Figure Skating

[ChicksDigScars]

Weren't Papadakis and Cizeron 11th or 13th last year at World's? Such a leap in standings in one year makes one immediately think "the French federation check must have cleared," especially in Ice Dance, where there are no jumps and very few falls to make the job easier on the judges. Team Canada must not be happy with the bronze. I read way too many articles where it was almost expected that they would be celebrating double gold in pairs and dance this season,

 

Being stuck with NBC and no Universal Sports on my cable, was the French performance that much of an improvement this season? I was pleasantly surprised to see Chock and Bates in first after the original dance, and Papadakis and Cizeron had to go from fourth to first to beat them. Were they that much better?

[Shades of Red]

Slowly getting through all my PVR'd programming - thanks to CBC for having so much coverage.  A few observations - it's really nice to see all the best skaters in one spot.  I'm not a fan of splitting up the skaters into different groups and having them skate in separate events instead of skating against each other all season long.  It's nice that some skaters get a chance at medals they wouldn't normally have a chance at winning, but I think it also give a false impression on their capabilities and how they will fare when competing against each other in one venue.

 

Things have changed and it really aged me when I realized how much some of the lifts had changed, for the better I might add.  Years ago it was an accomplishment to lower a partner with one hand vs "dropping" her back to the ice after a lift.  The lifts now are really inventive (even if some of them are very similar) and I'm enjoying the variety of dismount positions.  Same holds true for the entrance to these lifts and various other moves that aren't the same old, same old.

 

On the other hand, the foot work sequence now required has been bizarre for most couples.  Many of them look as if the sequence has been thrown in and it's a free for all.  I know it isn't but it does look like it at times.

 

I do know the final standings in any event that has medaled so can say I'm thrilled for Megan and Eric.  I've watched them grow in the past five years and have had the pleasure of watching them skate live.  While I'm not a fan of their lack of chemistry, I have to give them props for going after what they want and getting it.  I'm looking forward to watching Dylan and Lubov's progression.  I caught a little of their long program and know it didn't turn out as they wanted, but they've only been skating together for less than a year.  Both have some mad skills and I'm sure with time will become the couple they want to be.  They always look like they are thrilled to be on the ice.  Having watched them live as well, I have to say their enthusiasm is infectious and they always make me smile as I'm watching them.

[specialj67]

Selfishly glad and pleasantly surprised the U.S. will have 3 spots in the men's and ladies' competition for Worlds in Boston next year. I wasn't expecting that after watching the short program earlier.

 

Watching the British Euro Sport coverage of Yuzuru Hanyu's free skate was refreshing because they were surprised he wasn't as overscored as they were expecting the judges to do. Still think Denis Ten should have been in second over him. Glad to see Fernandez have his win, but still do not like that program.

 

Also, thanks NBC for showing less than 5 minutes of coverage for the entirety of the men's event this evening. </sarcasm>

[flingle]

Just finished watching the women's long (thank you CBC website for the whole raw feed!!) and I think I finally figured out what bothers me about Ashley's skating. Her arms are really limp! Her arms remind of those parodies of girls running, where the arms are folded up against the body and the hands flop up and down. The women's long programs were a little rough but wow, the short programs were very exciting, especially that 3A!

[cpcathy]

I miss the good old days of ABC Sports, where you got to see nearly the ENTIRE competition on one channel. I know there are so many outlets nowadays and the popularity of the sport seems to be waning, but showing only the top three ice dance teams in prime time stinks. I'm a purist, and I hate the new rules with a passion (also hate skating to lyrics, but I guess time must march on). I just hate the way figure skating is presented now.

[ChicksDigScars]

Well in the U.S. it isn't really "presented" at all. Comcast, the largest cable provider in the country, doesn't carry Universal Sports and you have to pay to watch on the IceNetwork online. It's just ridiculous. Nationals gets "decent" coverage. World's gets ignored. I know it gets crushed by the NCAA Tournament every year, but come on! An alternative to wall to wall basketball, please?

Edited March 29, 2015 by ChicksDigScars

[BelleBrit]

It's great that Gracie and Ashley were able to finish 4th and 5th respectively by coming in 2nd and 3rd in the free skate, but I'm sure that they are kicking themselves. The door was wide open for them to medal this year-Pogo was injured, Elena was sick, and the judges have shown that they want to reward them-but this wasn't their year either. Still glad that they were able to redeem themselves somewhat, Gracie in particular was due for a good LP on the international scene because they have been pretty sucky this season. Her jumps did seem tentative and less "impressive" to me than when she is on fire, but she got the job done. It's been surprising to me how much the judges have "held her up" this year (I think both Ashley and Gracie were held up somewhat in the short) despite errors.  But you never know-if they hadn't botched their shorts and known that they were most likely out of the running for medals, maybe they would not have performed like they did in their LPs (same for skaters who did better in their SPs and then fell in the LPs). While I thought that Ashley could have gotten the bronze after her improvements in the GPF and nationals, I wasn't all that shocked that she did not medal either. Some people were getting really carried away on the skating boards and predicting that she would win.

