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This is a sad but true fact.
Charlie Bilodeau retires from competitive skating
- Thread starter gsk8
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This is a sad but true fact.
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- Jan 27, 2013
Come on 4EC, nor are there jobs for amateur/professional skaters at this point. If this is your defense of Charlie's actions or a deflection of guilt, then you too have been deceived. The truth is, Lubov left a career with an internationally respected company to pursue a dream, long before Covid-19. A move that was seeded and encouraged by Charlie as a result of having incomplete goals, namely the Olympics. His behavior the past 2 years including his treatment of a former partner as disposable, is indisputable.
It is unfortunate that some here continue to defend the indefensible.
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O4G
I was simply referring to the fact that Le cirque is struggling... they have laid off 95% of their administrative staff... on top of all the artists. We hear, here in Montreal that they will not recover.... I was not referring to Le cirque in the context of Charlie's retirement... I mean, as you say, nobody has a job at this point, including pairs skaters who didn't retire... so your argument doesn't hold up.... if we follow that logic... I am thankful every day that I am able to work and that I have not lost my entie business, which I took five years to build after moving cities.... the real bad guy right now is not Charlie... it's Covid 19
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I don't really understand this argument TBH. Just because a certain type of behavior is relatively common, it doesn't mean that it's "good". Jumping off your example, there's a reason that so many people called Berger cowardly for breaking up with Carrie via post-it note in SATC. I've definitely acted immaturely/handled things poorly in the past - and I was rightfully called out for my behavior by the people around me and made strides to not repeat it. Like I said before hand, outside of extreme circumstances, I don't really like to deem a person "good" or "bad". Right now, I'm just analyzing Charlie's behavior in two scenarios: ending his partnership with Julianne and ending his partnership with Luba.
O4G
I was simply referring to the fact that Le cirque is struggling... they have laid off 95% of their administrative staff... on top of all the artists. We hear, here in Montreal that they will not recover.... I was not referring to Le cirque in the context of Charlie's retirement... I mean, as you say, nobody has a job at this point, including pairs skaters who didn't retire... so your argument doesn't hold up.... if we follow that logic... I am thankful every day that I am able to work and that I have not lost my entie business, which I took five years to build after moving cities.... the real bad guy right now is not Charlie... it's Covid 19
It's a very different situation to be a pair skater who is unable to train on the ice or compete rn & a pair skater without a partner. A lot of pair skaters are quarantining together, working on off-ice lifts, off-ice choreography, choosing music for next season, etc. Luba doesn't have a partner and doesn't have the ability to have a tryout for a while (something that may have been avoided had Charlie started discussing his feelings around 4CC). Also, I think recognizing the ways that the global pandemic is negatively impacting people's lives is very different from analyzing Charlie's actions.
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Bilodeau is not a villain, for goodness sake. His actions were those of a jerk, that doesn't mean he meant to deliberately harm either partner, it appears he just doesn't care much how his actions impact other people who had reason to trust him.
And no one has to excuse that just because he skated beautifully. The two are not linked.
And no one has to excuse that just because he skated beautifully. The two are not linked.
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were they quarantining together? think about whatever you want but that already shows a lot about the commitment of the pair... Lubov may say all she wants she feels like it was a knife in the back, but she must have known something was wrong... at least, one could think so??? the way they skated at 4CC, (and Nationals) not even able to pass a pair coming out from Juniors and missing their qualification for Worlds in Montreal should have come as a warning... the post-it was already there... it wasn't just completely filled out yet.
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1) Not every pair is quarantining together. The last I heard, Kirsten and Michael are not quarantining together but they are still working towards next season from their respective homes. I was just highlighting that pair skaters with partners are in a very different situation right now than a skater who has no partner.
2) So it's okay for Charlie not to share his feelings/emotions/plans with Luba but she's expected to read him? Especially when, according to his own words, he has been in denial about his own feelings for a long time. Skating poorly at a couple of competitions during your first season together doesn't automatically equate to a partner retiring. I think that expecting Luba to expect that is unreasonable tbh. Also, I'm a bit confused. Are you uncomfortable with people assigning feelings/intentions for all skaters?
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1) make up your mind.. you argue about pairs quarantining together... i say they weren't... then you say, not all pairs are quarantining together
2) i think someone on here has misconstrued what I said : i find it unfair to assign ILL intentions to skaters, when retiring, splitting, leaving a coach, making a decision about the sport or just even talking about competing etc.... athletes dedicate their lives to the sport... they do not take it lightly and I am pretty sure that despite what we fans think, they do not wish harm to others in the sport nor are "jerks" like some people here seem to agree Charlie is. Charlie was suddenly a hero when he gave a call to Lubov... and now he is a jerk He gave Lubov a second chance... which may lead to another one... without him, nobody would have seen the incredible lifts this season brought... and actually, Lubov did much better jumping wise with Charlie than with Dylan... timing must have been better between those two... Fine.. it's no longer working out... Fine, he didn't give her enough time to digest it (but what is enough time???? that varies a lot depending on the person) but i am the kind of person who prefers looking at the good in a person instead of focusing on the bad.... Charlie to me, brought Lubov to another level and perhaps, thanks to that, her next few years will be better. For instance, she's found a new ally in Richard who adores her. Thinking ahead is so useful when looking at life events... I agree it sucks now that Charlie is no longer into it. I was hoping to see them develop. It's upsetting no more cool lifts and positions will be created... BUT there is a future, and I am waiting to see what it brings up rather than demonizing a human being I do not even know.
