Pairs - Free Program

[astimegoesby]

First of all, thanks to everyone for explaining why both P&T and the Siudeks had to withdraw from the competition. Since I don't get Country Canada, I've had to settle for watching the highlights on the main CBC network, and while they mentioned both pairs had withdrawn in the final standings, they didn't go into detail as to why.

I was sad to hear both pairs had withdrawn since I knew this was the last season for both of them and I can't think of a sadder way for a skater to say goodbye...especially in the case of the Siudeks.

I also feel badly for Marcoux/Buntin and if they do retire/find new partners after this season, I wish them the best in whatever their future may hold.

On a much happier note, I'm proud of both Langlois/Hay and Dubé/Davison, and was especially impressed Jessica and Bryce skated as well as they did after everything they've been through. I'm crossing my fingers both Jessica and Bryce stay injury-free next season--considering how well they've been able to skate with all the various injuries they've been through over the past few years, I can't wait to see what they can do while they're healthy!

And I completely agree with passion about S&Z. Believe it or not, I'd never seen their LP until Worlds and after learning the music they used, I admit I thought it would be very tough for me not to compare their program with G&G and B&S. But they definitely made the program their own and what an awesome comeback to win the gold. If they are planning to retire/take next year off, they certainly left on a high note!

 

[gio]

Congrats to Shen and Zhao. So mature way of skating. Chilling performances in SP and LP.
In general congrats to Chinese skaters.

Good performance also of the Ukrainians.

 

[blue_idealist]

my thoughts

All in all the Canadian pairs had good finishes!! I'm disappointed that M&B and D&D didn't go clean in the free skate, but they had good finishes anyway. Langlois and Hay did as well although I thought they maybe should have been higher in the short, but I remember them being off unison in the side by side spins so that may have been why they were lower. For some reason I can't get into Pang and Tong or Zhang and Zhang. I was disappointed that the Suideks and Petrova and Tikhonov withdrew, especially P&T. I've liked P&T a lot the last few years because they seem like really nice people and I admire that they've stayed around in the sport even though they're kind of old from a figure skating viewpoint anyway. I feel sorry for Alexei because he usually looks like he can't breathe. Anyway, I assume both teams are retiring and I hope they have successful pro careers. I still think Petrova and Tikhonov should have won the worlds last year!! It was so sad to see them in 11th this year.

 

[Marine63]

Inoue/Baldwin

In my opinion, Inoue needs to find a new partner. I know they're are a couple off the ice, but he is holding her back. He's too old to still be skating at a high level. There's a reason he never made it as a singles skater. It's because he can't jump. You hold your breathe everytime he jumps because he's only successful about 20% of the time. I hear that they're skating next year, but I really think he should tell her to find a new skating partner. Another thing is that too much is made of their throw triple axel. I've only seen them be successful with this throw twice and even then, the landing was shaky. I just thought they were awful at this competition.

 

[Mathman]

Inoue/Baldwin

She's 30, he's 33. From what I have read, Rena is ready to retire, but John is the one who wants to keep pushing.

 

[Tinymavy15]

Shen and Zhao were stunning. I thought that they would skate mediore, knowing that the title was thiers. No, they skated with the most feeling and heart and perfection that i have seen all season. I cried. THier short was amzing, the long i feel was alomst as good. I loved when he knelt down and then she joined him at the end... it was almost funny tha way she didn't get the hint.

The germans were good, i love that program to death, but i wish they had skated like they had at europeans, they would have deffinelty won the silver. pang and tong were ironiclly better than last year... very good, but i have never really got into their skating. I don't really feel like that program is good for them, it needs passion and power to make that music work.

p.s. i can't help think how ironic it is that shen and zhao are skting to thais mediation, music that the russians skated to in 2002 and were considerd so artistic.. and shen and zhao were the athletes, thier only shot at the medals were the quad... and now shen and zhao are considered one of the greatest pairs ever, noit just for thier throws etc.. but for thier artistyry/

 

[chinesechanfan]

dube and davison are just soooooooooooo gg! when i first saw them in jr. worlds to romeo and juliet, they give me chills on my spine. back then, i didn't really like pairs skating. they're, i think, favourites for olympics if the chinese teams retire and they deliver perfect level four performance.

 

[Melody]

dube and davison are just soooooooooooo gg! when i first saw them in jr. worlds to romeo and juliet, they give me chills on my spine. back then, i didn't really like pairs skating. they're, i think, favourites for olympics if the chinese teams retire and they deliver perfect level four performance.

Could you please explain... what does gg mean?