 

Satoko is very talented, but stylistically her Miss Saigon program always seemed a little off to me. It's just a very severe sounding program and it was always jarring to see such a tiny person performing it. Maybe she needs something a bit more youthful, and Polina something a bit more mature? I did like her non-reaction to getting a medal though. You know that if that had been Ashley, Gracie, or Polina, they would have been screaching. While Elena's skating can be kind of ugly looking at times, I really like her attitude. Her coach said that she almost fainted during her long program, but when an interviewer asked her about being sick, she said that it wasn't an excuse and that she fought, but could have fought harder. I think that Polina is really baffled as to why her scores are low, but I can sort of understand why she gets the PCs marks she does, and it's not like she is technically perfect either. She really crawls into some of those jumps, and they often look borderline underrotated. While I could commend them for being honest, it never really endears me to skaters when they start complaining about the scoring (same reason why I found Ashley's complaints about being "g*****" last year obnoxious, since I was already not a fan of her skating to begin with). Polina definitely seems to want it, so hopefully she will do some soul searching about why she is getting these scores despite going "clean",go choreographer shopping, and work to refine some of her jumps. Tuk's SP choreography is hideous to me, but somehow it really works for me in the LP. Her comeback should serve as inspiration to skaters that a lot can happen in one year and that they shouldn't give up.

Edited March 29, 2015 by BelleBrit

[alexa]

As said above I am glad Gracie and Ashley came back and got the spots on the world team next year, but they both really have to learn to pull it together for 2 programs or they aren't getting anywhere.  Personally I am still really bored by Gracie but willing to give her a chance--hoping she will add some form of personality or at least attack to her programs at some point.  

 

I don't remember her name, but I love how the Russian girl that won just really went for it.  I could totally see the difference between her and the Americans in that regard.  She didn't have a perfect long program, but she kept after it.

[apgold]

 

I don't remember her name, but I love how the Russian girl that won just really went for it.  I could totally see the difference between her and the Americans in that regard.  She didn't have a perfect long program, but she kept after it.

 

Her name is Elizaveta Tuktamysheva (also known as Liza).  Liza had a rough season last year and didn't qualify for Sochi (she was 10th in Russian Nationals).  She competed more than any other skater in major and minor competitions (13 IIRC) to get her confidence back and placed 1st in most of them.  She's not the best spinner or most flexible but her jumps are pretty amazing, including the 3A she reeled off like it was a double.  Shows you can never count someone out.  Last year, nobody would've bet she would win Worlds.

 

I liked this years Worlds better than last years.  No gifting of medals (ahem Kostner last year) and all new winners.  

 

BelleBrit summed up my thoughts on the US Ladies, although I'm a fan of Ashley's and have to disagree with flingle about her arms.  I actually think Ashley uses her arms really well, perhaps it was the choreography?

 

I think Jason Brown was phenomenal, coming in 4th w/o the Q word and skating last in the FS.  I'm still not in love with his programs this year but I think he grew into them (and happy that he got rid of the tan pants and boot covers in his costume).  He's starting to look like a man on the ice, not a kid.

 

Well, they are going to show mens and pairs, I believe in 2 weeks.  But by then, who cares?  Anyone who cares about skating will have sought out the videos online anyway.   I wonder if NBC will show Josh Farris, since he was not in the final two groups.

Also, thanks NBC for showing less than 5 minutes of coverage for the entirety of the men's event this evening. </sarcasm>

Edited March 30, 2015 by apgold

[AuntieDiane6]

 

Well in the U.S. it isn't really "presented" at all. Comcast, the largest cable provider in the country, doesn't carry Universal Sports and you have to pay to watch on the IceNetwork online. It's just ridiculous. Nationals gets "decent" coverage. World's gets ignored. I know it gets crushed by the NCAA Tournament every year, but come on! An alternative to wall to wall basketball, please?

 

True, but networks like WINNERS and having NO women medalists in the Olympics since 2006 does nothing to increase viewership. We "owned" women's and when the best we can do is an occasional "fluke" medal (Kimmie Meisner e.g.) or a triumphant … fourth or fifth, you're not going to get big TV.

