2018 Olympic Figure Skating Pairs SP

[Leelee425]

I haven’t been able to keep up with you all after Grand Prix season (always working or traveling for the holidays) but I enjoy catching up on all the opinions, skating knowledge and sass. This pairs competition is exciting, so much talent really any of the 4 could win, and one will be off the podium, and I have no idea who. It all comes down to who has the clean elements and energy tonight! Much more exciting than Grand Prix where the winner could be guessed correctly the majority of the time.

That being said, I’ve noticed so many people are down on T/M and I don’t know why? They skated a wonderful clean short program when 2 of the other couples faultered and deserve that 2nd place going into the free. And if they skate clean and others have trouble with the free, they deserve a podium finish too, even with the musical stylings of Christina Aguilera and a costume that looks like what a sorority girl would show up to a Halloween party with and call herself a bumblebee. Yes I hate Candyman too, and their PCS should suffer a little for it, though not all of it because a bad program doesn’t effect skating skills. But I was ok when Candyman won Europeans, they skated lights out, while everyone else made silly mistakes or had downright abysmal skates. I don’t think every couple will melt down here but if they do and Candyman is clean give them the gold! T/M have performed twice so far in Peyongchang and both times they’ve been fantastic, if they do it again they should be rewarded for that, at least in my opinion. Maybe I’m just really appreciating clean skating right now since so many people are throwing in quads and triples they can’t land just to catch up to their peers with base value, it’s refreshing when someone gets through their elements.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I loved the North Korean pair. I don't really follow pairs closely, so I had never seen them before, and they blew me away. I also loved most of the Asian teams in the earlier groups. They mostly nailed their presentation.

Ditto. I really liked them. I am glad they didnt get chocked like the second Chineese pair. So many pairs thrown under the bus by NBC! Tear falls. I think the problems of doing too much exactly live have really surfaced here.....if anything, they could have shown the early pairs on late night. I am frightened now for ice dance, ladies and men...... :noshake:

 

[bramweld]

Please, no. Candyman, out of respect to the Olympic movement, cannot win OG. No. Let them skate clean, yes, but let everyone else in the top 4 be mesmerizing.

 

[andromache]

That being said, I’ve noticed so many people are down on T/M and I don’t know why? They skated a wonderful clean short program when 2 of the other couples faultered and deserve that 2nd place going into the free. And if they skate clean and others have trouble with the free, they deserve a podium finish too, even with the musical stylings of Christina Aguilera and a costume that looks like what a sorority girl would show up to a Halloween party with and call herself a bumblebee. Yes I hate Candyman too, and their PCS should suffer a little for it, though not all of it because a bad program doesn’t effect skating skills. But I was ok when Candyman won Europeans, they skated lights out, while everyone else made silly mistakes or had downright abysmal skates. I don’t think every couple will melt down here but if they do and Candyman is clean give them the gold! T/M have performed twice so far in Peyongchang and both times they’ve been fantastic, if they do it again they should be rewarded for that, at least in my opinion. Maybe I’m just really appreciating clean skating right now since so many people are throwing in quads and triples they can’t land just to catch up to their peers with base value, it’s refreshing when someone gets through their elements.

T/M have fantastically beautiful skating skills and superb elements.

There were a lot of very clean couples last night that many people feel have more engaging, interesting, musical programs. Val/Ondrej, Vanessa/Morgan, and Yu/Zhang were all very close to T/M technically, but I don't see how they were so many points behind them in PCS, despite T/M's skating skills.

Aliona/Bruno and Sui/Han are the two couples who best bring together engaging and complex programs + skating skills. I would count Stolbova and Klimov among them as well if they were here.

 

[Jedi]

T/M aren't the underdogs. Like at all.

Underdogs in that a lot of people pick on them And pick on their programs because they are different and riskier score wise.

