2014 Warsaw Cup | Page 5 | Golden Skate

2014 Warsaw Cup

CaroLiza_fan

EZETTIE LATUASV IVAKMHA
Record Breaker
Joined
Oct 25, 2012
Country
Northern-Ireland
I don't think that's all completely correct; both teams have been doing great but Margaret Purdy had grown too tall for pairs skating, she is bordering 5'6 now and lifts were difficult.

Mmmm. Yeah, just looked at a video of them from 4 Continents last season, and I suppose you are right. The 16cm difference listed in their ISU Bio isn't much when you see them beside each other.

I guess I was just looking back through rose-tinted glasses!

I heard the issue was Dylan would not commit to "more than one" Olympics.

Aha! Those three little words make all the difference. So, it looks like I'm remembering the quote wrong. Sorry!

Kirsten & Dylan still had Meagan & Eric in front of them at many major competitions ie. Nationals, 4CC, Worlds, GPF, Olympics. After the last few years unsuccessfully trying to get past D/R, Kirsten may have decided to instead focus on podiums after the 2018 Olympics (I am assuming Meagan & Eric will not retire sooner). Kirsten has relative youth on her side. With Meagan & Eric approaching 30, Kirsten could assume they would likely retire after the next Olympics (Meagan, Eric, and Dylan would all be approaching 40 for the 2022 games).

If Kirsten & Dylan had stayed together, they may have remained Canada's #2 team behind D/R until 2018. Afterwards, Dylan would likely retire leaving Kirsten to start over with a new partner. Her chances of becoming Canada's #1 team would continue to be diminished at that point. Especially if the new partner did not work out, and she had to start again with yet another. However if Kirsten acted now, with a good partner and sufficient training time, she could possibly reclaim the position as Canada's #1 team, after 2018 when D/R retire. Although an unknown factor at the time of her decision, any threat from I/M would be short lived and evaporate after 2018 when Dylan likely retires. The 2019-2022 Olympic cycle may be Kirsten's last chance, since by 2022 she will be turning 30.

However much I may want to disagree with you to prove my point, what you say is pretty much right.

Although, I don't think this new Olympic cycle would have been as straightforward as you think, with Megan and Eric staying as Canadian #1's, with Kirsten and Dylan as clear #2's. Instead, I could have seen the 2 teams reaching the same level, and constantly swapping position.

And then, when Megan and Eric did eventually retire, Kirsten and Dylan would have had a few years as undisputed #1's, with Margaret and Michael as #2's.

But, that is all conjecture. We're never going to know now what would have happened.

Thinking long term, it was undoubtedly right to dith Dylan now. As you say, if things don't work out with her first choice of new partner (i.e. Michael), she'll have time to try out at least one more before Pyeongchang.

But, short term, it was a massive mistake. If she had stayed with Dylan, she would have continued getting the top results she is used to over the new Olympic cycle.

If she sticks with Michael, in a few years time she might be back up there again. Or she might not. We just don't know.

But what I do know is that from her reactions at the GP's she has been in already, Kirsten has not adjusted to being near the bottom. Even though it is a new team, it looks like she was still expecting to be near the top this season. But very few new partnerships do hit the ground running. They need time to mature. But, from what I have seen so far, I have my doubts as to whether Kirsten will have the patience to wait for it to mature.

And it won't help that it looks like Dylan has hit the ground running.

If Kirsten does have this view on the world, I can see her becoming one of those skaters that ditches their partner every season because they have not had instant success. In which case, her career would effectively be over already. Which would be a great shame, as she is undoubtedly a class act on the ice.

Let's hope things don't get to that stage, and that Lubov, Dylan, Kirsten and Michael all have many years of success ahead of them.

CaroLiza_fan
 
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3T3T

Final Flight
Joined
Jan 1, 2007
Country
Ireland
A very impressive skate from Lubov and Dylan and great to see them win their first international competition. Canadian nationals will be very interesting, personally as things stand I would have them ahead of Kirsten and Michael. Lubov needs to get her jumps back but on everything else I would rate them ahead of MT/M2.

It's always disappointing to see couples we like split up, I was a big fan of MT/M1 and would rate them ahead of D/R, but I can understand Kirsten decision. She is still young and all going well has two Olympics left in her. I also liked P/M but sad fact is she got to tall for him and a split was the only likely outcome.

I enjoyed F/M programme, again her jumps are a real problem, is it to late for her to get her triple jumps? Her 3T was not really close in the short. I think M/H can be happy with their debut, it will be interesting to see where they place in the Europeans. It was interesting to note the C/SK had the highest base value but execution let them down.
 

dorispulaski

Wicked Yankee Girl
Joined
Jul 26, 2003
Country
United-States
C/SK just withdrew from NHK due to high fever and illness. Illness might have also affected their Warsaw Cup performance.
 

rvi5

On the Ice
Joined
Apr 22, 2010
...Thinking long term, it was undoubtedly right to dith Dylan now.

.... But, short term, it was a massive mistake. If she had stayed with Dylan, she would have continued getting the top results she is used to over the new Olympic cycle.

Alas, there is Kirsten's dilemma. Short term and long term require contradictory action.
 
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