2021 Golden Spin of Zagreb: Pairs Free Skate

[BlissfulSynergy]

I think they will be behind the Russians and S/H but can beat P/J. The one keeping them out of the top 5 is the Japanese pair who tbh should place higher if both pairs are clean because their elements are way more interesting and cleaner but J/R if they get it together can be really spectacular and I could picture them playing a bit of a spoiler. Certainly they would give Canada an outside shot of a team medal.

The Japanese (Miura/Kihara are an exciting team and very popular for many reasons. Their scores skyrocketed after being in 10th behind both U.S. teams and KM-T/MM, et al. at 2021 Worlds. Yes, M/K are a good, feel-good team, but to say that they are more interesting on their elements than J/R or K/F, is very subjective. M/K have some fun qualities, and they perform the elements well. They aren't perfect all the time.

At Skate America, where it looks like there was a huge political push for M/K to make the podium over very competitive American pairs, mind you, the judges completely ignored a problem on M/K's catch in the sp. It wasn't a clean catch. Yet, nothing was taken off and they received high GOE. Had the same happened to an American team, you can bet points would have been deducted. In the fp, M/K had a bad fall, but still prevailed for the podium. Meanwhile, there was no political push behind the top American team, K/F, who placed fourth. The ISU had even sent a Japanese rep to award medals at Skate America, most likely because of the political push behind M/K making the podium.

M/K have brought back both of their programs from last season, which helps their consistency. If they were a different team, or especially an American team, there'd be criticism for them not getting at least one new program for the new season.

I agree with you that if J/R continue strongly in the second half of the season, they can be a wild card. Still, the Russian teams, even with mistakes are given advantages in the scoring.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

The Japanese (Miura/Kihara are an exciting team and very popular for many reasons. Their scores skyrocketed after being in 10th behind both U.S. teams and KM-T/MM, et al. at 2021 Worlds. Yes, M/K are a good, feel-good team, but to say that they are more interesting on their elements than J/R or K/F, is very subjective. M/K have some fun qualities, and they perform the elements well. They aren't perfect all the time.

At Skate America, where it looks like there was a huge political push for M/K to make the podium over very competitive American pairs, mind you, the judges completely ignored a problem on M/K's catch in the sp. It wasn't a clean catch. Yet, nothing was taken off and they received high GOE. Had the same happened to an American team, you can bet points would have been deducted. In the fp, M/K had a bad fall, but still prevailed for the podium. Meanwhile, there was no political push behind the top American team, K/F, who placed fourth. The ISU had even sent a Japanese rep to award medals at Skate America, most likely because of the political push behind M/K making the podium.

M/K have brought back both of their programs from last season, which helps their consistency. If they were a different team, or especially an American team, there'd be criticism for them not getting at least one new program for the new season.

I agree with you that if J/R continue strongly in the second half of the season, they can be a wild card. Still, the Russian teams, even with mistakes are given advantages in the scoring.

I think M/K actually have my favourite lifts of any of the pairs teams this season. Especially that last one where he's lunging and she does a cartwheel out of it - to me it's the element of the season other than Pav/Kho's insane triple twist exit. Their SBS jumps are very neatly done although they tend to be far apart.

Agree the twist catch wasn't great and GOE should have been lower but not so egregious that it deserved to drop them a placement (certainly not a whole 5 points and off the podium) - they still had good transitions and speed going in and out. It's not like B/K weren't given help either at Skate America - their salchows were very obviously out of sync (he was done his first rotation before she even turned to leave the ice) and her landing was tight.

And B/K with 2 falls getting 68 PCS is some kind of ridiculousness (the throw fall even got -4s). I don't think M/K deserved 68 themselves with the fall (68 would have been barely deserved without the fall), so there was generosity all around. M/K still definitely deserved to be above S-K/F.... who themselves weren't dinged enough on a poor twist landing in their SP if we're talking about twist overscoring - not to mention the -4's on the 3T when his feet were tied up and he put both hands down.

M/K have brought back their programs sure but they perhaps benefit from being essentially off the radar the season before, whereas a more prolific/veteran team it would be more noticeable simply because they are more prolific. In all honesty, I myself didn't pay a whole lot of attention to them until this season. J/R I kinda expected would be magical if they got it together but their elements aren't nearly as complex as they need to be to crack the top teams, and even clean I'd put them on par with a clean M/K (better artistry for the Canadians, better elements for the Japanese).