2018 US Championships Sr. Free Dance

[Skater Boy]

Oh, that was before the spin dropped. But still into 1st!!!


Anyone else get a little hot n bothered w the sleeveless Zach ����

I am more "hot" and "bothered" by these ridiculous scores. So these are all world contenders for OGM. I am trying to be fair her but I have heard so much about Russian and Italian national inflation but they are giving out points here at US nationals like free pens or pins. This is so cray cray! I mean build up your national skater but they are giving the Hannakuh, Christmas, Festivus and all at once!

 

[tzazu]

Are H/D a couple? He got down on a knee and kissed her hand at the end of the performance and I thought it was going to be a proposal.

They were, but now they are both dating different people.

Looks like Madison is a couple with Adrian Diaz and Zack with Olivia Smart; that, by the way are both of them an ice dance couple. And all of them train in Gadbois :agree2:

 

[Anyasnake]

I am more "hot" and "bothered" by these ridiculous scores. So these are all world contenders for OGM. I am trying to be fair her but I have heard so much about Russian and Italian national inflation but they are giving out points here at US nationals like free pens or pins. This is so cray cray! I mean build up your national skater but they are giving the Hannakuh, Christmas, Festivus and all at once!

There is still national inflation of course, nobody would have gotten those scores on intl competition on the GP circuit. However, if an american team break 80 for SD or 117 for FD when very clean I won't be remotely surprised and I would think it would be deserved.
For OGM at this point you need almost 82 SD and 120 FD. If we get a 83 SD and a 123 FD this season I won't even be surprised, because this is where top 2 were headed if not for levels.

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Looks like Madison is a couple with Adrian Diaz and Zack with Olivia Smart; that, by the way are both of them an ice dance couple. And all of them train in Gadbois :agree2:

There seems to be quite the teamate spirit in Gabdois

 

[TCAngel18]

I am more "hot" and "bothered" by these ridiculous scores. So these are all world contenders for OGM. I am trying to be fair her but I have heard so much about Russian and Italian national inflation but they are giving out points here at US nationals like free pens or pins. This is so cray cray! I mean build up your national skater but they are giving the Hannakuh, Christmas, Festivus and all at once!

These are all world contenders for at least the OBM, maybe higher with mistakes. At least with Ice Dance. All 3 are equal chance for that Bronze medal, and score around the 185-195 range internationally currently, while the French and Canadians are only 5-10 points higher than that.

Nate is a OGM contender, the other men’s scores weren’t high enough to be in that category.

Mirai has the tech to be in the final group, at least, high 70’s, even with a 32-33 PCS. Bradie will go in as US number 1, and the girl NEVER falls.

The Knierims aren’t getting crazy scores, they are getting what they normally get.

This is just normal Olympic Year inflation. No one batted an eye when Michelle Kwan received a row of 6.0’s in 98 or 02 Nationals, because they knew those would drop to 5.8 or 5.9 range. Michelle Kwan, yes, is a cut above most other skaters of all time, but this situation fits.

The same thing will happen at the Olympics. Yu Na got over 150 in Vancouver with a program that gets her around 135 in any other year. People get a little points happy, but as long as it’s consistent across the board, it doesn’t matter.

 

[elbkup]

H/D definitely did something different out there yesterday and I see their smoldering FD in answer to V/M's stunning FD program. I fully understand why C/B won the FS (those lifts are heavenly!) given they will go up against the very lyrical, smooth P/C next month; "Imagine" works beautifully as counterpoint to the French team's FD though I personally prefer C/B in tango/Pasa Doble mode... just an opinion. Shibs were great as usual, stumble aside; have they reached a plateau though content and materialwise? I'm not sure... but I am not a choreographer. Anticipating their next move/programs going forward into next season.

 

[Spirals for Miles]

I think that the Shibutanis need to go back to "Fix You". That was the best of their Coldplay series...

 

[shan22044]

There were EIGHT ice dance performances (I think, might have been 7) in THREE HOURS. There's no excuse for that.

Amen! I started ranting and then turned the channel to watch the U.S. Speed Skating Trials Mass Start instead.
I think it wouldn't have been so annoying if 1) they weren't showing that stupid Tara/Johnny interview AGAIN about her one figure skating achievement, and 2) they hadn't been doing this all weekend, showing short program reruns under the program title "free program".

 

[Giselle]

Honestly I have no words. I woke up and saw the headline on ice network and could not believe it. I knew they had a shot but I never thought that it would happen.

Hubbell & Donohue are finally National champions :sad21: !!!

That was a long time coming. I'm praying that they don't retire due to funding reason next year, the best is yet to come.

 

[Maribelle]

It will be interesting to see which dance teams get to participate in the team competition.

 

[labgoat]

How nice that all three wonderful couples will now be able to say they were the US champions when they finally finish their careers. A wonderful thing to be able to say about our dance teams.

 

[cathlen]

Just came by to say, I'm really happy for H/D, because they have my favourite set of dances this season of all teams. Will be cheering for them to medal at Olympics

 

[conga]

How nice that all three wonderful couples will now be able to say they were the US champions when they finally finish their careers. A wonderful thing to be able to say about our dance teams.

I agree—and well-deserved!

 

[kiches]

Sharing some photos I took of the free dance and ice dance medal ceremony yesterday. I was playing around with a new point and shoot camera, but I'm horrible at photos so this was mostly me testing things out and seeing how I could make things look a bit better by adjusting some filters, but I was able to get fairly close during the medal ceremony.

