Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford respond to critics on the ice

[whatif]

These North American and Russian commentators can learn a few things from British Eurosport's humor and general good will towards all skaters.

It's much easier to be impartial and fun when all you have to root for is Coomes/Buckland.

 

[BlackPack]

It's much easier to be impartial and fun when all you have to root for is Coomes/Buckland.

Regardless of how British skaters haven't been on the World podium (ice dancers have been on European podiums) for ages, British Eurosport has been far more gracious to all nationalities than North American and Russian commentators. Like Uncle Dick, they are genuinely interested in good skating and less interested in rooting for their countrymen/women or their friends or their competitors.

 

[Skater Boy]

It's much easier to be impartial and fun when all you have to root for is Coomes/Buckland.

Ouch

 

[Skater Boy]

He never gave a clear reasoning. Just something like "Y/J are a good team, but S/B were better on the night." I guess because Y/J were a little tight on the twist and one throw? Anyway, it's rather incomprehensible to me.

Taking Browning and CBC's coverage as a whole, throughout the season, I do think there is a somewhat anti-Russian slant. His comments about Artur Gachinski during SA, I felt, were more 'disrespectful' than what Trankov said about D/R (Trankov seems to just come out and say, "they're not two skating as one." Browning is rather backhanded and passive-aggressive).

Their Worlds preview clearly had a "support the Americans" vibe. Liza got in-depth coverage for being GPF/European champion, obviously, but they were rather misleading about Elena (saying she didn't do as well as they expected, and her jumps got smaller as she grew taller--instead of, y'know, the truth: she's been landing all her jumps the whole season and only lost because Liza was even better). Anna got no coverage at all. Whereas the American ladies were all mentioned by name, all received individual commentary and descriptions, ect.

Granted, I suspect most of this isn't Browning's fault. CBC probably has requirements. Browning and Lane both seem to personally like Elena. I just find CBC's entire coverage--excessively pro-Canadian, incomprehensibly pro-American when Canadians aren't contenders--not to my liking this year. (I did like their coverage of the Olympics, btw).

it is sadly not uncommon inNa that the network commentators are pro their own nation. In the US itis even greaterusually because the marketing power nationally and inernationally is so much greater. They make" stars. It doesn't hurt brown that he hasthe American backing and not just the federation. In the Us they are looking for the next hero.

 

[gmyers]

why not instead of laughing they try to learn and try to become a pair team and not two singles together

 

[BlackPack]

I don't think Duhamel was laughing at all. I think she has been hurt by Trankov's comments. The topic is written to look like a click-worthy headline.

Perhaps a more constructive discussion would be how to bring out D&R's style that would be authentic to their skills. They are not your typical classically elegant pair which many fans have enjoyed and hold as the standard for pairs skating. At the moment, their identity is based on TES and good PCS skills to execute them. Their choreography is generic and has little to do with their unique personality.

 

[Mathman]

I don't think Duhamel was laughing at all. I think she has been hurt by Trankov's comments. The topic is written to look like a click-worthy headline.

Perhaps a more constructive discussion would be how to bring out D&R's style that would be authentic to their skills. They are not your typical classically elegant pair which many fans have enjoyed and hold as the standard for pairs skating. At the moment, their identity is based on TES and good PCS skills to execute them. Their choreography is generic and has little to do with their unique personality.

This.

No, Meagan was not laughing and whoever wrote this whole article is basically trolling -- trying to stir up trouble for nothing. No need to mention Trankov or Browning (actually, Browning was not mentioned in the article -- that's entirely on us ). The author is saying, childishly, "nyah, nyah on you," and trying to put these words in Duhamel's mouth.

 

[MaxSwagg]

We've seen and know their style. Not much will work...

 

[Mathman]

Why so mean, MAX?

 

[Violet Bliss]

We've seen and know their style. Not much will work...

...........excepting winning.

They can cry all the way to the podium

 

[Buttercup]

Meagan and Eric have a very good understanding of what works for them and what doesn't, which is why they get the results they do.

It is safe to say that they will never attempt to skate to Carmen, Swan Lake, R&J etc. And that's fine. There are enough pairs who can go in a more traditional/romantic direction, and it's fun to have people with a different approach.

 

[MaxSwagg]

And this exaggeration of Max's commentary? He didn't say anything negative. He seems like a sweet guy and people just love to hate on him. Max and many others would probably agree that the only thing that works for D/R is the tech...good for them that they won but they're really just an ordinary blah team.

 

[Mathman]

.but they're really just an ordinary blah team.

I cannot imagine any possible motivation for saying that someone is just an ordinary blah team. To me, it is simply uncharitable.

 

[AnaBM]

I think D/R should just learn from this and move on. I've said it in other threads, they're not like the first pair ever being criticized and this won't be the last time for sure: V/T, S/S, S/K, K/S, P/T... all of them have receive critics and haven't take it personal.

