Post Nice Reflections

I've had time to digest all of what I saw in Nice at the World Figure Skating Championships... re-watched lots of the skates...re-read what I wrote in blog posts and not to toot my own horn...I think I called square.

Right after the competition was over, Paul from Jumping Clapping Man sent me some questions and thoughts via Facebook that I promised a blog post on. I'll do my best to give my take:

"Virtue/Moir were given that SD result. Meryl/Charlie beat that at least in the SD." - I'm assuming, like many, that Paul thought Meryl and Charlie were better in the Short Dance. For me, I'm actually okay with Tessa and Scott winning the Short Dance. I think the difference that gives the Canadians a slight advantage in Latin dances is Scott's Latin abilities. He moves precisely like a Latin dancer and I think the judges respect the purity of his movements.

"What happened to the House of Sato/Dunjen? Are they just exhausted from a too long season? Or, is there something going on behind the scenes that knocked their confidence?" - I think it was different for each skater. Alissa and Jeremy both competed in Europe a couple of weeks prior to Worlds so burnout may have been a factor. Jeremy, Alissa, and Adam all have been known to be slight headcases at times. Alissa, more than any of them, seemed just exhausted and unprepared. There was also some chatter that Yuka and Jason had asked Alissa to add a few pounds and that may have messed with her jumping technique. All three need to find "killer" instincts so they can get the job done.

"Were Kavaguti/Smirnov decked for their public commentary on the ice? I actually think they deserved a higher FS score (at least 130s). They only made one mistake, as I remember." - That one mistake led to others. After Yuko missed the second double axel in sequence, they had to bail on a lift which left lots of points on the table. Those little mishaps seem to always happen to them...they need to figure out how to skate perfect because when they do, they'll be tough to beat.

"WHY, oh WHY is Chan always scored above Takahashi? Am I missing something? Takahashi is one of the finest dancers/footwork specialists of all time, so when he lands his jumps, shouldn't he prevail, when Chan falls?" - When you find the answer, let me know.

"I was thrilled to see Kostner have her moment. For years I watched as she was overscored, and now that she remade herself and her look, she earned/deserved it. Beautiful! I hope this gave Ashley some momentum for next season...way to go girl!" - Yes, the field of ladies made it so simple for Carolina that we can't even be mad about her watered down content as it was still some of the most difficult content performed (I joke but not really...she could have seriously phoned it in!). I do pray she never wears a body outfit like that ever again though. And Ashley took my breath away. She has that "killer" instinct that some other Team USA members desperately need.

"Did Weaver/Poje deserve the bronze? Their FD was so beautiful. Perhaps I'm just biased against The Mummy." - So Weaver and Poje's Free Dance is brilliant and if Pechalat and Bourzat had skated as they had all season up to this competition I would say yes, Weaver and Poje would deserve the bronze. But Pechalat and Bourzat (as was Joubert) were energized I think by the amazing swell of crowd support they were getting and it elevated their performance level. In the arena, that Mummy program was rockin' out and they had everyone in the palm of their hand. I say at this competition, the judges were fair in awarding the Bronze to Nathalie and Fabian.

Skate America Day Three

The final day of competition. I've gotten used to this weather here in Southern California....it'll be hard to go back to Illinois where the weather is...not as nice.

The Pairs in general I thought skated very well. Savchenko and Szolkowy made a great recovery to jump from 5th to the win. Their free skate is awesome and very different. Zhang and Zhang were not able to bring the expressiveness they had in the short and dropped to second after a lifeless program. Moore-Towers and Moscovitch had an amazing performance to take the bronze. Loved the Henry V music choice. Finishing 4th was Denney and Coughlin who had a gorgeous skate and I thought...wait for it...should have won! There was some Twitter back and forth about how their skating comes across on T.V. versus in person. In the arena they brought the house down...but somehow that didn't translate to broadcast. In any case, they were fantastic and I'm scratching my head about their placement. The rest of the pairs field was somewhat lack luster. Poor Mary Beth Marley learned a lesson in tough competitions today...she had real trouble keeping on her feet on the jump elements.

The ladies began with the battle of the pinks which Ksenia Makarova won despite the fact her program (and music choices) were a hot mess. In the final group Caroline Zhang and Haruka Imai had poor performances, Haruka managed to stay in fourth despite finishing 9th in the free...Caroline dropped to 6th. Viktoria Helgesson turned in a lovely skate set to Sunset Boulevard. The choreography was impressive and I think she outdid herself by snatching the bronze medal! The battle for the gold was desperately close between Kostner and Czisny. Carolina skated first and turned in a wonderful program. Again, she picked a piece of music that works with her style and she didn't seem like she was trying too hard. Czisny skated last and had several technical mistakes but also managed some good content as well (again she seems to be fighting better than she has in past seasons which is good). When the scores went up she had lost the free to Carolina but had enough left in the gas tank from the short to take the title.