[BelleBrit]

i can give Ashley props for upping her technical content as the season went on. I think at Skate Canada she did not have a triple triple or a triple lutz in her long program. She still underrotates and two foots at times, but she seems to have improved her lutz to the point that judges are giving her the ! instead of the e call. I wonder if doing the lutz toe in the short was part of what pysched her out. Worlds is in Boston next year, it will be very interesting to see how the next season will play out. I would like to see Mirai make a comeback, but it's probably too much to hope for with all of the underrotation calls that she gets. She definitely underrotates, but it frustrates me when she gets all of the calls, and I see others who clearly underrotate to my eye and they do not get reviewed. I liked her programs this year, but I'm wondering if she should use a different choreographer than Adam Rippon for next season. I think she could benefit from having a choreographer who is available to her more of the time to work with her. The choreography was pretty, but she seems so focused on the jumps, at least in the long programs, that her face kind of goes on autopilot. I would love to see her work with Phillip Mills, he is supposedly choreographing for Max Aaron next season so maybe it will happen. I don't need Ashley Wagner level expressions, but some would be nice. I would also like to see Yulia make a comeback.

 

edit:  I forgot that Tom Dickson was also helping refine Adam's choreography for Mirai this season. I'm just trying to figure out a scenario where she could really improve her artistry and get some higher PCs to counteract the underrotation calls!  

Edited March 31, 2015 by BelleBrit

[Libby96]

I get Universal Sports, and all they showed of the men's free was Javier Fernandez gold medal winning performance. I was happy that he won, but I'm thinking that the men's free skate is still going to be aired, and suddenly Terry Gannon is telling me who won and Javi is skating. I was looking forward to seeing the competition play out. Thanks again NBC/Universal. You always do such a fine job. Not.

[apgold]

 

I forgot that Tom Dickson was also helping refine Adam's choreography for Mirai this season. I'm just trying to figure out a scenario where she could really improve her artistry and get some higher PCs to counteract the underrotation calls!

 

I hope that Mirai can get her mojo back.  I thought she was going to do better this past season after she seemed to get some confidence back with her coaching change and people loving her SOI performance last year.  I'm keeping my expectations low with her for the upcoming season b/c there are so many younger skaters (Mariah Bell, for instance) who will be podium contenders and may leave her behind.  We'll see.

[Good Queen Jane]

The ISU has named the countries which qualified to send teams to the ISU Team Trophy Event, which takes place in Tokyo on April 15-19. The six countries are Russia, USA, Japan, Canada, France and China (listed in order of points accumulated).

 

The rules for the ISU Team Trophy Event are similar to the rules for the Olympic Team Event, with some adjustments: two Men and two Ladies will compete along with one Pairs and one Dance team from each country (instead of just one in Men and Ladies), the same skaters must skate the Short and Free Skate segments,  and there is no elimination after the Short Programs. Each skater does a short and long program, and points are awarded based on where the skater finishes in the Short Program and in the final standings. The team with the highest total points will win the World Team Trophy.

 

This is an event that skaters usually enjoy competing in because it’s fun and the prize money is good. The winning team gets $200,000 in prize money, and even the last place team gets $130,000 in prize money (the prize money is put up by wealthy Japanese businesspeople.)

 

Skaters are encouraged to cheer on their teammates with wild celebrations. In the past, rooting in the Kiss and Cry area has included Canadians wearing funky moose hats, Italians doing choreographed dancing, and the French building a human pyramid. Definitely a time for the skaters to “let loose” at the end of the season.

 

U.S. Figure Skating has not yet announced the skaters who will represent the U.S. in the Team Trophy event. Icenetwork will Live Stream the event as well as make video of the event available on demand to subscribers.

[apgold]

Chock and Bates tweeted they will be part of WTT - nobody else from USA has said a word as far as I know.

Edited April 1, 2015 by apgold

[MostlyC]

NBC, that was the worst coverage of the World Championships EVER.  And on the Universal network, you can't see the Men's freeskate- just the lame NBC coverage where they show only ONE program from the men's free program.

 

I could not be more disgusted with the network.

[Good Queen Jane]

U.S. Figure skating has announced the team they will send to the ISU Team Trophy competition in Tokyo later this month:

 

Ladies: Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner

Men: Max Aaron, Jason Brown

Pairs: Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim

Ice Dance: Madison Chock and Evan Bates

 

Interesting that the second man is Max Aaron.

[selkie]

I am amused. Member of Russian  parliament proposes the 'Plushenko law'

 

http://espn.go.com/olympics/story/_/id/12639473/russian-lawmaker-pushes-restrict-athletes-2-olympics

 

 

The bill submitted by lawmaker Yegor Anisimov would amend Russian law to avoid a repeat of an incident at last year's Sochi Winter Olympics when figure skater Evgeni Plushenko entered his fourth Olympics despite injury concerns before a back problem forced him to withdraw from the men's competition at the last minute, when it was too late to replace him.

