4th Annual Loop Axel Awards

How I look forward every year to take a look back at the season and point out the highlights! Get out your best Tux and Gown...it's the 4th Annual Loop Axel Awards!

[Queue Oscar-like overture]

This 4th installment of this annual tradition comes complete with several new categories, many suggested by readers. Official stuff today...a little fun to come afterwards. Enough of my prattling...Today's categories are:

• Best Ladies Free Skate
  
• Best Pairs Free Skate
  
• Best Free Dance
  
• Best Men's Free Skate
  
• Short Program of the Year
  
• Best Forgotten Program
  
• Worst Performance of the Year
  
• Best Exhibition Piece (NEW)
  
• Best Music Selection (NEW)
  
• Best Choreography (NEW)
  
• Competition of the Year (NEW)
  
• Skater of the Year
  

The Nominations for Best Ladies Free Skate please...

• Miki Ando - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Mao Asada - 2011 Japanese National Figure Skating Championships
  
• Alissa Czisny - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Alena Leonova - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Sarah Meier - 2011 European Championships

And the winner is...I'm giving this one to Alissa Czinsy for her 2010 Grand Prix Final performance. It was like the program we all were holding our breath for. It didn't have complex movement but it's beauty was in its simplicity. There really is something to the saying "less is more." It was like a quiet whisper...soft and sweet.

The Nominations for Best Pairs Free Skate please...

• Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch - 2010 Skate Canada
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...Volosozahr and Trankov at this years World's. I fell in love with them at Russian Nationals and feel even deeper in love with them at World's. I find their skating to be exciting and I love that they bring me to the edge of my seat. Your eyes stay glued on Tatiana at every moment. Gush! I know they aren't as technically proficient as Savchenko and Szolkowy but I still love what they are cooking!

The Nominations for Best Free Dance please...

• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - 2010 Skate Canada International
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat - 2011 European Championships
  
• Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...No contest really, but obviously Meryl and Charlie's Free Dance from Worlds. They took that Tango to a different place, both technically and emotionally. Solid work from the American World Champs (how nice to finally be able to say that!).

The Nominations for Best Men's Free Skate please...

• Patrick Chan - 2011 Canadian National Championships
  
• Richard Dornbush - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Artur Gachinksi - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Takahiko Kozuka - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Japan Open

The winner is...Patrick Chan for going lights-out at the 2011 Canadian National Championships. Wow! I'm pretty sure I called that performance one of the greatest things put to ice. That was the first time we all kind of leaned back and said, "yep...he's got a good handle on those quads." Sometimes it all just clicks...and that skate...it clicked! Was very tempted to give this award to Takahiko for his World's free which I thought was endearing especially given the situation in Japan...but I couldn't ignore the two quads from Patrick.

The Nominations for Short Program of the Year please...

• Florent Amodio - 2011 European Championships
  
• Ryan Bradley - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Patrick Chan - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nobunari Oda - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - 2011 Four Continents Cup
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - 2011 Four Continents Cup

And the winner is...I almost want to give it to Pang and Tong for being the only skaters other than Men's singles to make the nominee list. I feel almost obligated to give it to Patrick Chan for that whopper of a score he got at Worlds...but I'll give it to Ryan Bradley because, more than anyone on the list, you can tell he genuinely had the most fun. Also, that Short Program, helped win him his first National Title. Hat's off to you Ryan!

The Nominations for Best Forgotten Program please...

• Miki Ando - 2010 Grand Prix Final [Free Skate]
  
• Brian Joubert - 2011 European Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Armin Mahbanoozadeh - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]
  
• Brandon Mroz - 2010 Cup of China [Free Skate]
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Skate Canada International [Free Skate]

And the winner is...I'm going with Armin on this one. I thought he was pretty spectacular at Skate America in a field that kind of fizzled. It was one of the few times this year that the beautiful music of Avatar was really put to good use.

The Nominations for Worst Performance of the Year please...

• Mao Asada - 2010 Japan Open [Free Skate]
  
• Mao Asada - 2010 Trophy Eric Bompard [Short Program]
  
• Joshua Farris - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Rachael Flatt - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Denis Ten - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]

And the winner is...Joshua Farris at Nationals. This kid is going to do great things in the very near future but his Free Skate that night was not to be. You can tell Joshua expects a lot from himself and after that disaster of a performance he literally just cried, perhaps from the pain from having a bum ankle or perhaps because he just expects more from himself. It was so sad. I think everyone in the arena just wanted to give him a big hug and let him know that there will be a better day.

