2023 Grand Prix Espoo Pairs Free Skate

[4everchan]

Hase/Voldin might win worlds with one major error. I tell you.

I think they are contenders. I don't think they are the favourites to win, especially if not clean.

 

[4everchan]

I am not sure their triple toes were clean... looks short. one throw was not clean.. the twist a bit crashy... some lost levels too.

Well i was right... not only short but < (downgraded)

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Hase/Voldin might win worlds with one major error. I tell you.

I think it's between Hase/Volodin and Stellato/Deschamps at the moment - H/V haven't skated clean so far, so S/D currently have the upper hand.

And that's without taking into account some other teams who are currently out with injury, like Miura/Kihara.

 

[QuadThrow]

I think it's between Hase/Volodin and Stellato/Deschamps at the moment - H/V haven't skated clean so far, so S/D currently have the upper hand.

And that's without taking into account some other teams who are currently out with injury, like Miura/Kihara.

Yes. The Stellato/Deschamps have already skated at their best at Vancouver. The Germans have more potential. They will probably already show it in Japan. Their components will rise next week.

It is gonna be very interesting in Montreal.

 

[Seven Sisters]

Did Peng/Wang really just forget the combo or did they deliberately planned not to do it to try aiming for clean?

If they just forgot..... it's exactly like Ami Nakai in Japanese Nats last year, missing the podium due to forgetting a combo

I suspect that they were really, really tired after competing in China last week and then having to travel to Finland days later, and chose to leave it out to conserve their strength; even with that adjustment, their energy did seem to flag today, especially mid-program. Neither is young anymore (except by Deanna Stellato standards, of course.)

 

[skylark]

They can retire that upside down split lift position any time now.
It is not attractive nor tasteful and looks awkward no matter who does it.

that's what I've thought for years, well ever since I first saw it. Not everyone does it, though. I think it's important to say that. Ashley and Timothy didn't ... although I don't remember, maybe they tried it one year and then abandoned it.

 

[Rebecca Moose]

Continued regression from Conti/Macii. That K&C was tense...and they are extremely lucky to get away with silver here.

By far the biggest tragedy today is that we will be subjected to this Cinema Paradiso program YET AGAIN at Grand Prix Final.

 

[Skater Boy]

Continued regression from Conti/Macii. That K&C was tense...and they are extremely lucky to get away with silver here.

By far the biggest tragedy today is that we will be subjected to this Cinema Paradiso program YET AGAIN at Grand Prix Final.

They still have time to turn it around and remember the bloomed late in the season last year and SD faded as the season progressed. Still HV for gold - I don't know them but if that's the best we have in the world maybe at best award silver and no gold. Nothing against them personally but these team do not have the skating skills, the personality or character on ice or the big tricks to compare with the greats.

 

[Rebecca Moose]

IMO Stellato has clearly established themselves as the best team in the world right now, both on elements and PCS.

There is a very large pool of teams is fighting for silver and bronze, including Miura/Kihara, Pereira/Michaud, two German teams, multiple Italian teams, Chan/Howe, Peng/Wang, and even the Hungarians and Australians. I would love to see one or two of these teams step up the consistency and challenge Stellato/Deschamps.

Pairs is a hot mess, but at least it's an intriguing hot mess, and we're starting to see a little more depth internationally, which is a good thing.

 

[rain]

They can retire that upside down split lift position any time now.
It is not attractive nor tasteful and looks awkward no matter who does it.

As I've said multiple times in multiple threads, lol, it should be banned. I cannot tell you how much I hate it. Hideous. And there's not even any novelty factor anymore.

Actually I think lift positions just need a big overhaul in general. They're mostly ugly contortions rather than images of flight.

 

[skylark]

Actually I think lift positions just need a big overhaul in general. They're mostly ugly contortions rather than images of flight.

But the reason many of them aren't beautiful any more is because the points system rewards difficulty rather than images of flight, or feeling of flight, or simple beauty. Don't get me wrong; I wish that would change, but it would be a very big overhaul, and they'd need to give pairs a few of years, probably a quad, to transition. In general, they don't do big overhauls; instead they piecemeal out the changes little by little, which in my opinion often doesn't address the big issues.

But I do think the changes that have been made in the past few years have helped pairs to recover beauty and expression, and I think the judges like it. Their stylization is one of the reasons Minerva and Nikita have made such a splash in their first year.

 

[4everchan]

Stellato Dudek have worked hard to get level 4s with good looking lifts. It requires creative thinking. Sometimes, I believe that some teams just go for whatever everyone else is doing and that gets them level 4... like the Leonova-Kvalko position we all dislike

 

[rain]

But the reason many of them aren't beautiful any more is because the points system rewards difficulty rather than images of flight, or feeling of flight, or simple beauty. Don't get me wrong; I wish that would change, but it would be a very big overhaul, and they'd need to give pairs a few of years, probably a quad, to transition. In general, they don't do big overhauls; instead they piecemeal out the changes little by little, which in my opinion often doesn't address the big issues.

But I do think the changes that have been made in the past few years have helped pairs to recover beauty and expression, and I think the judges like it. Their stylization is one of the reasons Minerva and Nikita have made such a splash in their first year.

I absolutely do not think it would take an entire quad to transition. Simply not requiring the woman to grab her skate blade as a feature would fix a great deal of the issue.