Thursday, May 31, 2012
Kwan's Media "Hat Trick" of the Past Two Weeks
Here’s one of the (many, many) nice things about having Michelle Kwan in figure skating: her presence in pop culture is pretty close to effortless. Meaning... there are those that really seem to work to stay in the headlines, and those whose accomplishments (both on the ice and off) are mighty enough to have the headlines come looking for them. Kwan is definitely of the latter camp.
For the most recent Exhibit A, check out this interview Kwan did with Chris Wallace for Fox News Sunday last weekend (once they realized she’s been living “virtually under the radar” in D.C. for almost a year)... it gives coverage to some of the many non-profit causes she’s now involved in, as well as her current brushes with government organizations. And yes, in case you were wondering, she apparently IS considering a deeper government involvement in the future (e.g. running for office).
For Exhibit B, note Kwan’s presence on the released-this-week ESPNW Top 40 Female Athletes list (celebrating the best of the past 40 years in honor of the 40th anniversary of Title IX. You’ll find her name (and accompanying article) sandwiched between Venus Williams and Lindsey Vonn... not bad company to keep.
And finally, for Exhibit C, there’s this press release from Coca-Cola confirming that Kwan is one of 22 “inspiring” Americans chosen to carry the Olympic flame in the upcoming torch relay for the London 2012 Summer Games. While there’s unlikely to be an argument that Kwan is an inspiration to America and beyond, check out the way this is worded (excerpt from the press release; italics are my own):
Coca-Cola proudly invited two Olympic gold medalists to carry the Flame in the 2012 Olympic Torch Relay.
-- Summer Sanders, (Park City, UT): Summer won four medals at the 1992 Olympic Games in Barcelona -- two gold, one silver and one bronze. Since retiring from swimming, she's appeared as a commentator, analyst and host on all four major networks. She is also an ambassador for UNICEF and Right to Play.
-- Michelle Kwan, (Washington, DC): Michelle is the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, winning five World Championships, nine U.S. National Championships and two Olympic medals. She is currently a U.S. Public Diplomacy Envoy, meeting with young people worldwide to discuss social and educational issues, and is a member of President Obama's President's Council on Fitness, Sports & Nutrition.
So her bio is technically correct—as I assume Summer Sanders’ is as well—but the leading sentence? It reminds me of an instance on So You Think You Can Dance (from last season I think) where judge Mary Murphy referred to Kwan as “an Olympic Gold Medalist.”
Makes you wonder, doesn’t it, just how many folks have unwittingly upgraded Kwan’s silver and bronze medals over the past 10-14 years since she won them?
Makes ME wonder how she feels about that. Not to mention Tara Lipinski... or Sarah Hughes.
(For the record... the interview on FOX recalled her Olympic medals accurately.)
Friday, May 25, 2012
Mahbanoozadeh M.I.A. for the 2012 GP?
I’ve been studying the GP assignments since they came out on Monday. Made some highlight marks, some stars in the margins, and felt some pity that Alexander Marjorov (of Sweden) is apparently now known to the ISU as “Alexandra.” But oh, if only that was the sole oversight...
Yes, I heard about Alissa Czisny’s hip injury and looming surgery, but I’ll save that focus for an upcoming day... except to say that at least we all know now why she’s been given a lone GP assignment, at the very end of the season.
So the following question looms in my noggin instead: What on earth has Armin Mahbanoozadeh done to tick off The Skating Powers That Be??
Probably nothing, I know... and that’s my point. First, U.S. Figure Skating passes him by in favor of Richard Dornbush for a 4CC assignment, just a mere 2 weeks after Mahbanoozadeh earned 4th place (his highest to date) at U.S. Nationals. Now we have the ISU snubbing Armin M. in similar fashion, giving two assignments apiece to Dornbush and the returning Johnny Weir while leaving Armin M. with zippo.
Granted, his appearances in last year’s GP weren’t much to write home about—10th at Skate America (after winning bronze there a year earlier), and 8th at NHK. Dornbush was 4th at SKAM and 6th at Cup of China, both of which say a lot more about his return to the circuit than his paltry 13th place at Nationals. And Weir, I’m sure, is nearly as appealing to have back in the race as Plushenko (to some, at least).
But one, if not two, of those coveted U.S. spots could have—and should have—gone to Armin M. There IS a TBA spot at Skate America, and IF Evan Lysacek’s name isn’t already penciled in (assuming his management and U.S. Figure Skating are still trying to work a deal), Armin M. should be a shoo-in. He could also be brought in at any GP event to replace another U.S. man sidelined with illness or injury. But as one of several up-and-comers with a shot at making the 2014 Olympic team... and one who has steadily improved his placement to boot, first finishing 8th, then 6th at Nationals before moving all the way up to 4th this time...
C’mon, folks. This guy deserves better. Or does he need to drop back down to 7th for Ths Skating Powers That Be to realize it?
Yes, I heard about Alissa Czisny’s hip injury and looming surgery, but I’ll save that focus for an upcoming day... except to say that at least we all know now why she’s been given a lone GP assignment, at the very end of the season.
So the following question looms in my noggin instead: What on earth has Armin Mahbanoozadeh done to tick off The Skating Powers That Be??
Probably nothing, I know... and that’s my point. First, U.S. Figure Skating passes him by in favor of Richard Dornbush for a 4CC assignment, just a mere 2 weeks after Mahbanoozadeh earned 4th place (his highest to date) at U.S. Nationals. Now we have the ISU snubbing Armin M. in similar fashion, giving two assignments apiece to Dornbush and the returning Johnny Weir while leaving Armin M. with zippo.
Granted, his appearances in last year’s GP weren’t much to write home about—10th at Skate America (after winning bronze there a year earlier), and 8th at NHK. Dornbush was 4th at SKAM and 6th at Cup of China, both of which say a lot more about his return to the circuit than his paltry 13th place at Nationals. And Weir, I’m sure, is nearly as appealing to have back in the race as Plushenko (to some, at least).
But one, if not two, of those coveted U.S. spots could have—and should have—gone to Armin M. There IS a TBA spot at Skate America, and IF Evan Lysacek’s name isn’t already penciled in (assuming his management and U.S. Figure Skating are still trying to work a deal), Armin M. should be a shoo-in. He could also be brought in at any GP event to replace another U.S. man sidelined with illness or injury. But as one of several up-and-comers with a shot at making the 2014 Olympic team... and one who has steadily improved his placement to boot, first finishing 8th, then 6th at Nationals before moving all the way up to 4th this time...
C’mon, folks. This guy deserves better. Or does he need to drop back down to 7th for Ths Skating Powers That Be to realize it?
Saturday, May 19, 2012
For The ISU's Consideration: New Faces for the Grand Prix
Word on the street is that the ISU Grand Prix assignments for the 2012-13 season will be announced this coming Monday, May 21. Will they include Plushenko? Lysacek? Weir? Other names we haven’t seen on the circuit in over a year?
Welllll... I’m interested in those possibilities, but not ONLY those. Because there are plenty of relatively new faces I’d like to see in there; faces of rising stars—for their respective countries, if not for the world—that I think have earned an assignment or two.
Such as:
MEN—Kevin VDP is no longer competing, so it seems to me at least one other “minor” skating nation should find their way to the assignments. My top two suggestions include...
Misha Ge (UZB), who made his presence known late in the season with back-to-back solid showings at 4CCs (9th) and Worlds (up from 30th last year to19th). I tend to think of Ge as Johnny Weir with even more energy.
Christopher Caluza (PHI), who used to represent the U.S... but this year made it to the finals for the Phillippines and finished 21st. Probably a longshot, but I hope he can nab an assignment, and get a triple axel going this summer so he can be more competitive.
From the U.S.: Douglas Razzano, who finished 5th at Nationals and a very respectable 7th when he filled in for Evan Lysacek at Skate America last season.
LADIES—With Laura Lepisto the only recognizable name from last year’s roster that’s now “retired” (though her injuries kept her from competing last season too), it’s a little tricky saying what will be given and what’ll be taken away. But I’d like to see them make room for...
Kexin Zhang, the 16 year-old who came in 4th at last season’s Cup of China, 5th at 4CC’s, and 7th at Worlds—which qualifies two Chinese ladies for next year’s event; a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in that country since Lu Chen skated her magic in the mid 90s). MORE ASSIGNMENTS, STAT!
Yretha Siliete (FRA) and Elena Glebova (EST), who finished 12th and 13th, respectively, at Worlds. Siliete is still fairly new to the GP scene; Glebova is already a two-time Olympian (Did you know that?? I didn’t) who has been on the GP scene since 2007—but received no assignments last year. I think both ladies deserve a shot this season.
From the U.S.: Vanessa Lam, who made it to the Junior GP Final last year and has finished in the top 10 at Senior Nationals the past 2 years.