 

[Tinymavy15]

dube and davison are just soooooooooooo gg! when i first saw them in jr. worlds to romeo and juliet, they give me chills on my spine. back then, i didn't really like pairs skating. they're, i think, favourites for olympics if the chinese teams retire and they deliver perfect level four performance.

Sorry, but I really doubt it.

Could you please explain... what does gg mean?

maybe gordeeva and gringov?

 

[Kwanford Wife]

Are we, as a collective group, ready to admit that Shen & Zhao are the best that ever did it?? LOVE THEM!!! Can't even think of a team that compares...granted, I have a short memory, but they are simply crazy hot.

 

[Mathman]

Are we, as a collective group, ready to admit that Shen & Zhao are the best that ever did it? LOVE THEM!!! Can't even think of a team that compares...granted, I have a short memory, but they are simply crazy hot.

Peter Carruthers said he would rank them with the Protopopovs and Gordeeva and Grinkov as the three teams that "changed the sport."

 

[rain]

Are we, as a collective group, ready to admit that Shen & Zhao are the best that ever did it?? LOVE THEM!!! Can't even think of a team that compares...granted, I have a short memory, but they are simply crazy hot.

Not me. I've never been terribly thrilled about them. They are good, yes, but just don't do it for me. They don't make my all-time favs list.

 

[Spun Silver]

Yes, Kwanford dear!

Hallmark could put little vids of S/Z in Valentine's Day cards, or the photo of their post-FP embrace. Their partnership is that romantic - it's transcendent.

 

[SolarisFyre]

That last finishing pose when the applause starts and the music finishes, and she smiles and just looks up.....absolutely gorgeous! I am such a sap...

 

[kolab]

Peter Carruthers said he would rank them with the Protopopovs and Gordeeva and Grinkov as the three teams that "changed the sport."

I would agree with him. They are like the Protopopovs, who pionerred the way for Russian pairs figure skating. Shen and Zhao, along with their coach Bin Yao, has paved a way for future Chinese pairs figure skaters such as Pang & Tong, Zhang & Zhang (and others). Chinese pairs figure skaters are taken seriously because they were the first to make the judges and the skating community look at them. Like them or not, there is no denying that they have made a great contribution to figure skating. It sort of like Arakawa, because she won a gold medal figure skating in Japan is blossoming to new heights. Because Shen and Zhao & Bin Yao has been so successful, pairs figure skating in China has begun to blossom.

What I admire most about them is their perservance throughout all the years. They have only truely been successful since 1999, but they have been together for 15 years. Can you imagine working for 15 years, through all the criticism and hardships that they have endured? And even when they were successful, they have had to overcome so much adversity and struggles. Injuires, dislike of their artistry, etc. No matter what, the always went ahead and fought through it. And I truely believe that they are one of the greatest pairs team in the history of figure skating. I think they deserve to be grouped with the great Protopopovs and G&G. No team in recent memory has come close to their longevity in the top spot in the sport as they have and no team in recent memory has left such as impression and legacy that they have.

I think that is the difference. There are great teams such as Sale and Pelletier & the russian teams, who were great but failed to leave a dent in figure skating aside from the scandal. But Shen and Zhao has left a mark on figure skating through their performances and the path they paved for those to follow. And that is what makes them deserving of the company of the great P&P and G&G, who similarly left their mark in their performances (G&G) and the path they pionerred for those who came after them (P&P).

Can you tell I am a Shen and Zhao fan? A HUGE fan.

 

[hongligl]

Talking about longevity and achievement, I just counted it out of curiosity, during their 14 years of international competitions, S/Z have won 54 medals in international competitions:

31 Gold,
13 Silver
10 Bronze.

High lights:
Participated in 3 olympics(98, 02,06), won 2 bronze medals(02,06);
5 Grand Prix Final gold medals (99,00, 04,05,06), and
3 World Championships Gold medals (02,03, 07).

They have been in top 3 since 1999.

 

[slutskayafan21]

I dont mean to a party pooper but I feel like expressing my opinion upon reading the earlier posts. Shen/Zhou are a great team but I would never rate them in the same class as Gordeeva/Grinkov, the Protopopov's, or Irina Rodnina(the skaters greatness herself more then either great pair she was part of imparticular), or Artur Dmitriev(again skater more relevant then either of the successful partnerships). Obviously some of you feel differently, that is fine, but that is how I feel.

