Playlist Shuffle

I'm always at the gym, working out, with the iPod Touch going, and constantly thinking to myself..."Oh, so and so should skate an exhibition to this." I think I'm a good judge of what music would fit certain skaters. I often want to see them do something I think they normally wouldn't. I don't know? Here are some of my thoughts. Agree or disagree?

Rachael Flatt - "Not Myself Tonight" by Christina Aguilera. I think I eluded to this is an earlier post about skating perhaps being to PC at times. I would love to see Rachael totally abandon her 'good girl' image and skate to something downright naughty! I think it would do wonders for her career to get her out of this 'goody goody two-shoes' typecast.

Kimmie Meissner - "Send in the Clowns" by Judy Collins. I love the simplicity of this music and I think I miss that most in Kimmie Meissner's skating. I would love to see Kimmie hit the ice with a gentle piece of music, soft understated choreography, and basic command of skating that shows off the very best of what she has to offer.

Virtue and Moir - "Saturday" by Basshunter. This is basically a oddball thought but I would love to see these two kill an Ice Dance number to a hard hitting club hit. They have the youthfulness and audience connection I think to pull this off.

Akiko Suzuki - "Waka Waka (Time For Africa)" by Shakira. Akiko was one of my breakout favorites last season and I love that she doesn't mind letting loose on the ice. This song is all about freedom of movement and fun and I think she could really have a lot of fun with it on the ice.

Ryan Bradley - "Like We Used To" by A Rocket To The Moon. It's a charming piece of music and I think Ryan Bradley has the sensibility to pull it off. It's not a comedy piece but rather a story of a young man's heart. Somehow seems perfect for him...at least to me.

Jeremy Abbott - "Cry Me a River" by Michael Buble. I know, I know...JerBear has done Buble before...but he's so good at it! This song has a different more sophisticated feel than his "Save the Last Dance For Me" number he did a few years ago. Abbott and Buble go together like bread and butter.

Evora and Ladwig - "Can't Help Falling in Love" by Andrea Bocelli and Katharine McPhee. Despite the fact these two aren't romantically involved they still have a great connection on the ice. I think a slow romantic piece that they could accent with their amazing lifts would be amazing.

Kim Yu-Na - "Louboutins" by Jennifer Lopez. I would start off the program with this fierce walk right down center ice and then she just kills it from that point on (oh boy, now I'm choreographing...watch out!). I think her Bond Short from last season showed us she could do sexy...this would just take it to the next level.

Johnny Weir - "I Will Not Bow" by Breaking Benjamin. Something about the tension and slight angst in this song I feel Johnny would kill at a rock program. It's such a departure from what you might expect from him but I think he'd surprise himself.

Did I hit the mark or am I way off base?

3rd Annual Loop Axel Awards

Alright, part two of the Loop Axel Awards...time to have a little fun.

The categories are:

*Best Throw/Jump
*Hottest Skater
*The Twitterholic (NEW)
*Best Coach
*Most Improved Skater
*Best New Face
*Most Controversial (NEW)
*Best Outfit
*Memorable Moment of the Season (NEW)
*Blog of the Year (NEW)
*Reader's Choice: Skater of the Year

*Best Throw/Jump...the nominees are:

+Daisuke Takahashi - Quad Flip - 2010 World Figure Skating Championships (Free)
+Mao Asada - Triple Axel - 2010 Olympic Winter Games (Short)
+Evgeny Plushenko - Quad Toe/Triple Toe - 2009 Rostelecom Cup (Short)
+Inoue and Baldwin - Throw Triple Axel - 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships (Free)
+Jeremy Abbott - Quad Toe - 2010 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships (Free)

And the winner is...Mao Asada - Triple Axel - 2010 Olympic Winter Games. In the pressure cooker that was that ladies Olympic short, it was a huge accomplishment to not only make history by landing the jump at the Olympics, but to hold up to the intense pressure that was being put on her. It was really fantastic and we all gasped when she hit it!

*Hottest Skater...the nominees are:

+Daisuke Takahashi
+Joannie Rochette
+Aliona Savchenko
+Charlie White
+Tanith Belbin

And the winner is...Tanith Belbin. Tough competition in this category but I think this time around Tanith wins out. At one point this season she was on the cover of Men's Health scantily clad and everyone was like..."woah!"