 

"There is no doubt that this athlete [Plushenko] knew about his health problems earlier on, but he didn't remove his candidacy to compete at the Olympic Games, thus depriving other athletes of the chance to take part," Anisimov said in a statement introducing the proposal.

[Good Queen Jane]

This is just a reminder that NBC is going to show the Men’s final from Worlds, plus other highlights from Worlds, on Sunday from 3-6 pm Eastern time. Check your local listings for the times in your areas.

 

Also the World Synchro Championships start today in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The U.S. has two entries – the Haydenettes from Massachusetts and the Miami University (OH) team. The favorite in this competition is Finland, which is a powerhouse in synchro skating, but you never know what might happen. The ice is slippery sometimes.

[Good Queen Jane]

Apparently, the American skaters are planning to get pretty wacky in the Kiss and Cry area during the ISU Team Trophy Event, which starts tomorrow (our time) in Tokyo. http://www.teamusa.org/News/2015/April/14/US-Skaters-Plan-To-Rock-The-House-At-World-Team-Trophy

 

Unfortunately, only icenetwork is showing the competition. NBC, this is a fun competition that would interest a lot of casual skating fans. Why aren't you showing it?

[le bordel chaud]

Phillip Mills has outdone himself with Max Aaron's new long to Swan Lake! It's a huge step up for Max. I'm really excited for him!

[Good Queen Jane]

Team USA won the final skating competition of the season - the World Team Trophy - edging Russia by 1 point to take the title. The final standings were: USA - 110 points, Russia - 109 points, Japan - 103 points, Canada - 82 points, China -77 points, France - 59 points.

 

The win primarily was due to Scimeca and Knierim beating Kavaguti and Smirnov to come in 3rd in Pairs in the Free Skate (yes, that’s right; the Pairs sealed the victory). That placement got the U.S. the 10 points and put the trophy pretty much out of reach for Russia even if their Ladies finished 1st and 2nd in the Ladies Free Skate.

 

All the teams were encouraged to do wild celebrations in the Kiss and Cry area as a skater or skaters from their country waited for their scores. Everyone had flags, multi-colored boas and funky hats (the French favored duck hats while the Chinese - for unknown reasons - preferred rabbit and mouse ears). The Russians had big inflated hands and clappers, while the Japanese finally acknowledged their obsession with Phantom of the Opera by sporting Phantom masks from time to time (they even played music from Phantom as the Japanese skaters took the lowest step on the podium at the awards ceremony).

 

The Americans showed up with an inflated Statue of Liberty torch and a Captain America shield, along with colored wigs (pink and green). The Chinese Ladies at one point wore Superwomen costumes, while Jeremy Ten of Canada dressed up in a moose costume for one segment. Jeremy Ten also scribbled on a white board as he waited for his Free Skate scores. Finally, he held up a hand-written sign which read: “Patrick, we miss you. Look forward to seeing you soon”.

 

So now we enter the skating off season. Stay tuned for the Change Your Partner Polka and the Will She/He or Won't She/He Skate Samba.

Edited April 20, 2015 by Good Queen Jane

[apgold]

I enjoyed what I saw of WTT on YT.

 

Too bad Gracie couldn’t deliver in the FS after placing 1st in the short program.  I though Jason was amazing in both programs, and Ashley did better here than at Worlds overall.

 

I liked seeing Max’s new programs – he looks like he’s improving his artistry a bit but he needs to get more comfortable.  His jumps are also so wild – he’s got so much power and I’d love to see more control.  And on a shallow note, happy he cut his hair.

 

Yes, Alexa and Chris saved the day with their FS, so good for them and team USA.

 

If you haven’t seen the gala exhibitions, I would recommend seeking them out on YT.  Yuzu did his SP from last season and it was amazing.  Jason did a fun hip hop number with his hair out (now I know why he wears the ponytail) for part of it.

 

Yes, now the drought begins.  Oh, and is anyone here planning to go to Worlds next year in Boston?  I am planning to go, so if anyone wants to meet up, PM me.

[COESpiral]

Congratulations to Charlie White and Tanith Belbin! Today was their wedding day and I hear it's being covered by People magazine so I'm hoping we'll get some beautiful pictures. Here's wishing them a lifetime of happiness!

[WhitneyWhit]

Congratulations to Charlie White and Tanith Belbin! Today was their wedding day and I hear it's being covered by People magazine so I'm hoping we'll get some beautiful pictures. Here's wishing them a lifetime of happiness!

Here's the first picture

http://www.people.com/article/ice-dancers-charlie-white-tanith-belbin-say-i-do

[annzeepark914]

I certainly don't think Ashley's arms look limp.  She's one of the very few skaters who knows what to do with her arms and hands (as opposed to so many others who look like they're "hanging laundry"--thanks Dick Button!)