The Nominations for Best Exhibition Piece please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Rhythm of Love" by Plain White T's
  
• Alissa Czisny - "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Barbara Streisand
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - "Barbie Girl" by Aqua
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" from Across the Universe Soundtrack
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - "Super Mario Bros." from Nintendo Super Mario Bros.

And the winner is...This is tough call...but I'm going with Virtue and Moir because they bring the music to life so beautifully. I could have gone on and one endlessly with various exhibition pieces but these are my faves from the seaason.

The Nominations for Best Music Selection please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Life is Beautiful" from the Life is Beautiful Soundtrack
  
• Alissa Czisny - "Selections from Winter into Spring" by George Winston
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss
  
• Kim Yu-na - "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - "Historia de un Amor" and "Que Rico El Mambo" by Perez Prado
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "Hip Hip Chindchin" by Club Des Belugas, "Temptation" by Diana Krall, and "Mujer Latina" by Thalia

And the winner is...Probably the best program this year that never got its due, Jeremy's Life is Beautiful program. What a gorgeous piece of music that just begged to be great. If there was any one program I wouldn't mind a skater reusing for a second year it would be this one...it never got its due.

The nominations for Best Choreography of the Year Please...

• Patrick Chan - "Take Five" by Paul Desmond/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney and John Lennon/Christopher Dean Choreographer
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - "Il Postino" by Luis Bacalov and "Forever Tango" by Lisandro Adrover/Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva Choreographers
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy/Peter Tchernyshev Choreographer
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" by Frédéric Chopin/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Shawn Sawyer - "Alice in Wonderland" from the Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack/Marie-France Dubreuil Choreographer

And the winner is...Oh so hard a choice! The choreography represented here is truly the cream of the crop. Six way tie? Not gonna let me off that easy? Ok ok...I'm going with Kavaguti and Smirnov. It was subtly beautiful while still exciting. Peter Tchernyshev really outdid himself here and Tamara Moskvina always knows where to add a little extra flourish. There are moments in this program where you can here a pin drop and the audience is breathless. They use every bit of the music to express the character of the piece. And the choreography seems simple while it's actually quite complex...not an easy feat to accomplish.

The nominations for Competition of the Year please...

• 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• 2010 Japan Open
  
• 2010 Skate Canada
  
• 2010 Skate America
  
• 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

And the winner is...almost by default after an extraordinary season and massive change of event and venue, the 2011 World Figure Skating Championships. It was an event chock full of surprises, with an outpouring of love for those suffering in Japan, and a few amazing performances, and an historic event given the unusual timing. There were many great competitions this season but for reasons not needing explanation, this will be the most memorable.

The nominations for Skater(s) of the Year please...

• Miki Ando
  
• Patrick Chan
  
• Alissa Czinsy
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy

And the winner is...not be confused with the Reader's Choice Award, this is my choice for whom I think is most deserving of the award. Decisions decisions. Do I give it to a skater that has made vast improvements? Do I give it to a team that has gone undefeated? Do I give the award to a record breaker? Do I give the award to a skater that brought hope to a nation that things might be better soon? This is my struggle for this award this year. In the end...I've decided to award the Skater of the Year award to Patrick Chan. Aside from setting records this season (I know, I know...Chanflation), he did something I really respect. I've long been a member of the camp that I'll take a well skated program sans quad to a badly skated one with a quad. Patrick Chan has long defended the well rounded skate even as other "quad veterans" hounded him about it (he did do a little "rebel rousing" himself from time to time). Well this season he just went ahead and shut everyone up by adding two quads (perfect ones at that) to his already well rounded skate. It made him a near unbeatable force combining the absolute best of both worlds. It shut up all the "non-quad" nay-sayers and for that alone I think he's most deserving of the award.

Thus concludes part one of the 4th Annual Loop Axel Awards. What surprises and twists and turns will happen in part two? Stay tuned...

Sticking It Out

Amidst all the splitting, switching, and retiring amongst the top U.S. Pairs teams the past couple of seasons, one has remained constant and will continue to be so through at least the immediate future.

Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig announced Tuesday they will continue international competition during the 2011-12 season and train in Ellenton, Florida under longtime coach Jim Peterson.

"They are 'staying in' because of their love of the sport, a desire to better themselves as competitors and to ultimately reach their potential as athletes," Jim Peterson told the Southwest Florida Skating Club.

While the announcement would suggest they're leaning towards a run at the Sochi Olympics, they formally announced those plans yet. "Mark and I have always had commitments on a yearly basis" Amanda said.

