The best of the best from 2010

2010 was an amazing year in figure skating. From the excitement of the Vancouver Olympics to Sasha Cohen's competitive return, to Alissa Czisny's stunning resurgence, here are my top three moments of the year.

1. Meryl Davis & Charlie White, 2010 U.S. Championships, free dance



I have never experienced first-hand an arena so full of excitement and joy as the Spokane Arena was that afternoon in January. The speed, attack and gravity-defying lifts Meryl and Charlie showed were incredible, and this performance would set them up to claim both Olympic and World silver medals in the weeks that followed.

2. Yu-Na Kim, 2010 Olympic Winter Games, free skate



With the weight of South Korea on her slight, 19-year old shoulders, 2009 World Champion Yu-Na Kim headed into the Vancouver Games with the expectation to win gold -- and she did not disappoint. Kim laid down two of the most perfect programs in skating history, smashing world records along the way and defeating silver medalist Mao Asada by more than 23 points.

3. Alissa Czisny, 2010-11 Grand Prix Final, free skate



After a 10th place finish at Nationals last January, many in the sport called for 23-year old Alissa Czisny to hang up her skates. Labeled a "headcase" and viewed as a skater who would never win a major international title, Czisny has persevered this season, switching coaches, retooling her technique and posting the highest ladies score of the season. This has set Czisny up as the favorite for the U.S. title next month in Greensboro, as well as a World medal in Tokyo come March.

Blast from the Past: Kristi Yamaguchi's "Blue Danube Waltz"

Has Kristi Yamaguchi ever put a foot wrong when it comes to program selection?



Her short program from the 1991-92 season, the "Blue Danube Waltz," is her best effort ever. The choreography and interpretation are perfect, not to mention her soaring jumps and, for that time period, quite innovative spin positions (haircutter position in her layback, outside edge on her camel spin, etc).

This program catapulted the 20-year old American to her first National title in 1992, as well as gold at both the Olympics and Worlds that year.

Enjoy!

2011 U.S. Nationals Fun with Numbers: Ladies

And last but certainly not least, here are the ladies.

For the sole purpose of enjoyment, speculation and "what ifs," I've compiled a list of the average scores of all the senior-level skaters who will be at Nationals next month. Listed below are the pairs overall, short program and free skate scores averaged from all competitions this fall (JGP events, GP events, JGP/GP Finals, Senior B's, Regionals, Sectionals).

Please comment with your thoughts, opinions, Nationals predictions, etc!

Senior Ladies

Average Overall Scores:
1. Alissa Czisny (168.60)
2. Mirai Nagasu (157.01)
3. Christina Gao (155.94)
4. Ashley Wagner (155.38)
5. Agnes Zawadzki (155.20)
6. Vanessa Lam (152.45)

7. Rachael Flatt (150.49)
8. Yasmin Siraj (144.45)
9. Kiri Baga (138.00)
10. Samantha Cesario (134.13)
11. Caroline Zhang (133.18)
12. Amanda Dobbs (131.91)

13. Kristiene Gong (131.44)
14. Melissa Bulanhagui (130.63)
15. Alexe Gilles (127.77)
16. Joelle Forte (126.75)
17. Danielle Kahle (126.63)

18. Felicia Zhang (123.16)
19. Morgan Bell (119.51)
20. Kelsey Traunero (118.92)
21. Keli Zhou (117.14)

22. Kristine Musademba (116.77)
23. Katy Jo West (114.99)
24. Tatyana Khazova (114.81)
25. Ellie Kawamura (109.82)


Average SP Scores:
1. Mirai Nagasu (58.74)
2. Alissa Czisny (58.05)
3. Agnes Zawadzki (57.87)
4. Ashley Wagner (54.55)
5. Vanessa Lam (53.35)
6. Caroline Zhang (50.69)
7. Rachael Flatt (49.97)
8. Kiri Baga (49.92)
9. Christina Gao (49.90)
10. Joelle Forte (47.65)
11. Samantha Cesario (47.27)
12. Kristiene Gong (46.80)
13. Amanda Dobbs (46.28)
14. Melissa Bulanhagui (46.09)
15. Felicia Zhang (45.95)
16. Yasmin Siraj (45.49)
17. Danielle Kahle (44.92)
18. Tatyana Khazova (44.30)
19. Morgan Bell (42.77)
20. Kristine Musademba (42.66)
21. Alexe Gilles (42.43)
22. Keli Zhou (39.30)
23. Kelsey Traunero (39.03)
24. Ellie Kawamura (38.44)
25. Katy Jo West (38.42)


Average FS Scores:
1. Alissa Czisny (110.55)
2. Christina Gao (106.04)
3. Ashley Wagner (100.83)
4. Rachael Flatt (100.52)
5. Vanessa Lam (99.10)
6. Yasmin Siraj (98.96)
7. Mirai Nagasu (98.27)
8. Agnes Zawadzki (97.33)
9. Kiri Baga (88.08)
10. Samantha Cesario (86.86)
11. Amanda Dobbs (85.63)
12. Alexe Gilles (85.34)
13. Kristiene Gong (84.64)
14. Melissa Bulanhagui (84.54)
15. Caroline Zhang (82.49)
16. Danielle Kahle (81.71)
17. Kelsey Traunero (79.89)
18. Joelle Forte (79.10)
19. Keli Zhou (77.84)
20. Felicia Zhang (77.21)
21. Morgan Bell (76.74)
22. Katy Jo West (76.57)
23. Kristine Musademba (74.11)
24. Ellie Kawamura (71.38)
25. Tatyana Khazova (70.51)

2011 U.S. Nationals Fun with Numbers: Men

For the sole purpose of enjoyment, speculation and "what ifs," I've compiled a list of the average scores of all the senior-level skaters who will be at Nationals next month. Listed below are the pairs overall, short program and free skate scores averaged from all competitions this fall (JGP events, GP events, JGP/GP Finals, Senior B's, Regionals, Sectionals).

Please comment with your thoughts, opinions, Nationals predictions, etc!

Ladies to follow shortly...

Senior Men

Average Overall Scores:
1. Adam Rippon (218.09)
2. Jeremy Abbott (217.71)
3. Brandon Mroz (209.89)
4. Armin Mahbanoozadeh (194.11)
5. Richard Dornbush (192.23)
6. Ross Miner (191.88)

7. Douglas Razzano (185.70) [one event only, Ice Challenge]
8. Grant Hochstein (185.46)
9. Stephen Carriere (184.20)
10. Jason Brown (181.95)
11. Joshua Farris (180.31)
12. Keegan Messing (180.24)

13. Andrew Gonzales (180.09)
14. Alex Johnson (179.05)
15. Jonathan Cassar (178.31)
16. Parker Pennington (176.26)
17. Scott Dyer (175.26)

18. Jason Wong (174.03)
19. Sean Rabbitt (173.50)
20. Christopher Caluza (162.89)
21. Wesley Campbell (160.41)
22. Lloyd Ting (147.74)


Average SP Scores:
1. Jeremy Abbott (76.12)
2. Adam Rippon (75.74)
3. Brandon Mroz (71.41)
4. Douglas Razzano (68.93) [one event only, Ice Challenge]
5. Ross Miner (65.98)
6. Keegan Messing (65.13)
7. Richard Dornbush (64.18)
8. Joshua Farris (64.02)
9. Alex Johnson (62.82)
10. Armin Mahbanoozadeh (60.94)
11. Andrew Gonzales (60.74)
12. Parker Pennington (59.70)
13. Jason Brown (59.50)
14. Stephen Carriere (59.14)
15. Scott Dyer (58.99)
16. Grant Hochstein (58.19)
17. Jonathan Cassar (58.14)
18. Sean Rabbitt (57.18)
19. Jason Wong (55.15)
20. Christopher Caluza (54.44)
21. Wesley Campbell (49.35)
22. Lloyd Ting (48.66)


Average FS Scores:
1. Adam Rippon (142.35)
2. Jeremy Abbott (141.59)
3. Brandon Mroz (138.48)
4. Armin Mahbanoozadeh (133.17)
5. Richard Dornbush (128.05)
6. Grant Hochstein (127.27)
7. Ross Miner (125.90)
8. Stephen Carriere (125.06)
9. Jason Brown (122.45)
10. Jonathan Cassar (120.17)
11. Andrew Gonzales (119.35)
12. Jason Wong (118.88)
13. Douglas Razzano (116.77) [one event only, Ice Challenge]
14. Parker Pennington (116.56)
15. Sean Rabbitt (116.32)
16. Joshua Farris (116.29)
17. Scott Dyer (116.27)
18. Alex Johnson (116.23)
19. Keegan Messing (115.11)
20. Wesley Campbell (111.06)
21. Christopher Caluza (108.45)
22. Lloyd Ting (99.08)

2011 U.S. Nationals Fun with Numbers: Ice Dance

 For the sole purpose of enjoyment, speculation and "what ifs," I've compiled a list of the average scores of all the senior-level skaters who will be at Nationals next month. Listed below are the pairs overall, short program and free skate scores averaged from all competitions this fall (JGP events, GP events, JGP/GP Finals, Senior B's, Regionals, Sectionals).

