2021-22 Retirements, Splits & Partner Changes

[BlissfulSynergy]

Nooooo, nooooo, nooooo!!!! I just now saw the news about Jess & Brian. I can't believe it. Sigh....

They were so magical together. But, of course, it's realistic and understandable that Brian has other things he wants to do with his life. They had such rotten luck the last two years. This is really unfair, but mostly for fans who loved this team. They weren't able to completely fulfill their potential. I blame the ISU mostly for the antiquated way they run this sport.

Apparently, Jess and Brian were all-in only for this Olympic season. Although they are both still fairly young, maybe Brian is tired and disappointed by all the unusual and unfair setbacks they have experienced. I guess he didn't want to slog through another four years of his life training hard, and end up being let down again by something else outside their control.

Plus, perhaps what has gone on in the sport recently has been a turnoff, i.e. Jess being so severely punished for something that wasn't her fault, and yet another skater is given special treatment at the Olympics after real evidence of doping.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

It would be something if Danny and Jess team up. They used to skate together when they were very young, just babies, in fact.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I did not want to be right. I swear I didn’t. Brian and Kate Finister? Danny and Jessica? I’m trying to make lemonade here.

Brian said he's retiring. But nice try. If Brian wanted to continue, he wouldn't be splitting up with Jess.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Dangit. Jessica and Brian could have been truly great, but it was just one thing after another.

Covid, cosmetics, missing any post-Nats assignment. It just never stopped.

I note that he announced retirement, but she announced the end of the partnership... so, where does she go? Misha? Another pair guy with Jenni and Todd?

From what has already been reported, Misha has another young partner. A singles skater who trains at his same rink in Boston.

 

[Moxiejan]

I’m assuming that Nate Bartholomay wants to continue his partnership with Katie. If not, Nate & Jessica would be a quite attractive pair.

 

[4everchan]

She skated with Jacob Richmond for shows early last month but there’s been no official announcement of a competitive partnership.

interesting... Jacob is indeed much taller than Aissa but he is not as good. I liked him a lot with Jessica Li and i like BB a lot together. Having a hard time imagining this as a competitive partnership.

 

[moonvine]

Brian said he's retiring. But nice try. If Brian wanted to continue, he wouldn't be splitting up with Jess.

Yea I posted that before we knew he was retiring.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Yea I posted that before we knew he was retiring.

Really? I would never think or suggest that kind of switch. What's needed is sticking together and improving unless there are actual fundamental and logistical reasons to split. For e.g., as in the case of Audrey & Misha due to Audrey's growth spurt and the difficulty they were having with lifts.

Also, in the case of retirements due to injury and/ or desire to move on, as occurred with both of Jess Calalang's former partnerships with Zach Sidhu and now with Brian.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I’m assuming that Nate Bartholomay wants to continue his partnership with Katie. If not, Nate & Jessica would be a quite attractive pair.

Nope. Nate & Katie are a couple off the ice and well-suited. Nate has issues with old injuries, and he's slowing down. Plus, he was not ever a very fast skater. Jess is super fast and skilled with blade technique. Plus, I don't see Nate and Jess as physically suited either. Moot point anyway because it's not realistic.

 

[moonvine]

Really? I would never think or suggest that kind of switch. What's needed is sticking together and improving unless there are actual fundamental and logistical reasons to split. For e.g., as in the case of Audrey & Misha due to Audrey's growth spurt and the difficulty they were having with lifts.

Also, in the case of retirements due to injury and/ or desire to move on, as occurred with both of Jess Calalang's former partnerships with Zach Sidhu and now with Brian.

To be clear: I saw that they were splitting, then suggested it. About an hour later we got the news of Brian retiring. I would never suggest any existing pair split. Too many are splitting already.

 

[ice coverage]

Honestly I'm not sure it is ever safe to say any American team would not split. I would have bet $100 Chris and Alexa would not split as a team. Danny and Tarah splitting were a surprise, to me at least.

@moonvine's post from Mar 2 was spot on.

From what has already been reported, Misha has another young partner. A singles skater who trains at his same rink in Boston.

Nothing has been announced about Misha and Hazel except that for two EWC shows, they will perform as a pair.

