Lots of skating news coming out today! A judge has ruled in the drunk driving case involving reigning World Ice Dance Champion Maxim Staviski.
Maxim Staviski received a 2 1/2-year suspended prison sentence Wednesday for a drunken driving accident that killed a man. Staviski was found guilty of crashing his car into an oncoming vehicle in August, leaving a 23-year-old man dead and an 18-year-old woman in a coma for nearly four months. Police records showed Staviski's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit. Staviski lost his driving license for four years, will be on probation for five years, and was ordered to pay compensation totaling $127,000. The court rejected the woman's claim for $1.5 million in compensation.
I guess given this Albena and Max could return to training and continue competing, not sure if they will. They would probably receive a chilly reception from the skating community. In any case he should be thanking his lucky stars that he's not doing hard time.
Kimmie Meissner was in fact put on the World Team, but I'm sure that will put extra pressure on her. We'll get to see what kind of competitor she is...will she crumble under the weight of expectation or rally and comeback from a disastrous season?
Poor McLaughlin and Brubaker, because of Keauna's age, they are done competing internationally this year. Rockne is too old to qualify them for Junior Worlds and Keauna is too young for them to go to the Four Continents Cup or Senior Worlds. Hopefully their will be some invitational this spring where we'll see them again.
And speaking of Junior Worlds, what a field we have going! Nagasu, Flatt, and Zhang can all pack their bags for Sofia, Bulgaria...I'm envisioning a sweep!
The above picture is downtown Goyang City, site of the Four Continents Cup in South Korea.
UPDATE: Johnny Weir has opted to withdraw from the Four Continents Team...he's just pooped from Nationals.
These finished last Sunday but I was so wrapped up with Nationals I hadn't had time to report. But I've caught up on my skating, logged into YouTube to catch the action in Zagreb, and can give you the call.
Let's start with the ladies. Last year's gold and silver medalists repeated as this year's gold and silver medalists! Carolina Kostner was able to defend her title with a performance that showed great speed. However, she still struggled on a few of her jumps and if she hopes to make the world podium she'll have to make improvements there. Sarah Meier took the silver with a solid performance but I feel her music doesn't lend itself to skating well. It just kind of drags on. Laura Lepisto who shocked everyone earlier this season by winning the short program at Skate Canada (beating Hughes, Asada, Rochette, and Nakano in the process) took the bronze with a shaky performance but good enough to fend off Finnish countrywoman Kiira Korpi. The overall impression I'm getting however is that this is definitely a transition time for ladies skating in Europe. Last season, Carolina Kostner was the only European women to make the top six at worlds (and it was 6th place) and the prospects for Europe doing better this season look slim.
In pairs it was a runaway for Savchenko and Szolkowy, I don't think they really had any competition, and they weren't even clean. Robin is continuing to struggle on the side-by-side triple salchows, for the third time this season he singled his. But the throws were amazing, the spins in good unison, inventive lifts, really the whole package is there. The same cannot be said for the Russian teams that finished second and third. Mukhortova and Trankov won the silver but struggled throughout their program with the throws and they lacked speed at the end of their performance. Their compatriots, Kawaguchi and Smirnov too looked rusty. After hitting a beautiful throw quad salchow at the top of the program, Alexander struggled on the side-by-side jumps and speed seemed an issue late in the program, however, I will say this is a trademark of Tamara Moskvina pairs. Remember Kazakova and Dimitriev and Berezhnaya and Sikharulidze when they made their debuts, terrible; but she molds them and by 2010 they'll probably be challenging for Olympic Gold!
Tomas Verner probably pulled off the biggest upset of the year by winning the European title, defeating Stephane Lambiel and Brian Joubert in the process. Tomas put a hand down on his opening quad but then proceeded to tick off triple after triple. His only other mistake came when he singled a planned double axel. While his component score was a bit lower than Lambiel's, he was simply able to land more triples. Lambiel, opened with a beautiful three jump combo that began with a quad but had some doubled jumps and got marked on under rotation on a triple triple that was late in the program. Also, at the Grand Prix Final Stephane had his triple axel back in the programs but for Europeans he removed them again...a jump he will certainly need in Sweden. Brian Joubert just looked tired and unprepared for the competition. Several of his jumps were under rotated and he was luck to not fall but finally took a plunge on a triple lutz. His spins were slow, he lacked speed and energy, and he let almost all of his artistic score go by focusing solely on the jumps (which were mostly unsuccessful). Joubert needs to get it together because he was nearly beaten out by Russian upstart Sergei Voronov. Not his day in Zagreb.
