US Pair Teams of the Past: Where are they?

[dorispulaski]

Another problem with the effects of getting too thin was shown by both Zhang & Zhang and Pang & Tong. When they were too thin, they couldn't get the needed height to complete their jumps, and were underrotating and falling. Not only that, but if the man has a big jump and rotates slowly, and the woman has a tiny jump and rotates quickly, it doesn't score particularly well. You shouldn't diet to the point where muscle loss becomes a problem. It is a difficult balance between being too heavy to be easily lifted, thrown, and lofted into a twist, and being too thin to assist with lift, throw and twist takeoffs and having trouble with jumps.

Being a pair girl is definitely challenging.

 

[clairecloutier]

In regards to the pair team of Donlan & Speroff, I wanted to add that judging by 2010 Jr. Pairs Nationals, Gretchen hasn't always been as light as a feather, she was definitely not as waif-like as she is today. This makes me even more of a fan of her, not only is she a vegetarian, but she obviously realized that the lighter she is the easier it is for her partner Andrew (whom suffered two stress fractures to his lower back in 2001) to lift & carry her. Very thoughtful young lady to address this and do something about it. No wonder she received the Skating Club of Boston's 2011 "Most Improved Skater" Award.

On the contraire, I know of a f.s. fan whose daughter has been skating for at least a decade now, and she's always bitching about the girls that are slim, attributing it to eating disorders, et al, going on & on about her daughter's "healthy" figure, it makes me wonder why they're both still in skating then, sheesh no wonder I never hear about her daughter ever winning any competitions these past 10 years. There are those that do, and those that *do not*, easy to see which category Gretchen falls into.

By the way, in Katia Gordeeva's book "My Sergei", I recall her saying she always tried to be light so that it would be easier for Sergei to lift & throw her, especially come competition time. Great role model for all skaters, at the same time she had power & stroking galore, which proves you can be both. ^)

I think you're oversimplifying a complex issue, not to mention being very judgmental. No skater should sacrifice her health and nutrition for the sake of figure skating. It's simply not worth it. Eating disorders pose a serious risk to a young woman's health. There's a very fine line between "trying to be light" and developing a clinical eating disorder. And the sad thing is that once a disorder develops, it can persist for many years, well beyond the end of a skater's career. I feel very strongly that women skaters should not be pressured to be super-thin. To me it's a form of mental cruelty.

I think the weight of female pairs skaters is probably hard to calibrate--as Doris said, you must have speed and power but still be light enough to lift. I think it's a crucial issue for ladies pairs skaters to find a partner who's the right size for them. If the female partner is average height and build for pairs but the man is below average, there will be increased pressure to keep her weight down. But if the male partner is average or above average in height and build, there won't be so much pressure. I think Caydee Denney is a good example. She is not a waif but rather a healthy young woman who is plainly not anorexic. And because her partner Coughlin is big and tall, this is not an issue. They are already quite successful together. Another good example would be Natalia Mishkutienok. She was on the larger side for a lady pairs skater, especially later in her career, but she still was successful because she had a tall, strong partner in Artur Dmitriev.

So I think the idea is to find a partner the right size for you and then do your best to develop a balanced diet that keeps you at an athletic but not anorexic weight level.

 

[Mystic]

Looking back to when Donlan and Speroff first started skating together it does appear that Donlan's build was more muscular as befitting a singles skater. Plus she was approx, 16 years old and probably going through puberty at the time and her body was adjusting to this. I applaud her for reshaping her body into a pairs skater body, as long as she does not get carried away. She actually appears to have put on a little more muscle from last summer when she was struggling a bit on the throws so it appears she is trying to find a good balance. Pair girls in particular need to find that balance between weight, strength and health, I am sure it is not an easy thing to do. I agree that it acutuall would be much more difficult to lift a lighter partner who does not have the strength to hold herself up than it would be to lift a slightly heavier partner who is stronger.

