Germany's Ruben Blommaert teams up with fourth partner - Elena Pavlova | Golden Skate

Germany's Ruben Blommaert teams up with fourth partner - Elena Pavlova

WeakAnkles

Record Breaker
Joined
Aug 1, 2011
If at first you don't succeed, try try try TRY (and counting?) again...

One must admire his perseverance...
 

gordana

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2015
Country
Russia
Yes, fourth. The first was Annabelle Proelss, but she grew a lot in the puberty and became a bit big for him. Then Ruben teamed up with Mary Vartmann. After splitting with her he told that there was so great difference in their personalities and tempers that he knew that partnership would last a season, maybe two, not more. Then his partner became Annika Hocke. They had a successful Olympics season and having had some difficulties in last postolympics season they ended their partnership.
 

Tatjana

On the Ice
Joined
Jun 26, 2011
I thought that Ruben and Annika were a good match, but apparently they didn't get along anymore and it was her who ended the partnership. It is a shame, they looked really promising in their first season and had lots of success. However, the second season often is harder than the first one ... Annika skates now with Robert Kunkel. He is a weaker partner than Ruben, but maybe he can catch up if he works hard enough. At least Ruben continues with a new partner. There are not so many German pairs. I'm curious to see how it works out with Elena.
 

gordana

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 17, 2015
Country
Russia
I read somewhere that the third season is usually harder than the second and is very crusual for a team. And it would be an Olympics season for both Ruben and Elena and Annika and Robert if both partnerships go well without splitting up before.
 

Sabine

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 24, 2014
Ruben will not skate the Olympics because Pavlova will never get German citizenship in such a short period of time. And Annika and Robert are a very young team with not so many experiences. We'll see how they'll develop.
 

Trewyn

Medalist
Joined
Dec 10, 2008
Weird to hear Ruben talked about as Germany’s, when he’s actually Belgian. I wish him good luck! It would be nice to see him in the mix again, whatever country he skates for.
 

LadyB

Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 7, 2016
I wish them massively good luck as Lena Pavlova is from Mozer Team, which is also involved in their training. They've been to Oberstdorf, then to Sochi. I wonder, whether they'll take part in the ISU Pairs Camp in Italy, starting on July 25, which is also operated by Mozer Team.
 

SarahSynchro

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 7, 2014
Country
Canada
*scratches head* I never realized there were German pair skaters other than Aljona, (and then Bruno, of course, but Aljona initially came to the country to skate with Robin, who is German by birth) who competed for Germany, despite not being a natural born citizen; therefore having to apply for German citizenship in order to simply make their Olympic dream a possibility.

Are there any other examples of this in the recent history of German figure skating?
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
He sounds kind of like the German version of Mervin Tran.

I don't think so. He skated for Belgium as a singles skater and for Germany as a pair skater. He has double citizenship, and has held that for quite some time. He has always been quite open about wanting to skate for Germany.
 

ladyjane

Medalist
Joined
Jun 26, 2012
Country
Netherlands
Yes, fourth. The first was Annabelle Proelss, but she grew a lot in the puberty and became a bit big for him. Then Ruben teamed up with Mary Vartmann. After splitting with her he told that there was so great difference in their personalities and tempers that he knew that partnership would last a season, maybe two, not more. Then his partner became Annika Hocke. They had a successful Olympics season and having had some difficulties in last postolympics season they ended their partnership.

I am really happy for him. I recall his instagram post when he and Annicka split up, and it was obvious he wasn't the one who ended it. Unhappy but grateful for the two seasons they had. He wanted to do his army thing (in Germany athletes can get funding by becoming part of the army and doing a stint in there of a number of weeks each year), and then think again. Well, it seems it worked out quite nicely. I am hoping he will do well and that this partnership will have more longevity.
 
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