*The Twitterholic...the nominees are:

+Jeffrey Buttle (@J_Butt)
+Jeremy Abbott (@jeremyabbottpcf)
+Ana Cecilia Cantu (@cantufeelicks)
+Michael Weiss (@MichaelWeiss2)
+Charlie White (@CharlieAWhite)

And the winner is...Ana Cecilia Cantu. The National Champ of Mexico has some of the best tweets ever! She says what she wants and is always great for a laugh (and a great sit spin if you ever get the pleasure to see her in competition). If you aren't following her on Twitter...you should!

*Best Coach...the nominees are:

+Frank Carroll
+Brian Orser
+Yao Bin
+Igor Shpilband
+Jim Peterson

And the winner is...Brian Orser. This choice of all the awards for me was the hardest to choose because each of those coaches basically were completely amazing but I gave the award to Brian Orser because he had to guide Kim Yu-Na through far more than practice sessions. He had to basically manage a nations super-star and not only help her compete well, but stand up and handle the enormous pressure S. Korea was putting on her shoulders. Oh...and he's done an amazing job with Adam Rippon and Christina Gao too!

*Most Improved Skater...the nominees are:

+Michal Brezina
+Adam Rippon
+Akiko Suzuki
+Zaretski and Zaretski
+Faiella and Scali

And the winner is...Akiko Suzuki. Not that she didn't have her rough patches this season but to go from a long shot to make the Japanese Olympic Team last season to a Grand Prix Gold Medalist, Grand Prix Final Bronze Medalist, Japanese National Silver Medalist, and Four Continents Silver Medalist is quite impressive. Also, in almost every competition she managed to skate her butt off in the free skate. Also, she took a tired piece of music (West Side Story) and breathed new life into it.

*Best New Face...the nominees are:

+Kevin Reynolds
+Florent Amodio
+Ksenya Makarova
+Michal Brezina
+Adam Rippon

And the winner is...Michal Brezina. All season long I've called the young Czech a breath of fresh air. Easy straight forward skating and natural jumps. He gradually over the course of this season established himself as the top Czech skater over veteran Tomas Verner and his season culminated with a near flawless free skate at World's that I felt should have earned him a place on the podium. He may have come up short in Torino but he's the clear winner here!

*Most Controversial...and the nominees are:

+Evgeny Plushenko
+Sasha Cohen
+Johnny Weir
+Kim Yu-Na
+Domnina and Shabalin

And the winner is...Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin. They had the entire Australian Olympic Committee after them over that Aboriginal Original Dance. The social ramification and ripples that one dance sent through the figure skating community in the run-up to the Olympics was more controversial than anything coming out of Plushenko's mouth, fur on Johnny's shoulder, Sasha's inability to show up at a competition, or an earring on Kim Yu-Na's ear.

*Best Outfit...and the nominees are:

+Davis and White - Original Dance
+Samuel Contesti - Free Skate
+Savchenko and Szolkowy - Free Skate
+Johnny Weir - Short Program
+Evan Lysacek - Short Program

And the winner is...Evan Lysacek - Short Program. I just loved that all black with the feathers around his neck and hands. I thought it was striking and powerful and perfect for his stature and the music. Also, his long limbs just accentuated the outfit and the performance.

*Memorable Moment of the Season...and the nominees are:

+Amanda Evora's flood of tears after earning an Olympic Berth.
+Joannie Rochette hugging her father after her Olympic Short Program.
+Evgeny Plushenko's #1 finger upon completing his free skate at Rostelecom Cup.
+John Baldwin's expression and interaction with the judges upon Rena Inoue's successful completion of the throw triple axel.
+Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir's final pose in their Olympic Free Dance.
+Sasha Cohen's entire U.S. Nationals short program.

And the winner is...John Baldwin's expression and interaction with the judges upon Rena Inoue's successful completion of the throw triple axel. I mean it was priceless! He popped his finger straight up and gave the judges this look like "What! C'mon!" He showed her off beautifully and it was awesome! All of that on top of the fact she had just landed a throw triple axel.

*Blog of the Year...and the nominees are:

+Aunt Joyce's Ice Cream Stand
+Required Elements
+jumping clapping man
+XanBoni!
+Blips of Todd...
+Ice Charades

And the winner is...It's so hard to judge your peers so I give everyone the award! Wait...you're note letting me cop out like that? Okay, okay...The winner is...Blips of Todd...It's so funny to see the other side of the skaters you watch compete. What you might think is their personality based upon what they do on the ice is nothing like who they really are and Todd Gilles' Vlog gives us little 'blips of Todd' that let us into his very character in a very fun and charming way. I can say however, without reserve, that all the blogs listed here and even many that aren't are amazing.

*Reader's Choice: Skater of the Year...and the nominees are:

+Shen and Zhao
+Daisuke Takahashi
+Virtue and Moir
+Kim Yu-Na
+Davis and White

And the winner is...Kim Yu-Na. The people have spoken and Kim Yu-Na is Queen indeed! I don't think there is any arguing with this choice or any of the five skaters/teams chosen to vie for this award. Kim Yu-Na has been tremendous this season, her Olympic Free in particular was stunning. She's a national hero and treasure for South Korea and how fortunate they are to have her!.

XXI Olympic Winter Games Figure Skating Ladies Preview

Last but certainly not least, the ladies event in Vancouver promises to be one of the most heavily covered by the media because of some international super-stars in the event. 10 Ladies to keep a lookout for:

Mao Asada (JPN) - After a super bumpy start to her season where she failed to medal at Rostelecom Cup and make the Grand Prix Final, she seems to have put the train back on the tracks with solid performances at both the recent Japanese Nationals and Four Continents Cup. In the free skate at Four Continents Cup she was credited with landing two triple axels in the free skate, making the 2008 World Champ a clear technical threat. The big problems for Asada this season, aside from some technical issues, have been the fact that her programs this season (her free skate in particular) leave many people cold. She skating to the very heavy Bells of Moscow which doesn't give her a chance to show off the usual lightness in her skating. Instead we are treated to what feels like a stage-tragedy on ice. If she can find a way to draw the audience in with the heavy dramatics and hit the technical content, she'll be formidable.

Miki Ando (JPN) - Miki is the only member of the Japanese ladies team that has Olympic experience, albeit a disastrous outing in Torino. She says she has learned her lessons from that experience and is prepared for this event:

This time I know what I have to do; I know what the goal is, so of course it's different.

Miki was one of two Japanese ladies to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where she took the Silver Medal in a close contest between herself and reigning World Champ Kim Yu-Na. However, she was just 4th at Japanese Nationals. She made the team on the strength of her Grand Prix outings. Miki is a solid technician but like Asada, her Cleopatra free skate leaves many cold. In this packed field of women it will take more than a series of triple jumps for the 2007 World Champ to strike Gold. If she can excite with her choreography (something she has yet to do this season) and hit the jumps, then she'll have a shot.

Rachael Flatt (USA) - The newly crowned U.S. Champion enters her first Olympics and is seen by many (if not most) to be a longshot for the podium. However, while many write her off, I think she is in a great position to be a factor in Vancouver. She will not be dealing with all the expectations and pressures of many of the top contenders and will be free to cut loose and just go for it. Rachael is extremely consistent technically and recently has managed to get a triple-triple combo back into her short and long programs. I think she can be a factor here and I would love to see her defy her many detractors.

Kim Yu-Na (KOR) - Kim Yu-Na will be one of (if not the most) talked about athletes at these games. The reigning World Champ is the biggest sensation in her native Korea and enters these Olympics as the heavy (HEAVY!) favorite for Olympic Gold. She turned heads at the Grand Prix opener in Paris where she beat her own record score and set a new high benchmark. Her short program, set to music from James Bond, is one of the sassiest and sexiest things ever put to ice and her free skate is a quiet clinic in elegance. Kim Yu-Na's biggest competitor will be herself. She will have media in her face constantly, heavy expectations from her fans, and I think personal expectations she's likely put on herself. If she can manage all of that and skate clean she will have accomplished a great deal (including a likely Gold Medal).

Carolina Kostner (ITA) - Until the European Championships, Carolina's season had been a disaster. When she lost the Italian National Championships, it became a question if she would even qualify for the Olympics. At Europeans, she not only managed to claim Italy's lone ladies Olympic berth, but she did so with a win. However, her win was unimpressive with a free skate marred with mistakes (in fact, almost all the women at Europeans had unimpressive free skates). But, it at least stopped the momentum hemorrhage that was happening and put her on the path of recovery. Now, the question is if the win has put her confidence back in place? Carolina Kostner, while I've never been a big fan, has always been good at constructing programs that are point getters. If she can be confident and land her jumps she'll be in the mix in Vancouver. If she falters...well...she'd be out (How very Heidi Klum of me).

