Pang and Tong Making a Comeback?!?
- Thread starter BounceAround
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Except he is talented and smoking hot
Agreed. I do not like Perez.
Anyhow, if they come back I would be sad not to see Y/J compete, but it'll be wonderful to see P/T compete one last time.
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- Dec 24, 2014
That's not the case. Even though S/Z didn't participate in Nationals, they never missed GP except that serious injury. And during that time, you cannot even find a fourth Chinese pair who can even beat a full-mistake S/Z. But this year, P/T is not that unbeatable due to their past GPs and those young teams' recent performances even if I believe P/T are certainly still the best if they compete together. But young teams shouldn't lose the positions simply because they don't even get a chance to try.
Y/J, who is certain to senior groups according to their coach months ago, will participate WJC again. And for W/W, they just missed the whole second-half of the season. There's a rumor that some young skaters' mood are affected by this because they have to readjust themselves to their all position change.
It's not a Chinese Fed decision but a decision of themselves. Because clearly all plans have to be changed for Chinese team.
But as a skater, yes, it really means something if one could end their career in their own country. And I will so much appreciate that the Fed could still give me this opportunity.
Hope everything goes well for all the Chinese teams.
And for the title, I have to say, there are also too many skaters else who also need to be rewarded, and what's more, who paid too much more during this whole season even to push this sport to a different level.
Why W/W for 4 CC instead of Y/J? Am I missing something here...?
Pang/Tong did not win their medals by being "luckier" than Kavaguti/Smirnov (or D/R or S/K). They won their medals because they brought it at key moments while Kavaguti/Smirnov did not. Look at Vancouver 2010. Pretty much all the top teams skated clean SPs, and K/S were in third while P/T were in fourth. Even without the time violation, K/S would've been ahead. It was up to K/S to hold onto their place, which they could've done with a clean LP. But they had a meltdown and couldn't even get ahead of S/S with a mini-meltdown of their own. P/T, on the other hand, brought the house down and won the segment.
If anything, P/T were an incredibly unlucky team. They were unlucky not to be three-time Olympic medallists, having been fourth twice, and not with a meltdown like K/S either time. They were unlucky not to be Olympic champions due to the return of Shen/Zhao. I seem to remember at least two Worlds where they skated extremely well, but were triumphed by S/Z and/or Totmianina/Marinin. But--with the exception of Sochi where they deserved bronze--I'm not bitter that their best wasn't enough, since the teams that beat them also skated well.
I like Kavaguti/Smirnov. I'll be thrilled for them if they won Worlds. But I hope they do so by skating that masterpiece of an LP to perfection, not by needing other top teams to "step aside."
Btw, for all those complaining about Nationals: Sui/Han and Peng/Zhang didn't go to Nationals either. I'd have a problem with this if Pang/Tong were out for three years, but they were only out for one.
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- Nov 19, 2010
I remember reading about P/T's journey to the world stage and being so touched that I posted their story. I find it usually hard to find old posts so I'll recap from my memory.
Pang and Tong were young teenagers at the cusp of quitting the sport, he a Ice Dancer having lost his partner and she a struggling Single. Yao Bin came and put them together as a Pair and, with very limited resources at the time, left to focus on training S/Z in Beijing. Young P and T were actually coachless for 5 years, practicing in the rink by themselves, consulting others' coaches whenever they could catch their little left over time. They copied others' choreography and came in last in every competition. They got to be with Yao once in Beijing and learned a double jump. During this period they fought with each other constantly and vigorously, once refusing to talk with each other for weeks.
Eventually Yao was able to take them to Beijing and they felt motivated and trained hard. Yet again they came in dead last in a competition. That night they walked on a quite street in Beijing, thinking of quitting. They started talking about all the years of struggles and hardship they had endured until they broke down into inconsolable epic crying. They recalled that evening as the lowest and the turning point of their career as instead of quitting they decided they had to continue after all that they had gone through. After their initial success, a high point was going abroad for, finally, a choreography of their own.
It's hard to be selfish as the second of the three Chinese Pairs. Like a middle child in a Chinese family, they respected the elder and spoiled the younger. When abroad they didn't even get to eat enough of the Chinese food prepared for the team.
When Tong was thinking of courting Pang, he consulted their coach. Yao told him in his life, of all the people in the world, Pang was the only one who would understand him completely. Tong said that a proposal should be grand and romantic but eventually it was staged during a show. (It was hard to top Hongbo in that department. )
I wish them much happiness and success in their last dance.
Pang and Tong were young teenagers at the cusp of quitting the sport, he a Ice Dancer having lost his partner and she a struggling Single. Yao Bin came and put them together as a Pair and, with very limited resources at the time, left to focus on training S/Z in Beijing. Young P and T were actually coachless for 5 years, practicing in the rink by themselves, consulting others' coaches whenever they could catch their little left over time. They copied others' choreography and came in last in every competition. They got to be with Yao once in Beijing and learned a double jump. During this period they fought with each other constantly and vigorously, once refusing to talk with each other for weeks.
Eventually Yao was able to take them to Beijing and they felt motivated and trained hard. Yet again they came in dead last in a competition. That night they walked on a quite street in Beijing, thinking of quitting. They started talking about all the years of struggles and hardship they had endured until they broke down into inconsolable epic crying. They recalled that evening as the lowest and the turning point of their career as instead of quitting they decided they had to continue after all that they had gone through. After their initial success, a high point was going abroad for, finally, a choreography of their own.
