NHK Trophy - Pairs Final - Top 5 Highlights

Alexa Scimeca Knierim & Chris Knierim were the biggest fighters of the day

The pairs' final showcased a lot of strong couples and complex, difficult routines. Unlike the ice dance, some of the skaters we expect to compete for some of the most important titles at the end of the season were present.

Natalia Zabiiako/Alexander Enbert fit into this category. One of the most interesting battles, which we might see at the Grand Prix Final, will be between them and their co-nationals, Tarasova/Morozov. Until then though, they won the NHK Trophy with a sad love story and a single mistake of not jumping the 3Salchows in sync. Their score was 140.66 for the free and 214.14 in total.

I am still surprised by the silver medalists, Cheng Peng/Yang Jin. I remember when they were first paired up and they were so awkward many people didn't give them much time together. Well, those people were wrong! Their relationship has grown a lot and her confidence is glowing these days. They're even pulling off breathtaking elements like a 3Twist lift that matched the music perfectly. Score: 136.58 -> 207.24.

Alexa Scimeca Knierim/Chris Knierim won the bronze medal, which came as a relief to many. This pair has been going up and up every season and it would have been a shame to see their development abruptly halted. Mistakes did creep in though: her side-by-side 3Salchow was all shades of wrong, while he stepped out of the 3Toeloop. Nevertheless, 125.74 points in the free and a total of 190.49 points were enough to get on the podium.

The Americans' rise was partly possible because of Kirsten Moore-Towers/Michael Marinaro's fall. The Canadians were left without a medal after he put down a hand on the 3Salchow, they only managed a 1Toeloop in the combo and she put a hand down on the throw 3Loop. Score: 121.96 -> 189.66

 Tarah Kayne/Danny O'Shea stayed on the fifth place they had earned after the short programme. Their music was Swan Lake, which is a theme I haven't seen in a while. They had an ambitious routine, with a daring entry into the throw 3Salchow, but the jump combination was completely messed up, and she fell on both the side-by-side 2Axel and the throw 3Loop. In the end, they earned 105.16 points in the free and 164.16 in total.

All in all, the pairs event in Hiroshima was one of the strongest we've seen at this Grand Prix series. Some skaters had to really fight for their medal, while others naturally glided into the highest steps of the podium, which is a sign there are even greater things to come from them.

Quote of the competition:


More from the NHK Trophy 2018:

Rhythmic Dance

First day

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