For dance, I've also included the results of the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships held in August, simply because some teams have only competed once otherwise this fall.

Please comment with your thoughts, opinions, Nationals predictions, etc!

Men's and ladies to follow shortly...

Senior Ice Dance

Average Overall Scores:
1. Davis/White (164.49)
2. Shibutani/Shibutani (138.25)
3. Chock/Zuerlein (133.99)
4. Kriengkrairut/Giulietti-Schmitt (125.68)
5. Hubbell/Hubbell (124.63)

6. Wingle/McKernan (119.07)
7. Hoptman/Filchenkov (111.73) [one event only, Sectionals]
8. Aronow/Donohue (109.80) [one event only, Sectionals]
9. Cannuscio/Lorello (108.64)
10. Zuber/Herring (98.88)

11. Tibbetts/Brubaker (95.86) [one event only, Skate Canada]
12. Zeigler/Burbank (90.72)
13. Pilgrim/Lorello (82.42) [one event only, Sectionals]
14. Ponomaryova/Kelling (70.07) [one event only, Sectionals]


Average SD Scores:
1. Davis/White (66.41)
2. Chock/Zuerlein (54.86)
3. Shibutani/Shibutani (52.35)
4. Kriengkrairut/Giulietti-Schmitt (51.27)
5. Wingle/McKernan (48.94)
6. Hubbell/Hubbell (48.65)
7. Cannuscio/Lorello (45.24)
8. Hoptman/Filchenkov (45.10)
9. Aronow/Donohue (40.99)
10. Zuber/Herring (39.37)
11. Tibbetts/Brubaker (36.88)
12. Zeigler/Burbank (34.11)
13. Ponomaryova/Kelling (34.02)
14. Pilgrim/Lorello (31.91)


Average FD Scores:
1. Davis/White (98.08)
2. Shibutani/Shibutani (85.90)
3. Chock/Zuerlein (79.13)
4. Hubbell/Hubbell (75.98)
5. Kriengkrairut/Giulietti-Schmitt (74.41)
6. Wingle/McKernan (70.13)
7. Aronow/Donohue (68.81)
8. Hoptman/Filchenkov (66.63)
9. Cannuscio/Lorello (63.40)
10. Zuber/Herring (59.51)
11. Tibbetts/Brubaker (58.98)
12. Zeigler/Burbank (56.61)
13. Pilgrim/Lorello (50.51)
14. Ponomaryova/Kelling (36.05)

2011 U.S. Nationals Fun with Numbers: Pairs

For the sole purpose of enjoyment, speculation and "what ifs," I've compiled a list of the average scores of all the senior-level skaters who will be at Nationals next month. Listed below are the pairs overall, short program and free skate scores averaged from all competitions this fall (JGP events, GP events, JGP/GP Finals, Senior B's, Regionals, Sectionals).

For pairs, I've also included the results of the Indy Challenge held in August, simply because some teams have only competed once otherwise this fall.

Please comment with your thoughts, opinions, Nationals predictions, etc!

Ice dance, men's and ladies to follow shortly...

Senior Pairs

Average Overall Scores:
1. Yankowskas/Coughlin (160.73)
2. Denney/Barrett (159.40)
3. Evora/Ladwig (157.26)
4. Castelli/Shnapir (152.47)

5. Simpson/Miller (143.06)
6. Vise/Baldwin (141.37) [one event only, Ice Challenge]
7. Donlan/Speroff (137.67)
8. Smith/Bartholomay (137.14)

9. Katz/Lynch (136.72)
10. Bereswill/Young (136.40) [one event only, Sectionals]
11. Davis/Leftheris (134.40)
12. Aaron/Cohen (134.13)

13. Zhang/Toth (124.51)
14. Moore/Gaumond (118.13)
15. Scimeca/Dimitrov (88.93) [one event only, Sectionals]
16. Marley/Brubaker (52.30 SP only) [one event only, Sectionals SP]


Average SP Scores:
1. Denney/Barrett (56.76)
2. Yankowskas/Coughlin (56.63)
3. Marley/Brubaker (52.30)
4. Evora/Ladwig (52.02)
5. Castelli/Shnapir (50.90)
6. Smith/Bartholomay (50.45)
7. Bereswill/Young (49.24)
8. Simpson/Miller (49.06)
9. Vise/Baldwin (48.70)
10. Donlan/Speroff (46.69)
11. Aaron/Cohen (46.30)
12. Katz/Lynch (45.68)
13. Davis/Leftheris (44.87)
14. Moore/Gaumond (43.95)
15. Zhang/Toth (43.80)
16. Scimeca/Dimitrov (40.91)


Average FS Scores:
1. Evora/Ladwig (105.24)
2. Yankowskas/Coughlin (104.10)
3. Denney/Barrett (102.64)
4. Castelli/Shnapir (101.57)
5. Simpson/Miller (94.00)
6. Vise/Baldwin (92.67)
7. Katz/Lynch (91.04)
8. Donlan/Speroff (90.98)
9. Davis/Leftheris (89.53)
10. Aaron/Cohen (87.83)
11. Bereswill/Young (87.16)
12. Smith/Bartholomay (86.69)
13. Zhang/Toth (80.71)
14. Moore/Gaumond (74.18)
15. Scimeca/Dimitrov (48.02)
16. Marley/Brubaker (0.00)

Rejuvenated Czisny takes Skate Canada title

It was only 10 months ago that American Alissa Czisny delivered two disastrous programs en route to a 10th place finish at the U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash.

Figure skating message boards were ablaze with posters recommending that Czisny, the 2009 national champion, hang up her skates and move on in life. After years of underperforming in the "big events," they suggested that she find another career path and skate in shows instead.

Well I, for one, am glad she's chosen to stick it out. This weekend in Kingston, Ontario, the 23-year old Czisny delivered an electric free skate to vault herself from fourth place after the short program to first place overall and win her second Skate Canada title (her first coming in 2005).

Armed with new coaches -- 1994 World Champion Yuka Sato of Japan and her husband, former U.S. pairs champ Jason Dungjen, new jump technique and a new competition mindset, Czisny's skating has never looked better. Yes, her free skate wasn't perfect, as she fell on her final triple toe loop, but the confidence she displayed throughout the event and the authority with which she delivered her performances were more than enough to distance her from the field of challengers.

It will be interesting to see if Czisny can carry this momentum to her second Grand Prix event next month, as well as to the 2011 U.S. Championships in Greensboro, North Carolina. She often falters when the biggest titles are on the line, but the form and poise she displayed this week in Canada were nothing short of magnificent.

Kudos, Alissa, on a job well done.

--------------------------------------
In other Skate Canada news, home-country kid Patrick Chan took gold in the men's event, with Japan's Nobunari Oda winning silver and American Adam Rippon claiming the bronze. Canada was also golden in ice dance, with Vanessa Crone/Paul Poirier clinching gold over the British team of Sinead Kerr/John Kerr, with young Americans Madison Chock/Greg Zuerlein winning a surprise bronze medal. The Russian duo of Lubov Iliushechkina/Nodari Maisuradze won the pairs title, while Canada's Kirsten Moore-Towers/Dylan Moscovitch and Paige Lawrence/Rudi Swiegers went 2-3, respectively.

The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series continues this week with the third event, Cup of China. American star Mirai Nagasu makes her season debut after being sidelined by a stress fracture in her foot this summer. Japanese vet Miki Ando is the favorite to take the ladies title here, and teammate Akiko Suzuki should round out the podium.

Baga back in top form

After being sidelined with a stress fracture this summer, Minnesota's Kiri Baga came back in a big way this weekend at the Junior Grand Prix event in Japan.

Perhaps more impressive than her silver-medal finish is how consistent her triple jumps have become. Baga landed a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination for the first time in her career in the short program, and followed that up by landing 2 triple Lutzes (and a triple flip) in her free skate -- another milestone for the 15-year old American.

Her performances weren't perfect, though. She had trouble with the double Axel in both programs, falling on it in the free skate and receiving negative Grades of Execution on some of her other jump elements as well. What's important, however, is the fact that she had such a strong showing (including a 6-triple free skate) after such limited training time this season. Baga will skate in again at the final JGP event in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in three weeks. She'll need a podium finish once again to ensure herself of another trip to the Junior Grand Prix Final in December.

Baga appears to be turning into a rare breed of skater: one that shines in the face of adversity and has more grit and determination in her entire body than many of us do in our pinky finger.

Watch out for her this season -- she could very well be a top 8 finisher come Nationals in January.

Gao, Sotnikova set to duke it out in Austria

Christina Gao of the United States and Russia's Adelina Sotnikova.

