Shibutanis to sit out 2018-19 Season

[Ic3Rabbit]

I'm not shocked. They got their medals after lots of hard work, and seem to lately be more interested in vlogging and doing media, or attending awards shows than skating.
Plus, it seems like they were starting to run out of options for programs and it was getting stale.

 

[VIETgrlTerifa]

I was wondering how long those sorts of comments would take.

 

[cruzceleste]

I'm not shocked. They got their medals after lots of hard work, and seem to lately be more interested in vlogging and doing media, or attending awards shows than skating.
Plus, it seems like they were starting to run out of options for programs and it was getting stale.

An athlete that has invested TONS OF MONEY and energy in figure skating has every right to take a break and take advantage of the opportunities they are receiving.

Certainly they have created a lot of original programs and dedicated them self to not only for them but to promote their sport.

 

[Arriba627]

I'll miss them. They're so talented and have SO earned a break. I fear they're done, but it has been fun following them. I'll never forget their joy and emotion when they won Nats for the first time in St. Paul.

 

[slider11]

So smart! Explore your options with your talent agency -in all areas of interest! They are young, intelligent and innovative enough to take their gifts in many directions. So smart!!

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

An athlete that has invested TONS OF MONEY and energy in figure skating has every right to take a break and take advantage of the opportunities they are receiving.

Certainly they have created a lot of original programs and dedicated them self to not only for them but to promote their sport.

I think you misunderstood my post. I was not picking on the Shibs or saying that they do not deserve to take a break. As a once elite figure skater myself, I know well enough. YMMV.

 

[WeakAnkles]

Unsurprising. They worked so hard to be probably the most technically sound team in the world, but judges clearly prefer sexual tension instead of what a brother-sister pair can create on ice.

Sad and incredibly depressing.

And also very true.

Such limited vision these judges.

 

[mrrice]

Not surprising!

I agree.....Once they decided to skip Worlds, I thought they might be done with the competitive part of their careers. Since they've signed with this new agency, I imagine they'll still be in the public in one way or another. Best of luck to them in whatever they choose to do.

 

[4everchan]

gosh.. i love the shibs but why all the sad faces? Let's rejoice for them! It is very hard to quit your passion, to quit something you have done forever,....

I am also not surprised. They probably feel right now that they have opportunities that could benefit them in the long run... those may or may not be there in 4 years.... they have a bronze medal from the Olympics, top American team to show while it's shiny.

They are fun, smart and caring people.

I give them a standing ovation for having this courage. I will be missing their twizzles and gorgeous faces !

 

[Barb]

The problem is that we are used to seeing the top teams retire at 28-31 yo, if this ends up being a retirement, they will probably be one of the top ice dancers to retire so young, Maia is 23 years old and Alex is about of turning 27 yo, seeing the usual average age was expected to see them continue another 4 years. I am sure they did not reach their full potential in ice dance yet, regardless what other people say .

But yes, I am happy for them, sad and happy. They deserve all the good things in their life.

 

[4everchan]

The problem is that we are used to seeing the top teams retire at 28-31 yo, if this ends up being a retirement, they will probably be one of the top ice dancers to retire so young, Maia is 23 years old and Alex is about of turning 27 yo, seeing the usual average age was expected to see them continue another 4 years. I am sure they did not reach their full potential in ice dance yet, regardless what other people say .

But yes, I am happy for them, sad and happy. They deserve all the good things in their life.

ermm... many teams retire later perhaps because they haven't had the successes Maya and Alex had when younger. They won their first bronze in 2011.... they were kids...and it took them all these years to get back to the top... 14 years of competing at a high level for them if we count pre SENIOR years...

finally, many teams retire BEFORE too... just at the switch from junior to senior... going to school is one of the reasons...

and.. .well.. they haven't officially retired.. they may do a virtue and moir

 

[rain]

I think this gives a big leg up to the other American teams to get a secure foothold above the Shibs, including all of Hubbell/Donahue, Chock/Bates and the ones who may benefit most, Hawayek and Baker. That said, maybe the Shibs can come back (if they choose to) with a new vibe that can move them to the next level (providing P/C with a contest). They're a little stagnant at present, and it's not necessarily a good thing that the judges always know what to expect.

 

[SnowWhite]

The problem is that we are used to seeing the top teams retire at 28-31 yo, if this ends up being a retirement, they will probably be one of the top ice dancers to retire so young, Maia is 23 years old and Alex is about of turning 27 yo, seeing the usual average age was expected to see them continue another 4 years. I am sure they did not reach their full potential in ice dance yet, regardless what other people say .