In Ice Dance this continues to be a close season. These teams are really going full out this season and it is making for an exciting time. The Russians and the French are really battling this season. Delobel and Schoenfelder won both the Compulsory and Original Dances beating Domnina and Shabalin. But Oksana and Max did what they have done all season and came back with a record breaking Free Dance score to take the gold over the french team. The Russians are just banking in the points on their technical content and it is hard for any team to beat them unless they have at least a 5 point lead over them coming into the free skate and these teams are so close on ability and talent that just ain't happening! Also, the other Russian team of Khoklova and Novitski made a bit of a move this season by winning the bronze, beating both the Italian team of Faiella and Scali and the upcoming french team of Pechalat and Bourzat. Looking ahead at worlds the teams to definitely watch are Domnina and Shabalin, Belbin and Agosto, Delobel and Schoenfelder, Virtue and Moir, and I'm gonna toss in Khoklova and Novitski as well as Davis and White (given their extremely strong Free Dance at Nationals).
What a conclusion! What I said about my heart being able to take the drama...it is a miracle I'm able to make this post! I'm safely back home from St. Paul and what a great time it was but there are still some final thoughts I need to get out!
First, I made the St. Paul Newspaper! They did a story on Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto about their victory. It talks of a fluorescent green Frisbee a "fan airmailed down to her from the stands at the Xcel Energy Center" with the words "Simply Amazing" scribbled on the back...yep that was me! So often when you through gifts down to the ice the competitors get so many that they don't really get to really look through them individually, glad that Frisbee made it to her.
The men's final was great! First, kudos to Eliot Halverson for doing a great job in the free skate and representing St. Paul very well. The top six men all did a great job. Scott Smith got things rolling with a great free skate. I can't remember the last time I'd seen him skate so well and when he finished his program he was pumped! Ryan Bradley showed great charm in his Charlie Chaplin routine but hit the ice hard on a quad toe attempt. Overall though it was a very pleasing performance and a respectable 5th place finish. Jeremy Abbott came and delivered an elegant sweeping program to Khachaturian's "Masquerade Waltz." Jeremy also attempted a quad (he stepped out of it) and landed several successful triple jumps including a triple axel in the back half of his program. His excellent speed, awesome spins, attention to detail and strong component mark got him to fourth place. The bronze medal went to Stephen Carriere (I totally pegged this way back during the Grand Prix!). He was crowd pleasing, energetic, had fantastic spins, great jumps, he really is a whole package skater. Look for him to do well at Worlds!
The story here is the top two men and what a story it is to tell. Johnny had a thin lead over Evan after the short program. Evan took the ice for his free and opened up with a quad toe triple toe combo, but he did a three turn out of the quad. He went on to land a Triple Axel double toe double loop combo in the back half of the program. The program ended with that signature footwork that really brought the crowd to it's feet. The program was solid but he did just a bit of hangin on to some of the jumps, but you have to give him credit for going after the technical merit past the halfway point. Johnny came out an opened with a quad toe that he slightly two footed (but kudos to him for going for it!) and then went on a triple jump frenzy landing triple after triple perfectly! He had a little jilt on his final triple flip but it was an outstanding program. The only criticism is that his program is heavily front loaded with jumps. Here's where it gets intense. Evan squeaked by with a higher Technical Element Score for the better technical skill after the halfway mark. Johnny won the Component Score with better jump control and beautiful line and extension. When the dust settled and the scores went up...it was a tie! They had exactly the same score! The crowd was slightly bedazzled at this point and the announcer came on and said because Evan won the free skate (and he did so just barely) he won the gold but talk about a nail biter! Both were in good spirits during the Ice Network press conference and seemed thrilled about their performances and that it was so close.
