*John Kerr on the inspiration behind his kilt in the Original Dance: "As the kilt is the national Scottish dress and they wanted to see national dresses this year, luckily for us they cannot give us a deduction."
* Adrian Schultheiss of Sweden after a mostly successful free skate in front a home crowd: "Hell, that was hard."
*Anabelle Langlois on how she and partner Cody Hay prepared for the free skate after a mistaken-filled short program: "We went to sleep."
* And why isn't Cody here for this press conference? Anabelle responds: "He's back there puking."
*Johnny Weir on World's placements for next year: "As much as I would like to say, it's the most important thing in the world to have three U.S. men there, it's not. Even if we have just one spot, that's fine – as long as it's mine."
* Johnny Weir on his nerves before his free skate: "I could have peed myself, I was so nervous."
* And Johnny Weir (oh goodness!) on the spotlight: "It comes down to what you do, in the middle of the arena, wearing rhinestones and velvet."
The 2008 World Figure Skating Championships have wrapped up in Goteborg (here in North America we call it Gothenborg...but I'm going with the Swedish spelling!) and what an unexpected and at times unusual set of events.
Let me begin with the Ice Dance competition. I was very happy to see Delobel and Schoenfelder of France win this. Eleven (yes...eleven!) consecutive appearances and in the first ten they had never won a medal...what perserverance! Their program set to the movie soundtrack "The Piano" is beautiful. While I felt they didn't skate as well as they did at the Grand Prix Final or Europeans, they were clearly the class of the field! What a huge outcome for the Canadians, Virtue and Moir, who took silver! I made a bold prediction earlier this season...that this team would challenge for the podium...and not to toot my horn but I was right! Their "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg" program is just magical and I think Igor Speilband has truly worked his magic with this team...breathtaking. They had fantastic speed at the end of the program. Also, Susie Wynne made some great comments at the Four Continents Cup and they actually made the changes, going back to their original outfits that worked better and redoing the choreography to really bring back the speed, outstanding! I have a bit of an issue with the brionze medalists. While RussiansKhoklova and Novitski have made improvements in their skating and their lifts are amazing and crowd pleasing, I don't beleive their connective footwork, step sequences, or side by side movements are great and I feel they were given a big gift in that bronze medal. Kudos to the the Americans Belbin and Agosto for sticking with it after the fall in that Compolsory Dance and skating well from that point on...they just had to much ground to make up after that fall (however, a bit ridiculous that they lost ground to the Russians in the Original Dance!). They too had, in my opinion, an amazing Free Dance. Three spots for the U.S. in Ice Dance in L.A. due to Tanith and Ben's fourth and Davis and White's sixth place finishes.
With the men I must first issue an apology. True story: I had written Jeffery Buttle off this season. In my poll, I didn't even include him because after his less than great Grand Prix Season and failure to recapture his Canadian title, I just didn't think he had it in him to win...or even medal really. But alas, Jeffery Buttle has won the men's title in Goteborg, becoming the first Canadian since Elvis Stojko in 1997 to do so. Buttle had a clean free skate that lacked a quad so when the huge technical score came up I was at first shocked considering Brian Joubert, who ended up with the silver, had posted a big number just before him and seemed like the easy winner. But I rewound the TiVo and grabbed a calculator and added up the jump points between Joubert and Buttle and sure enough Buttle had a higher number. France's Joubert took out his quad combo and played it safe. Buttle threw everything he had and did it all with positive GOE's. That, along with level three and four spins and footwork made the difference. Not to take anything away from Joubert, he was great, especially considering the season he's had, that was an accomplishment. Nice to see the imporvements in his skating as well. And very well done for Johnny Weir as well, winning that bronze (the only medal for the U.S. at these worlds), and showing that his hard work has paid off. Also, that bronze medal when combined with Stephen Carriere's 10th place finish will earn three spots for the U.S. men in L.A. next year. The top three men's performances which dazzled were a stark contrast to the other men who seemed to self-implode. Verner, Takahashi, and Lambiel...all considered to be leading contenders for gold self-destructed and failed to skate well here in this event. I kind of feel like this event went to the underdogs!
