Saturday, December 25, 2010

Countdown to US Figure Skating Championships: 29 Days!

Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett (Panthers FSC)

  • 2009 US Silver Medalists
  • 2010 US National Champions
  • 2010 Olympics 13th
  • 2010 World Championships 7th
  • 2010 NHK Trophy 5th
  • 2010 Skate America 4th



Unfortunately the US has not had a strong pairs team that has done well internationally since Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman. Denney and Barrett definitely have the talent to move up internationally this season but they struggle with consistency. They have improved their performance quality immensely this season and if they can manage to land all of their elements that may find themselves in the top 5 in the world. The US has two slots to send pairs to the World Championships and in my opinion, only 4 teams have a legitimate shot at that getting those spots. Denney & Barrett are the reigning US champions but Evora & Ladwig made a stronger showing on the Grand Prix this season winning bronze at Cup of Russia. The strongest US team this grand prix, however, was Yankowskas & Coughlin who scored enough points to be the second alternate to the Grand Prix Final. Castelli & Schnapir are a young team and a long-shot, but they have an incredible free program if they can skate it clean, and in an inconsistent field, that may be the ticket. I think that the key to winning the senior pairs event will be skating clean regardless of difficulty or beauty. Whichever team can stay on their feet for both programs, or have the least falls, will most likely win the title and go into Worlds as the top American team. 

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