Alena Leonova (RUS) - Recently I'm scratching my head going "What happened?" At World's last season she was this bubbly, effervescent breath of fresh air that simply reveled performing on the ice. She continued that trend this season with big Grand Prix performances that earned her a ticket to the Grand Prix Final. There, however, things came unglued and the troubles began. She bombed that competition, lost Russian Nationals, and was member of the splat fest that was Europeans. She seems to have lost her spark. I suspect with her success came the pressure of expectation, something she had skated free from up until this season. If she can find a way to enjoy what she is doing and use the electricity of the crowd to her advantage, she'll be far better off than if she worries about placement.

Laura Lepisto (FIN) - The 2009 European Champ hasn't had quite the season she had last year, but she still remains one to keep an eye on. This season she has tackled more challenging technical content in her free skate. Like Kostner, Laura didn't have a great skate at the European Championships in Tallinn despite taking the Silver Medal. Laura has very strong component scores but will need to hit the harder jumps to be competitive with the top ladies in Vancouver. Like Rachael Flatt, she may benefit from having fewer expectations and less pressure placed upon her. Laura is one of those skaters that just seems to grab points from nowhere and if she can keep her cool she may find herself in the running for an Olympic medal.

Mirai Nagasu (USA) - She skated up a storm in Spokane on her way to taking the Silver Medal. She kept insisting that she just wanted to skate great and was looking to the future for greater opportunities. Apparently the future is now! She's a gifted skater with the ability to draw audiences in but her main trouble this season has been pesky downgrades. They plagued her at Samsung Anycall Cup of China, HomeSense Skate Canada, and at U.S. Nationals. With a chance to win at all three events, she received downgrades in the free skate killing her chances. If Mirai can get those jumps 'around the corner' as I say she'll be a tough little competitor.

Joannie Rochette (CAN) - The reigning World Silver Medalist was not looking great in the early part of this season. Two scrappy performances in her Grand Prix events and then a botched Grand Prix Final left many questioning her chances this season. She shut everyone up at Canadian Nationals with a brilliant skate that brought the house down and set herself up for success in Vancouver. Joannie, like Kim Yu-Na, will have tremendous pressure and expectations upon her. The media will no doubt be following her every step. If she can keep herself grounded, shut everything out mentally, and reproduce what she did in London, she could find herself on a Wheaties Box. They do have Wheaties in Canada...right?

Akiko Suzuki (JPN) - All season long you just got the sense that she really wanted to go to Vancouver...she really wanted it! She came out smokin' hot at Samsung Anycall Cup of China with a big unexpected win. She qualified for the Grand Prix Final and took the Bronze Medal with another sassy performance. She was finally able to stamp her ticket to Vancouver by besting Yukari Nakano at Japanese Nationals. She doesn't have the same kind of abilities as Kim, Asada, or Rochette but she has heart and guts and a competitive tenacity that's so fun to see on the ice. She's the only Japanese skater to get my blood really pumping this season and I know many others feel the same. I think she is the sentimental favorite here in Vancouver...Miss Congeniality if you will...and hopefully she can use that support to her advantage.

Showdown in Osaka

My title sounds like a Quentin Tarantino movie!

So this week brings about one of the most highly anticipated National Championships of the season. Of course I'm talking about Japanese Nationals.

I predict that Reed and Reed will win the Ice Dance competition and Takahashi and Tran will win the Pairs competition. But that's the easy part...

What isn't easy to predict is arguably the deepest singles fields in the world. A Clash of Titans, if you will, are set to do battle in Osaka. Here's who to look out for:

Fumie Suguri - She hasn't had the best season this far but she is a veteran and she's won this event before. Also, aside from Ando, she's the only other competitor in the field that has Olympic experience. It's worth noting that she has a track record of skating very well at the Olympics; 5th in Salt Lake City and 4th in Torino. I think to make the Olympic Team she'll assuredly HAVE to win and even then she may yet have to prove herself at the Four Continents Cup. Don't count her out...her experience may serve her well.