Christina Gao isn't resting on her laurels this season.

The 16-year old, who placed 5th in the senior division at the U.S. Championships last season, won three bronze medals on the Junior Grand Prix circuit last season, including one at the Junior Grand Prix Final. She's upped her game considerably this season in hopes of reaching the top step of the podium.

Gao is now armed with a stellar triple flip-triple toe loop combination, one so breathtaking it draws comparisons to the triple-triple combinations of Olympic champ Yu-Na Kim, Gao's former training partner. With a base value of 9.30 points, the combination, if hit cleanly, could very well catapult the young American to the top of the standings this week at the Junior Grand Prix event in Graz, Austria.

She won't go unchallenged, though. Enter Adelina Sotnikova, the 13-year old Russian "wonderbaby" who makes her international debut this week. Sotnikova won the Russian National Championship in 2009 at the tender age of 11, but has struggled with growth spurts and harnessing the pressure of competition since. However, if she goes clean in both programs, she will be hard to beat; her spins, spirals and skating skills are among the best in the junior ranks.

It will be interesting to see which girl comes out on top Saturday afternoon. I suspect both will score higher than the other junior skaters have so far this season, and I think both are early favorites for the Junior Grand Prix Final and Junior Worlds.

Whatever the case may be, the Gao vs. Sotnikova rivalry looks to be one of the most interesting of the young season.

Gao's new free skate:


Sotnikova's free skate from the 2010 Russian Championships:

Junior Grand Prix round-up: Courchevel, France and Brasov, Romania

With the first two Junior Grand Prix events of the 2010-11 season in the books, here's a quick recap of what went down on the ice:

Event #1: Courchevel, France

The American men opened the series with a strong showing in France, claiming both the silver and bronze medals behind Canadian Andrei Rogozine. Max Aaron of Colorado Springs was second after the short program, but fell to third in the free skate and third overall. Reigning U.S. junior champion Jason Brown, in third place after the short program, laid down a 7-triple free skate to win that portion and climb to second overall. Both American men have been assigned to a second event, the JGP in Japan next weekend, and both look poised to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Russia continued it's dominance in junior ice dance with the team of Alexandra Stepanova & Andrei Bukin winning the gold medal by nearly 10 points over Americans Anastasia Cannuscio & Colin McManus. Another Russian team, Evgenia Kosigina & Nikolai Moroshkin, took bronze in their international debut. Cannuscio/McManus have been assigned a second JGP event in Japan, along with U.S. teammates Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker.

There was a lot of movement between the short and long programs in the ladies event. Reigning Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist Polina Shelepen of Russia came from behind to win the gold medal by nearly 11 points over American junior silver medalist Yasmin Siraj. Shelepen's jumps are solid as a rock, but the rest of her skating leaves much to be desired. Siraj climbed from sixth to second with a strong, expressive, 5-triple free skate. Roza Sheveleva of Russia was third, France's Yretha Silete was fourth and 13-year old American Nina Jiang rounded out the top five. Siraj will compete at the JGP event in Great Britain in hopes of medalling again and qualifying for the Final for the first time in her career.

Shelepen's free skate:


Siraj's free skate:


Event #2: Brasov, Romania

The U.S. men saw continued success at the second event in Romania last weekend. Keegan Messing fell on a quadruple toe loop attempt in his free skate, but his strong jumps and fast spins were more than enough to give him the victory over teammate Joshua Farris. Farris hit a beautiful triple Axel in his short program to win that segment of the competition, but three falls in the free skate relegated him to second overall. Japan's Keiji Tanaka was third.

In ice dance, Russians Ksenia Monko & Kiril Khaliavin posted the highest score of the season thus far en route to the gold medal. Ukraine's Anastasia Galyeta & Alexei Shumski were second, and Americans Lauri Bonacorsi & Travis Mager won their second career JGP bronze medal, rebounding nicely after a 5th place finish in the short dance.

The U.S. ladies were up against a strong threat in Russia's triple Axel-wielding Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Tuktamysheva was expected to win by a huge margin, but numerous mistakes in both programs only gave her a 2.22 point victory over American Kristiene Gong. Japan's Shion Kokubun was third, and Samantha Cesario, the other U.S. entry, was fourth. Both American girls got hammered by the technical panel with downgraded triples, but Gong has been assigned a second event, the JGP in Great Britain at the end of September.

The series continues this week in Graz, Austria.

Marley, Brubaker form pairs partnership

Two-time United States pairs champion Rockne Brubaker has teamed up with junior-level singles skater Mary Beth Marley after his former partner, Keauna McLaughlin, announced that she would be taking the year off from skating.

Marley, the 2009 U.S. novice silver medalist, is completely new to pairs skating but has already passed her junior pairs tests. She will take her senior pairs tests within the next few days, as she and Brubaker plan on competing this season. They must register for the sectional championships by September 1 in order to be eligible to compete for a spot at Nationals in January.

Though this pairing may seem unusual at first, it is actually very promising. Marley is a dynamo, with reliable triple jumps, good spins and flexibility, and solid skating skills. She should complement Brubaker well, and appears to be fearless -- something that will aid in the transition to pairs skating. Further, her petite size will also be helpful, as the 5'10" Brubaker is not the tallest male pairs skater in the world.

Marley has recently relocated to southern California to skate with Brubaker, and while no formal announcement has been made, John Nicks seems like an obvious choice for their coach. He worked with McLaughlin and Brubaker last season, and the fact that Rockne has remained in SoCal instead of moving back to Colorado is telling.

Look out for the duo of Marley & Brubaker this season; I have a feeling they could make quite the splash...

Olympic champ Kim splits with coach Orser

In the shocker of all shockers, Olympic champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea announced her split with coach Brian Orser yesterday.

Orser, who guided Kim to World and Olympic titles in less than four years, said the skater's mother, Park Mi-Hee, approached him three weeks ago and said that his services were no longer needed.

There is clearly something more going on here; it's likely that Kim no longer has the drive or ambition to train at an elite level anymore, which is understandable. After all, she's won everything imaginable and is the biggest celebrity in South Korea right now, endorsing everything from refrigerators to her own brand of cell phone.

Skaters change coaches all the time, but this split comes as one of the biggest surprises since Michelle Kwan left Frank Carroll before the Olympic season in 2001.

What makes the situation more awkward is that Kim, 19, still trains at the same Toronto rink Orser coaches at, and he admitted that "it has created a tension that is having an impact on all the other skaters. Something has to change."

Those "other skaters" include both Adam Rippon and Christina Gao, a pair of quickly rising American stars. Orser guided Rippon to the Four Continents Championship gold medal last season, while Gao was a surprise bronze medalist at the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Kim announced her intention to skip the Grand Prix Series this fall, and instead focus her training for the World Championships coming up in March in Tokyo. However, with a plethora of opportunities coming her way since striking gold in Vancouver -- including her own ice show -- it appears unlikely at this point in time that we will see her on competition ice again.

Junior Grand Prix season kicks off next week in Courchevel

Eight U.S. skaters are headed to Courchevel, France, next week for the opening event of the 2010-11 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.

In the men's event, reigning junior National champion Jason Brown and bronze medalist Max Aaron make their Junior Grand Prix debuts, where they'll face a relatively weak field overall. Aaron's triple Axel should keep him in the medal picture, while Brown's triple/triple combinations and fantastic skating skills make him the early gold medal favorite. The top international contender for the men is Canada's Andrei Rogozine, who also wields a strong triple Axel.

For the ladies, U.S. teens Yasmin Siraj and Nina Jiang will be up against a much more accomplished field of skaters. Russia's Polina Shelepen, who won twice on the JGP last season, is back once again. If she can maintain the solid jumping and consistency she showed last season, Shelepen should steamroll the competition here. Siraj, the current U.S. junior silver medalist is a very good skater, but neither she nor Jiang are at the level of the Russian jump-wise yet. Russia's other entry, Roza Sheveleva (replacing an injured Anna Ovcharova), is also a legitimate medal threat.

While the podiums are fairly easily predicted in the singles events, the same cannot be said for the ice dance event. The Americans will be well represented, though both teams could face an uphill climb to the medal stand. 2010 U.S. novice champions Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton are very good athletes, though both are untested so far internationally. Anastasia Cannuscio & Colin McManus, 10th in the U.S. junior division last year, are back on the JGP series after placing 7th in their lone event last fall. With about 6-7 teams so evenly matched in the event, it really is anyone's title to take.

As always, the Junior Grand Prix series brings together the top junior skaters from around the globe in weekly competition. There are seven events this year, with the top eight point-getters at the conclusion of the series being invited to skate in the Junior Grand Prix Final, held this year in Beijing, China.

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Minnesota's Kiri Baga, who won two gold medals on the JGP circuit last season, sustained a stress fracture over the summer and resumed training six weeks ago. She is said to be progressing well, and is competing her new programs at the Minnesota State Championships this weekend. If all goes well, Baga, one of the United States' top juniors, should definitely receive at least one JGP event.