2018 US Nationals Sr. Free Dance
https://flic.kr/s/aHskrbhaxr

 

[TontoK]

Sharing some photos I took of the free dance and ice dance medal ceremony yesterday. I was playing around with a new point and shoot camera, but I'm horrible at photos so this was mostly me testing things out and seeing how I could make things look a bit better by adjusting some filters, but I was able to get fairly close during the medal ceremony.

2018 US Nationals Sr. Free Dance
https://flic.kr/s/aHskrbhaxr

Thank you for sharing these!

 

[Kinga]

H/D were absolutely magnetic. Genuine expression, big movements, skating big. They do justice to this music and it is not easy. I'm sooo into this dance and I have never been their huge fan. Congrats!! I hope they slay in Korea and win a medal.
Unfortunately, had S/S skated clean, they would have won convicingly. And this is something I don't understand. :think: :confused2:
Each part of the trilogy is visibly worse and less captivating. At the end it just falls flat. Maybe they have not skated it to full potential, but IMO this is not Olympic medal material. They needed a new concept for this season. And please don't tell me that Coldplay is the only music siblings could do...
(And the "fix you" insertion makes me cringe a bit, we have been there already, enough with the forced trilogy narrative).

 

[klutzy]

I think that the Shibutanis need to go back to "Fix You". That was the best of their Coldplay series...

I think, though, much of the reason it was so effective is that it was such a clear expression of where they were as a team "stuck in reverse"--they had an emotional connection to the song and choreography and projected it. It's not where they are now.

I actually liked last season's FD--loved the unusual music choice--not as clear and emotional as Fix You, but I felt like it was still reflecting them. Paradise feels forced--an attempt to capitalize on what they did two years ago, but not authentic in the same way. And they need that authenticity. They actually do better in the short, where it feels like they're playing and having fun--they found a way to have a fun brotherly/sister vibe with it.

They are cut off from the classic romantic stuff, but there are other things they can express--just have to find them. They can never do something like H/D's smoldering FD, but something lik the C/B FD is open to them--with its sweet idealism.

 

[icekiwi]

Looks like Madison is a couple with Adrian Diaz and Zack with Olivia Smart; that, by the way are both of them an ice dance couple. And all of them train in Gadbois :agree2:

Actually rather disappointed that they are not a couple off the ice. Agree with some fans here, when Zach got down on one knee and started kissing Maddison's hand 'non stop' - very romantic!! And the way they hold each other's hands very tightly at the K n C shows they are in this together all the way! Don't forget, the way they connect with each other in the Rhumba and all those body shapings and movements in the FD, so so natural, nothing faked or forced at all. So, yeah, I am terribly disappointed.

 

[tzazu]

Actually rather disappointed that they are not a couple off the ice. Agree with some fans here, when Zach got down on one knee and started kissing Maddison's hand 'non stop' - very romantic!! And the way they hold each other's hands very tightly at the K n C shows they are in this together all the way! Don't forget, the way they connect with each other in the Rhumba and all those body shapings and movements in the FD, so so natural, nothing faked or forced at all. So, yeah, I am terribly disappointed.

I don't have an opinion on the subject

 

[BravesSkateFan]

Sharing some photos I took of the free dance and ice dance medal ceremony yesterday. I was playing around with a new point and shoot camera, but I'm horrible at photos so this was mostly me testing things out and seeing how I could make things look a bit better by adjusting some filters, but I was able to get fairly close during the medal ceremony.

2018 US Nationals Sr. Free Dance
https://flic.kr/s/aHskrbhaxr

Thanks for sharing!

Those edges!!! https://www.flickr.com/photos/144549958@N06/38873333364/in/album-72157662425995747/lightbox/

 

[Art&Sport]

Actually rather disappointed that they are not a couple off the ice. Agree with some fans here, when Zach got down on one knee and started kissing Maddison's hand 'non stop' - very romantic!! And the way they hold each other's hands very tightly at the K n C shows they are in this together all the way! Don't forget, the way they connect with each other in the Rhumba and all those body shapings and movements in the FD, so so natural, nothing faked or forced at all. So, yeah, I am terribly disappointed.

Zach and Madi used to be a couple off the ice. Much like James/Cipres, Madi & Zach eventually decided not to be a couple off the ice. They have not discussed why that I know of, but J/C did discuss in an interview that it was too difficult for them to be romantically involved and have a partnership on the ice. I would imagine that's true for Madi & Zach too. I mean both couples sizzle together on the ice, and maybe those emotions are too intense and volatile to sustain and manage 24/7 both on and off the ice.

For e.g., Vanessa said that if she and Morgan had an argument and were upset with each other, it was hard to separate from those emotions on the ice, which is not good for performing very well. So J/C's partnership is strictly on the ice, and they are very close friends too, of course. It looks to be the same for Madi & Zach. Obviously, the dynamic is different for other skaters who happen to be partners on and off the ice, such as the Knierims (If I'm not mistaken Pogrebinsky/Benoit, and Hawayek/Baker are couples off the ice too -- at least they both seem to be). Madison Hubbell & Evan Bates appear to be a couple off-ice as well.

We know that Tarasova/Morosov are romantically involved off the ice, but weirdly they don't have a palpable connection on the ice at all. Some think Sui/Han are involved, but they both have denied it. I think S/H are just strongly committed working partners.