It's hard to be selfish as the second of the three Chinese Pairs. Like a middle child in a Chinese family, they respected the elder and spoiled the younger. When abroad they didn't even get to eat enough of the Chinese food prepared for the team.
When Tong was thinking of courting Pang, he consulted their coach. Yao told him in his life, of all the people in the world, Pang was the only one who would understand him completely. Tong said that a proposal should be grand and romantic but eventually it was staged during a show. (It was hard to top Hongbo in that department.
)I wish them much happiness and success in their last dance.
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When Tong was thinking of courting Pang, he consulted their coach. Yao told him in his life, of all the people in the world, Pang was the only one who would understand him completely. Tong said that a proposal should be grand and romantic but eventually it was staged during a show. (It was hard to top Hongbo in that department.
I wish them much happiness and success in their last dance.
why, how did Hongbo propose?
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- Feb 27, 2014
why, how did Hongbo propose?
after they won their third world title - she didn't realize it at first, though :')
- Joined
- Nov 19, 2010
He kneeled down on one knee but, without realizing that he was proposing, she kneeled down with him. But they had a "proper" one later though.
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- Joined
- Jan 25, 2013
Geh, I'm really torn
Agreed. Yu/Jin are the future of Chinese pairs skating and I think robbing them of this opportunity will stagnate their progress. That being said, seeing P/T skate one final time would be nice -- although it's hard to say how well they'll do.
Another option is Pang/Tong skating during the WC gala.
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- Feb 13, 2014
Chinese pairs are so romantic
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- Dec 24, 2014
S/Z's come back put huge pressures to foreign skaters. S/S seems so strong before they come back. And even Tong himself says that their come back really gives him some energy cause Hongbo is already 38 at that time and he's much younger than him. S/Z didn't take away their gold. Even in some minor ways, they bring the silver.
P/T is not that unlucky as described. For many times they cannot get title or medal is because they have to be clean enough and wait for stronger pairs' mistakes. You cannot simply blame that stronger pairs do not make enough mistakes. And at least they got this chance for some key competitions.
Another comeback for P&T 
hwell:
I feel like the younger generation of Chinese pairs are making progress in the right direction. They may not be soup yet but they need more experience and Worlds would be perfect even if they do suffer poor results, at least they learned. Its a post Olympic year so its perfect for new teams this year to get experience at Worlds. Its not like Olympics are next year and China will lose spots for that.
The younger teams need to continue to build a reputation. That can't properly happen if the Chinese fed. keep bringing back the dinosaurs. Their too busy thinking short term instead of building for the future beyond next years Worlds. Hopefully none of the younger teams suffer because of it.
hwell:I feel like the younger generation of Chinese pairs are making progress in the right direction. They may not be soup yet but they need more experience and Worlds would be perfect even if they do suffer poor results, at least they learned. Its a post Olympic year so its perfect for new teams this year to get experience at Worlds. Its not like Olympics are next year and China will lose spots for that.
The younger teams need to continue to build a reputation. That can't properly happen if the Chinese fed. keep bringing back the dinosaurs. Their too busy thinking short term instead of building for the future beyond next years Worlds. Hopefully none of the younger teams suffer because of it.
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- Nov 19, 2010
Chinese pairs are so romantic
I used to say the American Pairs got together for a year and split while the Chinese Pairs skated together for 18 years and then they got married. However, Zhang and Zhang didn't follow that route.
I remember seeing Hongbo proposing on one knee on ice with Xue accepting it. Can't remember after which competition.
Did you notice the part where I said "I'm not bitter that their best wasn't enough, since the teams that beat them also skated well"? The only medal P/T were robbed of was bronze in Sochi, imo. But they were unlucky to have their peak times overlap with Shen/Zhao, one of the greatest pairs ever. That doesn't mean I begrudge Shen/Zhao their Olympic gold or World titles--quite the opposite, actually! I'm glad they came back in 2010.
I was only replying to Skater Boy's implication that Kavaguti/Smirnov don't have a World title and Pang/Tong do because of "luck." That's just not true. Ultimately you have to go on the ice and deliver, and P/T did that to win their major medals.
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- Feb 13, 2014
Even if they did not get married, all their years together prove that they understand what it means when it comes to team work. I guess it also has something to do with different culture?
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- Feb 24, 2012
They have had their chance in the limelight and it is kind of unfortunate S and Z kind of affected their chance for gold it is like that song LET IT GO!
Regardless of luck they got a world medal and world medals and titles. Why can't they be happy and move on? I know we keeps aying they should do what they want but it would be irony if they don't podium. Why can't we just have wonderful meories ofthem placing fourth at Sochi?Because it's their lives and not ours? They want to end their careers in their home country. Why should we wish them ill for that?They have had their chance in the limelight and it is kind of unfortunate S and Z kind of affected their chance for gold it is like that song LET IT GO!
These athletes are people, not cups of yogurt with an expiration date.But don't worry, I don't think P/T are going to spoil anyone's "make way for the young" party. I've resigned myself to watching Duhamel/Radford winning Worlds. *sigh*
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- Feb 24, 2012
Sorry, I was not suggesting P and T were lucky per se with their world win - they are good and earned it but K and S could have won meals or things and ended up in the short end of the stick. NOt to mention they sort of got dumped constantly by the Russian Fed. I just like their skating and find they don't always get the pcs they deserve. I mean compared to a Carolina Kostner or Korpi they are kind of unlucky. But I would just like to see or rather remember P and T for their past wonderful skates. It's a preference. And I don't think it is fair they get a spot simply because they are Pang and Tong.
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