Minnesota Ice

In a pond full of 'Black Swan' wannabes, Cesario's portrayal stands out

2011-09-16T19:33:00.000-05:00

She's baaaack.

Samantha Cesario has returned from a year full of injuries looking stronger and more determined than ever. The 18-year old from New Jersey took the bronze medal today at the third Junior Grand Prix event in Gdansk, Poland.

Her portrayal of Odile, the black swan from Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, is stunning as she uses every part of her body -- right down to her fingertips -- to tell the story. What's more, her jumps have never looked better. Yes, she still has an egregious "flutz," but her jumps are higher and stronger, and the triple loop is back in her arsenal.

Cesario looks poised for a breakthrough at Nationals in 2012. She missed the event last January due to her back injury, but that appears to be in the past. She is the highest scoring U.S. lady of the season to date, and after strong summer competition showings, one can see the momentum begin to build. The next step: a (preferably) top 2 finish at her next JGP event, and then (hopefully) a spot at the JGP Final in Quebec City in December.

If she can keep her focus and drive for the next few months, there's no reason to believe she can't be top 6 at Nationals in January, perhaps even flirting with a top 4 podium finish. In this ever-unpredictable world of U.S. ladies, anything is possible.

The new & improved Tom Z.-free Joshua Farris

2011-09-16T19:09:00.000-05:00

After a disastrous Nationals last January, Joshua Farris hightailed it away from creepy Tom Zakrajsek and found a safe haven in Christy Krall. And for that, we thank God.

Farris showed his new and improved skating skills and jump technique yesterday during the men's short program at the Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk, Poland. He scored a whopping 75.69 points for this program -- a score that would have put him in the top 10 at last season's World Championships.

It's been a tough year for Zakrajsek (*tear*). From January-June, he lost five of his most prominent national and international competitors, including a trio of senior ladies in Rachael Flatt, Agnes Zawadzki and Alexe Gilles, as well as senior men Farris and Alexander Johnson. While we don't know how Flatt, Gilles or Johnson have looked lately, both Farris and Zawadzki seem to have improved leaps and bounds both technically and artistically since dumping Zakrajsek. Both now work with Krall, coach of the reigning men's world champion Patrick Chan of Canada (Zawadzki also works with David Santee on a part-time basis).

Farris is looking more confident, relaxed and mature. With Krall on his side, this is shaping up to be his breakout year.

Hicks, Shoji shine in season debuts

2011-09-10T14:44:00.000-05:00

If there was ever any doubt about American Courtney Hicks' jumping ability or the competitive spirit of Japan's Risa Shoji, they've just been erased.Hicks laid down two stunning, jam-packed performances to take the ladies title at the second Junior Grand Prix event of the season in Brisbane, Australia. While not perfect, her high-flying jumps, innovative spins and performance flair gave her the gold medal by more than 4 points ahead of Shoji.

After a disappointing short program in which all three of her attempted triples received "<" under rotation calls, Shoji was brilliant in the free skate, nailing a triple Salchow-triple toe loop-double toe loop combination, a double Axel-triple toe loop and five other strong jumping passes. Her program, set to the score from "Legends of the Fall," is not a stylistic departure for her, but it does suit her perfectly. She moved up from a 4th place short program showing to score a 100+ point free skate and win the silver medal.

The night belonged to Hicks, though. She did suffer two falls -- one on the second half of a triple flip-triple loop combination and then again seconds later on a solo triple loop attempt -- but five other triple jumps, a plethora of transitions and her very cool "Hicks" spin allowed her to amass a free skate score of 101.72 and an overall score of 151.91, the second best ladies international score recorded so far this season.

The other American in the ladies field, Vanessa Lam, nabbed the bronze medal after a solid free skate. She appeared to be sailing along until her final jump, a planned triple Lutz that went scarily wrong. After rushing the take-off, she came down a half turn short, her body slamming into the ice sideways and drawing a gasp from the audience. While she did still win a medal with a very respectable 145.48, her jump technique and lack of height is something that needs to be addressed soon if she hopes to contend for senior National medals and a junior World medal sometime in the next few years.

The Junior Grand Prix series continues next week in Gdansk, Poland, with American Samantha Cesario one of the gold medal favorites in the ladies event.

Help support a local talent

2011-07-10T14:12:00.001-05:00

Please consider checking out the Rocket Hub site for 13-year old Michelle Hedges, a young skater based out of Bloomington, Minnesota.

Michelle skates at the intermediate level and hopes to compete at the Upper Great Lakes Regional championships this October and, ultimately, qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships in December. In addition to being an excellent skater, Michelle is also a straight-A student.

Skating is an extremely expensive sport, and Michelle's family, like many others, have faced financial struggles related to the economic downturn. Michelle's mom, Kate, says her family can easily spend up to $20,000 every year on her daughter's skating costs.

Please visit their site (http://www.rockethub.com/projects/1183-help-michelle-skate-to-regionals-beyond) and consider making a donation to assist with Michelle's training costs. If a monetary gift is not possible for you to make right now, please spread the word to others who may be able to afford donating to her training fund.

The best of the best from 2010

2010-12-31T11:04:00.000-06:00

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"

2010-12-19T10:24:00.000-06:00

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

2010-12-15T18:19:00.004-06:00

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

2010-12-15T17:53:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-15T17:50:00.001-06:00

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

2010-12-15T17:48:00.001-06:00

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

2010-10-31T20:57:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-26T19:10:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-15T21:34:00.000-05:00

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

2010-09-15T16:25:00.005-05:00

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

2010-08-27T18:32:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-24T13:44:00.000-05:00

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

2010-08-20T21:13:00.000-05:00

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.

--------------------

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

2010-06-30T00:34:00.001-05:00

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

2010-06-30T00:05:00.002-05:00

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"

2010-06-04T13:59:00.002-05:00

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

2010-05-07T18:32:00.000-05:00

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

2010-04-12T15:01:00.001-05:00

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

2010-04-09T21:13:00.008-05:00

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

2010-04-06T23:58:00.010-05:00

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

2010-04-06T18:17:00.004-05:00

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

2010-03-26T12:06:00.002-05:00

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

2010-03-19T12:52:00.004-05:00

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

2010-03-16T21:41:00.007-05:00

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

2010-03-16T15:45:00.003-05:00

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

2010-02-19T00:33:00.003-06:00

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

2010-02-07T15:55:00.006-06:00

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

2010-02-04T11:11:00.002-06:00

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)

2010-01-22T23:51:00.002-06:00

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.

Abbott, Lysacek, Weir named to U.S. Olympic team

2010-01-17T17:53:00.003-06:00

The US Figure Skating International Selection Committee has officially named Jeremy Abbott, Evan Lysacek, and Johnny Weir to the 2010 U.S. Olympic team.

The trio finished first, second, and third, respectively, this afternoon in Spokane, though Abbott was clearly the class of the field, winning his second consecutive title by more than 25 points. He nailed a beautiful quad toe loop at the beginning of his program and then proceeded to land 8 perfect triple jumps. His fantastic spins, clean lines, and exciting footwork sequences ignited the crowd, and his victory here marks him as a legitimate gold medal threat next month in Vancouver.

Lysacek wasn't perfect in his free skate, falling on an underrotated quad toe attempt and doubling a planned triple loop jump. However, his passionate footwork and tidy spins were more than enough for second place and a second Olympic trip (he was 4th four years ago in Torino). As the reigning World champ, Lysacek also enters the Games as a gold medal favorite, the first time in years that the United States has had two men who could both realistically win the Olympics in the same year.

Weir, the U.S. champion from 2004-2006, rebounded after a 5th place finish last year to take the bronze and nab the final Olympic berth. If he skates up to his full potential in Vancouver, he could make a run at the podium, too.

If Abbott, Lysacek, and Weir represent the present of U.S. men's figure skating, then Adam Rippon is surely the future. His smooth style and solid technique make him stand out from the crowd, and if he keeps improving the way he has been under coach Brian Orser, I have no doubt that he will be winning World Championship medals in no time.

U.S. Nationals: 'Psychic' skatefan's prediction comes true

2010-01-17T17:29:00.004-06:00

Move over Miss Cleo.

Back on August 6, 2009, I wrote an entry titled "Evora and Ladwig on the fast track to Vancouver," an entry that proved to be prophetic this weekend at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

Third after the short program, the duo from Florida (though Mark Ladwig is a Minnesota-native) rallied in yesterday's free skate to take the silver medal behind their training mates Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett. They delivered a gorgeous program, despite a fall on their throw triple Lutz attempt, and showcased the best lifts of any team in the competition.

Evora and Ladwig have been written off by most in the past few years as they continually under-performed in competition. With their silver medal and Olympic spot secured, the team has finally silenced their critics and managed to step up beautifully when it was all on the line. While a medal next month in Vancouver is out of reach for them, they will no doubt enjoy their time and experience on Olympic ice.

2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin landed their trademark throw triple Axel but their other elements did not stand out amongst the field. John only managed a side-by-side double toe loop, and they were forced to settle for the bronze medal. They are the first alternates for the Olympic team, but have said they do not want to be considered for the Four Continents Championships or the World Championships.

In heartbreaking fashion, 2008 and 2009 U.S. champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker delivered another flawed, albeit far better, program after Friday's short program disaster. They pulled up from 7th to 5th, but are only the second alternates for the Olympic team. They have vowed to stick together for another four years, and I'm confident that with their drive and determination, they'll come back blazing next year.

Denney & Barrett, Abbott on top after day 1 at U.S. Nationals

2010-01-16T12:14:00.004-06:00

Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett, the defending U.S. silver medalists, skated like they actually wanted to go to Vancouver and won the senior pairs short program with a resounding 63.01 points.

The duo landed perfect side-by-side triple toe loops and a solid split triple twist. Denney used her cat-like abilities to save a throw triple Lutz that was a bit off in the air. Their commanding performance all but ensures them a spot on the Olympic team next month.

Following Denney and Barrett are Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin, only 7th at last year's event but now a solid second with a score of 62.09. Their heartfelt yet technically solid performance throws them into the Olympic picture as well, and another solid program today could very well earn them a trip to the Games.

Aside from the top two teams, the pairs short program was a brutal event. Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig skated with a cautious confidence and sit third heading into the free skate. Two-time champions and 2006 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin are fourth due to some fairly generous judging. Inoue sat down on the landing of a throw triple Axel and Baldwin completely lost his footing on the pair's side-by-side spin. If they can hit the triple Axel in today's free skate, they will certainly take aim at an Olympic berth.

Perhaps the most disappointing performance of the evening went to two-time and defending champs Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker. They have been looking so solid in practice all week, but Keauna fell on both the side-by-side triple Salchow and the team's death spiral, which received no points from the panel. She also heavily two-footed the landing of the throw, putting her and Rockne in a distant 7th place with 52.55, nearly 10 points off their personal best. An Olympic trip is still within their grasp today, but they will have to skate absolutely lights-out and hope for the teams above them to make a few mistakes along the way. Stranger things have happened.

The men's event was a different story, with the top challengers all skating relatively well. Defending champ Jeremy Abbott was stellar, nailing four solid triples and two intricate step sequences into his "A Day in the Life" program. He leads with 87.85 points. Three-time champion Johnny Weir also skated well, albeit a bit conservatively, and sits third heading into tomorrow's free skate. World champion Evan Lysacek stepped out of his triple Axel, but his powerful spins and footwork sequences were enough to keep him in second, a mere .18 ahead of Weir.

Two-time Junior World gold medalist Adam Rippon was nailing a perfect program up until he doubled his planned triple Lutz and ran right into the boards. Seconds later, with his concentration likely gone, he fell on his straightline footwork sequence. Rippon sits fourth with a solid 72.91 points, although a trip to Vancouver is now, barring anything major happening, out of the question.

Ryan Bradley started off with a beautiful quad toe-triple toe combination, but then went on to double both his planned triple Axel and triple Lutz jumps to land in 6th. Reigning silver medalist Brandon Mroz put out an uninspired, messy program and sits 10th, with all Olympic hopes for 2010 gone.

The surprise of the event was without a doubt Armin Mahbanoozadeh. Only 6th in the junior event last year, Armin laid down the skate of his life, hitting all four of his planned triples including a triple Axel, to amass 72.56 points and take 5th place. Another solid program in the free skate could ensure this young talent of either a trip to the Four Continents Championship or the Junior World Championship later this season.