The exhibition was amazing. All of the top skaters got to take another turn around the ice. The Miami University Syncro team came and wowed us with their skill. Some local Special Olympics came and put on a show for us. However the most exciting part for me came at the end. All of the skaters got to throw goodies such as t-shirts and stuff that they had signed into the crowd. I happened to be the recipient of a US Figure Skating Tee signed by Charlie White! It was a great end to a great week.
Side note, and this is unofficial because it hasn't been reported on the USFSA site but the Pioneer Press reported that the USFSA has in fact put Meissner on the World Team along with Ashley Wagner and Beatrisa Liang.
What a day! So much to report...it was incredible! But I have to first start with some boos. The way the ladies were split into a morning and evening group for their free skates was just unfair and it sucked (I guess we blame NBC for that!). The fans didn't like getting up that early and it showed because the attendance in the morning was very low. It sucked for the competitors because their practice was at 6:10 a.m. and also it just plain sucks to skate early in the morning. The arena didn't have breakfast food and I was just plain miserable...but I got over it! Three finals today and all were spectacular in their own way.
In the pairs, Vise and Trent were unable to land their history making throw quad salchow but they were good enough to make it to fourth place with a respectable free skate. Castile and Okolski nabbed the bronze (and a spot on the world team, more on this in a moment) with a good free skate. For it being their first competition of the season they looked fairly well trained with a beautiful program set to "Sheherazade." It's clear however if they wish to improve their world ranking they'll have to add in side-by-side triples in addition to their double axels. The silver went to the veteran team of Inoue and Baldwin. They were also unable to land their history maker (throw Triple Axel) but were still able to have a decent performance (a bit slow at times...I still think they should be better trained than this) and also make the world team. For the first time in forever John hit his triple toe! The winners and easily so were McLaughlin and Brubaker. They had some minor glitches but showed great speed, excellent throws, and solid lifts. The only problem for them is despite the win they didn't make the world team. Keauna is still to young to compete at the event...get this...Rockne is now too old to compete at the Junior Worlds so I guess their competitive season will end at the Four Continents Cup. Big news though! At the end of their free skate John Baldwin proposed to Rena Inoue...and she said YES! The crowd went crazy and Rena burst into tears of joy...it was quite a moment!
In Ice Dance the standings amongst the top four remained unchanged after the free dance. Samuelson and Bates made a case for themselves by having a fantastic dance (except for a freak fall on an easy lift...but it barely disrupted the program). However, they weren't able to close some of the gap between them and bronze medalists Navarro and Bommentre. Speaking of which, they had a loose, jazzy free dance that put the crowd in an ultra calm and them on the world team! Davis and White came out with a free dance and held nothing back at all. They had great speed and unison and twizzles like you wouldn't believe. They solidified themselves as a team to watch as the season progresses. Tanith and Ben were simply the class of the field. None of the silly mistakes from the OD happened in the Free Dance. They were simply amazing and posted numbers that would be tough for anyone in the world to get close to. Really amazing skating!
The ladies...oh my gosh the ladies! If you didn't watch this on NBC you missed out on what was one of the most thrilling and shocking finals ever in U.S. Figure Skating history. Did NBC pick a great time to begin hosting this event or what! Two stories were playing: who would win the medals and who would make the world team (because so many of the top competitors are too young for Sr. Worlds)? Let's start with Alissa again as she found herself staying in 9th place. She just couldn't seem to stand up on her jumps falling on several of them. Now lets talk about the 7th place finisher...prepare yourself for this one...Kimmie Meissner. Kimberly was unable to land either a flip or a lutz and went down on all three attempts at them. You could see how dejected she was from her performance and you got the sense she just wanted to get off the ice, get on a plane, and go home. As she awaited her marks in the Kiss n' Cry she fought back tears as the crowd cheered for her and screamed remarks and adoration's for her to help cheer her up...all she could muster was a lipped, "Thank You." This performance not only leaves her well off the podium but in jeopardy of not even making the world team as three of the ladies that finished higher than her are old enough to go to the World Championships.