PAIRS—Sui/Han. Yes, they’ve already competed senior GP... but not without simultaneously competing junior GP. Perhaps they’ll have more time to work on their artistry and overall skating now that they’re finally leaving junior GP behind.
From the U.S.: Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff, who finished 4th at Nationals and are the heir apparent to GP assignments since bronze medalists Evora/Ladwig are no longer competing together.
DANCE—At least two teams that made last year’s GP assignments failed to make it to the final round at Worlds this year—Carron/Jones (FRA), and Reed/Reed (JPN). In their places I’d love to see more of:
Ralph/Hill (#3 on the Canadian team; finished 13th) who typically get only North American GP assignments...
Huang/Zheng (China’s world rep this year who finished 12th)...
And it’s a longshot I guess, but wouldn’t it be nice to see Australia’s O’Brien/Merriman prior to 4 Continents?? Come on, ISU, they made it to finals! Shoot ‘em an assignment.
From the U.S.: Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus, who finished 6th in their senior debut this past year.
Come back next week, as we compare notes and see just how interesting this upcoming GP season might be!
Welllll... I’m interested in those possibilities, but not ONLY those. Because there are plenty of relatively new faces I’d like to see in there; faces of rising stars—for their respective countries, if not for the world—that I think have earned an assignment or two.
Such as:
MEN—Kevin VDP is no longer competing, so it seems to me at least one other “minor” skating nation should find their way to the assignments. My top two suggestions include...
Misha Ge (UZB), who made his presence known late in the season with back-to-back solid showings at 4CCs (9th) and Worlds (up from 30th last year to19th). I tend to think of Ge as Johnny Weir with even more energy.
Christopher Caluza (PHI), who used to represent the U.S... but this year made it to the finals for the Phillippines and finished 21st. Probably a longshot, but I hope he can nab an assignment, and get a triple axel going this summer so he can be more competitive.
From the U.S.: Douglas Razzano, who finished 5th at Nationals and a very respectable 7th when he filled in for Evan Lysacek at Skate America last season.
LADIES—With Laura Lepisto the only recognizable name from last year’s roster that’s now “retired” (though her injuries kept her from competing last season too), it’s a little tricky saying what will be given and what’ll be taken away. But I’d like to see them make room for...
Kexin Zhang, the 16 year-old who came in 4th at last season’s Cup of China, 5th at 4CC’s, and 7th at Worlds—which qualifies two Chinese ladies for next year’s event; a feat that hasn’t been accomplished in that country since Lu Chen skated her magic in the mid 90s). MORE ASSIGNMENTS, STAT!
Yretha Siliete (FRA) and Elena Glebova (EST), who finished 12th and 13th, respectively, at Worlds. Siliete is still fairly new to the GP scene; Glebova is already a two-time Olympian (Did you know that?? I didn’t) who has been on the GP scene since 2007—but received no assignments last year. I think both ladies deserve a shot this season.
From the U.S.: Vanessa Lam, who made it to the Junior GP Final last year and has finished in the top 10 at Senior Nationals the past 2 years.
PAIRS—Sui/Han. Yes, they’ve already competed senior GP... but not without simultaneously competing junior GP. Perhaps they’ll have more time to work on their artistry and overall skating now that they’re finally leaving junior GP behind.
From the U.S.: Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff, who finished 4th at Nationals and are the heir apparent to GP assignments since bronze medalists Evora/Ladwig are no longer competing together.
DANCE—At least two teams that made last year’s GP assignments failed to make it to the final round at Worlds this year—Carron/Jones (FRA), and Reed/Reed (JPN). In their places I’d love to see more of:
Ralph/Hill (#3 on the Canadian team; finished 13th) who typically get only North American GP assignments...
Huang/Zheng (China’s world rep this year who finished 12th)...
And it’s a longshot I guess, but wouldn’t it be nice to see Australia’s O’Brien/Merriman prior to 4 Continents?? Come on, ISU, they made it to finals! Shoot ‘em an assignment.
From the U.S.: Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus, who finished 6th in their senior debut this past year.
Come back next week, as we compare notes and see just how interesting this upcoming GP season might be!
Friday, May 4, 2012
So Many Changes, So Little Time to Blog About 'Em
So... nothing much has happened in the skating world since the season officially ended a couple weeks ago, right? Hmm, let’s see...
+ There have been articles about reigning Skate America champ Michal Brezina changing coaches, leaving behind Karol Divin and Karel Fajfr (one of whom is the guy who raided Elton John’s eyeglass wardrobe) for Viktor Petrenko...