[methodwriter85]

Does anyone know who the U.S. youngest male figure skating champion is? It was Johnny Weir at 20 and some other guy in 1976 at age 19, right? Has there been anybody younger than that?

Edited April 29, 2015 by methodwriter85

[Rick Kitchen]

Sherwin Badger was 19 in 1920.

Robin Lee was *15* in 1935

Arthur Vaughn was 19 in 1943.

Dick Button was 17 in 1946

Monty Hoyt was 18 in 1962

Thomas Litz was 18 in 1963

Scotty Allen was 15 in 1966

Todd Eldredge was 19 in 1990

[methodwriter85]

So if a 17-year old guy won it would be pretty hyped then, right?

[Rick Kitchen]

I would think.

[BelleBrit]

There's a report that Ashley Wagner has said that she's keeping her Moulin Rouge free skate for next season. What do you guys think of this? I guess it makes sense, since she's been successful with it and she's touring this summer, but I just personally do not like it when skaters keep programs from season to season (I think using Samson and Delilah for Olympics & Worlds was a different story last year, I was ok with that because she was having issues with Romeo & Juliet). Even when I like a certain program, I just feel like I am personally "done" with it after a season. I understand that in some circumstances, like when a skater is injured over the summer (like Samantha Cesario with her Carmen, though she technically had Mono last Summer. Still, it kept me from ever really getting excited about that program this year, even though it had been changed up a bit. It also didn't help that she had used Carmen as SP music previously). Gracie switched her SP mid-season last year, so I sort of understood why she kept it this season, but still..by the end of the season I just felt like I'd seen it a zillion times over.

[MaryMitch]

I love the program - I think it's perfect for her. But I get what you're saying; it almost seems like cheating unless she rechoreographs it.

[apgold]

Maybe she and Shae-Lynn will rework it, who knows?  I wouldn't mind seeing Ashley skate MR again - I think she is capable of hitting 130+ with it.  I also heard that she plans to do the Liza T. strategy of doing more "Senior B" events to be more competitive.  I hope she has a better short program, I couldn't really get into her "Spartacus."

 

I also heard that Josh Farris is keeping "Give Me Love" but is also working with Jeff Buttle on a new free skate.  Given that he only performed it I think 4 times in competition, I suppose it makes sense.  

Edited May 4, 2015 by apgold

[BelleBrit]

Oh, I understand the strategy, I just think it's kind of a cynical one. Ashley seems to get really into the performance aspect of programs, so I was just surprised that she isn't ready for a new program either. She has financial resources to have her pick among choreographers, much more so than other skaters who do not have endorsement money like she does. I watched the Skating Lesson interview with Shae Lynn recently, and was surprised to see that the first idea Ashley had for her program this year was Carmen, and then Shae Lynn suggested Moulin Rouge since it had a similar feel.  My guess is that this was the program that Ashley REALLY saw herself winning that Worlds medal with, and that she still thinks it is the one. But I just wish she would show us something else since she could probably turn out something interesting that is different. Liza was successful with Sandstorm and Satoko with Miss Saigon, but I couldn't imagine having to see them go another season with those. I applaud her plan to do more Senior B competitions-I never really understood why she didn't do them-but the program is going to be even more stale to me at the end of the season. Oh well...I'll probably be in the minority.  I also wish Josh would pick a different short, but given his propensity for frequent injury, maybe it's a safe bet.

[Good Queen Jane]

U.S. Figure Skating has formally announced that Milwaukee has been chosen to host the 2015 Skate America. Here’s what you need to know about this year’s Skate America:

 

- The event will take place at UW-Milwaukee Panther Arena, which is in the downtown area, on Oct. 22-25. Unlike past events, this year’s Skate America will have only two days of competition (rather than three). Thursday will be practices, Friday will be the short programs, Saturday will be the long programs, and Sunday will be the exhibition.

 

- The Skate America website will go live next Tuesday, May 12, and all-event tickets will go on sale through the website on Wednesday, May 13. The address for the Skate America website will be www.2015skateamerica.com.

 

- NBC will do live coverage from Skate America on Saturday, October 24, from 5-6 pm (Eastern). NBCSN will present taped coverage of the event on Sunday, October 25, from 9 -10:30 pm. Icenetwork will live stream coverage of all events at Skate America. (The rest of the Grand Prix events will be televised on Universal Sports and NBC, like last year).