One of those competitors that defeated Kimmie is 6th place finisher Katrina Hacker. Katrina didn't have a flawless skate, but she didn't bomb either and was in fact better than Meissner this night. The USFSA will have to decide whether to send her or Kimmie to Sweden. The USFSA's rules are clear that the winner of the event earns a spot and then the USFSA picks the rest. Almost always it is in line with the standings at Nationals but the USFSA is not bound to those placements. Given Kimmie's competitive record (even this season she has twice medaled in Senior Internationals) I don't think it would be out of line for the USFSA to pick her over a competitor with no international experience...we'll wait and see. One competitor that knows she is going to Sweden is 5th place finisher Beatrisa Liang. Despite a couple of singled jumps, Beatrisa turned in a strong performance and earned a spot on the world team.
The top four skaters were near perfect. It was a thing to behold and can I say if this is the program we have right now...the United States' skating prospects look very bright! Caroline Zhang pulled up from 7th to 4th with a flawless performance that instantly brought the crowd to their feet! Her trademark move "The Pearl" drew the largest ovation for a non-jump element I've ever heard. I honestly thought with that performance she was going to rise all the way up to the top and win the title. Little did I know of the performances to come. Ashley Wagner nabbed the bronze with a tremendous performance which included a perfect triple lutz triple loop combo. Her only error came when she slightly overrated a double loop on the back end of a combination, no biggie. When her scores came up and she was ahead of Zhang she just looked shocked! Ashley is also old enough to compete at Worlds and can certainly pack her bags as the highest finisher that meets the age requirement. The silver went to Rachel Flatt who skated perfect (she in fact won the free skate!), triple/triples and all. There wasn't a single flaw to this program and she just beamed the whole way through, what a show stopper! However the night belonged to Mirai Nagasu, who despite falling on her opening double axel, came on strong to win her first senior ladies title. After her opening miscue she went on to land six more triples and despite placing third in the free (both Flatt and Wagner beat her), her lead from the short was sufficient to hold her to the title...what a new face on U.S. ladies skating.
Tomorrow the men skate and I don't know if my heart can take it if it's this dramatic!
So here we are...it's Friday and it's been a pretty relaxed day. Spent some time at Mall of America, exploring the downtown area some more, and basically relaxing. So the poll I took it looks like most people thought Caroline Zhang would be our National Champ with Kimmie getting the second most. Well Caroline is in 7th and Kimmie in 4th so we'll have to wait and see if either can pull it off. They skate tomorrow night!
Had the opportunity to check out the Junior Men's Free Skate this afternoon. What a talented group of men. The winner was Adam Rippon (without curly hair per his coach!). He just oozed across the ice with great speed, great jumps, great spins, he was the full package...a credit to his coach Nikolai Morozov. Brandon Mroz also skated very well to take the silver and Andrew Gonzalez skated well for the bronze. Great skating all the way around.
But the headline event for today was the men's short program and they didn't disappoint one bit! First off almost all the men skated well! The point spread between 6th and 14th place is about 4 points...seriously! Scott Smith squeaked out above 8 other skaters to get into that 6th place (seriously, it is going to be a battle royale on Sunday!) with a conservative but mostly solid effort. Then there is a three way battle for third amongst Jeremy Abbott who is in 5th, Ryan Bradley who's in 4th, and Stephen Carriere (I think I pegged this around the time of NHK trophy!) who's in 3rd. These three men all skated extremely well and are separated by about three points. Then we have the leaders. In second place is Evan Lysacek. He had a bit of two foot on his quad (which is far better than his warm-up where he crashed and burned on it three times in a row!) and a shaky landing on his axel. However, Evan's footwork was fantastic and drew big cheers from the crowd! The leader then of course is Johnny Weir who did not have the quad, but had a beautiful Triple Lutz-Triple Toe combo, gorgeous Axel, beautiful footwork, speed, speed, and more speed, and elegant line. He has just over a point lead over Evan. But the rest of the pack is close enough that if either of these two make mistakes, there will be those waiting to capitalize!
For the love, I can't tell you when I've seen a better men's short program. These men really showed up to compete! Final on Sunday.
First...it is still cold! But I hear it will be warmer tomorrow, as if 21 degrees is "warm." But I'll take it! Also...this internet connection is shaky at best, thus the late report.
Also I have to tell you a story. I'm not one of those people that when I happen to run into important skating people (or skaters for that fact) go crazy and start talking to them, as for their autograph, or stare at them like a deer in headlights. I stay calm and I let them go about their business because I know they need their time to themselves...but inside I'm really like wow! Today I was having lunch at a little Cafe in downtown St. Paul and who should get in line behind me...Ken Congemi! That's right...Evan and Bebe's coach! While I didn't talk to him or even acknowledge to him that I knew who he was, I did observe what he was eating (that's weird and stalkerish, huh?) and I can report that he likes BLT's!
So the original dance...the big story here is that Belbin and Agosto made boo boos. Tanith botched a twizzle and as they went into the reverse twizzle Ben put his foot down. The mistakes didn't cost them the lead, but it certainly put them on notice. Davis and White who are in second actually beat Tanith and Ben in the technical mark and weren't far behind in the program components. Davis and White had a really great performance. Navarro and Bommentre continue to hang onto third place. Their folk dance got a huge ovation from the crowd and they were able to put a little more space between themselves and Samuelson and Bates who are in fourth. The Free Dance is Saturday.
The ladies....I don't even know where to begin! Let's start in 9th place...that's where Alissa Czisny is...ouch! She struggled on every jump element. But it gets even more interesting, Caroline Zhang is in 7th! Her only flaw was a slight step out of her triple toe that was tacked on behind a triple flip. I'm not exactly sure where her deductions were? Beatrisa Liang finds herself in 6th, she was unable to complete her lutz. In 5th is Katrina Hacker (I had to look her up to figure out who she is). She had less technical difficulty than the other competitors but she did it well. My guess that her less difficult repertoire will hang her out to dry in the free skate, but she made the final group. Kimberly Meissner sits 4th after she went down on her triple flip. The top three are quite a story, talk about a coup de tat! Rachel Flatt is in 3rd after a fantastic short program. She hit a beautiful triple lutz-triple toe combo, great spins, good speed, just really great skating. Ashley Wagner is in second after an unbelievable short! She landed a triple lutz-triple loop combination and never looked back. But the biggest story is the leader! Mirai Nagasu wowed everyone. She hit the triples, spun the spins, flew threw her footwork, and did it all with a smile. I'm looking at my poll to the right there and wondering what is going on! The back story is who will make the world team. Remember, Nigasu, Flatt, and Zhang are not old enough yet to compete. Saturday will be interesting...
Well it just wouldn't be a vacation for me unless my Internet connection was tricky but it's up and working now and reports are on the way. I surprisingly had no trouble finding my way around St. Paul and it appears to be a charming city. Winter Carnival (I know! They embrace the cold here so much that they throw their big festival in the dead of winter!) is going on right now and the city is alive and vibrant.
First, can I tell you...IT'S COLD! - 13 when we left the arena last night...brrrrr.
The Compulsory Dance gave great insight to who would fill the vacuum left by Gregory and Petukhov. No surprise, Belbin and Agosto opened up a big lead after the Compulsory Dance. Davis and White were behind in second and the podium gap is currently being filled by Navarro and Bommentre! Samuelson and Bates are close on their heels and I think we are in for a big battle for the bronze. Remember, three spots open for the World Team in Ice Dance. It was certainly fun seeing all those teams slide around the ice to the Yankee Polka.
The Pairs also took to the ice for their short programs and it was a battle of points. The hardest program versus the fewest mistakes. McLaughlin and Brubaker continue their stellar season, the have a very slim lead. They completed a beautiful, huge triple twist, solid side-by-side triples, and only had a slight hand down on the throw triple loop. They skated with good speed and good unison. Right behind then in second are veterans Inoue and Baldwin who are making their competitive debut this season here. They had a flawless program but less difficulty. They completed side-by-side double axels, a double twist, and nice throw triple salchow. They seemed to drop off in speed near the end of the program and their unison looked a tad rusty. For a team that has been training all season for this event...I expected a bit more. Last years chapions Castile and Okolski are in third with a good showing, this is also their competiive debut this season. They may have been higher had they also not backed off the content. In fourth is Evora and Ladwig who pumped up the audience with their rock n' roll short (he's also the local favorite as he is the lone competitior in the pairs field from Minnesota). Dissapointing performance for Nari-Nam and Leftheris, they are in 8th. Things I'm looking for in the free: Can Nari-Nam and Leftheris bounce back, can Vise and Trent (currently 5th) land that throw quad salchow again and move up, who exactly will be on the podium?