Having seen both of Donlan's parents, her mother in particular is no bigger than she is, it is not surprising she is so tiny. Even if she were to gain some weight I doubt Speroff would have a difficult time, he is a pretty muscular guy. Not too mention the coaching staff in Boston appear to be very grounded and I doubt they are the types to pressure their pair girls about weight. They have several pair teams there now and the girls seem to come in all sizes and shapes.

 

[Nadine]

Thanks, Mystic, for your insightful post, much appreciated.

In reply to the other posts, it *is* simple (i.e. one can make it hard, or simple, depending on the individual), either strike a healthy balance between the two, or quit, or be prepared to finish behind those champions that can handle it. In fact I don't think I've ever heard of any champion complaining about the process, they just did it (e.g. Michelle Kwan, Evgeni Plushenko, Sarah Hughes, Sasha Cohen, G&G, A&P, et al).

One more thing, get psychological counseling for those that obviously have a problem and cannot strike a healthy balance, names that I don't need to mention, as they have already been mentioned up above. I applaud that one female ice dance team member from the USA, who years ago took time off from ice dance to get psychological counseling for her anorexia. One doesn't need to be a rocket scientist to see the skaters that cannot handle it, their skeletal stick figures tell the sad story. Obviously that's not the case with Donlan & Speroff, nor for Gordeeva & Grinkov when they skated together.

ps: there's no shame in quitting either, many have quit and gone on to greater things, finding their passion in another field all together (e.g. Jennifer Kirk, journalism; Angelina Nikodinov, coaching, Naomi Nari Nam; motherhood; Emily Hughes, college; Deanna Stellato, skincare specialist).

 

[Olympia]

I found Deanna Stellato's skincare career online a few weeks ago when I hunted her up. It made me feel a lot better about her having to leave skating. I believe she had a bad back injury and just couldn't stay. It was such a shame, because she was a wonderful skater. I only saw footage of her once or twice, and it showed that her departure was a real loss to skating. The same is true of Nam, whose hip injury came back and helped to end her pairs career as it had ended her singles career some years earlier. At least we had the fun of seeing Nam for awhile; what a charismatic little performer.

Except for the few pairs where the "lady" is an ungrown youngster who's years younger than her partner (a specialty of the old Soviet Union)--of which I disapprove on principle--the ideal pair lady in terms of size advantage is a fully-grown woman who's no more than five foot one but with an adult's strength and artistic maturity. (This prevents the male partner from looking as if he's dancing romantically with a child.) I remember hearing that Jill Watson, Peter Oppegard's partner in the 1988 Olympics, wore a size 2 shoe. That's beyond Cinderella size! Another splendid example of this physical type was Barbara Underhill. She was incredibly tiny, but she was no child. The compelling chemistry between her and her partner Paul Martini hinged on that combination of small size and mature mind.

Interestingly, Gordeyeva began as the "child partner" (remember, she was something like fourteen the year she and Sergei became senior world champions) and grew into the petite but mature artist. But G and G were exceptional in just about every respect. Sergei himself was young and not overwhelmingly large for most of their career together. Whatever magic powers they had can't be looked upon as an example to others...their like will not come around again.

I am distressed when I see some of the painfully thin Chinese partners, especially Pang. By contrast, I always found it refreshing that Xue Shang didn't look particularly skinny. She is probably petite, but not tiny in proportion to Hongbo Zhao, who never looked particularly tall. Whatever they did to skate so in synch with each other, it doesn't seem to involve starvation. At least, I hope it doesn't. They became one of my favorite pairs.

 

[Serious Business]

There is no way to diagnose skaters (or anybody) for having an eating disorder just by looking at them. Nor does watching them eat in public count, as many eating disordered people get good at hiding it. People can have the disease at any shape or size. And successful skaters have had it and I'm sure there are those who have it now. While I doubt us fans have much influence on this compared to partners, coaches and judges, what we can do is try not to associate success/failure with the visually gauged weight of a skater.