I found the pairs event anti-climatic. The German team of Szolkowy and Savchenko took the title with a less than stellar free skate. The Chinese team of Zhang and Zhang were uninspiring in their silver medal. The best team, in my opinion, was bronze medalists Dube and Davison from Canada. I felt they had a heart out there and were really working at putting on a great performance. I just love this team and was very impressed with them at this event. How cool was the throw Quad Salchow from Kawaguchi and Smirnov of Russia! A shame the rest of their program didn't work out as well. And what was up with Maxim Trankov's (of Mukhortova and Trankov) costume/slash arm...use better material! And not such a good day for the U.S. I think U.S. Figure Skating needs to make a better effort at improving our Pairs program through funding and seminars because 10th and 12th just doesn't cut it. I'm also not happy with the age rule that prevented McLaughlin and Brubaker from competing here. My guess is that the U.S. is going to be squawking about this at the June ISU Congress!
I am really confused with the ladies competition. Confused isn't a good word...baffled! Let me begin with saying this..."in my opinion the judges got this one wrong...way wrong!" Japan's Mao Asada won the competition, as expected, but rather unexpectedly...let me explain. When she completely biffed it on that opening Triple Axel, I didn't think she was getting back up. But she went on to complete her program well (although she did get dinged on her Lutz for a wrong edge). Italy's Carolina Kostner is all over the place (which by the way, how did she ever win that short program? Meissner had a better short than she did!) but still gets great marks...okay? She wins the silver. Yu-Na Kim of South Korea was her cool elegant self. A single Lutz was her only mistake and actually she won the free skate and took the bronze. Here's my biggest beef...best program of the night was delivered by Yukari Nakano of Japan. Beautiful Triple Axel (that was ridiculously downgraded to a double!) and all the triples to boot and she loses ground and finished fourth...what? I could understand her not getting ahead of Asada and Kim but Kostner was horrific and no way should have beaten Nakano. It is times lke these when the I really don't like the current judging system. Kimmie Meissner wasn't great, but it was better, and it was clear improvements were made since Nationals...seventh place isn't a disaster but unfortunately only two U.S. ladies will get to compete in L.A. next year (shame considering we'll have the deepest field of ladies in the World!). I think the future is unclear for her. I will be a tough road to hoe moving forward for her to make next years' World Team and ultimately the Olympics...we'll have to wait and see. Also, wishing Miki Ando a speedy recovery as she had to withdraw due to a calf muscle tear, she was obviously devestated.
Interesting week in Goteborg. Seemed like a great audience for the event and I think it was over all a well done event. Also, weird to know that is the last time for ESPN/ABC to host the event. The figure skating banner is officially passed to NBC at this point.
Don't know the ins and outs of it...and I won't spoil results here. But Tanith and Ben hit a bump in the ice (perhaps literally) in the Compulsory Dance and what I thought would be a path towards victory just got a bit harder. I can't remember the last time I saw Belbin and Agosto botch a CD. Eeeeek!
Next week the World Championships begin in Goteborg! Here's the scoop on what's going down on Swedish ice!
In Pairs, three teams have been dominant this season and I see no reason why they wont continue to be the dominant teams at Worlds. Savchenko and Szolkowy of Germany won just about everything they've entered this season (slight hiccup at Cup of Russia) and have to be the clear front runners. Close behind are the top two Chinese teams of Zhang and Zhang and Pang and Tong. Pang and Tong did well during the Grand Prix and recently won the Four Contients Cup while the Zhangs are the only team to have beaten the Germans this season. I gather that these three teams may well comprise the podium at Worlds. Other teams to watch are the Canadians Dube and Davison and the Russian teams of Mukhortova and Trankov as well as Kawaguchi and Smirnov.
Amongst the ladies, Mao Asada of Japan has to be the clear front runner. She recently won the Four Continents Cup with a near flawless program and has been the most consistent skater this season. Yu-Na Kim of S. Korea has also been solid this season but has been plagued by injury as of late and it is uncertain if she will be 100% for the competition. Reigning champ Miki Ando, also from Japan, has had an up and down season but will certainly be in the mix. Carolina Kostner of Italy has been quite consistent this season, medaling in all her competitions this season (including a bronze at the Grand Prix Final and a win at the European Championships) and looks to be a contender. Joannie Rochette of Canada has also looked strong this season and most recently took silver at the Four Continents Cup. Wild card entry this season is 2006 Champ Kimmie Meissner. From Hero to zero this season she's lucky to even be at the event after finishing 7th (yes...7th!) at this year's U.S. Nationals...you'd like to think she'd be in the mix, but who knows? Other skaters to watch include Sarah Meier, Yukari Nakano, Kiira Korpi, and Ashley Wagner. Also, the U.S. is also trying to qualify three ladies to worlds next year in L.A.
