Jessica Dube Loves Scott Moir

I'm happy for Sinitsina & Katsalapov even though this program is nothing Virtue and Moir couldn't have pulled off in their sleep in 2014.

They've overcome a lot. I haven't watched them in a long long time. My last memory was a terrifying program where he was reckless and inconsiderate and she could barely keep out of his way to do her bit, so almost a decade ago now. The dynamic here is night and day from then.

 

 

I like Hubble & Donohue's program better - I think. Needs more speed or at least the appearance of speed - more sustained energy coming out of elements (which helps with the appearance of if not actual speed). Her edge comes off at the very end of the final twizzle rotation and she timed the step out with where it would be anyway - I looked twice because I thought there was a small interruption of flow. 

I don't think Papadakis & Cizeron will win gold in 2022. I think it will be Sinitsine Katsalapov, these two, and Papadakis & Cizeron bronze. The sport has made  P&C's deficiencies into features, so it's difficult for them to lose unless they visibly, to the eyes of a civilian, screw up, but that's what I'm actually expecting.

Hot mess.

This one. This is the short program. Including because I've been following her since the blog began.

Back in the day when all things Jessica Dube drove me mental, I saw Kirsten Moore-Towers as her antithesis and antidote. Now she's become her. Comes onto the ice looking like someone hurt her feelings, skates without commitment, hedges every move, can't even keep her free leg up steady in the standing split part of the pairs spin. The lift was almost as labored as 2016 KMT + M. 

Like Dube, she probably has more athletic and skating talent in her pinky finger than - I'll use Meghan Duhamel as the obvious example - but that mental maturity game is weak. She's avoiding herself like crazy. This is no shade to Duhamel.