2015 World Pairs Free Skate March 26

[demarinis5]

Megan and Erik shined at this competition, fabulous! CONGRATS!!!!

S/H were brilliant, loved that they put everything together when it
counted. Her tears at the end of their program said it all. :yay:

P/T's program made me cry, beautiful performance from them! End of an era, good luck to them in the future!

I really wanted K/S to be on the podium but the mistakes uggg...

I believe that was one of the best pairs competition I have seen in years. So many of the teams
brought their A game.

 

[Kutien]

1 Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD CAN 221.53 1 1 video
2 Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN 214.12 3 2 video
3 Qing PANG / Jian TONG CHN 212.77 2 3 video
4 Cheng PENG / Hao ZHANG CHN 206.63 5 4 video
5 Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV RUS 198.91 4 6 video
6 Evgenia TARASOVA / Vladimir MOROZOV RUS 198.46 6 5 video
7 Alexa SCIMECA / Chris KNIERIM USA 185.81 7 7 video
8 Julianne SEGUIN / Charlie BILODEAU CAN 178.03 10 10 video
9 Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES FRA 177.34 12 8 video
10 Kristina ASTAKHOVA / Alexei ROGONOV RUS 173.58 13 9 video
11 Valentina MARCHEI / Ondrej HOTAREK ITA 172.55 9 11 video
12 Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER USA 172.51 8 12 video
13 Lubov ILIUSHECHKINA / Dylan MOSCOVITCH CAN 169.91 11 13 video
14 Nicole DELLA MONICA / Matteo GUARISE ITA 151.77 14 15 video
15 Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE GER 147.84 15 14 video
16 Amani FANCY / Christopher BOYADJI GBR 130.22 16 16 video

 

[s_parks]

Expected for P/Z, but S/H have gotten Level 2s in the past when they go quad. Glad they're now consistently getting Level 3s!


End of an era... Legends.

Actually, s/h have gotten a couple of lvl 3s on the twist.

 

[sequinsgalore]

World 2016 spots

3 spots: Canada, China, Russia
2 spots: USA, France, Italy
1 spot: Germany (-1), everyone else

Same as this year, except Germany lost one spot (though, they only used 1 spot this year, despite having 2)

 

[Sandpiper]

The longevity is not due to it being less dangerous. And longevity is not the rule in Pairs skating. Splitting up and losing a partner, whether voluntarily or not, can and often does end a flourishing career. Longevity belongs to the few with strong skills and partnerships amidst fewer participants in this highly risky discipline.

The fact remains, singles skaters will have collected too many injuries to ever compete at 35/36. Really serious accidents can indeed happen in pairs, but if we consider both chronic and sudden injury, it doesn't seem like pairs suffer more than singles. Splits are a problem, but that has nothing to do with being dangerous/not dangerous.

Anyway, just something to consider. Not that it's necessarily true/not true, but it's something interesting Moskvina said.

 

[Sugarpova]

thats all
at least I didnt watch live

at least P/T got some medal

 

[Sandpiper]

Actually, s/h have gotten a couple of lvl 3s on the twist.

I know. Just not consistently. I needed to see that Level 3 several times to be certain they "got it," and it wasn't the tech panel being level happy like it was in ladies. (Just like I needed to see Polina skate that SP clean three times before I can say, yes, she's gotten over her demons).

 

[Violet Bliss]

The fact remains, singles skaters will have collected too many injuries to ever compete at 35/36. Really serious accidents can indeed happen in pairs, but if we consider both chronic and sudden injury, it doesn't seem like pairs suffer more than singles. Splits are a problem, but that has nothing to do with being dangerous/not dangerous.

Anyway, just something to consider. Not that it's necessarily true/not true, but it's something interesting Moskvina said.

Not most singles retire because of injuries. I believe it's mostly due to more intense competition, more participants and more next phenoms, therefore earlier retirement because they peak earlier, competitively speaking. It takes two to be a Pairs or Dance team so right away there are fewer competitors but with the rare strong partnership a team can stay competitive for a long time and stay at the peak, compensating physicality with the superior partnership which only gets better and better. Of course there is also the built in support in a team with the right partners.