But yes, I am happy for them, sad and happy. They deserve all the good things in their life.

Meryl and Charlie were 27/26 when they stopped. Tessa and Scott were 24/26 when they took a break (and thought they were done). Domina/Shabalin were 25/28, as were Belbin/Agosto. Alex isn't really young to be retiring, though lots of guys stay longer. Maia is a bit young to retire, but she has been on the senior circuit for a long time. And she's only a year younger than Tessa was in 2014.

Anyways, we don't know if they are actually retiring, and they probably don't know either.

 

[ancientpeas]

I think they'll be back. Maybe take a couple of years off but..

I mean I wonder if they feel like they are being lowballed. Had Zachary not messed up at worlds in '17 I think H/D would have won the bronze. Potentially C/B could have been ahead of them too. At the Olympics if Zach had not messed up I think H/D would have won the bronze. I was watching the short dance from '17 on youtube recently and Alex said to the CBC reporter that they weren't happy with their marks and they didn't look happy with their marks even in the free to me. Maybe you get out while the getting is good? Maybe you sit back and see what the landscape is after next year or the year after?

Also, if they think that P/C cannot be beaten then is there a lot of drive to come back? They have a silver medal at worlds. They have two Olympic medals. Maybe you decide to ride the wave of that and then move on with your life. I think they both have other interests. I think the wild card might be the 2022 team medal. If Canada falls back to 3rd or lower that is a pretty clear path to silver for the US and maybe even gold if the Russians have a couple of weaknesses (say dance and men). The US really needs a good pair team. Anyway..that's just me tinfoiling it.

Good luck to Maia and Alex in all their future endeavors. What ever they decide they have brought a lot to the sport and art of ice dance.

 

[lyndichee]

Shibsibs are probably some of the most social media savvy figure skaters out there right now. They market themselves well and are quite popular. I kind of hope that after a few years they consider working for USFSA in marketing to help promote the sport. Their talents in skating really set an example for brother-sister pairs and Asian-Americans and I think they have talents off-ice that can be utilized to help the sport as well.

 

[Ravyn Rant]

Whom to give his medals now.... DDDDDDD

Piper and Paul! He should give "his" medals to Piper and Paul!

As for Maia and Alex, they've earned a break, and I can't wait to see what they decide to do next. They're personable, media-savvy and so photogenic. I think they could make names for themselves in any careers they choose.

 

[keasus]

Sad and incredibly depressing.

And also very true.

Such limited vision these judges.

One of the joys of ice dancing for me has been watching the Shibs grow as performers and really taking control of their skating, including selecting and mixing music with artists. For my money their SD to That's Life was the ONLY dance that season to really capture the flavor of hiphop. I also loved how their SDs for the last three seasons used humor (the slap in Coppelia, Blades of Glory winking reference in That's Life and the twizzle countdown in Perez Prado. The Shibs have stunning technique (even Tarasova said Maia has the best posture of the female ice dancers) combined with intelligence and curiosity to seek their own path and expression. Frankly, some of my favorite dances teams have been siblings (Duschenys, Kerrs), precisely because they have to do something different from all the other couples who can feign love, romance, and sex ad naseum. I will be sad if they don't return to competitive skating, but I will be happy to see them as pros or in any other capacity. I feel that they are reaching their full artistic potential.

 

[Ares]

Unsurprising. They worked so hard to be probably the most technically sound team in the world, but judges clearly prefer sexual tension instead of what a brother-sister pair can create on ice.

Such a silly simplification. This statement just screams bitter, I think you should rather appreciate what they achieved.

 

[ssminnow]

Such a silly simplification. This statement just screams bitter, I think you should rather appreciate what they achieved.

This is also a silly simplification. I have no feeling about them, it's just what I see. I personally prefer the more romantic pairs--I like P/C.

 

[DorYiu]

My first reaction is: No!!!!
Because I love to watch them skate. But they soooooo deserve a break. And I am sure we will see them skate sooner or later during this year, if they are working on projects, their core are still skating, people would want to see them skate. I start to get excited for them about the 19/20 season, when they come back, they will have more ideas to put into ice dance after a year of exposure outside of the competition world. (I try not to think about this might be their retirement.)

The coming season would be interesting for ice dance, there are some breathing room up in the top now, with Shibs and V/M not around. :cool14: