I was white knuckling it through the start of the team event in figure skating, not having seen that Papadakis & Cizeron decided to give it a miss. So we don't know if the tech caller who decided Virtue and Moir's pattern was L2 would have rated P/C's unmatched, shallow edges, broken lines and sloppy transitions a 3 - or 4. Why not just go for broke.
It's very difficult to read the tea leaves when VM's nearest competitors are ice dance's other punching bags, the Shibutanis.
P.S. re skating forums - describing a tech caller as "strict" or "brutal" suggests exacting standards, no benefit of the doubt. I think many fans don't understand that there actually needs to be something to be exact about for the "strictness" to be justified. Without that, "strict" isn't the word for what's happening.
I'm getting the feeling that Canada will win team gold but Tessa and Scott are going to get screwed in the individual event. Again.
ReplyDelete100 percent. Calling it now.
Deletehttps://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/olympics/2018-pyeongchang-winter-olympics-team-figure-skating/article37932022/
Very clear that both shibs and vm will be screwed I can see hubbell and donihue get Bronze it’s clear virtue noir will get silver . Tessa face was tense and angry
ReplyDeleteOh God, please no to both P/C and H/D. If the tech panel is as strict in the IE, then P/C should end up no higher than third behind V/M and Shibs. But that's a big order. I agree. The judges are using the team event to set it up for P/C to win gold.
DeleteYup. And this shouldn't be a surprise to us anymore. Btw, my wish is that Tessa doesn't wear that costume for IE. Seriously not good fit at all. Should stick to her original one.
DeleteThe podium should actually be VM, Shibs,and HD. It's really just no to PC.
DeleteHey @9:43, I could live with that, but there is no way that ISU dirty politicking will allow an all North American Olympic podium. I mean look at Vancouver where Dom/Shab received the bronze for two terrible programs (OD and FD) over a far better B/A. Got to keep at least one European team on the podium. Besides, Didier G bought the gold medal already for P/C (insert emoji of gnashing teeth here) Totally fed up, @9:14
DeleteI think it is impossible to read anything out of tonight in terms of what it's going to mean for the individual event. We don't have the whole deck here. Notably, we don't know how PC and HD would have been marked tonight if they'd been skating. It's a giant question mark.
ReplyDeleteAs for PC's absence, there was an article published on February 2 talking about how they'd be skating in the team event and marching in the opening ceremony. Then, they're out of the team event, and the FFSG is putting out a press release that is VERY reminiscent of "TESSA AND SCOTT ARE GOING TO SKATE TWO!!!!! NEW PROGRAMS" circa 4CC 2011.
"SKATING: THE TEAM EVENT WITHOUT THE PAPADAKIS / CIZERON COUPLE
Olympic gold medal contenders Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron will not compete in the 2018 Olympic Games, starting Friday in Gangneung, the French Ice Sports Federation (FFSG) has announced Wednesday: "Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are currently making the final adjustments to their programs and some surprising changes to bring them to the Olympic gold," justified the FFSG."
So, all of a sudden, very last minute, PC are making such big changes to their programs that they're going to bail on the team event and the opening ceremony that they were just talking about participating in? When they've been handed one world record after another for one crappy skate after another? They're not going to use the opportunity to feel out Olympic ice for the first time in a low-pressure situation for them? They're not going to start getting their bodies adjusted to the 14 hour time change?
Maybe those "surprising" changes of P/C mean they will actually skate in sync, that they will have a lift more difficult than a junior couple, they may actually have several holds as opposed to their one-dimensional side-by-side skating, etc. I leave it to the rest of the board to add their guesses;
ReplyDeleteI hope my prediction is wrong (6:37 here) but those scores are not a good sign at all. Also wondering if Patrick Chan will duck out after the team event. He looks miserable.
ReplyDeleteWith all this talk about judges being an overtly strict panel, I won't be shocked if the judges suddenly become more lax in time for IE when the French will showcase their "new" programs.
