Do You Know The Way To San Jose: Ladies Preview January 17, 2012

“This one’s for the girl …” who’s always dreamed of a National title! And the reality is, San Jose’s podium order is wide open. The way I see it, there are three girls fighting for gold, and at least four others battling for a medal. That means the pressure will be enormous — and could cause some stumbles. Or, it could result in “one of those moments athletes dream about” kind of programs. That, in turn, means we have another great event on our hands.

The Break Down

Alissa Czisny — She is, of course, the defending champion. That makes her, by default, the one to beat. However, she’s had anything but a smooth season. Yes, she won a pair of medals (one gold) on the Grand Prix series. But she battled a painful injury at the Grand Prix Final that kept her from skating anywhere near her best. Add to that the fact that she admittedly hasn’t quite felt right all season, and she has a challenge ahead of her. That said, her short program is to die for. Her long has potential. And her artistry is second to none. If she can put the pieces back together, she has a good shot at repeating.

Ashley Wagner — It takes a confident skater come out and say, “This is my Nationals to lose.” But that is exactly what Ms. Wagner has done. And, while the really “talking” will happen on the ice, she may not be wrong. In a season filled with former champions stumbling along, Ashley shined. She’s in the best shape of her career, and she has the best programs she’s ever had. She has the extra motivation of not wanting to be the “almost girl” again. If anyone wants this title more, I’ve yet to find them.

Mirai Nagasu  – The former National champ is quite the curious case. Like so many young talents, she has all the goods, all the potential to be one of the world’s best. And yet, just when she seems closest to getting there, she derails herself by collapsing under the fear of falling short. Recently, she told icenetwork.com that she’s drawing a new kind of inspiration from an unlikely source — The Food Network’s “Chopped.” Apparently, Madison Cowan, a recent contestant on the show, spoke of cooking for the love of it, not purely to win. The un-pressured approach seemed to strike a chord with Nagasu. Perhaps the “skate for the love of it and let the chips fall where they may” perspective is just what Mirai needed to skate free and easy.

Rachael Flatt – Another former champ trying to regain her mojo, Flatt has had a rough go of it as she tries to adjust to the life of a Stanford student, as well as a new coaching situation. Her Grand Prix skates were sub-par, and it suddenly left her out of the National title discussion. Her focus is split these days, and her skating has suffered. However, she’s a competitor. She knows what it takes to win at Nationals, and she’s had plenty of time to sort things out.

Breaking it down: Rostelecom Cup November 28, 2011

It seems impossible, but the Grand Prix series for 2011 is over, save the Final in a few weeks. We’ve seen a little bit of everything this year, so I continue to expect the unexpected as we go forward through the GPF, Nationals, Europeans, Worlds, Four Continents … they’re really not as far off as they seem! In fact, the US Nationals competitors list was just released, if you’re interested.

I’m getting ahead of myself.

Let’s take one last look back at the sixth and final GP event of the season.

Meryl and Charlie … and everyone else

One of the more tender moments of their FD.

To be fair, Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje were fantastic. But there’s just no comparison to what the World Champs are doing.

Their free dance this year is, in its purest form, exactly what ice dance should be. It’s a waltz. And while there are times it could have a more waltz-y feel, what they do in this program is brilliant. I’ve said I don’t believe Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir’s FD shows off their strengths, but the opposite is true of Davis and White. Their polish is evident despite the complexity of this skate. And the crazy thing? There’s still room for improvement. I expect come Worlds, this program will be stunning. I’m excited to watch it develop. (And that’s not even mentioning their sizzling short dance! Charlie stumbled in this event, but they have the samba mood down pat.)

Weaver and Poje have one of my favorite free dances of the year. Yes, the falling strap can be a tad distracting, but you’d be hard pressed to find any dance team who pours as much emotion into a dance as these two. You almost feel like your heart is breaking along with Kaitlyn’s by the end! That’s powerful stuff. Plus, they skated it really well. They have always seemed to struggle to get the high marks from the judges, but they’re coming into their own and their confidence shows.

Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev were quite the home crowd pleasers, but finished a distant third.

Nix the triple axel, take the gold

Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy got me again. In their first match up with Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov (at NHK Trophy), I figured they had the upper hand. Problem was, they were determined to try their latest trick — that

Every element is sharp and clean and, well, perfect.

throw triple axel. It cost them when they couldn’t hit it cleanly.

I assumed they would continue that daring here, thus I picked Kavaguti and Smirnov. But no. The reigning World Champs went the “safe” route and stuck to more manageable throws. (You know, like the lutz and loop. “Easy” stuff!) The result?

Gold.

