2017 Worlds Pairs FS

[Ice Diva]

I'm very happy with the outcome. Fair scoring except for the ridiculously high scores for Stolvova & Klimov. I never used to care for Sui & Han but they have grown, improved and are now amazing.

 

[Lota]

Arguably the best female pairs skater in history!

Irina Rodnina says hello

Anyways, I was unable to watch the first half of the competition, finally watched Stolbova/Klimov and wow... they really are masters of the sport, what a redemption skate. That program is so original it breaks my heart that it won't be performed again :sad21:

Actually... the pairs all deserve rest, but the fact that I won't be seeing them skate for half a year makes me wanna cry Ah well, there's always YouTube Please don't get injured in the off-season, and have a well-deserved vacation, everyone!

 

[gravy]

Aloha! Great way to start the early morning!

Absolutely ecstatic for Sui & Han! So emotional, but happy they could hang on for the win despite the fall. They could crush the WR if they skate clean this upcoming season. Also happy for Savchenko & Massot's medal although they're probably not too thrilled. Tarasova & Morozov's Aurelia Dobre tribute free skate was terrible. You'd think Szolkowy would make sure that they were only given masterpieces like he had with Aliona but no.

Impressive FYI: Aliona has medaled at every competition she has entered since the fall of 2006. 11 years strong! :shocked:

I also don't mind the US one spot for the Olympics as long as it's Alexa & Chris who go. The other American pairs are honestly pretty embarassing and you need to hit rock bottom in order for a re haul of the entire system to take place (think US gymnastics women in Sydney 2000). You can't keep celebrating mediocrity and this is a punch in the stomach for the USFS. Good thing they enacted that "the winner doesn't necessarily go to the Olympics/Worlds" rule this year because now they aren't obligated to choose the team who gets lucky at Trials. If another mediocre Jim Peterson team gets sent to the Olympics, I will burn down the rink while I'm there.

 

[icybear]

So happy S/H won but their PCS should be bigger than that esp compared to S/M

 

[silverfoxes]

Stolbova & Klimov have shown ZERO signs they are anywhere close to contending for a major title again anytime soon. I love them but if they are in contention for a gold medal at next years Games I will be amazed. They cant even do something basic like a triple twist properly anymore, which starts pysch problems in all their skating, and they havent been able to build up any momentum at any point since 2014 now.

Tarasova & Morozov are consistent and technically sound enough but super super boring (they even make Hao Zhang seem exciting which is quite the feat), and wont win a major title without others badly flopping and making much worse errors than here without significantly better and more interesting programs.

Do you understand that S/K had to miss half of the season because of injury? And they had injuries to deal with last season too?

And what is a "major title"? Euros and GPF aren't major? Who says T/M won't improve any more? They are a lot younger than S/H and especially S/M.

 

[nolangoh]

Just a fun fact: Chinese pairs skating won their first ever medal also here at Helsinki!! It was Shen/Zhao, winning Silver in 1999.

https://youtu.be/GEndgH6a0T8

 

[Mango]

Progression of Highest Score
Pairs
Free Skating Score
Name Nat. Event Date Score
1 Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV RUS RUS ISU GP Hilton HHonors Skate America 2013 20.10.2013 154.66
2 Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN ISU World Championships 2014 30.03.2017 150.83
3 Aliona SAVCHENKO / Bruno MASSOT GER ISU World Championships 2017 30.03.2017 150.46
3 Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV RUS Nebelhorn Trophy 2013 27.09.2013 150.31

You have forgotten

Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD CAN ISU World Championships 2016 02.04.2016
153.81

lavender both Megan and Eric are injured.

 

[medvedevasocks]

Do you understand that S/K had to miss half of the season because of injury? And they had injuries to deal with last season too?

And what is a "major title"? Euros and GPF aren't major? Who says T/M won't improve any more? They are a lot younger than S/H and especially S/M.

They arent younger than Sui & Han. Sui & Han have birthdays in 1992 and 1995 and T&M in 1992 and 1994. Yes they are younger than S&M but they are much more experienced as a pair together which evens out.

