Piper Gilles and Tim McKernan placed second in Junior Dance at the U.S. National Figure Skating Championships in 2008, but in late May of 2008, they announced the end of their partnership.
Jessica Rose Paetsch and John Nuss won the 2008 U.S. Junior Pairs Championship, but in this last week, their partnership also ended. 2006 World Junior Pair Champions,
Julia Vlassov and Drew Meekins announced the end of their six years together in November of 2007. Gilles now skates with Zach Donohue, who had previously skated with Lili LaMar. McKernan now is partnered with Shannon Wingle (who had skated with Ryan Devereaux). Jessica Rose Paetsch is now skating with Drew Meekins.
Personally, I miss the days when teams like Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner or Jo Jo Starbuck and Kenneth Shelley stayed together from their early skating days until the end of their professional figure skating careers, but I know that the new IJS judging system requires moves that force changes in team makeup. Perfect unison for pair or dance teams does not seem to be as important as it once was. If a girl gets two big for a boy, it may be time for a switch.
Pair Skaters Drew Meekins and Julia Vlassov Once Were a Team; Meekins Is Now Teamed With Jessica Rose Paetsch - Photo by Guang Niu/Getty Images
Ice Dancers Piper Gilles and Tim McKernan Once Were a Team; Gilles Now Skates With Zachary Donohue and McKernan Skates With Shannon Wingle - Photo by Leah Adams - http://www.leahadams.com/
Comments
I too miss the days of the longer skating partnerships. Today it seems that if a couple do not achieve immediate success, that partnership is broken up. Kiokko Ina and Jason Dunjan(sp) were heirs to the throne when she threw in the towel and changed partners. She and John Zimmerman never achieved the high level of skating she had with Jason. And the dirty looks shown by her after almost every skate with John were most unattractive. The only thing good to come out of that situation was the gift of Jason and his wife skating together. I have never understood why more producers don’t appreciate their exquisite beauty. Stars on Ice hired Jason for one year, which was long over due acknowledgement. But then the following year only she was in Stars on Ice. Why?
The Russian and Chinese pairs are put together at a young age, and they develop most amazing unison and achieve such high levels. In America where divorce is so common, pairs rarely stay together. Our most promising pairs from 4 years ago no longer exist! No wonder the U.S. pairs can’t compete effectively at the Olympic level. It is amazing that we do have a few good dance pairs, who are committed to each other.