Good for them. They skated a fantastic free skate that gave them the top international score of the season from the other Russian stars, Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov.

When these three end up at the same event (like the GPF), watch out. There will be fireworks!

Breaking it down: Skate Canada October 31, 2011

Two down, four to go, friends!

Skate Canada presented another series of season debuts this past weekend. Some hit, some missed. And now that it’s over and Cup of China is on the horizon, we have a few minutes to glance back in the rear view mirror and reflect. Shall we?

“Funny” how some things never change

Virtue and Moir -- Short Dance

Canadian royalty. That’s how Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir were received in Missassauga, as well they should be. Like their American counterparts, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, they are the class of a deep Canadian field, and the cream of the crop here. They seem to be one constant in a sport that has so few.

Their spicy short dance won over the crowd instantly … and that’s no surprise. These two thrive on strong character dances and though they only performed it fully one time, last season’s samba free dance was the perfect preparation. Tessa oozes Latin flavor. It will be fun to see this up next to Davis/White’s SD at the Final.

Their free dance is a totally different take on classic dance. Their “Funny Face” program is charming and challenging. While this isn’t my favorite look for them (at first glance, I feel it takes away from some of their best qualities — posture, line, depth of edges, emotional maturity), it’s already better than it was at Finlandia, and I expect it to continue on that path. Scott alluded to his “Fred-like-ness” in the Kiss and Cry, and that he definitely has going for him. Fred Astaire would be proud.

Fellow Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje skated back to back strong programs. Both need more polish, but for their first event, I’m impressed by their improvements. The emotional depth they’ve added — especially in their free dance — is impressive.

Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte have a gorgeous short dance. Their free dance didn’t impress me quite as much. They’re still a little rough around the edges, to be sure. But they are making great strides.

Despite a silly stumble at the end of their well-skated short dance, Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates added themselves to my list of teams to watch — and the list of new teams that had stellar debuts! Their free dance was one of my favorites of the entire event. Madison is the perfect ice dancer — her expressions come from every inch of her body. And Evan, well, it was so good to see him back on competitive ice. Welcome back, Evan!

Skate Canada: It’s anybody’s game! October 28, 2011

After an afternoon watching the practice sessions from Skate Canada (thanks, skatebuzz!), I can say I’m fully ready to see how this event goes down. Let me just say, it could go any which way!

The ladies event continues to be unpredictable, this time with the added impact of a 14-year-old Russian phenom who might just steal the show.

Mirai Nagasu is the skater who should have the edge. She’s been close to the top before, and when she is right mentally, she has all the pieces to be one of the best in the world. At the end of last season, her coach Frank Carroll said she was the best she’d ever been mentally. If that has continued, she could be in for her best season yet. Of course, that is always qualified by her lack of consistency in the past.

Elizaveta comes to Canada armed with a stellar triple lutz-triple toe combination.

Canadian Cynthia Phaneuf is still looking to put herself back in the talk of the top ladies in the world. Generally speaking, she’ll have a strong short program, but lose it in the free skate. Plus, the pressure of skating at home sometimes works against her, rather than in her favor.

Akiko Suzuki won a Grand Prix gold last season, but she, too, has some free skate consistency issues to work around.

The real fireworks, though, could come from Russian Elizaveta Tuktamisheva. She is the 2011 World Junior silver medalist, but more importantly, the 2011 Japan Open champion where she posted a 118+ in her free skate. She’s a jumping bean with a very traditional style, but she’s been impressive. Look out for her!

Don’t forget about the other Americans — Rachael Flatt and Ashley Wagner. They’ll always be in a fight for the podium.

The men’s event seems fairly predictable, at least for gold — it’s a faceoff between Patrick Chan and Daisuke Takahashi, who both looked strong in yesterday’s practice. Patrick looked to be better off from the quad stand point — Dai fell quite hard on his quad toe attempts.

Before everyone goes off trying to say which skater is better, I think it’s important to realize — they are BOTH fabulous, just in different ways. Patrick gives us all the thrill of something that’s larger than life. He sweeps across the ice with speed and flow that is unmatched, and his choreography tells a beautiful story.

Daisuke, on the other hand, shows excellence in the details. His musicality is second to none, and he highlights every little accent throughout his programs. He really believes in his music and choreography and melds them together to hit every note, right on cue.

Ladies Short Program Recap April 29, 2011

We’ve arrived at the ever-prestigious Ladies event (appropriately on the same morning as the also prestigious Royal Wedding!) and the ladies took to the ice with much to prove.

Canadian Amelie Lacoste skated early, but had a nice Worlds debut that kept her in first place until Mae Berenice Miete had her turn. She included a triple-triple combination, followed by lovely a triple loop and double axel. She has a beautiful quality to her skating, and a great combination of power and presence. I was quite impressed!