ISU strips Plushenko of amateur eligibility

2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko's talk of competing four years from now at the Olympics in Sochi, Russia is no more.

On Monday the International Skating Union permanently stripped the 27-year old Russian of his amateur status, citing the fact that he broke eligibility rule #102. In their decision, the ISU Council said:

"Based on evidence presented the Council has concluded that Mr. Evgeny Plushenko breached the ISU eligibility rule 102, paragraph 2, i) of the ISU General Regulations and as a consequence has become ineligible under paragraph 7 a) of that rule. The evidence has proved to the satisfaction of the Council that Mr. E. Plushenko, a skater and member of the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FSFR), skated in exhibitions held in March and April 2010, in Russia and other countries, without the express prior authorization of the FSFR. Such activity is a breach of the ISU eligibility rules and results in the loss of eligibility."

Here's what happened in layman's terms: Plushenko was slated to compete at the World Championships in March, one month after winning the silver medal in Vancouver behind American Evan Lysacek. Shortly before the start of Worlds, Plushenko withdrew citing injury. His doctor's note to the ISU stated that he would need two weeks of rest, with limited to no skating at all. After not competing at Worlds, Plushenko then skated in the "Kings on Ice" show in Russia. Annoyed, the ISU refused to sanction the shows, meaning that skaters who wished to maintain their amateur skating status were not to perform. Because Plushenko skated in the shows anyway, he is now deemed a "professional" skater and is therefore banned from ever skating competitively again.

The lines between amateur and professional skaters these days are virtually non-existent, as the ISU has allowed more skaters to perform in shows to earn money. The shows must be sanctioned by the ISU, however, and "Kings on Ice" was not. As frustrating as it may seem for Plushenko, and as ridiculous as this whole issue is altogether, the rules are the rules.

While it's unlikely that Plushenko was actually going to skate in another Olympic Games, he now won't have the opportunity of competing even one or two more years to try and rack up more European and World Championship medals. While his figure skating legacy is secure, this has to be a devastating way to end his competitive career.

McLaughlin, Brubaker split

It was a great four-year run for Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker.

Teaming up in 2006, the young American duo won everything on the junior circuit, including the 2007 Junior World title, and then transitioned to the senior ranks where they claimed back-to-back U.S. championships and qualified for the 2007 Grand Prix Final.

One year ago a 2010 Olympic berth seemed all but assured for this top 10 team, but a disastrous short program at the U.S. Championships in Spokane last January changed all of that. McLaughlin and Brubaker fell from America's best to a dismal 5th place, and were forced to watch the Olympic action from home.

Putting the disappointment of Nationals behind them, the team won silver at the Four Continents Championships in February, and seemed to be back on track for next season. However, it was announced last week that McLaughlin is taking a break from competitive skating to focus on her senior year of high school. Brubaker, 24, now begins the daunting task of searching for a new partner.

This team truly had something special -- that innate star quality that makes you sit up and take notice. They brought a flair and an on-the-edge excitement that wasn't seen in U.S. pairs skating in decades. They will truly be missed by many in the skating community; I wish Keauna the best in her time away from the sport, and I hope Rockne is able to find a partner as soon as possible and, if all goes well and the stars happen to line up just perfectly, qualify for the 2011 U.S. Championships.

In honor of this team, here's their fantastic silver-medal winning free skate from Skate America 2008:

Blast from the past: Michelle Kwan's "Dream of Desdemona"

Every so often, a skating program reaches iconic status. It happened in 1988 with Katarina Witt's sultry "Carmen" free skate, and in 2002-03 with Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao's emotional "Turandot" long program.

America's most decorated skater ever, Michelle Kwan, has an impressive portfolio of iconic programs herself, including the Rachmanninof piano medley short program she used in both 1998 and 2002, and her "Salome" free skate from 1996 -- the program which signaled her arrival as a major international threat, and which won her the gold medal as a 15-year old at the World Championships.

While all these programs are spectacular in their own ways, one program doesn't get as much love or attention from the skating world: Kwan's "Dream of Desdemona" short program from the 1996-97 season. It is another Lori Nichol masterpiece, with intricate choreography and difficult transitions into and out of her required elements, all accentuated by a fantastic piece of music. From the opening spiral sequence to the final death drop spin, it's hard to take your eyes off of the program.



There really isn't a piece of music called "Dream of Desdemona." The program is actually a combination of pieces by composer Jules Massenet. The "Desdemona" part comes from the brilliant thinking of both Kwan and Nichol, as it is a storyline they created to depict the turbulent relationship between two of Shakespeare's most famous characters: Othello and Desdemona.

Perhaps this program doesn't get the recognition it deserves from the skating community because Kwan won no major titles with it. It was used during the 1997 season, a season in which she suffered from growth spurts, injuries and confidence issues -- a season in which Tara Lipinski would sweep the major titles: U.S. Champion, Series Final Champion (now called the Grand Prix Final) and World Champion.

Nonetheless, the program epitomizes classic, beautiful skating with deep edges, gorgeous lines, solid jumps, beautiful spins and, most of all, heart. And while it may not be remembered as one of the best ever, it is certainly one of figure skating's greatest "hidden gems."

Frank Carroll's new crop of students

Frank Carroll, coach of 2010 Olympic champion Evan Lysacek, is going to be one busy guy.

Last month, it was announced that Kazakhstan's Denis Ten, who skated to a top 10 finish at Worlds in 2009, was moving to El Segundo, Calif., to train with the renowned coach.

Earlier this week, Jonathan Cassar announced he was leaving coach Julie Berlin and the Detroit Skating Club to move west and be guided by Frank, too.

Today, three young, promising U.S. ladies also announced that they are to be coached under the tutelage of Mr. Carroll. Leah Keiser, the 12-year old reigning U.S. novice national champion, will be joining Carroll's stable of students along with Ellie Kawamura and Kristiene Gong, second and fourth, respectively, at the 2009 U.S. junior ladies event.

Carroll is the master at bringing out the best in his students. His work with Mirai Nagasu in less than a year took her from 5th in the United States to 4th at the Olympic Games.

Through the summer, he will surely be working with each skater to make them stronger athletes and competitors. Ten needs a confidence boost, while Cassar has all the makings of a champion -- except for the more difficult jumps. Keiser is an incredible talent with great technique already, but Frank has the ability to take her to senior national champion by 2012. Kawamura and Gong will benefit from the same jump and confidence overhaul he gave Nagasu this year.

An uncanny resemblance

In my previous post, I touched briefly on how much Christina Gao resembles a young Michelle Kwan.

Michelle Kwan - 1995 Worlds Short Program


At age 14, the star quality was already evident in Kwan's skating. There is no doubt in my mind that she should have beaten Bobek for the bronze medal that year.

Christina Gao - 2009 Junior Grand Prix Final Short Program


Though still developing her style, one can see glimpses of star power in Gao's skating as well. With Brian Orser as her coach and a solid triple-triple combination under her belt, she's definitely one to watch this quadrennium.

Remember these names

Though the 2006-2010 quadrennium was a relatively disappointing one for U.S. ladies skaters, there does appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel. This past season, both Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt proved that they can be competitive against the world's best. Here are four new fresh faces hoping to join them on the international scene and make their mark as the next generation.

Christina Gao

• 2009-10 Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medalist
• 2010 U.S. Championships - 5th place

Gao has improved tremendously in the past year since working with Brian Orser, coach of Olympic champ Yu-Na Kim. In 2008, she was dead last in the novice ladies event at Nationals, and in 2009 she was only 3rd in the junior division with a lackluster free skate. Improved mental focus and better jump technique has propelled her to the top group as a junior internationally, as well as on the senior national stage. Her triple flip is one of the best in the world, and her solid triple toe-triple toe combination will be a key element as she hopes to continue her ascent up the rankings. Realistically, Gao has a fantastic shot at making the senior World team next season, especially since Sasha Cohen won't be back and if Flatt decides to focus on college. Her resemblance to a young Michelle Kwan is uncanny.

Agnes Zawadzki

• 2010 Junior World silver medalist
• 2010 U.S. junior National champion

After failing to make the U.S. Championships in 2009, Zawadzki rebounded in a big way this season, taking the U.S. junior title and winning the silver medal at the Junior World Championships last month -- her first-ever international event. Zawadzki is a complete skater, armed with huge jumps, high-scoring spins, solid edges and nice flexibility. Like Gao, she will definitely be contending for a senior national medal in 2011, and could very well find herself on the senior World team as well. By improving her speed and getting her triple flip under control, she will be a force to be reckoned with, both nationally and internationally.