Anyway, I finally saw Donlan and Speroff's SP (and a few others). Can't get too excited about them. Yes, they have very nice carriage. Gretchen, in particular, has very graceful movement. But I find Andrew a bit of a dud on his own, and together, their skating severely lacks power and speed. The word that comes to mind is milquetoast. None of their elements are particularly good besides their throw jumps. Their SBS jumps seems like a total lost cause. Meh.

Also saw Denny & Coughlin's SP. This may be the worst music cut of any skater I've seen in the last decade. Totally incongruous editing and splicing of East of Eden. It sounds like the record skipped, several times. Michelle Kwan must be rolling in her grave. Although, I will say the pair has great chemistry in this performance. If they aren't dating, they did a good job making me think they are.

Marley and Brubaker had the best SP by far. Singin' in the Rain is a great vehicle for them. The exuberant and whimsical music is perfect for Mary Beth, while Brubaker gets to evoke Gene Kelly with his easy grace. Their Rach LP with its attempt at sophistication is a nonstarter.

Overall, were I a more nationalistic person, I would weep for the state of the US pairs program.

 

[heyang]

Overall, were I a more nationalistic person, I would weep for the state of the US pairs program.

US Pairs has been relatively lackluster for years now. It certainly doesn't help that they change partners so often. It's a tough sport and sometimes goals/ambitions change or it just stops working because of differing levels of competitive spirit. However, I do wonder why the US in particular has more break ups vs other countries. I don't think it's about instant gratification.

 

[Olympia]

US Pairs has been relatively lackluster for years now. It certainly doesn't help that they change partners so often. It's a tough sport and sometimes goals/ambitions change or it just stops working because of differing levels of competitive spirit. However, I do wonder why the US in particular has more break ups vs other countries. I don't think it's about instant gratification.

I've wondered that, too. It's very rare for the U.S. to have a stellar pair. But we can't give up now. After all, who would have thought that within the last five years or so, the U.S. would have had three top-ranked, world-class ice dance teams. And now here we are, with Belbin/Agosto, the Shibutanis, and Davis/White. Today, ice dance...tomorrow, pairs? Never say never.

 

[tulosai]

I've wondered that, too. It's very rare for the U.S. to have a stellar pair. But we can't give up now. After all, who would have thought that within the last five years or so, the U.S. would have had three top-ranked, world-class ice dance teams. And now here we are, with Belbin/Agosto, the Shibutanis, and Davis/White. Today, ice dance...tomorrow, pairs? Never say never.

This is kind of how I feel too, actually. I was just thinking about ice dance. However, for whatever reason, our ice dance teams stay together much longer which I DO believe has helped their ascent. Like you note though, it only really takes one determined team and then maybe a wave will follow... we can all hope... or dream...

 

[Nadine]

Yes, Deanna Stellato was wonderful, and I'm glad I had the privilege of having seen her skate live in 2000 at the Keri Lotion F.S. Classic, where she received a 6.0! Injury cut her phenomenal trajectory short, unfortunately, she was so good that she jumped from Novice National Champion in 1999 to 9th place at Sr. Nationals the next year.

Yep, injury cuts many a career short, likewise NNN and even Yagudin, as well as most famously Tara Lipinski, not to mention Michelle Kwan. All of them had "hip" injuries, once you get that type of injury it's career-ending. In contrast, back injuries such as stress fractures still allow one to come back after sitting out a year to heal (e.g. Sasha Cohen & Gretchen Donlan). So if one must have an injury, I'd say anything *but* a hip injury. Unfortunately one's not allowed to choose.

Lol, your mention of "flea & gorilla" pairings brought to mind the one I just saw on the Skating Spectacular, the 2012 Novice Pair Champions! Seriously, he looks like a grown man (btw what is the age criteria for novice?) and she a baby, totally awkward. I'm not surprised they won, he gets a leg up on everyone else by being built like a grown man, whereas she couldn't weigh more than 45 lbs., looks like a little bitty itty child on ice. Yes, it started with Irina Rodnina that's for sure, that extreme "flea & gorilla" look. But they're not the only ones, I found the same thing with Peter & Kitty Carruthers, as well as Underhill & Martini, amongst others. Even at this year's Nationals, I have to be honest I found it totally embarrassing when Castelli & Schapir took to the ice; he towers over her at 6'4", whereas she's only 5'0".