Kanako Murakami is the young fireball from Japan, and she came out with the usual energy and vivaciousness! She hit a big triple toe-triple toe combination, a solid triple flip, then had an unfortunate step put on the double axel, but her interpretation of this music is impeccable. She has oodles of energy and this program is great for her. I do miss her polka dot dress, though!

The first of the Russian hopefuls took the ice in an unfortunate, clown-like dress. However, as Irina Slutskya sat nervously with clenched fists on the sidelines, Elena Leonova skated a wonderful short program. She, too, hit a triple toe-triple toe, a triple flip, and a double axel. Everything was on cue and strong. The reaction from the crowd didn’t hurt, and she easily took the lead.

Carolina Kostner has the unfortunate reputation of skating poorly and being overly rewarded in the scores. She started out strong with a triple toe-triple toe combo, hit the double axel, then fell on the triple flip. She skates with great speed, but her transitions are average as are some of the other elements. Still, she ended up tied with Leonova after the short. And still, I don’t understand 8s for her components.

Taking on the World: Ladies Preview April 16, 2011

Ah, the ladies event. The ever lovely, every turbulent staple to the figure skating world. What would we do without it? (I don’t know about you, but I feel like I’d spend a lot less time scratching my head, that’s for sure!)

Heading into Worlds, yet again, the strength lies in the Japanese team, as they boast the top two international scores this season.

Four Continents Champ Miki Ando holds the top spot, and also the honor of being the only woman to break 200 this season. Her 201.34 from 4CC, as well as her strong Grand Prix gold medals in both Russia and China set her up as potentially the favorite here. She had a mini-collapse at the Final, but she was battling back troubles that have haunted here here and there. If a healthy Ando shows up to Worlds, she has all the momentum in her favor.

Nipping at her heals, though, and on a comeback trail of her own, is her countrywoman and the reigning World Champ, Mao Asada. I won’t lie — when I saw Mao at the beginning of the season, I feared for the worst. Certainly, this season was done for. And by the look on her face when she skated off the ice, I wondered if it would be even worse. To her credit, though, and that of her coaches, she managed to continue reworking nearly every aspect of her skating, while gaining momentum, ending up making the World team, and 2nd place behind Ando at 4cc. She’s put herself back in the hunt. Now she just has to keep moving forward.

As with the men, the circumstances surrounding the Japanese skaters is anything but ideal. While the skating world debated what to do about the World Championships, these Japanese skaters mourned the enormous loss of so much in their country. They will be the story of the event, and how they handle the situation will be very based on the emotions they’re battling. The question becomes, will they rise to the occasion and bring home a World title? Or will the intensity be too much to let them really shine? Either one would be totally understandable…

Interestingly, the 3rd highest score this season belongs to a skater who won’t have the chance to take on the world’s best: American Mirai Nagasu. Her 189.46 puts her in the hunt for a World medal, but her lack of confidence and

Czisny's newfound confidence lead her straight to her second US title.

execution at Nationals means she won’t have that chance. Not this year, anyway.

That does, however, put Alissa Czisny‘s 180.75 from the Grand Prix Final win into serious contention. I love this girl, and want more than anything to see her succeed. It’s not too often that I find myself pulling for someone without any reservation, willing them to succeed. But she brings that out of me. And now more than ever, I believe in her, and I think she does, too. The girl’s got the goods. Her components are to die for, her spins the best in the business. Her long program is probably in my top two overall this season. It’s one of those feel-good, makes you sigh in contentment, can’t wait to see it again kind of programs. If she skates it like she’s capable of, she’s got a real shot here.

Rachael Flatt doesn’t want to be left out of the party. She comes in right behind Czisny in the score department with a 180.31. She’s had her ups and downs this year, trying to figure out what the international judges are looking for. I think she’s found it in her new “East of Eden” short program. Now, if only her injuries will allow her to put the triple-triple back into her long, she has a chance to really contend.

As much as it baffles me, we can’t have a conversation about medal contenders without bringing up Carolina Kostner. There’s something about her that judges can’t deny, and despite her seriously watered-down technical elements, she manages to score well on a fairly regular basis. She’s battled her share of injuries this year as well, but managed to come in 2nd to Czisny at the Final, and 2nd at Europeans. She’ll need to have a pretty spectacular event to take down the top two, but a medal’s never out of reach.

Six through nine on my top 10 contenders list are Kanako Murakami, Kiira Korpi, Ksenia Makarova, and Cynthia Phaneuf. All have had moments of brilliance this season, but never managed to put it all together at once. As with the men, these aren’t necessarily skaters with a chance at the podium, but they do have the opportunity to make a splash, and to end their season knowing they put it all out there among the best in the world.