I also had the chance to see the Junior Men's short program...too much fun! Adam Rippon and Curran Oi are fantastic. Our future is in great hands!
Well Canada's best have been established...let's see who came out winners!
It was very close in the pairs competition. In the short program, defending champions and world upstarts Dube and Davison had problems, so much so that they found themselves in fifth place. Anabelle Langlois (remember her with Patrice Archetto?) and Cody Hay were in fact the leaders after the short. In third was new team of Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin (remember him with Valerie Marcoux?). Dube and Davison came back strong in the free skate, but a solid performance from Anabelle and Cody secured them their first Canadian victory. Duhamel and Buntin were third and will round out the world team.
Amongst the ladies Joannie Rochette gave us reason to pause. She was leading Mira Leung by just over a point and what was assumed to be a blowout was in fact a nailbiter. Virtual unknown Myriane Samson was in third coming out of the short program. But Joannie did what she has done all season and come back with a strong free skate to win the title easily. Mira Leung did manage to place second and earn another spot on the world team. Cynthia Phaneuf rallied to place third in this her comeback season...but only two spots for Canada on the world team for the women.
The men's event began with the announcement of Sandhu's withdrawal which opened things up a bit. However with only two spots available for the men's world team, it hadn't opened up much! Coming out of the short program experience trumped youth with Buttle leading by about seven points. Canada's newest sensation Patrick Chan was in second while Christopher Mabee was in third. But in the free skate Buttle struggled with his triple axle while Patrick Chan landed a beauty (as well as every other triple in his free skate!) and upset Buttle by snatching the title! Buttle did place second while Shawn Sawyer rallied back to finish on the podium in third. Also of note, young Kevin Reynolds (he finished sixth) landed a combination in the free skate that only Evgeni Plushenko has managed to complete, the quad toe-triple toe-triple loop. When Kurt Browning went to talk to him about the feat, he didn't even realize he was only the second competitor to complete it!
You can check the full results here! Stay tuned, beginning Wednesday, in person reports from U.S. Nationals in St. Paul!
NBC announced today their commentary team for the U.S. National Championships. It just happens to be the same team they had in Torino with one special addition...Bob Costas (well I guess he was there too but wasn't directly involved in NBC's Figure Skating coverage)!
And of course that means skating icons Scott Hamilton and Dick Button will be along as well (It just wouldn't feel like Nationals without Dick!). Sale and Pelletier will also be poking around a bit and don't forget Sandra Bezic, Tracy Wilson, Andrea Joyce, and Tom Hammond...quite a team for St. Paul!
I remember actually liking this dynamic in Torino so hopefully it will make for good television. I'll actually have to watch it on TiVo...cause I'll actually be there!
This is the final Pic of the Week that will focus on great U.S. wins. This time next week I'll be comfortably settled in St. Paul and you can expect pictures and reviews from the competition at U.S. Nationals. But that's next week...
This week I decided to look back at what is not only one of the greatest wins in U.S. Nationals history, but one of the greatest stories too.
Everyone had counted him down and out. Kristi Yamaguchi decided to go with her singles career leaving Rudy Galindo to push forward as a singles skater. He'd been written off and most people were focusing their attention on skaters such as Todd Eldredge, Scott Davis, Michael Weiss, and Dan Hollander.
After the short program Rudy had surprised everyone by placing third and putting himself in contention. Rudy was last to skate the free skate and he had a golden opportunity. Todd Eldredge who was the leader didn't have a great skate. Rudy went on to have the free skate of his life, hitting every triple jump in his program, and winning the men's title with some of the highest marks for a man (under the old 6.0 system) ever.
The cherry on top of it all was that he did at home. U.S. Nationals were in San Jose that year which is Rudy's hometown...what an achievement!
Hughes is suffering from a hip injury, which will prevent her not only from competing but also training. In a statement she told reporters, “I'm extremely disappointed to have to miss the U.S. Championships. This is a competition I've been looking forward to all season. This injury is just really bad timing,” Hughes continued. “I hope to be able to begin serious training again in four to six weeks.”