I also agree with you, Olympia, about the "ideal" for a lady pair skater, no more than 5'1". Additionally, I would say wait till they're "full grown" before entering into Seniors, meaning at least wait till the young girl is 16 or 17 yrs. old. Take for example, Gretchen Donlan, she didn't enter sr. pairs until she was 17, and looks to be done growing at 18. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Keanau McLaughlin entered srs. with Rockne when she was only 15, but her body was still that of a child, and she didn't finish growing until she was 17; during that time going from 1st place to 5th! Same goes for Mary Beth Marley imho; whose to tell how her partnership will work out with Rockne, judging by the fact that she's obviously not done growing yet.

Here's to wishing all the pairs' well.

 

[Serious Business]

My earlier post in this thread talks about why I think pairs is so lackluster in the US. My conclusion is that I don't see the situation changing. If the US gets a great pair again someday it'll be luck. I think pairs is the most difficult discipline in figure skating to excel at a high level. Not only is there two people involved, but they both have to possess some diametrically opposed skills and qualities. The US doesn't have the culture or infrastructure to foster that, which benefits other things, but pairs skating will have to take a backseat.

 

[skateluvr]

OT, tulosai, but is that avatar a very young mirai nagasu? I have been squinting every time you post. It is adorable. If mirai, how old is she in that picture. funny how I come to think of some unknown , rare pics as the poster themselves. Your avatar makes me think you could be a young asian girl, lol. My avatar makes me think of a feirce skater, which I think is a good adjective for the older MK/Skater.

Just curious.

 

[skateluvr]

My earlier post in this thread talks about why I think pairs is so lackluster in the US. My conclusion is that I don't see the situation changing. If the US gets a great pair again someday it'll be luck. I think pairs is the most difficult discipline in figure skating to excel at a high level. Not only is there two people involved, but they both have to possess some diametrically opposed skills and qualities. The US doesn't have the culture or infrastructure to foster that, which benefits other things, but pairs skating will have to take a backseat.

ITA-very to the point and factual. Too bad for us.

 

[Mystic]

Anyway, I finally saw Donlan and Speroff's SP (and a few others). Can't get too excited about them. Yes, they have very nice carriage. Gretchen, in particular, has very graceful movement. But I find Andrew a bit of a dud on his own, and together, their skating severely lacks power and speed. The word that comes to mind is milquetoast. None of their elements are particularly good besides their throw jumps. Their SBS jumps seems like a total lost cause. Meh..

I disagree I thought their sp was very well done and very artistic by both skaters. They were skating to an extremely difficult piece of music and they brought it to life and told a story. I don't find Andrew a "dud" at all, he has better positions than almost all of the other pair guys with beautiful line and stretch that most of the pair men lack. He is very good at presenting Donlan. He also landed a clean 3 toe in the short program and DA in the long program. I think as a "team" they need to work on their jumps, but solo I think Andrew is a pretty good jumper. I also think they still need to increase their speed and power, however it is much better than what I remember from Nationals 2011 so they seem to be improving. I also think they that in addition to world class throws they have exceptional lifts and a very good 3twiest.

I agree that MBMB had a great short program that got the crowd excited, however I think their long prgram in comparison was not as well presented and that skating to more mature music may be difficult for a while until Mary Beth gains more maturity in her presentation. For now they should stick to the "fun" programs that they do every well

 

[clairecloutier]

I think pairs is the most difficult discipline in figure skating to excel at a high level.

I totally agree with this statement. Dick Button also said this many times in his skating commentary.

Why is pairs so difficult? To me, it's because great pairs skating requires the total maximization of skating skills from both partners. All-out speed, power, stroking, while still reaching for the sky in artistry and impact. Of course all skaters try to maximize their skills, but somehow it's different in pairs. In singles, a skater can make individualized decisions during every performance--e.g., I'm going to double the loop, not triple it, I need a rest so I'll to skate this section more slowly, etc. In pairs, this isn't possible in the same way. Every major element is planned as a team effort, and there's less latitude for individual decision and adjustment. And, compared to dance, the level of risk is so much higher, and there is less structure in terms of defined rhythms and steps.