So what about #10? Well, if you’re observant at all, you’ll notice that Olympic Champ Yu-Na Kim has eluded my list thus far. Reason being, she doesn’t have any kind of score to compare to the others this year. That in no way, however, eliminates her from contention for the title. It’s hard to say what kind of shape she’ll be in, or how well polished her programs will be. But I feel quite confident saying that she will be ready. She will be fierce. And she will fight for the right to once again stand atop the medal stand. She’s the best in the world when she’s on. It’s all a matter of how she will handle the unfamiliarity of competing two brand new programs for the very first time at the World Championships.

As for the medalists, I fully expect it to be something unexpected. But that may, in fact, be what is most logically predictable. You just never know, especially with this field. No matter what, though, it will be fun to watch.

No, thank YOU, Asian television – 4CC 2011 February 21, 2011

Another skating weekend is in the books, and another set of medalists has been crowned…and believe it or not, we’re just one month from the end of the season! That’s how it always goes. But before I go on getting nostalgic about how quickly this spectacular post-Olympic season has come to an end, I better take one last look at the events from Taipei.

No thanks to Universal Sports (my vent on their inexcusable “tease” of US coverage is another post entirely), I saw bits and pieces of the competition via YouTube and a few online streams of Asian TV broadcasts. Thus my opinions are limited. Nevertheless, the results are telling, especially heading into Worlds.

As expected, the men’s and women’s events came down to a national battle between Japan and the USA.

For the ladies, Miki Ando capped of her successful season with another title, this one, perhaps, the best yet. She skated a beautiful short program to “The Mission” that showcased not only textbook jumps, but also a new attention to detail and expression. She seems to really feel this music, and that bodes well for her. Her long program was all she needed – every element, clean, precise, and high in difficulty. She gained the highest levels on most of her elements, and while her component scores were lower than those of second place Mao Asada, her superior technique won her the title.

Asada, I have to say, deserves an enormous amount of credit. I admittedly haven’t been an over-the-top fan of hers, but her disastrous start to the season as she retooled her jumps was heartbreaking. She seemed to have lost every bit of joy she used to skate with, and I began to wonder if she’d ever get it back. Then came Japanese Nationals where, although not perfect, she skated her way back into the running. And in Taipei, she looked nearly like the Asada of old. And boy, is she determined to include that triple axel!  Hopefully the fact that she landed this one will give her the confidence she needs to not let that one element dictate the rest of her program at Worlds. As good old Uncle Dick (Button) would say, my hat is off to her! (And adore her LP dress. That shade of purple is ravishing on her, and the sparkle is just right!)

I just have to reiterate the point that it’s a crushing blow that the US can only send two girls to Worlds. Case in point, Mirai Nagasu’s bronze medal finish this weekend. I’ll also say again that this girl has it all, and if she can put all the pieces together, she’ll be a force to be reckoned with world wide. Some minor errors in her short program kept her from challenging for the top of the podium, but she, too, deserves some credit. She said herself that she didn’t want to go home and train after her disappointment at Nationals. But she did. And she came in ready to prove herself. And she did. That long program was fabulous. Her charm is irresistible, and those jumps are simply stunning when she hits them. She’s up there with the best spinners, too…unless she makes some silly mistake as she did more than once this season! I can only hope that, as her coach Frank Carroll said, missing the World team this year was exactly what she needed as she prepares for her (hopefully!) long future.

Kudos to Rachael Flatt for improving her personal best long program score – a great step for her heading into Worlds, despite finishing off the podium. As for Alissa, I tweeted just after her skate that, even with her much-discussed “track record,” I’m not worried about the mistakes she made here. She said herself that she didn’t feel trained like she would have wanted to be, and that for Worlds, she’ll be much more ready, more prepared. I fully expect that to be the case, thus, I’m not worried.

Another interesting match up came between Daisuke Takahashi and Jeremy Abbott. As you know, Jeremy just missed the World team, but, as none of the top three men from Nationals competed in Taipei, he was the top American in the event. Daisuke has had a rough season as he heads toward defense of his World title. Now, his “rough season” is one many skaters would love to have, but for him, it was a disappointment.

Battling injuries and inconsistencies, he  came back strong this weekend, making his bid for the World podium a bit stronger. I feel this was an important win for him, not only for his confidence, but for the rest of the world to take note – don’t underestimate him next month in Tokyo!

The youngster who has been impressive this season, Yuzuru Hanyu, made his own splash, pulling up from fourth after the short program to finish second overall. Keep an eye on this one, folks. He just might be the next big thing.