Kiri Baga

• 2009 U.S. novice National champion
• 2-time Junior Grand Prix gold medalist
• 2010 U.S. junior National pewter medalist (4th)

Minnesota's own Kiri Baga had quite the breakthrough season in 2009-10. After winning the '09 novice National title, Baga competed internationally for the first time last fall, winning both of her Junior Grand Prix events before placing 7th at the final. A rough outing at Nationals this year left her in 4th place, but she redeemed herself at the Junior World Championships last month by placing 6th in a deep field. Baga has "future star" written all over her, and her charisma, style and attack is reminiscent of a young Sasha Cohen. She possesses every quality needed to be world champion. All she needs now is time mature and refine her skating, and develop consistency on the more difficult triples (the flip and the Lutz). Keep your eye on this one...

Samantha Cesario

• 2010 U.S. Championships - 15th
• 2010 Gardena Spring Trophy champion (junior)

Speaking of Cohen...it's no secret that young Samantha Cesario looks up to her. Gifted with beautiful lines, exquisite spins and an amazing on-ice presence, Cesario seems to have it all. However, under rotated jumps plagued her at many competitions last season, including the U.S. Championships where she was dinged on nearly every triple jump attempt. She finished 15th in her senior national debut in Spokane this year, but was able to successfully regroup for the Gardena Spring Trophy last week in Italy where she was given full credit for all of her triple jumps. If she continues to improve at that rapid rate over the summer, there's no stopping this girl.

The best and worst from '09-10

After more than seven long months of thrills, spills and fierce competition, the figure skating season has finally come to a close. From Yu-Na Kim's stunning Olympic victory to Mirai Nagasu's breakthrough, to Domnina & Shabalin's controversial Original Dance, here are the best and worst from 2009-10.

(Left: One of my favorite pictures I took of Mirai Nagasu at the U.S. Championships. Nagasu was most definitely a highlight of the season).

Best Pairs Moments:
Gold-- After back-to-back bronze medals in 2002 and 2006, the Chinese team of Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao finally captured Olympic gold in Vancouver with two stunning programs. Though their free skate wasn't entirely perfect, the duo capped off an illustrious career and will forever be remembered as one of the greatest teams of all time, alongside Russian legends Gordeeva & Grinkov and Rodnina & Zaitsev.

Silver-- Amanda Evora's heartfelt reaction upon learning she and partner Mark Ladwig had earned a spot on the U.S. Olympic team. The team had spent years hovering around the 4-6 range at Nationals but put it all on the line in Spokane. Perhaps even more impressive is the fact that they were able to gain confidence from their U.S. silver medal and earn top-1o finishes at both the Olympics and World Championships.

Bronze--The free skate of China's Qing Pang & Jian Tong at the Olympic Games in Vancouver. They bested Shen and Zhao in that segment with a world-record score of 141.81 points en route to the silver medal overall in their third Olympic appearance.

Worst Pairs Moments:
-- Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker's short program at the U.S. Nationals in January. Two huge mistakes and other small errors took them completely out of contention for the Olympic team, and seeing Keauna cry backstage after was heartbreaking. Here's hoping they come back strong next season!

-- Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov's odd long program to a remix of the "Blue Danube Waltz." The strange, gimmicky choreography and Yuko's mid-program costume transformation didn't help, either.

Best Men's Moments:
Gold-- Jeremy Abbott's flawless free skate at the U.S. Championships. In successfully defending his National title, Jeremy landed 8 perfect triple jumps and one gorgeous quad toe loop. He would go on to defeat (eventual) Olympic gold medalist Evan Lysacek by more than 25 points en route to a 9th place finish in Vancouver and a 5th place finish at the World Championships in Torino, Italy.

Silver-- Speaking of Evan Lysacek, his emotionally charged Olympic short program was definitely a highlight of the season. The 24-year old American would score a personal best 90.30 points for that segment before coming from behind to defeat defending Olympic champ Evgeni Plushenko of Russia. His victory in Vancouver marked the first time an American man had won Olympic gold since Brian Boitano in 1988.

Bronze-- Japanese star Daisuke Takahashi's comeback from a nearly career-ending injury is the stuff legends are made of. With each competition, he appeared to get stronger and stronger, and capped the season off with Olympic bronze and a World title, the first Japanese man to medal at the Games and win a World Championship. On top of that, his "La Strada" free skate is my favorite men's program of the season, so kudos to Dai.

Worst Men's Moments
-- Plushenko's incessant whining about how he deserved to win the Olympics over Lysacek simply because he landed a quadruple jump and Lysacek did not. News flash, Evgeni: it's not called "figure jumping." Quad or no quad, Evan was far better than you in terms of spins, footwork, choreography, transitions and the triple jumps. Your silver medal is a great achievement, so stop trying to rain on Evan's parade.

-- Elvis Stojko's rants about "manly skating" and "feminine skating." Like Plushenko, perhaps Elvis should brush up on the judging system rules before running his mouth.

-- Johnny Weir's scores at the Olympics. I don't know what the judges were watching, but Johnny was FAR better than Canadian Patrick Chan in Vancouver. The scores did not accurately reflect what happened on the ice, and Weir's near-flawless programs should have put him into 4th place overall, not 6th.

Best Ice Dance Moments
Gold-- The season that Meryl Davis & Charlie White had, winning another U.S. title and becoming the Grand Prix Final champs and World and Olympic silver medalists. They are arguably the most exciting ice dance duo in a long time, and this lift is simply outstanding.

Silver-- Hearing Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (and all of Canada, really) singing "O, Canada" during the medal ceremony in Vancouver. While I'm not Canadian, it was an amazing, goosebump-inducing moment.

Bronze-- The free dance of Kimberly Navarro & Brent Bommentre to U2 and Mary J. Blige's version of "One." There aren't really words to describe this program, except that it incredibly moving to see live and in person at Nationals. This duo will certainly be missed.

Worst Ice Dance Moments
-- The Original Dance of Russian champs Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin. What. Were. They. Thinking?!?! While their intentions were probably good, their "Australian Aboriginal" program came across as extremely offensive to many. Aside from that, the construction of the program was not Olympic-caliber, and Max's declining knee strength and skating skills didn't help either. And those costumes? Oy.

-- Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto's scores at the Olympics. They skated three flawless programs yet still finished 4th behind Domnina/Shabalin. Like Weir's scores in the men's event, the marks for Belbin/Agosto had me scratching my head.

Best Ladies Moments
Gold-- Yu-Na Kim's Olympic gold medal winning free skate was an obvious choice. Never before had she performed such a perfect long program, and to save it for the biggest stage of all is quite remarkable. Along the way, she set another world-record score in the free skate of 150.06, and an overall record of 228.56, more than 23-points ahead of silver medalist Mao Asada of Japan. Whether she decides to continue competing or retire from amateur skating, Kim's legend in the skating world is secure.

Silver-- Mirai Nagasu's breakthrough was another highlight of the 09-10 season for me. After a terrible year in 08-09, Mirai came back in a big way with better jumps, a world-class coach and the joy she exuded when she first burst onto the scene in 2007. Her steady climb this season resulted in a silver medal finish at Nationals, a 4th place finish in her senior international championship debut at the Olympics, and a top-7 finish at Worlds. Her winning short program at the World Championships has set her up beautifully as a serious world contender over the next four years.

Bronze-- Joannie Rochette's heartfelt tribute to her late mother, Therese, at the Olympics in Vancouver. It still amazes me that she was able to compete only two days after her mother's passing, and to win an Olympic bronze medal with the stunning performances that she gave is truly awe-inspiring. Kudos to you, Joannie.

Worst Ladies Moments
-- Mao Asada's meltdown at the Rostelecom Cup in October was not a pretty sight. A 6th place finish in the relatively weak field there meant no Grand Prix Final trip for Asada. The only bright spot in all of this was that perhaps her poor performances motivated her for the rest of the season, as she went on to capture Olympic silver and another World title.

-- The entire ladies free skate event at the World Championships can be summed up in one word: "yikes." Falls, popped jumps, and double-footed landings plagued many of the Worlds best skaters last month in Torino. The fact that Yu-Na Kim was able to win silver despite three huge mistakes in her short program (an under rotated triple flip, a messy layback which ended up not counting, and a near-fall on her spiral sequence) and a fall in her free skate is quite telling. Aside from Nagasu's short program, this is was not a memorable event.

-- Carolina Kostner's Olympic-sized implosion in Vancouver is legendary--and not in a good way. It brought back memories of Laetitia Hubert's "human Zamboni" free skate from the 1992 Olympics where she fell four times. Carolina rebounded somewhat at Worlds with a 6th place finish, but 09-10 seems like a season she hopes to forget.

The retirement list: 2010 edition

International elite figure skaters are notorious for their indecisive attitudes toward retiring permanently -- but with good reason. The pro circuit is dead and gone and skaters are now allowed to tour "professionally" while still retaining amateur status. The 2009-10 season gave us many comebacks -- some more welcome than others -- but who plans on staying around for next year and who will head back into retirement (at least until Sochi, that is)? Here's a preliminary round-up:

PAIRS--

Confirmed to be done:

• Shen/Zhao (CHN): they'll be taking their Olympic gold medals and heading into retirement for good this time.
• Pang/Tong (CHN): the newly minted Olympic silver medalists and 2010 World champions are also headed for retirement and, like their Chinese counterparts, are an off-ice couple.
• Mukhortova/Trankov (RUS): the Russian duo has split since the World Championships last month, and he'll be skating with Tatiana Volosozhar (formerly of Ukraine).

