Update on Voloshozhar & Trankov, and Other Pairs News

Olympic champions will settle on things at the end of the summer; odd Chinese pair out already getting new program; American pair further discuss the tribulations of the last year.

Much of the skating world is now en route to Finland, ready for the World Championships. The last week Chinese drama about who’d be going occupied much attention. But the biggest pairs news didn’t come from there. In fact, it concerned the Olympic champions who bailed on the season to have a baby. Not that the Chinese stayed out of the pairs news entirely either. They too have a pair not competing, who had some news anyway. Although none of that was the most dramatic story told this week. That belonged to an American pair who will be in Helsinki.

Volosozhar & Trankov Planning Possible Final Skates

In an interview with rspots.ru this week, Maxim Trankov discussed his and Tatiana Voloszhar’s immediate plans. They return to the ice in April, and will participate in Russia’s test skates. But he warns that may just end up being final performances for their fans. And when he talks about how she’s the one who wants to skate, and they don’t think they can get back to their previous level when they have a baby to care for, one gets the feeling they’ll ultimate decide against competing again.

Also telling in his revealing they’re not going to be working longtime coach Nina Mozer anymore. Their official reason is she’s already coaching the three top Russian pairs, which she’s done for more than one period of time in recent years, but can’t handle four. But their not wanting to force any of those teams out of the group may well be because they know they themselves wouldn’t stay in it. If he really thinks she wouldn’t want the Olympic champions back, that’s probably because she’d also realize they don’t want it anymore as much as her current students do.

Those three pairs will make Russia a very strong team even if without Volosozhar & Trankov. But it would be a bit of shame, if we never saw them on the ice again after those test skates.

Chinese Pair Not Competing Getting New Program Instead

Two Chinese pairs will compete in Helsinki, and will try to earn China a third pairs berth for the Olympics. It’ll be tragic if they don’t, since there are three teams who all deserve to go. Perhaps in response to all the drama this week, a Chinese article this week revealed that which two teams are off to Worlds was decided much earlier. Which, considering the results of the second two Chinese teams this season, only made sense. But they discussed all four of China’s top pairs, including that the two of them not going are already working on next season’s programs.

Cheng Peng & Yang Jin will especially be crossing their fingers for a third Olympic berth, which would likely go to them. Meanwhile, they prepare to go to Canada for choreography from Lori Nichol (who regularly does programs for the Chinese teams). We don’t get their new music named. No skaters have done that yet, though one’s dropped a very strong hint. But some skaters have said their keeping one old program, and Peng & Jin are among them. They are only getting a new short program, one described as very different from this season, and keeping their Umbrellas of Cherbourg long, though reworking it.

It might have been nicer had they kept the short program, one of the better ones this season. But their long’s a beautiful one too, when done well. It would be no shame to see it on Olympic ice.

Alexa Scimeca Knierim Talks Further About Ordeal

When Alexa Scimeca Knierim & Chris Knierim first confirmed she’d suffered a serious medical condition over the summer, they didn’t go much in details. Since then, they’ve spoken of it a stomach problem. She even posted a photo of her stomach scar, the less gross of her Instagram posts on the matter. But it was only this last week that they finally told the whole story.

It turned out to be a bit of a harrowing one, involving hours of vomiting and multiple surgeries. The last one, in November, happened a month after they’d described her as having “a clean bill of health.” It was also a downright scary one, being both life-threatening and extremely hard to diagnose. We could have very easily been mourning a young woman’s death now, if they hadn’t been lucky enough to find a doctor who figured it out in time.

Next: Likely Final Roster for Worlds Brings Clarification

Small wonder that their skates at the Four Continents Championships, their first competition since the summer, packed an emotional punch. They didn’t skate their best there, but nor did most of the skaters in that competition. They may well do very well in Helsinki. Even if they don’t, they’ll probably still remain glad they lived to skate there.