As for Jeremy, I think this is a solid end to his season. He put the quad in his long program, albeit he fell on the attempt, but he also saw two spins receive only Leve 2′s yet again. I think, if anything, this event gave him a lot to think about for next year, and a lot to build from. I do have to say, I’m sad to see his beautiful long program come to an end, for the season at least!

The pairs even was less competitive due to extreme favorites and bizarre mishaps.

The soon-to-be-married Pang and Tong of China easily took gold, as expected. Perhaps in a more unexpected twist, Canadians Megan Duhamel and Eric Radford out-dueled their countrymen Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers to take silver and bronze respectively.

Rudi won the “fan-favorite” award, however, when he rescued American Mark Ladwig after the heel of his boot ripped free of his skate on the landing of a jump in the short program. Ladwig and partner Amanda Evora stopped, and were given three minutes to fix the problem and retake the ice. Without tools or extra parts, it looked pretty hopeless until Rudi swept in with his own boots – conveniently the size 9 Mark needed – and offered to let the pair finish with Mark wearing one of Swiegers’ skates!

Unfortunately for Evora and Ladwig, there was just one mishap too many here. But they have time now to step back from Nationals and push, once again, towards Worlds.

New national champs Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin finished just off the podium in fourth after missing the throw in their short program and struggling through their long. These uncharacteristic mistakes are hopefully out of the way now and they can improve upon their Nationals performances next month at Worlds. They, along with Evora and Ladwig hope to regain three World spots for the US with their performances in Tokyo.

The ice dance event should have been the climax – the showdown between training mates and rivals, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir – fresh off an injury – and Meryl Davis and Charlie White - fresh off an unbeaten season. After the short dance, it looked like Virtue and Moir, despite the injury, hadn’t lost any ground on Davis and White.

Then came the free dance – the real main event. Rumor had it, Tessa and Scott’s program was likely to be the best ice dance had ever seen (okay, that sounds a bit dramatic, but just go with me here…). Samba and ice dance? Can it be done? And in the first 45 seconds of their skate, it looked like, YES, it can. Then, seemingly out of nowhere, Tessa skated away from Scott, and it was over. Turns out, she pulled a muscle and decided it wasn’t worth the risk. I don’t know if I feel like that’s the whole story, though. Call me crazy, a conspiracy theorist, or what have you, but something about this just seems strange. Regardless, they withdrew from the event, leaving the another title to Meryl and Charlie.

And they didn’t disappoint, either. Their tango may be the most technically demanding free dance I’ve ever seen (at least until I get to see V/M’s entirely). They did a much better job here connecting with the emotion of the tango, but I still feel like something’s missing. Perhaps it’s just so tiring that they are too exhausted at the end to show any emotion, but for the season they’ve had, I feel like they should be having more fun. They don’t ever seem pleased with the performance…or the result, for that matter. I know their focus is a World Title, so maybe they’ve just got laser focus on that one goal, but I hope, should they win in Tokyo, that they at least look a tiny bit excited about it! Give me something, here!

I risk sounding like a broken record here, but the Shibutani’s free dance is one of my top two favorite programs of the season (the other being Alissa Czisny’s long program). They have more potential in one finger than many dance teams ever dream of. And, in the hands of Igor Shpilband and Marina Zueva, I think they’ll reach it.

Which brings me to my final point, and the question of the blog – Can Igor and Marina be classified as the best ice dance coaches in the world? Think, for a minute, that Tessa and Scott didn’t withdraw. The podium would be owned by Igor/Marina teams. If you answered yes, what do you think makes them pull the best out of skaters? And if no, why not? And who is?

I can’t believe all the time we have to wait until Worlds, but I hope that gives the athletes enough time to regroup and refocus so that we witness a spectacular competition in Tokyo. It, once again, promises to be a good one!

Until then…

(P.S. – Universal Sports, if you’re reading this, you disappointed a whole “twiterverse” of skating fans this week. I hope you realize that your delayed coverage now would be a sad excuse for “coverage” at all, seeing how we’ve been able to catch up all weekend with videos posted online elsewhere. I try not to be too hard a critic, because I know much of these things aren’t up to you. But you shouldn’t have offered the hope of coverage if you had no intent of truly keeping us informed, as you said you would. It’s really too bad…you could have been the hero.)

Showdown at the Coliseum – Greensboro 2011 January 28, 2011

Remember when I said the ladies event this year could be the best in a long time? So far, so good.

The short programs were last night, and boy did this ladies come to play! So many clean skates, it was very enjoyable to watch. Of course, the top contenders were scattered throughout the night, so there may not have been as much tension as there will be tomorrow for the free skates, but every one of them knew they had to step up if they wanted to put themselves in position for gold, and a spot on the World Team.

