What do Belbin & Agosto have that...

[RealtorGal]

Lang & Tchernyschev did not? What do the international judges see in B&A that they never saw in L&T?

 

[jesslily]

I think that Belbin and Agaosto are young, pretty, and fresh. But in terms of flow, power and edges, they have some work to do.

 

[IceCastles1814]

Well, I think the judges see B&A as having a lot of charisma and enthusiasium in their skating which makes them stand out, but they are also known for their difficult footwork as well and winning the JWC helped as well in an Olympic year. L&T are known for being more graceful and having better line, etc. than B&A as well as maturity at this point, of course. But, when L&T were more actively competing they were up against a more packed field of teams and then to have injuries and what not reduced the competitiveness of their programs as well as causing them to miss 3 GP series in a row. It seems that B&A have come up at just the right time after SLC to move up, have participated in the GP series in previous years and skated well. In the end, the international judges seem finally ready to recognize an American ice dance team after B&K's retirement, even though we've had P&S and L&T who were at different times worthy of recognition for their strengths and didn't get it. That's figure skating and especially ice dance for you.

I don't know if that answers the question, but I tried to look at all the factors besides the fact that the judges can be unpredictable and otherwise or the fan vs. non-fan pov that many B&A and/or L&T fans seem to get into around the net.

Edited: because I left out a word. I'm up too early.

 

[BravesSkateFan]

IMO....nothing. Althought B&A are very good skaters I still think L&T are (were) way ahead of them.

 

[soogar]

I think that the problem with L&T was that Peter was so much better than Naomi and it was really distracting to watch. In ice dance, the man is supposed to show the woman, not upstage her. I felt the same way with Shalom and Gates : Matthew Gates was a far superior skater to his partner and that disrupted the balance in the team. It kind of sucks that in the US, wealthy families tend to "buy" a foreign partner for their mediocre daughters (remember the ABC fluff piece many years back?) when there are talented girls out there who would make better matches for these guys but can't afford them. I'm not saying that Naomi bought Peter b/c I don't know the circumstances of their partnership but there are quite a few couples competing in Nationals where the girl's family is paying for the guy's training and ice time.

 

[clairecloutier]

I've been wondering about this myself. Although I enjoy Tanith & Ben, I'm surprised at how quickly they've climbed the ladder internationally. They seem great and all, but the question is, are they really any better than Punsalan & Swallow or Lang & Tchernyshev were? They don't seem so to me, but perhaps I don't know enough about dance footwork to be able to tell for sure.

I like your analysis of their success, IceCastles. I tend to agree that it must be a confluence of talent, good timing, and a friendly political environment that has brought them near the top.

 

[boggartlaura]

IMO....nothing. Althought B&A are very good skaters I still think L&T are (were) way ahead of them.

Ice dance judges would disagree.

The one thing B/A had over L/T was difficulty. L/T has some of the easiest programs in the worlds, while B/A have some of the hardest.

 

[sk8m8]

to quote Chris Dean..." The EYES have it!"

IMHO, B&A are far better at relating to one another on the ice. Though wonderful technicians, L&T, to me, have never demonstrated great "connection" to each other. I agree about the disparity of talent and development statement of L&T, too. I've seen Naomi come light years ahead to almost be on the same level as Peter, however, Ben and Taneth seem to be very equally matched which is something that will absolutely effect the way the judges score them in competition. Not that two mediocre skaters will get ahead, but two well developed skaters that show marked improvement from year to year will.

 

[mariana]

I think that the problem with L&T was that Peter was so much better than Naomi and it was really distracting to watch. In ice dance, the man is supposed to show the woman, not upstage her. I felt the same way with Shalom and Gates : Matthew Gates was a far superior skater to his partner and that disrupted the balance in the team. It kind of sucks that in the US, wealthy families tend to "buy" a foreign partner for their mediocre daughters (remember the ABC fluff piece many years back?) when there are talented girls out there who would make better matches for these guys but can't afford them. I'm not saying that Naomi bought Peter b/c I don't know the circumstances of their partnership but there are quite a few couples competing in Nationals where the girl's family is paying for the guy's training and ice time.

Well, in the case of L&T, he wrote her a letter asking her to become her partner and he paid the training. At that time she was considering quitting skating because she didn't had enough money to afford it anymore.

 

[NJSk8Fan]

I always enjoyed L&T until B&A started working their way up and were more visible.....L&T do tend to be a little, well, boring might be too harsh, but it's the only word I can think of at the moment. I agree with sk8m8 who said B&A are better at relating to each other on the ice...I think they also relate better to the audience. They are like a breath of fresh air, very enjoyable to watch.
B&A have been added to the Champions on Ice tour and I sure hope they will appear in the Philly show, which I'll be attending in April.

 

[Antilles]

Well, I think they definitely have better footwork. I also think they relate to each other and music so well. They really try to express their music. L&T had better lines and lifts, but they really didn't do much between the lifts. I think it helps that B&K are out, so there's "room" for another NA team, and maybe the judges are trying to spread the wealth for NA couples. Who knows. I often wonder why some couples do so well, and others are overlooked, when their skills seem similar. I do very much enjoy B&A though.

 

[Grgranny]

The biggest difference to me is that B & A seem to have a lot more speed. I like both couples a lot. They just have different types of skating. B & A pick faster beats or whatever you call it.

 

[LarasB]

Although Belbin and Agosto have more speed, in my opinion, Lang & Tchernyshev are better ice dancers. Unfortunately, they have been plagued by injuries which was really too bad. I was really looking forward to seeing them compete after 2002 season. Sadly, the judges never gave them the marks they deserved. Even more sadly now the fact that they won't be competing together. For those of us who love ice dancing, we have lost a wonderful ice dance pair.

 

[heyang]

I wonder of Naomi's 'ambivalence' towards skating had anything to do with their competitiveness. She was about to quit before partnering with Peter. She hadn't planned to skate this year...only the fans brought her back. During the last couple of years, L&T seemed to have lost some spark. I'm sure part of it was due to injuries, but their interaction seemed to stall, as well.

I agree with those who are saying that B&A's relationship to each other and audience is what's making their mark. They are very talented and continue to improve, but they relate so well to each other and the audience, which is unusual for such a young team. B&K were the same at the beginning, too.

 

[ladybug]

L/T were an off ice couple for a while. Who knows why that break up took place but it could be the reason they didn't seem to relate to one another these last couple of years. Of course, all the injuries didn't help any.

B/A were never a couple and are good off ice friends so they don't have any issues to contend with. Her good looks don't hurt them either and they both relate well to the audience.

As long as both teams were on equal ground Naomi was okay but she didn't seem to like being over shadowed by yet another new upcoming team. Naomi just had her cyst drained. Seems strange that she didn't do that before Nationals, or could she have been looking for an excuse to end their partnership and stop skating so she could begin doing what other women her age are doing. Starting a family.

It is all very sad because I will miss watching them skate. They were my favorite ice dance team after K/O.

Ladybug

 

[Koroleva]

IMO....nothing. Althought B&A are very good skaters I still think L&T are (were) way ahead of them.

ITA.

 

[Ladskater]

Timing! Most of the big names in ice dance have moved on - B&K for example. The door is pretty much open right now for any of the ice dance teams to walk through. D&L also have the same opportunity.

 

[dizzydi]

What do Belbin & Agosto have that.....

B & A have freshness and spark and lots of time to polish their act. I find them to be inventive, ethusiastic and charming--all things that make great ice dancing.

As for L & T---apparently their partnership is finished. We must accept that and look to B & A and the other new kids to continue the legacy.

Dizzy

 

[paintbrushhh]

When I'm wearing my "conspiracy theory" hat, I wonder if B&A rose so quickly because the collusive judges plan to say during Turino, "Gee, you North Americans coulda won a medal BUT the wonderful B&A weren't eligible, too bad, so sad." Under my theory, B&A will win Worlds that year as a consolation prize but, of course, will be considered past their prime by 2010.

When I'm not wearing my hat, I truly do wonder, why on earth did L&T let B&A surpass them on the world scene? Was it due to injury or ennui?

Paintbrushhh...

 

[Mathman]

When I'm wearing my "conspiracy theory" hat, I wonder if B&A rose so quickly because the collusive judges plan to say during Turino, "Gee, you North Americans coulda won a medal BUT the wonderful B&A weren't eligible, too bad, so sad." Under my theory, B&A will win Worlds that year as a consolation prize but, of course, will be considered past their prime by 2010. -- Paintbrushhh...

Hey, Brushhh, I think you've got it!! I love conspiracy theories! It's the grassy knoll for me every time!

I thought (when I was wearing my conspiracy theory hat) that they did a similar job on Fusar-Poli and Margaglio. They threw them the bone of a world championship because it was already in the works to give the Olympics to the Russian and Franco-Russian teams. Likewise Bourne and Kraatz. After the big show is over let's toss them a Worlds gold and say, so long, suckers.

Seriously, I have often wondered if one of the reasons that so many conspiracy theories abound in ice dance is that the average audience member or television viewer can't really tell the difference between a good performance and a bad. The mistakes that the top couples make are so miniscule and subtle, that it seems to novice viewers like me that it is pretty much a toss-up who they decide to give the medal to. In singles, on the other hand, you can easily see that this skater fell down, that one is still standing, so that one gets the gold.

When I'm not wearing my hat, I truly do wonder, why on earth did L&T let B&A surpass them on the world scene? Was it due to injury or ennui?

I vote for ennui. It sure seemed like Naomi just gradually lost interest over the last couple of years and was ready to move on to a new phase of her life.

Mathman