PAIRS SHORT - Wheee, here we go!

[Ladskater]

On CBC they showed the top three, S/Z, the two Canadians and the Germans. From what I saw Z/Z and Pet/Tik were definitely my favs (that is huge coming from me as I am not a fan of either team - find them both lacking in artistry normally, but today they were on fire.) Found T/M to be slightly overmarked. They were good, and I don't really even dispute their first place standing, but I didn't think they had four points on this field on this day.
Loved Dube and Davison. This team is electric - they just have a certain "look at me" quality. I'm hoping they crack the top 10 - they are in a position to do it with a FS like the one they had at Canadians. This team represents a really bright future in Canadian pairs.

I guess I should have put my piece here on the Canadian Pairs, but started a new thread. I agree about Dube and Davison. I think they will surpass Marcoux and Buntin soon. I was very impressed with Dube and Davison's Olympic debut. Marcoux and Buntin need a better program.

 

[Shmuzzy]

I thought S&Z were too slow and little rocky on some of their elements.

I totally agree. It's not what we are used to seeing out of them, but I am just happy to see them out there. They are only 2.4 out of second though, so it's going to be interesting!

 

[Mathman]

Totmianin and Marinen were so much better than everyone else. It's over for the gold. I think Zhang and Zhang can hang on for the silver. I liked Zagorska and Siudek, especially their music.

MM

 

[CzarinaAnya]

Rena & John, did great! I would have put them behind Totmianina & Marinin.

 

[jayta]

I don't understand why anyone would say the Canadians score was inflated. I think that it reflects very well how grounded they are in technique. Their spins were good and had good speed and a variation of changed. As well, the lifts were as always good. As well as the catch throw. They didn't have a strong throw, but they made up in other areas.

Though M&B have a better chance at moving up because of a little more difficulty, D&D are the ones to watch for me this Olympics in the pairs competition - out of the Canadians anyways.

I can't wait to see what they come up with next year. I'm sure this Olympic berth must have spurred them on. And they can now realize what they can do if they stick together!:agree:

 

[Ryan O]

CBC's coverage of the pairs short was pretty crappy. The only showed 6 pairs! And 2 of those were Canadian who they have to show since we need to see how our own athletes are doing so they only showed 4 of the top pairs! They didn't bother to show Pang & Tong, Z&S, S&S or I&B. At least NBC had fuller pairs coverage. CBC also didn't interview M&B - only D&D.

 

[enlight78]

unbelievable

A judge gave I&B a goe of -1 for their throw triple axel wich deserved at least a +2. Does someone have a grudge or did I miss something.

 

[JOHIO2]

Ryan O,

Wow! CBC managed to actually have a crappier pairs coverage than NBC. Unbelievable.

 

[Muse]

Enjoyed a lot of the pairs. I was rooting for all of them. Watched it on NBC so either I missed them, or else they didn't show the Canadians, so I don't know how well they did. A lot of the pairs I thought were spectacular on a lot of the elements, extensions, transitions, etc., but I have one lil o' gripe: what's with some of them not nailing their side by side spins? Some of these pairs had FOUR years since the last Olympics to perfect it and they looked like they didn't even improve at all. SBSS is a reflection of how well synchronized a pair can be, and it bugs me how this element is sometimes overlooked in pairs training because of the assumption that the other elements like the jumps and the throws look more difficult. Obviously, if a lot more than expected were slow or else didn't nail the SBS spins, they're taking this element for granted. For this alone, I definitely think a couple of the pairs had overinflated marks. Okay, end of gripe. Way to go on the throw 3axel, I/B! I also enjoyed the Polish and the German pairs' programs, inspite of their little mistakes. The Polish pair were cute and I was so happy that she landed the SBS jumps this time, as she didn't at Salt Lake City. This was the first time I saw their SP, so I thought the ending was cute. I am continually amazed at how well the German pair skate. I agree with Pelletier's remarks regarding them at the post-competition commentary - they had great transitions. Can't wait to see how they all stack up at the LP competition.

 

[JOHIO2]

enlight - Jamie Sale said she'd have given them +3 goe

muse, NBC didn't show either Canadian pair. And I think they should have shown Obertas and Slavnov too. Oh well....

worst of all, the IOC doesn't allow posting the vids on the internet, so you can't (currently) get them that way.

 

[FauveNik]

Allo all,
Can anyone help me with a mental freeze,, what was the music that Petrova/Tikhonov short progam too???? Im getting old
Merci Fauve

 

[Ryan O]

Ryan O,

Wow! CBC managed to actually have a crappier pairs coverage than NBC. Unbelievable.

Yes I was surprised that NBC showed almost all the top pairs in their primetime coverage whereas CBC did not. Perhaps that will change for the next night. Maybe Canada wanted to give more coverage to women's hockey and the mogul?

 

[bethissoawesome]

does anyone know what happened to the north korean pair skaters?

