Free Dance - 2022 Olympics: Thoughts?

[gsk8]

Papadakis and Cizeron reign in Beijing

The Ice Dance event for the 2022 Winter Olympics concluded with the Free Dance on February 14, 2022, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in the Haidian District of Beijing. Defending […]

www.goldenskate.com

A huge congrats to Papadakis and Cizeron!

What a great way for Hubbell and Donohue to end their career with all new personal best scores and an Olympic bronze!

Sinitsina/Katsalapov and Chock/Bates were fantastic (new PB) as were so many more!

Who were your favorites? Did you agree with the judging?

 

[el henry]

Congratulations, Gabi and Guillaume. you deserved the . Such power.

I would have switched SinKats and Hubbell/Donohue. Madi and Zach's skating was more powerful and compelling for me, although Billie Eilish does them no favors.

So sad that Madi and Evan can't have a medal as well, the aliens deserve to take over the world.

 

[anonymoose_au]

I was gonna write out my favourites, but really I loved them all so I totally can't choose!

I'm very happy for Nikita and Vika and Maddie and Zach and Gabby and Guillaume. What a great podium! I wish figure skating did ties because Madi and Evan should be there too!

As far as judging goes I know nothing! Except I think Kaitlin and Jean Luc were totally underscored. What's up with that?!

 

[BlackAxel]

I don't think Papadakis/Cizeron's FS holds a candle to their Moonlight Sonata FS. However, they were the rightful winners tonight and it was great to see their excitement and happiness.

 

[streams4dreams]

I was gonna write out my favourites, but really I loved them all so I totally can't choose!

I'm very happy for Nikita and Vika and Maddie and Zach and Gabby and Guillaume. What a great podium! I wish figure skating did ties because Madi and Evan should be there too!

As far as judging goes I know nothing! Except I think Kaitlin and Jean Luc were totally underscored. What's up with that?!

Same! All I could say is that the top 4 were way better than the rest, which is confirmed by the scores anyway. I'm sure a lot will be said about them, so let me give a shoutout to a few other favorites:

Smart/Diaz were my favorite not-in-top 4 program, they were on ! I also enjoyed Fear/Gibson, and think the Lion King music is so Olympics (if possible, I am even more pumped for Wakaba's free after seeing their FD!). And finally, I loved the epic Wang/Liu dance and the quirky Kazakova/Reviya dance, and hope to see more of them in the future

 

[gsk8]

“We really wanted to be on the podium,” admitted Bates. “I think the fourth place sometimes can be one of the hardest places to finish. But the fact that there are only three spots on the podium is what makes this sport so furious and so loved by so many people and the fans at home and the athletes too. We want the competition to be strong and deep, and that’s exactly what it is.”

 

[viennaskater]

Still cannot understand why the Russians are always marked so high - their FD is way inferior to the precision, power and expression of just about all the rest. Chock/Bates should have been 3rd, with H/D second.

Very sad for Piper and Paul (love them!) but the competition is just so intense and they were nervous, although they did a great job covering it up!

The French winning has put me in such a good mood - they 100% deserved it!

I agree with streams4dreams above on the other FDs but I will also add Hawayek/Baker's - it was BEAUTIFUL! Kudos to the US teams!

 

[gsk8]

Guignard/Fabbri:

"It's hard for us now to say (whether) we will continue until the next Olympic Games," said Fabbri, when asked. "But having an Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, which is my home town, and where Charlene has been living for more than 10 years, is inviting. It will be something that will push us and make us reflect a lot more."

Do you think they can go another four years? Would they move up? They were 10th in 2018, 5th in 2022...

 

[Ali81]

Thrilled for Papadakis/Cizeron. Absolutely deserved the OGM. Their RD is a masterfully crafted piece - would give them Gold just for that. Guillaume especially is an astoundingly good dancer , they really are the perfect foil for each other. I thought Hubbell and Donohue should have been second in the free dance (even with the music violation ) .They were magnificent throughout this competition. S/K are so consistently solid though ,and that has carried them through to Silver.

 

[moonvine]

So so sick of seeing Kaitlyn and Jean Luc lowballed. The only good thing is that each competition, more and more people are noticing it. Hey I think I am the fourth person IN THIS THREAD. And I believe someone even said Tanith mentioned it (I didn't watch the USA/NBC coverage).

I've been saying all season that H/D would get dinged for that lift at the exact worst possible time. I hate being right.

I would have had P/C in first, H/D in 2nd, C/B in 3rd, Sinkats 4th.

 

[Andrea82]

Top 4 was pretty much as expected.

Happy for Guignard/Fabbri. I thought Gilles/Poirier and Stepanova/Bukin would have been over them but both of them had issues this week.

Fear/Gibson lower than aimed. Losing to Smart/Diaz isn't surprising: given Fear's technical issues, they need a great program like in the last few seasons to emerge, their Lion King was ok but couldn't compete with Smart/Diaz's Zorro. However, I didn't expect them being behind also Fournier Beaudry/Sorensen.

In the second half of the standings, there was a big group of teams all close to each others this season (including also Muller/Dieck and Komastubara/Koleto). The Taschlers and Armenians were the ones with most satisfying outcome.
Kazakova/Reviya's position is not surprising given what we have seen (or not seen given their injuries) this season. However, if you had told me a few years ago that they would have ended up below the Taschlers, I would have been surprised. Given their Junior careers, I would have expected a trajectory around Davis/Smolkin's positions.

At least Nazarova/Nikitin made the FD cut this time unlike in 2018 (when it was a surprised they didn't make it). They are not everybody's cup of tea, but they at least offer something different from many of the programs out there.