• Volosozhar/Morozov (UKR): this off-ice couple bid adieu to competitive skating at the Olympics with an 8th place finish, and she will be teamed up with Maxim Trankov to represent Russia.

On the bubble:

• Kavaguti/Smirnov (RUS): because of Yuko's recurring shoulder problems, there have been rumors that this team might be calling it quits this year. If they vow to stick together, who knows if her body will hold up another four years?
• Dube/Davison (CAN): while the team has said they are staying together for next year, they will be taking it one season at a time. Jessica's mental focus and passion for skating seems to have gone missing this season, and they're going to need to refocus and rededicate themselves if they hope to stand on the World podium again.
• Langlois/Hay (CAN): injuries kept this team from competing last season, and while they made a remarkable comeback in 09-10, it's hard to say whether they'll be sticking around.
• Zhang/Zhang (CHN): a disappointing 09-10 season aside, this team may choose to stay together to keep Chinese pairs skating on the map.
• Castile/Okolski (USA)
• Inoue/Baldwin (USA)

Likely to be around next season...and beyond?:

• Savchenko/Szolkowy (GER)
• Evora/Ladwig (USA)
• Bazarova/Larionov (RUS)
• Denney/Barrett (USA)
  
• Berton/Hotarek (ITA)
• James/Bonheur (FRA)

MEN--

Confirmed to be done:

• Stephane Lambiel (SUI)
• Kevin van der Perren (BEL)

On the bubble:

• Evgeni Plushenko (RUS): after a disappointing (but deserved) silver medal in Vancouver, the 27-year old Russian is saying he might stick around until Sochi 2014. While dreams are free, it's not likely that his ailing knees would allow him to reach his peak form of 2006 ever again. And as this year's Olympics proved, his transitionless programs and shaky jumps aren't going to cut it anymore.
• Evan Lysacek (USA): while he has said he can't imagine life without training and competing, the Olympic champion seems to have many off-ice aspirations, too.
• Johnny Weir (USA): the U.S. bronze medalist has been slowly falling down the rankings (and out of favor with the judges) the past few years. Weir has never really adapted to the new scoring system, and I would be shocked if he continues to compete.
• Samuel Contesti (ITA)
• Ryan Bradley (USA): this showman would be sincerely missed, and while he isn't likely to hang on until Sochi, he may continue to compete for a few more years.

Likely to be around next season...and beyond?:

• Daisuke Takahashi (JPN): the new World champ has said he will stick around at least until the World Championships next year in his home country of Japan.
• Brian Joubert (FRA)
• Jeremy Abbott (USA)
• Adam Rippon (USA)
• Patrick Chan (CAN): the Canadian champ has already said he will be re-using his "Phantom of the Opera" free skate for next season.
• Takahiko Kozuka (JPN)
• Nobunari Oda (JPN): the Japanese star has split from former coach Nikolai Morozov and is looking for a new training situation.
• Michal Brezina (CZE)

ICE DANCE--

Confirmed to be done:

• Belbin/Agosto (USA): the pioneers of U.S. ice dance, Tanith and Ben will enjoy a new time in their lives. Their legacy will live on forever, and after making their broadcast debut for Universal Sports at the World Championships last month, we may hear them in the commentating booth again sometime soon.
• Delobel/Schoenfelder (FRA): the French duo made a valiant comeback to competition this year, placing 6th at the Olympic Games.
• Khokhlova/Novitski (RUS): Sergei is said to have health conditions that are aggravated by skating. Jana will likely look for a new partner.
• Navarro/Bommentre (USA): the sentimental favorites of many in the U.S. skating community, Kim and Brent will surely be missed.

On the bubble:

• Virtue/Moir (CAN): the Olympic champs have been wishy-washy on their plans for next season.
• Domnina/Shabalin (RUS): while I'm sure they want to continue competing, there is no way Maxim's knees will hold up. They barely got through this season and I would be very surprised we ever see them back on competition ice.
  

Likely to be around next season...and beyond?:

• Davis/White (USA): they Olympic and World silver medalists have a lot more competitive aspirations in them, such as becoming the first U.S. ice dance team to win World gold.
• Faiella/Scali (ITA)
• Pechalat/Bourzat (FRA)
• Kerr/Kerr (GBR): they're in it for another season, at least.
• Zaretsky/Zaretsky (ISR)
• Samuelson/Bates (USA)
• Crone/Poirier (CAN)
• Bobrova/Soloviev (RUS
• Cappellini/Lanotte (ITA)

LADIES--

Confirmed to be done:

• Susanna Poykio (FIN)
• Julia Sebestyen (HUN): the four-time Olympic veteran has had a long and storied career.

On the bubble:

• Yu-Na Kim (KOR): the Olympic champion has faced insurmountable pressure since her senior debut in 2006. Should she choose to leave the competitive skating world, her legacy is securely intact.
• Joannie Rochette (CAN): after suffering the heartbreaking loss of her mother in Vancouver, it is unknown whether the Olympic bronze medalist will find the emotional strength to return to a rigorous daily training schedule.
• Sarah Meier (SUI): the former European silver medalist has battled chronic injuries and failed to even qualify for the free skate at last month's World Championships.
• Carolina Kostner (ITA)
• Sasha Cohen (USA): a comeback this season led to a 4th place finish at the U.S. Championships in January.
• Miki Ando (JPN): shoulder injuries, poor programs and uninspired performances could sway Ando to hang up her skates, though the Worlds in Tokyo next March could be a strong motivating factor for the 22-year old.

Likely to be around next season...and beyond?:

• Mao Asada (JPN)
• Mirai Nagasu (USA): America's new leading lady is just getting started in what should be an illustrious career (*knock on wood*).
• Rachael Flatt (USA): it remains to be seen if she'll defer her college experience for a year or two or try to do both.
• Laura Lepisto (FIN): the World bronze medalist will look to increase her jump arsenal this quadrennium.
• Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
• Cynthia Phaneuf (CAN)
• Ksenia Makarova (RUS)
• Alena Leonova (RUS)
• Kiira Korpi (FIN)
• Ashley Wagner (USA): the U.S. bronze medalist missed qualifying for the Olympics this season, but seems motivated to hang around until Sochi.

Nagasu jumps to lead at World Championships

16-year old Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia, Calif., stormed to the lead after the ladies short program at the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships in Torino, Italy. She attempted a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, and while the second jump was likely under rotated, her inspired performance was still enough to grab first place with a personal best score of 70.40 points.

Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada of Japan currently sits second after being downgraded on her triple Axel attempt. She was able to accumulate 68.08 points, ahead of Finland's Laura Lepisto, currently third with 64.30.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the night was the disastrous short program of Olympic champion Yu-Na Kim. She opened strong with a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, but then under rotated a triple flip and botched her layback spin, and unusual mistake for the defending champ. Kim also lost her balance on her spiral sequence, giving up more valuable points. She is currently 7th, more than 10 points behind Nagasu but still very much in the gold medal hunt, as her personal best free skate score is more than 15 points higher than any of the ladies competing.

American champion Rachael Flatt doubled the second jump in her planned triple flip-triple toe loop combination and scored 60.88 points, good enough for 6th place at the moment.

Full results

Caroline Zhang's conundrum

2009 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang has some serious thinking to do this off-season after falling to 10th place at Nationals this year.

Arguably one of the most talented U.S. skaters today, Zhang must address two things in the near future if she hopes to ever make a World Championship or Olympic team: 1) fix her jump technique, and 2) increase her speed and basic skating skills.

By carrying more speed into her jumps, Zhang wouldn't have to get in such awkward positions on the take offs in order to generate momentum and land them fully rotated. The picture below was taken by me at Nationals this past January, and showcases the root of her problem. Does that look like a good triple flip take off to you?


I love Zhang, and her spins and spirals are world-class. However, she's going to continue to get buried by the judges if she doesn't take some time to rework her jumps. It may take a season or two, but if her ultimate goal is to make the 2014 Olympic team, it must be done. She may have a hard time even cracking the top 5 at Nationals ever again if her technique doesn't change, as skaters like Mirai Nagasu, Rachael Flatt, Ashley Wagner, Agnes Zawadzki, Christina Gao, Amanda Dobbs and Alexe Gilles have much more solid (and therefore reliable) jumping habits.

Zawadzki emerges as legitimate world contender

American Agnes Zawadzki's silver medal at last week's World Junior Championships has put her at the center of the figure skating map.

Wait -- Agnes who?

