Classy Performances @ Skate Canada

Well - Alissa Czisny and Patrick Chan have both taught me a lesson - don't count them out!
Although both of them had a fall in their free programmes, they took deserved golds with beautiful performances and skating skills. I was particularly impressed with Alissa's ability to fight for her landings more than in the past. She has a painfully long history of being inconsistent when the pressure is on (rather like another vistuoso skater, Sasha Cohen). Chan also showed he can land his quad when the pressure is on, and the more he can do that, the more he can contend for a world title.

I hope these videos stay around on you-tube. Link to more videos here.

Money Shots - podiums.

Ladies - Makarova (S), Czisny (G), Lacoste (B)

Mens - Oda (S), Chan (G), Rippon (B)

Pairs - Moore-Towers & Moscovich (Canada-Silver)
Iliushechkina & Maisuradze (Russia-Gold)
Lawrence & Swiegers (Canada-Bronze)

Dance - Sinead & John Kerr (GBR - Silver)

Crone & Poirier (Canada - Gold)

Chock & Zuerlin (USA - Bronze)

Full results here.

All That Skating

The 2010-11 figure skating season doesn't start proper for another 3 weeks, but most of the stars from Vancouver are busy this weekend with 4 major shows/competitions taking place.

First -3 of the 4 Vancouver olympic champions can be seen at the Staples Centre for Queen Yu-Na's All That Skate LA.

Yu-Na's first major show in North America and Michelle Kwan's first time performing for a home crowd since 2006. There is no doubting Yu-Na is an international star - but she may not be the biggest star in LA. The full cast includes.

Kim Yu-Na
Michelle Kwan
Ashley Wagner
Patrick Chan
Stéphane Lambiel
Johnny Weir
Shen Xue & Zhao Hongbo
Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy
Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir
Tanith Belbin & Ben Agosto

Aunt Joyce has linked to videos from the show here.

Also State-side, the Skating and Gymnastics Spectacular is taking place in Texas. The cast for this is somewhat more limited (as many skaters are in Yu-Na's show and many gymnasts are busy training for worlds) but includes Evan Lysacek, Nastia Liukin, Meryl Davis and Charlie White, among others.

On the other side of the world. The Japan Open was taking place with Team Japan taking the honours (barely) over a very strong looking Team North America. Joannie Rochette put in the best Ladies performance and Adam Rippon topped the men. Mao Asada debuted her new free skate which had some lovely qualities but the jumps aren't all there yet.


Videos for many of the Japan Open skaters can be found online already - follow these links to youtube.
Joannie Rochette, Miki Ando, Mao Asada, Daisuke Takahashi
Adam Rippon, Cynthia Phaneuf, Jeffrey Buttle, Evgeni Plushenko, Takahito Kozuka

And Finally, the JGP Great Britain is wrapping up. The medallists were: -

Ladies
Adelina Sotnikova (RUS - 166.70)
Yasmin Siraz (USA - 161.75)
Yuki Nishino (JPN - 135.58)

Men
Joshua Farris (USA - 187.74)
Zhan Bush (RUS - 172.80)
Liam Firus (CAN - 166.38)

Pairs
Ksenia Stolbova/ Fedor Klimpov (RUS - 151.64)
Narumi Takahashi/ Mervin Tran (JPN - 144-69)
Natasha Purich/ Raymond Schulz (CAN - 126.98)

Dance
Ksenia Monko/Kirill Khaliavin (RUS - 155.04)
Victoris Sinitsina/ Ruslan Zhiganshin (RUS - 133.86)
Nicole Orford/ Thomas Williams (CAN - 133.66)

Where do we go from here?

I was pondering this evening where 'Queen Yu-Na' will go if she chooses (or is forced) to leave the Cricket Club.


I could think of only two places that would do for her.

The Granite Club in Toronto is another exclusive private club and the base (for at least some of the time) of Lori Nichol, Kurt Browning and Patrick Chan. I'm sure Yu-Na could get plenty of first rate coacing and ice time here and would not have to sever all ties with Toronto. But with Canada skaters so loyal to Brian - would she really get a warm welcome?


However- if Yu-Na wants more of a change of scene she might consider moving to Michelle Kwan's family rink, the East West Ice Palace in Artesia, California. This place is busy with californinian skaters (Caroline Zhang being one of them) but I'm sure Yu-Na would be welcomed. I'm sure the biggest star in Korea would suit LA rather well.

I can't see Yu-Na going to Russia as however big a star you are you must slog it there. And life in Korea would still be just to crazy if she still wants to train and compete.

Meanwhile

French Skater Yrethra Silete has surprised many and won the short program at JGP france. The skater who's best finish on the JGP to date was 6th place at the event in Dresden last week scored 48.67. This put her narrowly ahead of Polina Shelepen (RUS, 48.11) and Nina Jiang (USA, 48.06). I have a feeling the russian will take it in the free skate but is would be great to see this french unknown hold on for a medal at home.

(Photo of Silete by David Carmichael)


In the men's competition Canada's Andrei Rogozine topped the short programme (64.52) ahead of the two americans Max Aaron (64.31) and Jason Brown (58.00).