 

[Leelee425]

Ditto. I really liked them. I am glad they didnt get chocked like the second Chineese pair. So many pairs thrown under the bus by NBC! Tear falls. I think the problems of doing too much exactly live have really surfaced here.....if anything, they could have shown the early pairs on late night. I am frightened now for ice dance, ladies and men...... :noshake:

If your in the US you can download the NBC sports app and watch the whole competition to see what you missed. I agree I was disappointed they didn’t show Yu/Zhang. They even have the practice skates and Olympic ice pre and post shows on there with commentary by Scott Hamilton, Tanith and Charlie White, Kristi Yamiguchi and Ben Augusto. It all streams live on there if you want to watch that instead of the prime time coverage on NBC.

 

[andromache]

Underdogs in that a lot of people pick on them And pick on their programs because they are different and riskier score wise.

I was a big T/M supporter a few years ago when it was clear they were the underdogs in Mozer's group, and I strongly wanted them to find material that was interested and that suited them.

They never really found material that suited them (though I do like the Rachmaninoff SP - the first program of theirs I have liked, totally offset by the worst LP ever) and they started receiving higher and higher scores, which yes, left a bad taste in my mouth.

If Yu/Zhang or Duhamel/Radford or James/Cipres skated to this Candyman program, their PCS would drop like rocks. Probably Sui/Han, too, though world champions might be given more leeway.

(OTOH, Val and Ondrej are the only pair who could possibly pull it off lol.)

 

[Jedi]

T/M is now the most notorious example of PCS driven by TES. I like their skills and off-ice personalities, I see their potential and their hard work, but ultimately they are accountable for having subpar material their entire career. When you aren’t assertive enough to craft your own special image, that’s what makes you unworthy of gold at the present time.

I think this title goes to the men Nathan Chen, even to a point Hanyu, Boyang, Shoma et al. As well, to all the lady jumping beans.

 

[Baron Vladimir]

Please, no. Candyman, out of respect to the Olympic movement, cannot win OG. No. Let them skate clean, yes, but let everyone else in the top 4 be mesmerizing.

Olympic movement is about inclusion, variety and individual choices. To bash someone just because you dont like their choices and style is not Olympic spirit at all.

 

[Leelee425]

T/M have fantastically beautiful skating skills and superb elements.

There were a lot of very clean couples last night that many people feel have more engaging, interesting, musical programs. Val/Ondrej, Vanessa/Morgan, and Yu/Zhang were all very close to T/M technically, but I don't see how they were so many points behind them in PCS, despite T/M's skating skills.

Aliona/Bruno and Sui/Han are the two couples who best bring together engaging and complex programs + skating skills. I would count Stolbova and Klimov among them as well if they were here.

I haven’t watched those couples yet except James and Cipres (who happen to be one of my favorites and I think are often underscored because of reputation scoring) but they had a scratchy skate, it was clear they were fighting for their elements and that effected performance so I think it makes sense where they landed score wise. When they are more on their game like their short at Europeans, I agree im Definitely much more engaged in their programs but they were tentative last night, it wasn’t their best.

 

[rccr25]

T/M are comparable to S/H in some aspects, but not others, esp. their connections, emotional expression, and interpretation of the music. Queen Sui and her loyal knight are just special.
Thus I think S/H's pcs should be much higher, relatively speaking, than T/M's.
Hope S/H skate clean and take the gold. I don't mind T/M getting a medal, but I hope S/M & D/R could be on the podium as well.

AND FOR THE PCS DEBATE:
Seriously no one is doing this in a totally unbiased way. Some of you see that J2 gave S/H higher scores (honestly I think they deserve the scores). But what you don't see is that they receive several 8s (ARE YOU KIDDING ME) and low 9s in their component score from other judges. These are politics in skating, and China IS a disadvantaged country in that aspect, if you think about how many judges are from European countries/have a closer relationship to European countries.

 

[Leelee425]

I think this title goes to the men Nathan Chen, even to a point Hanyu, Boyang, Shoma et al. As well, to all the lady jumping beans.

By far that honor goes to Med and Zagi, though I’m still impressed by their skates because of the execution.

