I know it’s delayed. And, I know it’s long. But, I figured the end of the GP series deserved a video blog update!
This season has been a lot of fun. Not the cleanest GP season ever, but fun, nonetheless. And, I am quite excited to see some of the head-to-head battles at Worlds.
Congrats again to the GPF medalists!
“See” you after the new year!
Earlier this week, I posted my icenetwork.com Fantasy Skating column in preparation for the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City. Fantasy, though, is a whole different competition than, well, the competition! So, how ’bout a complete preview?
Yes?
Okay, good.
We’ll start with the Ladies and the Gentlemen. Pairs and Dance later.
Ladies
The thing about these ladies’ events compared to ladies events of the past is there’s no clear-cut favorite. No Michelle Kwan. No Yu-Na Kim.
Five of the six ladies have won a Grand Prix event this season. Six of six have programs that accentuate their strengths.
Asada's Free Skate from NHK Trophy
Akiko Suzuki‘s free skate scores are nearly identical in her two events on the season. For her, (much like Alissa who I’ll get to in a moment) it is a matter of two clean programs back to back. She skates with more joy than any other lady on the ice. This year, she seems to have more attack as well, which bodes well for her completing the jumps.
Battling her way back to championship form, Mao Asada has proven herself quite the ray of sunshine, too! The smile she skates with this year is one I haven’t seen in … I can’t even say how long. I adore her short program and the character she brings to it (plus, what a great costume!), and her long, though recycled from last season, is a beauty. But those jumps have to be clean if she wants to win here. UPDATE: Sadly, Mao has withdrawn from the Final, due to the severity of her mother’s illness back home in Japan. She has flown home to be with her mom. My thoughts and prayers are with her and her family.
Speaking of comebacks, Carolina Kostner is in the midst of one of her own. In the past, I’ve been quite vocal about judges’ tendency to over-mark her. This year, though, she has packaged her skating in a way that better justifies her scores. Now, she still isn’t doing the “hard” jumps (lutz/flip), but the jumps she does do are strong. Plus, she genuinely believes in her choreography this year — something I’ve never seen from her before.
Alissa Czisny had her reinvention last year. This time around, she is trying to continue on. Her short program is one of my favorites of the season. It absolutely fits her to a “T.” She just needs to hit the jumps. She’s certainly capable, as proven by her free skate in Paris (only Asada brings a better LP score to Canada). If she skates clean, she has a great shot at gold.
Then come the Russians. Aleona Leonova is trying her best to keep her young teammates from stealing all of the spotlight. This girl has more energy than I would know what to do with! Her short program is great. Her free skate, though, just hasn’t been up to par with the top tier ladies this season.
And then there was one. Elizaveta Tuktamisheva. I hate buying into hype early in on a season — a career, even. We’ve seen far too many “flash in the pan” phenoms for me to get too excited too fast. This little darling, however, has me singing her praises just two competitions into her senior career. I have no idea where she will go after this season. (Not to Worlds, though, because she’s still a baby!) But for now, she’s the only lady in the event to have two GP golds. She’s for real … at least for now.
Podium:
(no particular order)
Czisny
Tuktamisheva
Asada (more…)
Before you say it, I know. I missed NHK Trophy all together here at From the Boards. I hate that it happened that way, but last week was simply one of those weeks. Too many things on my white boards “to-do list,” and not enough hours in the day to get them all done. Something had to give. I’m sorry that it was here, but hopefully you caught my Fantasy preview at icenetwork.com or usfigureskating.org.
I promise to always at least have that updated before events! 
Since I can’t go back to NHK now, we’ll just take a glance back and this weekend’s even in Paris — Trophee Eric Bompard.
I always loved this event (especially when it was Lalique) because of the fancy Kiss and Cry designs. Nothing too extraordinary this year, though. However, the trophy given to the winners was pretty spectacular!
But I digress…
The Pairs and Dance events went off mostly as predicted.
Russian stars Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov proved themselves human with errors in both the short and the long, but the overall quality of their skating and the non-jump elements pulled them through. They’re going to need to regain the element of perfection, though, in the Final and as they head on to Worlds.
