Pairs FS Worldwide: The Divine Discipline

[BlissfulSynergy]

Hey everyone, @skylark and I have joined to start a dedicated thread to discuss pairs athletes from every country. For example, there doesn't appear to be a dedicated thread for Canadian pairs which surprises me. There only seems to be one for Russian pairs and for U.S. pairs, with other countries having one thread for all the disciplines. So hopefully, this dedicated thread for all pairs worldwide will allow fans who love pairs to have one location where we can discuss our fave pairs teams around the globe, regardless of country.

Worlds is coming up later this month, and there's a lot to talk about. Maybe we can start with who your favorite teams are, and how strange it will all be after Worlds was cancelled last year, and this season has been touch and go regarding having the opportunity to get competitions under their belt. Also, the pairs landscape has changed with the retirements of former top teams post-Olympics. The younger Russian teams are improving, and Russian skaters have had a chance to compete perhaps more than athletes from other countries, albeit some of them have run into problems with contracting the virus too.

The individual threads for Russian pairs and for U.S. pairs should still be a place to go for dedicated discussion about teams from those countries. Plus, I think a separate Chinese Pairs thread and a separate Canadian Pairs thread make a lot of sense, even though Skate Canada is rebuilding at the moment with a lot of good pairs teams developing, especially in juniors. In seniors, only Kirsten/Michael are a viable team to be competitive at the top tier right now. Evelyn & Trennt will be trying to make some headway into the second tier. It will be interesting to see if Canada can get back three spots. Brooke McIntosh/ Benjamin Mimar, and Justine Brasseur/ Zachary Daleman are fast-improving Canadian teams SC is looking to for the future. Right now, I don't think Canadian pairs is as strong as U.S. pairs at the top, with the only proviso that politically Canada has always been stronger and more savvy than the U.S. Also, there are a lot of unfair perceptions that have persisted regarding looking down on U.S. pairs, which really needs to cease, btw.

So, pairs lovers, who are your favorite teams, and how do you think the new landscape in pairs is shaping up? What's up lately with Sui/Han? Will S/H be able to overcome their problems with injuries to win in Beijing? Or will 2022 turn out to be Tarasova/Morosov's last stand, particularly now that James/Cipres are out of the picture? What do you think about Boikova/Koslovskii's chances of winning Worlds this year, now that their opportunity to win when they were on a roll last year was snatched away by the pandemic? Which Russian team is your favorite? Will Panfilova/Rylov overcome the sbs jump deficiencies to break through? P/R are otherwise so talented aesthetically. Now that Calalang/Johnson have withdrawn from Worlds, will they tackle the sbs jump hang-ups and come back strong next season? C/J are top-notch on other elements, aside from needing to tweak their throw technique so Jess can gain better distance to go with the superb height she gets. What about the exciting new team Knierim/Frazier and their competitive chances at Worlds? Will Cain-Gribble/LeDuc regain form and full confidence by Worlds? Will the U.S. grab a third spot for pairs for the first time in so many years? There's so much to discuss...

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Great idea for a thread to discuss all the pairs teams! Pairs lovers unite! (I appreciate the irony of that statement, as I have an ice dance team as my profile picture, but I do love pairs too!)
Now, to answer your questions...

who your favorite teams are

Of the 'top' teams, I really like Pavliuchenko/Khodykin and Mishina/Galliamov.
Outside of the very top, Ziegler and Kiefer are probably my favourites, with Della Monica and Guarise as a close second place. I'm also becoming of a fan of Hocke/Kunkel and was pleased to see them making the JGPF and coming 4th at Junior Worlds (with a small bronze in the free!) last season. I'm also excited to see Conti/Macii from Italy develop further, they have some nice lifts and solid sbs jumps.

