The skaters that walked away yesterday as Champions all gave me goosebumps as they performed!
In Pairs, Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin put a spell on the audience. Their Ave Maria free seemed to float an inch above the ice. It was like watching two clouds move wistfully around the rink...just gorgeous! "Masterful" I believe was the word I tweeted. There were even some tears here and there. I've never seen them skate so in tune with each other and the audience...it was an absolute joy to watch! My favorite moment was John grabbing Caitlin at the end and just turning her around having her look at the crowd and the love they were pouring on them. Yep...I was one of the people with tears!
Meryl Davis and Charlie White really had no competition here so they had to find a way to motivate themselves. I was awestruck by the fact that they could have come to Greensboro and just did okay and still won...but didn't. They gave 1000% in their free dance on route to their 3rd title. This has been the year of the Tango and it has taken some time for that Free Dance to grow on me. However, seeing it in person made me appreciate it even more.
Alissa Czisny has been a different skater this year. I was beyond nervous before she skated. She looked confident in the warm-up but we all know the history with Alissa. She skated just like she has been skating all season...with good speed, landed jumps, and a level of artistry few in the field posses. We took a breath with each jump she landed...we didn't dare breathe before hand. You could feel the crowd behind her, wanting her to do this. As she began her final spin, the crowd was already getting to it's feet. I'm calling her Alissa 2.0...the old Alissa seems gone and a new, confident, prepared, and competitive Alissa is here (did you see the fight for that triple loop...Alissa 1.0 would have went down). In 2009, I was like "Did Alissa just win Nationals?" This year I am, "Oh yeah, Alissa won Nationals!"
Other noteworthy performances included Denney and Barrett's bronze. Their year continues to be a little off...but they got a little redemption in the free. The other two Ice Dance teams on the podium, Maia and Alex Shibutani and Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein, both had excellent programs and I think them along with Davis and White represent a very strong Ice Dance presence in Tokyo. And if you get a chance to see...watch Joelle Forte's free. She is so fun to watch and you can tell she really loves what she does.
So I will pass on blogging about the ladies and pairs short programs...I wasn't there. But I can tell you I completely forgot Rockne was in fact competing here in Greensboro with Mary Beth Marley...I had to get reminded on Twitter. They are in fact in 3rd place behind Evora and Ladwig who are second...Yankowskas and Coughlin lead. Reigning Champs Denney and Barrett needing a comeback in 4th.
For the ladies Mirai Nagasu leads the way, followed very closely by Czisny and Flatt. Nice three way battle for the two available World Team spots.
I'll blog in full about the Pair and Ladies Free Skate as I will be at the events.
But I will talk a bit about Ice Dance...no shock here that Davis and White lead big after a satisfying effort in the Short Dance. They were obviously the class of the field. I was very surprised at how well Maia and Alex Shibutani did at keeping up with Meryl and Charlie. The judges didn't quite give them the due I thought they deserved but nonetheless they skated great. Chock and Zuerlein are currently in line to nab the bronze. Barring big problems I'm near certain that will be your dance podium in that order.
The men were very exciting. The leader is Ryan Bradley who went for broke and brought the house down. Huge Quad/Triple Combo and Triple Axel, cute choreography, and audience repoire that wouldn't quit was just the recipe to nab the top spot. Jeremy Abbott had the lead for a good chunk of the short program nailing his skate (but no quad). Brandon Mroz is currently third after hitting a quad of his own. Young Keegan Messing impressed his way to 4th place and Douglas Razzano hit another quad to make the top 5. Adam Rippon finds himself in 9th after a disappointing skate.
Where I was sitting there was some discussion about Ryan's marks and if he should have actually won the short. I believe that Jeremy's program is far more complex but Ryan delivered the jumping goods...so long as it's close, I'm okay either way.
Tomorrow brings our first round of frees...get excited. I'll keep tweeting from the arena even though I can't respond back to your messages.
The Senior events begin tomorrow and my next blog post will be from Greensboro! Be sure to follow me here as well on Twitter for updates!
The Pairs competition in Greensboro could be close. The prevailing faves, Denney and Barrett, have not skated up to par this season despite having more sophisticated programs from David Wilson (perhaps that's the issue). Their rock solid consistency is brought into question and we are left to wonder if they will deliver. If you ask me, the good money is still on them, but they may be challenged here. One of those challenging teams will likely be Yankowskas and Coughlin who have looked their best this season with strong results on the Grand Prix. Artistically they are the class of the field but consistency has been an issue in the past. If they are clean, they can waltz past Denney and Barrett. The other team in the mix is Evora and Ladwig, Denney and Barrett's former training partners and Olympic Teammates. They represent the middle ground of technical content and artistry amongst the three top teams and perhaps that steady consistency between technicality and artistry may prevail.