The pairs free skate begins at 11am local time today in Spokane, and the men take to the ice tomorrow at 10:30am.

World silver medalist Chan splits from coach

2010-01-08T15:35:00.002-06:00

Canada's 2009 World silver medalist Patrick Chan's Olympic medal hopes may now be in jeopardy.

Chan and former coach Don Laws announced today that they have gone their separate ways, and their split seems anything but amicable.

"I will say that he did not run from me," Laws said. "I ran from him."

Ouch.

This is another bump in the road in what has been a shaky season so far for Chan. After placing 2nd at the World Championships last March, he sustained a leg injury over the summer and was forced to withdraw from his first Grand Prix event. He was well enough to compete at Skate Canada two months ago, but fell three times in his free skate and wound up a distant 6th overall.

Chan has been training in Colorado Springs since the conclusion of Skate Canada in November. He is now being coached by Christy Krall and his longtime choreographer Lori Nichol.

There is clearly more to this story. It's obvious that Chan, who has proven to be headstrong and very opinionated in the past (i.e., his comments regarding Brian Joubert at last year's Worlds), was not agreeing with Laws' decisions regarding either training or preparation for the Olympics, now just one month away.

It can be risky to change coaches at the start of an Olympic season, but doing so this close to the Games is downright scary. Chan will already have the expectations of the home nation on his shoulders next month, and this latest move could prove to be too much to deal with.

Don't count Nagasu out just yet

2010-01-04T21:58:00.006-06:00

2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu may have not been as successful as her American rivals so far this season, but she is far from out of contention to make the Olympic team.

Nagasu's rise to the top of the elite skating scene has been meteoric. She surprised many when she won the 2007 U.S. junior title, upsetting Caroline Zhang. A year later, Nagasu became the first American woman since Peggy Fleming to win the senior title on her first try. At age 14, she was the second youngest American ladies champ since Tara Lipinski in 1997, setting herself up for a trip to Vancouver this year.

A disappointing, injury filled season last year was not part of the plan. She fell to 5th at Nationals and missed making the World Championship team. This summer, Nagasu split with coach Charlene Wong and is now under the tutelage of the legendary Frank Carroll in Los Angeles. While she didn't medal in either of her Grand Prix events this season, I believe Mirai is still very much in the running to make the U.S. Olympic team.

Argument 1: Nagasu, known as a chronic "under-rotater," has improved tenfold this season under Carroll. At the Cup of China event in November, she lead after the short program but then faltered in the free skate, getting downgraded on four triple jumps, and dropping to 5th place overall. However, just three weeks later at Skate Canada, she was given full credit for all five triples she attempted. She scored a respectable 100.49 points for that long program, infinitely better than the dismal 74.08 she scored a year earlier at the NHK Trophy.

Carroll has done wonders for Nagasu's skating in such a short time. Her technique improved so much in the weeks between her two fall events, which gives great hope to an even more improved Mirai showing up in Spokane later this month.

Argument 2: While she was overshadowed by teammates Ashley Wagner, Rachael Flatt, and Alissa Czisny this season on the Grand Prix circuit, it may have been a blessing in disguise. Mirai didn't qualify for the Grand Prix Final which is probably a bit disappointing for her, but it also means that she didn't lose any training time travelling to and from Tokyo in December. What she really needed was to stay at home drilling her jumps over and over, and I have no doubt she did just that. Nagasu has said she has an incredible amount of respect for Carroll, and after her free skate in China earlier this season, she exclaimed that she "just wanted to go home and train harder." She was a self-proclaimed "rebellious teenager" last season, but so far this season she appears to be all business.

Argument 3: Winning the '08 National title was no doubt the highlight of her young career, but it also placed an incredible amount of pressure on her. This showed last year at Nationals, where she delivered a flawed short program and was in tears as she took to the ice for her free skate. This year, Nagasu has nothing to lose and nothing to prove: she enters this year's event as a challenger and will not have the weight of the U.S. title resting on her slight, 16-year old shoulders.

Mirai may seem like a longshot to make the Olympic team, but the U.S. ladies field is so unpredictable that it is impossible to tell. With continued, steady improvement, she may in fact be in the best position of all the American ladies to sneak under the radar and nab one of the two available spots on the team.

The ten greatest U.S. Nationals performances of the last decade

2010-01-01T14:34:00.007-06:00

The 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships begin in two weeks, and this year's event proves to be a memorable one with Olympic team spots on the line. I have no doubt that we will see some fantastic performances across all four disciplines, but I first wanted to reminisce on how great the 2000-2009 years were.

From Michelle Kwan's consistent dominance to Evan Lysacek's emerging star power, to triple Axels by Rena Inoue & John Baldwin and Kimmie Meissner, there were an incredible amount of memorable programs by America's stars during the past ten years. Here are my top 10 favorites:

10. Matt Savoie, 2006 Long Program, "The Mission"
Known for his smooth edges, interesting transitions, and innovative programs, Matt Savoie had the potential to be a multiple national champion. He struggled with consistency and missed out on an Olympic berth in 2002. After hanging around for four more years, he pulled it together when it counted the most.

Savoie's program remains my favorite of that year's competition. I love the difficult entrances into his jumps, something Lysacek and Johnny Weir didn't (and still don't) really do. Savoie would earn the bronze medal here, and would go on to place a very respectable 7th at the Olympics.

9. Rena Inoue & John Baldwin, 2006 Long Program, "Shostakovich Medley"
Like Savoie, Inoue and Baldwin were never known for their consistency. John in particular has chronic trouble with his side-by-side triple jumps. An 11th place at the World championships in 2005 seemed to light a fire in this duo to improve all aspects of their skating, including the difficulty of their throws.

They entered the free skate at this competition in third place, on the verge of not earning one of the two possible Olympic team spots. They could have succumbed to pressure, but instead shone, nailing their side-by-side jumps as well as a throw triple Axel -- the first in U.S. Nationals history. They remain the only team in the world performing that element, and if they nail it again this month in Spokane, they could very well find themselves on the Olympic team once again.

8. Yebin Mok, 2003 Short Program, "The Swan"
Yebin who? Making only her third senior National appearance, Mok came into the event as a virtual unknown after placing 10th the previous two years. In 2003, she was the last skater to take the ice in the short program, and made the most of that opportunity by laying down this fantastic skate.

Mok's quiet confidence and grace helped her to a fifth place finish in the short program, and a sixth place finish overall. While injuries hampered her skating career (her last Nationals appearance was a 16th place finish in 2005), we will always have this gem to remember her by.

7. Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto, 2008 Free Dance, "Chopin Medley"
Often criticized for their lack of finesse and trend of "cheesy" programs (their "That's Entertainment" free dance, anyone?), Belbin and Agosto silenced their critics in 2008 with this wonderfully mature and poised performance to music by Frederic Chopin. Always great technicians, they were clearly the class of the field this year as well.

This performance helped them win their 5th straight U.S. title, and would set them up for a World title a few months later. Unfortunately, a fall in the compulsory dance by Belbin at the 2008 Worlds dashed any hope of a medal that year. Still, this program was the highlight of their season and, in my opinion, the best free dance by any team at Nationals last decade.

6. Jeremy Abbott, 2009 Short Program, "Adagio" by Albinoni
Coming off a victory at the Grand Prix Final just a month earlier, Abbott entered last year's competition as the gold medal favorite. Like Savoie, his unique jump entries and exits distinguished him from the rest of the field and gave him a significant advantage.

Abbott has been known in the skating world as a "headcase" -- unable to lay down perfect programs when the pressure is on. His mental toughness has improved tenfold in the past few years. His free skate at this event last year wasn't as perfect as this program, but it was enough for him to take the title.

5. Kimmie Meissner, 2005 Long Program, "Daphne et Chloe"
After winning back-to-back novice and junior U.S. titles in 2003 and 2004, Meissner's senior debut in 2005 pitted her against established veterans like Michelle Kwan, Sasha Cohen, Jenny Kirk, Bebe Liang, and Ann Patrice McDonough. Apparently, someone didn't mention this to Meissner.

She hit 7 soaring triple jumps -- including a triple Axel, the first and only American woman to land one since Tonya Harding in the early '90s. Though she won the bronze medal here, at 15-years old she was too young to compete at the World championships. Instead, she skated at the Junior World Championships, setting herself up for a top-six Olympic finish and senior World title the following year.

4. Mirai Nagasu, 2008 Short Program, "I've Got Rhythm"
The 2008 ladies event was supposed to be a showdown between Meissner and Caroline Zhang. Instead, 2007 U.S. junior champ Nagasu stole the show -- and the National title -- with this winning short program.

She scored over 70 points, a U.S. women's record, but what's more impressive is her speed across the ice and poise, both of which are pretty amazing for a 14-year old. I love her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, and the ina bauer entrance and spiral exit from her double Axel is very cool. Nagasu is a personal favorite of mine to make the Olympic team this year, and programs like this three weeks from now in Spokane could certainly help get her there.

3. Evan Lysacek, 2007 Long Program, "Carmen"
After winning bronze in 2005 and silver in 2006, there was only one place for Lysacek to go in 2007. His solid jumps and passionate performance to Bizet's famous "Carmen" enthralled the Spokane crowd and earned the then 21-year old his first of two National titles.

His final footwork sequence is one of my all-time favorites, and there's no denying the electricity that surged through the audience. A standing ovation here is just one of many for the 2009 World champ who is the favorite to regain his National title two weeks from now in Spokane.

2. Michelle Kwan, 2004 Long Program, "Tosca"
There's really not much to say about this program except that it is vintage Kwan at her finest. Michelle thrives on the pressure of competition and always skates her best when she is counted out the most. Coming into this skate, Kwan was second after the short program behind rival Cohen. Dick and Peggy were proclaiming Cohen as the new champion even before Kwan skated -- a bad, bad mistake.

Kwan did what she does best: she got angry, perhaps even a little annoyed, and answered the call, nailing six beautiful triple jumps and a final footwork sequence that is nothing short of magnificent. She may not have an Olympic title, but Kwan will be remembered as the best-ever from the United States, and one of the world's all-time greatest.

1. Michelle Kwan, 2001 Short Program, "East of Eden"
Kwan is the only skater to be on this list twice, but she could have her own top 10 list of greatest Nationals performances from 2000-2009. Her 1998 short program to music by Rachmaninoff is arguably the best women's short program of all time, but this "East of Eden" program comes close!

Her opening triple Lutz-double toe loop combination had amazing suspension in the air, as did her triple flip. Her spiral sequence is goose bump-inducing. She deserved every 6.0 she received for this performance -- probably even more. There's not a whole lot left to say -- watch it for yourself!

Asada, Ando, Suzuki headline Japanese Olympic team

2009-12-27T18:25:00.005-06:00

Mao Asada routed the ladies field at the Japanese Championships yesterday to clinch a spot on the Olympic team. Akiko Suzuki, also an Olympic newbie, and Miki Ando, who is making her second consecutive trip to the Games, join her.

Daisuke Takahashi continued his comeback season by winning the men's event, while Nobunari Oda and Takahiko Kozuka were second and third, respectively. All three will compete in Vancouver, as will the brother/sister ice dance team of Cathy and Chris Reed.

Asada's victory at Nationals helped turn around a sour season thus far. She was handily defeated by World champ Yu-Na Kim in Paris in October, and then fell to sixth at the Rostelecom Cup a week later. Though her triple Axel was downgraded in the short program this weekend, she hit a beautiful triple Axel/double toe loop combination in her free skate to take the title by more than 8 points overall. While her programs this season are still dreadful, Asada still has every ounce of talent it takes to be an Olympic champion.

Suzuki (shown above), only fourth after the short program, rallied to finish second in the free skate and overall. She landed seven solid triple jumps, with a minor, uncharacteristic trip being her only mistake. After battling back from anorexia at age 24, Suzuki appears to be the heavy emotional favorite heading into the Games. However, she is also shaping up to be a heavy medal contender, too. Already this season, Suzuki has defeated World silver medalist Joannie Rochette of Canada, the American trio of Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, and Ashley Wagner, and Italy's Carolina Kostner. With continued improvement, I have no doubt that Suzuki could be the darkhorse in Vancouver, with the potential to defeat teammates Asada and Ando, who have looked shaky at best so far this season. Ando, who clinched an Olympic spot by virtue of her silver-medal finish at the Grand Prix Final earlier this month, skated cautiously and conservatively here, finishing a distant fourth.