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1) make up your mind.. you argue about pairs quarantining together... i say they weren't... then you say, not all pairs are quarantining together
2) i think someone here has misconstrued what I said : i find it unfair to assign ILL intentions to skaters, when retiring, splitting, leaving a coach or just even talking about competing etc.... athletes dedicate their lives to the sport... they do not take it lightly and I am pretty sure that despite what we fans think, they do not wish harm to others in the sport nor are "jerks" like some people here seem to agree Charlie is. Charlie was suddenly a hero when he gave a call to Lubov... and now he is a jerk He gave Lubov a second chance... which may lead to another one... without him, nobody would have seen the incredible lifts this season brought... and actually, Lubov did much better jumping wise with Charlie than with Dylan... timing must have been better between those two... Fine.. it's no longer working out... Fine, he didn't give her enough time to digest it (but what is enough time???? that varies a lot depending on the person) but i am the kind of person who prefers looking at the good in a person instead of focusing on the bad.... Charlie to me, brought Lubov to another level and perhaps, thanks to that, her next few years will be better. For instance, she's found a new ally in Richard who adores her. Thinking ahead is so useful when looking at life events... I agree it sucks now that Charlie is no longer into it. I was hoping to see them develop. It's upsetting no more cool lifts and positions will be created... BUT there is a future, and I am waiting to see what it brings up rather than demonizing a human being I do not even know.
1) I never changed my mind. If you re-read what I wrote, I said: "...a lot of pair skaters are quarantining together, working on off-ice lifts, off-ice choreography, choosing music for next season, etc." You don't have to be doing one of the things to be doing the others. For example, a pair could be choosing music together and meeting with music editors via videoconferencing. This was in response to your comment about how "pair skaters who didn't retire [don't have a job right now also]" - my point: being a pair skater with a partner who is unable to skate right now is very different than being a pair skater without a partner who is unable to skate right now.
2) I can only speak for myself - I never thought that Charlie was intentionally trying to hurt Luba (or Julianne, for that matter). What I do think is that Charlie prioritized his feelings over those around him and chose the option that would provide him the most comfort even though there were alternatives that would've provided more comfort to those around him. I think he made self-centered decision(s). As I've said several times previously, I don't personally feel comfortable making a judgement call of his total person over his public behaviors. I do feel comfortable about critiquing said public behaviors.
I'm a bit confused by that logic. Luba has explicitly said that it feels like "a knife in the back" and that she "had no idea" - and you made a statement that "she must have known something was wrong...at least one could think so???" So it's okay for people to directly contradict the statements that an athlete has made about what they knew re: their partner's intentions but it's not okay for people to assign ill intentions to the actual (avoidable) actions of a skater who caused harm to those around them? That doesn't really make sense to me.
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I disagree. A "jerk" stands you up for a date. Bilodeau single handedly ended this season for his partner and "Possibly" ended her dreams of becoming an Olympian. Completely different in my opinion.
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:rofl2:
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How about a cad, then?
How about calling a spade a spade. If someone you have formed a partnership with and had a 2/3 year plan, decided within a 24 hour period to call it quits, after begging you to leave a career to begin another, has the limited foresight to inform that it's over hours to a press conference...what a chump.
Maybe in private he is not a 'jerk' but his actions, doing the same thing twice to partners irrespective of the affects, gives me a near-jerk reaction. Btw, no one I know was praising him as a ''hero'' upon his return to then be soured by these recent events. If some members recollect I called him out 2 years back for a lack of integrity, empathy towards others and for his abandoning communication skills well in advance of this split.
As of date, my previous opinions have been affirmed.
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Are you being deliberately obtuse? You must be because surely no-one is genuinely thinking this way.
He abandoned Lubov two years out from the Olympics when there is already a shortage of pairs men. In no way, shape or form is it likely that "her next few years will be better". She is 28 in a country with a shortage. It is almost too late for someone to be able to get citizenship now, which means no imported partners, only locals. He sold her up the river by pitching to her a 2-3 year partnership, leading to her to quit Cirque to go with him. A year in, when it gets difficult, he abandons her.
That Cirque is now in trouble and not operating is 100% irrelevant. He was very clear when he dumped Julianne that he felt she was holding him back from an Olympic medal. And now less than a year later he's quit. Not as easy as he thought it would be, hmm?
