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Milan Olympics Preview: Pairs · The Rocker Skating Podcast

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This episode of the Rocker Skating Podcast is brought to
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perfect pair. Welcome to the Rocker Skating
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Podcast. We're talking about now part
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four of our five part series on the Winter Olympics preview.
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And before we get started here, a note that we recorded this
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podcast before Michelle and I went to Milan.
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So things have happened since then.
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And if you're not aware, Deanna Stellao du Deck and Maxime
0:54
Duchamp withdrew from the team event because she had an
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accident in training about a week before she was supposed to
1:04
head out to Milan. And so she was unable to get to
1:08
the team event and a lot of us were wondering if she would even
1:12
be able to get to the individual event.
1:16
The official word from Skate Canada is that she hit her head
1:20
in practice. There was no indication whether
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or not there was a concussion there.
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But turns out we found out a couple days ago that she is
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ready to go. Skate Canada was able to clear
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her. We know that the the clearance
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for medical conditions like that is, is fairly strict in in Skate
1:42
Canada. So we have every belief that
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this is all done with safety in mind.
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But we are so excited to have Deanna Stellato coming to Milan.
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She is arriving as we speak, as I am talking right now on
1:59
February 12th. So, so we will see her in the
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individual team event and let's get on with the show.
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You've heard enough from us by this point of Olympics previews,
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but we got more Olympics previews for you.
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Michelle, Hi. Hi, Jackie.
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It is well, by the time you listen to this, we'll be in like
2:24
the second week of the Olympics and we're going to talk part
2:29
four of our five part preview and that's the pairs and what a
2:38
actually potentially topsy turvy pairs event this is going to be.
2:43
I always go back to the beginning of the season and we
2:48
looked at the potential of this pairs field in Milan and I think
2:57
a lot of us said this could be one of the best pairs events
3:00
that we've seen and since really since 2018, it's 2018 was so
3:07
good. And then as good as these pairs
3:13
are, none of them have really proven to be like super, super
3:19
reliable, especially amongst that top five that we've been
3:26
looking at. And so you come in with a lot of
3:31
potentially good skating to be had, but also the pairs have
3:36
apparently learned from the men and, and there could be, it
3:41
could be a roller coaster ride. What do you think, Michelle?
3:45
Yeah, I find this is to honestly the hardest one to predict.
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I feel like we have a pretty good idea in the other
3:51
disciplines, but pairs I feel is just really anything can happen
3:55
and these these teams are quite unpredictable.
3:58
I think there's only one or two on this list that I am pretty
4:01
confident we'll be OK and just do two really strong programs.
4:05
Yeah, we're. Both.
4:09
We're both literally looking at the list and like, sighing.
4:11
I mean, I think the big thing I have is a big asterisk on Kanti
4:15
Machi. Who before, after the Grand Prix
4:19
final, I thought they are going to be in the fight for the gold.
4:22
They skated so well on at the final, skated out of their
4:26
skins, but then withdrew from Europeans because Sarah Conti
4:30
had a knee injury and we think it's her right knee, right, her
4:34
landing knee, her landing leg. And so that is a big question
4:38
mark and I don't know. And they have to do the team
4:40
event, so and they're really going to be throwing down at the
4:45
team event because it's one of Italy's like two or three medal
4:48
opportunities. Yeah.
4:50
So I don't know what to say there.
4:53
I feel like they have a very good chance at the podium, but I
4:56
don't know if the title is something they're really in
4:59
contention for. And I still kind of want to say
5:04
me or Akihara are the likely favorites for gold.
5:10
I think they're the strongest. Contenders, that's also my
5:12
thought is Mira Kihara based not only on the fact that I think if
5:21
if they skated cleanly like clean versus clean versus clean
5:25
every, if everybody skates clean, Mira Kihara wins.
5:30
Yeah, yeah. Like they, they skate clean,
5:32
they close the door, the door is closed, but they don't often go
5:36
completely clean. Yeah.
5:39
Yeah, so but but they have been, I think of the of the pairs,
5:45
they have been the most solid of the top, top pairs.