Perhaps the most unlucky skater once again is Yukari Nakano. Four years ago, she won bronze at the Grand Prix Final and defeated Ando at Nationals, yet she was still left off the team. Ando was sent to Torino where she finished 15th, while Nakano went to the World Championships a month later and was fifth. Even with a third place finish this year at Nationals, Nakano finds herself off the team once again because Ando was already guaranteed a spot as the highest Japanese GPF finisher. After being so successful in the 2.5 years following Torino, Nakano has been on somewhat of a downward slide since last year's Nationals, and her shaky performances on the Grand Prix series this year coupled with an underrotated triple Lutz in her long program yesterday means she'll be watching the action from home this February.

The Japanese ladies are arguably the deepest in the world, and any one of them could win an Olympic medal. The Olympic picture is rapidly developing with only 58 days until the ladies short program...

---------------
Japanese Nationals results:
1. Mao Asada (204.62)
2. Akiko Suzuki (195.90)
3. Yukari Nakano (195.73)
4. Miki Ando (185.44)
5. Kanako Murakami (176.61)
6. Haruka Imai (166.16)
7. Fumie Suguri (161.29)

Asada prepares for final Olympic tune-up this week at Japanese Nationals

2009-12-23T18:23:00.005-06:00

This hasn't exactly been a dream year for Japan's Mao Asada.

After winning the Japanese title last December, she was beaten by both Yu-Na Kim and Joannie Rochette at the Four Continents Championships, and placed a disappointing 4th at the World Championships.

Coming into this season, Asada seemed confident about her chances, but her performances at the Trophee Eric Bompard and Rostelecom Cup events in October were among the worst of her entire career. She could only muster up a 6th place finish in Russia, dashing any hope she had at making the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo earlier this month.

Skating fans on the Web and insiders around the world have been perplexed as to what her troubles are this season. Mao doesn't appear to be injured, nor is she completely unable to land her jumps (her practices at events this season have been stellar). Rather, the problem seems to lie with her competitive focus. Four years ago, Asada defeated World champ Irina Slutskaya at the Grand Prix Final, and though she was too young for the Torino Games in 2006, she established herself as the one to watch during this quadrennium.

Four years older, wiser, and with a World title under her belt, Asada's Olympic time has finally come, but will she be ready? The glare of the Japanese media spotlight is no doubt blinding at times, and the pressure for her and teammates Miki Ando, Yukari Nakano, Akiko Suzuki and Fumie Suguri has got to be immense. Will Mao follow in the footsteps of Midori Ito in 1992, a heavy favorite for Olympic gold yet burdened by the pressure of her home country?

I hope not, as Mao has so many wonderful qualities and is so capable of being a legitimate threat to Kim. However, her programs this season are nothing special, and they hide what makes Mao so great: her elegance, flow, speed, and clean lines.

It will be interesting to see whether she can rebound from a horrific season thus far and recapture some confidence this week at the Japanese Championships. Three Japanese women will make the trip to Vancouver, and while even a sub-par Asada is likely to go, she needs two solid performances here if she is to carry any momentum into the Games. World champion Kim has shown that she too is vulnerable this season, losing the free skate to Rachael Flatt at Skate America and the short program to Ando at the Grand Prix Final.

Mao Asada can be the 2010 Olympic champion, but not without drastic improvement. With uninspired, unartistic, and technically weak performances like she displayed on the Grand Prix Series, a medal of any color in Vancouver is likely out of the question.

--------------

Predictions for the Japanese Nationals: (in no particular order): Ando, Suzuki, and Asada. Nakano was left off the team four years ago in a (controversial) decision, so it's heartbreaking to think that she could (and probably will) be left off the team once again in favor of Suzuki who has been having an incredible season, placing 3rd at the Grand Prix Final. Suguri, a two-time Olympian, should be a non-factor this year.

U.S. Nationals: The countdown is on

2009-12-19T14:35:00.003-06:00

First of all, let me say sorry for not having posted in about three weeks! Between final projects, papers, exams and getting ready for graduation tomorrow, it's been a whirlwind!

Now, with nearly three weeks to go until the start of the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, skaters across the country are no doubt hard at work preparing. Being an Olympic year, this Nationals is undoubtedly the most important of the last quadrennium.

What are your thoughts, hopes, predictions, etc. for the event? What would be your dream Olympic team in all four disciplines? Leave a comment!

And don't forget -- I'll be blogging from Spokane (for the second weekend), so keep watching Minnesota Ice for practice reports, competition reports, photos, and other miscellaneous musings from the Olympic Trials!

'Tis the season for Grand Prix Final withdrawals

2009-11-27T20:08:00.003-06:00

With the six regular season events all wrapped up, the Grand Prix Final is set to take place next weekend in Tokyo, Japan. The top six point-scorers in each discipline will compete, minus a few exceptions.

Americans Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto are out of the dance event after Tanith required emergency oral surgery this week. Though they have received a lot of flack for pulling out of the Final, I don't fault them at all. It can take up to a few weeks to recover from wisdom tooth surgery, and if they can't be at their absolute best, there is no reason why they should compete and risk a poor performance. Their scores this season rank them below Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, as well as U.S. champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White. Hopefully Belbin and Agosto will rework their programs and make sure their levels are up to par so they can compete with their two younger rivals.

Belbin and Agosto's replacements, Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski, are also out of the Final, as she has come down with the flu. Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Porier, the second alternates, will compete in their place.

France's Brian Joubert is also out of the men's event after suffering a cut on his foot in training. He is replaced by Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic, the silver medalist from the Trophee Eric Bompard event earlier this fall.

Grand Prix Final Competitors:
Men: Nobunari Oda (JPN), Evan Lysacek (USA), Daisuke Takahashi (JPN), Jeremy Abbott (USA), Johnny Weir (USA), Tomas Verner (CZE)
Ladies: Yu-Na Kim (KOR), Miki Ando (JPN), Joannie Rochette (CAN), Alena Leonova (RUS), Ashley Wagner (USA), Akiko Suzuki (JPN)
Pairs: Shen/Zhao (CHN), Savchenko/Szolkowy (GER), Pang/Tong (CHN), Kavaguti/Smirnov (RUS), Mukhortova/Trankov (RUS), Zhang/Zhang (CHN)
Dance: Virtue/Moir (CAN), Davis/White (USA), Pechalat/Bourzat (FRA), Kerr/Kerr (GBR), Cappellini/Lanotte (ITA), Crone/Poirier (CAN)

Flatt stakes claim for an Olympic medal

2009-11-18T22:01:00.003-06:00

Two very important things were learned at last weekend's Skate America competition in Lake Placid: 1) Rachael Flatt is looking more and more like an Olympic podium threat, and 2) Yu-Na Kim is not unbeatable -- er, sorta.

The two entered Sunday's free skate ranked first and second, with Kim holding a massive 18 point lead over her young American challenger. Though she still won the overall competition by a comfortable 13 points, Kim lost the final round to Flatt by nearly five points -- the first time she has defeated the World champion Kim in any segment of any event.

After falling on her triple flip-triple toe loop combination in the short program, Flatt rallied in her long program, nailing her opening double Axel straight out of a spiral and then going on to hit the triple/triple (of which she received full credit and a positive Grade of Execution) along with five other solid triple jumps. Her final footwork sequence showcased solid edges and an incredible amount of joy, bringing the audience to its feet. Her only real glitch occurred on her final combination spin, which she received no credit for because she re-centered the second part of the spin too far away from the first. Nonetheless, Flatt recorded a new personal best free skate score of 116.11 points, and an overall tally of 174.91, making her the third highest scoring lady in the world so far this season.

Kim had what was probably her worst free skate since the 2007 World championships. Her triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination was underrotated and she went down on the triple flip, a jump that also gave her problems at her first Grand Prix event in Paris. Kim's program to George Gershwin music also had a few other minor stumbles and lacked her trademark spark and attack. In a season where she has already set three new world records, her 111.70 free skate feels like a disappointment.

While Flatt will probably just miss out on qualifying for the Grand Prix Final, Kim will be there, hoping to avenge her poor skate in Lake Placid. This weekend's last Grand Prix event, Skate Canada, will officially determine the rest of the Finals fields. In the ladies event, Canadian Joannie Rochette will need to place in the top 2 to have a shot, and Japan's Akiko Suzuki needs to finish no worse than fourth to qualify. Americans Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang and Alissa Czisny will also try to qualify, though it is unlikely that any will advance to the Final.

Lysacek, Flatt looking to rebound at Skate America

2009-11-12T17:10:00.003-06:00

After less-than-perfect starts to the season, Americans Evan Lysacek and Rachael Flatt look to rebound this weekend at Skate America, the fifth stop on the 2009-10 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.

Lysacek is coming off a silver medal finish at the Cup of China two weeks ago, where he lost to Japan's Nobunari Oda by just over 7 points. While he still scored a respectable 232.17 points there, he also had two jumps downgraded. Nonetheless, the gold medal is his to lose this weekend in Lake Placid, as his main competition will come from the Czech Republic's Tomas Verner, the silver medalist from the Trophee Eric Bompard event a month ago. Lysacek has said that he will not be putting the quad in either of his programs here, instead opting to save it for the U.S. National championships and the Olympic Games later this season.

Flatt also began her season two weeks ago at the Cup of China, though she was only able to manage a disappointing 4th place. A podium finish there was definitely the expectation, and now her chance to make the Grand Prix Final is all but gone (she would need two win this competition to qualify for the Final, which is virtually impossible with World champ Yu-Na Kim in the field). Still, Flatt definitely gets better as the season progresses, and with more time to train her programs and feedback from the judges in China, she is the clear silver-medal favorite.

Other contenders in the men's event include fellow Americans Brandon Mroz and Ryan Bradley, while the United States' Alexe Gilles will battle for bronze with a slew of international competitors like Fumie Suguri, Susanna Poykio and Elene Gedevanishvili.

In pairs, look for China's Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao to claim gold like they did in China two weeks ago, with teammates Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang the front runners for second place. Americans Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, coming off a bronze medal at the Cup of Russia, will have to contend with both Tatiana Volosozhar and Stanislav Morozov, and Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin for the third spot on the podium.

Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto should easily win their second Grand Prix title of the season, and I predict that Russia's Jana Khokhlova and Sergei Novitski will take second, with Italy's Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte winning bronze. Reigning World Junior champs Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein out of Canton, Mich., have a great shot at a top-five finish here after placing 8th at their senior international debut at the Cup of China.

Injured Cohen out of this week's Skate America

2009-11-09T21:14:00.005-06:00

Sasha Cohen withdrew from Skate America today, citing a nagging case of tendinitis in her right calf. The 2006 Olympic silver medalist also withdrew from her first planned Grand Prix event - Trophee Eric Bompard - a month ago, meaning that her first event of the season will be the U.S. Nationals in January. This certainly doesn't bode well for her hopes of making a third Olympic team.

While there's no doubt that a five-triple jump Cohen could be competitive with many of the top ladies today, she needed to test her programs in front of an international panel of judges and in front of an audience. After a three-year hiatus from competitive skating, it was crucial that she get back into a competitive mindset, and her two fall events would have given her the perfect opportunity to do that. Now, should she show up at Nationals, Cohen will be competing against the top U.S. ladies for only two Olympic spots - ladies that have been gaining mileage on their programs this season, feedback from judges, and confidence in their ability to perform them well. I know injuries happen, but Cohen should have started her comeback earlier than this past June if she hopes to make a return trip to the Games.

Even if she shows up in Spokane and wins a medal, there's certainly no guarantee that she would be granted a spot on the team. This year, U.S. Figure Skating will not choose the Olympic team based solely on the results of Nationals (not even the gold medalist is guaranteed a spot). Instead, the team will be chosen based upon the results of a number of events: the Grand Prix series, the Grand Prix Final (should any qualify), and at last year's World championships. Based upon this criteria, Ashley Wagner currently looks to be one of the front-runners for the team, as she has medaled in both of her Grand Prix events and has an excellent chance at making the Final in Tokyo in December. Rachael Flatt, although not stellar at the Cup of China, looks poised to make the team as well, thanks to her consistency and a solid fifth-place finish at her first-ever Worlds last March.