 

[Princessroja]

Bittersweet for H/D and C/B. I've wanted an Olympic medal for H/D since before the last Olympics, and was crushed when they got 4th last time. A medal for them is just the best thing ever. But it's bittersweet since C/B are just such nice people and excellent skaters; I wish there were four medals instead of just three.

 

[moonvine]

Bittersweet for H/D and C/B. I've wanted an Olympic medal for H/D since before the last Olympics, and was crushed when they got 4th last time. A medal for them is just the best thing ever. But it's bittersweet since C/B are just such nice people and excellent skaters; I wish there were four medals instead of just three.

Me too, but at least both teams got Team Silver Medals, which is awesome.

 

[GoneWithTheWind]

Guignard/Fabbri:

"It's hard for us now to say (whether) we will continue until the next Olympic Games," said Fabbri, when asked. "But having an Olympic Games in Milan, Italy, which is my home town, and where Charlene has been living for more than 10 years, is inviting. It will be something that will push us and make us reflect a lot more."

Do you think they can go another four years? Would they move up? They were 10th in 2018, 5th in 2022...

I'm so happy for them that they finished in fifth! Equalling the second best Italian ice dance finish ever! This wasn't their very best outing (I think they were better in both programs at Europeans) but it was solid enough, especially in the FD, to keep them up above others who made mistakes. I can see them going another 4 years, if they get the results to motivate them. For example, if the next 2 seasons they are getting GP wins, medalling at the GPF, getting more than bronze at Europeans and getting on the World podium, I reckon they'll stay for a shot at a home Olympic medal. If they're still ending up bronze at Euros and 5th/6th at Worlds, then maybe continuing on and ending up 5th at another Olympics may not be worth it? Unless the thrill of skating at home, wherever they end up, is worth it anyway? I really, really hope they move up, they have really excellent technical skating and that deserves rewarding. After so long together, their ease with and connection to each other is so impressive to watch, and I hope if they continue, their fan-base grows too!

As for thoughts on the rest of the event, I'm so pleased for a 3 teams on the podium. I was especially pleased for P/C and H/D after their disappointments last Olys. I'm sad for C/B who performed really well in the FD, I'm glad they have a team medal and that they seemed proud of their skate. It's nice to see such a unique program rewarded. Although not a fan of either of G/P's programs, I was sad to see them make a mistake and be so clearly upset to not achieve the placement they wanted. I hope, in the future, Piper especially can be proud of the strength and quick-thinking it took to save that lift as well as she did. S/D had one of the performances of the night for me: what a skate, what a score and what a reaction! I was thrilled for them! I agree with @moonvine that H/B are underrated by the judges, they were especially impacted by having to skate in the second group; I would've had them in the top 10. I hope they head to Worlds and can achieve a score and/or placement they deserve.

 

[Mathman]

Top 4 were great. I have np problem with the judging, although I personally like Hubbell and Donahue for second. Chock and Bates were too far back from the rhythm dance to move up.

 

[lesnar001]

Bittersweet for H/D and C/B. I've wanted an Olympic medal for H/D since before the last Olympics, and was crushed when they got 4th last time. A medal for them is just the best thing ever. But it's bittersweet since C/B are just such nice people and excellent skaters; I wish there were four medals instead of just three.

I was thinking that too bad there wasn't a "Pewter Medal" at the Olympics (at least on this night). The top 4 were all Olympic Medal worthy performances. If C/B had been error free in the RD, they might have won Bronze, but then H/D would have been off the podium.

I don't watch Ice Dance all the time, but I can't remember seeing such high level performances from the top 4 in a long time, if ever.

I really enjoyed them all so much - and they were all so different stylistically.

I don't remember S/K from 2018 (or how they did), but the other 3 teams certainly will have much better memories of 2022 than 2018.

 

[lariko]

I have no idea how the judging works, so I am pretty happy and wouldn't really have swapped anyone, because what do I know.

Basically, the only thing that changed for me during the Oly is that my romantic heart totally went out to S/K and I was thrilled.

Also, I still don't understand how come I liked C/B here in FD so much more than H/D, when I liked H/D better since I saw them in October? I guess, C/B just dialed in that weirdo program to the point it got through to me & that alien with weeeee horns lift helped.

Also, my fav thing was K/R opening rotational lift--I think that what it was called. WOW!

 

[casualfan]

I don't remember S/K from 2018 (or how they did), but the other 3 teams certainly will have much better memories of 2022 than 2018.

They weren’t on the team at the 2018 games.

 

[noskates]

Congrats to Guilliame and Gabi. They are just stunning and every move is magical. I thought Jean-Luc and Kaitlyn were far better than their scores indicated but not being an expert by any means in dance.... Sadly I projected at the beginning of the season that Maddie and Evan's music was going to be their downfall - and I think I was right. It was very difficult to get into their dance. I'm sure it was technically sound (again - no expert) but I have always preferred their skating to Maddie and Zach's. BUT....kudos to Maddie and Zach for their bronze medal. And there was a time when seeing American dance teams in 3rd and 4th place at the Olympics was a pipe dream. I think that discipline has come a long way.

 

[larat]

Papadakis and Cizeron reign in Beijing

The Ice Dance event for the 2022 Winter Olympics concluded with the Free Dance on February 14, 2022, at the Capital Indoor Stadium in the Haidian District of Beijing. Defending […]

www.goldenskate.com

A huge congrats to Papadakis and Cizeron!

What a great way for Hubbell and Donohue to end their career with all new personal best scores and an Olympic bronze!

Sinitsina/Katsalapov and Chock/Bates were fantastic (new PB) as were so many more!

Who were your favorites? Did you agree with the judging?

Agree with the judging completely (not always the case).