5:51
And for me the top top pairs. When I say that, I talk about
5:55
Mira, Kiara, Metal, Kina Baruva, Hasse, Volodin, Kanti, Machi and
6:02
a cop, some combination of Stellato Dasham and
6:07
Pavlovosviachenko. Like those are if, if, if we
6:12
were just to talk about who could potentially be the top 6,
6:18
like that's who I would go with. Yeah, agree.
6:23
But again, everybody has had not just minor errors like major
6:28
sort of meltdown E gates that have that have happened with the
6:32
exception of Pavlovosviachenko. But Pavlovosviachenko don't have
6:37
as high of a ceiling as everybody else does.
6:41
Yeah. I mean granted their components
6:42
have improved a lot since last year or their new packaging.
6:45
I I can see a scenario where Pavlovos Viachenko do 2 clean
6:49
programs and absolute chaos unfolds around them and they
6:52
make it onto the podium. I don't think it's out of the.
6:54
Question. Yeah, I mean, they they were
6:57
almost second at Europeans. I think that they should have
7:00
been second. I I mean, and you know, there's,
7:05
there's really only like Mira Kihara are really the only team
7:09
here that's in the mix for the podium that I mean, still out of
7:13
Duchamp to to some extent, But you know, in addition to who is
7:17
it Europeans, Kanti Machi also, we're not a Europeans, but you
7:22
know, there's like factors, there's, there's stuff, there's
7:25
questions. And Hassa Volodin is another one
7:28
that I think when they skate to their potential, they're they're
7:33
in the they're in the running for gold and it's have we seen
7:36
them skate to their potential this year?
7:38
They've done like one really stunning free skate.
7:42
They've done a couple good short programs.
7:44
They have not done those in the same competition.
7:46
And Europeans, they had just so many mistakes.
7:51
Their free skate like a lift falling from a lift at the end.
7:54
It's just very, it's uncharacteristic.
7:56
It's, I don't know, everybody's nervous, everybody's ruffled.
8:01
It's been, it has really been a lot of nervous energy in the in
8:04
the pairs events this season. And so like you said, the
8:10
possibility of a stunning upset is actually there, like the
8:19
possibility that someone like Pavlovos Vyachenko, who you
8:25
wouldn't really call one of the favorite favorites for the
8:29
podium, but is an outside shot for the podium because of how
8:36
they've been skating in terms of consistency season.
8:39
There, there, there is, there is a chance there for them.
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And you can say the same thing about Nago Komoriguchi.
8:47
You know, like they don't have the same kind of consistency as
8:51
a Pavlovosviachenko. But again, if they put down to
8:55
clean programs and then everybody else falls apart,
9:00
they've got they've got a higher ceiling than Pavlovosviachenko.
9:04
Yeah, it's kind of scary thinking about these pairs and
9:07
you're going into this really high profile competition and you
9:10
don't know if you have your elements or not.
9:12
I know, like, you don't know if they're going to be there.
9:16
Yeah, Michelkino, Vera Lava, I think have been the most vocal
9:20
about we want gold, but we also see them implode when the
9:25
pressure's really on. I mean, they had it on a platter
9:29
for them at Skate America. They could have beaten me or
9:32
Kihara and they just crumbled. So I don't know that Olympic
9:37
pressure is a question mark. And then like three of these
9:41
teams, I think we're going to see Murikihara, Kanti, Machi and
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Mitchell, Kina, Beru, Lava. I think we'll do both segments
9:47
of the team event. So, you know, that could work
9:52
against them. Maybe it's a good warm up.
9:55
I don't know it, it takes a lot out of you to do for programs
10:00
that close together, especially in pairs.
10:03
I mean, unless you're Megan Duhamel, who has no problem.
10:07
But I remember in Korea, I was telling our friend Barb, I was
10:12
like, would would, would Megan and Eric really do both
10:15
segments, the pairs, because the pairs event was, was first in
10:18
Korea. I was like, that they don't need
10:20
to. And Barb was like, you just try
10:21
and stop her. You just try and stop her.
10:23
And then she did and she was fine.
10:24
But she's, she's a different species of skater than a lot of
10:28
these skaters. I, I Yeah.
10:31
And, and she's A and she's a three time Olympic medalist.
