2021 US Nationals: Free Dance - Thoughts and Observations

[gsk8]

Hubbell and Donohue take back title at US Nationals | Golden Skate

Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue edged out Madison Chock and Evan Bates to win their third title at the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Las Vegas, Nev. on Saturday night.

www.goldenskate.com

What are your thoughts on the FD? What were your favorite performances? Which team(s) do you feel have shown the most growth since last season?

 

[moonvine]

I’ve called the cops because H/B have been robbed. After that I’m sending all the judges new eyeglasses. They seem to have a visual perception issue.

 

[Dogo]

Everytime I have a creative hiccup I'll watch Kaitlin and Jen-Luc' Blondie program to clean my eyes and reinvigorate my mind. It is truly poetry on ice. Even more so that P/C last season program (maybe I'll get hate for saying that but it was that amazing)

Also, Chock and Bates for the gold next year! I want to be Madi dancing on Evan's arms on their SP. I always thought he was cute but I have an official crush on him, and a platonic one with her.

And Hubbell and Donohue are my body goals.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Everytime I have a creative hiccup I'll watch Kaitlin and Jen-Luc' Blondie program to clean my eyes and reinvigorate my mind. It is truly poetry on ice.

Also, Chock and Bates for the gold next year!

I'd honestly like to see H/B with gold for next year, but with the way the US is judging: That's a hard sell.

 

[moonvine]

I'd honestly like to see H/B with gold for next year, but with the way the US is judging: That's a hard sell.

Can we at least sell them the silver?

 

[Skater Boy]

wow what a dramatic final. The scoring if realistic suggests at worlds and olympics the US could have too meals and forget the two Russian teams with France of course gettting gold.

Very competitive. Thouugh it seems to me Chock and Bates and Hubbell and Donahue have been arodn for ever. They haven't but it seems they have been aroudn for ages and as a result of them waitin g their turn so to s peak after Davis and Whtie and then the Shibs there is a bottle neck of up and oming great teams. Too bad Careira and Ponomarenko couldn't compete - they lost a lot of ground to H and B who seemed to find their groove again just barely in time. The battle of the Madisons such drama.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

What the ...... did I just read?!?!?!

 

[gsk8]

H/B

In terms of training, the team felt this season was special in their creative process as both ice dancers have wanted to tell a story; something they've wanted to do in previous years.

"It's what we love about skating," said Hawayek. "I think we poured so much into creating these specific characters and images that we wanted everybody to understand so clearly. The thing we really embraced this year was letting go of that a little bit and allowing ourselves to create art; something that came from within us and not having any expectations for how other people viewed it and take what they wanted from our program. It's a lot more rewarding at the end of the day to finish the program and feel like it came from within us onto the ice rather than to hope that people understood a program."

 

[Amei]

wow what a dramatic final. The scoring if realistic suggests at worlds and olympics the US could have too meals and forget the two Russian teams with France of course gettting gold.

Yeah Nationals scoring means nothing

wow what a dramatic final. The scoring if realistic suggests at worlds and olympics the US could have too meals and forget the two Russian teams with France of course gettting gold.

Very competitive. Thouugh it seems to me Chock and Bates and Hubbell and Donahue have been arodn for ever. They haven't but it seems they have been aroudn for ages and as a result of them waitin g their turn so to s peak after Davis and Whtie and then the Shibs there is a bottle neck of up and oming great teams. Too bad Careira and Ponomarenko couldn't compete - they lost a lot of ground to H and B who seemed to find their groove again just barely in time. The battle of the Madisons such drama.

They have, both teams are in their 10th season together (both competed previously with other partners as seniors). Chock and Bates have been to the last 2 Olympics, Hubbell and Donahue were at the last Olympics.

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Yeah Nationals scoring means nothing




They have, both teams are in their 10th season together (both competed previously with other partners as seniors). Chock and Bates have been to the last 2 Olympics, Hubbell and Donahue were at the last Olympics.

And Bates was at the 2010 Olympics with his former partner, Emily Samuelson.

 

[Amei]

And Bates was at the 2010 Olympics with his former partner, Emily Samuelson.

Wow, so in all likelihood he's going to go to 4 Olympics at least in his career if they manage to stay as 1 of the top 3 teams. That's pretty amazing

 

[rain]

I thought Hawayek and Baker's performances at least should have earned them scores close to H/D and C/B. It should have been a three way race for the gold, but I think the judges had already decided gold and silver were going to H/D and C/B in some order, and H/B were there for third. I can only hope the reaction H/B are getting for the performance starts to shift that mindset.

 

[happycamper2554]

I thought Hawayek and Baker's performances at least should have earned them scores close to H/D and C/B. It should have been a three way race for the gold, but I think the judges had already decided gold and silver were going to H/D and C/B in some order, and H/B were there for third. I can only hope the reaction H/B are getting for the performance starts to shift that mindset.

and I thought H/B should be closer to Green/Parsons.