Yes, I think pairs is the most difficult discipline to excel at. That's why it's so thrilling when true greatness is achieved. The glories of Gordeeva/Grinkov, Mishkutienok/Dmitriev, Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze, Sale/Pelletier, Shen/Zhao are difficult for singles skaters to equal. "Magical" is a term often applied to these pairs, but not so often heard in regard to singles skaters, even the best ones.

I continue to hope for our American pairs. I just can't give up on them, despite all the breakups and disappointments. I do think all it will really take is for one great pair to finally emerge--if that happens, it will energize the whole discipline, like Tanith & Ben did for our ice dance program. I think our biggest obstacle is cultural. We desperately need more big, strong, tall men in our pairs program, but as long as cultural attitudes persist in America that it's unmanly and uncool to do figure skating, it will be hard for that to happen.

Also, it's been brought up before that financial rewards for pairs are currently less than for singles skaters. That certainly is a factor in America, possibly more so than in other countries.

 

[tulosai]

OT, tulosai, but is that avatar a very young mirai nagasu? I have been squinting every time you post. It is adorable. If mirai, how old is she in that picture. funny how I come to think of some unknown , rare pics as the poster themselves. Your avatar makes me think you could be a young asian girl, lol. My avatar makes me think of a feirce skater, which I think is a good adjective for the older MK/Skater.

Just curious.

It is I actually just took it from the stock photos so I'm not positive how old she is but I'd guess around 14 I also totally understand about thinking of the avatars as the poster herself- I try not to but sometimes...

 

[tulosai]

I also agree with you, Olympia, about the "ideal" for a lady pair skater, no more than 5'1". Additionally, I would say wait till they're "full grown" before entering into Seniors, meaning at least wait till the young girl is 16 or 17 yrs. old. Take for example, Gretchen Donlan, she didn't enter sr. pairs until she was 17, and looks to be done growing at 18. On the opposite side of the spectrum, Keanau McLaughlin entered srs. with Rockne when she was only 15, but her body was still that of a child, and she didn't finish growing until she was 17; during that time going from 1st place to 5th! Same goes for Mary Beth Marley imho; whose to tell how her partnership will work out with Rockne, judging by the fact that she's obviously not done growing yet.

Here's to wishing all the pairs' well.

I thought that too when they first paired and I was very nervous, but she actually HASN'T grown at all in the past year- she's still 4' 9". That isn't to say she is for sure done growing (and of course there are ways to grow other than just in height, unfortunately) but I think she very well may be done height wise. I guess we will have to see.

 

[Nadine]

I disagree I thought their sp was very well done and very artistic by both skaters. They were skating to an extremely difficult piece of music and they brought it to life and told a story. I don't find Andrew a "dud" at all, he has better positions than almost all of the other pair guys with beautiful line and stretch that most of the pair men lack. He is very good at presenting Donlan. He also landed a clean 3 toe in the short program and DA in the long program. I think as a "team" they need to work on their jumps, but solo I think Andrew is a pretty good jumper. I also think they still need to increase their speed and power, however it is much better than what I remember from Nationals 2011 so they seem to be improving. I also think they that in addition to world class throws they have exceptional lifts and a very good 3twiest.