+ And there was also news that reigning World Bronze Medalist Yuzuru Hanyu was changing coaches, coming at least part-time to Canada to train with Brian Orser.
Which story got more of your attention? I’m guessing Hanyu in most cases, and with good reason—he seems to be violating a major if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it rule, and ironically, he’s doing it in the position that Brezina surely felt was his to lose after the Worlds SP. But Hanyu clearly has a vision for his future. Or maybe he took a look at what happened to two of last year’s medalists (Takahiko Kozuka, finishing in 11th, and Artur Gachinski, ending up in 18th) and felt a need to bring in reinforcements.
+ There was an end of partnership announcement from Charlotte Lichtman/Dean Copely, 2011 U.S. Junior Dance Champs who finished 10th at the senior level this year...
+ Kind of like there was an end of partnership announcement on the website of seniors ice dancers Isabella Cannuscio/Ian Lorello, who finished 9th...
+ And Anastasia Olsen/Jordan Cowan, who finished 7th and are also no longer skating together. (Um, no word on whether or not 8th place finishers Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles will jump on this bandwagon or not.)
Lichtman/Copely had an Austin Powers theme for their FD this past season, while the Cannuscio/Lorello FD was Les Miserables. All were young teams; all are presumably looking for new partners. Except for...
+ Olsen, who we learned this week is partnering with Keifer Hubbell (he who formerly partnered with his sister Madison).
+ And on a related note, Mark Ladwig went on a search after his decade-long pairs partner Amanda Evora headed to retirement (and, presumably, a lovely married life with Jeremy Barrett). As of today, his search is over— he is now skating with Lindsay Davis, best known for a national 8th place finish with Themistocles Leftheris in 2011.
So while you sit there and think up your respective answers to “Who’s breaking up and teaming up next?” (And yes, I’d love for you to post a comment about it), enjoy this one about Kurt Browning and the vision he’s currently carrying out as the director of this season’s Stars on Ice. Jeremy Abbott and Ashley Wagner have both joined SOI on the Canadian leg of their tour, with Davis/White performing in select cities as well.
+ There have been articles about reigning Skate America champ Michal Brezina changing coaches, leaving behind Karol Divin and Karel Fajfr (one of whom is the guy who raided Elton John’s eyeglass wardrobe) for Viktor Petrenko...
+ And there was also news that reigning World Bronze Medalist Yuzuru Hanyu was changing coaches, coming at least part-time to Canada to train with Brian Orser.
Which story got more of your attention? I’m guessing Hanyu in most cases, and with good reason—he seems to be violating a major if-it-ain’t-broke-don’t-fix-it rule, and ironically, he’s doing it in the position that Brezina surely felt was his to lose after the Worlds SP. But Hanyu clearly has a vision for his future. Or maybe he took a look at what happened to two of last year’s medalists (Takahiko Kozuka, finishing in 11th, and Artur Gachinski, ending up in 18th) and felt a need to bring in reinforcements.
+ There was an end of partnership announcement from Charlotte Lichtman/Dean Copely, 2011 U.S. Junior Dance Champs who finished 10th at the senior level this year...
+ Kind of like there was an end of partnership announcement on the website of seniors ice dancers Isabella Cannuscio/Ian Lorello, who finished 9th...
+ And Anastasia Olsen/Jordan Cowan, who finished 7th and are also no longer skating together. (Um, no word on whether or not 8th place finishers Emily Samuelson/Todd Gilles will jump on this bandwagon or not.)
Lichtman/Copely had an Austin Powers theme for their FD this past season, while the Cannuscio/Lorello FD was Les Miserables. All were young teams; all are presumably looking for new partners. Except for...
+ Olsen, who we learned this week is partnering with Keifer Hubbell (he who formerly partnered with his sister Madison).
+ And on a related note, Mark Ladwig went on a search after his decade-long pairs partner Amanda Evora headed to retirement (and, presumably, a lovely married life with Jeremy Barrett). As of today, his search is over— he is now skating with Lindsay Davis, best known for a national 8th place finish with Themistocles Leftheris in 2011.
So while you sit there and think up your respective answers to “Who’s breaking up and teaming up next?” (And yes, I’d love for you to post a comment about it), enjoy this one about Kurt Browning and the vision he’s currently carrying out as the director of this season’s Stars on Ice. Jeremy Abbott and Ashley Wagner have both joined SOI on the Canadian leg of their tour, with Davis/White performing in select cities as well.
Thursday, April 26, 2012
World Team Trophy 2012: Five Observations
A few things that came to mind as World Team Trophy unfolded last week...