Flatt competes again at Skate America this weekend, where her main competition will come from Korea's Yu-Na Kim. A silver-medal finish in Lake Placid, NY, will further increase her chances of making the team, though she, and the rest of the American women, will still need to deliver at Nationals.

As for Cohen, her comeback just got more complicated, though not entirely impossible. After all, she does have the most experience of any of the currently competing U.S. ladies and she is the only one with Olympic experience. On the other hand, she has never been one to handle pressure well, and if she's still struggling with injury come January, the chances that she'll be on top of her game are slim.

I can't think of a year when the ladies event was more unpredictable than it is this year...

Joubert first after exciting men's short program; Wagner wins round one in Nagano

2009-11-06T18:51:00.003-06:00

Talk about two extremely different events.

Frenchman Brian Joubert rebounded from a disastrous outing in Paris three weeks ago to win the men's short program at the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan. His score of 85.35 is the top men's score this season, a score he achieved largely due to the strength of his quadruple toe-loop/triple toe-loop combination. He currently sits 2.35 points ahead of American Jeremy Abbott, who beat his personal best short program score by nearly five points. Abbott's innovative program to an electric guitar cover of the Beatles' "A Day in the Life" is absolutely amazing, and there is no way his Program Component Scores should have been third-best behind Joubert and Japan's Daisuke Takahashi, who had a rough landing on his solo triple Lutz and a hard fall in his circular footwork sequence.

Three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir is third after the short, landing all four of his planned triple jumps and earning a new season's best score of 78.35. Takahashi, the 2007 World silver medalist is close behind with 78.18 points, while teammate Takahiko Kozuka, who won silver two weeks ago in Russia, is fifth with 74.05 points. American Adam Rippon - who turns 20 next week - took a spill on a triple Axel and is currently 8th, some 11.20 points out of medal contention.

With a combined seven World championship medals among them and numerous Grand Prix titles, the men's event seemed more like a final flight at the World championships than only the fourth event of the season. It was an entirely different story for the ladies, however.

American teen Ashley Wagner nabbed the top spot after the short program, defeating 2007 World champion and current World bronze medalist Miki Ando. While Wagner wasn't completely clean (her double Axel was severely underrotated), her skate was still enough to earn a season's best score and beat out Ando, who took a spill on her triple flip and quite possibly underrotated her triple Lutz also. Yukari Nakano is third after bailing out of her triple Lutz and not completing the combination. Reigning European champion Laura Lepisto of Finland is fourth, and Russia's Alena Leonova rounds out the top five with 52.34 points after falling on her triple Lutz (a fall that was timed perfectly to the music, though).

The event was so lackluster that not one of the ladies in the field even managed to break 30 points for her Technical Elements Score. I know the Olympics are still three months away, but it is already November and still not one skater from any country has proven that she is able to compete with Korea's Yu-Na Kim. I know injuries happen and "the ice is slippery," but it is nearly impossible to predict who will medal come February.

Japan's Akiko Suzuki won the Cup of China last week with two nearly perfect programs, but she has never even been to a World Championship before. Will she be able to handle the pressure of the Olympics if she makes the team? Mao Asada has had a horrific fall season, but will she be regrouped and ready by the time the Japanese Nationals come around at the end of December? Could she be left off the Olympic team if she continues to skate poorly?

The North American outlook isn't very clear, either. Canada's Joannie Rochette won a World silver medal last season, but her performances in China last week were far from world-class. Was it just jetlag or is she already feeling the pressure this season? If that's the case, how will she be able to handle the pressure of competing at home in Vancouver? The American ladies picture is still cloudy as ever, with Rachael Flatt, Mirai Nagasu, Caroline Zhang and Alissa Czisny all underperforming so far this season. Could Wagner be the strongest candidate for the team? And lets not even discuss the European ladies, none of which look remotely close to Olympic caliber yet, either.

There's so many questions yet to be answered. The rest of the Grand Prix season will be incredibly interesting, all leading up to what may be the most unpredictable Olympic Games ever. Stay tuned!

Shen, Zhao hit comeback trail at Cup of China

2009-10-29T21:42:00.004-05:00

Finally, a comeback worth getting excited about.

Three-time World pairs champions and two-time Olympic bronze medalists Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao of China will skate for the first time in 2.5 years tomorrow at the Cup of China, the third stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.

The sentimental favorites of so many in the skating community, Shen and Zhao are looking very strong for so early in the season. In a practice clip from Chinese TV, the pair landed beautiful side-by-side triple toe loops, a soaring triple twist and huge throw triple jumps.

The duo dominated the years leading up to Torino, winning two World titles and nearly every Grand Prix event in which they entered. Before the 2006 Games, however, Zhao suffered a ruptured Achilles tendon. Surgery and rehab followed, but their participation in the Games was in severe jeopardy. In they end, they rallied back from a fifth place finish in the short program there to take the bronze overall, a medal they also won four years prior in Salt Lake City.

The team went undefeated in the 2006-07 season, capping it off with a third World championship and a marriage proposal. They toured with Stars on Ice and performed in numerous shows, but their "unfinished business" with the Olympics has clearly led them back for another shot at the gold medal--and the chance to go out on their own terms.

Though the German team of Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy have won the past two World championships, the Olympic gold medal is far from theirs yet. This is figure skating, after all, and anything can happen. If Shen and Zhao can remain healthy throughout the season, I see no reason why they can't be the top team in Vancouver. The top Russian, Canadian and American teams are either inconsistent, relatively new to the international scene, or both. The other two Chinese pairs lack the finesse and experience of Shen and Zhao. I repeat: anything is possible, especially at the Olympics.

-------

The Cup of China will also feature the season debuts of World champion Evan Lysacek and four-time World medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto. Japan's Nobunari Oda could provide some stiff competition for Lysacek, but look for Joannie Rochette of Canada to take gold in the ladies event, with Americans Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu battling it out for the remaining podium spots with Japan's Akiko Suzuki and Italy's Carolina Kostner.

Wagner surprises with silver medal finish

2009-10-27T15:42:00.004-05:00

American skater Ashley Wagner made a huge statement Saturday at the Rostelecom Cup: she's still in the game.

Wagner, the 2008 U.S. bronze medalist and fourth place finisher from last year dazzled in her free skate at the second Grand Prix event of the season, electrifying the crowd and coming from behind to defeat 2008 World champion Mao Asada and reigning U.S. champion Alissa Czisny.

Her free skate, set to music from Borodulin's "Prince Igor," contained superb spins, solid spirals and an arsenal of strong jumps. Wagner landed three double Axels in her program, and was credited with four clean triple jumps (although her triple Lutz was assigned a wrong-edge deduction and received a Grade of Execution of -2). Despite all this, she earned a personal best 108.81 points for her program, and rebounded from a fifth place short program to take second overall. Japanese skater and 2007 World champion Miki Ando won the event, while her countrywoman Asada continued her downward slide and only managed a fifth place finish overall. Her chances of making the Grand Prix Final in Tokyo in December are now very much in jeopardy.

While Wagner shone, Czisny fizzled in a disappointing free skate in which she was only credited with three clean triple jumps and fell on a downgraded triple flip. She dropped from second to fourth place overall.

The U.S. ladies field is so wildly unpredictable right now with, realistically, six ladies fighting for only two Olympic berths. Though Rachael Flatt and Mirai Nagasu have yet to compete this season (they will be at this week's Cup of China), Wagner has set the early standard. Her total score of 163.97 from Moscow is the fifth-highest ladies score of the season, though skaters like Flatt and Nagasu could certainly match and surpass it. With the Olympic team being chosen on the results of many competitions throughout the year, there's more pressure than ever on the U.S. ladies to be near flawless at each outing.

Plushenko's bid for second Olympic title begins in Moscow this weekend

2009-10-22T18:14:00.003-05:00

After a three year hiatus from eligible competition, 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko of Russia is back this season hoping for a repeat victory come February.

The three-time World champion Plushenko was nearly unbeatable during the 2002-2006 quadrennium, losing only twice (once to France's Brian Joubert and once to Emmanuel Sandhu of Canada). Unfortunately for him, the competition isn't as easy this time around.

Since his absence, numerous men have staked their claim in the figure skating world, and the field is so deep now, it's hard to predict exactly just where he fits in. The top two men at last year's Worlds -- American Evan Lysacek and Canadian Patrick Chan -- have proven that you don't need a quadruple jump to win big anymore. Instead of relying on that one jump, today's group of male skaters seem to be focusing on refining the "overall package:" clean and consistent triple/triple combinations, high level spins and footwork sequences, and more difficult transitions to boost their Program Component Scores (PCS). While Plushenko's success rate with the quad is certainly the highest of the men that will be competing in Vancouver, his spins and choreography leave much to be desired.

While he has the potential to outclass the field jump-wise, Plushenko must pay attention to the other aspects of his skating if he hopes to be victorious at the Games. Skating has evolved quite a bit even in the past three years, and he cannot rest on his laurels and hope to win on his skating skills alone. His PCS were astronomically high in Torino in 2006, but there won't be that big of a gap between him and his competitors this time around. Skaters like Lysacek, Chan, Johnny Weir, Daisuke Takahashi, Nobunari Oda and '06 Olympic runner-up Stephane Lambiel will provide some incredibly tough competition.

I've never been Plushenko's biggest fan, but I do respect him as an athlete and competitor. It will be very interesting to see what happens this weekend in Moscow when he competes at the Rostelecom Cup, where his only other threats seem to be Weir and Japanese skater Takahiko Kozuka. A win in this field is certainly attainable, but a second Olympic win this winter will prove to be much more elusive if he enters the Games with the same mindset and types of programs he did four years ago.

-------
In other Rostelecom Cup news, Miki Ando reportedly had a great practice today, while Mao Asada struggled on the triple Axel, only achieving about a 50 percent success rate. Whether it's fatigue (this is her third competition this month) or the pressure of the Olympic season catching up with her, it will be interesting to see if she can improve upon her performances last week at the Trophee Eric Bompard, where she was defeated by rival Yu-Na Kim by more than 36 points.

Kim sets new world record; Canada, Japan, Russia also golden in Paris

2009-10-18T14:32:00.003-05:00

Yu-Na Kim just keeps rolling.

The 19-year old phenom from South Korea set a new world record Saturday at the Trophee Eric Bompard in Paris, the first Grand Prix event of the season. Her overall score of 210.03 demolished the rest of the ladies, and put her ahead of rival Mao Asada by more than 36 points.

After a 76.08 point short program, Kim probably could have skated around the rink doing cross-overs and single jumps and still won the gold medal. Instead, she landed five clean triple jumps with ease, including a difficult triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination as well as a double Axel-triple toe loop combination. Her only mistake came on a planned triple flip; heading into it, she said something didn't feel right. Rather than risk a fall and disrupt the flow of the program, Kim simply skated right through the element, which makes her world record scores even more impressive.

Asada, the pride of Japan, finished a distant second after an up-and-down free skate. She nailed her opening triple Axel combination after botching it in the short program, but then underrotated other jumps and fell on a double Axel at the end of her program. On top of that, her program is uninspiring. The music and choreography are far too heavy for this exuberant skater, and all of the joy seems gone from her skating. Whether this is her coach Tatiana Tarasova's "influence" or not, something isn't right. One can only hope the Japanese Skating Federation will step in and demand either a coaching change or some music changes before Vancouver.

Another Japanese skater, Yukari Nakano, was third, with Americans Caroline Zhang and Alexe Gilles in fourth and fifth, respectively. Zhang is still recovering from a knee injury this summer, and it was evident in her performances here. The good news for her is that her second event is five weeks away -- plenty of time for her to regroup and train hard. For Gilles, a top-five finish in her senior Grand Prix debut is nothing to sneeze at, and she'll look to build upon this momentum a month from now at Skate America.

