Rachel Parsons & Michael Parsons

[cheerknithanson]

Yes! Really fun to watch. The top two Junior teams are just spectacular, have been all year, and great to see them both skate so well in the short dance. Parsons' score was their personal best with all level-4 on the elements, and only one small wobble that was the difference in GOE between 1st and 2nd. Really looking forward to free dance.

I'm so excited for tomorrow! Depending if they cancel classes at GMU tomorrow (I live in the DC area and in case you haven't heard, there are blizzard warnings coming in that area) or not, maybe I might watch it.

 

[skatemd1]

Hope you got to see the Jr Free Dance this week despite the blizzard - it was spectacular. The last group in particular, and Rachel & Michael Parsons just nailed it! That was the best Jr. FD I've seen yet, and good to see judges thought so too. Carpenter/McNamara also were great. A big statement from both teams leading up to worlds. The Jr. World team to be announced today I think and both are sure to be on it!!

 

[skatemd1]

Saw that M&R are mentioned in this article from Team USA on the 2012 Youth Olympians, and "Where are they now". Rachel & Michael were the first US ice dancers to compete in the Youth Olympics. Here is the link: Team USA - 2012 Youth Olympics - Where are they now?

 

[cheerknithanson]

SD tomorrow! Woohoo! I hope they do very well!

 

[icedinn]

They are leading after the sd! Well deserved.

 

[cheerknithanson]

They are leading after the sd! Well deserved.

YESSS!!!! And I think they broke the junior WR for the SD. I think...

 

[skatemd1]

YESSS!!!! And I think they broke the junior WR for the SD. I think...

Wow, that would be really cool. I loved their Short Dance, and thought they just hit it out of the park, so good to see the scores reflected that!
Can't wait for free dance. Thought all three American teams skated really well in the Short. We have such a strong Junior team.

 

[skatemd1]

Oh, and here is the video of their Short Dance from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ut9J97wtJA

 

[skatemd1]

YESSS!!!! And I think they broke the junior WR for the SD. I think...

I think you're right. They just edged out Hawayek/Baker's top Junior score from 2014 WJS, this is the highest Junior SD score ever, and is 15th all-time among Seniors. Not bad. This is from the ISU site and where that score would rank:

Personal Best - Ice Dance

Short Dance Score Name Nat. Event Date Score

1 Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE USA XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 16.02.2014 78.89 S
2 Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR CAN ISU Grand Prix Final 2013/14 06.12.2013 77.59 S
3 Madison CHOCK / Evan BATES USA ISU World Championships 2015 25.03.2015 74.47 S
4 Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE CAN ISU World Team Trophy 2015 16.04.2015 73.14 S
5 Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 16.02.2014 73.04 S
6 Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI USA ISU Four Continents Championships 2016 18.02.2016 72.86 S
7 Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT FRA XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 16.02.2014 72.78 S
8 Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE ITA ISU World Championships 2015 25.03.2015 72.39 S
9 Gabriella PAPADAKIS / Guillaume CIZERON FRA ISU World Championships 2015 25.03.2015 71.94 S
10 Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV RUS XXII Olympic Winter Games 2014 08.02.2014 70.27 S
11 Elena ILINYKH / Ruslan ZHIGANSHIN RUS ISU CS Mordovian Ornament 2015 16.10.2015 70.12 S
12 Madison HUBBELL / Zachary DONOHUE USA ISU Four Continents Championships 2016 18.02.2016 69.36 S
13 Victoria SINITSINA / Nikita KATSALAPOV RUS ISU European Championships 2016 28.01.2016 68.33 S
14 Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI ITA ISU CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 2015 03.12.2015 68.24 S
RACHEL PARSONS / MICHAEL PARSONS - WJC 2016 67.88
15 Kaitlin HAWAYEK / Jean-Luc BAKER USA ISU World Junior Championships 2014 12.03.2014 66.73 J
16 Alexandra STEPANOVA / Ivan BUKIN RUS ISU European Championships 2016 28.01.2016 66.65 S
17 Rachel PARSONS / Michael PARSONS USA ISU JGP Croatia Cup 2015 09.10.2015 66.49 J
18 Lorraine MCNAMARA / Quinn CARPENTER USA ISU JGP Colorado Springs 2015 04.09.2015 66.25 J

 

[icedinn]

Good for them!

 

[tulosai]

They did really beautifully today, I am happy for them.

 

[cheerknithanson]

Today's the FD! I bet they'll get redemption today from the FD from the JGPF!

 

[cheerknithanson]

From getting 4th last year to silver this year, congrats to Rachel and Michael!

 

[dorispulaski]

Great work, guys!

Silver medal.and 3 PBs.

2016 Junior Worlds SD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ut9J97wtJA
2016 Junior Worlds FD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67RMrCXPl0

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Total Score[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]162.74[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Score Short Dance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]67.88[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Score Free Dance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]94.86[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

 

[cheerknithanson]

I know! And THAT was a redemption skate in the FD after what happened at the JGPF!

 

[skatemd1]

Great work, guys!

Silver medal.and 3 PBs.

2016 Junior Worlds SD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7Ut9J97wtJA
2016 Junior Worlds FD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k67RMrCXPl0

[TABLE="class: grid, width: 100%"]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Total Score[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]162.74[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Score Short Dance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]67.88[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016[/TD]
[/TR]
[TR]
[TD]Personal Best Score Free Dance[/TD]
[TD="align: right"]94.86[/TD]
[TD="align: center"][/TD]
[TD]ISU World Junior Championships 2016
[/TD]
[/TR]
[/TABLE]

That was such a great performance. Wow. They were so strong and such an emotional connection. Any other year, it would have been good enough for Gold by a big margin, but M/C really brought their A game too. What a thrilling finish for Team USA!! Love these guys.

 

[Alex D]

Rachel and Michael at Jr Worlds FD

I was hugely impressed, what a great couple!

Here are my thoughts, from the review

Under your skin also goes what the Parsons do, I was so hugely impressed, by their skate in hold. There is no space in between them, not even a piece of paper would fit, just super amazing and their blind understanding on ice, knowing exactly, where their partner is, every element, connects flawlessly with the other, just like these two skaters, do.
Their Tango, was greatly executed, I love that knee fall at their last twizzle, right on beat and I can´t believe, how these two are just brother and sister, so much chemistry in between them! I would say, they even top the Shibutanies with their fantastic Coldplay performance, in that regard.

Great ice coverage, really making sure to appear everywhere on ice which can be a bit tricky, as the ice at the boards, is a little bit dangerous for skaters, you can easily get stuck there, but they skated these passages without any trouble, super edges, greatly aligned – what a discovery these two are for me! At Cinderella they were flying and at the Tango, they were arrogant and ice cold, yet with fire – brilliant couple if you ask me, highly talented, well deserved PB of 162.74. I believe, that they never skated better in their life and if that midline would have been a three, then they would have won the competition.

 

[dorispulaski]

Indeed, that was the best I have ever seen them skate.

 

[skatemd1]

I was hugely impressed, what a great couple!

Here are my thoughts, from the review

I so agree with this, and with the point that this was their best skate yet. PB in short, free and total score. This team is going far! Very excited for them.

 

[dorispulaski]

Their gala performance

2016 Junior Worlds EX Elevation by U2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0EcSH6l5Lg