2023-24 Retirements, Splits and New Partnerships

[labgoat]

Also, if we're on the topic of Ice Dance splits (for the sake of completeness):
Lorraine McNamara/Anton Spiridonov (USA) have split.

I think it is a step in the right direction for her.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Anton's post has a very different tone.

Anton Spiridonov on Instagram: "Lorraine @lorrainekmac and I have parted ways - I am still continuing to process everything, life is a journey and I am beyond grateful to have been able to experience part of it with Lorraine. I am currently looking

antonvspi98 on December 20, 2023: "Lorraine @lorrainekmac and I have parted ways - I am still continuing to process everything, life is a journey and I am beyond grateful t...".

www.instagram.com

The tone is not vastly different. It's quite clear that the split was Lorraine's decision, as Anton said he has to process it. But Lorraine also said it was her decision. Anton goes on to be a bit more effusive and gracious in thanking everyone, including Lorraine. In her statement, Lorraine simply said that she's grateful for their experiences together. They both expressed positivity and enthusiasm for finding new partners.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

I wonder if Jonathan Rogers and Lorraine will have a tryout together. He didn't want to continue his last Junior season and is turning senior next year. Jeffrey Chen is also senior next year. No foreign visa issues to worry about. Of course, Lorraine is very experienced at the senior level.

Jeffrey Chen already has a partner in Yahli Pedersen, with whom he seems committed, despite her being in a learning phase. Anyway, Yahli & Jeff really look good together physically, so they could have a wonderful future if things pan out for them. Yahli will be 17 in April, thus she and Jeff can move to seniors together next season without missing a beat.

I do not see Jeff and Lorraine as a good match. More than ever I miss Quinn Carpenter with Lorraine. It's sad that he had to retire. I think Jonathan Rogers may well be a possibility for Lorraine, if they tryout and it clicks for them. Perhaps Anton can find someone younger in solo dance, as Jeff did. Anton is 25, and Lorraine is 24. I somehow thought she was older than Anton. Alternatively, Anton could look for someone in a different country, due to the difficulty of moving up in the U.S.

 

[teainamug]

Do either have any other nationality. I know Anton skated for GBR a few years ago, does he have any personal links or was it just his partner at the time

 

[Ic3Rabbit]

Do either have any other nationality. I know Anton skated for GBR a few years ago, does he have any personal links or was it just his partner at the time

It was his partner that was British. Anton was born in Kissimmee, FL to parents who both formerly competed for the Soviet Union. Fun Fact: His half brother is Maxim Zavosin who also competed in Ice dance for the US as well as Hungary.

 

[HazyD]

Reality check: Sadly, Mc/Spir began losing ground competitively since the summer. Their scores at Lake Placid in the international event were placing them behind two upcoming teams in the domestic event, Wolfkostin/ Tsarevski and Flores/ Desyatov. Things did not get better in the fall. Mc/Spir's scores continued to plummet at GP comps. U.S. ice dance, as we all know, is a tough field. It's gonna be a battle in Columbus, in January, even with Mc/Spir out of the mix. In any case, Mc/Spir were unlikely to overcome their declining international scores against compatriot teams. Good luck to both Lorraine and Anton in their futures.

Reality check?

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

Reality check?

For sure. The writing was on the wall from the judges this season. Lorraine clearly did a reality check, based on where their scores were going, and on what her aspirations are. (And don't we all have to take stock at times in our individual lives? ) McNa/Spir hit a high of sixth at 2023 Nats, and they were not going to do better. In fact, all signs suggest a steep downward spiral. So why hold on for that to happen? They had no time to regroup. Obviously, they had gone as far as they could together, according to Lorraine's decision. I personally see nothing 'startling' about their split prior to Nationals. Unexpected, perhaps, but not 'startling.' (Anyone who was a fan of the duo, I guess might find it startling. For me, the Nguyen/ Kolesnik and Calalang/ Johnson splits I found startling, but not McNa/Spir's breakup).

In any case, ice dance is a friggin' roller coaster ride discipline these days. In the immortal words of Bette Davis in A Star is Born (Correction: All About Eve), "Fasten your seatbelts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

@ManyCairns is the film buff expert. So okay, I paraphrased one word. The ice dance event is gonna be a 'ride' at U.S. Nationals, even moreso than it's been all season.

 

[ManyCairns]

For sure. The writing was on the wall from the judges this season. Lorraine clearly did a reality check, based on where their scores were going, and on what her aspirations are. (And don't we all have to take stock at times in our individual lives? ) McNa/Spir hit a high of sixth at 2023 Nats, and they were not going to do better. In fact, all signs suggest a steep downward spiral. So why hold on for that to happen? They had no time to regroup. Obviously, they had gone as far as they could together, according to Lorraine's decision. I personally see nothing 'startling' about their split prior to Nationals. Unexpected, perhaps, but not 'startling.'

In any case, ice dance is a friggin' roller coaster ride discipline these days. In the immortal words of Bette Davis in A Star is Born, "Fasten your seatbelts. It's gonna be a bumpy ride!"

It's Bette Davis in All About Eve, not A Star is Born, and the quotation is, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night." Not so immortal, I guess, to be both misremembered and misattributed.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

It's Bette Davis in All About Eve, not A Star is Born, and the quotation is, "Fasten your seatbelts, it's going to be a bumpy night." Not so immortal, I guess, to be both misremembered and misattributed.

