2020-21 U.S. Ice Dance | Page 2 | Golden Skate

2020-21 U.S. Ice Dance

Colonel Green

Record Breaker
Joined
Mar 3, 2018
Country
Canada
If it is the citizenship issue, then it may be better to cut off the partnership now and find someone new to work with so that Beijing can still be the goal. But if citizenship is an issue for him to this degree, you'd have to think it's an issue for Christina Carreira also...(she doesn't have a Junior Worlds Gold even).
Carreira was denied the advance track for citizenship, as the Trump Administration's position is that figure skaters don't qualify for it.

Anyway, N/K splitting is quite a surprise. What post-2022 4CC division ice dance will look like keeps shifting.
 

theharleyquinn

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
Carreira was denied the advance track for citizenship, as the Trump Administration's position is that figure skaters don't qualify for it.

Anyway, N/K splitting is quite a surprise. What post-2022 4CC division ice dance will look like keeps shifting.

Ah, well 2026 can still be a target for them if they continue skating that long.

The U.S. landscape certainly is very open right now with nearly all of the top teams in flux. If Green/Parsons keep pushing together, they could end up being a surprise contender for Beijing.
 

heartyxo

On the Ice
Joined
Aug 27, 2019
I am in SHOCK. It was already down to Hawayek/Baker and Green/Parsons for 2022, but I thought N/K were top contenders for the next quads if he got citizenship. I hope no more teams split and the top juniors stay together soon.

Poor Igor. His top team left him, got his new top team who looked to be world-class in the future, and lost them too. At least he has lots of juniors.
 

eterislouisvuitton

On the Ice
Joined
Nov 29, 2019
I don't usually watch dance but this is shocking. They had so much potential, a wonderful chemistry on the ice. I'll be sad to see them go. I wish them luck in the future but I'm just not sure if they can ever find partners as fitting as each other anymore. Now I wonder the reason. The first thing that comes to mind is Vadym's citizenship. I think Avonley is a girl that wants to go to the Olympics, and she feels like this is the time to break off and find a partner who can do that with her. While Vadym being MIA on social media could point to a not-so-amicable split, I think Avonley's post points to a mutual, amicable end of partnership.

" I am looking forward to achieving my dreams in ice dance and will be searching for a new partner who shares my excitement, passion and commitment for skating." Could it be that Vadym felt that junior world champion was his maximum and wanted to pursue a path outside of elite skating? Was he not as committed or as passionate to skating recently?
 

Flying Feijoa

On the Ice
Joined
Sep 22, 2019
Country
New-Zealand
I'm heartbroken :sad21:

Me too :( I don't think it will be easy to find a replacement at Vadym's level. His skating skills stood out to me more within the partnership (no slight to Avonley intended).
I assumed that if he didn't want to skate anymore then there would be a concrete announcement of retirement - maybe he's on the fence about it. I also wonder if the fact that that he was living apart from his family in the US (during a time when global travel is disrupted for the foreseeable future) played a role.
 

oly2018

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
Are there any male partners available for Lorraine or Avonley? They both need a high level partner and I can't think of any off the top of my head.

I wonder how involved USFS will get in trying to find both of them partners. They need to be forward thinking because H/D and C/B won't be around forever. History says teams that have been together for a long time do better long term, but we are going to have a lot of newish teams for 2026.
 

cheerknithanson

Record Breaker
Joined
Jul 13, 2014
Country
United-States
Are there any male partners available for Lorraine or Avonley? They both need a high level partner and I can't think of any off the top of my head.

I wonder how involved USFS will get in trying to find both of them partners. They need to be forward thinking because H/D and C/B won't be around forever. History says teams that have been together for a long time do better long term, but we are going to have a lot of newish teams for 2026.

The only thing I can think of is if some men's single skaters switch over to ice dance. It could happen. But probably unlikely.
 

kmw227

On the Ice
Joined
Dec 5, 2019
Country
United-States
Are there any male partners available for Lorraine or Avonley? They both need a high level partner and I can't think of any off the top of my head.

People on Twitter are speculating that Igor will try and pair up Avonley and Anthony Ponomarenko. Possible, but I really hope it doesn't happen because I love him and Christina as a team!
 

theharleyquinn

Medalist
Joined
Feb 25, 2014
People on Twitter are speculating that Igor will try and pair up Avonley and Anthony Ponomarenko. Possible, but I really hope it doesn't happen because I love him and Christina as a team!

It seems like the most pragmatic thing to do if Igor is hell-bent on getting a couple onto the U.S. Olympic team, but Christina and Anthony seem to have a good rapport and despite their citizenship challenges they've stayed together. It's hard for me to believe he'd be okay with it. Plus, ruining the dynamics at the rink for a gamble that Avonley and Anthony *might* work well together seems like a poor choice in my view.
 

oly2018

Final Flight
Joined
Feb 13, 2018
People on Twitter are speculating that Igor will try and pair up Avonley and Anthony Ponomarenko. Possible, but I really hope it doesn't happen because I love him and Christina as a team!

I also love them as a team.

I actually feel bad for them and all of the online speculation. They posted a photo of themselves together on instagram today and they are doing an interview with PJ tomorrow. I don't think they are splitting up. Anthony has always been very clear that he is really committed to Christina and their partnership. I have always found it a little sad that he feels like he needs to say that in every interview. Now, I could be totally wrong, but Anthony has given 0 indication that he is so committed to making the 2022 Olympics that he would end his long-term partnership to get there. I do think Igor may have thought about it, but I think if he was behind a big split, he would have cut to the chase and just named a new team.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
The best shot the ladies that are looking have is to do what we ladies in the 90s/00s had to which is find a dance partner from another country.
The only thing that will complicate this would be COVID right now.
 

theblade

On the Ice
Joined
Feb 15, 2018
Not going to disagree with that! However... long shot/outside chance? Jeffrey Chen. Just spitballin' here.

Wishing the best for Avonley, Vadym, Lorraine and everyone else in this unpredictable sport. Also, love seeing Anthony and Christina together.
 

Ic3Rabbit

Former Elite, now Pro. ⛸️
Record Breaker
Joined
Jan 9, 2017
Country
Olympics
Not going to disagree with that! However... long shot/outside chance? Jeffrey Chen. Just spitballin' here.

Wishing the best for Avonley, Vadym, Lorraine and everyone else in this unpredictable sport. Also, love seeing Anthony and Christina together.

Jeffrey has a partner though, and they just teamed up last year and are good together.
 

litenkyckling

Final Flight
Joined
Jun 6, 2018
I also love them as a team.

I actually feel bad for them and all of the online speculation. They posted a photo of themselves together on instagram today and they are doing an interview with PJ tomorrow. I don't think they are splitting up. Anthony has always been very clear that he is really committed to Christina and their partnership. I have always found it a little sad that he feels like he needs to say that in every interview. Now, I could be totally wrong, but Anthony has given 0 indication that he is so committed to making the 2022 Olympics that he would end his long-term partnership to get there. I do think Igor may have thought about it, but I think if he was behind a big split, he would have cut to the chase and just named a new team.

I also think that actually in the long term, not going to Beijing wouldn't be a bad thing. They wouldn't be in medal contention anyway and they'd arguably gain more points going into the next quad with a (likely) medal at 4CC and a Worlds appearance in 2022. I think the biggest barriers for all US teams just now is that C/B and H/D are still there (which is fair enough and they are well within their rights to do so), it's just such a shame that having a deep pool means that some talent doesn't shine like they would elsewhere.
 
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