2026 World Figure Skating Championships | Free Dance
- Thread starter dorispulaski
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and if Piper and Paul retire, then Fabbri and Ayer will go to worlds and also be IAM.
I am told that during the commentary on Italian Eurosport it was said that some coaches complained during the season about that Fear/Gibson's lift being borderline illegal. It may have triggered the panel to carefully look at it.
Tech controller can't necessarily overrule them if they agree. It is a 2-1 decision in the panel if there is disagreement.
The deduction as indicated in the final protocol is for illegal element/movement and not for extended lift.Exactly. Mark H said the deduction was for 'an extended lift.' The problem with the overhead in ice dance is that it can't be held too high, and there are violations for lifts lasting too long all the time in ice dance.
I think trying to compare F/G's Worlds lift with the one at the Olympics is futile. How can fans watching on home screens visually measure the difference in height and longevity accurately from two different event performances? Plus, different tech panels can see it differently from event-to-event. In this case, the lift was judged to be held too long by F/G. Is the length of time requirement 8 seconds? They should have been extra careful all season about how high overhead they hold it, and how long. I recall that Hubbell/ Donahue got dinged at least once for their pioneering overhead lift, which was held very briefly and with care to not hold too high. But again, even they were dinged at least once for holding it too long.
To the poster who mentioned that U.S. fed did not support a Chock/ Bates challenge to the FD results at the Olympics. Most likely, U.S. officials knew it was a fruitless and baseless battle.
ETA:
Oh, I see you are speaking of F/G's ending lift, not their opening lift? So, it was a new added on lift that got dinged for being held too long?
The technical specialists were from Canada (Marie Bowness) and Italy (Fabrizio Pedrazzini).
Tech controller can't necessarily overrule them if they agree. It is a 2-1 decision in the panel if there is disagreement.
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- Oct 22, 2022
I wonder if the fact that they changed their choreography after the Olympics and repeated the lift as their final pose at Worlds made it more noticeable. They may have got away with it as their opening throughout the season. But doing it twice at Worlds, at start and finish, was a step too far?
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- Sep 1, 2020
Do we know if the 'illegal element/ movement' refers to the opening lift, or to the lift near the end where Lewis raises Lilah up and she sits on his shoulder, then they turn in a circle before he sets her back down to the ice?
ETA:
I see from Jackie Wong's Worlds review podcast that the problem was with the opening lift. Judges ruled that Lewis' arms had locked straight during the lift. His arms aren't straight overhead, though they do appear to be angled out straight, possibly with elbows locked briefly. Since Lewis is wearing a jacket, it's not easy to visually determine if his elbows were locked. Still, L&L were 'playing with fire' all year long with this lift. Also, Lewis lost levels on his twizzles, which added to their loss of points.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Huh? No, I doubt it. Vadym has reportedly voiced praise for Piper & Paul bravely and creatively training and competing outside of the monolith. Plus, it seems that Vadym is quite close to Igor Shpilband. It was Igor who scouted long and hard to find Vadym another good partner after the sudden split with Avonley Nguyen. It was Igor who saw Emilea Zingas' potential and convinced Emi to do a tryout with Vadym after her initial reluctance and uncertainty.
Let's face it, I.AM began as a passionate dream and a challenge for ice dance competitors turned coaches, Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon. Romain Haguenauer, in a TSL interview years ago, promoting the I.AM name-change launch, described how he brought Pap/Ciz to Canada after forming a partnership with his old training mates, M-F and Patch, to create an ice dance school where they could meld the various techniques (French, Russian, British, and North American), and nurture successful students. I do not think any of the founders knew at the time how big and how swiftly their vision would be realized and grow into a juggernaut.
I'm still disappointed with the bronze medallists, because I'm confused how they came from being beaten at challenger series by the likes of Lauriault/Le Gac, to now WORLD bronze medallists, and keep Smart/Dieck off the podium. I'm confused...
I hope Lilah and Lewis don't feel too upset after a shitty Olympics and unfair judgement at Worlds
I hope Lilah and Lewis don't feel too upset after a shitty Olympics and unfair judgement at Worlds
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- Oct 15, 2025
Laurit/Le Gac points in Kinoshita Group Cup was joke, expecially in FD. All other international competitions Laurit/Le Gac got 10 or more less points than that competitions.
Don't care
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- Jul 26, 2003
Olivia and Tim got their best ever scores in all three categories at Worlds 2026
| Type | Score | Date | Type |
| Personal Best Total Score | 206.37 | 28.03.2026 | ISU World Championships 2026 |
| Personal Best Score Rhythm Dance | 81.06 | 27.03.2026 | ISU World Championships 2026 |
| Personal Best Score Free Dance | 125.31 | 28.03.2026 | ISU World Championships 2026 |
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Frankly I would have put them on the podium over the American bronze medalists.
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- Jul 26, 2003
Olivia & Tim were ahead in the FD. However, they had not done as well as Emilea & Vadym in the RD.