 

- The ISU will announce the line-up of competitors for Skate America, as well as the other Grand Prix events, on June 15. Usually, the reigning U.S. champions compete at Skate America (Ashley Wagner, Jason Brown, Scimeca and Knierim and Chock and Bates). In addition to the ranked skaters who qualify for the Grand Prix, the USFSA will be able to add one competitor to each discipline as the “host country’s selection”.

 

Skate America is the first Grand Prix event of the season. The rest of the Grand Prix schedule:

 

- Skate Canada (Lethbridge, Alberta) on Oct. 29- Nov. 1

- Cup of China (Beijing) on Nov. 6-8

- Trophee Eric Bompard (Bordeaux) on Nov. 13-15

- Rostelecom Cup (Moscow) on Nov. 20-22

- NHK Trophy (Nagano) on Nov. 27-29

- Grand Prix Final (Barcelona) on Dec. 10-13

 

It’s only 6 months until the start of the Grand Prix season. Start making your plans.

[Fabricationary]

Scott Moir and Tessa Virtue gave a TED Talk recently:

 

 

Awkwardness ensues. 

[BelleBrit]

Samantha Cesario has announced her retirement. I was never her biggest fan, but I feel badly for her. Despite her technical limitations, she put out some good performances that could have earned her a GP medal in a less well skated event. She also seems to have had lots of struggles with injuries. She likely would have received 2 GP spots next season, so this frees up space for another US lady.

 

edit: Never mind, I thought that it would bump up Karen Chen (or Hannah Miller?) on the SB list, but it looks like Karen was already bumped up since I had last looked at the list. It's always a little bit confusing to me how the GP assignments work. I would like to see Mariah Bell get a Skate America spot. I think Mirai Nagasu will probably get one (and that she may even have to wait to get one from being on the sub list) GP assignment, but it's not looking good for two. I don't even think she got two when she was # 11 on the SB list one  year (2012?), but she ended up getting an additional assignment at NHK when a skater withdrew, and won a bronze there (could have been a silver, if they hadn't propped up Mao so much that year. Akiko should have won). I hope she is able to do well in the Summer competitions/a Senior B, and that if she gets a GP assignment, it's one in the late Fall as opposed to early Fall.

Edited May 12, 2015 by BelleBrit

[apgold]

I liked Sammi’s skating and she’s a great performer but I think her decision is right given that she is not rewarded for her strengths and is penalized for her weaknesses. I think she’s done pretty well though and can proudly say she was a Top 5 US Ladies' skater for two years in a row as well as competed internationally for Team USA.  I hope she has a great career as a coach and maybe we’ll have another star skater from Long Island soon!

 

In other will they or won't they retire news, apparently Jeremy Abbott isn’t done yet, either.  I have mixed feelings about Jeremy continuing if that’s what he wishes. 

http://www.examiner.com/article/jeremy-abbott-aims-to-be-a-contender

 

Finally, Mao Asada will be announcing on Monday whether she plans to compete this season or retire. 

http://news.yahoo.com/asada-set-announce-future-one-break-065922565--spt.html

Edited May 14, 2015 by apgold

[Good Queen Jane]

Several skaters (or former skaters) are using the June “off season” to get their love life in order:

 

- Former U.S. Pairs Skater Rockne Brubaker married former Italian Pairs Skater Stefania Berton on Saturday, June 5, at Lake Lawn Resort in Lake Delavan, Wisconsin. Brubaker’s brother Collin (U.S. Dance) was his best man and former U.S. Men’s Champion Ryan Bradley was one of the groomsmen. Among those in attendance were U.S. Ice Dancers Evan Bates and Charlie White, along with former U.S. Men’s champion David Santee.

 

- Canadian and World Pairs Champion Megan Duhamel married her long-time coach Bruno Marcotte on Saturday, June 5, at The Reefs Resort in Bermuda in front of a small group of family and friends. Guest at the wedding on the beach included her Pairs partner Eric Radford, Canadian and now U.S. Pairs skater Mervin Tran and coaches Richard Gauthier and Nick Young. Duhamel and Marcotte have been dating for five years.

 

- Italian Pairs skater Ondrej Hotarek (who formerly skated with Stefani Berton) and Italian Ice Dance Champion Anna Cappellini  will tie the knot in late June.

 

- Czech Republic Men’s skater Michal Brezina and Danielle Montalbano, a U.S. skater who now competes for Israel, have announced their engagement. The couple have been dating for about 2 1/2 years. No date has been set for the wedding but Brezina said it will likely be early in the summer of 2017.

 

- Russian Olympic and World Champion Pair Skaters Tatyana Voloszohar and Maksim Trankov have announced their engagement. Voloszhoar and Trankov have been a couple both on and off the ice for several years. No date for the wedding has been announced.

 

Ah, ain’t love grand?

