hurtado & Diaz:
…great and emotional presentation…
…I take this program not as good like Picasso was, but today’s presentation was better than I ever saw in Picasso…
…for me top 6 in presentation…

Cappellini & Lanotte:
…I was nicely surprised…this time I liked their presentation especially Anna’s a lot…they gave it everything they could and they were dancing…
…looking at their presentation I see a concept – she is The Death and he is a kind Devil who doesn’t know that he will become her victim soon…

Shibutani & Shibutani:
…the second and even bigger surprise of the day – they were expressive and they were very visible on the ice…
…infortunately they are still suffering from choreo not suitable for Waltz, but they did everything what they could (in comparison with the choreographer)…
…the best Twizzles of the day (but please never ever so many Sets)…

Chock & Bates:
…nicely done, but today from all top couples they created mind of being more skaters than dancers…
…great execution of Curved lift…
…in comparison with W&P, P&C and even C&L their choreography was an ordinary thing for me…

Weaver & Poje:
…great program and great presentation…
…overall this time I didn’t have a feeling that I see a piece of art, I had a feeling that I see a great presentation of the dance with concentration on elements more than on some deep emotions…
…I like choreography – I would give the highest SS, CH and TR to this couples…PE and IT great also…great gradation towards the end…

Papadakis & Cizeron:
…while in case of W&P I would use words “great and difficult dance“, in case of P&C I would say a “great dance“…
…perfect emotional gradatation towards the end…

What I would like other couples took from W&P and P&C is a big attention to details – arms, elbow, hand movements (Gabriella would need better ballet preparation for having better finger movements). Other choreographies look a little bit plain or plain a lot as to details, even some top couples from pair cathegory have more intricate details.

What I would like other couples took from W&P are more difficult Transitions with close holds, intricate change of holds.

What I would like all couples change in future is decrease a number or jumps and hoops, decrease time spend with two-footed skating.

Padakis & Cizeron’s win is not very welcomed by me. I know that the question “who else?“ would follow and I would answer W&P because right now they are overall the best dance team.
If you are champion you are supposed to:
…have great technique…
…not be constantly out in the most difficult dance element – Twizzles…
…keep the rhythm…
…have choreography which is not simple (in skating term), not fulfilled with two footed skating, hugging - not skating parts…

Looking at score P&C have all of this, looking at their skating they are missing things mentioned above. I expect they will keep improving and one day they will learn most of this, but this day didn’t come yet.

I have a feeling that even after this season Ice Dance doesn’t have real leader. In past the couple who won World Championships usually had everything perfect or near to it and there was nothing you could advise them to improve. With new judging system it started to change slowly and right now all top couples have still something to improve (W&P), more things or a lot of things to improve (all other couples).