10:34
Yeah, yeah, I know. Yeah, I'm sure she's preparing
10:37
New York Ihara for a scenario like that, but it's daunting
10:42
the. The pairs do have a much larger
10:45
gap this time around we're talking about, and you're
10:51
listening to this in the future, but the the pair's free skate is
10:57
on February 8th and the pair's short program is on February
11:05
15th. So in some ways it's like a
11:09
back-to-back Grand Prix sort of scenario, except it's not a
11:12
Grand Prix, it's the Olympics. So, so mentally it you got to
11:16
think that it takes a lot more out of you.
11:19
Now all these teams that we're talking about are all podium
11:22
contenders in the team event as well.
11:24
So that doesn't help matters and and it's, it's going to be
11:30
really crucial for them to compress and decompress in in a
11:40
way that allows them to put to peek twice within two weeks.
11:45
So, you know, I think that's, that's potentially good for
11:50
them. It could potentially be an
11:52
advantage for some other some somebody else, you know, like
11:56
House of Volodin is going to do. Just the individual.
12:00
Just just one event. Right.
12:03
Yeah. And so they don't have a, they
12:07
don't have a a team in a team event.
12:10
Germany, unlike 4 years ago where they did have a team in a
12:16
team event but Minerva Haasa was not a podium contender at that
12:19
point for for the pairs, yeah. And they have another team that
12:24
could skate it if they needed to.
12:26
Like, they could split. But they're.
12:28
Yeah, it's yeah. And then we have to ask, like,
12:33
where does Sway and Han fit in and all of this?
12:36
Like what happens if Sway and Han actually skate like to the
12:40
best of their ability and do a decent skate?
12:43
Yeah. I think that they could be in
12:45
the mix with the podium. I don't know that they could be
12:48
in the mix for gold as much as I want them to be, just based on
12:51
what we saw at 4 continents. I mean, the the way the way they
12:57
are putting out, especially that freeze gate where it just their
13:04
skating is so big when they are at their peak and it gets so
13:10
small because they're trying to save energy.
13:14
They're trying their lifts are are tight and not there because
13:18
they just haven't had the chance the time to do all of it.
13:22
And then there's then the The X Factor of wenching sways bone
13:28
bruise and how that's going to be like.
13:31
They have no time to heal. They're they have they had two
13:36
weeks between 4 continents and the start of the team event.
13:42
They have then one week between the team event and the the
13:46
individual event. It's going to be tough.
13:50
Yeah, yeah. If you, if you looked at like,
13:57
if you looked at the outsiders, like say one of the outsiders
14:08
skates incredibly well to clean programs, like no, nothing goes
14:13
wrong. Who do you think has the best
14:16
shot at the podium? Pavlova Siachenko I yeah, I want
14:27
to say I I, I think if they skated their programs well,
14:31
Stellato Duchamp but I just don't think that mentally
14:35
they're in a space where they can do that.
14:37
Well, that's also the thing, right?
14:38
Like if they if they actually did, right?
14:41
Like, yeah, if they did, Stellato Duchamp I think could
14:44
do it. I feel like all of their bad
14:46
scores and all their bad performances this season, it's
14:49
like all when when they are good and they're on, they get they
14:52
they can get the scores because, yeah, they're a really beautiful
14:56
team. It's just this year.
15:00
Yeah, I, I, I and I also think that Michelkina, Beru, Lava, I
15:08
do think that they would have a shot, probably they could have a
15:11
shot at gold if they were able to execute.
15:14
Not if Mira Kihara skate well, but if they didn't skate well.
15:17
I also wonder about them being able to execute.
15:20
Yeah, I. Don't know.
15:22
There's just so many question marks.
15:23
I just don't know. I don't know what what to.
15:27
Say many. Question marks.
15:29
I mean, this is a great time to be a pair with strong mental
15:35
fortitude and nice programs because you could really do
15:39
something here. Well, I mean, we've, we, we've
15:42
like, we've sliced and diced this field in many different
15:46
ways. But like for me, the interesting
15:49
thing is if we sliced and diced this field by the quality of the
15:55
two programs, you know, I for me, for me, like Mior Kihara.