[BelleBrit]

Gran Prix assignments posted.  My personal reactions are: Wheee, Mariah Bell got Skate America! Also, kind of disappointed that they didn't put Mao and Tuk against each other, if only for a battle of the triple axels. Surprised that they have Gracie Gold at Skate America instead of Ashley Wagner, but it looks like Ashley has a reasonable shot at making the GPF with her assignments. Mirai Nagasu got only one assignment as I expected, but I think lots of skaters like skating in Japan, so she will probably be happy with that assignment. Medaling would probably be tough for her though. At NHK, there will be Mao, Satoko, Wagner, Pogo, and Lenova among others. Also, was a bit surprised that Karen Chen only got one assignment so far. Jeremy Abbott has announced that he will skip the GP series to focus on Nationals and Worlds.

Edited June 15, 2015 by BelleBrit

[Barbara Manatee]

Oh Jeremy. Why does he keep torturing himself? It would have been so much better to end his career with the US title and Olympic medal than to dither around about retirement again and again, slipping down the ranks and looking miserable. Just rip that bandage off and move on.

[Good Queen Jane]

The number of skaters each country can enter into the Grand Prix events is determined by the standings at last year’s Worlds. For example, based on last year’s placements in Men at Worlds, the U.S. has 12 entries into the six Men’s events, while Canada has only five entries. Additionally, each country hosting a Grand Prix event get a “host country selection” in each discipline for their event. It’s always interesting to see who is and who is not on the list:

 

- As posted by BelleBrit, Jeremy Abbott of the U.S. has announced he will not compete in the Grand Prix this fall, but rather will concentrate on Nationals and Worlds (if he makes the U.S. team). That’s a bit of a risky move, doing your programs for the first time at those major events. Usually skaters like to have at least one Grand Prix assignment in order to get feedback from the international judges on their programs, as well as see how they match up with their competition.

 

- Evgeni Plushenko of Russia has not followed through on his pledge to compete in the Grand Prix this season (what a surprise), although Russia still has a “host country selection” available for the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow. Plushenko is on Russia’s list of skaters who are eligible to receive international assignments this year.

 

- Patrick Chan of Canada will compete at both Skate Canada and Trophee Bompard in France; at Skate Canada, he faces off against Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan.

 

- Nathan Chen of the U.S. does not have a Senior Grand Prix assignment. He is still young enough to compete on the Junior Grand Prix circuit, although last year, he opted to do just one competition in the Junior Grand Prix.

 

- Reigning U.S. Champion Ashley Wagner will not to compete at Skate America. Traditionally, all the U.S. reigning champions compete at that event. However, Gracie Gold has a higher World Ranking than Ashley Wagner, which means Gold got first choice on which events at which she wanted to compete. Wagner will compete at Skate Canada and the NHK Trophy in Japan. Gracie Gold will compete at Skate America as well as at Trophee Bompard in France.

 

- Mao Asada of Japan is returning to the Grand Prix; she will compete in Cup of China and the NHK Trophy in Japan.

 

- Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada apparently is fully recovered from her broken leg, and will compete at Skate Canada and NHK Trophy in Japan.

 

- Adelina Sotnikova of Russia, the reigning Olympic champion, does not have a Grand Prix assignment. The reports were she was going to compete this year (she’s on the Russian Federation’s list of international competitors), but so far, there is no indication that she has returned to training.

 

- U.S. Pairs Denney and Frazier did not get a Grand Prix assignment. Denney is recovering from knee surgery, so the feeling must be that they will not be ready to compete by October.

 

- Castelli and Tran of the U.S. received two Grand Prix assignments; Leng and Shnapir did not get a Grand Prix assignment (although there is still a “host country selection” in Pairs available for Skate America). Reports are that Leng competed at Nationals last January with a cracked pelvis (ouch!), and while she has recovered, the injury has put them behind in their training for this season.

 

- The Russians are sending Stolbova and Klimov, Kavaguti and Smirnov, and Volosozhar and Trankov to two Grand Prix competitions each. Apparently Stolbova and Klimov now feel they are ready to compete again. You will recall, they skipped Worlds last March because “they felt they couldn’t be competitive” (I still think there is more to that story).

Edited June 15, 2015 by Good Queen Jane

[apgold]

If anyone wants to see the full line-up (so far), the link to the GP assignments is here  

 

http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/series/isu-grand-prix-of-figure-skating

 

There are some empty slots, so more names to be announced, plus there's the usual withdrawals due to injury.  I'm surprised there aren't any US dance teams at Rostelecom so far.  

[BelleBrit]

Thank you for posting the link, apgold! I tried to do it in my first post about the assignments, but I was having issues so I gave up.

Thank you for the explanation on Ashley/Gracie for Skate America, Good Queen Jane.