Before this season, not many had heard of her. After winning the National pewter medal during the novice ladies event in 2008, Zawadzki relocated from Chicago to Colorado Springs where she trains under Tom Zakrajsek and alongside reigning U.S. senior champion Rachael Flatt. However, a sub-par short program at last season's Midwestern Sectional Championship left her off the podium and ended her 2009 Nationals bid.

Since then, Zawadzki has come back in a big, big way. She put up massive scores at numerous summer club competitions before winning her regional and sectional events and taking the junior National title two months ago in Spokane. She was clearly the class of the field there, winning both the short and long programs in convincing fashion. At the World Junior Championships last week in The Netherlands, a fall on her triple flip during the short program proved costly and left her in 8th place after that segment. Showing the attack and mental toughness of a seasoned pro, Zawadzki stormed back in the free skate, landing six triple jumps (including two solid triple Lutzes) en route to a silver medal finish. It was her first-ever international event.



Agnes has every single quality needed to be the next great American skater: solid jumps, fantastic spins, great flexibility, wonderful skating skills and a real on-ice presence -- not to mention nerves of steel. Her Lutzes and double Axels are huge; with a little work, I can see her easily tacking triple toe loops onto both.

While she may opt to compete on the Junior Grand Prix circuit next season, I think she could definitely be a contender on the Senior Grand Prix circuit. Additionally, she may find herself on the senior World team next season, especially if Flatt chooses to focus on college more so than skating. Zawadzki is already perhaps the third best ladies skater in the U.S., behind Mirai Nagasu and Flatt, and she will no doubt challenge for the National title next season.

If Nagasu and Zawadzki are the best U.S. ladies of the next quadrennium, I think the future is looking pretty bright. They could make a fantastic 1-2 punch.

ISU threatens Rochette with loss of amateur eligibility

Joannie Rochette, Canada's Olympic heroine who secured a bronze medal just days after her mother died of a heart attack, has been "warned" by International Skating Union President Ottavio Cinquanta that her amateur status could be revoked if she participates in an exhibition this week but skips the World Championships next week.

Really, ISU? Really?

It's a miracle that Rochette was able to perform in Vancouver two days after learning of her mother's passing, let alone win a bronze medal and significantly boost North American viewership of the Games. Is it really too much to ask that she be able to skate a final exhibition program in honor of her late mother this Friday during the "Thin Ice" TV event and skip the Worlds next week? Since returning home from Vancouver, she probably hasn't had a moment's rest and needs time to properly grieve for her loss.

The ISU should be grateful that most of the Olympic stars will be attending Worlds next week in Torino, Italy. Gold medalist Yu-Na Kim and silver medalist Mao Asada will be attending, as are men's medalists Evgeni Plushenko and Daisuke Takahashi and the top two teams in ice dance, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White.

While Rochette will no doubt be missed next week, she needs time to heal. Perhaps the ISU's (at times incompetent) big-wigs should be more focused on finding out how a third Chinese team was illegally allowed to compete at last week's Junior World Championships than Rochette's simple request to sit-out Worlds.

Let's prioritize things, Ottavio.

Lysacek perseveres for Olympic gold

Reigning World champion Evan Lysacek of the United States laid down a flawless free skate Thursday night to win Olympic gold and defeat defending champ Evgeni Plushenko of Russia by 1.86 points.

Lysacek hit 8 solid triple jumps, but it was his high-scoring spins and footwork that gave him the slight edge over Plushenko. The 27-year old Russian landed a quad toe-triple toe combination but struggled to save the landing of his triple Axel and triple Lutz jumps. His spins and footwork were slower and less impressive than Lysacek's, and his failure to do a three-jump combination might have cost him his second Olympic title.

With his victory, Lysacek, 24, becomes the 13th American to win figure skating gold, and the first since Sarah Hughes won in Salt Lake City in 2002. He is also the first reigning World champion since Scott Hamilton in 1984 to win at the Games, and the first U.S. man to win since Brian Boitano 22-years ago in Calgary.

Japan's comeback kid Daisuke Takahashi won the bronze with a wonderful free skate after missing all of last season due to knee surgery. American Johnny Weir nailed all of his jumps but wasn't able to pull up from 6th place overall. U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott rebounded nicely from a poor short program, nailing 6 solid triple jumps and climbing from 15th place to 9th overall.

Vancouver 2010: Olympic medal picks

With only 5 days until the start of the 2010 Winter Olympic Games, it's a good time for me to make my Olympic figure skating gold, silver, and bronze medal predictions. Enjoy!

Pairs
Gold: Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao (China)
Silver: Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (Germany)
Bronze: Qing Pang & Jian Tong (China)
4th: Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov (Russia)

Shen & Zhao are without a doubt both the sentimental and logical favorites heading into the Games. The duo has won the past two Olympic bronze medals, as well as three World titles (2002, 2003, 2007). Their return to competition this year has been nothing short of magnificent, as they have won the Cup of China, Skate America, and the Grand Prix Final, recording the highest total score of any pair in the world this season (214.25). Shen & Zhao look primed to take Olympic gold and secure their place in history as one of the greatest teams of all time.

Germany's Savchenko & Szolkowy have won the past two World titles, and their silver medal finish at the European Championships a few weeks ago garnered the third-best overall pairs score on the season (211.72). Their innovative programs and lifts allow them to gain high Program Component Scores and positive Grades of Execution from the judges. While the Chinese will probably prevail based on their technical difficulty and consistency, Savchenko & Szolkowy definitely have the goods to challenge them, but silver seems more likely this time around.

The second Chinese team, Pang & Tong, will battle for the bronze medal with a number of challengers, including European champs Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov of Russia and European bronze medalists Mukhortova & Trankov (also of Russia).

Pang & Tong's Chinese teammates, 2006 Olympic silver medalists Dan Zhang & Hao Zhang, could also contend for the bronze, though it is unlikely they will end up on the podium. Pang & Tong, the '06 World champs, were second to Shen & Zhao at the Grand Prix Final, and they have more impressive consistency and technical elements than their Russian challengers. Russian or Soviet pairs have won the last 12 Olympic gold medals in pairs skating (for those mathematically challenged, this dates back to 1964). Though impressive, the streak is unlikely to continue this year.

The American champions, Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, will look to build upon their 9th place finish at Worlds last season. They are perhaps the most consistent team in the competition, though their Program Component Scores will not be competitive with the top 6. Look for them to finish around 7th/8th, with the other U.S. team, Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, finishing 10th-14th.

Men
Gold: Evgeny Plushenko (Russia)
Silver: Evan Lysacek (United States)
Bronze: Jeremy Abbott (United States)
4th: Patrick Chan (Canada)

2006 Olympic champion Plushenko is back to competition this season after nearly four years off. While I am not a Plushenko fan, he is the gold-medal favorite due to his consistency and mastery of the quadruple jump. Though his jumping is impressive, the rest of his skating is not, as his programs lack transitions and any real choreography. Furthermore, his spins also leave much to be desired.

Lysacek, the reigning World champion, should rebound nicely after a lackluster free skate at the U.S. Championships a few weeks ago. He usually peaks after Nationals, which is good news for his Olympic medal bid. His quadruple jump will likely not make an appearance in Vancouver, but his season's best score of 249.45 points (less than 6 points behind Plushenko) makes him a very serious medal threat. If Plushenko's quad goes M.I.A. during the Games, Lysacek could find himself on the top of the podium.

Two-time and reigning United States champ Abbott has been building nicely so far this season. He took gold at Skate Canada, was 4th at the Grand Prix Final (but 2nd in the free skate there), and demolished the competition at Nationals, beating silver medalist Lysacek by more than 25 points. When he's on, Abbott can be tough to beat, and he is armed with a quadruple toe loop. However, nerves can often get the best of him, and he could realistically finish anywhere from 1st-10th in Vancouver.

Other medal challengers include Canada's Patrick Chan, the '09 World silver medalist who has been dealing with injury this season. He could only muster up a 6th place finish at Skate Canada in November, but looked to be in better form at the Canadian Championships last month. The hometown crowd will either make him or break him. American Johnny Weir is a longshot to medal but could sneak in for bronze if others falter. France's Brian Joubert and Japanese stars Daisuke Takahashi and Nobunari Oda are also very legitimate medal threats in what is an unbelievably strong men's field -- the deepest men's field in Olympic history.

Ice Dance
Gold: Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (Canada)
Silver: Meryl Davis & Charlie White (United States)
Bronze: Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto (United States)
4th: Oksana Domnina & Maxim Shabalin (Russia)
5th: Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder (France)

The ice dancing event in Vancouver could prove to be the most unpredictable of all the skating events, with five teams that could realistically win gold. The home team of Virtue & Moir have medaled at Worlds the past two seasons, and are armed with a gorgeous free dance this year. While they likely won't lead after the compulsory dance or the original dance, I can see them clinching gold in the final segment on home ice.