I agree with everything you state, Mystic, my thoughts exactly. And to add to Andrew, his "turnout" on the spreadeagles is exceptional, better than the ladies I saw at Nationals; he has hyperextended knees (same as Sarah Hughes btw) that are the opposite of knockknees, and which you will see in the greatest of ballerinas. His lines & Gretchen complement each other exquisitely. My only real concern is (& has been) the jumps, not so much for Andrew, as my stats show he hits his jumps at least 80% of the time, whereas Gretchen has always had problems with the jumps, and even admits this in a newspaper article when she was a novice; she excelled in spins, artistry, presentation, et al, it's just the jumps that have been her nemesis. The good thing is the throw jumps, assisted by Andrew, seem to come pretty easy for her (& are HUGE). It's just the sbs jumps that are difficult, and unfortunately that's pretty important in pairs, and all important in singles, which is a good thing she's in pairs. I note the 2A is her most difficult jump; she has had more success with the sbs 3T. In fact she's only hit the 2A once since she's been in Seniors (it was a beauty though last year at Nationals). Even at this year's Eastern Sectionals they both decided to go for just sbs 2Ts in the SP and for the LP only sbs 2Ts & 1A/2T (except Andrew, he landed 2A/2T). The same exact layout for this year's Nationals only 2 months later, hmmm, makes me think that they had already decided on this. :think: They know their limitations and decided to go *clean* rather than risk a messy fall. However, in order to go to the next level and truly challenge the top pairs in the USA they MUST do the harder sbs jumps. *crossings my fingers & sending them prayers that they manage this*

I totally agree with this statement. Dick Button also said this many times in his skating commentary.

Why is pairs so difficult? To me, it's because great pairs skating requires the total maximization of skating skills from both partners. All-out speed, power, stroking, while still reaching for the sky in artistry and impact. Of course all skaters try to maximize their skills, but somehow it's different in pairs. In singles, a skater can make individualized decisions during every performance--e.g., I'm going to double the loop, not triple it, I need a rest so I'll to skate this section more slowly, etc. In pairs, this isn't possible in the same way. Every major element is planned as a team effort, and there's less latitude for individual decision and adjustment. And, compared to dance, the level of risk is so much higher, and there is less structure in terms of defined rhythms and steps.

Yes, I think pairs is the most difficult discipline to excel at. That's why it's so thrilling when true greatness is achieved. The glories of Gordeeva/Grinkov, Mishkutienok/Dmitriev, Berezhnaya/Sikharulidze, Sale/Pelletier, Shen/Zhao are difficult for singles skaters to equal. "Magical" is a term often applied to these pairs, but not so often heard in regard to singles skaters, even the best ones.

I continue to hope for our American pairs. I just can't give up on them, despite all the breakups and disappointments. I do think all it will really take is for one great pair to finally emerge--if that happens, it will energize the whole discipline, like Tanith & Ben did for our ice dance program. I think our biggest obstacle is cultural. We desperately need more big, strong, tall men in our pairs program, but as long as cultural attitudes persist in America that it's unmanly and uncool to do figure skating, it will be hard for that to happen.

Also, it's been brought up before that financial rewards for pairs are currently less than for singles skaters. That certainly is a factor in America, possibly more so than in other countries.

Again, I totally agree with what you wrote eyria! Another maxim Mr. Button was known for was his emphatic saying "pair girls are tough". Also, Peter Carruthers says this quite often as well. ^) Seriously though one has be tough in order to be lifted into their air 12 feet overhead with only one hand keeping them aloft, as well as two teeny tiny blades, which can catch an edge any time. (8^O Total trust in one's partner, another maxim both have stated quite often. And to be thrown into the air over & over every day in practice has to be tough. I recall Katia saying in her book that some of the guys were not as nice as Sergei, and in frustration would *deliberately* throw the girl to make her fall (e.g. Elena Berezhnyia's old partner). Besides all that the pair girls have to maintain their weight moreso than the single skaters in order to be light enough to carry & throw whilst at the same time not overdoing at the expense of strength & energy; very fine balance indeed. This brings to mind the rumour mill that was going on when McLaughlin split with Brubaker, I heard that Rockne was starting to have trouble lifting her, it was hard on his back, even a couple of extra lbs. can make all the difference in the world.

Shen & Zhao though blow all the stereotypes to smithereens; they were only 7" apart in height and Shen was built like a full-grown woman with all the attributes of such, yet Zhao never had trouble lifting her nor throwing her UP & OUT! Which just goes to show one that the male partner needs to be extremely S-T-R-O-N-G more than anything else, and have a strong back, arms, legs, et al.