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- Feb 18, 2014
The closing lift also looked very long to me. I actually thought that was what the judges dinged them for.
Although I was delighted for Emilea & Vadym, I felt bad that their medal came at L&L's expense.
To an unpracticed observer like me, ice dance rules seem so arcane in some respects. It gets even more frustrating when judges seem to apply them arbitrarily. JMO...and again, I'm no expert, only an ardent fan.
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- Oct 22, 2022
That's what I thought, too, especially as it had been added since the Olympics which would explain why they weren't punished for an illegal move during the season. Not just the length it was held, but the distance of her whole body above his head, and his straight arms.
In a version of the program earlier in the season, they included a throw waltz jump, a low-level single twist, and he did a split jump, all in addition to the opening overhead straight-arm lift. If I'd been a judge, I would have told them to make up their minds whether they were competing in senior dance or baby pairs.
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- Sep 1, 2020
Hmm. It is what it is. Z/K seemed shocked, but once their surprise wore off, surely they were thrilled to medal. I do not think Z/K have anything to feel bad about. Quite the contrary!
They put in the work and never faltered nor backed down from any challenge all season. Did F/G 'feel bad' when they won 2025 GPF bronze over Gilles/ Poirier by percentage points? There's always something that's awry with figure skating judging. Let's not pretend that IJS and myriad other historical judging methods have ever been perfect or made logical sense in every aspect. The rulebook constantly changes and the rules are often unclear and/ or confusing.I actually thought the opening lift maneuver looked cool, as did the ending twirl with Lilah on Lewis' shoulder (reminiscent of their Rocky FD). The program is a crowd pleaser, as most of F/G's programs are. Still, while it's kind of cute and a nice nod to Lewis' heritage, I am not completely sold on this FD being that great. Lilah & Lewis are hard workers and coached at I.AM, which has helped them in their rise in the first place. What is the measure of a great program and a medal worthy team, though? F/G do an awful lot of jig-jumping in place. How much ice dancing do they actually do in this program? I like the Scottish dance heritage theme, as reminiscent of Davis/ White creating their Bollywood SD years ago. Yet, D/W's East Indian-themed Bollywood SD was adapted for ice dance so well. F/G's Scottish jig-themed patriotic performance is not necessarily incorporated as well into an ice dance program. At least, not in my opinion.
I realize that F/G have seniority in the scoring and I expected them to win the bronze for their crowd-pleasing performance. I was as surprised as everyone when they were fourth due to points being taken off for an illegal element. It would perhaps be fairer if ice dancers had to come out every season with good material and proficient skating rather than expecting to be on or near the podium because they have seniority as a top-contending team. While Zingas/ Kolesnik are young, they skated great (as they have done all season), and their skills are arguably better than Fear/Gibson's and even better than Chock/Bates', the top U.S. team who have called it a career post-Olympics, leaving the door open for Zingas/ Kolesnik. Kudos to Z/K for walking through that door with confidence and command.
Did Fear/ Gibson know that their opening lift was a source of debate among the judges all season? Hadn't they received any feedback? Hubbell/ Donahue were careful with their risky overhead lift some years back, as an I.AM team. Thus, F/G and their coaches should have been as careful by closely monitoring their performances of this lift with the judges, and making any needed adjustments. Or else, completely modify the move, out of caution.
A podcaster said that if the judges were not certain about whether Lewis' arm was locked, the benefit of doubt goes to the skaters. Well, but the judges concluded that his left arm was in a locked straight position. The further argument that, as athletes, F/G were pushing boundaries to help the discipline evolve, is not an argument I agree with. As an ice dancer, if you want to perform any type of overhead lift, you have to be very careful. Ice dance is not pairs. F/G would be better off pushing the boundaries of Lilah gaining better mastery over her blade skills.
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- Sep 1, 2020
I really like Tim & Olivia, but as noted already, they historically do not perform as well in their RDs. Their Dune programs have been very creative and entertaining, thanks to coach & choreographer, Romain H, and to their great execution. I'm eager to see what Smart/Dieck will do next, if they decide to continue. Some observers feel that Davis/ Smolkin and Lopareva/ Brissaud have better overall skills than Smart/ Dieck. Perhaps. For me, I think S/D have the benefit of more interesting, well-executed material for their FD. As well, while I see improvement from Davis/Smolkin, they still have more work to do.
The right material is everything. Lopareva /Brissaud are quirky talented, but not one of my favorite teams. I prefer the French team who weren't at Worlds this season, Demougeot/ le Mercier (they were 15th at 2025 Worlds). If Canadians, Lajoie/ Lagha, find better material, I think their skills are superior to those of S/D, D/S, and L/B, as well as comparable to Worlds newbie medal winners, Z/K. It's just that Z/K broke through first with a blast on the basis of skill and great material, concept, and packaging.
I think the battle in ice dance will fluctuate and be hard fought over the next quad. It's not even certain whether or not FB/C will return. Maybe they will take a break next season to work on new ideas and return in the 27-28 season or 28-29 season.
