2022 Europeans - Pairs: Thoughts?

[gsk8]

Mishina and Galliamov take European title in Russian sweep

Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov led the Pairs in a Russian sweep at the 2022 European Figure Skating Championships on Thursday in their debut at this event. Veterans Evgenia Tarasova […]

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A Russian sweep! Thrilled for Mishina and Galliamov in their Euros debut! They seemed really calm backstage in the warmup. Lot's of confidence for this team!

Safina and Berulava, who just teamed up, were certainly "dark horses" coming into this event and I like their programs.

What are your thoughts on the Pairs event overall?

 

[Winnie_20]

Three down, nine to go?

 

[Lamente Ariane]

I think I put Tarasova/Morozov over Boikova/Kozlovskii in every prediction this season except for this one, so of course this is the one where they came out on top Congratulations to all the medalists, especially Mishina/Galliamov!

I do wish the German teams had a better competition though, it's such a shame neither have managed to skate up to their potential lately. But way to go Ghilardi/Ambrosini!

 

[Fluture]

I don‘t understand the judging, as usually.

M/G are consistently solid and have high technical abilities but those scores…Mishina‘s euler always looks like a step-out yet never gets scored as such. They also have the weakest skating skills of all three pairs here. And while I get a feeling of confidence from their skating, it‘s not really a full performance yet, or at least not for me. A bit of miming does not make an engaging skate. The choreography and music choice don’t help, of course. They seem like lovely people but I just can‘t get behind their skating at all. Sorry.

T/M: I‘m not a fan of their programs but wow, what skaters they are. This is world-class quality - the throws, the skating skills, the refinement… I don’t understand how M/G can come even close to them in PCS. If only there was more emotional involvement in their performances. They tend to feel cold at times.

B/K: Well, they‘re my favorites so I‘m biased but I don‘t really understand the PCS difference to M/G. Where exactly are they worse? And 3 points at that? I don’t see better skating skills, performance or interpretation from M/G and I’d argue B/K have the better constructed program. Transitions I’d give to M/G but that’s it. In reality, I think M/G and B/K should both be getting around 72-73, with T/M a point or two above them. They‘re deserved Bronze medalists here, no question but that difference in the FS feels very wrong. Appreciated the fight today, after the disappointment in the short, though.

Apart from the Russians, I liked the Georgian pair. And LOVED Barquero/Zandron's short, even with the freak fall. I‘ve never seen them before but they have lots of promise.

 

[invisiblespiral]

Spain and Georgia get 2 spots next year!

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I don‘t understand the judging, as usually.

M/G are consistently solid and have high technical abilities but those scores…Mishina‘s euler always looks like a step-out yet never gets scored as such. They also have the weakest skating skills of all three pairs here. And while I get a feeling of confidence from their skating, it‘s not really a full performance yet, or at least not for me. A bit of miming does not make an engaging skate. The choreography and music choice don’t help, of course. They seem like lovely people but I just can‘t get behind their skating at all. Sorry.

T/M: I‘m not a fan of their programs but wow, what skaters they are. This is world-class quality - the throws, the skating skills, the refinement… I don’t understand how M/G can come even close to them in PCS. If only there was more emotional involvement in their performances. They tend to feel cold at times.

B/K: Well, they‘re my favorites so I‘m biased but I don‘t really understand the PCS difference to M/G. Where exactly are they worse? And 3 points at that? I don’t see better skating skills, performance or interpretation from M/G and I’d argue B/K have the better constructed program. Transitions I’d give to M/G but that’s it. In reality, I think M/G and B/K should both be getting around 72-73, with T/M a point or two above them. They‘re deserved Bronze medalists here, no question but that difference in the FS feels very wrong. Appreciated the fight today, after the disappointment in the short, though.

Apart from the Russians, I liked the Georgian pair. And LOVED Barquero/Zandron's short, even with the freak fall. I‘ve never seen them before but they have lots of promise.

I love how many times the commentator didn't even acknowledge it was a Euler attempt and said she stepped out before regrouping to do the second 3S.

M/G were splendid and deserved the win for sure and even a new record, given the 3s+Eu+3s. They're also much improved artistically from last year with some fab lifts.

T/M were totally overscored on PCS (and GOE for their SBS jumps), but I'm glad M/G skated well enough to see T/M's undeserved total record shortlived.