What kinda calls my attention is that, for the way the article is written, it seems like Meagan really felt hurt, which I totally get (I would have felt the same way tbh), but idk I guess I was waiting for a more professional answer?? Or maybe not professional but something not so sentimental, at least taking in count that the reporter didn't even mention a source (or quote at all!) and the fact that they are professional athletes :think:.
Imagine if e.g. Aliona would take personal all those comments of her being too old and how Gailhaguet said she that she was at the "twilight of her career" . As athletes they must learn to accept critics and don't let it damage you.

 

[Naya]

I have no idea of how much criticism D/R gets, at least from internet foruns, but it seems that Megan read some stuff that really hurt her - comments about the height gap between her and Eric and how they don't match each other, mostly because she has an athletic style (here as a euphemism for ungraceful), is short and muscular, while Eric is elegant, etc. I understand why she got upset by such comments. There's nothing she can do about her body type and height, but she has the right to want titles just like any other "elegant" and "classical" top pair. Well, I sorry for her a little bit, but figure skating and its fans are like that, there's nothing new about it - victory itself isn't enough, people must be pleased by it. Harsh criticism and nasty comments over the internet are normal, unfortunately, so Megan should just stay away from this. I have been a Kavaguti/Smirnov fan since Vancouver and I remember very well how much bashing they got after their failure in the Olympics, now just imagine if Yuko and Sasha had been crushed by all the criticism and had split...

 

[gmyers]

I don't think Duhamel was laughing at all. I think she has been hurt by Trankov's comments. The topic is written to look like a click-worthy headline.

Perhaps a more constructive discussion would be how to bring out D&R's style that would be authentic to their skills. They are not your typical classically elegant pair which many fans have enjoyed and hold as the standard for pairs skating. At the moment, their identity is based on TES and good PCS skills to execute them. Their choreography is generic and has little to do with their unique personality.

It looks like this is right and they more likely seem to be both having nervous breakdowns about not being the most loved skaters in pairs if not figure skating as a whole. They need to get over it. Their comments are ridiculous and absurd.

 

[Krunchii]

Considering I've seen people on the forums call her dumpy and refer to how never in her career has she hit a pretty position, the comments she gets are pretty harsh. She can't change her body type or anything and it's easy to just tell someone just to get over it. It's not easy to get over comments like that over something like that where what they are criticizing is beyond her control. She can't change her body type.

I will say this though, instead of working on big tricks, they should work on getting their lines to match more and they're packed with transitions that do nothing for the music. I don't feel they have much connection to the music, people argue they're doing harder tech to emphasize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses but by working from the bottom up there's a lot they can do to hide more of their weaknesses to make them look more cohesive as a pair.

 

[NanaPat]

He's complaining because they don't skate as if they're a pair, and they lack many of the intrinsic qualities of a pair. This long into their career leads me to believe they don't even care about this part, and it gives them a janky look. And his commentary is as valid as a broadcast commentator's.

I think he's really complaining that their height difference is excessive. Only people with the proper height difference can "skate as if they're a pair" and show "the intrinsic qualities of a pair". The height difference bothered me too at first - I never liked Ina and Zimmerman for that reason. There's even an old description of it: a "gorilla and flea pair". But they don't skate like a gorilla and flea. It isn't big he-man Eric and little rag-doll princess Megan. So they're not a "classic" pair. They are their own type of pair, blazing their own way, and I like it. Megan is very athletic and has a muscular body. So is Aliona Savchenko. I like them both FOR THEIR SKATING, which is exciting and technically challenging.

 

[BlackPack]

Considering I've seen people on the forums call her dumpy and refer to how never in her career has she hit a pretty position, the comments she gets are pretty harsh. She can't change her body type or anything and it's easy to just tell someone just to get over it. It's not easy to get over comments like that over something like that where what they are criticizing is beyond her control. She can't change her body type.

I will say this though, instead of working on big tricks, they should work on getting their lines to match more and they're packed with transitions that do nothing for the music. I don't feel they have much connection to the music, people argue they're doing harder tech to emphasize their strengths and minimize their weaknesses but by working from the bottom up there's a lot they can do to hide more of their weaknesses to make them look more cohesive as a pair.

It's easier to tell someone to find a way to deal with criticism than to ask her to argue with every single person who makes a comment she doesn't like.

She can't change her body type, but she can change her costuming.

She can't fake chemistry with Eric, but she can work on matching body lines and extension.

All those things are doable.

 

[BlackPack]

This whole talk about different styles of pairs skating reminded me of this couple Selezneva and Makarov. They had an athletic style that wasn't about romantic beauty. They were contemporaries of Mishkutenok and Dmitriev and G&G. Some say they should have been ranked higher. They had unusual entrances to elements and moves. They got a standing ovation for their Michael Jackson SP: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZWocoMOYu4I

Their style worked because they had good unison, matching lines, and interesting moves. D&R performs elements with a style that sort of pays homage to the traditional standards of pairs skating but falls short at expressing who they are.