Yukari Nakano - She's kind of been the ugly step child of Japanese women's skating (figuratively...not literally). She tends to be consistent enough to always place decently in competition but never seems to breakthrough and be the shining star (except at the 2008 Worlds where I feel she was positively robbed!). Her jump technique gets her in trouble often. Last season at this competition she won the short program only to fall apart in the free. Like Suguri, I think a win is a MUST in order to even be considered for the Olympic Team.

Akiko Suzuki - She's been the surprise this season. A win in Beijing put her on the map. She squeaked into the Grand Prix Final and then did it again with a show stopping performance at the Grand Prix Final landing her on the podium there with the bronze medal. She's proven this season she can be a contender but we are all still wondering if she can keep this up? She seems to be the sentimental favorite this season and most people are pulling for her. I think if she hits the podium at Japanese Nationals she will have made a strong case for herself.

Mao Asada - The other surprise this season...but unfortunately the exact opposite of Suzuki. By her standards, a disastrous finish in Moscow coupled with a failure to make the Grand Prix Final all have us scratching our heads. She's had an extended period of time to train and get her head together. I have a sneaky suspicion she's is going to come out like gang-buster's at National's and be back on form. If she falters, however, her disastrous season may continue. She needs to prove that this fall was a fluke and it's all behind her.

Miki Ando - She doesn't have the Olympic pressure the other ladies have as she already has a guaranteed ticket to Vancouver but she does have the pressure of expectation as the top Japanese woman this season. Miki, I think mostly for herself, needs to win this competition to bolster her self confidence in being the top Japanese woman this season. If she gets beat here, especially a bad beat, it might crumble her confidence and we could see a Torino repeat where she went to pieces. She has the goods...she's a World Champion, she was very close to Kim at the Grand Prix Final, she beat Asada at the World Championships to make the podium. She needs to own this and I think the sky is the limit...a failure could prove costly.

The men seem less dramatic with most believing that Kozuka, Oda, and Takahashi will assuredly make up the Olympic Team. But the order of their finish at Nationals seems up for grabs...

Nobunari Oda - He needs to just keep doing what he's been doing. His program is charming and it works. If he manages to get that tricky 3-jump Quad Combo in and skates clean, I get the feeling he wins. If he struggles at all, the others will have an opportunity to capitalize.

Takahiko Kozuka - He hasn't had the season like he had last year but he's still a threat. He has those solid basics that make him formidabble. "A skater's skater" as Scott Hamilton would say. Quad has eluded him to this point but he often gives it a valiant try. If he can just stay steady and consistent he'll be just fine. I love his music choice this season, it's one of the most imaginative and original picks.

Daisuke Takahashi - Hot and cold this season. He was cold at NHK Trophy, hot at Skate Canada, and both at the Grand Prix Final (won the short...lost the free). Stamina would appear to be an issue this season. Coming back from an entire season off due to injury can't be easy and the rust has shown. But, he is one of the most gifted skaters on the scene and has every ability to lay down stunning performances. If his conditioning is good I believe Takahashi is the one to beat. May come down to the quad...if he hits it he's in good shape. Missing it could be the deal breaker.

I'm not as up on the Japanese 'B-Listers' but I'm sure, as with any national championship, there is the opportunity for a spoiler or two.

Blood, Sweat, and Tears in Beijing

First, blood. There was a lot of hand slicing in Beijing. The funny part is I never saw how it happened. I kept going..."Oh, where did they cut their hand?" I always wonder if there is some special cleaning trick when you get blood on your nice (read: expensive!) competition outfit. Ice Charades...any tricks?

Sweat. A lot of skaters were working hard in Beijing. First, congrats to all the winners. Shen and Zhao skated great. Hongbo made me a little nervous on a couple of his side-by-side elements but in the end held it together. There was clearly no one close to them at home in Beijing. Nobunari Oda had another great performance to become the first skater to clinch a spot at the Grand Prix Final. I think he has a gem in Charlie Chaplin. Belbin and Agosto came out on top in Beijing adding to the complex situation that is bound to exist in dance this season...their are so many teams in contention for the top. Perhaps the skater who sweat the most was Japan's Akiko Suzuki who not only pulled up from fourth to take the ladies title with a sassy skate to West Side Story, but did a little double time in impressing the Japanese Federation. She certainly made a case for herself as far as the Olympic Team is concerned.