What's up lately with Sui/Han? Will S/H be able to overcome their problems with injuries to win in Beijing? Or will 2022 turn out to be Tarasova/Morosov's last stand

I can't wait to see Sui/Han at Worlds and see how they are. I do wonder if they'll be able to hold on to Gold in Beijing as a number of the younger teams (especially in Russia) are really upping the tech, especially in the sbs jumps, whereas Sui/Han have had struggles on these in the past. However, they will be 'at home' and have a history of peaking at the right time so it'll be interesting to see how things turn out in 2022. I can see Tarasova/Morozov winning, if they're as 'on' as they were at Rus. Nats. but, sadly, I can also see them ending up 4th again, depending on the day.

Which Russian team is your favorite?

I love Pavliuchenko/Khodykin and Mishina/Galliamov, and have also really enjoyed Kadyrova/Balchenko on the Russian Cup circuit this season. Personally, and this is purely personal preference (and I'm probably going to have to for this) I would've loved to see P/K, M/G and T/M at Worlds, as B/K are not my faves, although I appreciate they absolutely deserve to be there and are really talented!

Will Panfilova/Rylov overcome the sbs jump deficiencies to break through? P/R are otherwise so talented aesthetically.

P/R are amazing, however, I can see them being passed by Kadyrova/Balchenko due to P/R's struggles with the sbs jumps. I really hope P/R can find a solution to the jumps, as they are so great at all the other elements (that twist ).

Now that Calalang/Johnson have withdrawn from Worlds, will they tackle the sbs jump hang-ups and come back strong next season? C/J are top-notch on other elements, aside from needing to tweak their throw technique so Jess can gain better distance to go with the superb height she gets. What about the exciting new team Knierim/Frazier and their competitive chances at Worlds? Will Cain-Gribble/LeDuc regain form and full confidence by Worlds? Will the U.S. grab a third spot for pairs for the first time in so many years?

I totally agree the K/F are exciting, and could certainly shake up the standing amongst the top teams at Worlds. I really hope Cain/LeDuc can regain their confidence and perform well at Worlds too, 5th+8th is do-able, in my opinion. I'm not as much of a huge fan of C/J as some (sorry!) but I do like their high throws and good lifts; if they can sort their jump technique, it will be great to see them and K/F push each other.

I don't think Canadian pairs is as strong as U.S. pairs at the top....there are a lot of unfair perceptions that have persisted regarding looking down on U.S. pairs

I agree with this that currently the US have more competitive teams than Canada. Some people seem to complain about the US pairs inability to land sbs jumps, whereas, in reality, many teams from many countries struggle with this element. I did wonder if, after seeing Peng/Jin be successful with sbs 2sals in the gp the last couple of seasons, some of the other teams who have regular issues with sbs jumps might try a similar strategy but it didn't seem catch on.

Wow! Sorry, that was such a long post, but I got all excited about the pairs! Good luck to all of them at Worlds!

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

^^ I'm just as excited about pairs! And I too often post a lot, more sometimes than some people are willing to read. LOL But I read all your responses, and I appreciate you taking the time to respond honestly, fairly and with great enthusiasm!

Here's to all the athletes doing their best at Worlds. And I hope everything goes smoothly, without a hitch during this unusual time. I'm so glad the authorities have made a concerted effort for this event to take place. It is important for Worlds to go forward in order for the athletes to be able to fully prepare for the Olympics in 2022.

There's something about B/K that I like, even though physically they may not be the most classical, traditional Russian pair. What I like is that B/K connect well and they have a lot of personality, which not a lot of Russian pairs tend to have, outside of a few, including the Protopopovs, Irina Rodnina, Artur Dmitriev, Gordeeva/Grinkov and Bereshnaya/ Sikharulidze. For example, Totmianina/Marinin were so gorgeous together with great lines, and I truly wanted to like them. They seemed to have promise in the beginning with a program they did (maybe it was from West Side Story, or something else impactful). But as their career progressed, they never developed any chemistry or connection with each other, nor with the audience, aside from being gorgeous and having great technique. Zabiiako/Enbert reminded me a lot of T/M, due to their similar long lines and complete lack of chemistry and on-ice personality.

