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.
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Friday, January 8, 2010
World silver medalist Chan splits from coach
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.
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.
Monday, January 4, 2010
Don't count Nagasu out just yet
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.
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.
Friday, January 1, 2010
The ten greatest U.S. Nationals performances of the last decade
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!
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!
Sunday, December 27, 2009
Asada, Ando, Suzuki headline Japanese Olympic team
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)
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)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Asada prepares for final Olympic tune-up this week at Japanese Nationals
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.
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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.
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.
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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.
Saturday, December 19, 2009
U.S. Nationals: The countdown is on
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!
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!
Friday, November 27, 2009
'Tis the season for Grand Prix Final withdrawals
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)
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)
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
Flatt stakes claim for an Olympic medal
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.
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.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Lysacek, Flatt looking to rebound at Skate America
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.
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.
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