Their teammates Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov snagged the silver after the cleanest of the free skates. There seems to be something missing from them, though. The spark from the other top couples is greater, despite B/L’s strong, classic lines. Most times I just don’t feel, well, anything from them as they skate through well choreographed programs (albeit, to overused music!).
Duhamel/Radford skated another strong short program in Paris.
One of the highlights of the entire event was Meagan Duhamel’s reaction to their scores after a well presented but poorly performed free skate. See, Duhamel and Radford are on that Grand Prix Final bubble. They needed to finish no lower than third with a score of 113.58 to give themselves a chance. She had her fingers crossed, watching the scores go up.
“Is it enough? Is it enough? I’m not getting too excited yet…”
But she knew it was enough. Despite three falls.
“115 with three falls, Eric?” she added.
These two improve with every event. I’m looking forward to seeing how they stack up at Worlds.
Again, Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig were haunted by the side-by-side jumps. Their programs are stunning, but she just can’t seem to stand up on those jumps. Another fourth place finish isn’t what they were looking for, but here’s hoping we see these programs skated cleanly at Nationals. (more…)
Yes, I know.
Skate America has been over for a week now. Skate Canada starts tomorrow (in fact, the practice ice is filled as we speak). But as much as I wanted to have a full preview and a full wrap up in the timeliest of fashions, sometimes life just says “NO.”
But alas, I can’t let the first Grand Prix event pass without any kind of comment at all!
So here we go. Better late than never, right?
The ladies event was all about Alissa.
Congrats, as well, to Viktoria Helgesson on her first GP medal!
Okay, Carolina has two of her best programs ever. She still only has a few triples actually in her arsenal, but she’s certainly making the best of it. And after her taste of success last season, she set herself up as a contender.
But it was Alissa we were all wondering about. Would her magic from last season continue? Would she really pull off the triple-triple she had planned? How would she set herself up technically, considering the competitions he’ll face later in the year?
She wasn’t perfect. But who is at the first event?
She threw the triple-triple. Yeah, it was under rotated, but she didn’t back down.
But the biggest improvement Alissa made is in her head.
Call me crazy, but I always look at a skater’s eyes as they slip into their opening pose. Thinking back to Sasha Cohen — I could always tell when she was off by the fear (sometimes sheer panic) in her eyes. Alissa had a tendency to be the same way.
The change started last season. It wasn’t so much panic. But she was still trying to convince herself she could do what she wanted to do.
Last weekend in Ontario, I saw her as a competitor for the first time. The look in her eyes wasn’t uncertainty. It was fire. She wasn’t afraid, she was confident. There was no hesitation, only preparation.
Call me crazy, but it was different. For the first time, I felt like she was there because she believed she could win.
And win, she did.
I’m absolutely in love with her short program. Every second of it is classic Alissa, only better. It combines her new-found fearlessness with the class, elegance and musicality we’ve come to love. It’s gentle, but not soft. It’s charming, but competitive. And it’s the perfect vehicle to take her through this season.
Well done, Team Czisny!
The pairs event was interesting, mostly due to the debut of Caydee Denney and John Coughlin and the throw triple axel attempt by Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy.
Denney and Coughlin were marvelous. Under developed, yes. But the potential is stunning.
I don’t want to harp on the split between Coughlin and Yankowskas, but I did feel a twinge of sadness not to see Caitlin on the ice.
But that is all I will say on the subject the rest of the season.
Because Caydee is a delight. And these two clearly love every second they spend on the ice together. The joy in their faces — especially John’s — was enough for me to buy in to what they’re putting together. They finished off the podium here, but I fully expect them to make a medal push all season long.
As for the Germans, is there really anything better than veterans who continue to push the envelope? They won each event they entered last season with relative ease. But are they resting on their World Championship laurels?
Not a chance.
While the throw triple axel isn’t flawless yet, I applaud them for going after it, at the risk of a Grand Prix medal. Well, maybe not so much of a risk. Because they came back in the long and proved once again why they are the best in the world.
The men’s event was … well, unpredictable? I admittedly missed most of it, so I can’t comment too specifically on programs and performances until I have time to go back and watch. But kudos to Michal Brezina for taking advantage of the open door!
Props, as well, to Kevin Van der Perren for winning the free skate. This guy just keeps coming back for more, and while he may never be a World Champion, you have to admire his competitiveness, and the fact that he always tries to best his previous performances.