 

[Blushingheart]

PCS is still about skaters work, particullary their blades work. Its not choreography itself which is judged here, but how skaters skate someones choreo. You can of course like someones choreo, music and style better than another, but that is more a thing of subjective preferance. Some things are generally more appealing for someone eays, some are not, which is perfectly fine. But what we like more is not always the same with what is better skating in concrete sport of FS defined by own concrete rules. Preferencies should not be something influencing that much what judges are looking for when awarding the scores. Good skaters are still good skaters no matter of the music they are skating to, and what kind of costumes and style they are presenting, if they are able to present that something somehow...

I dont talk about the music, dont twist my words, i talk about their program WHICH REFLECT SKATING SKILLS OF THE TEAM. It is not the matter of taste either. You wanna say to me that pair with lousy program who jumps what they have to is enough to get VERY high PCS. I say this is not fair. It stinks. Program should be good. Because they won 2, 3 something importan doesnt MEAN that they can make lousy programs and get points in PCS for nothing. S/M or S/H make great free programs and they get almost the same points. This is ridicolous.

 

[Ice Diva]

I really like T/M but please God, don´t let they win the gold medal :gaah:, S/H deserve it more than anyone .

They "deserve" it only if they earn it - i.e skate perfectly, with passion. May the best performance win the Gold!

 

[Baron Vladimir]

I dont talk about the music, dont twist my words, i talk about their program WHICH REFLECT SKATING SKILLS OF THE TEAM. It is not the matter of taste either. You wanna say to me that pair with lousy program who jumps what they have to is enough to get VERY high PCS. I say this is not fair. It stinks. Program should be good. Because they won 2, 3 something importan doesnt MEAN that they can make lousy programs and get points in PCS for nothing. S/M or S/H make great free programs and they get almost the same points. This is ridicolous.

But in their programme they are doing a lot with their blades and their body, and they are skating it like a coherent piece with the story. Even the programme or the story is literal, kitch/kemp or not inspiring, it doesnt change the fact that programme exist and they interpret it and skating to it :confused2: Its one thing to say if programme is good or bad, and another if someone skating to it or not.

 

[Fool]

Why almost no one is mentioning Bruno, but only Aljona? That is so sad... That's even more sad that his double jump. He tries his best and puts his heart in it. And he was so sad about his mistake. Please, notice that

Seeing him sad made me sad. It must suuuuuck to be in pairs and knowing your mistake is the thing that cost the team. If it was a throw maybe it could be blamed on both, but when it's SBS it's all on yourself and it must feel awful

 

[Jedi]

I don't like the Candyman program as a concept but I have always said with the new scoring system you can hate the "music" ie country, pop or whatever and it can still earn the top pcs because as a whole program it is the best at what it does

 

[Jedi]

Hey can some nice soul let me know what time "live" the free skate goes . I am so confused this olympics and having trouble figuring out times so if you can do it from New York or California I would be grateful.

I think at the end of the day even though I have my opinions I hope everyone has their day/moment and that everyone cheers loudly for all. So sad only three medals with all this glorious skating.

 

[dorispulaski]

If your in the US you can download the NBC sports app and watch the whole competition to see what you missed. I agree I was disappointed they didn’t show Yu/Zhang. They even have the practice skates and Olympic ice pre and post shows on there with commentary by Scott Hamilton, Tanith and Charlie White, Kristi Yamiguchi and Ben Augusto. It all streams live on there if you want to watch that instead of the prime time coverage on NBC.

Yu/Zhang were shown on the NBCSN coverage.

The team I could not find on either channel was Della Monica / Guarise.

 

[bramweld]

Olympic movement is about inclusion, variety and individual choices. To bash someone just because you dont like their choices and style is not Olympic spirit at all.

That program is awful and they have no business skating to it, no matter how strong the skating skills. The Russian drama, speed, exceedingly deep edges, just don't cut it for me if it isn't somehow polished and nuanced. So yes, I like everybody elses LP this year and I hope if they take a medal its bronze. I am inclusive after all, I'm saying skate well but stay on the third rung. Now that isn't that bad, is it?

Besides, they can't dance/skate to that, only Evgenia seems to have a clue half the time, right?