Yeah, well. It's still immortal, or at least iconic. Bette Davis for sure is unforgettable. And regardless of whether she said 'bumpy night,' which was connected to the situation in the film, I borrowed the majority of the apt words in specific reference to what the ice dance battle will be like at U.S. Nationals. Ice dance in general, is an exciting discipline, and that's largely the point.

Yep, All About Eve is the film (kudos for the correction ), which is part of the Star is Born trope in cinema. In the case of the All About Eve plot, it is Eve, as the 'rising star' vs Margo, as the 'fading star.' But not especially relevant to my use of the quote. In the same spirit, I say with anticipation, 'Hang on, folks. It's gonna be a ride alright.'

Good luck to Lorraine and to Anton in finding new partners.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Arina Ushakova and Valeriy Angelopol (who reportedly teamed up in November 2023) have ended their partnership. They were, briefly, an ice dance team for Russia.

Source: https://twitter.com/AnythingGOE/status/173999589064620463

ETA: the screenshot in the source is from Arina's Instagram. As per Kostomarten on Twitter, it translates to:
The couple Ushakova-Angelopol doesn't exist anymore.
Many thanks to everyone for your support during all this time.It was interesting, but not promising, nothing bad happened, working on
Thanks @ valery_angelopol that you helped me get back to the sport

 

[FlossieH]

Arina Ushakova and Valeriy Angelopol (who reportedly teamed up in November 2023) have ended their partnership. They were, briefly, an ice dance team for Russia.

Source: https://twitter.com/AnythingGOE/status/173999589064620463

ETA: the screenshot in the source is from Arina's Instagram. As per Kostomarten on Twitter, it translates to:
The couple Ushakova-Angelopol doesn't exist anymore.
Many thanks to everyone for your support during all this time.It was interesting, but not promising, nothing bad happened, working on
Thanks @ valery_angelopol that you helped me get back to the sport

That didn't last long! It's not unusual for partnerships to be tried and fail during the initial trial period - but I would have thought they would do that trial period before announcing the partnership in the first place. She says nothing bad happened but, given how his previous partnership reportedly ended, the brevity of the partnership must still add questions in potential partners' minds about why the partnership did not work. Unless the Russian Fed actively pairs him up with someone, like they did Sinitsina and Katsalapov, he might struggle.

 

[Kittosuni]

That didn't last long! It's not unusual for partnerships to be tried and fail during the initial trial period - but I would have thought they would do that trial period before announcing the partnership in the first place. She says nothing bad happened but, given how his previous partnership reportedly ended, the brevity of the partnership must still add questions in potential partners' minds about why the partnership did not work. Unless the Russian Fed actively pairs him up with someone, like they did Sinitsina and Katsalapov, he might struggle.

Rumors say that Ushakova just couldn't fit in at the Plushenko club while others say that the club found a more suitable partner for Angelopol

 

[slider11]

I think it is a step in the right direction for her.

I hope Lorraine can find a suitable partner. She has such talent. Her biggest challenge is her height and, of course, finding a partner with cohesive movements and enough experience to adapt to an elite level. Tall order - no pun intended. Wonder if Quinn could be lured out of retirement?

 

[cheerknithanson]

I hope Lorraine can find a suitable partner. She has such talent. Her biggest challenge is her height and, of course, finding a partner with cohesive movements and enough experience to adapt to an elite level. Tall order - no pun intended. Wonder if Quinn could be lured out of retirement?

That would be a dream, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

 

[norwegianfairytale]

Sadly Maia Sørensen (Denmark) is retiring because of hip injury



I was thinking about her yesterday wondering why she hadn´t been competing all season. She was on summer camps and did new choreography this summer so I thought she would make a return.

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

That would be a dream, but I'm not going to hold my breath.

Right. Quinn has surely moved on at this stage. I believe he retired due to injury. Just looking back on YT at some of Lorraine & Quinn's former performances has been a mesmerizing dream. Oh, what could have been. At least we can still look back with joy.

Wishing the best for Lorraine and Anton. U.S. ice dance is such a packed discipline.

 

[cohkaix]

This is already known: Marin Honda‘s retirement press conference meeting will take place in about an hour.

Adding: the video can be found here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fevBxxRcz5Y

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Dana Sabatini-Speciale / Nicholas Buelow (CAN, (Jr) Ice Dance) and Ashlyn Schmitz / Tristan Taylor (CAN, Pairs) have split.

Dana and Tristan are both on Ice Partner Search: Dana's profile & Tristan's profile.

 

[4everchan]

Dana Sabatini-Speciale / Nicholas Buelow (CAN, (Jr) Ice Dance) and Ashlyn Schmitz / Tristan Taylor (CAN, Pairs) have split.

Dana and Tristan are both on Ice Partner Search: Dana's profile & Tristan's profile.

Interesting profles
Dana has dual citizenship (Italy) and open to skate for other countries. She and Corey could team up LOL
Tristan can land pretty much all triple jumps (no 3a) as well as 3-3 combos.
With Tristan's experience in pairs, a strong singles skaters with a nice triple lutz or a good 3t-3t + 2a would be very good.

 

[Jumping_Bean]

Dana has dual citizenship (Italy) and open to skate for other countries. She and Corey could team up LOL

I know this is meant as a joke, but Corey wouldn't be solving the height issue, he's just as tall as Nicholas. I'd like to see her with someone closer to 170-175 cm, that would still be plenty of height difference.