2016 Cup of China Pairs SP

[Mirunna]

Zhang wants to skate at the home Olympics in 2022. Yu meanwhile can have a great career with a great male skater that's hard to come by. She's much better off than many talented non Chinese Pairs and Dance skaters without partners.

Meanwhile Peng is shining and developing her potential that the Chinese Fed saw in her when they picked her out for Zhang. Hongbo thought hard about the switch for 6 months and he understood very well the importance of good connection in a partnership.

If Zhang sticks for another Olympic cycle, great for Yu. But even if Yu/Zhang win gold in 2018 and 2022, I will still have this uneasy feeling watching them skate, considering how blunt was Yu with respect to the partner change. Now coupled with what happened to Dan Zhang, and how miserable Peng looked in the last two years skating with Zhang (and took at her now!), I have my concerns for Yu.

Anyhow, what a great event this was!
If I/M manages to hold onto the silver medal, are they in the final?

 

[apple123]

What refinement? What charm? I/M skate like shadow, no presense at all. I mean the girl can't even squeeze an expressive look for god's sake. Like a poster said before, very sleep inducing.

 

[Violet Bliss]

Well, it was clear that Peng was happy with switch from the beginning, it was Xiaoyu Yu who was unhappy with a change and she wasn't half as happy as Cheng in K&C even though they got high score.

Peng felt a lot of pressure skating with Zhang and the switch would let her gain confidence and develop her talent and potential. It was natural Yu was initially shocked when told about the switch but as she told the press, reading the fans reaction and exaggerated concerns and outrage online sent her down a spiral of despair. Her mood changed when she returned and she decided to give the new partnership her best effort to reach her potential as urged by the coaches. I believe the new mindset and effort already pay off very well in just a few months.

 

[Mirunna]

What refinement? What charm? I/M skate like shadow, no presense at all. I mean the girl can't even squeeze an expressive look for god's sake. Like a poster said before, very sleep inducing.

What you are saying about them is your personal opinion. If you disagree with their scores, try to make your point by showing specifically where do you think they were over-scored.

 

[solani]

Great competition!
Regarding Yu - I had my concerns for her as well, but I wasn't all that negative about the splits in the first place.
And she's got used to it very fast, I think that she looks happier than ever. It's not as if she was all smiles with Jin - she wasn't. No doubt they told her to look happy, but I don't think that she's only acting her part - she's very talkative in the K&C, she's seems confident and content. The big scores she's getting surely are helping a lot with that. So skating with Zhang doesn't seem to be a hardship for her and they look far better than I expected, Zhang is able to present her fabulously and he looks better than ever. And for all those who fear for her future - if Zhang has to finish his career after the next Olympics maybe she can have Massot, he'll have to search for a new partner then.

Peng/Jin are great as well, they have room to grow together and I have the feeling that they'll be able to do a great variety of programs. That's the real advantage the have, Yu/Zhang are quite limited in what they can do imho.

 

[apple123]

What you are saying about them is your personal opinion. If you disagree with their scores, try to make your point by showing specifically where do you think they were over-scored.

Where? Their TES and PCS! What I have point out is exactly why they are so overscored for their interpretation or the lack of it. A non-clean skate with mistakes got 71 while clean skates with characters and energy are not even 70. That speaks for itself.

 

[Violet Bliss]

If Zhang sticks for another Olympic cycle, great for Yu. But even if Yu/Zhang win gold in 2018 and 2022, I will still have this uneasy feeling watching them skate, considering how blunt was Yu with respect to the partner change.

By her own account, Yu's initial reluctance and apprehension were greatly exacerbated by the fans' exaggerated alarm and , however well intentioned. She has since accepted the change and has shown joy and great accomplishment with her new partner, why do you persist on such negative feeling?

Now coupled with what happened to Dan Zhang, and how miserable Peng looked in the last two years skating with Zhang (and took at her now!), I have my concerns for Yu.

Dan continued growth in her twenties was a very rare event. Do you think it's likely to happen to Yu too?

Peng is a different person with different situation and personality. Maybe because she started younger with Zhang who was already a great success, and was coaching and babysitting her because she left home for the first time, the relationship was unbalanced and she just couldn't feel as an equal to him.

