The Pairs event at Canadian Nationals was less about the winners, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who we all knew were going to dominate the competition, and more about the rivalry between Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. Kirsten and Dylan split following the Sochi Olympics, and the discussions surrounding their split all season have been controversial. This is the first time this season that both pairs competed against each other.
Moscovitch and his new partner Lubov Ilyushechkina took the silver medal behind the Grand Prix champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. Because Lubov has been in Canada such a short time, they have not received funding to train and were limited in the competitions they were able to attend. Despite the drama at the beginning of the season, and the questions about whether or not they would even be able to compete this season, they skated well. The greatest issues within their programs was simply issues with timing, which will improve as time goes on.
Kirsten and her new partner, Michael had less trouble getting started with competitions at the beginning of the season, but had less luck at nationals. They finished in fourth place, a solid spot for a first year team, however they will not be attending the World Championships. For Kirsten, though Michael has improved over the course of the season, the reality is that Dylan is the better partner. Over time, both teams will certainly improve tremenously, but at the moment, Kirsten and Michael are not as strong a team as Lubov and Dylan.
Finishing in third place was a junior Canadian team, Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau. They will be attending both the junior and senior World Championships this year. Though not necessarily in the running for a top spot at the Senior World Championships, their chances at medaling at the Junior Worlds are strong. The future of pairs skating in Canada is strong with these two.
Finally, the top team, Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford. They remain undefeated in the 2014-2015 season, and with strong skates at Four Continents and the World Championships, they stand a good chance at remaining undefeated. Their technical superiority and consistency more than make up for any discrepancies within their PCSs. Their programs this season suit their style and now that they have embraced the skaters that they are, they stand a good chance at winning the World Championships this year.
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