Pavliuchenko/Khodykin are growing on me, although they are not really a traditional, classical Russian pair either, aside from him being tall and she small which was a former Russian fad. Their body structures are not the best classically, but they are very talented, very connected, and very determined. Khodykin seems more laid back and less intense than Pavliuchenko, yet he's also very protective of her. They have improved a lot, but still have some vulnerabilities.

I'm so glad that Savchenko/Szolkowy proved without a doubt that talent, desire, personality, on-ice chemistry and choreo/program selection are what matters, not so much traditional physical attributes and conservative match-ups.

ETA: I completely agree with you that sbs jumps are difficult for all pairs, despite U.S. pairs tending to be overly criticized in that area. Yes, sbs jumps have been a weak spot for a number of U.S. teams, but not completely across-the-board. Some U.S. teams have had more consistent sbs jumps than others, plus it was U.S. teams who landed the first throw 3-axel and the first throw quad salchow in competition! But those contributions are rarely noted or remembered, much less celebrated. Part of the reason for the U.S. not being as competitive at the top level in pairs since 2002, was because U.S. fed did not pay as much attention to developing their pairs discipline. Thankfully, that neglect has changed in recent years.

Thanks for sharing @GoneWithTheWind!

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Thank you for your reply @BlissfulSynergy!

There's something about B/K that I like, even though physically they may not be the most classical, traditional Russian pair. What I like is that B/K connect well and they have a lot of personality, which not a lot of Russian pairs tend to have, outside of a few, including the Protopopovs, Irina Rodnina, Artur Dmitriev, Gordeeva/Grinkov and Bereshnaya/ Sikharulidze. For example, Totmianina/Marinin were so gorgeous together with great lines, and I truly wanted to like them. They seemed to have promise in the beginning with a program they did (maybe it was from West Side Story, or something else impactful). But as their career progressed, they never developed any chemistry or connection with each other, nor with the audience, aside from being gorgeous and having great technique. Zabiiako/Enbert reminded me a lot of T/M, due to their similar long lines and complete lack of chemistry and on-ice personality.

Pavliuchenko/Khodykin are growing on me, although they are not really a traditional, classical Russian pair either, aside from him being tall and she small which was a former Russian fad. Their body structures are not the best classically, but they are very talented, very connected, and very determined. Khodykin seems more laid back and less intense than Pavliuchenko, yet he's also very protective of her. They have improved a lot, but still have some vulnerabilities.

I definitely agree with this about B/K, and truthfully, it's not that I dislike them at all, it's more that I love M/G and P/K more! B/K have a great connection and personality, and I also really like how supportive they are of each other: if one makes a mistake, you can always see the other in the kiss and cry trying to comfort them/support them, not blame them. The same can be said of P/K , and I love the pep-talk he gives her at the start of their programs!
I think this kind of supportive/not blaming relationship really helps many of the top pairs flourish; I remember Ted Barton being very irate on the JGP when one very young, junior pair were upset with each other at the end of their program, after each making mistakes, and they barely even looked at each other when bowing and skated off separately. Ted commented that pairs/ice dance teams should always be supportive of each other, and that mistakes affect the score of the whole team, so it's in effect the team's mistake, not an individual's; he then added that this is something that teams have to learn and that he doesn't like to see teams angry with each other at the end of programs, when each skater has been giving the best they can to the program on that day.

 

[TontoK]

@GoneWithTheWind I've learned to not get too excited about promising prospects... just let them play out and see how it goes.

Still, I can't help but be really interested in K&F. When people were talking about a possible Top 5 finish, I thought that was completely crazy.

However, they scored crazy high on the tape they sent to secure minimums. Eye-popping numbers for a new team paired less than a year.

