One thing that has been worrying me about the Z&S team the last two years is the gradual, but now total, disappearance of younger teams from their school. This last season, they did not have a single team on the JGP...this for a coaching team that dominated in juniors for a very long time. And I can see how Igor, as a technical coach, would miss doing developmental coaching work. I would think it would be far more rewarding than dusting off the technique of teams that already know everything.
Shortly before the Olympics many regulars claimed the Zoueva/Shpilband team had had all their success with juniors and were relatively unproven in senior international competition, give or take a B&A Olympic silver.
Interesting that some believe Igor has the reputation and not Zoueva. So, the woman who choreographed three gold medal winning programs through two generations of figure skaters for two different Federations isn't legendary. That's Igor. And not even addressing the World and GPF titles. He followed her to Arctic Edge, I believe, not her him. Furthermore, I don't believe any of Arctic Edge's three top teams are dummies. According to many, all three teams could only improve by using other choreographers. All three teams had the option to keep silent on the firing - it's off season. It was a given Igor would find ice; I think equally a given he'd welcome the top three teams as the headliners of "his own" coaching stable, his own business. They could all have followed him. As these situations go, the timing of the firing wasn't disruptive and look - less than a week later he has a new situation. None of the top three teams thought gee, I could have the entire attention of this "legendary" tech coach for once, instead of him likewise coaching my biggest rivals. I can work with Dean and Carmelengo now! The path to gold is clear!
Everybody stayed with Marina. The top three teams, all at the same training center, all with the same choreographer, elected to stick with her versus following the coach some here claim is better regarded. Why? They're all idiots? That's how they all rose to the top of the sport - they have no judgment?
Marina is the draw. Igor even said he needed her to win gold in Vancouver. There are actually many tech specialists who can drill edges and steps. There are very few who understand music, the audience, movement and music, as well as Zoueva. She is very perceptive, with her ability to knit together the requirements of CoP with a program that uses every beat of the music and shows off three top teams individual and distinct strengths.
I don't think it's news that the USFSA didn't have a part in firing him, but they were apprised of the situation. They keep tabs. It's no different than them questioning Marina when it turned out "Phantom" would be D/W's Olympic long music. So, it stands to reason they were kept up to speed, understood why it was happening, and understood Meryl and Charlie's position. I wasn't aware anybody ever thought in the first place that the USFSA had anything to do with the firing. They were in the loop when it was going down. That part makes sense.