Let Yu adjust and grow on her own journey. Support her for her growth, success and happiness. Worries and imagined sad scenarios are not love and support.

 

[Mirunna]

Where? Their TES and PCS! What I have point out is exactly why they are so overscored for their interpretation or the lack of it. A non-clean skate with mistakes got 71 while clean skates with characters and energy are not even 70. That speaks for itself.

First on the bold part, a big component of TES are levels, and I/M got level 4 on everything except the twist. If you disagree with that, then please share your views on why the technical calls were wrong.

Regarding the over-scoring, you just said that they are boring and almost all the elements they did are bad quality. This seems biased and subjective. Other than their side-by-side 3T (for which they got -2 and -3 across the board), they executed 6 other technical elements with a good quality:

Twist - great, but Yu/Zhang rightfully got more GOE for their own;
Throw 3Lz was fabulous
Death spiral was very well executed (she hits a great position)
Lift was great and secure, great coverage, Dylan is one of the best lifter out there;
Side by side spin had some issues and their GOE was rightfully deducted
Steps were very good


Now on PCS it is more subjective. Interpretation is one of 5 categories; "boring" and "sleep inducing" are not part of PCS. To me, their interpretation was appropriate with the program's theme. A big plastered smile on their face would have been over the top.

 

[Mirunna]

Let Yu adjust and grow on her own journey. Support her for her growth, success and happiness. Worries and imagined sad scenarios are not love and support.

I will be very happy to be proved wrong. You do seem to know more on the subject that I do, so I won't argue anymore. For now I am happy to see her skate and wish them all the best. Maybe as the time goes by, they will look more as a "team" and look more comfortable together (like Peng and Jin already do)

 

[apple123]

First on the bold part, a big component of TES are levels, and I/M got level 4 on everything except the twist. If you disagree with that, then please share your views on why the technical calls were wrong.

Regarding the over-scoring, you just said that they are boring and almost all the elements they did are bad quality. This seems biased and subjective. Other than their side-by-side 3T (for which they got -2 and -3 across the board), they executed 6 other technical elements with a good quality:

Twist - great, but Yu/Zhang rightfully got more GOE for their own;
Throw 3Lz was fabulous
Death spiral was very well executed (she hits a great position)
Lift was great and secure, great coverage, Dylan is one of the best lifter out there;
Side by side spin had some issues and their GOE was rightfully deducted
Steps were very good


Now on PCS it is more subjective. Interpretation is one of 5 categories; "boring" and "sleep inducing" are not part of PCS. To me, their interpretation was appropriate with the program's team. A big plastered smile on their face would have been over the top.

Really? Expressiveness are not part of PCS? Nobody ask them to smile, but acting so wooden is certainly a default for any piece. I don't see why that is appropriate for this music. And PCS reflect the performance, the audience are not buying into it, then it's a bad performance and deserves a low PCS

 

[Mirunna]

And PCS reflect the performance, the audience are not buying into it, then it's a bad performance and deserves a low PCS

I give up :giveup:

 

[qwertyskates]

I like the Italians best!:agree:

The Chinese pairs are technically very good, their expressions have improved, but their programs are predictable. Alyona and Bruno are adding a lot of Ice Dancing transitions and choreography, I hope as we inch closer to the Olympics, they will steadily add more original content. It's all looking typical Lori at her worst (the humour was nice but the head bouncing bit was terrible, they don't need the kitsch, they already have the charisma), Lori's done so much better for others, like Mao, Gracie and Zhijun's SP. There are new choreographers like Charlie White, Rohene, Buttle, even Misha, it doesn't hurt to shake things up a bit, and do a "Mura" to showcase their assets.

 

[solani]

A big plastered smile on their face would have been over the top.

I agree and I think she tried not to smile too much, a tooth is missing if my eyes haven't deluded me.
I/M are a very fine pair and she looks in better physical shape this season, so I think they're going to do quite well, deservedly so.

 

[treeloving]

For me I do not understand how Yu/ Zhang PCS is just 1 point behind I/M. I/M skated faster with better flow, have better choreography which incorporate the character of music , and much better expression and understand of music.