This leaves the world team possibilities wide open. Two (or three...how old is Rachel Flatt?) of the top competitors (Zhang and Nagasu) aren't old enough to make the world team, Kimmie Meissner's skating recently has been subpar, Czisny has never been consistent, and I don't know that anyone was talking about Bebe Liang but maybe we should!
Someone check on Rachel Flatt...is she eligible for Senior Worlds?
And wait I just noticed...what happened to Katy Taylor?
“It is with great regret that we have to withdraw from this year's nationals,” Gregory said. “When we had our accident at Skate Canada, everyone focused on my injuries, but Denis also suffered injuries when he hit the boards.”
“The loss of practice time at this crucial juncture, combined with my unsuccessful efforts to rehabilitate my injured knee, have left us unable to compete at the highest level,” Petukhov said. “Our doctor has strongly recommended that we take the time to heal so that we may be back at 100 percent for next season.”
The fall at Skate Canada was terrible and I can certainly understand why this step is necessary. I hope that they get better soon.
But the withdrawal means we can revisit the possible podium at Nationals. Barring a catastrophic event Belbin and Agosto will win. Probably looks like Davis and White are shoe-ins for silver...but who gets the bronze? Samuelson and Bates? Navarro and Bommentre? Interesting competition ahead!
Two-time U.S. figure skating champion Christopher Bowman was found dead at a North Hills, California motel Thursday afternoon.
Bowman was found shortly after noon inside the Budget Inn in the 9100 block of Sepulveda Boulevard. His death is being investigated as a possible drug overdose, said Lt. Joe Bale of the Los Angeles County Coroner's office. The coroner's office must determine whether his death was accidental or a suicide.
John Nicks, Bowmans coach for the 1992 Olympics, called Bowman "talented but entertaining and a very congenial guy." Nicks added, "The great pity about it is he never realized his outstanding talent. He's one of the most talented figure skaters of all time but he had an erratic training discipline. There were times he would work hard and lots of times that he didn't."
"If I had to pick the three most talented skaters of all time, I would pick Christopher as one," Brian Boitano said. "He had natural charisma, natural athleticism, he could turn on a crowd in a matter of seconds, and he always seemed so relaxed about it."
UPDATE: Former national figure skating champion Christopher Bowman died from a drug overdose and an enlarged heart. The two-time champion's blood-alcohol level was 0.12 percent and toxicology tests also revealed cocaine, Valium and marijuana. Also present was the prescription medicine Seroquel, which is used to treat bipolar disorder. An initial autopsy done two days after Bowman's death was not conclusive, and police had said there was no sign of foul play or illegal drug use in the motel room where Bowman was found.
Bulgarian World Champion Ice Dancer Maxim Staviski's trial is set to begin January 30th in Sofia.
Maxim was charged in an accident that left a 23-year-old man dead and his 18-year-old female companion in a coma for nearly four months. Police said Staviski's blood-alcohol level was more than twice the legal limit.
In a statement to the press, Maxim stated "It is a grave tragedy. I do not want to comment. I will walk with my head down for my whole life."
Maxim along with his partner Albena Denkova won their second consecutive ice dancing title at the World Figure Skating Championships this past March in Tokyo.
It was one of the most exciting things I have ever witnessed and was even more inspiring because I was sitting in the audience! Another look at a great U.S. win.
Rena Inoue and John Baldwin were in 3rd place and in jeopardy of not making the Olympic Team at the 2006 U.S. National Championships. They needed a strong performance to earn a spot on the Olympic Team...even stronger one to win.
The program started well, they hit their side-by-side jumps, split twist, and throw triple loop. They were skating with great speed and the lifts looked great. Deep in their program they took a deep breath, relaxed their timing, and BAM! A beautiful throw triple axel!
The crowd screamed with excitement and for a brief moment everyone was on their feet! The crowd was simply buzzing after that stunning achievement. Not only did they make the Olympic Team, they regained their title and went on to become the first team to land a successful throw triple axel at the Olympics in Torino!
Interesting little experiment the Russian Federation is playing with this season and I must admit I'm a big fan, pros and cons aside.
Sergei Voronov just won his first Russian National title (all the hype of the much heralded return of Plushenko and Yagudin didn't pan out...they weren't at the event). He did so with solid jumps (a credit to his coach Alexei Urmanov), great footwork, and decent spins. He also got a little extra credit. Sergei Voronov was handsomely rewarded for landing quad jumps.