In ice dancing, Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir took gold, as expected. Their stirring free dance to music by Gustav Mahler features intricate and inventive lifts, including one where Virtue "jumps" off of her partner's leg into a full turn and then lands on the ice next to him. With reigning World champions Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin out right now due to injury, teams like Virtue/Moir and the American teams of Meryl Davis/Charlie White and Tanith Belbin/Ben Agosto have got to be dreaming big of the top prize in Vancouver. The world of ice dance is so unpredictable and deep right now, that it may very well be the most exciting discipline of the season.

In the men's event, Japan's Nobunari Oda was flawless in his "Charlie Chaplin" program. Even though he has yet to medal at the World Championships, Oda will be a serious threat to the Olympic podium come February, with or without a quadruple jump. Tomas Verner took silver here, and American Adam Rippon won his first Grand Prix medal by taking the bronze. Perhaps the most shocking story of the men's event was Brian Joubert's disappointing fourth place finish on home ice. Joubert looked lethargic and slow, and his jumps didn't have the ease and fluidity that they normally do. Although it's early in the season, Joubert must improve drastically for his second event if he has any hopes of making the Grand Prix Final and building momentum towards the Olympics.

Finally, in pairs, Russians Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov were the surprise winners over two-time and reigning World champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany who placed third. Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison were second, while American's Rena Inoue and John Baldwin used their trademark throw triple Axel to vault them from fifth to fourth in the standings.

The Grand Prix series continues this coming week in Moscow at the Rostelecom Cup. 2006 Olympic champion Evgeni Plushenko makes his return to competition here, while Asada will face off against her main Japanese rival, 2007 World champion Miki Ando. The United States will be represented well by Davis/White in ice dance, Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker in pairs, Alissa Czisny and Ashley Wagner in the ladies event, and three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir in men's.

Yu-Na Kim's stunning new long program

2009-10-15T15:11:00.010-05:00

World champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea skated her new long program - set to George Gershwin music - during a practice session in Paris today at the Trophee Eric Bompard, the first stop on the 2009-10 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series.

Kim sailed through six beautiful triple jumps. She has added a new triple/triple combination to her repertoire (3Lutz/3toe), and the steps and choreography into her triple Salchow are excellent as well. Additionally, her stretch, lines and body positions all look much improved.

The 10 ladies in competition in Paris will skate their short programs tomorrow, with the free skate final on Saturday. Keep checking Minnesota Ice for competition updates and recaps.

Cohen's absence doesn't dampen excitement in Grand Prix opener

2009-10-12T18:25:00.005-05:00

Sasha Cohen's withdrawal from Trophee Eric Bompard - the Grand Prix series opener - didn't come as much of a shock to those in the skating community.

Cohen, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist, had her comeback bid interrupted last Thursday when she announced that she would be withdrawing from the event due to tendinitis in her calf. Although this is bad news in her attempt to make a third consecutive Olympic team, the ladies field in Paris this week is still the deepest of all the Grand Prix events.

In her first competition of the season, reigning World champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea looks to capture her eighth Grand Prix gold medal. Armed with a new triple-triple combination (Lutz-toe loop), Kim is the overwhelming favorite here, though the competition will be nipping at her heels.

2008 World champ Mao Asada will be battling it out with her arch-rival Kim for the top spot. Asada, the 19-year old Japanese phenom, appears to have plateaued or even regressed since her '08 Worlds win. At the recent Japan Open invitational, Asada was only credited with three clean triple jumps, and her trademark triple Axel was downgraded and awarded a Grade of Execution of -2.24. She finished third among the ladies competing there, far behind Canada's Joannie Rochette and nearly 8-points off of Laura Lepisto of Finland. With the plethora of top ladies competing in Paris, Asada cannot rely solely upon her Program Component Scores to carry her to the podium.

Among the other competitors are Italy's Carolina Kostner, a two-time World medalist, and Japan's Yukari Nakano. Kostner changed coaches in the off-season, and is now under the tutelage of iconic American coach Frank Carroll in Los Angeles (Carroll also coaches Americans Evan Lysacek and Mirai Nagasu). In an Italian TV news clip that recently surfaced, Kostner's jumps look more secure and solid, marking her as a legitimate threat to Kim and Asada.

The United States women will be represented by Caroline Zhang and Alexe Gilles. Zhang, the reigning U.S. bronze medalist, is recovering from a summer knee injury, but should be much improved over her form at the Golden West Championships in early September. Known for her consistency, Zhang could very well find herself in medal contention, though she may have to rely on out-scoring the rest of the field on spins and hoping for mistakes from the other ladies.

In the other disciplines in Paris...Brian Joubert will face off against Japan's Nobunari Oda, with American Adam Rippon looking to break through for his first Grand Prix medal. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada will likely be golden in ice dance, and two-time World pairs champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany will look to top Russian's Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, Canadians Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison, and Americans Rena Inoue and John Baldwin.

Meissner's season over before it began

2009-10-09T18:21:00.005-05:00

Kimmie Meissner announced Thursday that she has withdrawn from her two Grand Prix events due to a nagging knee injury sustained during a practice this summer.

The announcement comes as a bit of a shock, as the Meissner-camp has been relatively quiet this summer. A video from June showed the vast improvements she had made in her artistry and presentation, and she looked to be on the right track for the season. However, pain in her knee forced her to skip two summer competitions - the Liberty Open and Skate Detroit - and, though she is able to perform triple jumps, she said she doesn't feel comfortable enough with the flip or Lutz yet.

"For the United States to be represented properly, especially during an Olympic year, I feel I must put my personal desire to compete aside," Meissner said.

Because Meissner won't be competing at the Rostelecom Cup in Russia or the NHK Trophy in Japan, her season is effectively over. She skipped last year's Nationals due to injury, therefore not receiving a bye to this year's event by placing in the top 5. Her assignment in Japan gave her a bye through the Eastern Sectional Championships, and US Figure Skating granted her a bye through the South Atlantic Regional Championships (taking place now) as well because of the extensive travel time involved between her Grand Prix events.

That bye, however, was contingent upon her competing in those events. This means that Meissner will not be able to skate at the Nationals in Spokane, and a possible berth on what would be her second Olympic team is not possible anymore either.

She was quick to tell followers on her Twitter page that she is definitely not retiring, and plans to come back next season. In the meantime, Meissner is scheduled to perform on the "Stars on Ice" tour this winter.

Meissner is the 2006 World champion and the 2007 US National and Four Continents champion. Additionally, she is the 2007 Skate America champion and finished 6th at the 2006 Olympics in Torino, Italy. Meissner is only the second US lady ever to have landed a triple Axel in competition.

As my sentimental favorite, I wish Kimmie a speedy recovery and look forward to seeing her represent the US again in the near future!

American skating's bright new star

2009-10-04T16:25:00.003-05:00

In what was her first-ever international competition, 14-year old Kiri Baga stole the show and walked away with the gold medal at the Junior Grand Prix of Dresden, Germany, this weekend.

Baga, the reigning novice National champion out of Bloomington, Minn., shook off the pressure of her JGP debut and performed brilliantly, landing a triple flip for the first time in her short program to amass a total segment score of 56.27, the highest junior ladies' short program score so far this season.

Her second-place 88.41 point free skate gave her a total competition score of 144.68, clinching the gold medal and making her the fourth-highest scoring junior lady on the circuit this season. She bested teammate Angela Maxwell by more than 8 points, though Maxwell was dealing with boot issues and had to resort to using duct tape to give her the strength to sustain her jump landings.

Nonetheless, Baga's victory marks her as a legitimate threat for a spot at the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. She has been assigned a second JGP event in Turkey, and a top four finish there should guarantee her a ticket to the Final. Additionally, a junior National title is well within her reach come January, although the compeition will be fierce (in Spokane, she'll likely face Agnes Zawadzki, Haley Dunne, and Mary Beth Marley, among others).

Aside from her high-scoring spins, spirals and solid jumps, the judges in Dresden apparently liked what they saw from Baga, as they awarded her the highest Program Component Scores in the short program (21.99) and the second-highest in the free skate (45.77). In skating, great basics is a good thing to have, and when the harder triples (loop, Lutz) become consistent for her, Baga will be a threat at the senior level. Her stretch, speed, edging, attack and musicality is truly something to be admired.

Notes from Nebelhorn & Musings from Minsk

2009-09-29T12:43:00.003-05:00

The Nebelhorn Trophy wrapped up Saturday in Oberstdorf, Germany, and the Olympic field is set -- sort of.

Earning the remaining spots were:
Men: Switzerland, Austria, Germany, North Korea, Romania, Finland
Ladies: China, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Belgium
Pairs: Switzerland, Poland, Estonia, Italy
Ice Dance: China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary

Although it is still unknown as to which skaters will be representing these countries (along with the countries who qualified spots at the World Championships in March), the Olympic picture is slowly developing. One skater who will most likely be there is 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lambiel buried the competition here in Oberstdorf, and now only has to pass the requirements of the Swiss Olympic Committee (which he will surely do) in order to skate in Vancouver.

On the ladies' side, American Alissa Czisny won her second straight Nebelhorn title, but only on the strength of her short program. She was only credited with two clean triples in her free skate in what was a messy and error-prone event overall. China's Yan Liu won the free skate and placed third overall to qualify a spot for her country in Vancouver, while Hungary's Julia Sebestyen placed fourth but still earned a berth to her fourth consecutive Olympic Games.

In ice dancing, United States champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White performed their "Phantom of the Opera" free dance for the first time internationally this season, and accumulated over 100 points for it. Their total competition score of 200.46 points was more than 30 points higher than the second place finishers, Alexandra Zaretski and Roman Zaretski of Israel. Davis and White's total score at Nebelhorn was .10 points higher than what they received at the World Championshps last March, but would have been enough to earn them the bronze medal at that event. Clearly, they are already on the right track this season.

Over in Minsk, Belarus, the fourth Junior Grand Prix event of the season wrapped up. Russia's Polina Shelepen delivered another solid free skate to win her second JGP event of the season. Japan's Yuki Nishino was second, and Ksenia Makarova of Russia was third. Kristiene Gong was the top U.S. lady, finishing 4th.

In the men's event, Minnesota-native Eliot Halverson was the top American finisher, placing 5th. Russia's Artur Gachinski and China's Nan Song were in a class of their own, each finishing with over 178 points and winning gold and silver, respectively.

China went 1-2 in the pairs event, with Canadians Hole/Johnson winning the bronze medal after taking gold in Lake Placid last earlier this season. Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker won the silver medal in ice dancing - their first-ever JGP medal - behind Russians Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin.

Shelepen has mathematically qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, and it appears as though Makarova will qualify as well. Hole/Johnson have also qualified in the pairs event.

The Junior Grand Prix series continues this week in Dresden, Germany. Angela Maxwell (United States) and Isabelle Olsson (Sweden) are both medal winners already this season, and both will be in contention in Germany. Minnesota-native Kiri Baga makes her international debut, and with her strong spins, spirals and jumps, could definitely factor in for a medal.

Mid-competition thoughts from the Nebelhorn Trophy and the JGP - Belarus

2009-09-24T20:42:00.004-05:00

The skating season has *officially* begun.

Senior-level skaters from across the globe have gathered in Oberstdorf, Germany, for the Nebelhorn Trophy, a.ka., the Olympic qualifying event. For nations that have already qualified spots for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the competition serves as a tune-up event for their skaters, allowing them the chance to get their programs in front of an international panel of judges early in the season (i.e., the American skaters competing here are simply competing for the experience, although they are not necessarily the skaters who will be representing the U.S. in Vancouver). For skaters from other countries, however, the event has a much more significant meaning.

Up for grabs are four Olympic spots in pairs, six in the mens and ladies events, and five in ice dancing. One skater hoping to nab a berth is Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist and a two-time World champion. Back for another season, Lambiel currently has the lead after the short program with 77.45 points. The Czech Republic's Michal Brezina sits in second place (73.23) and American Ryan Bradley nabbed the third spot (68.18) after landing a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination but falling on his circular step sequence.

In pairs, two-time and reigning World champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy accumulated 72.80 points for their short program, and have a commanding 13-point lead over the second place team of Volosozhar/Morozov (Ukraine). 2007 American champions Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski sit fourth with 51.70 points.

The United States' Meryl Davis and Charlie White displayed their consistency once again, winning both the compulsory (37.62) and original dances (62.08) in Oberstdorf. Apparently their original dance to Indian "Bollywood" music is full of difficult and unique choreography, and was well-received by the audience. I, for one, can't wait to see it! They will take a huge total of 99.70 points into the final segment - the free dance - on Saturday.