Anyway I am not talking long term if you were capable to read. I am just talking about the Olympics next year, a mere 11 months away. I am sure as ghastly boring as Tarasova & Morozov are they probably have atleast 2 world titles in their future as the likely longtime Russian #1 (ugh), but I highly doubt it will be at the Olympics next year.

As for S&K they havent been putting it together ever since 2014 now. Even last year they came into worlds favored to win after great skates to win the GPF which would have likely won them worlds had they duplicated it, and bombed badly at worlds and didnt even medal. They even skipped a worlds completely healthy volunteeringly this quad, LOL! They have run out of excuses with me, so dont even try, and again I am fan of theirs. If they make the podium at all next year I will be thrilled for them, I think even that would be a great feat.

 

[Chemistry66]

Poor Alexa&Chris...If Germany hadn't sent a second team they wouldn't qualify a spot at all and could earn it for themselves at Nebelhorn. Instead they earned a spot they could easily lose at US Nats.
What happens if France gives up a spot? Novosolev might not have citizenship?

Nothing happens, at least for the US.

As per Rule 400.A.7 in the Special Regulations document:

In case some of the ISU Members do
not intend to use their full quotas of entries, the remaining open entries until
number of twenty-four (24) entries in Single Skating, sixteen (16) entries in
Pair Skating and nineteen (19) entries in Ice Dance will be filled by
increasing the number of entries according to paragraph 4 above

Which means that any unused spots earned at Worlds will be re-allocated at Nebelhorn.

 

[atsumiri]

Stolbova & Klimov have shown ZERO signs they are anywhere close to contending for a major title again anytime soon. I love them but if they are in contention for a gold medal at next years Games I will be amazed. They cant even do something basic like a triple twist properly anymore, which starts pysch problems in all their skating, and they havent been able to build up any momentum at any point since 2014 now..

:disagree::disagree::disagree::disagree::disagree::disagree:
and YET! THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST BV TODAY!
BV
S/K - 63.60
S/H - 61.60
T/M - 61.40
S/M - 60.38

 

[meteorlight8]

And what is a "major title"? Euros and GPF aren't major? Who says T/M won't improve any more? They are a lot younger than S/H and especially S/M.

Look I love T/M and think they are the future of Russian pairs, but for the record they are NOT "a lot younger" than S/H. The two pairs are practically the same ages - Sui's actually younger than Tarasova.

 

[Blades of Passion]

Duhamel & Radford only did clean programs with all their content once ever.

That's more than Sui/Han and Savchenko/Massot, who have done it never. They will surely have better programs next season than they had this season as well. As long as they heal up and deliver what they are capable of, they will certainly be contenders for the Gold.

Stolbova & Klimov have shown ZERO signs they are anywhere close to contending for a major title again anytime soon. I love them but if they are in contention for a gold medal at next years Games I will be amazed. They cant even do something basic like a triple twist properly anymore.

They were injured this season. During the last Olympic cycle they weren't considered to be anywhere close to medal contenders and then suddenly pulled it all together. They can do it again. We've seen at the GPF last season what they are capable of. They did a perfectly good triple twist in the LP here, by the way.

 

[andromache]

Poor Alexa&Chris...If Germany hadn't sent a second team they wouldn't qualify a spot at all and could earn it for themselves at Nebelhorn. Instead they earned a spot they could easily lose at US Nats.
What happens if France gives up a spot? Novosolev might not have citizenship?

Over my dead body.

I also don't mind the US one spot for the Olympics as long as it's Alexa & Chris who go. The other American pairs are honestly pretty embarassing and you need to hit rock bottom in order for a re haul of the entire system to take place (think US gymnastics women in Sydney 2000). You can't keep celebrating mediocrity and this is a punch in the stomach for the USFS. Good thing they enacted that "the winner doesn't necessarily go to the Olympics/Worlds" rule this year because now they aren't obligated to choose the team who gets lucky at Trials. If another mediocre Jim Peterson team gets sent to the Olympics, I will burn down the rink while I'm there.

Pretty much.