The men is what I'm looking forward to the most. Up front and center...Jeremy Abbott. He is the class of the field...hopefully with equipment issues behind him he can successfully defend his title and go for the 3-peat. Toughest competition will likely come from Adam Rippon who has shown flashes of brilliance this season. If he can keep his composure and skate well...he'll figure in nicely. The other guy that could give Abbott a run for the money...Brandon Mroz. He has looked solid this season, especially so in Beijing when he had the skate of his life. If he has the success with the quad he had in China, he may be the one to spoil Abbott's party. Behind these three is a talented group of men that includes Ryan Bradley (is he really there...couldn't believe it when I saw him on the list!), Armin Mahbanoozadeh (great showing at Skate America), Ross Miner (junior turned senior on the rise), and several other successful junior level skaters. It'll be fun!
Tomorrow I embark for Greensboro...it feels good to be going back to Nationals (and to take a few days off work). Missing Nationals last year killed me. People who read my blog know...I don't miss Nationals!
So looking at Nationals, things seem fairly up in the air as far as the ladies are concerned. I see it as a 7 lady race...with Alissa Czisny the 2009 Champ and Rachael Flatt the reigning champ coming in as the co-favorites. Czisny is coming off a huge win at the Grand Prix Final and seems to be skating better than ever. Flatt, struggled at the Grand Prix Final while dealing with an injury, says she now healthy and ready to compete in Greensboro. Chasing these two are five other ladies including the 2008 Champ Mirai Nagasu. While she missed making the Grand Prix Final, she did nab a medal in Paris for the first time on the Grand Prix and looks to be skating fairly well. Also in the mix is Ashley Wagner, Agnes Zawadzki, Christina Gao, and Caroline Zhang. Ashley has a shot at winning if she can put her jumps down cleanly rotated and on one foot. Agnes has been stellar in the short program this season only to come undone in the free...she'll need to put to programs together to be competitive. Christina turned heads last season as the junior turned senior on the rise...will she continue her forward momentum? Finally, Caroline has had better days on the ice but she seems to have made great strides artistically...hopefully she's made strides technically as she has attempted to manage a growth spurt.
Dance...barring cataclysmic seismic events...Davis and White should grab the Gold with no trouble whatsoever. They've looked impressive on the Grand Prix with no one even close to be competitive with them. The interesting battle will be the silver/bronze race between the Shibutani's, the Hubbell's, and Chock and Zuerlein. I give the upper hand to the Shibutani's, but Chock and Zuerlein have looked good this season as well. The Hubbell's...some make up work to do.
Lucy Activewear is offering one lucky person a trip to Greensboro, North Carolina for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in January! What is Lucy Activewear? Whether it's hitting the gym, practicing yoga, running or exploring the outdoors, Lucy designers are obsessed with the joy of working out. But they're also obsessed with fashion: Using a mix of high-tech fabrics, precise fit and a stylist's eye, we create gear with the design, color and feminine details you can't find anywhere else. The result? Athletic apparel gets a much-needed injection of style, and you love your workout more than ever.
What all does the lucky winner get:
2 VIP Tickets to Nationals Meet with Rachael Flatt $500 Lucy Gift Card 2 Night Hotel Stay $500 Gift Card for Spending Money Video Camera Round-Trip Air Fare
A friend asked me what my plans where for January (she's planning a birthday celebration in Las Vegas) and I told her at the end of January I was absolutely planning on being in Greensboro, North Carolina for U.S. Nationals.
Don't worry, her birthday doesn't conflict and I'm pretty sure I can do both!
I been pretty vocal about my 'distaste' for the format being employed at Nationals. That is, senior events spread over two weekends. I get why they are doing it but for those traveling to the event it makes it much more difficult. I simply can't be there for both weekends. And I can't personaly justify (mainly for the cost) flying out to Spokane to see only half the senior events or conversely flying out two weeks in a row. So for the first time since 2000 *gasp* I will not be attending U.S. Nationals (it pains me really).
But I'm totally a go for Greensboro 2011! That should fit into my schedule beautifully and so when I received their press release on their current All-Event Pass Promotion, So Good It's Scary!, I felt the need to expound upon all my blog readers how cool this is.
So, take 15% of an All-Event Pass...if (isn't there always an if?) Greensboro 2011 can get to 500 Twitter Followers (when I wrote this they were at 288). Extra bonus, certain All-Event Pass purchasers will win an autographed copy of Skating Magazine by Alissa Czisny or Meryl Davis and Charlie White.
So, if you are not on Twitter...get there! Then, make sure to follow Greensboro 2011 @NC2011.
In Japan, Daisuke Takahashi updated his blog and explained that he has begun jumping again. Unfortunately for all my Japanese readers, he won't be performing at this Sunday's "Koshien Ice." He will, however, be there to greet fans.