 

[tiantian]

1 Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD CAN 221.53 1 1 video
2 Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN 214.12 3 2 video
3 Qing PANG / Jian TONG CHN 212.77 2 3 video
4 Cheng PENG / Hao ZHANG CHN 206.63 5 4 video
5 Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV RUS 198.91 4 6 video
6 Evgenia TARASOVA / Vladimir MOROZOV RUS 198.46 6 5 video
7 Alexa SCIMECA / Chris KNIERIM USA 185.81 7 7 video
8 Julianne SEGUIN / Charlie BILODEAU CAN 178.03 10 10 video
9 Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES FRA 177.34 12 8 video
10 Kristina ASTAKHOVA / Alexei ROGONOV RUS 173.58 13 9 video
11 Valentina MARCHEI / Ondrej HOTAREK ITA 172.55 9 11 video
12 Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER USA 172.51 8 12 video
13 Lubov ILIUSHECHKINA / Dylan MOSCOVITCH CAN 169.91 11 13 video
14 Nicole DELLA MONICA / Matteo GUARISE ITA 151.77 14 15 video
15 Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE GER 147.84 15 14 video
16 Amani FANCY / Christopher BOYADJI GBR 130.22 16 16 video

Thanks a million!

 

[BounceAround]

I'm hoping we'll hear some live impressions soon. I'm glad that Sui/Han, Pang/Tong, and Peng/Zhang thrived under the pressure of skating at home ! My favorite parts were how Pang and Tong's sbs pair spin magically came into unison for the first time in a long time and Morozov's reaction to their final throw.

 

[treeloving]

Big congratulation to all medalists, especially Sui/Han who won a medal for the first time and Eric for being first openly gay world champion.

 

[anyanka]

I'm just glad that the first gay man to come out as an active skater is now a World Champion--in the very same year no less. See, good things happen when you come out. And really skating powers that be, the fact that it turned out to be a non-event should clue you in to the fact that it is not 1955 anymore. At least one would hope.

^ Yes. All of this!!

 

[gmyers]

Are we really blaming D/R for the demise of pair skating?

I think the real problem with pairs skating is it dominated by three or four countries. It needs more diversity. We need good pairs from Japan, England, Eastern Europe and Korea. The sport needs to be encouraged in smaller feds. They have Ice Dancers from smaller feds, why not pair skaters?

D/r winning is a real symptom of how it is dying not that they are the cause! I mean if d/r is winning thats saying "we are so desperate. The standards were too high or unique that pairs was about pairs not two singles. We need more people. "

 

[Crossover]

D/r winning is a real symptom of how it is dying not that they are the cause! I mean if d/r is winning thats saying "we are so desperate. The standards were too high or unique that pairs was about pairs not two singles. We need more people. "

If Sui/Han or Pang/Tong won the title, would you proclaim that pairs is blooming or reviving? I don't get your point. :think:

 

[gmyers]

If Sui/Han or Pang/Tong won the title, would you proclaim that pairs is blooming or reviving? I don't get your point. :think:

No because pairs is still excluded from a lot of competions or pairs has lowest amount of entrants. Pang tong is classic pairs and intimidating. But d/r or s/h could both be used as invitations. But especially d/r with their no matching no artistry two singles approach

 

[donezo]

I'm confused about everyone crying over the demise of pairs skating. I feel like this was the strongest field we've had in years, and that was even without Stolbova/Klimov. I can't really be bothered with third tier pairs who can't meet the minimum TES requirements when the top tier pairs are so strong. I would rather have a smaller, more elite field at Worlds anyway.

 

[Meoima]

I hope China will develop more strong pairs like Sui/Han. And next year we will see Yu/Jin. Wonderful. Wonderful. I'd rather watch Sui/Han and Yu/Jin than some of Mozer's group programs.

 

[Botan]

I'm glad that Pang and Tong got a fairy tale ending to their illustrious competitive career.

With them finally retiring, the 6.0 era has really come to an end. Are there any eligible skaters left who competed under the old scoring system?

Zhang and Aliona Savchenko ( when she returns ) already competed under 6.0.
And Plushenko when he makes his comeback

 

[MIM]

I have finally watched short programs. I looooooooved Sui/Han's Cat Strut. It was perfect; different, quick, fun, fluent, etc!! I have new respect for David Wilson for choreographing their both programs.

 

[Alba]

I'm confused about everyone crying over the demise of pairs skating. I feel like this was the strongest field we've had in years, and that was even without Stolbova/Klimov. I can't really be bothered with third tier pairs who can't meet the minimum TES requirements when the top tier pairs are so strong. I would rather have a smaller, more elite field at Worlds anyway.

This! Especially the bold part. :thumbsup: