Yu/Jin & Peng/Zhang switch partners

[formersk8ter]

I do not agree. Yu/Zhang technical potential is big. She is a wonderful skater and her landings are so smooth. Hao Zhang has maybe not the best skating skill but he has so much experience and power. I think they will go for the quad twist and better indiviual jumps soon. Maybe 2A+3T as he did with zhang.

He and Aljona are pair skating history and the only athletes who competed already in salt lake city 2002!

This. Yu/Zhang have done wonders as a pair in a very short time. Lovely program. IMO, Yu already looks better and stronger with Zhang than she did with Jin.

Nice to see Peng/Jin skating also so well.

 

[4everchan]

I am impressed with how quickly they've picked up some of the elements, for instance the 3TW.

I think Yu/Zhang have huge potential with such powerful elements but I don't think Peng/Jin are really much behind... plus I prefer the Cherbourg Umbrellas (even if this cover is not as great as the French original version) than the non-descript music Yu/Zhang received...

Packaging wise, Peng/Jin win.

Power couple wise Yu/Zhang win

Considering other events we have seen, with team falling on throws and popping jumps, this is very strong.

The negatives : both team seem very slow. Both team struggle with spins. Both team seem to be thinking really hard through the program instead of skating to the music... at the same time, can we really blame them for that? Not at all.... I mean they have reached a higher level during one summer than a team like Tran/Castelli who have been trying to gel for over two years now ...

Very impressive work... and I think that in the end, I will get to like both these new teams better than the old ones... YMMV

 

[hippomoomin]

Much better than I thought. Yu/Zhang's music is too slow, which makes look slow. Lori did the program for them again?

The positive side is, they all landed their triples. Peng's biggest problem with Zheng before, was she simply could not land her jump. Yu had trouble with her jump too. I think technically, both ladies improved with their new partners.

 

[icekiwi]

First of all, thank you Crossover for posting the FS of both 'new' teams.

Peng/Jin - Very pleased that Peng is landing all her jumps!! Also landing both her throws! Peng is skating with more freedom and confidence and Jin doesn't look too bad either. Watch the way they interact with each other at the end of the program. Quite sweet the way Peng was shaking Jin on the shoulders as if to say 'we did it! we did it!'. Good chemistry between them already which will fare for years to come and they are both young.

The negatives - skated quite slow at places and the side by side spin. Chinese pairs are not good with their side by side spins if you have followed pairs and that include my favorite Sui/Han. It is something they need to work on to challenge top places. Peng has a lot of experience to bring to the table as she had skated with Zhang for 2 -3 seasons now.

Yu/Zhang - They will garner more GOEs due to the higher technical level of execution on some elements. Based on this program, they will score higher than Peng/Jin technically. The split triple twist is higher and gorgeous (not that Peng's was bad), more speed and power flowing in and out of elements, for example in the throws and jumps. Like it or lump it, Zhang was a top pair skater so he has more speed across the ice and how to set the lady up to make the elements look more sophisticated.

The negatives - side by side spin not in unison; chemistry wise, there is a coldness. I am not a judge but from watching the videos, I think in general Yu/Zhang will score higher but Peng/Jin is not to be dismissed either. If the other teams make mistakes and they nail everything, they will look very good.

We can only wait and see.

 

[hippomoomin]

I agree that all Chinese pair skaters tend to have poor side-by-side spins, even Pang/Tong.
I think they have poor individual spins to start with. So if one is off, it's hard to correct.