The other big skating event going on this week is the Junior Grand Prix in Minsk, Belarus. After today's competition, the results are as follows:

Ice Dance (Compulsory Dance):
1. Monko/Khaliavin, RUS, 33.74
2. Routhier/Saucke-Lacelle, CAN, 31.91
3. Agafonova/Dun, UKR, 30.22
4. Tibbetts/Brubaker, USA, 30.16

Ladies (Short Program):
1. Polina Shelepen, RUS, 49.65
2. Ksenia Makarova, RUS, 49.08
3. Kristiene Gong, USA, 47.42
4. Jasmine Alexandra Costa, EST, 46.93

Pairs (Short Program):
1. Sui/Han, CHN, 50.67
2. Stolbova/Klimov, RUS, 49.52
3. Zhang/Wang, CHN, 49.33
4. Cheng/Gao, CHN, 46.47

The men's short program is tomorrow, along with the original dance and the ladies free skate. Look for the ladies final result to be the same (Shelepen/Makarova/Gong), but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of movement in pairs. Canadians Kaleigh Hole and Adam Johnson (gold medalists at the JGP Lake Placid) are currently 7th but most definitely within striking distance (only about four points out of third).

Thoughts from the Junior Grand Prix - Poland

2009-09-15T14:53:00.006-05:00

Because only a few videos have shown up of the competition at the Junior Grand Prix - Poland last week, there isn't much to write about. Instead, I've come up with five conclusions from the event:

1. Kanako Murakami is Japan's next female skating star. I think she could very well find herself on the 2011 World Championships team for Japan, especially if skaters like Miki Ando, Yukari Nakano and Fumie Suguri retire after this season (although she could still very well make the team even if she was in contention with them).

2. Keegan Messing of the United States is one tough guy. He suffered a deep cut to his hamstring after colliding with U.S. teammate Austin Kanallakan during a practice in Poland, an injury that forced him to walk around the arena on crutches. After an 11th place short program, Messing was 3rd in the free skate and wound up 6th overall.

3. Barring injuries, the fight for gold at the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Junior World Championships appears to be between Russian ice dancers Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov and Americans Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani. The "Shib sibs" have the highest junior ice dance total so far this season (a 175.95 from the JGP - Lake Placid), but Ilinykh/Katsalapov are close behind after a 171.61 point effort in Poland.

4. It looks like Christina Gao could make a huge splash at the U.S. Championships in January. After solid summer competitions, Gao won the bronze medal in Poland in her international debut. Gao has all the requirements necessary to be a great champion, and though it would be a stretch for her to make this year's Olympic team, she seems to be building nicely towards the Games in Sochi, Russia, in 2014.

5. Japan has another dominant man in Yuzuru Hanyu. He demolished the men's field here, winning by more than 27 points. Like Murakami in the ladies event, Hanyu is a legitimate contender for a World team berth in 2011. His score in Poland makes him the top junior man on the JGP circuit so far this season, and an early favorite for the JGP Final title in December.

Full results from the Junior Grand Prix - Poland can be found here.

Flatt shines with new short

2009-09-11T20:36:00.004-05:00

Rachael Flatt isn't resting on her laurels this Olympic season.

The 17-year old star from Colorado Springs, Colo., knows that it will take a consistent season and two fantastic programs to get to Vancouver in February, which is why she has once again enlisted the help of choreographer Lori Nichol. The result? A fantastic new short program to "Sing, Sing, Sing!" that has already proven to be a crowd pleaser.

Flatt has climbed the national and international skating ranks by displaying awe-inspiring consistency, secure jumps and the ability to thrive under pressure. At times, her skating has lacked any real audience connection -- that extra "spark" -- that past great American female figure skaters have been known for. To boost her Program Component Scores, Flatt and Nichol spent hours searching through music and crafting well thought out programs. Additionally, Flatt is being mentored by 1976 Olympic champion Dorothy Hamill, and the improvement in her skating is quite noticeable.

Flatt performed her new programs at the Golden West Championships last weekend in Culver City, Calif. While her new free skate to "Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini" understandably needs more time to "gel" (it is only September, after all), her short program is already world-class.

Her jumps are solid as ever, but for the first time in a long, long time, Rachael truly "comes alive" on the ice. From the opening beats she perfectly captures the jazzy feeling of the big-band music and carries that theme throughout the entire program. Her final footwork sequence is the best I have seen so far this season, and could very well bring down the house at the U.S. Championships if she skates with the same verve and attack that she showed here.

While her spins and posture could still use a bit more refinement, Flatt is definitely on the right track this season. If she continues to train smart, keep her cool and remain healthy, she should easily maintain her status as an Olympic team favorite.

U.S. golden in singles, ice dance in second JGP event

2009-09-06T12:33:00.004-05:00

After a slow opening to the series last week in Budapest, Hungary, a stronger American team rebounded at the Junior Grand Prix - Lake Placid this weekend.

Reigning U.S. junior champion Ross Miner won gold in his first Junior Grand Prix event by executing flawless triple Axels in his short and long programs. Though he made minor mistakes in both programs, his total competition score of 179.95 was more than enough to secure first place for him. He finished over 11 points higher than silver medalist Kento Nakamura of Japan. A relative unknown going in, Nakamura surprised many with effortless triple Axels and fantastic style and presentation. His overall score of 168.03 crushed his previous personal best by more than 40 points, and both Miner and Nakamura appear to be among the favorites to make the Junior Grand Prix Final in December.

There were no surprises in the ice dance event, as the brother/sister duo of Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani easily skated off with the gold medal. Their margin of victory? An astonishing 21.53 points over Canadian silver medalists Kharis Ralph and Asher Hill. The Shibutani's recorded personal best scores in all three phases of the competition in Lake Placid, and their Japanese folk dance (original dance) and tango free dance are the perfect vehicles to show off their maturity and technical prowess. Their total score of 175.95 would have placed them 10th at the senior World Championships last season.

The other two American teams in the event, Lauri Bonacorsi and Travis Mager, and Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker finished 3rd and 7th, respectively. For Bonacorsi and Mager, a bronze medal in their first JGP event sets them up as legitimate contenders for a Junior Grand Prix Final berth, as well as a junior National medal come January.

The story of the ladies event was without a doubt Kristine Musademba. In her third season of JGP competition, Musademba has acquired a newfound grace and maturity. Her "Claire de Lune" short program was a 54.48 point personal best for her, and put her nearly six points ahead of the rest of the field. A solid free skate to Saint-Saen's "Africa: Fantasy for Piano and Orchestra" was marred only by a fall on her second triple Salchow attempt. However, five completed triple jumps and level 3 and 4 footwork and spins contributed to her 92.91 point free skate (Technical Elements: 49.15, Program Components: 44.76). Musademba's overall score of 147.39 points was more than 10 points higher than silver medalist Ksenia Makarova of Russia, and marks her as a favorite for the JGP Final title and a top 6 finish at the U.S. Championships in Spokane in January.

The other American women in the event didn't fare as well. Taylor Firth finished third in the short program but dropped to eighth in the free skate en route to a 5th place finish overall. Junior National champion DeeDee Leng ended the event in 7th place, and a second Junior Grand Prix assignment for both girls now seems unlikely.

The Lake Placid JGP was home to the first pairs competition of the series. Canadians Kaleigh Hole and Adam Johnson took first in both the short and long programs by displaying secure throw triple and side-by-side triple jumps. Russia's Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov hung on to the silver medal despite a fifth-place free skate, while Japan's Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran fought back after a fifth-place short program to capture the bronze medal overall. Britney Simpson and Nathan Miller of the U.S. recorded the third best free skate but had to settle for 4th place overall. Still, they received some of the top Program Component Scores in both programs and could still make the JGP Final if they medal in their second event.

The Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series moves to Torun, Poland next week. American Christina Gao is among the top ladies competing there, but she will face tough competition from Japan's Kanako Murakami and Russia's Polina Agafonova. Minnesota-native Kate Charbonneau, the 2009 Canadian junior champion, will represent that country in her Junior Grand Prix debut.

A Preview of the Junior Grand Prix - Lake Placid

2009-08-31T16:21:00.005-05:00

After the series-opening event last weekend in Budapest, Hungary, the Junior Grand Prix continues this week in Lake Placid, New York. A strong American team looks poised to contend for gold, silver and bronze, and try to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final in December.

Men
Ross Miner (USA):
The 2009 U.S. junior National champion will make his JGP debut in Lake Placid. Coming off a solid 10th place finish at the Junior World Championships last March, Miner is the highest-ranked men's competitor at this event, and should easily grab the title. Armed with a triple Axel, look for him to win both the Techinical Elements Scores and Program Component Scores if he skates up to his potential. Known as a great showman, Miner will need to harness his energy and keep focused, especially throughout the long program, if he wants to establish himself as a legitimate threat for a Junior Grand Prix Final medal.

Joshua Farris (USA):
Coming off a stellar season in which he won the U.S. novice National title and placed second at the International Challenge Cup in the Netherlands, Farris will be competing in only his second international event and his first Junior Grand Prix event. Farris has a solid triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination that usually garners positive Grades of Execution (GOE's). Additionally, his spins and excellent basic skating skills add to his technical and Program Component Scores, and could land him a spot on the podium here. Farris trains under Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs, so stamina should not be an issue for the 14-year old, but without a triple Axel, he will need to go clean in both programs if he hopes to challenge Miner for the top spot.

Andrew Gonzales (USA):
In his second season on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, 19-year old Gonzales is another podium threat. Gonzales, the 2008 U.S. junior bronze medalist, placed 4th and 6th in his two events last season, and then slipped to 8th place in the U.S. junior competition. Although he is known as a great stylist on the ice, Gonzales needs to focus on fully rotating his triple jumps in order to avoid downgrades. He has all the elements needed to win gold here, but he will need to show a lot more consistency and technical prowess than he did last season.

Andrei Rogozine (CAN):
At only 16-years old, Rogozine, the Canadian junior National champion, is already in his third season on the JGP circuit. His best finish came last year when he finished 8th at the JGP - Sheffield. His personal best overall score is only 149.50 points, but he could pose the biggest threat to the American trio in this relatively weak field.

Ladies
Yukiko Fujisawa (JPN):
As one of Japan's youngest phenoms, 14-year old Fujisawa is already in her second season of Junior Grand Prix competition. She placed 1st and 2nd in both of her events last season, and then went on to capture the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final. She has huge scoring potential, with a personal best free skate score of 101.44 points. However, Fujisawa is still inconsistent at times. After a stellar season last fall, she stumbled to an 8th place finish in the Japanese junior nationals and was left off their Junior World team. At the Junior Grand Prix Final last December in Korea, she fought back after a 7th place short program to win the free skate and the silver medal overall. If she can avoid falls or downgrades in Lake Placid she could very well capture the gold medal and put herself in position for a Junior Grand Prix Final spot.

Taylor Firth (USA):
Firth, star of the upcoming "Ice Castles" movie remake, is making her JGP debut in Lake Placid. She has competed at the senior level at Nationals twice, finishing 14th in 2007 and 13th last January. With a full arsenal of triple jumps, Firth definitely has the goods to win here. She will need to keep her focus during the 3 1/2 minute free skate, however, and must rotate her triple jumps completely. She scored in the 140's for her programs at Skate Detroit in July, so it is important that she skates up to her potential to keep up with Fujisawa.

Kristine Musademba (USA):
With a solid junior international record behind her, Musademba skates into her third JGP season. She was golden in both of her events last year but then fell to 6th place at the Final. In addition, she made her senior National debut last January and finished 11th in Cleveland. Like Firth and Fujisawa, Musademba has a full arsenal of triple jumps, but her jump consistency hasn't been the greatest recently. Her personal best free skate score of 93.34 points is the second highest in the field, and she looks to be a co-favorite for the title here. Nonetheless, a medal of any color is easily within her grasp, and with it a spot in the JGP Final.