1) Free live (almost) worldwide streaming?? Well played, ISU.
It’s a classic marketing move—not to mention a great reason to inhabit your local supermarket every Saturday afternoon. Got a new product? Then you’ve gotta offer free samples. And while “new” may not be the most accurate description of WTT (considering it made its debut three years ago), I believe this is the first time it’s taken place with a notion of of upcoming Olympic event suspended over it. Streaming it for free was probably one of the best ideas the ISU has had all year (with developing its own YouTube channel being the other one that comes to mind). Whether or not they ever do it again remains to be seen… but two years ahead of Sochi, when the “team” Olympic idea still needs a lot of selling, I suspect the ISU will get its money’s worth on that decision.
2) Smells Like Team Spirit (or at least looks and sounds like it)
I was looking at a clip of Evan Lysacek at the 2009 WTT, and although it’s not shown as prominently as it was this time around, there’s a similar Kiss’n’Cry scene with big patriotic hats, bigger flags, silly glasses, etc. But back then, when competitors such as Scott Moir and Tanith Belbin intimated to the press that they’d been given little notice and more than a fair share of pressure to participate, I have to think this year the spirit was more sincere by default. Even without 2009 in the mix, how can a fan DISlike seeing so many Kiss’n’Cry moments where the “cry” is replaced with world class skaters donning animal costume heads?
3) What We Learned (from the competitors)
There were those that seemed energized by their Worlds success (Suzuki, Wagner, and a who-knew-he-could-be-even-better Takahashi)…
Those that weren’t at Worlds, yet did better than reigning medalists (Adelina Sotnikova and Gracie Gold, both of whom outskated Alena Leonova)…
And then there were those that appeared exhausted—for lack of a better word—though not without good reason (Chan, Abbott, Kostner, the aforementioned Leonova)
4) What We Learned (from the event itself)
That competing as a team in a sport that is usually anything BUT team-oriented can be a fun and rewarding experience.
That turning in a sub-par performance is a little easier to take when you have a shredded mylar wig awaiting you in the Kiss’n’Cry… not to mention a half-dozen teammates in matching wigs.
That holding WTT at the end of the season is a little like the NFL’s Pro Bowl: a little anti-climatic, a mixed bag in terms of performance and enthusiasm, and fair-to-middling interest from the viewing public… though the die-hard fans will always be there. (Especially if they continue to make it easy to do so.)
That WTT should always be held in Tokyo… At least until another country gets as skating-crazy as Japan currently is!
That, as successful as WTT may be… the success of the Olympic edition of the event remains to be seen. (Sorry; I know my skepticism is showing.)
5) What About The Others?
There’s currently no place at the WTT for Kim Yu-Na, should she re-enter the realm of competition. Or Savchenko/Szolkowy (though they were there, and went around visiting each team’s box for moral support). Or Michal Brezina, or Denis Ten, or Javier Fernandez. The WTT was reportedly developed “in the hope of encouraging countries to develop top figure skaters in all disciplines” (according to Wikipedia). But for the Kazakhstans, and Uzbekistans, and Finlands, and United Kingdoms of the world—of which there are plenty—what are the chances they’ll ever get invited? Last week, Misha Ge of UZB made an interesting case on Facebook and Twitter for creating a team event that would be slightly less exclusive; that could have a “team” representing the best of the less dominant countries in the sport.
I’m not sure how serious he was—or if he plans to pursue his idea to any length—but I wish he would. It would be interesting to see how willing the ISU is to accommodate other voices… and really embrace the team spirit concept!
P.S. #1: I’ve neglected to mention that I’m now on Twitter (as of a few weeks ago)… and I usually mention new blog postings there. So if you’re there too, please look for me @KLBSt8ofSk8 … I need more followers in a big way!
P.S. #2: The skating season may be over, but the posting at the blog continues throughout the off-season… at least once or twice a week. Plus I intend to give State of the Skate a makeover (after 4 years on the blog circuit), and you wouldn’t want to miss that, would you?
So don’t forget to drop by now and then as spring rolls into summer…
Wednesday, April 18, 2012
WTT: Team Russia, Team Italy, and Team France
The clock’s a tickin’, so here’s a quick rundown of Team Russia and a quicker rundown of the two teams I’ve yet to mention:
FOR RUSSIA:
MEN: Zhan Bush & Maxim Kovtun, neither of which competed at Worlds (Bush is the Russian Junior Champ and was 5th at Junior Worlds; Kovtun was 3rd at Russian Juniors). The two that DID compete there—Sergei Voronov (now injured with an ankle fracture) and last year’s World Bronze Medalist Artur Gachinski— finished 17th and 18th, respectively. In doing so, Russia can only send one man to next year’s Worlds. (Gee, wonder who they’re likely to go with assuming he’s uninjured…?)
LADIES: Alena Leonova & Adelina Sotnikova… Leonova won silver a few weeks ago, her first-ever world medal. 15 year-old Sotnikova is not yet age-eligible to compete there, but her place as a three-time Russian National Champion should carry a fair amount of weight, wouldn’t you think?
PAIRS: Bazarova/Larionov, who finished 6th at Worlds.
DANCE: Ilinykh/Katsalapov, who finished 5th at Worlds.
FOR ITALY:
MEN: Samuel Contesti & Paolo Bacchini. The older of the two (29 year-old Contesti) had another top 10 Worlds finish; 26 year-old Bacchini ended up 21st at Worlds 2011 (but didn’t compete in Nice).
LADIES: Carolina Kostner & Valentina Marchei. What a team these two were at Worlds! Kostner wins, Marchei gets her highest finish ever (8th), and together they earn Italian ladies a third spot for next year. Bravissimo!
PAIRS: Berton/Hotarek, who finished 11th.
DANCE: Cappellini/Lanotte, who finished 6th.
FOR FRANCE:
MEN: Brian Joubert & Florent Amodio. Although neither one of them brought a world medal to home ice, both Joubert and Amodio skated in a don’t-you-DARE-count-me-out kind of way, earning 4th and 5th (respectively) for their efforts. Did anyone else hear that Joubert may not be retiring yet after all?!
LADIES: Mae Berenice Meite & Yretha Silete. The latter was 12th in her Worlds debut this year; the former was 14th in her Worlds debut last year.
PAIRS: Popova/Massot… are the current National Champs, but since they only had the second-highest French pairs finish at Europeans (they were 8th; James/Cipres were 6th), they were chosen for this event while James/Cipres represented at Worlds.
DANCE: Pechalat/Bourzat… well, you probably know their story. Their skate-like-an-Egyptian free dance isn’t my favorite; nonetheless I was delighted to see them finally make the Worlds podium in their ninth (NINTH!) attempt.
OK… think I’ve finally made mention of all WTT competitors… let the event begin!!
FOR RUSSIA:
MEN: Zhan Bush & Maxim Kovtun, neither of which competed at Worlds (Bush is the Russian Junior Champ and was 5th at Junior Worlds; Kovtun was 3rd at Russian Juniors). The two that DID compete there—Sergei Voronov (now injured with an ankle fracture) and last year’s World Bronze Medalist Artur Gachinski— finished 17th and 18th, respectively. In doing so, Russia can only send one man to next year’s Worlds. (Gee, wonder who they’re likely to go with assuming he’s uninjured…?)
LADIES: Alena Leonova & Adelina Sotnikova… Leonova won silver a few weeks ago, her first-ever world medal. 15 year-old Sotnikova is not yet age-eligible to compete there, but her place as a three-time Russian National Champion should carry a fair amount of weight, wouldn’t you think?
PAIRS: Bazarova/Larionov, who finished 6th at Worlds.
DANCE: Ilinykh/Katsalapov, who finished 5th at Worlds.
FOR ITALY:
MEN: Samuel Contesti & Paolo Bacchini. The older of the two (29 year-old Contesti) had another top 10 Worlds finish; 26 year-old Bacchini ended up 21st at Worlds 2011 (but didn’t compete in Nice).
LADIES: Carolina Kostner & Valentina Marchei. What a team these two were at Worlds! Kostner wins, Marchei gets her highest finish ever (8th), and together they earn Italian ladies a third spot for next year. Bravissimo!
PAIRS: Berton/Hotarek, who finished 11th.
DANCE: Cappellini/Lanotte, who finished 6th.
FOR FRANCE:
MEN: Brian Joubert & Florent Amodio. Although neither one of them brought a world medal to home ice, both Joubert and Amodio skated in a don’t-you-DARE-count-me-out kind of way, earning 4th and 5th (respectively) for their efforts. Did anyone else hear that Joubert may not be retiring yet after all?!
LADIES: Mae Berenice Meite & Yretha Silete. The latter was 12th in her Worlds debut this year; the former was 14th in her Worlds debut last year.
