- Joined
- Mar 12, 2007
Wow, Meagan had such praise for A&T! "Best two programs at a US Nationals, maybe ever!" or something like that. and later - "they were just in another world. A good world."
2021-22 U.S. Pairs Figure Skating
- Thread starter skylark
- Start date
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
Yay! That IL stop is only 6 hour drive!
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
'Fans are always volatile about U.S. pairs skaters,' is a more apt statement.
ETA:
Earlier in this thread, I see some posters discussing C/J. I would imagine that they weren't assigned to 4CCs so that they would be ready to go to the Olympics, if someone had to drop out for any reason, especially COVID-related reasons. It's too bad that nothing is normal these days, or they might have been able to attend the Olympics as first alternates. Or better yet, the other two top teams should have secured the possible third spot for Olympics and Worlds, when it was within their grasp. Then C/J could have fulfilled their Olympics dream in 2022.
In any case, C/J are young enough to continue another four years. I just hope they can wipe the slate clean and find a different way to retool their jumps, and their jump selection and layout strategy to maximize their competitive arc. I would hope that they and their coaches realize by now that whatever they are doing isn't working and they need to do something different to resolve their weak sbs jump issues.
I wonder whether K/F and C-G/LD are going to continue. I can see Alexa taking off two years to start a family, and then coming back for a final Olympics push. Ashley is younger than all of the top U.S. pairs veterans, but Timothy is a bit older, so we'll see what they decide to do. I hope that at least Ashley & Timothy will stick around for at least a couple more years.
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- Joined
- Mar 14, 2007
That would be a fair statement but why were G/P allowed to attend and compete (and win) when they were alternates for Ice Dance? And the pairs event is the last one on the competition. It just wasn’t consistent. For that matter there were some of the US men’s alternates there.
Alexa said in her IG that “no matter what our journey will continue”. But minds do change.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
I'm not really following what you're saying exactly. I'm also not sure what the connection is with my initial post.
- Joined
- Mar 12, 2007
And congratulations to both our OLYMPIC pairs for great short programs!! 
In completely different ways. And I couldn't be happier for them!
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
An article in Fanzone today features both pairs at the Olympics:
Excerpt:
Eleven days after they represented Team USA in the figure skating team event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and a full two weeks since their short program, the 2021 U.S. champions were back.
"The team event felt like so long ago, so this was like a fresh start," Frazier said.
For Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, it was simply a start.
Although they departed the United States on Jan. 29, Friday marked their first official appearance at the Olympic Games.
They were so happy after finishing their program that Cain-Gribble was jumping up and down on the right ankle she sprained Wednesday before hugging an ecstatic LeDuc.
"It was such a joyous moment for us out there today," LeDuc said.
"It was honestly a little bit of an out-of-body experience as well," Cain-Gribble said. "Because we are so trained, we just allowed that to take over. So when the music ended, it was when we finally felt everything."
Going into Saturday's free skate at Capital Indoor Stadium, the two USA teams are only one tenth of a point apart.
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
Excerpt:
Eleven days after they represented Team USA in the figure skating team event at the Olympic Winter Games Beijing 2022 and a full two weeks since their short program, the 2021 U.S. champions were back.
"The team event felt like so long ago, so this was like a fresh start," Frazier said.
For Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc, it was simply a start.
Although they departed the United States on Jan. 29, Friday marked their first official appearance at the Olympic Games.
"It was such a joyous moment for us out there today," LeDuc said.
"It was honestly a little bit of an out-of-body experience as well," Cain-Gribble said. "Because we are so trained, we just allowed that to take over. So when the music ended, it was when we finally felt everything."
Going into Saturday's free skate at Capital Indoor Stadium, the two USA teams are only one tenth of a point apart.
U.S. Pairs Take Sixth and Seventh After Short Program - U.S. Figure Skating
So much time has passed since Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier first performed their short program in Olympic competition that their music to "House of the Rising
usfigureskatingfanzone.com
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
If at Worlds, all things turn out as they did at Olympics, and just one non US team has retired, we might get 3 Pairs( 5+7=12) for Worlds 2023.
It is crazy to think this might happen. We usually worry about getting 2 pairs.
It is crazy to think this might happen. We usually worry about getting 2 pairs.