B/K had a nice skate, with some very strong lifts. The throws I wish she'd check her leg out a bit earlier because some of them are close calls to the ice. I'm not sure this Malaguena is good enough for an Olympic medal if Sui/Han do their thing

Very strong skates but this Euros scoring was super pro-Russia with personal bests (I mean B/K doubled a jump and got a PCS personal best, and T/M had a major flaw on their 3S in the FS and got a PCS personal best).

It made it abundantly clear that Russia is try-harding real bad for a pairs sweep at the Olympics. Although it would be a taste of Russia's own medicine if Sui/Han were overscored and the Russians were underscored on Beijing ice to hold to give them the gold. But if everyone goes clean, I do think B/K have just a bit more firepower to merit edging out Sui/Han, because no way would T/M get the carrots they got at Euros in Beijing. I just hope the judging will be fair all around.

 

[QuadThrow]

M/G do not deserve 76 in PCS.

Weaker SS, weird music cut and weird moves you do not fit the music, they are slower. This is so obvious.

The Music they use in the second half is from an old soviet socialist propaganda move from 1965. This is so Moskvina like and so old and outmoded. I am ashamed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time,_Forward!

 

[ladyjane]

Well, first of all, it was an evening with a lot of jump issues. Nothing new in that with pairs, but I had hoped for better. Having said that, there still was quite a lot to enjoy. Quite a few really lovely 3 twist lifts with a level 4 (and some really soaring), some great lifts with interesting entries and dismounts, some wonderful choreographic sequences with great moves, and also some examples of excellent jumps (yes, there were a few) and throws.

I have no words for the three Russian couples - all three of them were just so good - but I was very happy to see Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morosov at their A-game again. Maybe not totally perfect but I was completely mesmerised by their beautiful skate.

I was so pleased for both Italian couples. The best Italian pair wasn't present, and they still managed to place high enough for there to be three couples next year. Both also had good skates - being 5th and 7th (end placements) is none too shabby! The Georgians were better than I have ever seen them before, and were well deserved in fourth (never mind that this placement put all my predictions to nought, although some other couples messed up those anyway).

I had hoped for more from the two German couples, but at least they managed to maintain their two spots and there was still an 8th place finish for one of them. Good to see Balasz Nagy again, and also that Hungary also managed to keep two spots.

I had rather high expectations for Laura Barquero and Marco Zandron, but despite their beautiful skating (and that wonderful 3 twist) they just made too many mistakes this evening. They've shown many better skates earlier this season (but worse ones too). Having said that, a 9th place in this field really is nothing to be ashamed of. And... two pairs from Spain next year! The skaters Jelizaveta and Martin from Czech Republic improved on their SP which was a nice surprise, while Camille and Pavel Kovalev were enjoyable but didn't manage to maintain two spots for France (but then I hadn't expected them to). The Belarussians managed to get 10th place (I think that means they've also got two spots next year).
///

My funny moment actually happened afterwards when I was talking to my father (who knows nothing at all about Figure Skating) on the phone and he had apparently watched Ioulia Chtchetinina and Mark Magyar, and he spontaneously said "well that girl could skate, but him, now that was bad". I wouldn't be so crass in my opinion myself, but it was true that tonight at least Ioulia was the better skater. I thought it was funny that even someone totally out of the loop could see that!

 

[Fluture]

M/G were splendid and deserved the win for sure and even a new record, given the 3s+Eu+3s. They're also much improved artistically from last year with some fab lifts.

Agree about the win. Not so sure about the record but their technical ability is strong. I‘m just not on board yet in terms of PCS and I honestly don‘t see their improvement. They‘re consistent, yes, but personally, I just don‘t see any charisma, performance, connection from them. It’s all very juniorish and…slow. And their skating skills irk me. Might be personal taste, though.

T/M were totally overscored on PCS (and GOE for their SBS jumps), but I'm glad M/G skated well enough to see T/M's undeserved total record shortlived.

So, I agree that T/M‘s record wasn‘t deserved since they made a very obvious mistake but I don‘t get how they‘re overscored in PCS compared to M/G (if you ask me, all three were scored too high but that‘s another issue). They have better skating skills, more refinement and quality overall and I don‘t think their program is worse than whatever M/G‘s FS this season is supposed to be. Could they give more expression and interpretation? Sure. But they have the best basic skating (imo, the only ones who can rival S/H in that aspect) and I think, if all three pairs go more or less clean, it should be reflected.