Alexa and Chris continue to be the only US team of quality elements and slightly lesser quality of skating. The twists, the throws, the lifts are all world class (unlike any other elements from any other US pair), and they are relatively consistent on those elements as well (unlike Marissa and Mervin, who have them beat on quality of skating but nothing else). SBS jumps will always be an issue, and sometimes they have bad skates, but it's not as if we need to worry about sending them to Worlds and them not making the final flight.

Cancel the pair event at US Nationals and save some time and money.

 

[medvedevasocks]

and YET! THEY HAVE THE BIGGEST BV TODAY!
BV
S/K - 63.60
S/H - 61.60
T/M - 61.40
S/M - 60.38

Well obviously S&M didnt do all they planned and D&R healthy would have a higher base value than that. Anyway there is no doubt skating cleanly S&K would always be in the fight for gold, but they have been nowhere near that in forever now, apart from 1 event (GPF last year) which they still failed to take any momentum from amazingly. I am not even going to bother to argue about this anymore, except to say both top Russian teams could medal next year, and yes there is an outside shot 1 of them could win, but IMO (and the vast majority of peoples opinions) the top 2 here are FAR more likely and stronger candidates for next years OGM than either top Russian team, 1 who is reliant on others mistakes to win (T&M) and one who going clean would have a great shot of winning any event including next years Olympics but is the most inconsistent of even the top 7 or 8 teams today and managed to not even medal at Europeans this year despite not having a disaester (S&K). Maybe even Duhamel & Radford are a slightly stronger candidate for the OGM next year than either, I dont even think D&R will medal in the individual pairs event next year and both T&M and S&K are more likely to medal probably, especialy the super consistent T&M, but while being less likely to medal D&R might have a slightly better shot than either of winning, again especialy T&M.

 

[UnChosen]

That's more than Sui/Han and Savchenko/Massot, who have done it never. They will surely have better programs next season than they had this season as well. As long as they heal up and deliver what they are capable of, they will certainly be contenders for the Gold.

S/H skated clean at 2015 worlds.

 

[s_parks]

Do you understand that S/K had to miss half of the season because of injury? And they had injuries to deal with last season too?

And what is a "major title"? Euros and GPF aren't major? Who says T/M won't improve any more? They are a lot younger than S/H and especially S/M.

T/M are pretty much the same age as S/H, not a lot younger(but yes, a lot younger than S/M). I agree that they can improve, someone just snatch them from Mozer and give them decent music.

 

[lavender]

Soooo happy for S/H. I loved Aliona with S/S. I do feel like things are being set up for the Olympics for S/M. I think they will be set up as THE favs especially if they do well during the season. Just that feeling I get.

 

[Osmond4gold]

It's not worse than the cheesy 80s romance soundtrack Lubov & Dylan skated to...or Buble. And what is wrong with Donna Summer? :dev2:

Wait a minute silverfoxes, if you diss Buble (that uber Canadian boy), you end up Diss-ing half the competitors at worlds... I like Donna Summers, in moderation, which T&M forgot, and part of the reason for their placement. Next time, select better Music.

 

[Ares]

But I cannot believe S/H have almost a full point less on PCS!! Toddle off with that nonsense!

I held my breath to the very end. I thought they have that Gold for 90%, but this is Figure Skating. Stranger things happened in the past.

Wenjing Sui & Cong Han - World Champions, it sounds proudly! Silver Savchenko / Massot & Bronze Tarasova (with stitches in her leg) Morozov also have also plenty of reasons for happiness.

 

[andromache]

Soooo happy for S/H. I loved Aliona with S/S. I do feel like things are being set up for the Olympics for S/M. I think they will be set up as the favs especially if they do well during the season. Just that feeling I get.

I'm not so sure. S/M versus S/H, with D/R, S/K, and T/M as slightly lesser favorites.

The feeling I get is that S/H will have to wait until 2022 for their OGM in Beijing. 2006 Shen and Zhao were injured all season, won bronze, while a duller-than-dull Russian pair won gold. Had to wait until 2010 for the win that the skating world was dying to give them. S/H might not follow their trajectory exactly, but I won't be surprised if they do.