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2014
Ashley's troubles today were both landing a jump on her right foot, which was the ankle she sprained just a few days ago. I know she was disappointed, but it was amazing how Timothy went right to her and spoke in her ear. I don't know what they said to her, but I'm sure it was just the right thing.
I'm so proud of them, and I know they will treasure this Olympic experience always.
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- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I hope you are right!
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
I hadn't heard about Ashley spraining her ankle. Is that perhaps a reason for Ashley faltering in the fp on her jumping passes? Perhaps. Anyway, it was still an excellent competition for Ash/Timothy and for Knierim/Frazier. K/F really skated with conviction and joy in the fp, which was great to see. It was all on the line in that moment. It was about fulfilling their dreams, not worrying about placements. I'm happy for both teams. Ash/Timothy only dropped behind the Japanese team (Miura/Kihara) in the final standings due to Ash's jump errors.
Since Miura had doubled a triple in the sp, she and Kihara fell behind both U.S. teams by about four points. Had Ash/Tim been able to skate their fp the way they did at U.S. Nationals, they would have maintained their position, at least. But they should still be proud. They skated directly after M/K who skated better than in their sp and received great marks. In the sp, I noticed that the judges marked Ash/Timothy slightly higher on PCS than K/F.
Now, we will have to wait and see who plans to retire, and who will or will not go to Worlds. I'm thinking that Alexa/Brandon may feel they've had their dreamed of Olympic experience together (Alexa will now have two Olympic medals). And they accomplished this mutual goal in record time. Perhaps this will be enough for them, and they may decide not to go to Worlds, which would leave Worlds open for C/J to attend as first alternates.
ETA:
I see @skylark expresses confirmation that Ash's sprained ankle is the cause of her jumping woes in the fp. They were brilliant on everything else, and their sp was glorious, so their overall placement is still a fine achievement.
- Joined
- Sep 1, 2020
I was thinking about this too, of course, as it is irresistible to contemplate. Especially since the same two teams (K/F and C-G/LD) nearly accomplished obtaining 3 pairs spots at 2021 Worlds.
If K/F don't attend Worlds, but decide to retire, C/J may have the opportunity to go to Worlds (after bad luck the past two years re Worlds cancellation in 2020, plus Jess' unfair doping ruling in 2021). I think C/J should be planning new training strategies for mastering sbs jumps they can manage more consistently. I hope K/F decide to go to Worlds, along with Ash/Tim, and that they end up getting 3 spots for U.S. pairs. But I'm not going to get my hopes up too far.
I would guess that only Sui/Han (of the top teams) will retire. They've achieved their long-held goal of winning Olympic gold. Tarasova/Morosov could decide to retire too, and leave Worlds to the younger Russian pairs. However, T/M have only won a bronze and two silvers at Worlds. They may wish to try for a World championship. They nearly won the Olympic pairs event, being only percentage points behind Sui/Han in the scoring.
If T/M don't attend Worlds, I would imagine Pavliuchenko/Khodykin would receive the assignment. It will still be a tough battle for U.S. teams what with the judges giving PCS gifts in certain categories to Russia's B/K and M/G, so if either team makes a mistake, they still end up on the podium. Meanwhile, there's Peng/Jin and Miura/ Kihara still among the top contenders. If K/F and Ash/Timothy are stellar, there is the possibility for placing 6th and 7th, especially since they performed so well at the Olympics, which is a perception advantage.
I hope that Canada's James/Radford will go to 2022 Worlds in France (it would be a full circle moment for Vanessa). If Moore-Towers/ Marinaro are calling it a career after the Olympics, I imagine that Walsh/Micheau will get their chance to attend Worlds for Canada.
- Joined
- Jan 28, 2013
When Ashley and Timothy first paired up, I was very excited at the prospect of this team. I soured on them a bit over the years, being particularly unimpressed with Timothy's strength in lifts and the twist.
Now, it seems as though everything is coming together for them. He's stronger, they're faster, the connection is beautiful, the elements are much improved.
It will be a shame if they don't go another cycle.
Now, it seems as though everything is coming together for them. He's stronger, they're faster, the connection is beautiful, the elements are much improved.
It will be a shame if they don't go another cycle.
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