Well no matter their decision, kudos to them for sticking it out for as long as they have. We've learned keeping teams together is no easy feat and this team has managed to "beat the odds."

Fast Work

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin have teamed up to become the newest U.S. Pairs team.

I'm kind of excited about this pairing. For me, both were the "more" stable forces in their previous pairings (Caitlin Yankowskas and Jeremy Barrett) and I think have an opportunity to be an exciting pair with a strong technical foundation. I think they have the potential to create the same kind of energy that a team like Volosozhar and Trankov create...it's a great, powerful, exciting energy.

So Caydee has joined John in Colorado Springs and will train with Dalilah Sappenfield.

"We're excited to start this new chapter in our careers. The partnership felt right from the start, and we were immediately comfortable on the ice together," Denney and Coughlin said in the press release. "While we are grateful for the success we have enjoyed in the past, we look forward to the opportunity that lies ahead."

Oh the jigsaw that is American Pairs skating...

4th Annual Loop Axel Award Nominations

Without further discussion...

The Nominations for Best Ladies Free Skate please...

• Miki Ando - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Mao Asada - 2011 Japanese National Figure Skating Championships
  
• Alissa Czisny - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Alena Leonova - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Sarah Meier - 2011 European Championships

The Nominations for Best Pairs Free Skate please...

• Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch - 2010 Skate Canada
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships

The Nominations for Best Free Dance please...

• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - 2010 Skate Canada International
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nathalie Péchalat and Fabian Bourzat - 2011 European Championships
  
• Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

The Nominations for Best Men's Free Skate please...

• Patrick Chan - 2011 Canadian National Championships
  
• Richard Dornbush - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Artur Gachinksi - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Takahiko Kozuka - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Japan Open

The Nominations for Short Program of the Year please...

• Florent Amodio - 2011 European Championships
  
• Ryan Bradley - 2011 U.S. National Championships
  
• Patrick Chan - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships
  
• Nobunari Oda - 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - 2011 Four Continents Cup
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - 2011 Four Continents Cup

The Nominations for Best Forgotten Program please...

• Miki Ando - 2010 Grand Prix Final [Free Skate]
  
• Brian Joubert - 2011 European Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Armin Mahbanoozadeh - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]
  
• Brandon Mroz - 2010 Cup of China [Free Skate]
  
• Adam Rippon - 2010 Skate Canada International [Free Skate]

The Nominations for Worst Performance of the Year please...
*The intention of this award is not to be mean or spiteful. All skaters have a bad day for one reason or another and this is a reminder that there are better days ahead. Remembering the worst makes us appreciate the best.

• Mao Asada - 2010 Japan Open [Free Skate]
  
• Mao Asada - 2010 Trophy Eric Bompard [Short Program]
  
• Joshua Farris - 2011 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Rachael Flatt - 2011 World Figure Skating Championships [Free Skate]
  
• Denis Ten - 2010 Skate America [Free Skate]

The Nominations for Best Exhibition Piece please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Rhythm of Love" by Plain White T's
  
• Alissa Czisny - "You'll Never Walk Alone" by Barbara Streisand
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy - "Barbie Girl" by Aqua
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "I Want To Hold Your Hand" from Across the Universe Soundtrack
  
• Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov - "Super Mario Bros." from Nintendo Super Mario Bros.

The Nominations for Best Music Selection please...

• Jeremy Abbott - "Life is Beautiful" from the Life is Beautiful Soundtrack
  
• Alissa Czisny - "Selections from Winter into Spring" by George Winston
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Also sprach Zarathustra" by Richard Strauss
  
• Kim Yu-na - "Giselle" by Adolphe Adam
  
• Daisuke Takahashi - "Historia de un Amor" and "Que Rico El Mambo" by Perez Prado
  
• Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir - "Hip Hip Chindchin" by Club Des Belugas, "Temptation" by Diana Krall, and "Mujer Latina" by Thalia

The nominations for Best Choreography of the Year Please...

• Patrick Chan - "Take Five" by Paul Desmond/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier - "Eleanor Rigby" by Paul McCartney and John Lennon/Christopher Dean Choreographer
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White - "Il Postino" by Luis Bacalov and "Forever Tango" by Lisandro Adrover/Igor Shpilband and Marina Zoueva Choreographers
  
• Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Smirnov - "Clair de Lune" by Claude Debussy/Peter Tchernyshev Choreographer
  
• Qing Pang and Jian Tong - "Nocturne in C Sharp minor" by Frédéric Chopin/Lori Nichol Choreographer
  
• Shawn Sawyer - "Alice in Wonderland" from the Alice in Wonderland Soundtrack/Marie-France Dubreuil Choreographer

The nominations for Competition of the Year please...