Misha has said nothing about whether he has established a new partnership for his competitive future.
Whenever Misha is ready to say more, I will be all ears.
Until then, I think it is premature to assume anything.

... unless there are actual fundamental and logistical reasons to split. For e.g., as in the case of Audrey & Misha due to Audrey's growth spurt and the difficulty they were having with lifts.

When announcing the end of their partnership, Audrey and Misha have cited only her decision to attend UCLA.

Theorizing about other supposed reasons for the end of the partnership is just theorizing.

 

[CoyoteChris]

I hope Jess takes some time and really thinks about where to go from here and what she wants for her future....she wrote a very nice instagram post about the split, praising her partner. Sometimes, what seems to be a bad thing can turn out to take you in a direction where happiness is waiting....Emily Samuelson after Bates tried another partner but saw that life wanted her to go another direction. Her old coach Yasa told me she did some coaching for her but left skating and of course became a successful financial advisor and IIRC is married with a child.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I hope Jess takes some time and really thinks about where to go from here and what she wants for her future....she wrote a very nice instagram post about the split, praising her partner. Sometimes, what seems to be a bad thing can turn out to take you in a direction where happiness is waiting....Emily Samuelson after Bates tried another partner but saw that life wanted her to go another direction. Her old coach Yasa told me she did some coaching for her but left skating and of course became a successful financial advisor and IIRC is married with a child.

This is a great post, and a wonderful way of looking at this. Thanks, because I always thought Emily had been unhappy about the break and struggled with adjusting. If she felt closure after working with another ice dance partner, then cool. In recent years, I had heard she's doing well, and that she's happy in her current career.

Still, I think it's also fair to say that some skaters might feel they have a lot left, and they are determined to try and fulfill a deeply held dream. It's different for everyone. Of course, finding another magical partnership that takes you to the top, is not easy. Time learning with and adjusting to a new partner along with career luck and timing, are other factors, so we'll see what happens.

 

[AlexBreeze]

Ushakova/Nekrasov, Pasechnik/Blinov split

New couple - Pasechnik/Nekrasov

Arina Ushakova 'more likely' retired

Алексей Горшков: «Наша совместная работа исключает рутину» - Федерация фигурного катания на коньках России

Официальный сайт Федерации фигурного катания на коньках России. Новости, интервью, календарь и результаты соревнований, состав сборной команды.

fsrussia.ru

 

[AlexBreeze]

New couple - Shanaeva/Drozd

Матч! Фигурное катание

⚡️ Александр Жулин о новой паре Шанаева\Дрозд👇 🗣 «У меня образовалась совершенно замечательная пара – Шанаева/Дрозд. Лиза перешла ко мне, катается уже три недели, отлично смотрятся вместе. Она не каталась недели две по какой-то причине, так что пришла не в очень хорошей форме. Но сейчас нам...

t.me

 

[removof]

Who is the coach of Pasechnik/Nekrasov?

 

[removof]

Who is the coach of Shanaeva/Drozd?

 

[AlexBreeze]

Who is the coach of Pasechnik/Nekrasov?

Gorshkov (and most likely Svinin and Zhuk)

Who is the coach of Shanaeva/Drozd?

Zhulin

 

[surimi]

Thank you for the updates @AlexBreeze ! For the future, could you post the full names of skaters? I had no issues this time, as I happen to either know them, or have seen a tweet about the splits with the full names, but in case I didn't know their first names, it's inconvenient for me to have to click on external links, or look up their fanfests in order to edit them into the OP.

 

[IceDancingQueen]

interesting... Jacob is indeed much taller than Aissa but he is not as good. I liked him a lot with Jessica Li and i like BB a lot together. Having a hard time imagining this as a competitive partnership.

I’m with you! I loved Aissa and Emmy together so it’s such a shame about the height issue I can’t picture Jacob and Emmy together either. The only other free male ice dancers I can think of are Russian - Bagin, Drodz and Eremenko but I don’t know if any of them would leave Russia the way Smirnov did to skate with Avonley. They all might be told old for Emmy as well.

EDIT: Have just seen the post about Drodz partnering with Shanaeva.