Ice Dance will probably be the closest competition in the event. If you have to say there is a front runner you 'd give it to the American Team of Belbin and Agosto. They have been clean and very consistent with a brilliant Free Dance and won the silver at the Grand Prix Final. Russian team of Domnina and Shabalin, who won the Grand Prix Final and Europeans, have withdrawn from the World Championships as Maxim has reinjured his knee in preparations. While the Americans have their best shot ever at the title it will not be easy. The French team of Delobel and Schoenfelder have been near even with the Russians and Americans all season and will put up a fight for the title. Also in the mix will be Canadians Virtue and Moir who recently won the Four Continents Cup. My best guess, those three teams will be the podium. Other teams to keep an eye on include Khoklova and Novitski, Davis and White, Pechalat and Bourzat, and Faiella and Scali.
The mens event might be hotly contested or a run away, either way it will be exciting! Easy front runner is Japan's Daisuke Takahashi. He's just buried his competition this season, especially at the recent Four Continents Cup, where he achieved the highest score ever! Two Quads, solid triples, amazing footwork (especially his short program) tough spins, he has it all! Also vying for the title is Grand Prix Final Champion Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lambiel, however, has struggled with consistency on his jumps, especially the triple axel. Johnny Weir of the United States will be in the mix. Weir turned in solid wins in China and Russia earlier in the season and had a strong performance at Nationals. Evan Lysacek won Nationals against Weir in the now infamous tie breaker but has withdrawn from Worlds due to a skate blade issue and slight forearm and elbow injuries. He was replaced by Abbott. Tomas Verner from the Czech Republic has crept into the top group of contenders this season with his strong showing at NHK and his win at Europeans. Two solid performances from him could get him to the podium. France's Brian Joubert had to withdraw from Grand Prix Paris due to viral infection and has had a hard time coming back. He looked tired and unprepared at Europeans. If he's used the past month and a half to get back to form, he will be formidable, otherwise I feel he'll get trounced upon. Canadian duo of Chan and Buttle could also be contenders, but neither has a quad, Buttle has struggled with consistency, and Chan has struggled with axels. Others to watch include Sergei Davydov, Sergei Voronov, Stephen Carriere, Alban Preaubert, Jeremy Abbott, and Kevin van der Perren.
Next years' World Championships in L.A. are to be our big, shining, new moment where we get to unveil all our new stars that rose to prominence at this years Nationals...problem is, we have to get them there first!
This week, the U.S. ladies finished 6th, 8th, and 11th at the Four Continets Cup. This is our worst finish since the event was created. And even more troublesome, our highest finisher, Katrina Hacker, isn't even on the world team...8th place finisher Wagner and 11th place finisher Liang are.
Combine that with the fact that the third member of our World Team is Kimmie Meissner who finished 7th at Nationals behind all the before mentioned ladies and that spells possible disaster in Sweden.
Nightmare scenario, the U.S. is hosting the World Figure Skating Championships in L.A. in 2009, we have a bucket full of fresh new stars that can challenge the worlds best, and we can't even qualify all of them to the event held in their home country because of a poor showing at the 2008 World Figure Skating Championships. I'm not making this up...this is the scenario that is playing out in front of our eyes.
To the credit of Meissner she is a previous World Champion and we know she has it in her to pull of a great performance but she is going to really have to come through for us in Sweden. If not Kimmie than Ashley who has also proven in the past she can be at her best when the pressure is on. God forbid we rest our hopes on Beatrisa Liang who has a history of crackling under pressure.
Everybody, send good positive energy to Shirley Hughes, Ken Congemi, and Richard Callaghan (the coaches of our U.S. ladies World Team) that they might get these ladies ready for this event and help U.S. Figure Skating avert disaster!
* Adrian Schultheiss of Sweden after a mostly successful free skate in front a home crowd: "Hell, that was hard."
* Johnny Weir on World's placements for next year: "As much as I would like to say, it's the most important thing in the world to have three U.S. men there, it's not. Even if we have just one spot, that's fine – as long as it's mine."