[Good Queen Jane]

To the surprise of no one, U.S. Ladies skater Christine Gao has announced her retirement from competitive skating.

 

Gao said she had considered retiring after the 2014 Nationals, where she finished 8th, but changed her mind when she got two Grand Prix assignments last year. One of those assignments was the NHK Trophy in Japan, which was the only Grand Prix event Gao had not competed in. So she decided to give skating one more year. Gao finished 11th in Ladies at the 2015 Nationals in Greensboro.

 

Gao is doing an internship at Opus Bank in California this summer before returning for her Junior year at Harvard, where she is majoring in economics. Gao also plans to coach one day a week at the Skating Club of Boston, and to be part of the organizing committee for Harvard’s annual “An Evening With Champions” skating show.

 

Rachel Flatt graduated from Stanford on June 14 with a bachelor’s degree in biology and a minor in psychology. She is planning to stay in Palo Alto for the next year to do some research and apply to medical schools, as well as to spend some time coaching skating. Rachel’s father is a biochemical engineer, and her mother is a molecular biologist. Flatt indicated she is applying mostly to medical schools on the West Coast because she would like to stay in California.

 

So, there really is life after skating (cough*Jeremy*cough), and in the case of Gao and Flatt, that life includes studying at some prestigious schools to prepare for doing significant work out in the “real world”. Best of luck to both of them.

[Good Queen Jane]

More updates:

 

U.S. Pairs skater Simon Shnapir has announced his retirement from skating, citing chronic back pain as a major factor in his decision.

 

Shnapir was U.S. Pairs Champion twice when he skated with Marissa Castelli, and represented the U.S. in the Sochi Olympics. However, Castelli and Shnapir ended their partnership at the end of the 2013-14 season. Shnapir skated last season with DeeDee Leng, while Castelli has formed a team with former Canadian Pairs Champion Mervin Tran.

 

Shnapir and Leng were planning to compete this season. However, Leng recently suffered a concussion after falling in practice on a throw triple flip, and Shnapir has experienced some back injuries lately. The Pair decided that, for health reasons, continuing to compete was not a good idea. That’s when Shnapir decided to call it a career.

 

Shnapir has been doing some coaching while he was training and competing, and now plans on going into coaching full-time. He also is exploring becoming a technical specialist and is interested in getting into broadcasting as well. In addition, he plans to volunteer to help the Local Organizing Committee prepare for the 2016 Worlds in Boston.

[le bordel chaud]

Thank you so much for the updates, Good Queen Jane! 

[caracas1914]

I'm excited if Mao Asada is still going to skate, and I do think her line has improved enough, that I want her to win a champ without feeling she needs the triple axel.

Doubt that will happen (or Mao agrees) but still...

[Good Queen Jane]

Although there has been no official announcement, the U.S. Pairs team of Denney and Coughlin are planning to retire from competition, according to Michelle Kennedy of the Examiner’s figure skating reporting team.

 

Caydee Denney has been dealing with the lingering affects of torn ligaments in her ankle and knee since the spring of 2014. This has prevented her from doing jumps and throws. While she has been rehabbing her injury, both Denney and Coughlin have moved on to other things – Denney to coaching, and Coughlin to coaching, doing commentary for icenetwork, and working with the John Wilson Blade Company. Both feel that their competitive days are now over, although they plan to do ice shows from time to time.

[Good Queen Jane]

The skating season starts for real -- at least at the Junior level – this week with the first Junior Grand Prix event of the season. The Junior Grand Prix of Slovakia starts on Thursday. The U.S. will be sending competitors in the Men’s, Ladies and Dance events (no Pairs at this Grand Prix). Below are the list of U.S. Juniors who will be “kicking things off” this year:

 

MEN: Kevin Shum and Vincent Zhou

LADIES: Emily Chan and Vivian Le

DANCE: Biechler and Dodge and Parsons and Parsons

 

Vincent Zhou was the U.S. Junior Men champion in 2013 before taking time off due to injury and school, while Vivian Le was one of the winners at the Broadmoor jump competition earlier this summer. Parsons and Parsons were the U.S. Junior Ice Dance silver medalists at 2015 Nationals, and finished 4th at the 2015 Junior Worlds.

 

The U.S. team will be facing some formidable competition from the Russians, Japanese and Canadian skaters, and you never know what unknown talent might emerge from another country’s program. It should be an interesting competition to start the season.

The ISU will be posting video from this, as well as all of the other Junior Grand Prix events, on its Junior Grand Prix YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/isujuniorgrandprix 

 

For those who might be interested in attending, the Junior Grand Prix of Colorado Springs starts on Thursday, September 3.

 

Let the games begin!