I’m not entirely sure who Skate Canada sold its soul to that it went from 1 viable ice dance team to 5, but this ice dance, so anything is possible. Perhaps I’m just buying into the hype, but here are my predictions for Nationals:
1. Marjorie & Jean-Luc - both have such strong ice dance skills and they seem to be gelling well. They will have at least NHK under their belts by then. I predict big things. Also, loving and enjoying what you do tends to show.
2. Marie-Jade & Romain - I think Skate Canada will have their backs and keep them second as they need to send them to Worlds strong. If they have half the off season they had last year they will start the season strong.
3. Hannah & Zak - Yes, they have been doing fun TikTok’s, but Zak has been burning bridges during the last quad, giving surly interviews and blowing CBC fluff pieces. Hannah has presence and great lift positions, but she sometimes struggles with footwork and patterns. I think this team will need the year to gel.
4. Alicia & Marko - This one feels like a risk. They looked good in their media day and I like their quality of movement together. Will her skating skills get stronger? His?
5. Layla & Alex - I’m hoping for a very strong start from them. The transition to senior is tough and there’s a lot of pressure on their shoulders.
6. Nadiia & Noe - Another risk. I really liked them last year and thought they needed time to gel. I’m also hoping the time at IAMO will have helped his skating skills.
7. Sandrine & Paul - This pairing baffles me. Their skating didn’t look that convincing in their media day. Bothe if them need work on their basic skills.
8. Amanda & Peter - If they are improving they should be making sure their social media posts reflect that. Right now every video makes it look like they paired up last week and are still working on basic stroking.
Your thoughts? What will we see in January??
