I don´t want nobody retire, I prefer some teams change country. My impossible dream would be the Shibs competing for Japan.
Carreira/Ponomarenko can to compete for Russia?
I really don't think any of the US dancers will retire after the Olympics next year. Unless of course they end up winning the Gold and then they should take it and run!
But I am not sure they will all stay in the game until 2022, too many variables (training costs, injury, etc.).
Right now the US Ice Dance world is amazingly deep and as a fan, I am going to just sit back and enjoy the ride.
I really want to see 1 or 2 of the top teams retire after 2108. It's not like Canada where they would need V/M or W/P to hang around to help keep 3 spots US Dance not only has much more depth in Seniors but Juniors coming up too.
The Shibutanis are not going to skate for Japan. If they wanted to do that, they would have done it while still juniors, like the Reeds.
Sure, Ponomarenko could skate for Russia. But he would have to sit out a season or two (IDR the exact time requirement) at a critical time. Furthermore, the US would have the right to put brakes on a release. And Russian coaching in ice dance isn't exactly the world standard :dumb:.
C/P are doing great right where they are, so why give it up?
I know, that is because I said my ¨impossible dream¨
And obviously when I said C&P skate for Russia, I am thinking about they continue training with Igor. But yes, the most probable is nobody is changing countries, good luck with that, just look at how is doing H/B and they were jr. world champions. And nobody should be asking retirements, everyone must to win their spot.
At least Hayawek/Baker are still skating together, and are doing well with their beautiful programs. Their successor as JW champions Yanovskaya/Mozgov had one senior season in the GP and bombed. I don't know what Mozgov is doing, but Yanovskaya is now skating for Hungary.
I think the beauty of how skating is structured is that even if you don't go to Worlds, you still have opportunities via Grand Prix and Challenger Series. I think the key thing for these teams is to figure out ways to keep growing from year-to-year and to seize an opening when they come.
I do think there will be a bit of a redevelopment period in the junior level as the people left, other than Carriera/Pomerenko and Lewis/Bye, are very very young. The Greens, Gunther/Wein, Gropeman/Sommerville...plus the Novice teams moving up.
Considering the age, probably H/D, but actually only C/B have said they plan continue after Korea.
None of the top three would be too old to continue in ice dance post 2018. But, I'm curious why you figured Zach Donohue and Madison Hubbell would apparently age out and not Alex Shibutani. They're the same age. Also, Evan Bates is two years older than all of them.
Alex is 25 and Madison and Zack 26. But I was considering the team. Maia is 22 yo, usually the couple retire together. And Evan said he plan continue.
Really it is not like I think they are too old to compete, I think that Maia is very young to retire.
Madison Hubbell had surgery for a torn hip labrum two years ago. That might make her hesitant to continue for another quad.
Happy to say that ice dance seemed to be the marquee discipline on today's three-hour Worlds recap show on NBC (the broadcast network, as opposed to NBCSN).
The show ended with five FDs: Chock/Bates; Shibs; Papadakis/Cizeron; Virtue/Moir; Hubbell/Donohue.
I think NBC understandably is setting the stage for the Olympics and making a point of trying to familiarize any casual viewers with U.S. skaters and U.S. storylines that most likely will be part of the network's coverage of the 2018 Games.
I don't want to jinx anyone, but among U.S. skaters, the three ice dance couples and their rivalry are among the safest bets.
(The NBC recap broadcast started with free skates from five ladies: Wagner, Chen, Medvedeva, Daleman, Osmond.
Then free skates from four pairs: Scimeca Knierim/Knierim; Tarasova/Morozov; Savchenko/Massot; Sui/Han.
Then free skates from [surprisingly, IMO] only four men: Hanyu; Chen; Uno; Fernandez. No Brown and no Jin this time [although their free skates previously had been shown in NBC's Helsinki coverage]. [And no Chan.])
:Finally they are understanding it!!
eta. What a pity that this coincided with the worst performances of C/B and H/D
Happy to say that ice dance seemed to be the marquee discipline on today's three-hour Worlds recap show on NBC (the broadcast network, as opposed to NBCSN).