ReplyDelete7:55 again. I think I'm going to have to point it out. I don't think PC are really making a bunch of changes to their program. I think one of them is injured and this is a smoke screen. They suddenly went from skating the team event and marching in the opening ceremony to we're going to make a bunch of changes to our programs. There's no need for changes. They're being handed world records. There's a reason behind suddenly bailing on the opening ceremony and team event and coming later.
ReplyDeleteI can't vouch for what other networks are doing, but NBC was pretty blase about them tonight while talking dance. They kept throwing out "well of course V/M may be challenged by P/C in the individual event" but it was not in any committed way.
DeleteIt's hard to say if they were keeping the gushing on V/M because, celebrate them while the network can before the P/C worship must commence, or because their info on P/C is up in the air right now.
P/C are also being really quiet on social media right now.
NBC's commentary tonight on ice dance was not at all what I expected. All season, even at the events that PC were not at, there was always plenty of gushing praise for them. I did not expect things to be any different for the team event, even with PC absent. The gushing over VM started with the Olympic Ice preshow and went all through the night, right through to the event recap. As 10:06 said, all of this with NBC being very blase about PC. It was basically a second of "well, they might be challenged" before going back to praising VM.
DeleteOne moment I found particularly curious was actually after the SKK finished their skate in the pairs FS portion. Johnny Weir was talking about teams going all in for a shot at a medal, and he said that Team Canada has only one "favorite favorite absolute favorite" for the individual gold.
As 10:06 said, it may just be everyone gushing before they have to go on script, but I did find tonight interesting given the narratives going back forever now.
PC have indeed been very quiet on social media.
Well I would be thrilled beyond belief if P/C bomb and don't win gold because they deserve it even less than D/W. Does anyone know why H/D have been absent from the team kiss and cry? Seems odd we haven't seen them at all.
ReplyDeleteBecause entitled Hubble and her sneering b*tch face is pissed that they were passed over in favor of the Shibs? Chock and Bates were sitting and cheering on their teammates at times. Hubble and Donahue are the only ones who haven't bothered supporting their teammates.
DeleteUS Figure Skating has private ice for their skaters in Chuncheon, an hour and a half a way from PyeongChang at minimum, and HD have been there.
DeleteThe day CB were there, they were also doing media about their pretend relationship and hadn't been shipped off to Chuncheon yet.
Karen and Vincent, also shipped off to private ice in Chuncheon, also were no-shows in the K&C.
DeleteOn the other hand, Skate Canada seems to have no comparable arrangement for their skaters with private ice elsewhere. GP seem to have been off sightseeing during the team comp.
Being shipped off by your fed is a legit reason to not be there. Sightseeing is not.
11:21- Please don't wish ill on others. It doesn't do us any good
DeleteKaren Chen was there for a little while the other night. Hubble and Donahue were the only ones who didn't even bother making at least a short appearance. In the meantime, Chock and Bates were there two of the three nights.
DeleteCB i prefer to HD as people any day of the week. and HD is totally overated. NO different dance holds. their programs are one and the same. mark my word they will be placed above shibs on FD.
DeleteI'm over HD ever since her comments that VM are overmarked for performances filled with mistakes.
DeleteDon't wish ill on others? Good lord, you must be kidding. Why would anyone support a joke team like P/C stealing gold from the best ice dance team ever. That is insulting and ridiculous.
Delete1:33- Just because you're not supportive of them doesn't mean you have to wish that they'll crash out. That's bad form. I don't support them either, nor DW in the past. Yet I still manage to call out the corruption and gifted scores. It's possible to not support a team and refrain from wishing bad luck on said team.
DeleteIn my experience, wishing ill on others impacts myself negatively as well. So I think we're better off wishing that VM skate clean and well.
the changes are bad I refuse to watch
ReplyDeletewait the French are not there?
