The post-Olympic World Championships is often an intriguing mix of the old and the new in pairs skating. This year was no exception. Veteran pair Wenjing Sui/Cong Han won their second World title in stunning fashion, followed by Russians Evgenia Tarasova/Vladimir Morozov, who claimed their third World medal in as many years. However, newer pairs such as Peng/Jin, Boikova/Kozlovskii, and Cain/LeDuc also made their mark, all with placements in the top 10.   

Overall, the pairs event in Saitama didn’t reach the same level as the last two World championships in Helsinki and Milan. Fewer pairs competed at this year’s Worlds (only 19, versus 28 the last 2 years). And not many teams delivered season’s-best performances in Japan. Nonetheless, the quality level at the top was still high. Before we look at the individual pairs’ results, though, I want to take a look at the state of pairs overall in 2018-19.  Continue reading “Worlds 2019: Pairs Review” →