DeeDee Leng (USA):
The surprise junior National champion from last season, Leng makes her JGP debut in Lake Placid, as well. She competed as a junior in the International Challenge Cup last season in the Netherlands and finished 4th. Leng certainly has the ability to medal at this event, but she can't count on others to fall for that to happen (last year's junior ladies event at Nationals wasn't exactly pretty...). When she's on, her jumps are high and solid, and garner many positive GOE's. However, like so many of the ladies at this event, Leng hasn't mastered consistency yet, and she could realistically finish anywhere from 1st to 6th in Lake Placid.

Ice Dance
Kharis Ralph & Asher Hill (CAN):
2008 Canadian junior champions Ralph and Hill are among the top junior ice dance teams in the world. They won two silver medals in the series last season and went on to place 6th at the Final. Additionally, they recorded 5th place finishes at the Canadian championships (senior) and the Junior World Championships. With a personal best total score of 152.76, they will no doubt finish on the podium here.

Lauri Bonacorsi & Travis Mager (USA):
Making thier international debut in Lake Placid is the team of Bonacorsi & Mager, the reigning U.S. novice National champions. The team trains in Laurel, Maryland, and is known for great lifts, solid skating skills and a strong on-ice presence. Gold and silver are most likely out of reach for this young team, but a bronze medal is possible if they skate well in all three of the phases of competition.

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA):
This brother-sister duo from Michigan surprised many with their silver medal finish at the Junior World Championships last season, and they enter this event as the highest ranked team. With 1st and 2nd place finishes in thier JGP events last season (and a 4th place finish at the Final), the Shibutani's are the only team in the field to score above 80 points in the free dance internationally, and also hold the highest overall score of the 15 team field with 163.56 points. They are fantastic competitiors, technicians and performers, and should have no problem capturing the gold medal here.

Rachel Tibbetts & Collin Brubaker (USA):
In their third and final season of Junior Grand Prix competition, Tibbetts and Brubaker are also hoping it's their best. Over the past two years, they have recorded three 5th place finishes and a 6th place finish. The charismatic and crowd-pleasing team are on track for a podium finish here, and are also looking to improve upon their personal best total score of 151.10 points.

Pairs
Maddison Bird & Raymond Schultz (CAN):
In only their second JGP event (the team placed 7th in their event last year), Bird and Schultz appear to be serious podium threats and will no doubt be vying for a spot at the Final. The team was third in the Canadian junior championships last season and went on to place 6th at the Junior World Championships. A medal for them is nearly assured in this fairly weak pairs field, and gold is a great possibility.

Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran (JPN):
Japan's first elite-level pairs team has steadily climbed the ranks over the past two seasons. From a 12th place finish in their first-ever JGP event in 2007 to a bronze medal last year (and a trip to the Final), Takahashi and Tran are getting better and better with more time together. Their personal best total score of 131.10 points is the second highest of any of the teams competing in Lake Placid, and it seems as though they will continue to build upon their success over the past years.

Anais Morand & Antoine Dorsaz (SUI):
The Swiss team of Morand and Dorsaz has the highest personal best score of any of the teams at this event (131.46), as well as the most experience. This is their fifth season on the JGP circuit, and they have had three trips to Junior Worlds as well (finishing 10th last season). Additionally, the team finished 12th at the European Championships and 14th at the senior World Championships last season. They have never won a JGP medal, but could very well do it in Lake Placid if they hit their throw triple jumps and go clean in both programs.

Britney Simpson & Nathan Miller (USA):
Americans Simpson and Miller are the current U.S. junior pewter (4th place) medalists. Last season was thier first together, so this event marks thier first international competition. Their strong lifts and surprisingly good unison for only having been together one year could vault them to the podium in Lake Placid. They have had strong summer competition results so far this season, but this will be their first international test.

Predictions:

Men: 1. Miner, USA; 2. Farris, USA; 3. Gonzales, USA
Ladies: 1. Fujisawa, JPN; 2. Musademba, USA; 3. Firth, USA
Dance: 1. Shibutani/Shibutani, USA; 2. Ralph/Hill, CAN; 3. Tibbetts/Brubaker, USA
Pairs: 1. Takahashi/Tran, JPN; 2. Bird/Schultz, CAN; 3. Simpson/Miller, USA

Russians take two in Junior Grand Prix opener

2009-08-29T13:11:00.005-05:00

It was a Russian party this weekend at the Junior Grand Prix - Budapest.

Polina Shelepen struck gold in her international debut, blowing the field away and amassing a total of 157.57 points -- a score that could be competitive in senior Grand Prix events. Also making their Junior Grand Prix debut was the team of Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov who topped the ice dance standings with 166.06 points -- over 16 points more than the silver medalists.

The one bright spot for the United States came in the men's event, where Richard Dornbush and Grant Hochstein claimed gold and silver, respectively, and clearly outclassed the rest of the field (Hochstein was nearly 24 points ahead of bronze medalist Zhan Bush of Russia). Based on their stellar performances in Budapest, both men will be assigned a second event and, if they medal again, are likely assured a spot at the Junior Grand Prix Final in Tokyo in December.

Aside from the men's event, it was a dismal series opening for the American ladies and ice dance teams. Piper Gilles and Zachary Donohue, the current U.S. junior bronze medalists, seemed to be on track for a medal here after placing third in both the compulsory and original dances. A sixth-place free dance kept them off the podium in 4th place, and now a spot at the Junior Grand Prix Final could be in jeopardy for them.

In the ladies event, no one was able to come close to Shelepen, who landed seven triples in her free skate and received the highest Technical Elements Score with 59.76 (she scored a huge 102. 73 overall for her free skate). Shelepen has established herself as a legitimate threat to U.S. and Japanese skaters at both the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Junior World Championships later this season. American Angela Maxwell fought back valiantly after a 5th place short program that included two falls. She landed five triples in her long program -- including a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination -- and had the highest Program Component Scores of the day with 45.49. Her 90.54 point free skate secured the silver medal for her, but it's clear that gold was the expectation. Nonetheless, a Junior Grand Prix Final spot is still well within her grasp, but she'll need to perform much better at her second event.

The other U.S. lady competing, Ellie Kawamura ('09 U.S. junior silver medalist), made her Junior Grand Prix series debut in Hungary. A surprise 2nd place short program kept her in medal territory, but a one-triple free skate (71.54 points) dropped her to 4th place overall.

Maxwell will without a doubt receive a second assignment, but Kawamura is definitely "on the bubble." There are so many U.S. ladies vying for a limited number of Junior Grand Prix spots, including Kiri Baga ('09 novice National champ), Mary Beth Marley ('09 novice silver medalist) and Agnes Zawadzki, all of whom have scored higher in summer competitions than Kawamura's total score of 120.46 in Budapest. Zawadzki's scores of 59.04 (short program) and 102.18 (free skate) at the DuPage Open competition earlier this summer would have given her gold at this event, although scores aren't directly comparable across events because the judging panels are different.

The Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series continues next week in Lake Placid, New York, September 2-5, 2009. Keep watching Minnesota Ice in the next couple days for a detailed preview of that event.

U.S. ladies look to rebound after lackluster quadrennium

2009-08-21T15:41:00.006-05:00

It's no secret that the last three years haven't gone so well for the American ladies on the senior international stage. Up against Korean phenom Yu-Na Kim and a strong Japanese contingent in Mao Asada, Miki Ando and Yukari Nakano, U.S. female skaters have struggled to capture gold in international events. Add in Canadian star Joannie Rochette and Italy's Carolina Kostner, and even making the podium has been a daunting task.

I don't think it's entirely fair, however, to say that the talent pool has dried up in American ladies figure skating. Michelle Kwan's decade of dominance and Sasha Cohen's strong international record may have spoiled us a bit, and when we don't hear the "Star Spangled Banner" play at World championships or Grand Prix events, we begin to assume that our skaters just aren't that good.

In my opinion, that's a selfish mentality to have. We have so many bright young hopes in the United States, but that's exactly what they are -- young. Rachael Flatt just turned 17 last month, but she has already claimed two National silver medals, a Junior World title and, in March, skated her way to an astonishing 5th place at the World Championships. Mirai Nagasu won the 2008 U.S. title at age 14, and has two Junior World medals to her credit as well. 16-year old Caroline Zhang has three Junior World medals -- including a gold in 2007 -- and finished third in the World Team Trophy in April behind Asada and Rochette, the current World silver medalist who she only trailed by less than seven points.

And that's not even half the talent. Ashley Wagner, Angela Maxwell and Alexe Gilles have all recorded strong showings on the senior and/or junior international stages. Five of the possible eight spots at last year's Junior Grand Prix Final were won by U.S. ladies, and Becky Bereswill and Gilles finished 1st and 3rd there, respectively. American women have won eight of the last nine Junior World medals, and swept the podium in 2007 and 2008.

The purpose of this post isn't to make excuses for the performances/results of U.S. ladies, or to try and make it seem like solid junior results will result in senior international medals the next season, because many times they don't. However, I think it is important to realize that the absence of Kwan and Cohen have thrust our relatively inexperienced skaters into the spotlight. Yes, the results haven't been ideal since the 2006 Olympics, and yes, the United States only qualified two women for the upcoming Vancouver games, but I think there's been a lot of learning experiences and many positives to take away from the past three years.

In order to be more competitive with the top international ladies, our American girls must focus on fully rotating their triple jumps in order to avoid harsh downgrades, increasing their speed (which will then boost their Program Component Scores) and putting two clean programs together. Staying healthy and injury free will also be important to achieving better international results.

Anything is possible in Vancouver, even an American lady sneaking in for an Olympic medal. It will take two perfect programs and probably some mistakes from a few of the top skaters, but I'm not counting anyone out yet. The uber-consistent Flatt and Zhang will definitely be podium threats if they qualify for the Games, and one can't forget Nagasu or Wagner, either; both have a style that is very well received by international judges.

With a few more years of experience and some growth, there is no doubt in my mind that our girls will be vying for gold medals once more.

Michelle Kwan's long-awaited return to the ice

2009-08-11T16:32:00.008-05:00

America's most decorated skater is lacing up her skates once again.

No, 5-time World and 9-time National champion Michelle Kwan isn't returning to competition. She is, however, making her first on-ice appearance in front of a crowd in three years this weekend as she stars in Yu-Na Kim's "Ice All Stars" show in Korea. 2009 World champion Kim is arguably Korea's biggest superstar, and her ice show is bringing together some of skating's biggest talent: two-time World champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy of Germany, Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland and reigning Olympic champ Shizuka Arakawa of Japan.

Kwan's programs ("Carmina Burana" and "Winter Song") are without a doubt the most anticipated, though. After being forced to withdraw from the 2006 Olympics due to a nagging hip injury, she underwent arthroscopic surgery and returned to the classroom to pursue a degree in international studies. Kwan earned her bachelors degree in June from Denver University and will attend graduate school at Tufts University this fall.

In essence, it appears as though Kwan's eligible career is over. She turned 29 last month and would be 33 by the time the 2014 Olympics roll around. Although I wouldn't put it past her to keep going that long, she has nothing left to prove (despite what her detractors might say). Kwan is the most decorated skater the United States has ever produced. With nine overall World medals (1996-2004) and 12 National medals (1994-2005, and the title holder from 1998-2005), it will be years -- if ever -- before her record is matched. Her two Olympic medals cement her status as one of the best ever.

It's only a matter of time before she is inducted into the U.S. Figure Skating, World Figure Skating, and U.S. Olympic halls of fame. She may not be in the Code of Points record books, but her spirit and influence on the figure skating world will last forever (not to mention her record 43 perfect 6.0's at Nationals).

Who will ever forget how she so stunningly silenced her critics and regained her National crown in 1998? Or how she came from behind to capture back-to-back World titles in 2000 and 2001? Or how she buried the competition in 2003 en route to her fifth World gold? These moments are forever etched into skating history.

She is the skater of our generation. Her staying-power, consistency and ability to triumph in the face of adversity are the things legends are made of.

Michelle Kwan is the gold standard for ladies figure skating; she will not be forgotten.

A conversation with U.S. international competitor Molly Oberstar

2009-08-07T18:37:00.010-05:00

I recently had the chance to talk with 20-year old Molly Oberstar, a U.S. senior national and international competitor. Molly is the reigning Midwestern Sectional champion and went on to place 15th at Nationals. In addition, she competed in the Karl Schaefer Memorial Trophy in Vienna, Austria last fall and finished 6th in a field that included two-time World medalist Carolina Kostner.