Tears. Poor Mirai Nagasu. She was the leader after the short and it looked like her troubles might be behind her. Then, her free skate happened and it was back to more of the same. In the kiss and cry she told her Frank Carroll, "I just want to go home and practice again." Rachael Flatt was less than impressive as well with a free skate peppered with little jump errors. Perhaps a few tears for Zhang and Zhang who, I'm sure, were hoping for a betting showing against teammates and rivals Shen and Zhao. Rather than shining they labored their way to a silver medal. Joannie Rochette who entered this competition the favorite found herself way down in 7th after the short. She might have saved herself by managing the bronze overall after a free skate that, while not perfect, pulled her up a bit.

You can check the full results here. This week the figure skating world stays in the region with a trip to Nagano, Japan for the fourth Grand Prix event, NHK Trophy.

Dark Horse

We all know who the big names and medal contenders are for the Olympics next February in Vancouver.  But there are some dark horses lurking out there that I think we should keep an eye on who might surprise us.  That surprise may come in the form of an unexpectedly high placement at the Olympics…it might come with an Olympic Medal attached!
 
Amongst the pairs, I don’t think we should forget about the Canadian duo of Duhamel and Buntin.  This team is powerful, exciting, dynamic…they’re all those words Skate Canada wants its athletes using to describe themselves!  I don’t think anyone has them pegged for a podium finish but I wouldn’t be surprised if it happens.  I think we should continue to keep an eye on the Ukrainian team of Volosozhar and Morozov.  At times, they have a quiet consistency that serves them well.  Finally, whichever one of the young Russian teams makes it to the Olympics should be watched as well.
 
Among the ladies, watch out for Kiira Korpi who I think one of these days is going to shock us all.  The fight for the Olympic Team in Japan is fierce, but should Akiko Suzuki make the team I think she would also have to be considered a dark horse?  The young Russian, Alena Leonova, who loves an audience and has more energy than she knows what to do with it could really make a splash too (set herself up nicely for Sochi in the process!).  Of course, it’s like a complete mystery who will be on the U.S. Olympic Team, some U.S. skaters may be considered dark horses while others may be considered favorites…
 
Dance is a little less ‘dark horsey’ because it’s quite clear who the contenders are.  I would caution, however, everyone to keep an eye on Kerr and Kerr of Great Britain, Faiella and Scali as well as Cappellini and Lanotte both of Italy and Crone and Poirier of Canada.  Also, watch out for Chock and Zuerlein of the U.S.  The U.S. Dance fight for the podium will be fierce this season too!
 
Do we consider Evgeny Plushenko and Stephane Lambiel dark horses or favorites…I’m not sure?  Definite dark horses include Denis Ten of Kazakhstan (if you didn’t see his World’s Free…well…you should!).  He’s musical; one of those skaters that just knows how to hit every note in his music and pulls in great component scores.  He’s been fiddling with the quad and if he can hit it with a solid program, watch out.  Yannick Ponsero of France is an unusual skater, unique (like most French skaters) style, and also proved last season that he could possibly contend with the ‘big boys.’  The breakout story of last season, Samuel Contesti of Italy, could be a force if he can reduplicate what he did last season.  I’m still waiting for Sergei Voronov of Russia to put it all together; when he does he’ll be dangerous.  Another Frenchmen, also unique, Florent Amodio has an outside shot at making the French Olympic Team and could be interesting to watch.  A few guys from Canada (only one of which will most likely make the Olympic Team) could surprise.  Kevin Reynolds with his quad jumps, Vaughn Chipeur with that huge Triple Axel, and Jeremy Ten with his incredible speed could all surprise us as well.
 
Who do you think we should keep an eye on?

Japan and Great Britain seize the day

Now that I'm done huffing and puffing about airlines, just a small update on the Finlandia Trophy which concluded last week.

Very good day for Japan indeed, two of their young upstarts stole the spotlight and won. Akiko Suzuki won the ladies title while Takahito Mura won the mens. Both favorites in the singles events finished third, Sarah Meier amongst the women and Sergei Voronov amongst the men. Might also note that Shaun Rogers of the U.S. made a bit of a splash and won the silver, actually defeating Mura in the Free Skate!

Unfortunately Kevin Van der Perren had withdrawn.

As expected, the Kerr's from Great Britain cruised comfortably to victory.

Full results here.

This week we have the Karl Schäfer Memorial and Junior Grand Prix in Sheffield U.K. and then on to Skate America (which I again have an airline ticket to...I'm not going to let this go)!