In Russia, 1999 World Champion Maria Butyrskaya, gave birth to her second child, a girl. She had a son two years ago. Reportedly she and husband Vadim Khomitski are very happy and had "dreamed" about having a girl.
Lots to report here in the United States. First, Michelle Kwan has graduated from Denver University with a degree in international studies with a political science minor. What's next for Michelle? Nobody knows. The economy has the organizing committee for the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Greensboro, NC trying a new tactic. During the month of June, if you buy an all event pass for the event, they'll give you a ticket to the exhibition, free. That's a savings of about $60.00! You may have seen the new USOC Television Spots (if not...it's below) that features many of our new 2010 Olympic hopefuls including Belbin and Agosto, Jeremy Abbott, Davis and White, and Johnny Weir. Lastly, unconfirmed twitter reports are saying Evan Lysacek has signed a sponsorship deal with Ralph Lauren who will be outfitting Team USA in Vancouver.
In Italy, Carolina Kostner has left longtime coach Michael Huth reports a German news agency. It's also reported that she'd like Brian Orser, who coaches World Junior Champ Adam Rippon and World Champ Kim Yu-Na, to coach her. However, Orser has not committed to the coaching deal and has previously stated his "plate is full." Stay tuned...
In China, much fanfare over the return of Shen and Zhao to competitive skating after a two year hiatus. "We are aiming for the gold medal this time," the 35-year-old Zhao was quoted as saying by sports.cn. "To achieve this, we have done a lot of preparation, such as inviting the best choreographer and the best costume designers in the world. Before leaving the national team, we got all the titles of that season. So, if we could reach the form at that time, we are confident we can realize our Olympic gold medal dream."
Finally, in Canada, they are selling Vancouver 2010 Tickets like crazy up there! And what tickets were among the first to go? That would be Opening Ceremonies, speed skating and of course, figure skating.
The website is up and tickets go on sale Saturday! Greensboro 2011 certainly wasted no time in jumping into this event!
The last time I remember a city so excited to host a Nationals was Spokane in 2007 and they were amazing...I get the sense that Greensboro will pull out all the stops in an attempt to make this a memorable event!
Also, I noticed on the U.S. Figure Skating site, the banner has changed to reflect the new National Champions!
This will be the first time that Greensboro has hosted the event and will be the first major Championships in the city for 35 years. The event will be in Greensboro Coliseum.
A news conference is scheduled today at 12:00 p.m. ET to officially announce the selection.
15 years ago this day, was the day Nancy Kerrigan was unfortunately attacked during a practice session for the 1994 U.S Figure Skating Championships in Detroit, Michigan.
The Bee also reminded me that night Scott Davis won his second U.S. Title.
And while on the topic of U.S. Nationals...I'll be there in 17 days...this time in Cleveland!
In Pairs, Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin put a spell on the audience. Their Ave Maria free seemed to float an inch above the ice. It was like watching two clouds move wistfully around the rink...just gorgeous! "Masterful" I believe was the word I tweeted. There were even some tears here and there. I've never seen them skate so in tune with each other and the audience...it was an absolute joy to watch! My favorite moment was John grabbing Caitlin at the end and just turning her around having her look at the crowd and the love they were pouring on them. Yep...I was one of the people with tears!
Meryl Davis and Charlie White really had no competition here so they had to find a way to motivate themselves. I was awestruck by the fact that they could have come to Greensboro and just did okay and still won...but didn't. They gave 1000% in their free dance on route to their 3rd title. This has been the year of the Tango and it has taken some time for that Free Dance to grow on me. However, seeing it in person made me appreciate it even more.
Alissa Czisny has been a different skater this year. I was beyond nervous before she skated. She looked confident in the warm-up but we all know the history with Alissa. She skated just like she has been skating all season...with good speed, landed jumps, and a level of artistry few in the field posses. We took a breath with each jump she landed...we didn't dare breathe before hand. You could feel the crowd behind her, wanting her to do this. As she began her final spin, the crowd was already getting to it's feet. I'm calling her Alissa 2.0...the old Alissa seems gone and a new, confident, prepared, and competitive Alissa is here (did you see the fight for that triple loop...Alissa 1.0 would have went down). In 2009, I was like "Did Alissa just win Nationals?" This year I am, "Oh yeah, Alissa won Nationals!"
Other noteworthy performances included Denney and Barrett's bronze. Their year continues to be a little off...but they got a little redemption in the free. The other two Ice Dance teams on the podium, Maia and Alex Shibutani and Madison Chock and Greg Zuerlein, both had excellent programs and I think them along with Davis and White represent a very strong Ice Dance presence in Tokyo. And if you get a chance to see...watch Joelle Forte's free. She is so fun to watch and you can tell she really loves what she does.