In this Q&A, Molly talks about her skating career, her programs for the upcoming season, and how she landed a starring role in the upcoming "Ice Castles" movie remake. Enjoy!

Eric: How many years have you been skating?
Molly: 15

Eric: Why did you start skating?
Molly: A family friend had a daughter that had started skating, and that's where the idea came from. My parents got me started in group lessons and there was no turning back from there!

Eric: How many hours do you train each week?
Molly: 10-13

Eric: Favorite skater(s)?
Molly: Michelle Kwan (I got to spend time with her on the Ice Castles set - it was amazing!!!) ...she is beyond inspiring. I don't think there will ever be anyone like her again.

Eric: What's your favorite skating moment?
Molly: Short program at the 2008 U.S. Nationals in St. Paul, Minn. For one thing, I skated last in the entire event. It was my first nationals as a senior lady and I was thrilled to have that many people in the stands watching me. It was also in my training town, and near my hometown. I had lots of friends and family in the audience - most with signs. It just felt like the "real thing" that night. I skated a clean program and absolutely enjoyed every minute of it. I don't think I'll ever forget the feeling.

Eric: What's your most embarrassing skating moment?
Molly: Forgetting my "Be a Clown" program at a St. Cloud competition when I was about 9? Haha, maybe that's too long ago, but I still remember skating around in circles doing the same choreographed hand movement and trying to pretend like nothing was wrong. I've had lots of skating frustrations, but not too many embarrassments.

Eric: How many U.S. Championships have you competed in?
Molly: Five - Atlanta (novice, 2004), Portland (junior, 2005), St. Louis (junior, 2006), St. Paul (senior, 2008), and Cleveland (senior, 2009).

Eric: Do you have any pre-competition rituals or skating superstitions?
Molly: Nothing too drastic. Every day I put my left skate on first. I don't know why, but it just feels right!

Eric: What was most difficult about making the transition from training in Duluth, Minn., to training in the Twin Cities?
Molly: Well at first, my mom and I were driving back and forth from Duluth to the Cities a few times a week. It was exhausting. After that, we stayed at my uncle's house for awhile. More stability, but still not a place to call my own. It's nice, now, having an apartment to come back to. The skating transition wasn't difficult. Ann Eidson and I clicked immediately and got right to work.

Eric: What's been your favorite country to visit?
Molly: Austria! Last year I had the pleasure of going there for my international competition. We were in Vienna. It was gorgeous. I love the old city center and the stone paved walking streets downtown. Beautiful old churches and palaces, too. I would love to go back when I could have more time to explore.

Eric: Can you talk about your programs for the upcoming season?
Molly: My long is the same - "La Kahena". It's a really exotic, different kind of music. My choreographer, Sebastien Britten, told me it originates in North Africa. We created this spirit character that has been locked up in chains for so long and is released and seeing the world again for the first time. It's sort of a journey of finding yourself, which is easy to identify with. I love my new short. It's "Stairway to Heaven" performed by Rodrigo y Gabriella. I get to be fierce and powerful and saucy the entire time. My kinda thing. I love being able to give attitude while performing it.

Eric: How long do you see yourself competing?
Molly: That's hard for me to say. Right now I'm taking it a year at a time. So far I've been able to skate and go to school simultaneously. That's been and will be helpful in the future. We'll see!

Eric: What are your goals in skating? Outside of skating?
Molly: This year I hope to get another international and place within the top 4 there. Following that, I hope to advance back to Nationals and skate two programs to be proud of; I'd like to place in the top 8. Outside of skating I'm deeply interested in the business of fashion. I'm currently going to school for Fashion Merchandising. I am unsure of the exact career path I would like to take, but I know that I'd like it to be in this field. Sometime in the future I'd like to explore some more exciting cities - maybe for an internship. I've been thinking about New York.

Eric: What would you be doing if you weren't a skater?
Molly: I'd love to be a dancer. I find "So You Think You Can Dance" so inspiring. Every time I watch it I desperately want to take a contemporary dance class. I have yet to find time for that, though!!

Eric: Are you close friends with any other elite skaters?
Molly: I'm good friends with Adam Rippon and Eliot Halverson. I wish we were closer! I very rarely see either of them, but they're two of my favorite people.

Eric: How did you get involved with the "Ice Castles" movie remake?
Molly: I was contacted by a casting agent via email. I'm still unclear as to exactly what happened, but I know that I was suggested by Sandra Bezic and/or David Wilson - both choreographers on set. I had to do a few video auditions and then suddenly I was heading to Canada. It all happened very fast. It was an unforgettable experience. I learned so much about performing in front of cameras. It was very useful for my own skating career. Working with Sandra and David was amazing. I'd worked with David in previous years, so it was great to see him again. Sandra, on the other hand, was a kind of celebrity to me. I was so honored to be able to learn from her. I also loved the acting. I hope that I can continue to do some of that in the future. Everyone that I met and interacted with was wonderful - I didn't want it to end!

Evora & Ladwig on the fast track to Vancouver

2009-08-06T13:52:00.010-05:00

Will this finally be the year that U.S. pairs skaters Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig step out of the shadows and into the spotlight?

As one of the older and more experienced teams in the world of American pairs skating, Evora and Ladwig have yet to establish themselves as legitimate contenders for a National title or a World team spot.

They appeared to be on the right track in 2007 with a 4th place pewter medal finish at the U.S. Championships. After solid showings at international events in the fall of '07, they succumbed to pressure and dropped to 5th - and off the podium - in 2008. A shaky Grand Prix Series campaign last fall had many (including myself) doubting they could regain a spot on the national podium. However, a breathtaking free skate last January in Cleveland erased those doubts, and now it seems as though they are truly on the "up and up."

So far this season, the team has competed at both the Liberty summer competition and the Indy pairs challenge. At Indy, the team skated two outstanding programs to finish a strong 2nd behind former U.S. champs Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski, but ahead of '09 silver medalists and Worlds 9th place finishers Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett.

Ironically, it could be Denney/Barrett motivating Evora and Ladwig to be better this season. Both teams train under Jim Peterson in Florida, and watching Caydee and Jeremy shine in their Worlds debut last March just might light a fire under Amanda and Mark.

Armed with two fantastic programs, innovative lifts, and more confident side-by-side triple jumps, Evora and Ladwig are also getting the nod from the judges with very strong Program Component Scores (they scored 54.32 for PCS in their Indy free skate). It could very well be these elements that help them clinch one of the two available Olympic spots.

The American pairs scene could get very interesting this season. Two-time and reigning National champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker are adjusting to a new coaching situation and recovering from surgery (Brubaker), and '06 Olympians Rena Inoue and John Baldwin seem to be on the decline. I'm not counting anyone out yet, but if Amanda and Mark can stay healthy, focused, and consistent, they could be the surprise champions in Spokane come January.

And plus - Mark is a fellow Minnesotan, so I have to root for the "home team!"

Watch Evora/Ladwig's short program from Indy here thanks to HeatherC from FSU!

Brian Orser: World's most sought after coach?

2009-08-05T20:48:00.009-05:00

This is going to be a monumental year for Brian Orser.

Twenty-two years after his last experience at the Games, Orser hopes to coach his protege - Yu-Na Kim of Korea - to an Olympic gold medal. Like Orser did, Kim will enter the competition as the reigning world champion and, like Orser, will be skating on "home ice" in Canada. However, both hope that the similarities end there (Orser was defeated by the United States' Brian Boitano in Calgary in 1988 and had to settle for his second straight Olympic silver medal).

Kim appears to be in a good place, though. Her high-flying triple jumps and massive Program Component Scores allowed her to bury the competition at Worlds this year. At that event, she set records for the highest ladies short program score ever (76.12) and the highest overall score (207.71). She beat silver medalist Joannie Rochette of Canada by over 16 points and her biggest rival, Japan's Mao Asada, by nearly 20 points. Asada, the '08 world champ, fell (literally) to a disappointing 4th place this year.

Regardless of the scores, Kim has clearly flourished under Orser's tutelage. So much so that American Adam Rippon moved to Toronto to train with him last fall as well. With Orser at the boards, Rippon defended his World Junior title in March, hitting two picture perfect triple Axels and accumulating an astounding competition score of 222.00. That marked him as the fourth-highest scoring U.S. man internationally last season (behind veterans Evan Lysacek, Jeremy Abbott and Johnny Weir), and distinguishes him as a legitimate contender for a 2010 Olympic berth.

Orser's influence doesn't end there. His most recent student is 2009 U.S. junior bronze medalist Christina Gao. As a novice in 2008, Gao fell numerous times and finished 12th (a.k.a., last) in the national competition. In her '09 junior freeskate last January, she again fell three times but hung on for the bronze medal in an underwhelming and relatively weak field. However, her months spent with Orser in Canada have proven to be beneficial already. Gao competed in the Skate Detroit event in late July and reeled off six effortless triple jumps in her long program, racking up more than 108 points for the program and earning a total competition score of over 164 points.

The improvement in all three of these skaters since being coached by Orser has been more than just technical. His friendly demeanor and calming presence has elevated Kim to greatness already in her short senior career (two Grand Prix Final titles, a Four Continents championship, two World bronze medals, and a World championship). Rippon also appears to be on the right track, and 15-year old Gao is certainly poised to make a splash in her senior National debut this season as well.

When ya got it, ya got it, and Orser has definitely proven his worth as an elite coach.

It's never too cold to sit in an arena!

2008-01-19T18:18:00.000-06:00

Though today's subzero temps kept many indoors, I trucked on down to the Xcel Energy Center to meet with Scottie Bibb, my "boss" for the week. She showed me around the arena...including the USFS media room, the press conference room, and the "mixed zone" (where the athletes talk to the press after leaving the kiss-and-cry, and where I'll be spending a lot of my time!).

She calmed some of my fears and told me what to expect, which calmed my nerves a bit. Now, if I could only remember how to manuever my way "behind the scenes" without getting lost!

I also recieved my credential at the Crowne Plaza Hotel. Though the four-block walk was NOT fun in -30 degree weather, I was more than willing to go! Doing so kind of marked the official beginning of nationals for me - something I've waited for forever!!
After my meeting with Scottie, I stuck around to watch the novice pairs practice. Carman/Kneirim, Chase/Speroff, and Bautista/Hopson all looked really, really strong. Bautista/Hopson even landed two perfect throw triple loop jumps - something very rare for novice-level skaters! It was definitely cool to see in person, and drew some "ooohs!" from the other parents and skaters watching practice.

The arena looks great, too. As of 1:30 today, crews were still setting up the judges stand, NBC booth, and kiss-and-cry area for the first competitions which start tomorrow morning. The "St. Paul 2008" logo is pretty huge, but the royal blue does look great against the white ice and boards.

Finally here!

2008-01-18T19:44:00.000-06:00

So...the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships officially begin tomorrow at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN! It's so surreal to believe that they're almost here! I'll be interning for the U.S. Figure Skating media team throughout the week, working backstage, in the mixed zone, the media room, etc. getting great hands-on journalism experience!

This is the biggest annual skating event in the country, and I'm thrilled that it's finally back in Minnesota! The last time it was here was 1991 in Minneapolis, where Tonya Harding won her national title. Today's generation of skaters, however, are ready to step up into the spotlight. In addition to winning medals, these skaters are also vying for spots on the World, Jr. World, and Four Continents Championships teams. The world championships are in Gothenburg, Sweden this year, and the U.S. is able to send 3 ladies, 3 men, 2 pairs teams, and 3 ice dance teams.

Here are my early predictions:
Ladies - 1. Kimmie Meissner, 2. Ashley Wagner, 3. Caroline Zhang, 4. Rachael Flatt
Men - 1. Evan Lysacek, 2. Johnny Weir, 3. Stephen Carriere, 4. Ryan Bradley
Pairs - 1. McLaughlin/Brubaker, 2. Castile/Okolski, 3. Inoue/Baldwin, 4. Evora/Ladwig
Dance - 1. Belbin/Agosto, 2. Davis/White, 3. Samuelson/Bates, 4. Navarro/Bommentre

Anyway, it should be a great week of skating in St. Paul! I'll definitely update on the daily adventures in the life of a media intern! :)