In addition to the extra bump you get anyway for a quad in the judging system, the Russian Federation is handing out a two point extra bonus for every clean quad you land. Voronov hit a beauty in his short program...the extra two points helped open up a ten point lead. He hit another in his free and the extra points gave him a thirty point lead over his next closest rival Andrei Lutai (Griazev took the Bronze).
I have to tell you I'm a fan of this bonus. I think it pushes competitors and makes the skating more exciting. I also like that you only get the bonus if it's fully rotated and cleanly landed. I think it gives a new dynamic to the skating and an athletic flare to a sport that is often criticized for not being "sports-like" enough.
And while I'm on the topic of bonuses (if you'll allow me my soapbox please!), I also like Paul Wylie's idea of giving bonuses to women who hit the big five triples (Lutz, Loop, Flip, Salchow, and Toe) cleanly in a program and men the same bonus for hitting all six (just add the Axel) cleanly. Recently, especially among women, a lot of them are substituting other jumps and taking others out (there has been a decline in the attempt of the triple loop recently?).
Other Russian Nationals news...Kawaguchi and Smirnov won in pairs and Khoklova and Novitski won in Dance (Domnina and Shablin didn't compete).
Yesterday, Dorothy Hamill announced that she is currently undergoing treatment for Breast Cancer.
Hamill said in a statement Friday that she is being treated at the Kimmel Cancer Center at Johns Hopkins. The prognosis is favorable, but the 51-year-old Hamill said she will miss some of the "Broadway on Ice" tour while she is having treatment. Brian Boitano will fill in for her while she is away and hopes to rejoin the tour mid-January.
We figure skating fans have helped both Peggy and Scott in the past with cancer, lets now help Dorothy with our prayers!
His career was looking so promising a couple of seasons ago. He was winning Grand Prix events, landing triples more consistently, great choreography. But then there was the Olympic meltdown where he finished 13th. However, he got it back together for the 2006 Worlds with a top six finish. But then the 2006-2007 season happened. No trip to the Grand Prix Final, only a third place finish at Canadian Nationals, and a 16th place finish at worlds (ouch)!
Emanuel Sandhu's career seems to be spinning out of control. He withdrew from all international competition this fall (to focus on singing, modeling, and acting prospects) and today announced he will not compete at this years Canadian National Championships. This means he is not eligible for any more international competition this season.
Is he done? He is, after all, 27. Not exactly the youngest guy on the scene and his career seems to be getting away from him. He insists that he is planning on competing in the 2010 season with a hope of making the Olympic Team, but is it too little too late? Emanuel is one of my favorite skaters but even I have to face the reality that perhaps his better days are behind him.
Our U.S. Greatest Performances series continues with arguably the greatest win in U.S. Nationals history.
The drama couldn't be any thicker, I mean it was palpable! Your chief competitor basically hands it to you the previous season. Tara Lipinski won Nationals. Tara Lipinski won the Champion Series Final (now Grand Prix Final). Tara Lipinksi won the World Championships.
Michelle Kwan did start her Olympic season with a win over Tara at Skate America. Michelle went on to win Skate Canada (Tara wasn't in that competition) but something wasn't right...she was experiencing pain and it showed with a less than stellar performance. Later diagnosed as a stress fracture of her rt toe...that's on her landing foot.
Tara would go on to win a second straight Champion Series Final while Michelle Kwan sat at home and watched.
Nationals rolled around in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Not only was this the competition that decided the best American Skater...it picked our U.S. Olympic Team. The tension was intense...Tara Lipinski actually missed a jump in the short program while Michelle Kwan had to increase the difficulty of her program to avoid pain (different takeoffs for Toes and Flips) and executed a successful short program.
Both Tara and Michelle executed brilliant free skates. Tara showed off her technical skills but hitting her trademark triple loop/triple loop but it was Michelle who seemed to be skating on a different plain. Despite the worrisome toe, she floated across the ice with brilliance and received one of the loudest ovations that I can remember at the end of her performance.
For me...this truly is the greatest National victory ever.
Lots of skating news coming out today! A judge has ruled in the drunk driving case involving reigning World Ice Dance Champion Maxim Staviski.