I'm not betting on a Top 5 result... but now I don't think the possiblity is crazy at all. Will they make it if everyone skates their absolute best? Probably not, but there aren't many competitions where everyone DOES skate their best. Ice is slippery. Anything can happen.

 

[skylark]

I'm so thrilled to see this great start to our new thread for Worldwide Pairs! I didn't see it earlier today because Real Life and other distractions. What a lovely surprise. I'd like to speak in favor of everyone posting long and posting often. I love reading long posts, and don't get me wrong I love the shorter ones also. Whatever people want to write and question and discuss. @BlissfulSynergy, great list of questions to get us going!

who are your favorite teams, and how do you think the new landscape in pairs is shaping up?

I have many favorites, and I'm not putting them in order of preference because I just can't think that way. Sometimes I wish I could ... There's always room for one more in my lexicon and a way to draw a circle of inclusion. I'll just start with the most recent pair to gain my undying passionate love ... and that may be because we've been able to see the Russian skaters so much more often this year than anyone else.

Mishina/Galliamov. The more I watch them, the more I notice how they're subtly defying norms, or maybe it's just that their style is so individual and unusual. Anastasia is such a perfect pairs girl, with all the joy and love for skating reflected in her upturned face. And ... Aleksandr is the real diva (or divo, I guess?) of the pair! He does everything the classical pairs man is supposed to do: he presents her beautifully and holds up the quality of the pair. But the more I watch their programs, the more I notice that he's always doing something interesting, sometimes small movements that complement hers but don't duplicate them. Their expressiveness is so in synch; they respond to the music individually but also in harmony with each other. And although I'm not fond of their SP this year, I love that they give themselves to it 100%. I do love their Queen FS. There's no such thing as too much Bohemian Rhapsody for me, and it's so interesting the way they commit to every minute and transition to We Are the Champions.

I'm a forever fan of Cain-Gribble/Leduc. One reason I love them so much is that they aren't the typical pair with the tall guy and the small girl. I like that they embrace their differences, including their height. I like how they stretch out and own the space. I think this comes across better live than on video; they own the ice, and their speed is surprising and amazing. I love their gorgeous lines, their unison, their attentiveness to music and their performing. They're sort of a throwback to classic pairs like Babilonia/Gardner. They've really struggled in the last year and a half, but they really seemed like they gained their confidence back, particularly Ashley, during the FS at nationals. I firmly believe they're on an upswing and I think they may surprise a lot of people at worlds. I hope and expect it will be a thrilling surprise!

Sui and Han are, well, a divine pair. I feel that one reason is that they commit with emotion to 100% of their programs. I think they have that in common with M/G and C-G/L ... but they've been at it so much longer. They make me wish that all pairs were able to stay together as long as they have, because they keep elevating themselves and their audiences, up and up and up. I especially love that Han has said in interviews more than once that what they're dedicated to now is showing their hearts and souls and sharing them with audiences. I like that they've said their connection is through mutual dedication to their music. They feel and give attention to each phrase, each note. When I watch them take advantage of every accent, every second of drama even if it only lasts a few seconds, I wonder why all skaters don't. But I'm truly grateful when skaters do ... because that makes their hearts, souls, and connections more visible and more share-able with the audience.

I like Moore-Towers/Marinaro. When I saw them in person, I realized Michael's not as frail as he appears by video. That allowed me to relax and enjoy them more. I also like Walsh/Michaud, I think because like Ashley and Tim, they're not a typical pair, height-wise. But I just like watching what they do and I feel like they're grounded in their own realities and know who they want to be as skaters.

I like Minerva Fabienne Hase and Nolan Seegert, I just find them charming. And also, ditto ... the Japanese pair, Miura/Kihara. They're just a breath of fresh air, so happy to be skating and doing so well as a new team. It's very interesting how a person's qualities will come out so differently when with a different partner. I never saw Kihara look so confident and strong when he was with previous partners. All of these favorites I've listed seem to create a chemical reaction ... almost a chemical explosion with their partner. It's magical. And it's thrilling.