I was shocked by Armin Mahbanoozadeh’s placement at this event. I fully expected a top five finish. But, you know what they say — the ice is slippery. Hopefully he’ll recover quickly and be ready for his next competition.
The ice dance event was all but a given — Meryl Davis and Charlie White were clear favorites for a reason, and they did not disappoint. Skating to a two month old program, there was still clear room for improvement. But, at the same time, they proved that their skating — both technically and artistically — elevates the sport to a whole different level.
They seem happy, focused, and hungry for more, and just like Czisny’s short program, this challenging waltz is the perfect means for them to continue their winning ways.
In a totally different vein, poor Fabian Bourzat! I can’t imagine competing (and medaling!) with bronchitis.
These two always push the envelope choreographically. That said, I’m not sure this Egyptian free dance does them justice. Perhaps, as was said on the broadcast, it was more the costumes than the choreography or the music. It all seemed contrived. And after their stunning Charlie Chaplain program last year, it fell a little short.
Regardless, best wishes to them as Fabian recovers and they continue through the season.
And just because I can’t get enough, here’s that Alissa short program, one more time.
Remember when summers were for taking a break? Relaxing in the sunshine? Reading a good book and lounging under a shade tree? Nice memories there, huh?
My summer was nothing like that.
Don’t get me wrong, it was good. I took a few fun trips, saw some quality baseball, experienced some new sports, read a few, um, chapters of a good book … all while expanding my sports writing ventures at AerysSports.com. As you may have noticed, that took me away from many things at FromTheBoards.
Yes, I had the privilege of interviewing World Champs Meryl Davis and Charlie White, National Champ Alissa Czisny, Rising Star Christina Gao … if you didn’t get to see the Summer Spotlight series, feel free to check it out now! But I was pulled away from much of the news, rumor, updates, and even the preseason buzz.
BUT …
I’m back, just like the international skating season! This weekend (can you believe it? This weekend!) we’ll get our first glimpse at what everyone has been working on. We’ll see some of the best of thh best — Davis and White, Savchenko and Szolkowy, Takahiko Kozuka, Czisny, and Carolina Kostner.
Plus, we’ll get a good idea of how Caydee Denney and John Coughlin will fair in the debut season of their highly-touted partnership. I’m not going to lie, I was skeptical of this partnership at first, more for sentimental reasons than anything else. But, having seen their programs from Nebelhorn Trophy, I can’t wait to see how they match up with top level pairs teams. Call it wishful thinking, but I fully expect them to contend for a medal.
As you all have probably heard, Evan Lysacek was originally slated to compete in Ontario this weekend. Turns out, he never confirmed that. And has, as many expected, withdrawn from the GP series. That definitely clears the way for Kozuka as the favorite (although, he probably would have been anyway).
But it also gives Douglas Razzano a chance to kick off his season in his home country, alongside Mr. Sherlock Holmes himself, Ricky Dornbush. I’m excited to see how Ricky does on the senior Grand Prix stage with a little more pressure after his National success and top-ten Worlds finish. I love what both of these guys bring to the ice, so I hope they fair well here!
Mostly, though, I’m just excited that skating’s back!
I’ve been overwhelmed with the most exciting month and a half of baseball I have ever experienced. I love every second of it. Why am I talking about baseball? Because it’s a passion. Just like skating is. And if this skating season can live up to the wild ride my baseball season has been, we’re all in for a treat!
And in case you aren’t following me on Twitter yet (ahem … @fromtheboards), I’m happy to announce that I will be writing a Fantasy Skating column for Icenetwork.com this season! If you haven’t registered your team yet, take a quick trip over there and get it done. Plus, take a peek at my Fantasy thoughts for Week 1.
With as hectic as my schedule is these days, it’s probably best to follow me on Twitter if you want to know what my coverage will be like for the GP season. I’ll likely be letting you know as I know!
I’ll leave you with this, because I think it’s fabulous.
“It’s the hottest fires that make the hardest steel.”
That one line in a seemingly unrelated Super Bowl commercial became the unspoken motto for Alissa Czisny last season.
Only, her fire didn’t come in the form of an economic disaster. It came, instead, with a shocking turn of events that cost her what many thought was her best chance at fulfilling a life-long dream –competing on Olympic ice.