• 2010 Grand Prix Final
  
• 2010 Japan Open
  
• 2010 Skate Canada
  
• 2010 Skate America
  
• 2011 World Figure Skating Championships

The nominations for Skater(s) of the Year please...

• Miki Ando
  
• Patrick Chan
  
• Alissa Czinsy
  
• Meryl Davis and Charlie White
  
• Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy

And that's only half! The show is running long this year! The other half will come after I announce these winners.

The Pitch

The race to determine the site of the 2018 Winter Olympic Games is tighter than anyone had ever predicted. PyeongChang, South Korea was always considered the front runner but Munich has stepped up and has given PyeongChang a run for it's money.

So at the Technical Briefing set for this week in Lausanne at the IOC Headquarters, the PyeongChang organizing committee has brought in it's top weapon; Kim Yu-na.

"I have been a member of this great bid team for many months as part of our Athletes Committee and it is special for me to be able to speak directly to the IOC about our unique vision for the Winter Games," Kim told reporters as she departed for Lausanne.

"Yu-na has been incredibly supportive as we prepared and developed our Winter Games Plan and we now look forward to presenting our bid to the IOC. She has played a key role offering advice about the sports venues plan, and we want to ensure convenience, comfort and a great setting for outstanding athletic performances in 2018," said bid chair Yang Ho Cho in a statement.

The race for the 2018 Games has gotten fierce as Munich and PyeongChang have emerged as very strong candidate cities. Munich has been backed by another figure skating super-star, Katarina Witt, who will give the pitch this week for Germany. "As a former athlete it is fantastic to be here in Lausanne - the birthplace of the modern Olympic Movement. But even more important is the chance we have here to make a real impact on the IOC members just as we enter the final stages of our candidature. After our excellent feedback from the IOC Evaluation Commission last week, we are looking forward to sharing our Festival of Friendship concept," said Witt upon arriving in Lausanne.

Who could have predicted two of figure skating's greatest athletes would go head-to-head off the ice!

Annecy, France is the third bid city for the 2018 Games but is thought by most Olympic insiders to be a long-shot given Munich and PyeongChang's candidacy.

May 18th and May 19th, all three Cities will give their technical pitch to the IOC. The IOC will decide the host city for the 2018 Winter Olympics at the 123 IOC Congress in Durban, South Africa July 6th.

Another One Bites the Dust

Ah Spring...Tis the Season for Partnership Endings. In this chapter, Brother/Sister duo of Madison and Keiffer Hubbell call it an end.

"We wish to thank all our friends and fans for years of support," the Hubbells said in a Press Release. "We extend a special thanks to our coaches, Pasquale Camerlengo, Angelika Krylova, Elizabeth Swallow, Natalia Annenko-Deller and Britta Ottoboni, and to everyone at the Detroit Skating Club."

The team had good success on the Junior Level. Madison will continue competing Ice Dance with Zach Donohue while Keiffer "evaluates" options.

Oh Ryan...

Some people just have "it."

Anyone who is a fan of Ryan Bradley knows exactly what I'm talking about. Today, after a Senior career that spanned an impressive 12 years, Ryan Bradley has made the decision to leave competitive skating. In true Ryan Bradley style he tweeted "Buh Byyyyyyyyeeee!!!"

International Competition was usually not his cup of tea (and honestly who cares)but he will undoubtedly be remembered for delighting audiences on the National Stage. How nice, that in his final season as competitive skater, all those laughs and smiles were rewarded with a National Title.

I hope (God I hope!) that Ryan continues to entertain crowds as he always has and I wish him luck in anything he does.

How about a trip down memory lane...

Reader's Choice for Skater of the Year

Follow this Link to Vote for Skater of the Year for the Loop Axel Awards! The skaters you choose include:

Florent Amodio, Patrick Chan, Alissa Czisny, Davis and White, and Carolina Kostner.

Happy Voting!

VOTE HERE

Upgrade Pains

As part of my process of making some changes to the site and such...I'm going to be deleting my Facebook Profile and redoing and relinking some things.

A new Facebook Site will soon be up so be sure to re-add me once it's up and running!

Nooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo!

Can someone answer me why the shelf-life for American Pairs Teams is nil? No wonder we constantly struggle in this discipline!

If you didn't catch this in the news wires...Yankowskas and Coughlin have decided it's the end. "I will forever cherish the memories and successes that John and I had together," Yankowskas said in a statement to US Figure Skating. "I respect and support John unconditionally with his future endeavors."