I don't know what to think anymore. It's great that v/m are getting some attention since nationals. But I still can help but feel the French will gain lots scores for their FD over others. Doesn't matter if it's simple or technically lower than what v/m or others overall. It's all about feels. That's the selling point. Mark my words. They will be crowned champions. Hence I'm out. Can't stomach watching the IE with that thought in mind
ReplyDeleteThose of you who watched the NBC telecast, did they really identify (via onscreen label) V/M as "3-time world champions"? Did they suddenly forget Vancouver? Also, shaking my head at Time's journalistic standards (lack thereof, actually):
ReplyDelete"Virtue and Moir are Canada’s dual flag bearers this year, a first for the country. Known for their clinical precision, the pair made their Olympic debut in Sochi in 2014, nabbing silver, and they’ve been laser-focused on gold ever since. It paid off, giving Canada the competitive edge with 45 points."
http://time.com/5144173/virtue-moir-free-dance-2018-reactions/
They couldn't even open a friggin' Wikipedia page? Olympic debut and gold at home!
Time and other mainstream media have been a mess in general. Mao Asada is the US lady with a triple axel. Patrick Chan is Japanese. Etc.
DeleteI don't see any room for fans to complain that NBC was unfair to V/M. Terry Gannon last night said one more medal here will make them the most decorated figure skaters of all time Olympic history. Tanith has been GUSHING over them. References to P/C have been perfunctory. I'm sure things will get rougher in the individual, but you could not have asked for more flattering coverage from NBC.
Oh, I'm glad that V/M's coverage by NBC thus far is laudatory. Just wondering why they didn't go for "2010 Olympic champions" or "2014 silver medalists", because those are the top things they've won, and the info would be relevant because it refers specifically to their Olympic career. While "3-time World champions" is nothing to sneeze at, it downplays a little V/M's accomplishments.
DeleteI agree, 11:25. There is no room for any fan to complain about NBC being unfair to VM.
ReplyDeleteWhat is particularly worth noting is that both Tanith on NBC and Carol Lane on CBC implied that PC’s “strategy” of skipping the team event may have backfired on them. Carol said that everyone has to make their own strategy, but vm have sent a message that they own this (Olympic) ice. Tanith essentially said it was a mistake for PC. She pointed out at one point that VM have been phenomenal in practice, owning the ice everything they’re on it, sucking the air out of the building when they skate, commanding like champions. If they’re talking about it in those terms, then I suspect others are too.
VM’s programs in the team event, especially the FD, have gone viral in the general public sphere too, garnering even celebrity attention.
I may complain as I feel and see fit. You don't speak for me.
DeleteI'm hoping the judges are saving the "wow" marks for the individual event but sadly they likely won't go to the correct team. I'm curious who will win bronze. I was pulling for H/D but their lack of face time at the team event, rude comments about V/M and lies about their relationship have cured me of any fandom. I hope the Shibs win but somehow I think someone else will sneak in there.
ReplyDeleteAre C/B lying about being together? That relationship seems fake.
I am not sure what to think about this gong show anymore. I just can't believe V/M would come back only to be dissed at their final Olympics, that just doesn't seem like them at all, but ridiculous marks given to P/C have been bothersome all season. HOWEVER, with V/M owning that team event and the social sphere completely in love with their "ice f**cking" as one person put it, they have quickly become the story. The international media is eating it up and I fully expect a "love story" vignette is being prepared by NBC as we speak. The fact P/C didn't show up is interesting but I agree with another poster that an injury may not be out of the question, or they are scared. But allowing V/M to own the narrative this week was not a good move. I am still nervous about this whole thing but you can't tell me the huge attention V/M are receiving right now may not change the original outcome. But if they do lose, we riot.
ReplyDeleteApparently the French commentator let it slip that Scott and Tessa are married. Oops!
ReplyDeleteAnnick Dumont is Didier's ex-wife, so I'm not so sure it was an innocent slip.
DeleteReally?
Deletehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annick_Dumont
DeleteShe was married to Didier Gailhaguet and was referred to as Annick Gailhaguet.
Dumont is a skating consultant for French television alongside the sports journalist Nelson Monfort.
Link What exactly did she say?
Delete"And what I love is every performance is choreographed uniquely...you could switch music sometimes with other skaters and the routine would be the same- it would work, it would be brilliant. But everything that they do, every detail of this is designed specifically and only with this music. It wouldn't work anywhere else. "- one of the BBC commentators at the end of their FD.
ReplyDelete