All the US skaters competing in the Senior Grand Prix this season are in Colorado Springs for Champs Camp- which this year includes a monitoring competition.

I'm sure all the interviewers will be wanting a few words from Adam Rippon on the situation back at the Cricket Club!

Mirai Nagasu won't be skating at the camp as she has a stress fracture in her foot (this girl has ROTTEN luck!) She is due to be back on the ice September 1st. However it seems to be lucky she made it to the camp at all given these tweets:
Woke up today...at 10...got ready to go to the mall....and then...

I checked my email and realized I've got a plane to catch!! Hello Champs
camp!!:)

Gotta love that girl!

Bits and Bobs

This is a post made up of all the rendom bits of news that don't seem to fit anywhere else.

The FIG has posted a preview of the upcoming World Acrobatic Gymnastics Championships in Wroclaw, Poland (July 16-18). For Brits the team mainly includes members of the now famous and very talented Spelbound. Best of luck to them all. Read about it here.

Reader Briony rightfully corrected me for saying nothing much was happening in the skating world at the moment. The British Solo Ice Dance Championships are taking place in Sheffield this week.

I have to admit I don't know much about solo dance, even though I have a friend at med-school who competed in it. It seems to my ignorant eyes to be similar in terms of the rules and patterns in the competition (a set dance- eg waltz, tango etc. then a free dance) just without partner. As Bryony pointed out, Solo dance isn't sanctioned by the ISU but is popular in the US and here in the UK. With the usual shortage of partners - it seems like a good idea!


In other sport - runner Caster Semenya is finally being allowed to compete again internationally after almost a year off and a myriad of gender tests. The results of the tests have not been released but, whatever the reason, it'll be great to see her back.



This is old news now, but the USA 2000 olympic gymnastic team are to recieve bronze medals at the 2010 visa championships after the Chinese team were stripped of theirs when Dong Fanxiao was found to be under-age. I found an interesting old fluff piece on youtube about Dong Fanxiao and the Chinese gymnastics system.

US skater Ashley Wagner has a new video blog on the universal sports website. The video also shows Christina Gao and Adam Rippon goofing around back-stage at an ice show. watch it here.

British Gymnastics has now added a great selection of videos from the national champs.
Beth Tweddle said she didn't compete floor because she was resting a slight knee injury and she also is planning to debut a new floor routine :-)

That's all for now- I'll elaborate on this if I find any more exciting info to blog.

Brian's Gang.

The Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club is becoming a hotspot for skating talent. Brian Orser, 2 time olympic medallist wasn't sure he wanted to be a full time coach until his first and now star pupil, begged him to coach her full time. That pupil is of course Yu-Na Kim.

Given the success and popularity of Yu-Na, other young skaters flocked to Toronto. Brian coaches two american talents- Adam Rippon (2009 Junior world champion, 2010 Four Continents Champion) and Christina Gao (who pleasantly surprised everyone by finishing 5th at US nationals in her senior debut). Gao has already been compared by many to a young Yu-Na or Michelle Kwan.

















Also Brian has a growing collection of 'little Yu-Nas' teenage korean skaters Min-Jung Kwak (who finished 13th at the olympics as Korea's second entry) and recently 2008 Korean junior champion Yea-Ji Yun.


















Icenetwork also reported former world champ Brian Joubert is traning in Toronto for 6 weeks this summer. This isn't a permanent arrangement (yet...) but the frenchman is currently coach-less so we'll see.

Skating News and Tweets

Joannie Rochette has been busy - this week she attended the G20 ceremonies as a guest and sat next to Michelle Obama for lunch. She also was at the Canadian Grand Prix and will be a special guest for the official Canada day celebrations in Ottawa on Thursday. Oh and on top of all that she was nominated for an ESPY award for 'best moment'. I hope she wins, she deserves it.
Read more here


Evgeni Plushenko will not be in the Grand Prix this season or in the 2014 olympics. He has lost his ISU eligibility by competing in professional ice shows. Read it here.

Mao Asada has a refreshing new exhibition at Dreams on Ice. The kind of beautiful programme you can just sit back and enjoy. She has become an elegant young woman. Also Daisuke Takahashi unveiled his new exhibition choreographed by Stephane Lambiel.


Adam Rippon will skate to Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet for his SP and Rachmaninov Piano Concerto number 2 for his LP. He was interviewed by Icenetwork.

Changes to jump values under the new ISU rules.
The value of quad toe was raised to 10.3 (from 9.8), tripe Axel to 8.5 (from 8.2). Base value of double Axel lowered to 3.3 (from 3.5).
Jump under-rotated by 1/4 to 1/2 revolution gets 70% of base value. Jump under-rotated by more than 1/2 gets downgraded to next lower jump.

Ilderton, ON honoured its olympic champions, Tessa and Scott.


Scott Hamilton is recovering well after his surgery. He tweeted this
Thank you, everyone, for your love, support & prayers during my recent brain surgery! You lifted me up & gave me strength to get through it!

Denis Ten tweeted

I need new feet for my new skates. Can anybody share them with me?