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
Friday, March 26, 2010
Friday, March 19, 2010
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.
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.
Tuesday, March 16, 2010
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.
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.
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.
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