Alissa Czisny was the first of the “favorites” to skate. She has such a new confidence about her…there’s no fear in her eyes when she skates. No fear, just joy – pure joy. She hit her jumps, nailed the spins, and floated through her step sequence like it was as easy as a walk in the park. There’s so much flow in between every move with Alissa. Everything is connected, meaningful, emotional. She didn’t react wildly after the performance or even after the event was over, but you knew she was relieved to have the short out of the way and to be sitting in prime position for a run at the title. She’s just .85 behind the leader going into the long, and knowing the kind of points she’s capable of making up with this season’s free skate, she’s in perfect position.

Agnes Zawadzki came out with attitude, attack and confidence. Now, her short programs have been brilliant all season long. In her Grand Prix events, she was right up there with the leaders after the short, but falling apart in the long cost her the chance to medal. Here, if she wants to move up from 4th, she’s going to have to nail it in the long.

Mirai Nagasu came in, much like the rest of the top girls, with something to prove. She’s been the national champ before, but not since her mental collapse a few years back. She’s come so close, had a brilliant Olympics, won the short at Worlds last year, but she doesn’t seem to handle the pressure of expectation very well. Well, she certainly had expectation on her here, and while she claims she was “freaking out” prior to striking her opening pose, once the music started, she was on fire! She skates with the most speed of anyone in the competition, and she ticked off her jumps without doubt. Her story-telling ability is stronger than ever, and her spins and footwork really rake in the points. Thanks to her level 4 layback spin (the only one of the top 3), she took over first from Czisny.

Christina Gao has been one who many expected to do well here. She came out and skated an elegant, well executed short program, complete with triple flip-triple toe, and did coach Brian Orser mighty proud. We’ll have to see if her technical content can match up with the leaders in the long, but she sits in 5th place after the short.

The 6th place finisher after the short surprised nearly everyone! Vanessa Lam step on the ice, nailed each element with ease, felt the music, captured the moment, and earned a standing ovation from the crowd at the Coliseum in the process. She was brilliant! She doesn’t quite match up with the top three just yet, but look out for this one. I can’t wait to see her in the long.

Ashley Wagner came into this competition looking for redemption. She was tired of finishing just on the outskirts of greatness, just beyond World and Olympic teams, and she was ready to prove she belonged at the top. Then came the flu that’s making its way through Greensboro. She struggled with the elements a bit last night, turning out of what was supposed to be a triple flip-triple toe combination. She did tack a double toe on to the triple lutz so she didn’t miss the required combination, but everything was a little bit shaky. She did, however, skate with much more emotion and tension throughout her movements that was nice to see. I wish we’d have seen a full-strength Ashley skate, but hopefully she’ll be stronger in the long.

Rachael Flatt, too, had a lot to prove. After a dismal Grand Prix Final where she skated through injury and a short program that just wasn’t working, she went home, rested up, and oh yeah, created a brand new short program only one month prior to Nationals. No big deal. She and choreographer Lori Nichol worked on a program to an iconic piece of music (one Lori once used for none other than Michelle Kwan) that left many people fearing she’d never live up to what that music had once been. Well, Rachael, you killed it, girl! Skating to East of Eden, Rachael didn’t just skate through the elements. She didn’t just tell a story – she painted a picture with every emotion from her face to her finger tips. I’ve never seen Rachael so in the moment, so in tune to the music and the emotion. It was refreshing and a bit surprising, but she really pulled it off. A missed position on her layback dropped it to level 1, which kept her from taking over the lead. She went into third, but just barely.

Only 1.03 points separate 1st-3rd after the short. Nothing like a Free Skate showdown, eh?! I knew it would be tight. Even with Ashley Wagner in 7th, she’s got a chance at a medal. But it’ll take some help from the girls at the top who, after tonight, look determined to give us the first repeat National Champ since Michelle Kwan. Now the question is, which one will it be??

 

With only two spots on the World Team, who would you pick if you were to choose two to send to Worlds? Which two will stand up to the international competition best?

 

More to come as the week continues!

 

Until then…

Skating for Gold – Nationals 2011, the Ladies January 12, 2011

January 12, 2006.

7:30 p.m.

Section 102.

Row U.

Seat 8.

Never was there a more bittersweet moment than sitting Plaza Level at the Savvis Center for the Olympic Qualifying Ladies Short Program, knowing that the person I was there for – the person who is to blame (or praise!)  for my figure skating fascination – was in the program, but not on the ice. I figured that was my one and only last chance to see the legendary Michelle Kwan compete live, and it was over before it ever began.