The next Olympics will take place in France, so FB/C will likely desire to compete there, if possible.
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- Feb 1, 2015
I watched both Olympics and WCh Free Dances with my friend who is a casual FS fan (does not understand anything about technical side, and seldom watches anything but the majors or Olympics). Her opinions of the free dances:
-Of middle of the pack pairs, she loved Taschlers and T/V. Was heartbroken latter couldn't skate in the free in WCh.
-Thought Smart/Dieck were amazing, although she has not seen any of the Dune movies, doesn't understand why they're a big deal, and thinks that the skating world doesn't need quite that many Dune programs.
-She thinks Lopareva is super cool, and who would disagree? Surely not me.
-Thought ZinKo R&J felt boring after mesmerizing Dune, and having already seen other R&J's. Actually I don't think she was impressed by any of the North American pairs' programs, other than Piper & Paul.
-She thought Fear & Gibson free dance was 'super tacky', especially the outfits. Was openly happy that they crashed at the Olympics FD.
-Piper & Paul were her favourite to win, they're one of the few pairs she remembers from previous Olympics and thinks they're exquisite.
-She thought the French were deserving winners over the Americans, called their program 'hypnotic'. She was unmoved by my mild disagreement.
-Of middle of the pack pairs, she loved Taschlers and T/V. Was heartbroken latter couldn't skate in the free in WCh.
-Thought Smart/Dieck were amazing, although she has not seen any of the Dune movies, doesn't understand why they're a big deal, and thinks that the skating world doesn't need quite that many Dune programs.
-She thinks Lopareva is super cool, and who would disagree? Surely not me.
-Thought ZinKo R&J felt boring after mesmerizing Dune, and having already seen other R&J's. Actually I don't think she was impressed by any of the North American pairs' programs, other than Piper & Paul.
-She thought Fear & Gibson free dance was 'super tacky', especially the outfits. Was openly happy that they crashed at the Olympics FD.
-Piper & Paul were her favourite to win, they're one of the few pairs she remembers from previous Olympics and thinks they're exquisite.
-She thought the French were deserving winners over the Americans, called their program 'hypnotic'. She was unmoved by my mild disagreement.
He stated it was hard to not lock his arm on the lift, so they had to be aware.Hmm. It is what it is. Z/K seemed shocked, but once their surprise wore off, surely they were thrilled to medal. I do not think Z/K have anything to feel bad about. Quite the contrary!
I actually thought the opening lift maneuver looked cool, as did the ending twirl with Lilah on Lewis' shoulder (reminiscent of their Rocky FD). The program is a crowd pleaser, as most of F/G's programs are. Still, while it's kind of cute and a nice nod to Lewis' heritage, I am not completely sold on this FD being that great. Lilah & Lewis are hard workers and coached at I.AM, which has helped them in their rise in the first place. What is the measure of a great program and a medal worthy team, though? F/G do an awful lot of jig-jumping in place. How much ice dancing do they actually do in this program? I like the Scottish dance heritage theme, as reminiscent of Davis/ White creating their Bollywood SD years ago. Yet, D/W's East Indian-themed Bollywood SD was adapted for ice dance so well. F/G's Scottish jig-themed patriotic performance is not necessarily incorporated as well into an ice dance program. At least, not in my opinion.
I realize that F/G have seniority in the scoring and I expected them to win the bronze for their crowd-pleasing performance. I was as surprised as everyone when they were fourth due to points being taken off for an illegal element. It would perhaps be fairer if ice dancers had to come out every season with good material and proficient skating rather than expecting to be on or near the podium because they have seniority as a top-contending team. While Zingas/ Kolesnik are young, they skated great (as they have done all season), and their skills are arguably better than Fear/Gibson's and even better than Chock/Bates', the top U.S. team who have called it a career post-Olympics, leaving the door open for Zingas/ Kolesnik. Kudos to Z/K for walking through that door with confidence and command.
Did Fear/ Gibson know that their opening lift was a source of debate among the judges all season? Hadn't they received any feedback? Hubbell/ Donahue were careful with their risky overhead lift some years back, as an I.AM team. Thus, F/G and their coaches should have been as careful by closely monitoring their performances of this lift with the judges, and making any needed adjustments. Or else, completely modify the move, out of caution.
A podcaster said that if the judges were not certain about whether Lewis' arm was locked, the benefit of doubt goes to the skaters. Well, but the judges concluded that his left arm was in a locked straight position. The further argument that, as athletes, F/G were pushing boundaries to help the discipline evolve, is not an argument I agree with. As an ice dancer, if you want to perform any type of overhead lift, you have to be very careful. Ice dance is not pairs. F/G would be better off pushing the boundaries of Lilah gaining better mastery over her blade skills.
Just rewatched on NBC - love Piper and Paul and how the music highlights their skating. The music serves as a canvas for the story they tell on ice.
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