I just discovered a Russian junior pair this week. I usually don't watch juniors, but I'm starved to watch more skating. The pair I "discovered" are named Alina and Artem. I have their last names in a notebook but can't go retrieve it right now. They skated their SP to John Travolta's song, "You're the One that I Want." Well, I really started watching them closely when I realized they were dancing! So unusual for a pair. Artem is particularly talented in dance movement, and then I noticed, OMG, he looks like Travolta! Alina seems quite a bit younger than Artem and I feel has a ways to go to match him, which may (I hope) come in time. They have some beautiful elements, but they don't look like the typical Russian pair IMO. They have energy, they've got juice.

Well, this is a monster post and I haven't gotten past question # one! I will call it a night.

 

[MGstyle]

I just discovered a Russian junior pair this week. I usually don't watch juniors, but I'm starved to watch more skating. The pair I "discovered" are named Alina and Artem. I have their last names in a notebook but can't go retrieve it right now. They skated their SP to John Travolta's song, "You're the One that I Want." Well, I really started watching them closely when I realized they were dancing! So unusual for a pair. Artem is particularly talented in dance movement, and then I noticed, OMG, he looks like Travolta! Alina seems quite a bit younger than Artem and I feel has a ways to go to match him, which may (I hope) come in time. They have some beautiful elements, but they don't look like the typical Russian pair IMO. They have energy, they've got juice.

Well, this is a monster post and I haven't gotten past question # one! I will call it a night.

I do enjoy Jr. competitions, especially Mens and Pairs, and of course I watched them too earlier this week. Your pair would be Alina Raskovalova & Artёm Butayev. Indeed it takes some practice and time to nail the last names of some of them, it is much easier to go by their first names with just 3-4 first letters of their last name, like "Mukh", "Naz", "Khab"... and so on
Anyway Russian pairs never cease to amaze me, although this week none of them were perfect, there are quite a few pairs who are already exciting to watch, with great charisma and chemistry with each other - which you would normally don't expect from Jr. pairs.

The names I checked so far are :
Ekaterina Petushkova & Evgeny Malikov
Anastasia Mukhortova & Dmitri Evgeneev
Yulia Artemieva & Mikhail Nazarychev (although they bombed this week, they are masterful at the Jr. championships a month ago)

Their senior field is already overcrowded with superb talents, by far the most exciting, if frustrating because all of my favs wouldn't fit into either podium or national team selection - looks like their golden dynasty will continue for quite some time!

 

[Moxiejan]

^^ Love all this by Skylark, especially your comments on C-G/L! You captured my fandom for them perfectly!

 

[Gourlie]

Pairs are my favourite discipline so thank you for this thread. I think there are 5 teams who can eventually win this World Championship, so it is much more open than it was supposed to be last year (Sui/Han vs Boikova/Kozlovskii). It will be Russia against China battle and I think it will be very tough competition because these all can take the title: Tarasova/Morozov, Boikova/Kozlovskii, Mishina/Galliamov, Sui/Han, Peng/Jin. And from my profile pic you can guess for who I will be rooting.

 

[ladyjane]

What an excellent idea for a thread. Pairs are my favourite discipline too (followed by the men). That's why I was so pleased when I found out that at this year's Worlds there are going to be 26 pairs (which would have been 27 if Minerva Fabienne hadn't been injured and Germany would have had a substitute). I recalled there being 28 in 2017 and 2018, so we're nearly back at that level. There were only 19 pairs in 2019. I'm also very happy that there will be a Dutch Pair for the first time in history. Not that I think Daria and Michel are top tier or even second tier, but there is a chance they will qualify for the long programme. It just pleases me to be able to see them there at all.