The loud speakers started booming, ‘Let’s get it started…in here…”

The emcee called the first group of ladies to the ice, and I cried a little inside.

Then, I was witness to a beautiful night of skating, fueled by the same Olympic spirit that inspired so many of my own dreams. Despite the less-than-happy Michelle Kwan fan in me, I made memories that will last a lifetime, and I got to share those memories with my dad. I couldn’t really complain.

This year, January 12 just another day in the journey to Greensboro…thanks to an unusually late start to the 2011 edition of the event. Still, 10 days out, I can only imagine what the attendees will be able to admire for this year’s short programs.

So, without further ado, the ladies.

Here are my contenders.

• Alissa Czisny
• Mirai Nagasu
• Rachael Flatt
• Ashley Wagner
• Agnes Zawadzki
• Caroline Zhang

If you’ve read my other preview blogs, you may have noticed that this is my longest “Contender list.” You also may have seen in my last post that I think this season’s ladies event may be the most exciting since 2005. As promised, here’s why.

This field has it all – the maturity and elegance of a renewed Alissa Czisny, the youthful exuberance and potential brilliance of Mirai Nagasu, the consistency and personal expectations of Rachael Flatt, the determination and improved technique of Ashley Wagner, the technical abilities and the untapped artistic potential of Agnes Zawadzki, and finally the emotional roller coaster and hopeful return of Caroline Zhang.

See? Everything, I tell you.

Alissa Czisny is, in my opinion, the class of the field this season, thanks in part to her valiant return to the international scene. Now, I know there are many out there who continue to say, “I want to root for her, but she’s just too inconsistent.” And you may be right. But there’s just something about her that I believe in, now more than ever. Maybe it’s the fact that I feel like she believes in herself more than ever before. Maybe it’s because she believes in her training and her coaches. Maybe it’s because she really is a natural competitor after all, and the criticism after last season gave her the fire she needed to succeed. And maybe she won’t reclaim her title. But I believe she can. And if she can complete the jumps, the rest of her skating is by far the best of the American girls. She’s got all the pieces. It’s just a matter of putting it all together at the same time. I believe she can do it.

Mirai Nagasu has been an emotional favorite of mine since 2008 (when, I’d like to point out, I accurately predicted her Nationals win…just sayin’). I was crushed by her breakdown the following year, and thrilled with her brilliance at the Olympics last February. I’m afraid her programs this season aren’t as special as last year’s, but she still has the technical content in her footwork and spins, and the emotional connection to her music to bring the audience in…she, like Alissa, has all the pieces. If both skate perfectly, I feel Alissa’s programs give her the edge. But if one or the other falters, it’s anyone’s game.

Speaking of anyone’s game, it would be simply ignorant to exclude Rachael Flatt from the list of potential winners. She has been the most technically consistent of the American girls for the past few seasons, but this year she’s battled. Before you jump me for calling her out, I know she was fighting an injury in the Final. But even before that, things just looked a bit off for her this year. With Alissa, Mirai and the others stepping it up, she’s going to have to pull it all together in Greensboro if she wants to repeat as National Champ.

Ashley Wagner is a skater that has been dealt a few hard blows in her Nationals career. She’s more than once been the girl just outside the spotlight, just off the podium, just off the World/Olympic team. She’s made herself known for coming back in the long program with strength and determination, but she will need a spectacular short program to not fall too far behind. She doesn’t seem to get the levels on some of the footwork and spins, and her program components can’t compare to Alissa’s, but if she brings her A-game, she’s certainly got a shot. And let me tell you, she wants it.

Agnes Zawadski is the new fascination with skating fans this season. She came into her Grand Prix assignments as the ultimate unknown, then skated brilliant short programs that made the world sit up and pay attention. She lacks consistency in the long, and that could be a problem for her if she puts herself in contention with the short. But she’s definitely one to watch, especially if the favorites falter.

The question mark in this event could be Caroline Zhang. This girl was touted as the second coming of Michelle Kwan, combined with the flexibility of Sasha Cohen…and then she collapsed. She struggled more than anyone would have ever predicted. She came back this season hoping to reclaim some of that glory (and more importantly that joy), but she’s still struggled. She has just recently changed coaches yet again, and is now training along side Yuna Kim under the guidance of Peter Oppegard. This could be interesting, but I fear it’s a bit too late. She ran into some serious technique problems that she just hasn’t been able to correct while continuing to compete. And yet, she’s the story that tugs at your heartstrings because you hate to see someone with so much potential so sad about her career at such a young age. My head is telling me she’s out of the running for this season, but my heart would love to see her come out and skate two programs she can be proud of, no matter the result.