Davis & White, fresh off a successful defense of their title at the U.S. Championships, look ready to medal as well. They train with the Canadians in Michigan, though the two teams are quite different stylistically. Davis & White's amazing "Bollywood" original dance is the best of the season, and it could help them make up ground after the compulsory dance (where they most likely won't be higher than 5th). I can see them moving up to 2nd overall with their great free dance. They, along with Virtue & Moir, have been in another league points-wise so far this season. If the judging is fair, those two teams should really be top-2, in either order.

2006 silver medalists Belbin & Agosto probably won't upgrade to gold this time around. In fact, they will be lucky to stay on the podium altogether. While their programs are far better and more polished than the Russian team of Domnina & Shabalin, the judges could very well give the nod to the Russians because they are the current World champions.

A Russian or Soviet team has won 7 of the 9 Olympic gold medals in ice dance since it became an Olympic sport in 1976 (they have also medaled in every Olympics since then, though that streak is in jeopardy this year). In fact, the Europeans could potentially be shut out of the ice dance medals, with the French team of Delobel & Schoenfelder playing catch-up after being out of competition since December 2008. Delobel had a baby last September after recovering from shoulder surgery a few months prior, and while they are great in the compulsory dance (the first phase of competition), their original and free dances have yet to be performed internationally this season. Debuting two new programs at the Olympics is a daunting task for anyone, even the '08 World champs.

The third American team of Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates are poised for a top-10 finish, but could go even higher than that. They are the future of U.S. ice dancing and will likely be medal threats four years from now.

Ladies
Gold: Yu-Na Kim (South Korea)
Silver: Mao Asada (Japan)
Bronze: Miki Ando (Japan)
4th: Rachael Flatt (United States)
5th: Joannie Rochette (Canada)
6th: Akiko Suzuki (Japan) or Mirai Nagasu (United States)

Kim is the most dominant ladies skater of the past quadrennium, and the reigning World champ has her sights set on gold in Vancouver. While she has faltered somewhat this season, Kim holds the top three overall ladies scores on the season, including her world-record score of 210.03 points. It would probably take one mistake in the short program and at least two/three mistakes in the long program for her to be beaten.

The Japanese are pinning their hopes on Asada, the 2008 World champion who has struggled immensely so far this season. She has been prone to numerous jump downgrades, including downgrades on her signature triple Axel, a jump she will need to hit perfectly if she has any hopes of defeating Kim. The key for Asada is to deliver a clean short program to keep herself in medal contention. She has not been clean in the short program all season, and mistakes like the ones she made at the Rostelecom Cup or the Four Continents Championships last month could leave her out of the final group heading into the free skate.

The battle for bronze is wide open. 2007 World champion Ando has the is definitely in the mix, and she could even challenge her teammate Asada for silver. American champion Flatt has a shot too, especially if she can capitalize on her consistency if (when?) others falter. Rochette, one of Canada's best female skaters of all time, was runner-up to Kim last year at Worlds, but has had a shaky season thus far. If she can handle the pressure of skating for a medal at home, she will make a run for the podium as well. Grand Prix Final bronze medalist Suzuki of Japan has proven herself to be a great free skater, though like Asada, she will need to be absolutely clean in the short program if she hopes to medal.

And then there's 2010 U.S. silver medalist Nagasu, fresh off two stunning programs at Nationals. Her improvements under new coach Frank Carroll have been astounding, and her short program scores this season have been huge (62.20 at the Cup of China and 70+ at Nationals). Nagasu could very well find herself skating in the last group for the free skate, and if she can minimize her under-rotation problems, a bronze is well within her grasp.

The best shot at a European medal will come from Italy's Carolina Kostner, 2nd in the World in 2008, and Finland's Laura Lepisto, who has great presence on the ice but lacks consistency and the more difficult triples. Both skaters should slate in around 7th-10th after the ice settles in Vancouver.

Rippon, Asada golden at Four Continents

America's Adam Rippon jumped from 7th after the short program to take the gold medal last weekend at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Jeonju City, Korea, while Japanese star Mao Asada also rallied from a subpar short program to win the ladies title in the final Olympic tune-up.

Rippon, who failed to qualify for the Olympic team last month at the U.S. Championships (he placed 5th there and is the second alternate for the Games), showed that he will be a skater to beat in the next four years leading up to the 2014 Games. He sailed through 8 triple jumps, including 2 triple Axels, and laid down the performance of the night to upset Canadian Kevin Reynolds, the leader after the short program.

Rippon's teammate Ryan Bradley was 8th after a disappointing short program, but recorded the third-best free skate en route to a 5th place finish overall. It has been a difficult few weeks for the crowd-favorite Bradley after he too failed to land a spot on the U.S. Olympic team, finishing 4th in Spokane. He is the first alternate for the Vancouver Games, though it is unlikely he will get the call to compete. Bradley has been on the senior international scene since 2000, and this Four Continents Championship could very well have been his final competitive appearance.

The third American entry, Brandon Mroz (6th at the Nationals last month), couldn't hang on to a third place short program finish, as he fell just off the podium in fourth. Like Rippon, Mroz will be a threat both nationally and internationally in the years to come, especially if his quadruple toe-loop becomes more consistent.

On the ladies side, Asada turned around what has been an otherwise dismal season thus far by taking the gold medal after a third place short program finish. She was stunning in the free skate, landing 2 triple Axels and earning a season's best score. However, her short program was a mess, as her triple Axel combination was downgraded to a double and she completely popped a planned triple flip. Her score of 57.22 for that segment could be disastrous should it happen again at the Olympics. A sub-60 point short program score would likely place Asada out of the final group for the free skate, meaning the judges wouldn't be as generous with her Program Component Scores, making it that much harder to challenge for a medal of any color, let alone gold.

It's been a tough season for Asada, who only placed second and 6th in her two fall Grand Prix events and failed to make the Grand Prix Final, a title she won last season. Though she recorded a new season's best overall score at this event (183.96), it is still below what teammate Miki Ando received at the Grand Prix Final (185.94), and well below Korea's world champion Yu-Na Kim's score at the Grand Prix in Paris in October (210.03).

Akiko Suzuki, another emerging Japanese star, took the silver at Four Continents after winning the short program, while American Caroline Zhang rallied from 4th to win the bronze. Zhang won't be heading to the Olympics (she was only 10th at the U.S. Championships last month), but Suzuki will, and she heads into that event as a legitimate podium threat.

In the pairs event here, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker of the U.S. won the silver medal with improved programs than what they showed last month at Nationals, and Madison Hubbell and Keiffer Hubbell took bronze in the ice dance event, their first-ever ISU senior championship medal.

U.S. Nationals: Senior ladies practice notes (Friday 1/22)

I attended the championship ladies free skate practice today. Below are some jump notes and impressions:

Alexe Gilles looks very strong. She hit numerous triple Lutzes and triple flips, and had a mostly clean run through. She looked relaxed and confident, and I think she will rebound very nicely after last night's rough short program.

Sasha Cohen looked like a completely different skater after her stunning short program last night. During her run through, she opened with a triple Lutz-double toe-double toe combination (wrong edge take off on the Lutz), but then fell hard on the triple loop. She also hit a nice triple flip. Sasha did not do a very complete run through (even leaving out much of the choreography) and this may come back to haunt her. She has always been a strong short program skater, but the real test will come tomorrow in the free skate which she hasn't trained as much as the other girls on the competition.

Alissa Czisny looked confident, hitting all of her jumps during her run through. I didn't see any major errors from her; she looks in prime form.

Christina Gao could be a surprise threat tomorrow. She hit a number of beautiful triple-triple combinations and had a mostly clean run through as well. She is looking confident and much improved under the tutelage of Brian Orser.

Amanda Dobbs had a rough practice. I don't think she'll be able to maintain her current 6th place standing.

Rachael Flatt had a decent run through. She turned out of the landing on her double Axel (it looked very close to the boards) and then doubled a planned triple flip combination. She regrouped to hit her last four jump elements, and also hit many other jumps during the session, including a perfectly clean triple Lutz-triple loop combination. She coudl very well take the title tomorrow.

Mirai Nagasu looked the best I have ever seen her. I did not see one underrotated jump. Her technique is so refined and pure now; she is able to rotate triples with ease and confidence. She also looked very happy which was nice to see. Her run through had one fall, but during the session she also landed multiple double Axel-triple toe combinations and even one (clean) triple Lutz-triple toe.

Melissa Bulanhagui looks quite strong, too. Her triple Lutz is a thing of beauty, and her run-through was excellent. Look for her to move up in the standings tomorrow.

Emily Hughes had a rough practice session, and an even worse run through. She doubled or singled almost every triple attempt. She did land a triple toe, but it looked very suspicious rotation-wise. She won't factor into the medals, or even the top 8 really.

Bebe Liang looked ok. I saw one fall on a triple loop but I missed the rest of her run through. I also missed Ashley Wagner's run through, but I heard that she did fairly well.