My favourite pair of all time would be Aliona and Bruno even though they were only together for a few years. I also enjoyed watching Aljona with Robin, but La Terre Vue du Ciel and Lighthouse (2016-2017) are programmes that beat everything else - in my view at least. I have also long been a big fan fan of Artur and his two partners Natalia and Oksana - especially with Natalia (I often rewatch their Olympic long programme of 1994). I also have a real soft spot for some of the Chinese pairs - more specifically Hongbo Zhao and Xue Shen as well as Pang Quin and Tong Jian. Canada usually have good pairs, but I liked Megan and Eric best. I'll never forget her happiness during the last lift at World's in 2016 (which they won).

With regard to the current crop of pairs, I have quite a few favourites. I love Sui and Han - I'll never forget their Free Skate at World's in 2019. I've seen them do that programme again of course, but the performance at World's was the best. I like their compatriots Peng Cheng and Jin Yang as well. Despite their not so auspicious beginnings, they definitely are wonderful to watch now. I love the four top Russian Pairs, be it Evgenia and Vladimir, Alexandra and Dmitrii, Anastasia and Alexandr or Daria and Denis. It has taken me awhile to warm to the last pair because she always seemed to be like a little doll who could be thrown around. I like a bit of personality in 'my' skaters, and they've definitely got that now. Daria especially. I love watching Nicole and Matteo although I always put a hand on my heart with their throws. Sara Conti and Niccolò Macii have turned up on my list just this season (mostly because of the Gran Premio Italia), but have definitely captured my eye. Miriam and Severin are also a couple I like to follow as well as the two German pairs, Minerva Fabienne and Nolan (who will not be at World's alas) and Annika and Robert. Annika seems to enjoy skating with Robert a lot (people who are joyful in their skating always appeal to me). With regard to the Canadians I have always liked Kirstin, both with Dylan and with Michael as partners. When Kirstin and Michael are on, they can be really good. The last time I saw Evelyn and Trennt they were great, so I hope they can continue in that way. Looking at the Americans, I've enjoyed watching Ashley and Tim (those lines, always) and have been pleasantly surprised by Alexa and Brandon this season. I also like Jessica and Brian although I felt them to be better last season. There is also a Croatian couple I like a lot, Lana Petranovic and Antonio Souza Kordeiro even if they regrettably often make mistakes...Last but not least: Zoe Jones and Christopher Boyadji. I have so much respect for them.

 

[skylark]

Your pair would be Alina Raskovalova & Artёm Butayev. Indeed it takes some practice and time to nail the last names of some of them, it is much easier to go by their first names with just 3-4 first letters of their last name, like "Mukh", "Naz", "Khab"... and so on
Anyway Russian pairs never cease to amaze me, although this week none of them were perfect, there are quite a few pairs who are already exciting to watch, with great charisma and chemistry with each other - which you would normally don't expect from Jr. pairs.

The names I checked so far are :
Ekaterina Petushkova & Evgeny Malikov
Anastasia Mukhortova & Dmitri Evgeneev
Yulia Artemieva & Mikhail Nazarychev (although they bombed this week, they are masterful at the Jr. championships a month ago)

Yes, thank you for supplying the names. I have a very visual memory, so I'm helped, even with the Russian names, by seeing them spelled out while they're being announced or receiving their score. But when they're spelled out in Cyrillic letters, hm, that's another story. Still, I enjoy puzzling out the names because of the Cyrillic alphabet letters that I know correspond to the Latin alphabet. It's fun ... especially when I have a hint or am already familiar with the name ... more often with the first name, or given name I should say. It's a good suggestion (I'll take it! ) to just try to recall the first 3 or 4 letters along with the first names.

I've liked Yulia and Mikhail in the past, so I was disappointed of course with their 'bomb'! I'll have to go back and watch theirs from last month, and also check out the others you listed.

 

[4everchan]

FYI. The reason why there is no thread dedicated exclusively to Canadian pairs is the same why there is no thread for Canadian ladies, men, nor dance. While Russian and American fans decided to split national discussions into 4 different threads, the few Canadian fans here who are active posters thought it was superfluous considering the very few posts made about Canadian skating. So the dicussion about Canadian pairs already exists, under the Canadian skating thread. I guess you did not go there and read all about it. That is unfortunate.