After finishing 10th at the 2010 Nationals and missing that chance, Czisny had a decision to make.
Many assumed the result had made the decision for her. She would retire, right? Obviously, she didn’t have the “stuff” to hold up under the pressure of expectation. Her best competitive days were behind her, they claimed.
The thing is, Alissa didn’t see it that way. Not even close.
The season started filled with questions. Questions Alissa was determined to answer on the ice.
“I had almost quit skating after last season,” Czisny admitted. “But I chose to come back because I love to skate and because I wanted to reach my full potential. [I] felt that I hadn’t yet realized that.”
So, Czisny boldly decided to take charge of the next phase of her career, the phase that would likely be the most difficult: the comeback.
She changed her coaching team to Jason Dungjen and Yuka Sato, hoping the change would give her new perspective, and most importantly, renewed confidence.
“They believed in me at a time when there weren’t many people who believed that I could accomplish anything more in my skating career,” Czisny said. ” They helped me technically with my jumps, they helped me with the everyday training, with competitions, they helped me completely change my perspective on skating.”
So, the dream team went to work. Alissa had come so close before — she won at Skate Canada in 2005, placed third at Nationals in 2007, won that title in 2009. But this season needed to be about the present, not the past, or even the future.
“This season meant a lot to me, not only in terms of placements, but also in terms of personal achievements and satisfaction,” Czisny dais. “This year, I was able to overcome so many things, and I felt as though I [became] a new skater.”
A skater committed to proving — to herself, first — that the best was yet to come.
Armed with two stunning programs, Alissa took on the first challenge of the season, despite still battling the newness of her training arrangement. Apparently “new” works well for her.
“To be completely honest, going into Skate Canada, I did not feel ready to compete yet,” she said. “I was still trying to adjust to new coaches, new technique and I was quite nervous to compete there. However … It was wonderful to win again, and to do it in Canada, where I had won my first Grand Prix competition. I was able to gain confidence from that competition, heading into the rest of the competitions of the season.” (more…)
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. (more…)
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.
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.)
For some, this season was about defending. For others, it was about improving. Yet for so many, it seemed, there was only one thing that would satisfy – redemption.
Alissa Czisny came to Nationals with potentially the most pressure of any skater in the line up, including defending champ Jeremy Abbott. Why, you ask? Because there were people round the world, despite her Grand Prix Final win or her series medals, who were still saying she’d never pull it off; people who had watched her win in 2009, only to see her crumble under the pressure of life-long dreams in 2010.
They said she didn’t have the stuff champions are made of. They didn’t know how different this year had made her.
She hit the ice in Greensboro, not as a once-champion bound by the pressure of living up to expectations, but as an athlete, solid in her technique, and an artist, passionately in love with the craft she’d perfected. And with the weight of all the demons of the past threatening to paralyze her, she skated to center ice with a calmness, an ease, that defied the odds and signified only one thing – the old Czisny was gone. The new Czisny was here, ready and determined to bring the house down…and to get her title back.
Facing similar demons, Ryan Bradley, convinced by his most loyal fans, took his place in Greensboro as the wildcard. He was the guy no one knew what to expect out of. He didn’t train like normal this year. He didn’t compete a single time. He hadn’t received the federation-sponsored evaluations, and he sometimes struggled to bring it when it really mattered. But for Ryan, none of that mattered. His goal was two fold:
1.) Entertain the audience that had talked him into this return in the first place,
2.) Win.
Both Alissa and Ryan came to Greensboro with a focus that was contagious, and a new-found belief in themselves that was inspiring. While Ryan’s competition may not have gone exactly as planned, what he did was fight. He never forgot his goal, and he never gave in to the fears of the past that could have derailed him after the first two missed jumps.
Alissa, too, fought. She carefully executed each jump, one, two, three, four, getting stronger as the program progressed. When she spun into her step sequence, the look on her face said it all.
She knew.
We knew.
And now the world knew – she was a champion after all.
Two skaters, “old” by skating’s terms, decided early on to make this Nationals count. Two skaters, so far removed from their old selves, walked away as Champions.
Redemption, meet destiny.
Enjoy.
Figure Skating: From the Boards 