Should pairs/dancers who have no partners skate with anyone to stay competative.

[sybyl]

It seems that top-level skaters who break up and don't find a partner quickly seem to lose momentum and are never really competitive again. There are exceptions such as Lefebvre/Markov but skaters such as Brandon Forsyth don't seem to have made it after a long-term break. Other skaters such as Lauren Flynn and Tyler Miles say they are looking for partners but haven't found the right ones. Should skaters just skate with anyone even if they have to bring some one up or is that too hard? How many skaters have made it after long term breaks and what is the likelihood of current good skaters looking for partners to be once again competitive,

[Artemis]

Although it is indeed hard on their career if they lose momentum during a partner-less, it could potentially be even worse if they form a poor partnership just for the sake of it. Not to mention the unfairness to the person who gets dumped when someone better comes along.

For pairs skaters, I think the best way to keep their abilities developing is to skate as singles until they find a new partner. That's certainly a strategy that worked well for Jamie and David!

[kia]

I think it is probably harder for females to get a partner in dance than males and any long term lack of partner is most likely due to this rather than any inability to be competative to medal standard. Sometimes they are forced to bring someone up just to get a partner and if they don't they will never get a partner, although their skating skills stagnate as they are bringing up a male. For males there are so many good female dancers around that they don't need to bring up a skater (unless it is a girlfriend). If a male goes a long time without a partner one has to wonder why. -Do they have a personality disorder (over confident in their ability) or are they difficult to get along with. Thus I suspect males who have long term breaks without a partner are less likely to end up as medal material after a break than females who may just have lacked a partner due to 'non availability' such as in Chantelle's case.

In pairs it is probably harder for a male than a female to get a partner because in pairs skating it takes guts on the females part and there is probably less choice than for dance. Thus it can still be extremely difficult to find a partner. I agree that for Pairs doing singles and waiting for the right partner is the best option.

[suiyan]

'Do they have a personality disorder (over confident in their ability) or are they difficult to get along with.'


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I think that for males one of the biggest problems in getting a partner is either they are too young for to relocate ot the potential partner is too young to relocate or that they can't skate. Sometimes skaters wont relocate because of loyalty to their coaches or other commitments but at the elite level I think most skaters would relocate or reorganise themselves for the right partner. At lower levels there is still time I think a break with out a partner or skating with someone with potential and waiting for them to develop will not affect future medal chances.

Ice dance and pairs skating is like a marriage it is hard to find the perfect patner. You need to accept imperfections or you will end up on the shelf.

[Darrell H]

In any team sport, someone has to compromise their style to fit into the team dynamic. A forceful, dynamic skater would have to change to skate with a more sedate "flowy" one.

Height and body types also come into play.

[suiyan]

Unfortunately many skaters do not want to compromise their style or level. The problem with too long a break is that the skater involved may lose interest and focus, and change their lifestyle so that the rigours for the intense training required to compete no longer appeals They may find girlfriends/boyfriends, start working or coaching and begin to earn money or like Tyler Miles develop other interests in other areas of the same sport. It is probably better in the long run if the skater tries to work out their differences and not break up a partnership but this can be difficult or not practical We have not heard much of Brandon Forsythe. Is he still skating?.

[sk8er1964]

We have not heard much of Brandon Forsythe. Is he still skating?.

I don't know if he's skating, but I understand that he is coaching in the Detroit area.

[kia]

I not that Jamie Silverstein is advertising on partner search. That is another good skater who has not had a partner for a long time

[SkateGuard]

The marriage analogy works perfectly. You are together as much as 20 hours a week, literally in each other's faces. I've seen a lot of teams that were obvious "throw-together" teams; they don't last far past Nationals, especially when they skate poorly.

My opinion? Find a working partnership and stick with it. Belbin/Agosto are as good as they are, as young as they are, because they work well together. They are friends off the ice as well, and it just shows how much they respect each other as people. Another good example is Goodwin/Bonnemetre. Kendra's former partner decided to retire from skating to go on his Mormon mission, so part of the last season, the duo looked for a new partner jointly....and look at how good Kendra and Brent are. (Though the rumors swirling around that situation are now so humorous....)

Remember that you don't always meet your "skating soulmate" (as Tanith calls Ben) at 14....personally, I'd rather see a skater sit out a few years until they can find a long term partnership rather than show up at Nationals each year with a different partner.

Erin