 

[MGstyle]

Yes, thank you for supplying the names. I have a very visual memory, so I'm helped, even with the Russian names, by seeing them spelled out while they're being announced or receiving their score. But when they're spelled out in Cyrillic letters, hm, that's another story. Still, I enjoy puzzling out the names because of the Cyrillic alphabet letters that I know correspond to the Latin alphabet. It's fun ... especially when I have a hint or am already familiar with the name ... more often with the first name, or given name I should say. It's a good suggestion (I'll take it! ) to just try to recall the first 3 or 4 letters along with the first names.

I've liked Yulia and Mikhail in the past, so I was disappointed of course with their 'bomb'! I'll have to go back and watch theirs from last month, and also check out the others you listed.

@skylark My pleasure!
Do check out the SPs of P&M and M&E, they are more striking than their free.
Actually it isn't hard to get used to the cyrillic writing, many of them exactly correspond with the roman alphabets, probably the most confusing would be the letters that are same as the roman alphabets but they represent totally another sound - like н is used for the N sound, or р is for R, for example. But once you get past it, it becomes like a second nature in reading (or deciphering..? ) them. There are only 30+ letters in cyrillic, it's not like arabic or chinese It would be worth a little practice, actually I find it helpful to memorize their last names by reading in cyrillic, perhaps because it makes more sense???

 

[skylark]

@skylark My pleasure!
Do check out the SPs of P&M and M&E, they are more striking than their free.
Actually it isn't hard to get used to the cyrillic writing, many of them exactly correspond with the roman alphabets, probably the most confusing would be the letters that are same as the roman alphabets but they represent totally another sound - like н is used for the N sound, or р is for R, for example. But once you get past it, it becomes like a second nature in reading (or deciphering..? ) them. There are only 30+ letters in cyrillic, it's not like arabic or chinese It would be worth a little practice, actually I find it helpful to memorize their last names by reading in cyrillic, perhaps because it makes more sense???

Wow, that's very impressive. It sounds like you're thinking in 'gestalt' when you memorize the names in Cyrillic. Rather than piecing them out. The names or words where the letters look like the Roman alphabet but represent totally another sound, like b sounds like our v or the H sounds like our N, or p sounds like R, make the endeavour actually much easier for me, rather than confusing. And as long as we're on this subject, I've wanted to ask someone, how do you get this site to type in Cyrillic or another alphabet? (this makes me an opportunist? ).

 

[Seven Sisters]

Actually it isn't hard to get used to the cyrillic writing, many of them exactly correspond with the roman alphabets, probably the most confusing would be the letters that are same as the roman alphabets but they represent totally another sound - like н is used for the N sound, or р is for R, for example. But once you get past it, it becomes like a second nature in reading (or deciphering..? ) them. There are only 30+ letters in cyrillic, it's not like arabic or chinese It would be worth a little practice, actually I find it helpful to memorize their last names by reading in cyrillic, perhaps because it makes more sense???

I’m also thoroughly impressed by this, MG. Would you be willing to start and lead a study group, so that we all could start to learn?

 

[MGstyle]

how do you get this site to type in Cyrillic or another alphabet? (this makes me an opportunist? ).

I started by using this site - if you look at the column on the right, it has options for other languages as well. Since I use cyrillic a lot (I am trying to learn Russian - not seriously, at quite a leisurely pace) now I installed a cyrillic option on my keyboard. If you have Windows, you can do that, too.
I can switch back and forth also on my telephone (android), I can't remember how I did it but if you search for russian keyboard application (or whatever the language) there should be plenty of options available!

 

[MGstyle]

I’m also thoroughly impressed by this, MG. Would you be willing to start and lead a study group, so that we all could start to learn?