16:04
Yeah, part. Stellato de Champ, Nagaoka,
16:07
Moriguchi, Kanti Machi and then I think Hassa Fulliden like that
16:14
would be those would be my five who have the best material out
16:19
there. OK, I would put Mitchell, Kina,
16:22
Beru, Lava as having like #2 best short program behind me are
16:27
the short is really good. No, the free, the free skate on
16:29
the other hand, yeah. I do love their short program.
16:34
And like they, they. They do a good bolero.
16:36
Yeah, yeah. And I think the the other thing
16:41
is in the the free skate, the groups are so small in Paris,
16:44
there's only four teams. So I mean, I feel like someone
16:50
having the skate of their life in the second to last group is
16:54
they could maybe get on the podium if they're lucky.
16:56
But I I think a lot will be decided in the short program.
17:01
But someone in fourth could absolutely win.
17:04
Yeah, I mean. This this this will be like a
17:11
generally crazy pairs. Yeah.
17:15
Event yeah, we have 19 pairs, 16 of them make it to the to the
17:20
free. So again, like it's sort of this
17:24
like, Oh my God, just like, let them all make it to the free.
17:27
They've made it this far. Yeah.
17:30
Like I, I kind of hate it that you go all the way to the
17:33
Olympics and it's like, oh sorry, you're just doing 1
17:36
program. Yeah, yeah.
17:40
And that, that those, those last three, like it could really,
17:45
there are, there are a number of teams here where you, you, they,
17:51
they fall on a triple toe or they do something weird and all
17:56
of a sudden it's like, oh, Nope, that's that's 55 points and
17:59
you're out. It's like, OK, well that.
18:01
Sucks. I would guess that the
18:04
Australians probably won't make the free skate based on what we
18:07
saw at 4 continents and then maybe the Dutch team.
18:13
Not they they can be so good when.
18:15
They're they could be so good. So off this season, yeah, yeah,
18:22
maybe the Kovalevs, but they were good at Europeans.
18:25
I know. She's got some willpower.
18:28
It's a, it's a, it's hard to say who the 17th is.
18:32
I I agree with you. I think 18 and 19 are probably
18:35
Danilova, Siba and Golubieva Chiaotopolis more.
18:41
Again, if Danilova and Sheba could do what they can do,
18:46
they're in the free skate no problem.
18:48
Yeah. But yeah, I just think, I just
18:52
think Golubieva and Chiaotopolis more are just so out of training
18:57
right now. And we talked about this at 4
19:00
continents. They are happy to be at the
19:02
Olympics. They they're happy they made it
19:04
through the the concussion and the citizenship debacle and all
19:10
the all the obstacles. And so they will enjoy the short
19:14
program and it's going to be great.
19:16
It just, you know, you can't, you can't get in there with a
19:20
double twist and A and an iffy throw.
19:23
It's just not going to happen. I mean, do you remember what
19:26
happened to Peng and Jin in Korea?
19:28
Oh. My gosh.
19:29
They were someone who was like outside medal contenders, maybe
19:31
outside top five contenders and they completely bloated in the
19:35
short and missed the free skate. So but.
19:37
That that was also the the, the craziness of that field.
19:42
Yeah, like 20. 2018. Everybody was clean.
19:46
Still, like the gold standard of Yeah pairs of this generation,
19:52
2018 was remarkable. Yeah.
19:57
No lie, I still think, I still think Mark Hotarek should have
20:01
been higher. They were so good.
20:04
They were so good. They were so on in the team
20:07
event and they were so on in the individual event and you know,
20:10
they just couldn't get the components.
20:12
I remember that they were, they had that fun.
20:14
Was it like a race car kind of program?
20:16
Like a drag racing program? Not drag race, but like drag car
20:23
racing. Car racing, I thought.
20:26
I thought they had the the the Americano program.
20:30
Maybe that's what I'm thinking of.
20:32
Boop, Boop, Boop, Boop, Boop Boop, boop, boop, boop, boop.
20:37
Yeah. And that and that didn't didn't
20:38
they also have 7 nation army? That was the year before.
20:45
That was the year before. Arm Accord is a yeah, that was
20:50
like a fascist Italy, you know, time timepiece program.
20:56
Yeah, the Americano program. Maybe it's what I'm thinking of.
21:00
Yeah, that's that's what you're thinking of.