Remember they were thoroughly dominated by both Berezhnaya/Sikhardlidze for a full 4 seasons, and Sale/Pelletier for a full 2 seasons, while they were already at the very top of the sport that whole time. Based on that I am not sure how they could even be rated over either of those 2 teams, let alone the stratosphere of the select few at the very top in history. I would dismiss those 2teams as only being famous for a scandal, Berezhnaya/Sikharlidze were often linked to Gordeeva/Grinkov when people spoke of their style, line, and simplistic elegance; Sale/Pelletier's "Love Story" routine is an all time classic. Plus as I said Shen/Zhou couldnt win anything big until those 2 teams were out of the way, despite already being good enough to medal at every single Worlds and GP final.

They even had a losing 2-3 head with Totmianina/Marinin while fully healthy in the 2002-2003 and 2003-2004 seasons. They lost 6 of the 11 programs between the 2 teams, and in only 1 of the 5 events won both programs(one competition there was 3 programs).

They certainly dont have the polish and refinement of a Gordeeva/Grinkov or the Protopopov's, inspite of the incredable emotional connection and impact of their performances. While technicaly they are incredably explosive they also have some flaws in technique-his throw technique, his lifting technique, side by side spins. So while they are a truly great pair and I enjoyed them and their careers, I would never rate them among the select few at the very top in history, never. Just my opinion though.

They have also never done better then a bronze medal at the sports biggest event-the Olympics. Even their 2 Olympic bronzes were arguably not clear cut as some were of the opinion they were outskated by the 5th(2002) and 4th(2006)finishers at those 2 Olympics. They have only once won back to back Worlds, and the first of those was the weakened post-Olympic Worlds.

 

[Big Deal]

I think, if we try to discuss about TIMELESS QUALITY, not the amount of different titles and medals won, I agree with Mr Carruthers !!!
The top 3 in Pair skating are the Protapopovs, Gordeeva &Grinkov and Shen& Zhao.

I'm a fan since the late 60's, watching most of the big competitions since 1968.
Just my opinion, but happy, some of them sharing the feeling with me.

 

[hongligl]

They are the best pair to me. Just feel so blessed to witness their growth and glory. They've done so much for the sport and I don't care what colour the medals are, so many of their programs are masterpieces and I believe they will remain to be masterpieces for years to come.

 

[antmanb]

I dont mean to a party pooper but I feel like expressing my opinion upon reading the earlier posts. Shen/Zhou are a great team but I would never rate them in the same class as Gordeeva/Grinkov, the Protopopov's, or Irina Rodnina(the skaters greatness herself more then either great pair she was part of imparticular), or Artur Dmitriev(again skater more relevant then either of the successful partnerships). Obviously some of you feel differently, that is fine, but that is how I feel.

I must say that love them as i do i don't think they are in the same class as Gordeeva&Grinkov, the Protopopovs or Irina Rodnina.

Remember they were thoroughly dominated by both Berezhnaya/Sikhardlidze for a full 4 seasons, and Sale/Pelletier for a full 2 seasons, while they were already at the very top of the sport that whole time. Based on that I am not sure how they could even be rated over either of those 2 teams, let alone the stratosphere of the select few at the very top in history. I would dismiss those 2teams as only being famous for a scandal, Berezhnaya/Sikharlidze were often linked to Gordeeva/Grinkov when people spoke of their style, line, and simplistic elegance; Sale/Pelletier's "Love Story" routine is an all time classic. Plus as I said Shen/Zhou couldnt win anything big until those 2 teams were out of the way, despite already being good enough to medal at every single Worlds and GP final.

The reason that the comparison to Shen&Zhao then in the 2002 season and now is that up until that point Bin Yao was convinced that S&Z could not "out present" the two pairs who were head and shoulders above the rest of the field in presentation. He was convinced they could win by out tech-ing them and hence his obsession with the throw quad sal for S&Z. After that Bin Yao allowed them to work more on their presentation skills and enlist the help of outside "western" choreographers. That is why S&Z were not the skaters then that they are now. I think a S&Z of today would have given S&P and B&S of then a good run for their money.

They have also never done better then a bronze medal at the sports biggest event-the Olympics. Even their 2 Olympic bronzes were arguably not clear cut as some were of the opinion they were outskated by the 5th(2002) and 4th(2006)finishers at those 2 Olympics. They have only once won back to back Worlds, and the first of those was the weakened post-Olympic Worlds.

The argument that they were outskated in SLC by the 5th finishers is quite frankly laughable North American bias for their own skaters - they weren't half the skaters S&Z were, even then. The argument that they were outskated in Torino by P&T i personally did not agree with, but in fact S&Z and P&T both more than outskated the Zhangs which was the true controversy of those games.

Ant