B/K had a nice skate, with some very strong lifts. The throws I wish she'd check her leg out a bit earlier because some of them are close calls to the ice. I'm not sure this Malaguena is good enough for an Olympic medal if Sui/Han do their thing

Agree about B/K. Honestly, after the problems they had at the beginning of last and this season, I’m happy if they land their throws at all… Malaguena isn‘t my cup of tea but I think it lends itself for a nice Olympic moment, if skated like at Nationals. But with the way the scoring is going, they have to hope for mistakes from S/H, T/M and M/G. Since they‘re my personal faves (after S/H obviously), this sucks but oh well.

As for the rest: I don‘t want to think about Beijing and S/H‘s chances because after these scores just now, it‘s just depressing…

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

Oh, all three were scored too high on PCS. That goes without saying -- it's Russian scoring at a pre-Olympics Euros. But I still give the Russian pairs all the credit for slaying and skating well still (and blame the judges/politics for the silly scoring).

But for T/M to get 2.11 higher than their previous PB (at Warsaw Cup where they were already overscored), is ludicrous. I'd have B/K's PCS around 70-71, T/M's PCS around 72-73 (74 without the error) and M/G's PCS around 73.

You should take heart in the fact that it's in Beijing so there's no politicking that could get Euros 2022 level of favouritism for the Russian team over Sui/Han. If M/G or the other Russians beat Sui/Han, in China at the Olympics, it'll likely happen fair and square.

 

[Dreamer57]

I thought the top 4 pairs were wonderful, it was nice to see them confident and skating good free programs!
It was a rare cherished occasion where I thought T/M might take the gold...they were only a 3S away but I'm really happy for M/G winning their debut euros title!

As for the rest: I don‘t want to think about Beijing and S/H‘s chances because after these scores just now, it‘s just depressing…

S/H have been practising their quad twist and I assume they will try it out at the team event first. They have also been working hard on their jumps. I think they are ready and prepared!

 

[coldblueeyes]

It’s kind of what I said yesterday, judges set up M/G for a WR. Just didn’t know the Eteri bonus would come in full effect today, haha.

Placements are just about right, but that score for T/M in the free was excessive, and in turn, forced the judges to also give M/G a monstrous score, since repeating their SB wouldn’t even be enough for the win. And this was one of the not so good performances for M/G all around, but they handle the pressure incredibly well. It shows especially in Mishina’s combo, for which people give her flack, but the girl can hold her own and make that combo count. Also, saw some comments about her posture pre-throws that made me laugh.

People are looking for details to pick them apart.

A bit sad for B/Z. They could have placed 4th and made a stronger statement for themselves, but this FS was just not it for them. Happy to see my boy Martin Bidar doing better here. Maybe they are on an upward trend now? I hope so.

 

[lariko]

I enjoyed the competition, though I felt that it was more bits and pieces of different skates I enjoyed, rather than complete programs, save for B/K free. I love M/G, but their music in the free just kills my enthusiasm for them

 

[arewhyaen]

Maybe it’s always been like this, but my gosh, have pairs free programs always been so excessively grave and heavy? These music selections, my god I’ve heard happier music at funerals!

 

[gsk8]

“I think she was so excited that she overrotated, but then she calmed down and decided to concentrate,” said Morozov of Tarasova’s error on the triple Salchow. “From that moment on, it was easier,” she chimed in.

You don't see too many overrotations these days, at least not in pairs.

 

[RatedPG]

After this result, if the pairs split up for the team event, I wonder what other team is going to be chosen as the second pair

 

[QuadThrow]

I thought the top 4 pairs were wonderful, it was nice to see them confident and skating good free programs!
It was a rare cherished occasion where I thought T/M might take the gold...they were only a 3S away but I'm really happy for M/G winning their debut euros title!

S/H have been practising their quad twist and I assume they will try it out at the team event first. They have also been working hard on their jumps. I think they are ready and prepared!

The Quad Twist is just one point more if they do it Well. But yes. It is good for them. It gives the judges a Chance to put them in Front of M/G

 

[flanker]

I know it's not very realistc but after yesterday's excellence I would really like to see all three medals for those three russian pairs in Beijing. That's my pairs thought, I don't want any of them out of the medal position. Even if B/K are not my favourites.

 

[TontoK]

The top three pairs were very good, and I enjoyed this competition greatly.

No problems with the placements, but T/M are the skaters I enjoy watching the most.

A squeaky clean program from T/M would go in my "frequently watched" pile. The others would not.

 

[gliese]

Mishina‘s euler always looks like a step-out yet never gets scored as such.

I don't really see that. It just looks like an average euler to me... The one at euros was shakey but it does not ALWAYS look like that.