I thought that too when they first paired and I was very nervous, but she actually HASN'T grown at all in the past year- she's still 4' 9". That isn't to say she is for sure done growing (and of course there are ways to grow other than just in height, unfortunately) but I think she very well may be done height wise. I guess we will have to see.

She's actually grown 1-inch since they've been together, from 4'8" to 4'9", and she's grown a little outwards as well. They shouldn't have any problem as long as she maintains her weight, which I heard was another reason his old partner left him b/c the weight regime was too much for her; she only grew to 5'0" after all, with Rockne being 5'9" (two-inches more than Shen & Zhao were). It seems Rockne isn't built as strong as Zhao was, and therefore his partner(s) need to be tinier in order for him to lift them. Jmho.

 

[Serious Business]

Lifts require immense strength, balance and timing from the person being lifted, too, as I found out by talking to dancers. In pairs, the woman has to first launch herself. Then she has to maintain the correct position and balance at all the right times, so as to facilitate the lift and help the man maintain his skating. She is also lifting herself at the rather minimal contact points between herself and her partner. And minute adjustments have to be made on the fly. As a dancer explained to me, it's the difference between lifting a sack of potatoes and lifting something that springs itself and guides the lift. And unlike the man, the woman has to smile and look like it's totally effortless because she's being highlighted by the lift.

Also, I do have one caveat regarding my gloomy assessment of the US pairs program, now that I think about it. If the US somehow gets a great pairs coach (who has the proper support), it may be able to churn out great pair teams. Look what Igor Shpilband has done for North American ice dancing. Sure, he's had some really talented students, but to be able to churn out that many successful teams? He's got the education, the tradition and the innovation to make it happen. If something equivalent can turn up in pairs, there may be hope yet.

 

[clairecloutier]

Lifts require immense strength, balance and timing from the person being lifted, too, as I found out by talking to dancers. In pairs, the woman has to first launch herself. Then she has to maintain the correct position and balance at all the right times, so as to facilitate the lift and help the man maintain his skating. She is also lifting herself at the rather minimal contact points between herself and her partner. And minute adjustments have to be made on the fly. As a dancer explained to me, it's the difference between lifting a sack of potatoes and lifting something that springs itself and guides the lift. And unlike the man, the woman has to smile and look like it's totally effortless because she's being highlighted by the lift.

You bring up a great point here explaining the female partner's role in lifts. It's not just all about the man's strength and size. The female partner must participate fully in the lift as well, maintaining correct body tension and balance and helping to sustain her own weight. Has anyone noticed that, a couple times during Universal Sports coverage this season, they've shown Robin Szolkowy off the ice, bench-pressing Aliona above his head while she's in swan position? If they show it again, observe closely Aliona's position as Robin lifts her. She is just absolutely stretched through every muscle of her body--totally tight. She stays absolutely still in the air as Robin lifts her up and down, and her hands gripping his are firm and strong. It's kind of jaw-dropping when you really look at it closely and makes you realize the important role the female partner plays in the lift.

I can relate to this too because I have a little bit similar experience (which will make some of you laugh, because it's not a skating experience, but I'll tell it all the same).

I have 2 1/2 year old girl twins. One of my twins is very nimble and physical. When you lift her, she instinctively tenses her whole body as you lift her into the air and almost assists you as you pick her up. Once she's aloft, she holds on and clings with muscles tight. I've actually held her in swan lift position myself and it's quite easy! Basically, it's nothing to lift her. My other twin, meanwhile, has a mild physical disability, and lifting her is completely and totally different. Everyone comments on it. When you lift her, you have to bend and heave her whole weight in the air--she doesn't help in any way. There is no tension/tightness in her muscles--no answering strength in her arms as you lift her in your arms--and it's amazing what a difference it is. She feels very heavy.

The difference between lifting my two girls must be like the difference between lifting a pairs partners who is fully participating and has good lift technique and a partner who doesn't.