OMG I am flattered but my level is not that impressive, actually I just came back from a grocery store run by Russians and I came out strutting full of myself because I managed to exchange a few words with the cashier
I still have a long way to go, if I listen to the Russian commentary (or whenever I hear Russian being spoken), I catch a whole bunch of fragments of words but not nearly enough to bind them together and make out the context.
I am pretty sure there are more fit people to form the group, and if it's set up I am very interested in joining!
------------------------------------------------------------------
For further discussion of this subject feel free to PM me, I don't want to be responsible of derailing and hijacking the thread

 

[skylark]

Coming back to a couple of discussion-starter questions in the OP:

What's up lately with Sui/Han? Will S/H be able to overcome their problems with injuries to win in Beijing?

What Sui and Han have shown us so brilliantly is that they know how to manage their injuries and keep their skills and techniques intact. Really, they're kind of a miracle when you think of their previous injuries. I think it's the way their training is managed -- for one thing, Hongbo Zhao has his experience with his partner/wife Xue Shen over a very long career, so I think he's good at looking and thinking long-term. S/Z actually are a premiere example of the idea of persisting in the face of many tries, partial successes, and failures ... a long list of ever-changing competitors who still managed to win over them even when they were the new-kids-on-the-block teams. S/Z and their coach, Bin Yao, simply did not allow that to deter them over time, even if, as I imagine, they felt things were unfair sometimes and felt discouraged by their results sometimes. They just kept at it. It reminds me of the idea that failure is the pathway to success; if you keep working and keep thinking positive, success is inevitable. (I think I just read yesterday where Eteri said that, not that it's original with her, but still.) And coincidentally, when I turned on my car today, I heard a clip of John Lennon on the Beatles Channel. He was saying that thinking positive works, even if you have to fool yourself and pretend that it's true.

Anyway, in regard to Sui/Han ... they really believe in their partnership, their music. And they trust their choreographer and their coaches. But they've gone one step further. In my opinion, even their beautiful technique and amazing ability to pull performances together wouldn't be enough. What they have is the something extra that takes them above and beyond their competitors, even when it might be said that as far as technique is concerned, two teams may be equal. It's charisma, yes, and it's magic, yes. But it's also heart and soul ... the way they put everything they have into the interpretation of their music and the whole program.

So yeah, I think they could win in Beijing. But it's going to be close and up in the air, because T/M, M/G, B/K could all be a threat if they swoop in with their own magic. And P/J as a fourth, especially if they somehow get their triple jumps to work at least part of the time.

What I find fascinating is that each of the above five teams has their own particular slice and variety of magic. They're not alike at all.

ETA: this is the quote from Eteri, frpm an IceNetwork archive.

Tutberidze: I work! That's the only thing I am able to do: Work. (She laughs.) You just have to work and see where it leads you. It may work, but it might not work as well. Also, we try to plan everything. Plan for the Final, plan for junior worlds, plan for everything. Also, I think that if you really believe that things are going to happen, if you really do everything you can, then things will work out. Success will be inevitable.

 

[Fanou]

Hi everyone ! What a wonderful idea to have a thread only for pairs !
I have a question regarding the other Chinese pairs, do you think Peng/Jin will stay among the amateurs after Beijing ? Do you see them able to become gold world medalists one day ? In your opinion who are the most promising young Chinese pairs ?

 

[Seven Sisters]

Hi everyone ! What a wonderful idea to have a thread only for pairs !
I have a question regarding the other Chinese pairs, do you think Peng/Jin will stay among the amateurs after Beijing ? Do you see them able to become gold world medalists one day ? In your opinion who are the most promising young Chinese pairs ?

I could see Sui & Han retiring after Beijing—especially if they do well there—and Peng & Jin continuing on, at least for a bit. Chinese pairs seem to have exceptionally long careers!

But, as much as I enjoy Peng & Jin, they will always have many brilliant Russian pairs to contend with.