21:01
It's they're short it it's like it, it was super fun.
21:04
Yeah. It's all about.
21:07
Oh, right, yes, yes, yes, yes, that's right.
21:11
But yeah, no, I it was still like that.
21:14
That event was, it continues to be one of the like highlights of
21:20
pairs I've I've witnessed live and it was so.
21:26
Good, the shore program and Aliana looked at Bruno and she's
21:29
like, did you double? Double.
21:31
You doubled. I like, couldn't sleep that
21:35
night. I was like, oh God, how did this
21:37
happen? I mean, I mean the Pang and Jin
21:44
didn't advance to the free skate at with a 6261.
21:49
OK, I know the scores they were different back then and the I
21:55
think the elements were different back then.
21:58
And there were some other things that made it also like the the
22:02
scores not comparable to today's, but still.
22:07
Yeah, yeah. It's crazy.
22:13
I mean the, the, how good that was anyway, the, the, this, it's
22:20
also to say this field, if they skate clean, could rival that in
22:26
terms of how good they are. I wouldn't go that far.
22:29
I wouldn't go that far, Rival, I wouldn't go that much.
22:32
I would say compliment. Compliment.
22:37
I you know, I mean, obviously, like I'm not saying I want them
22:42
back, but I do really feel the lack of the Russian teams in
22:46
this field because I feel like it it was like they sort of set
22:50
the standard at a certain place and then everyone else would
22:52
kind of come up to it. And we don't have Sway Han
22:55
setting the standard and we don't have a Russian team
22:58
setting the standard. And so it's sort of like Mira Ki
23:00
Hara, like their ceiling is so high, but they don't always get
23:03
close to it because, and they also kind of don't have to.
23:08
So yeah, Conte Machi would be winning.
23:13
Would be really fun. Just, you know.
23:16
For the Italian audience. Yeah, for the Italians it would
23:18
be fun. I mean I.
23:20
Could just. I could see Sarah Conte just
23:21
like, yeah, sobbing in the middle of the ice like I it
23:26
would be, it would be so it, it would be something.
23:28
Else I'm not crazy about their free skate either.
23:31
I feel like of the top teams, Mira Kihara, far and away best
23:34
free skate, and then I think Stellato Duchamp is probably the
23:37
next best one, yeah. Which they they have not been
23:40
able to do cleanly. Yeah.
23:42
At all. Yeah.
23:43
Yeah, I know. This is like a drinking game.
23:47
It really is, you just don't know.
23:50
And where do you think the Komoriguchi Komoriguchi their
23:54
free skate is? Probably third. 3rd on the list.
23:58
Yeah, I love that. I love that music.
24:02
Yeah. OK.
24:02
Where do you think the Americans end up?
24:07
I I think Cam and O'Shea have very much top ten potential.
24:12
I think Shannon Howe are probably in the 1314 range.
24:19
Yeah, I think I agree. Hopefully Shannon Howe don't
24:23
skate the way they did at nationals because they will miss
24:25
the free skate. Oh my gosh, in this competition.
24:28
Yes, that is for sure. Cam and O'Shea, I think they are
24:32
also another one who not podium surprise, but top six surprise.
24:40
I don't know. I'm very interested to see how
24:42
they handle the pressure. Absolutely.
24:45
Because this is, I mean, we're going to have seen them team
24:48
event pressure and see how that goes.
24:50
So. Yeah, and they're they're
24:53
they're the number one American team.
24:55
So and there there's there's zero chance they're going to not
24:59
do both events. So that's going to be and then
25:05
there, you know, and then there's the Pereira show, right?
25:08
The Canadian champions with a banging freeze or short short
25:13
program and going back to their Gladiator free skate like.
25:18
I would love some crazy drama like them actually getting
25:21
scored appropriately on their Jesse Ware short program and
25:24
being in the final group. I think that would be, it's
25:27
totally possible. I mean, I, I would love to see
25:30
it. Look, I mean, if if you look at
25:35
the scores you've, you would think that podium is probably in
25:41
the two 20s. But also because there's so many
25:46
people who have not skated to their potential all season long.
25:51
You could maybe only just see one team in the two 20s.