PAIRS: Popova/Massot… are the current National Champs, but since they only had the second-highest French pairs finish at Europeans (they were 8th; James/Cipres were 6th), they were chosen for this event while James/Cipres represented at Worlds.
DANCE: Pechalat/Bourzat… well, you probably know their story. Their skate-like-an-Egyptian free dance isn’t my favorite; nonetheless I was delighted to see them finally make the Worlds podium in their ninth (NINTH!) attempt.
OK… think I’ve finally made mention of all WTT competitors… let the event begin!!
Tuesday, April 17, 2012
World Team Trophy, Chan Splits (with his coach), and Alissa Speaks
So it’s World Team Trophy week.
Sorry I can’t inject that sentence with any more excitement and still be true to myself…especially when thinking about this event in relation to the Olympic “team event” that is reportedly making its debut in Sochi. Certain words take the place of enthusiasm; words like “blech” and “ridiculous” and “incredibly unneccessary.” (Although the ISU got smart this week and has made WTT available to view free worldwide, unless you happen to live in Japan (host country) or South Korea… read more here. )
But the skaters competing in Japan later this week are simply there to give their best shot to their final (final) event of the season, so perhaps it’s best to continue taking a quick look back at where most of them have just been—Worlds:
FOR JAPAN
Daisuke Takahashi: Is it out of line to say that many considered (silver medalist) Dice-K the unofficial winner in Nice? If so, let me preface any apology with the fact that the Examiner’s Jackie Wong called his free skate the #1 program of the entire competition. WTT will allow us to witness one more showdown—of sorts—between these two before they call it a wrap for the season.
Takahiko Kozuka: Unfortunately Kozuka was the odd man out in Nice in more ways than one… Dice-K took the #2 spot he’d occupied last year, Hanyu claimed bronze, and Kozuka had a subpar week that left him finishing all the way down in 11th (his worst finish in his five years of competing at Worlds). Nonetheless, Kozuka was assigned to WTT so he’ll get a chance to redeem himself in front of the home crowd.
Akiko Suzuki: I may have said it before, but I’ll say it again anyway… if Ashley Wagner had to lose World bronze to anyone in the world, I couldn’t be happier that it’s Suzuki. Her love of life and sport overtake her presence when she’s out on the ice, making her a consistent joy to watch. And in case you were wondering (like I was), this article confirms that she plans to remain Olympic-eligible through 2014.
Kanako Murakami: Her season didn’t get off to a roaring start (4th and 6th place at her two GP assignments), but Murakami soldiered on, finishing in the Worlds Top 5 when all was said and done.
The same cannot be said for teammate and former World Champ Mao Asada, who finished 6th for the second year in a row and will not be involved in WTT. If you’re interested in reading more about Asada, might I suggest this article courtesy of my pal Vlad at the World Skating Blog?
(Oh, and speaking of struggling well-known skaters… count Alissa Czisny among those that are NOT retiring anytime soon, as per this article from last week. But I digress.)
Takahashi/Tran: With Japan’s first-ever world medal still burning a hole in their collective pockets, T&T could make Japan a stronger factor than usual in this part of the competition.
Reed/Reed: After climbing as high as 13th at last year’s Worlds, the Reeds took a serious enough nosedive this year to keep them from even qualifying for the final (finishing in 24th).
FOR CANADA
Patrick Chan: He’s making headlines (again) this week because Christy Krall has resigned from his coaching team, as you may have heard by now. But Chan remains the World champ, and occasionally snarky skating fans like myself are curious to see what sort of odd-freaky-fall-mishap might plague said Champ in this final event.
Kevin Reynolds: I was particularly happy for Reynolds at Worlds. A 12th place finish was not his best-ever, but his performances were well above this year’s average for himself. The fact that it just barely nabbed a third spot for the Canadian men next year was a well-deserved bonus.
Cynthia Phaneuf: On the other hand, Phaneuf could really use something to cheer about. Two years ago she finished the season #5 in the world; this year she essentially had to do a “skate-off” to simply get back to the world team—and she didn’t make it. Will WTT prolong her agony, or cast a little of it away?
Amelie Lacoste: On yet another hand… Lacoste WON that 4 CC “skateoff” that earned her a first-ever trip to Worlds, but was disappointed with a 16th place finish. Can the current Canadian ladies champ team up with Phaneuf and shake the doldrums out of their corner of the team?
Duhamel/Radford: Finishing 5th was the best these two have done yet at Worlds (and the best Duhamel has done with two different partners!) Can they hold up their end of Team Canada at this event? Stay tuned!