I love Yu though, she is a great pair skater.

 

[Tastetherainbow]

Some of my thoughts about the SP:

Y/Z: Beginning was great, but they really need to switch out the music during the StSeq. They are both lyrical skaters and need lyrical music to express themselves, and their shortcomings are glaringly obvious through faster rhythms and rock beats.
I/M: IMO, PCS above Y/Z is deserved, but that error on the 3T should have cost them more. I think they should have been closer to P/J than Y/Z.
P/J: She really transformed into something special with this partnership, hasn't she? Love the outfits! The replays were really cute!
DM/G: Good for them for finally being clean! A little awkward at times, but overall can overtake M/H if this continues. FS isn't their strong suit though...
K/S: I love their interpretation and movement across the ice, shame about the SBS. They need to go back and reevaluate themselves on what they do well and what they really need to work on...

For me I do not understand how Yu/ Zhang PCS is just 1 point behind I/M. I/M skated faster with better flow, have better choreography which incorporate the character of music , and much better expression and understand of music.

I'm not so sure about understanding the music... if you look at the StSeq, painfully slow and disconnected to both the music and each other. The repairing happened because their lyrical styles suit each other, but once you push them out of their comfort zone they look really lackluster. That is why most likely for the FS their PCS will be higher than I/M's because they are skating to music that attests to their strength. First part of the SP before the StSeq was great though.

 

[andromache]

Yu/Zhang are great. Despite the unhappiness of the way the partner switch happened, both pairs are doing very well.

For those concerned about what Yu will do after Zhang retires - she can enjoy her victories in retirement or take on a new, young partner, who'd likely thrive with a lady who will be as polished and experienced as Yu will be. Aliona and Bruno have certainly made it work.

Yuko and Alex make me sad. They seem to be in a similar position to Mao Asada this season - unable to achieve the technical elements they used to, let alone keep up with the rest of the field. They aren't even hitting their levels on spins, steps, and the death spiral. Breaking my heart.

 

[CanadianSkaterGuy]

I know, right? It's like I have seen her for the first time skate. Completely different person on the ice now with Jin! I absolutely love them. I can see why they probably won't overtake their ex-partners (from a TES point), But I absolutely preferred them today. Nicely done

It was a lot of personality/charm in that program. More than I usually expect from any Chinese team - let along Peng and Jin. Certainly she has made progress. Her 3T - wow... arguably the best I've seen from her.

 

[metatron]

First on the bold part, a big component of TES are levels, and I/M got level 4 on everything except the twist. If you disagree with that, then please share your views on why the technical calls were wrong.

Regarding the over-scoring, you just said that they are boring and almost all the elements they did are bad quality. This seems biased and subjective. Other than their side-by-side 3T (for which they got -2 and -3 across the board), they executed 6 other technical elements with a good quality:

Twist - great, but Yu/Zhang rightfully got more GOE for their own;
Throw 3Lz was fabulous
Death spiral was very well executed (she hits a great position)
Lift was great and secure, great coverage, Dylan is one of the best lifter out there;
Side by side spin had some issues and their GOE was rightfully deducted
Steps were very good


Now on PCS it is more subjective. Interpretation is one of 5 categories; "boring" and "sleep inducing" are not part of PCS. To me, their interpretation was appropriate with the program's theme. A big plastered smile on their face would have been over the top.

I don't think a three position spin with one and half positions out of sync and that travel distance deserve a positive GOE and only 0.07 less than Yu/Zhang

 

[noidont]

I/M never interests me. I think they got better PCS sheerly because they skated after a less stellar team and seems better in comparison to the judges. I don't think I've ever seen Liubov land a clean triple but I might not be paying enough attention.

 

[MsSweetie]

Watching I/M makes me wish that M-T/M had never split up. Sigh

- - - Updated - - -

I/M never interests me. I think they got better PCS sheerly because they skated after a less stellar team and seems better in comparison to the judges. I don't think I've ever seen Liubov land a clean triple but I might not be paying enough attention.

Honestly, I think today might have been the first time I've ever seen her land a clean triple.