 

[Jaana]

There were really many performances that I enjoyed very much:

Inoue/Baldwin
Pang/Tong
Shen/Zhao (I guess that she was so much worried about Zhao jumping successfully that she herself made a mistake...)
Hinzmann/Parchem
Zhang/Zhang
Petrova/Tikhonov (they did not get the scores they deserved and the audience really booed at the judges)
Dube/Davison
Obertas/Slavnov
Totmianina/Marinin and
Savchenko/Szolkowy

 

[Joesitz (RIP)]

What a bummer for S&Z and S&S! Z&Z and Pet&Ti seem to be in a virtual tie though. An truly amazing for I&B!!!

ITA. The Final will be most telling.

Bravo to I&B but I really enjoyed Pang and Tong this time out. She looked and skated like a lovely lady. He, of course, is Rudy Nureyev for me, and he now has a responsive partner. They have the lyrical style which, we all know, does not win medals but can get to the podium.

Joe

 

[JOHIO2]

The short programs were quite enjoyable this time. One might argue points and relative placements, but mostly the rankings are good enough that I won't complain.

Hope the long programs are just as enjoyable. Good luck and best wishes to all!

 

[yelyoh]

I too enjoyed the Pair SP. Really happy for I&B and they are in the hunt for a medal. I wasn't as taken with Pang and Tong as some others here and would have put I&B above them AND S&Z (though they have been my favorites for several years). But the scores are close and it should be an interesing LP. Let's see if Pet&Tik can hold it together and get a medal. I also enjoyed the Polish team a lot. They seem to have slipped in the rankings (judges eyes) in the past few years. ?!?

 

[Engwaciriel]

does anyone know what happened to the north korean pair skaters?

nothing happened to them...they did all elements they had planned really well, but unfortunately they only have double jumps and throws so far, and also heard they they'd only skated together since lika september, so I think they did a great job..

 

[soogar]

My thoughts on pairs, and since I saw only NBC's coverage (which was pretty sucky) I didn't see all of them. Frist off all, I wish the commentators would do their jobs (esp Bezic) and give me the darn levels for the elements the pairs are doing. Because to my untrained pairs eye, I don't get why I&B didn't do better when not only did they nail the throw 3 axel, but looked relatively clean on all of their elements and had great skating skills to boot. Other than S&Z, the Chinese pairs did nothing for me and the Zhangs were very rough. One thing that was crystal clear was how superior both Russian pairs were in skating skills compared to everyone else in the pack (save for I&B who seemed somewhat slower but had wonderful edging). After watching the chicken scratches of the Zhangs and then watching the PetTikhs' great crossovers and overall control and security (other than the forward landing on the 3t), why are the Zs in second place?

For all the haters of T&M, whatever people think of the rules being favored for this couple, this couple was the superior pair to everyone else. No errors, great crossovers and ice coverage and precision and control. Other than Tatiana's android face, they proved why the Russians have been superior in pairs competitions throughout the years. Even biased Bezic and Dick Button couldn't rip them a new one even though they were dying to do it. Dick couldn't even say anything about T's fanny being up in the spiral entrance and you know he was setting that up in his commentary on the other pairs.

And the polish couple was wonderful. Like Dick said, really nice neighbors with no "pitbull in the backyard."

 

[Rgirl]

ITA. The Final will be most telling.

Bravo to I&B but I really enjoyed Pang and Tong this time out. She looked and skated like a lovely lady. He, of course, is Rudy Nureyev for me, and he now has a responsive partner. They have the lyrical style which, we all know, does not win medals but can get to the podium.

ITA about Pang & Tong, Joe. Lately they just haven't been connecting and seemed to have lost the lyricism as a pair that set them apart. But they seem to have gotten it back and last night I enjoyed their skating for the first time in long time. Good for them and thank goodness for the new ladies-can-wear-pants rule.

And I really totally agree about Jian Tong! I don't know how many times I've said I think Jian Tong is the most beautiful male skater in any discipline skating today. He moves like a jaguar--and I think your comparison to Nureyev is right on the money. He's got that Rudy "moves like honey with muscles" quality. Mmm, mmm!

However, much as she still annoys the heck out of me, I have to agree with Sandra Bezic that Totmianina & Marinin were "in a class by themselves." I thought they were just splendid. In their SPs, the "cool" relationship they have with each other tends to work better than in their LPs. This SP was a beauty.

Also, since Max has been hitting the weight room, his more "built" body really complements Tatiana's combination of lightness and athleticism. Before they both looked rather too light. Now his new size and power puts them in perfect balance for pairs, IMO. Skating together, they look as if it would be impossible for them to make a mistake. (Not trying to jinx them, lol.) I love their SP choreography, and they skated like newly polished silver. I too say it's their's to lose.

OTOH, even though I wouldn't want them on the podium, unless everybody else has a splatfest, I just adore the loving relationship portrayed by Zagorska & Suidek. There's such intimacy between them, and by showing the truth of themselves and their relationship, they represent the best of humanity, IMHO.

True, their age is showing and much of their skating is creaky, but when he begins the program by caressing her face to turn it towards his and she ends the program by "falling" into him with a kiss, man, for me, that is great stuff.

At least from what we in the "southern" states saw, ie, those states not on the border with Canada so we don't get CBC coverage, it was a great night of top six or so pairs skating. And the cherry on top was Inoue & Baldwin's throw 3Axel. WOW!

Rgirl