Virtue/Moir: Edging out Davis/White surely wouldn’t mean as much here as it did at Worlds… but I doubt that’ll keep V/M from trying. Look for yet another dancing cagematch between the top 2 teams on the planet.
We’ll look at the Russian Contingency ASAP (read “before WTT begins if at all possible".)
Sorry I can’t inject that sentence with any more excitement and still be true to myself…especially when thinking about this event in relation to the Olympic “team event” that is reportedly making its debut in Sochi. Certain words take the place of enthusiasm; words like “blech” and “ridiculous” and “incredibly unneccessary.” (Although the ISU got smart this week and has made WTT available to view free worldwide, unless you happen to live in Japan (host country) or South Korea… read more here. )
But the skaters competing in Japan later this week are simply there to give their best shot to their final (final) event of the season, so perhaps it’s best to continue taking a quick look back at where most of them have just been—Worlds:
FOR JAPAN
Daisuke Takahashi: Is it out of line to say that many considered (silver medalist) Dice-K the unofficial winner in Nice? If so, let me preface any apology with the fact that the Examiner’s Jackie Wong called his free skate the #1 program of the entire competition. WTT will allow us to witness one more showdown—of sorts—between these two before they call it a wrap for the season.
Takahiko Kozuka: Unfortunately Kozuka was the odd man out in Nice in more ways than one… Dice-K took the #2 spot he’d occupied last year, Hanyu claimed bronze, and Kozuka had a subpar week that left him finishing all the way down in 11th (his worst finish in his five years of competing at Worlds). Nonetheless, Kozuka was assigned to WTT so he’ll get a chance to redeem himself in front of the home crowd.
Akiko Suzuki: I may have said it before, but I’ll say it again anyway… if Ashley Wagner had to lose World bronze to anyone in the world, I couldn’t be happier that it’s Suzuki. Her love of life and sport overtake her presence when she’s out on the ice, making her a consistent joy to watch. And in case you were wondering (like I was), this article confirms that she plans to remain Olympic-eligible through 2014.
Kanako Murakami: Her season didn’t get off to a roaring start (4th and 6th place at her two GP assignments), but Murakami soldiered on, finishing in the Worlds Top 5 when all was said and done.
The same cannot be said for teammate and former World Champ Mao Asada, who finished 6th for the second year in a row and will not be involved in WTT. If you’re interested in reading more about Asada, might I suggest this article courtesy of my pal Vlad at the World Skating Blog?
(Oh, and speaking of struggling well-known skaters… count Alissa Czisny among those that are NOT retiring anytime soon, as per this article from last week. But I digress.)
Takahashi/Tran: With Japan’s first-ever world medal still burning a hole in their collective pockets, T&T could make Japan a stronger factor than usual in this part of the competition.
Reed/Reed: After climbing as high as 13th at last year’s Worlds, the Reeds took a serious enough nosedive this year to keep them from even qualifying for the final (finishing in 24th).
FOR CANADA
Patrick Chan: He’s making headlines (again) this week because Christy Krall has resigned from his coaching team, as you may have heard by now. But Chan remains the World champ, and occasionally snarky skating fans like myself are curious to see what sort of odd-freaky-fall-mishap might plague said Champ in this final event.
Kevin Reynolds: I was particularly happy for Reynolds at Worlds. A 12th place finish was not his best-ever, but his performances were well above this year’s average for himself. The fact that it just barely nabbed a third spot for the Canadian men next year was a well-deserved bonus.
Cynthia Phaneuf: On the other hand, Phaneuf could really use something to cheer about. Two years ago she finished the season #5 in the world; this year she essentially had to do a “skate-off” to simply get back to the world team—and she didn’t make it. Will WTT prolong her agony, or cast a little of it away?
Amelie Lacoste: On yet another hand… Lacoste WON that 4 CC “skateoff” that earned her a first-ever trip to Worlds, but was disappointed with a 16th place finish. Can the current Canadian ladies champ team up with Phaneuf and shake the doldrums out of their corner of the team?
Duhamel/Radford: Finishing 5th was the best these two have done yet at Worlds (and the best Duhamel has done with two different partners!) Can they hold up their end of Team Canada at this event? Stay tuned!
Virtue/Moir: Edging out Davis/White surely wouldn’t mean as much here as it did at Worlds… but I doubt that’ll keep V/M from trying. Look for yet another dancing cagematch between the top 2 teams on the planet.
We’ll look at the Russian Contingency ASAP (read “before WTT begins if at all possible".)
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