Now, those are my “contenders” for the ladies. However, there are plenty of other girls more than willing to break up the party: Christina Gao, Alexi Gilles, Amanda Dobbs, Melissa Bulanhagui, Kiri Baga…the battle will be tight all the way down the list, which will make for some spectacular moments for those lucky enough to be in attendance!

With so many girls with the potential to win it all, who are your choices for the podium? And, since the US only has two World spots, who do you think finishes top two?

There are still 10 days before anything gets started, but that’s the perfect amount of time to get all set to go. Looking forward to hearing what you think!

Thanks, as always, for reading. Follow me on twitter for more (@FromTheBoards).

Until then…

It’s the most wonderful time of the year! December 8, 2010

We had the most wonderful snow storm this past weekend. And yes, I think snow is wonderful. In December, at least. My back yard was like a wonderland…and I was like a kid in a candy store when it started snowing. Moving from a real live “winter wonderland” into a land of cold-but-dry midwest winters is rough, especially when winter means skating season in its peak!

We’re in for another big storm this weekend, but the biggest storm is headed for Beijing, as the top 6 skaters/teams in each discipline take to the ice to prove their “regular season” successes were more than just luck. The competition will be tougher than it has been all season, so these athletes know they better be prepared.

Here’s how things break down.

Men: World Champ Daisuke Takahashi seems the likely choice for “favorite.” However, he hasn’t had the most spectacular of Grand Prix seasons. He has just the 4th highest season best of the Final competitors –  234.79 (Kozuka – 248.07, Chan – 239.52, Oda – 236.52), and he’s looked a bit off more than once so far. With his countrymen hot on his heels and Chan anxious to skate two programs worthy of his monumental scores, Dai better up his game. Don’t forget the impending “Battle of the MJs” between Amodio and Verner. Florent got his in first this season, and the impression was created with raving reactions from the audience (albeit not-quite-so-raving reviews from skating fans who saw too much standing and not enough skating). However, Verner’s attempt paled in comparison. Tomas still had a very solid GP season, and his short program is simply divine. But that long…well, I just hope he doesn’t have to skate right after Amodio this weekend.

Ladies: Miki Ando has the best score this season – 174.47 – over fellow Japanese skater Akiko Suzuki (172.74) and Alissa Czisny (172.37). Carolina Kostner and Kanako Murakami have the same season best score of 164.93. Yet again, the only constant for this event is that no one has had a spectacular season. In fact, despite some wonderful moments (Alissa’s gold at Skate Canada, Ando’s jump clinic at Cup of China, Murakami’s delightful short program), the ladies season has been a bit of a mess. Very few clean programs, and many cases of “she who falls the least wins.” There are some unlikely names on this Final list for that very reason! There’s just truly no way of guessing what will happen here.

Pairs: Savchenko and Szolkowy have the edge in season best score over Pang and Tong, 197.88 to 189.37. The other four couples are competing in the Final for the first time. Don’t forget the kids from China, though. Sui and Han made a big splash on the senior circuit, proving they can hang with the big kids. They are passing on the Junior Grand Prix final to compete at the senior level, so no doubt they’ll be eying a spot on that podium…Moore-Towers/Moscovitch and Bazarova/Larionov better watch their backs!

Ice dance: Davis and White looked to be the runaway favorites all season long, and they are certainly still highly favored here. But their season best is only 3.39 higher than that of the French team of Pechalat and Bourzat (165.21, 161.82 respectively.) The French team has gained ground, and they may have the best free dance of the season. I’m looking forward to seeing Meryl and Charlie skate their free dance to it’s full potential, and they will likely have an edge in the short dance. But they won’t be able to take this one without a fight, that’s for sure. Beyond that, however, it would appear to be a battle for bronze between several teams that have looked good at times this year, but don’t quite have the fire power to play with Davis and White just yet. Still, it should be a very competitive event, as usual!

 

My Fantasy picks have been made, and as always, a vlog with those picks is coming soon.

 

What are your thoughts heading into this weekend? These should be the best 6 competitors in their disciplines…do you agree? Who are you most surprised to see in Beijing? Who do you think will make the biggest splash? Let me know!

 

Next week I hope to look a little closer at the not-so-new-but-reemerging Code of Points debate. Hopefully this weekend will paint a clear picture of how the system is really working…and we’ll go from there.

 

My Twitter presence this weekend may be limited due to a heavy work schedule (hate it when “real work” gets in the way of my skating work!) but we shall see. I will certainly be letting you know how much live play-by-play I’ll be available for, so check twitter.com/FromTheBoards for all the info!

 

Until then…