In no way, shape or form has Charlie done Lubov any favours here, and it is disingenuous at best to say he did.
I doubt they were quarantining together...Charlie is married and by their Instagram accounts, they showed off their respective apartments. I believe Lubov when she says she feels like it was a knife in the back. There was no injury that we know of or look of anger or despair by Charlie when they faltered at 4CC. If anyone, Lubov looked more distressed. I think Charlie came to a decision over the last few weeks with no interaction with Lubov. At least that's Lubov's version and she's been through the break-up game before. Charlie is entitled to move on with his life and be happy. It's not what he did but how he did it.
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I think part of this harkens back to a discussion we had some time ago.
What kind of relationships do pairs/dance teams have, other than the obvious one of skating together?
Some are married, some romantically involved, some probably view it as a business relationship... and some probably dislike their partner on a personal level. I sometimes think they must have to be great friends, at a minimum, but logically, that can't be true in every case.
I said at the time, I'd be one of those who worked hard at practice, but wouldn't be particularly interested in my partner's personal life or anything like that. Purely business. Come in, do my work, see-ya-tomorrow, and I'm off doing other things.
It looks like that for Charlie, this is ending a business relationship he no longer believed was worthwhile. I'm not making moral judgments on whether he was right or wrong, but ending a business relationship does not have to be a joint decision, and the other party doesn't even have to like it. Of course, one runs the risk of developing a bad reputation within that line of business... but if you've decided to leave the business forever, does that really matter?
I'll say this though. If any other girl enters a partnership with him, she deserves what she gets.
What kind of relationships do pairs/dance teams have, other than the obvious one of skating together?
Some are married, some romantically involved, some probably view it as a business relationship... and some probably dislike their partner on a personal level. I sometimes think they must have to be great friends, at a minimum, but logically, that can't be true in every case.
I said at the time, I'd be one of those who worked hard at practice, but wouldn't be particularly interested in my partner's personal life or anything like that. Purely business. Come in, do my work, see-ya-tomorrow, and I'm off doing other things.
It looks like that for Charlie, this is ending a business relationship he no longer believed was worthwhile. I'm not making moral judgments on whether he was right or wrong, but ending a business relationship does not have to be a joint decision, and the other party doesn't even have to like it. Of course, one runs the risk of developing a bad reputation within that line of business... but if you've decided to leave the business forever, does that really matter?
I'll say this though. If any other girl enters a partnership with him, she deserves what she gets.
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- Feb 16, 2018
I really hope Luba is able to find another partner. On Facebook, International Figure Skating said that "we heard that Bardei is leaving Canada. He has no residence status so he has to go back to Ukraine".
I read that to be eligible for Candian citizenship, one must spend at least 3 years as a permenant resident in Canada in the five years immediately before their application. If Bardei is still a temporary resident, then it will take at least 3 years for him to get citizenship i.e. no 2022 Olympics. She really would need someone who is already a Canadian citizen/who has lived as a permenant resident in Canada for at least a couple of years if she wants to have a shot at competing in the next Olympics.
I read that to be eligible for Candian citizenship, one must spend at least 3 years as a permenant resident in Canada in the five years immediately before their application. If Bardei is still a temporary resident, then it will take at least 3 years for him to get citizenship i.e. no 2022 Olympics. She really would need someone who is already a Canadian citizen/who has lived as a permenant resident in Canada for at least a couple of years if she wants to have a shot at competing in the next Olympics.
I know that Mervin Tran is Canadian and has been skating with Olivia Serafini, a US girl, for the last year. I am not into the break-up game but Mervin will struggle to get US citizenship by the next Olympics. Granted, the US will be lucky if they keep 2 pair teams at the Olympics so his chances of getting to the Olympics are slim. But right now, Kirsten M-T and Mike M are the only strong pair in Canada. Evelyn Walsh and Trennt Michaud are promising juniors who had a strong Nationals and 4CCs. But who knows how that will go. Mervin might be a good match for Lubov who worked so hard to attain her Canadian citizenship. Maybe Mervin and Olivia are just skating for the international experience and know the Olympics are a long shot. But Mervin and Luba?
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- Jan 27, 2013
My last post on this topic (promise). Charlie mentioned that he dissolved the partnership with Julianne, as she has holding him back. Well..., maybe if she had a partner with more a controlled throw technique, there would be no need for Julianne to land on her head. :sarcasm:
I will leave this Thread on a more positive note which is to remember, there once was a time when THEY were great! LP in Pyeongchang 2018, scoring a 136.50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wkR8V9YID4
I will leave this Thread on a more positive note which is to remember, there once was a time when THEY were great! LP in Pyeongchang 2018, scoring a 136.50.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6wkR8V9YID4
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Everyone has had their say on the topic of Charlie Bilodeau's announcement of his retirement from competitive skating, the topic of this thread, and the thread will now be closed.
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