So Caitlin is looking for a new partner, John is 'weighing options' (whatever that means), and yet another U.S. Champion Pair Teams bites the dust.

Loop Axel Awards: Reader's Choice

It's time again for the annual Loop Axel Awards! Last year, there was such a huge response to the Reader's Choice Award I've brought it back again this season.

Between now and next Sunday at 10:00 PM CST, send me your vote for who you think the Skater of the Year is. You can e-mail me, tweet me, leave your vote in the comments below this post, tell me on Facebook, however you want to do it! I'll keep tabs and the top 5 will go into a poll on my site where you can vote for who you think is most deserving of the Reader's Choice Award.

It's been a very unusual skating year...who will win?

p.s. I'm also looking for fun suggestions for Award categories...feel free to toss out an idea if you have one!

Rachael Flatt - Mirai Nagasu Debacle

It was sad to watch...Rachael Flatt totally tanking in the free skate after a less than great short program. Then we learn after the fact that she had a stress fracture...diagnosed on April 22nd.

The question is...should Rachael Flatt have immediately decided at that moment to quick call Mirai Nagasu and say "I'm under the weather...get thee to Moscow!" A conundrum indeed...

To add to the intrigue, Frank Caroll piped up yesterday and said of his student "Mirai is in great shape - better than she has been her whole life. She took the responsibility of being ready as the alternate very seriously. She was doing triple axels and triple lutz - triple loop in practice. She was ready to go." He continued "This cost us three spots." He even went further when Phil Hersh pressed him on the fact that Nagasu's presence at the competition couldn't necessarily guarantee three U.S. berths next season "She blew those other American girls (Flatt and Czisny) out of the water at Four Continents."

Ballsy!

Tom Zakrajsek contends that Rachael was capable of doing all the elements in both her short and free and that is why they made the decision to come to Moscow. Over the course of two shoddy skates and and a couple press conferences the news slowly came out that she was injured and then eye brows were raised.

From my perspective, Rachael, injured or not, had the right to skate in Moscow. She outskated Mirai in Greensboro and earned her spot fair and square. I personally think she shouldn't have gone to Moscow but there is no rule in place that says she has to withdraw so I guess that's where it is. She could of been the bigger person here and put U.S. Figure Skating ahead of her wants/hopes...sad she didn't.

It brings up the bigger question however, should U.S. Figure Skating have a mechanism in place that automatically forces the withdrawal of a skater from major championships if there is a known injury that could affect performance? Food for thought...

Best of the 2011 Worlds

Just decided to throw up my fave performances from last week.

What were your faves?

Dance Attack in Moscow

I must admit...I didn't see that one coming, especially after the Short Dance where I thought it was written on the wall! It's always nice when Dance results are surprising.

For me, this was the best of all the free skates. The top five in particular I thought were all great. This was helped I think by Pechalat and Bourzat skating first and having that oh-so-untimely fall. They got up and kept going but the rest of the field suddenly had a chance to get after a medal and they all went for it. Even Bobrova and Soloviev, who I don't traditionally like, I thought got after their music with gusto and passion, helped along by the Russian crowd.

But the podium! If you asked me in the 90's if a day would come when North America would sweep a podium, with two American teams on it, one winning the Gold, I would tell you "that's crazy talk!" Well...that day has arrived with Meryl Davis and Charlie White skating lights-out to take the World Ice Dance Title. In the year of the Tango, I've never been the biggest fan of this program. At Nationals even seeing it live, I wasn't crazy about the music but I've always respected the difficulty and precision they give the dance. However, at World's, my perception of this dance totally changed as they went for the dance with everything they had and then some. Charlie, working his but off out there, showing a little chest hair, not gonna lie...kind of sexy. Loved the attack and the passion and LOVED that the U.S. finally has won a World Dance Title...long time in the making.

Let's talk about the Olympic Champs who made their season debut at this competition. I loved their free dance! What a departure for them...I felt like I was watching scenes from "Strictly Ballroom." Ummmm...Scott Moir can shake his little booty! Pretty impressive considering they've been out all season. I hope they keep this dance because if they polish it a bit more it can really sizzle.

And priceless moment of the season, Maia Shibutani's reaction to realizing they hit the podium! Igor just kept saying, "You're going to medal at Worlds," and she had that look of sheer disbelief on her face. Talk about up-and-comers! We've known for a couple years now that team Shibs was something special but to, in your first season as Seniors, medal at Worlds...that's really something.

Can we say, Igor Shpilband, is the MAN! Who coaches an entire Ice Dance Podium!