25:55
And that's where that's where the door then starts being open
25:59
for these other teams who are not, who do not have as high of
26:04
a ceiling. But if their ceiling is 215 and
26:08
a bunch of people fall, that 215's going to get you into the
26:12
top five. It's it's not out of the realm
26:16
of possibility. And you know, like you, you look
26:20
at you look at last year's World Championships, 210 made it onto
26:25
the podium. Yeah, yeah.
26:29
Miyar Kihara didn't even hit 220, It was 2/2/1979.
26:34
So yeah, there's so much that could happen.
26:38
Yeah. OK, let's do this.
26:41
What's your top five? Oh my God.
26:45
Miyar Kihara win. Kantimachi second.
26:51
Hasse Volodin third. Michelkina Berlava 4th.
26:55
Pavlova Sviachenko 5th. I can't believe I did that.
27:02
I don't even agree with myself, but that's where I am.
27:04
It's it's hard. It's, I don't, Yeah.
27:07
I have no idea what to agree with right now.
27:11
This is this. This is with the belief that
27:20
Sarah Conti is not ready for for for a full 100% competition.
27:27
So Mior Kihara first, Hasevolodin second, Metalkina
27:35
Berulova third, Pavlova Sviachenko 4th, Stellato de
27:41
Champ 5th. Whoa, OK.
27:46
If Kanti and Machi are ready, yeah, then they then, then, then
27:51
my predictions would be that they go up to the podium
27:53
somewhere. Yeah, yeah, yeah.
27:59
I don't know. I, I'm, I'm choosing to be
28:02
optimistic and I'm very grateful that they were proactive about
28:04
withdrawing from Europeans, a competition they could have
28:07
easily won, just to be to be rested and safe.
28:12
But that also makes me wonder how severe that entry is.
28:18
Yeah, yeah. I mean, I saw that post on the,
28:23
like, secret sources section of FSU, like over Christmas.
28:27
So it happened a while before Europeans, they knew pretty far
28:31
in advance they weren't going to go.
28:33
Wow, wow, wow. So I guess we'll, I guess we'll
28:38
see. Yeah.
28:41
Well, pairs is pairs and the potential for this to be a very
28:48
crazy result. Is there the potential for it?
28:52
Go ahead. You say it's going to be history
28:54
making regardless because these teams in contention are are
28:58
first time or very infrequent medalists in Olympic pair
29:03
skating. I mean, George has never won a
29:04
medal, I think in figure skating period.
29:07
Have they ever won a medal at the Winter Olympics?
29:09
Is that I'm going to make you that up?
29:10
I don't think they ever have. For the Olympics or or like for
29:13
for figure skating or for the. Olympics, Period.
29:15
Winter Olympics. I don't.
29:18
Know I'm pretty. I'm pretty sure they haven't.
29:21
But yeah, figure skating, it would be their, it would be
29:23
their their first. And then Japan, it would be
29:27
their first Olympic medal in pairs.
29:31
And Hungary hasn't won a medal since 1956.
29:38
They last last time the Olympics were in Cortina.
29:41
Oh my goodness, Hungarian team won bronze.
29:45
A Pavlovos Fiacchenko Georgia has never won an Olympic medal
29:52
in the Winter Olympics. Yeah, yeah.
29:56
That is correct. And you know what, they might
29:58
have one before we even get to this event, so we will see.
30:01
I know, right? The team event, if you're
30:05
listening in the future, the team event has happened and
30:08
something has happened. We'll see.
30:11
All right, Well, they'll either be crazy mess or it'll be
30:18
brilliance and we'll just all be celebrating how brilliant it
30:22
was. We're going to come back for one
30:27
more preview show and it'll be for the women and the fireworks
30:34
potentially of the women's event.
30:38
I, I am hoping that by the time you listen to this podcast that
30:41
things have gone really well, period.
30:46
All right, for Michelle Ellis, this is Jackie Wall,
30:48
Chiefskating or rockerskating.com.
30:51
Thanks, as always, to John Wilson Blades for your
30:54
sponsorship and to Tara Nichols, who loves to listen to us talk
31:00
about figure skating. Right, Tara?
31:01
Right, Tara, thank you. We'll talk to you again for Part
31:05
5. Bye.
31:07
Bye.