Cain and LeDuc Hope to Elevate U.S. Pairs on the World Stage

In the last 20 years, Team USA's pairs teams have earned two medals at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships. They have watched as their three team slots in the international competition circuit fell to one after difficult Grand Prix performances and Olympic debuts.
 
But Ashley Cain and Timothy LeDuc say it's time to wake up and take notice of the brewing potential. 
 
"I think that we're seeing a big rise in U.S. pairs," Cain said. "I think if you look back at this season, this was one of the strongest ones in a while as far as medals go. And I think that just shows how much work that [the teams] have put in."
 
They would know.
 
Cain and LeDuc will make their first appearance on the world stage on Wednesday, March 20, at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2019 in Saitama, Japan, as the only team representing the United States in pairs after a season of challenges, hard work and perseverance.
 
"It's been intense," LeDuc said. "We have had some pretty extreme highs and lows, but we always find a way to push things forward to get things done."
 
The team placed first at the Ondrej Nepela Trophy in September, third at Skate America in October and sixth at Rostelecom Cup in November. Then came the Golden Spin of Zagreb, where Cain sustained a concussion after landing directly on her head and neck while attempting to dismount from their final lift of the program.
 
"At the beginning of the season, we set up a plan," Cain said, about their projected journey to the World Championships. "Obviously, when the concussion happened, that was not in the plan. But it also helped us stay in tune with our bodies a little bit more and the amount we needed to put into the second half of the season in order to not burn out."
 
After taking time to recover and gingerly taking to the ice once again, the pair were hungry for a comeback.
 
At the 2019 GEICO U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, the team made their post-injury debut looking unscathed, placing second in the short program with 70.47, just under two points short of Tarah Kayne and Danny O'Shea.
 
The top spot was in reach.
 
They placed first overall with 141.89 points in their free skate as they exchanged exclamations of, "We did it!" to each other over a roaring crowd. They shared their celebratory moment as champions with the news of one of their primary goals—they would be the sole pair team representing the U.S. at World Championships.
 
"It just feels so good to say that we're going to the World Championships for the first time, after a career of trying to get there," LeDuc said. "We've worked really hard our whole lives to have opportunities like this."
 
But they know it hasn't all been about them. Cain and LeDuc held themselves to the standards and expectations of the other U.S. teams who could have just as easily taken Team USA's slot, like Haven Denny and Brandon Frazier, or Kayne and O'Shea.
 
"It's a great push for us knowing that there are teams [in the United States] that are really at our heels," LeDuc said. "There are many pairs who are qualified to be there, and we are honored to be the ones going."
 
They know, understand and embrace the responsibility they feel to represent Team USA pairs, and they want to do more than just do it justice. The World Championship podium has been dominated by Russia, China and Germany in recent consecutive years, and even if they can't change that this season, it's still about paving the way for those to come.
 
"I would love to see the full comeback of U.S. pairs, for us to start winning more Grand Prix medals, qualify more teams for the Grand Prix final, qualify more spots for Worlds and ultimately the Olympics." LeDuc said.
 
Until then, they'll be relying on their support system, including Peter and Darlene Cain, former pairs skater and ice dance competitors, respectively, as well as Cain's parents.
 
"They've been able to be there with me through everything," Cain said. "They never gave up on me, even at times where I felt like I might want to give up on myself, and they've been through a lot with us." As for winning a U.S. title after both of Cain and LeDuc's lengthy careers? 
 
"I love that I can share that with them," Cain said. "I think just finally winning this year was so exciting for them to see and to feel. It wasn't just my dream; it was theirs as well."
 
The team was sent off by members of their rink who celebrate the team's success through encouraging messages, social media posts and tight hugs.
 
"The group around us here at our rink is so supportive, it's crazy," Cain said. "It shocks me sometimes just how supportive all of the parents and the skaters are. We're so happy that we can share our journey with them as well."
 
Cain and LeDuc admit that they can hardly wait to step on the ice, and have their experience from this season culminate into their Worlds debut.
 
"Our mindset from the beginning of the season was this was our year to break out, we've definitely broken out," LeDuc said.
 
They've broken out of their comfort zones, they've broken they're personal records and they've broken through their own expectations.
 
Now, it's just about tackling that next step in the plan.
 
"I'm looking forward to hopefully putting out in competition what we've been doing in training," LeDuc said. "And showing two really strong performances to prove that United States pairs should not be overlooked."