Results here.

The exhibition performances were quite good. Highlights included a positively beaming Kevin Van Der Perren, a simplistically beautiful Savchenko and Szolkowy, an awkward mambo from Denney and Coughlin, and stunning beauty from Alissa Czisny.

The first Grand Prix event is out of the way...five more to go. The next time I blog from an event will be the Grand Prix Final in Quebec City, Canada.

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...

U.S. Nationals - Goosebumps

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.

Win, Lose, or Draw in Beijing

Some big winners in Beijing...some big losers in Beijing at the Grand Prix Final...and a few draws. See all the results here.

Winners
First and foremost, Alissa Czisny! She said after her free skate in Beijing "I almost feel like this is a new beginning for me. The past is gone - over and done with. I almost feel like I am a new skater." If it goes from almost to a certainty, none of the other girls have a chance at U.S. Nationals. We've all known for a few years now that if Alissa Czisny can put together a short program and a free skate in the same competition, she'd be formidable. Well...point proven! In Ice Dance and Pairs it was kind of what most people expected. Davis and White have virtually no competition currently with Virtue and Moir out so it was no shock to see them win. I think Savchenko and Szolkowy have refound their thunder (it was totally stolen by Shen and Zhao last season) and are back on track (despite a rather cheesy free skate to Pink Panther). Patrick Chan clobbered the field with a strong skate and huge component scores. Patrick has consistently brought in the biggest PCS score this season and now armed with a quad is the toughest guy to beat. The only skater currently in Patrick's neighborhood on PCS is Daisuke Takahashi and he was seven points back. Food for thought...

Losers
Oh Rachael Flatt. It was so unfortunate to see her come undone like that. Let's not even talk about the scores (I'll leave that to Phil Hersh). A lingering leg injury is partially to blame but she was dealing with that same issue at Skate America and skated much better there. This performance has many doubting her chances in Greensboro: "I'm going to go home, regroup and start over from scratch on a few things. I need to use the time to build up my confidence in my training again." The only other big loss I think was dealt to Miki Ando who finished ahead of Rachael in 5th. After a disappointing short program (a new short program), she rallied to win the free skate...and didn't move up a single spot despite out skating everyone ahead of her. She came in the favorite and leaves empty handed...and behind two of what promises to be tough competitors at Japanese Nationals; Akiko Suzuki and Kanako Murakami (who took the bronze).

Draws
I think Pang and Tong had a draw here. Coming off of last season where they won the Olympic Silver Medal and World Title, I expected them to push Savchenko and Szolkowy a bit more here. They didn't skate bad...but where not up to the level they need to be to keep pace ahead of the Germans. A draw for Carolina Kostner who continues to be awarded for easy programs...but not a win this time. And Nobunari Oda who has a Patrick Chan problem this season (the monkey on his back). He has to figure out how to 1) get all the way through his free skate clean and 2) figure out how to raise his PCS score. He's skating good...he needs to find a way to skate great.

And how about this video...definitely affected both of their performances. A nasty crash between Kozuka and Takahashi in practice. Kozuka had to fight for the bronze and Daisuke ended up off the podium (his doctor advised he withdraw but he chose to compete anyway).



Also, take a look at the winning performances!









Bonus Video! Check out American Richard Dornbush kill it in the Junior Men's Free Skate!

Skate Canada Afterglow

So Skate Canada is in the books. I have to apologize for not posting flashes. I was actually intending on watching most of Skate Canada on demand but ended up watching most of it as it happened. The flip side I was at work and couldn't watch, blog, work simultaneously. However...you can read what I thought about the action by checking my Twitter profile.

What were the Skate Canada highlights for me? Let's start with the amazing performance given by Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch in the free skate. I'm always down for a good Les Mis program and they rocked it. You didn't even care about the bobble Kirsten had on her Salchow because any memory of it was erased by the two fantastic lifts they did at the end to pull the crowd out of their seats. They won the free skate and took the silver overall but the were desparately close to catching the Russians Iliushechkina and Maisuradze for the Gold. Kirsten were joined on the podium by their young teammates Lawrence and Swiegers.The Americans Castelli and Shnapir were so close to medaling after a fantastic short but the free got the better of them. I do love their Avatar free skate though.

I also loved the unpredictability of the dance event. This season it seems like nothing is a done deal and all the teams can't put it on cruise control like they did before. Kerr and Kerr of Great Britain have a lovely free skate and were on their way to victory when they had a slip on lift and it didn't really go as planned. That one mistake was enough to let Crone and Poirier of Canada slip past them for the win with a Beatle's number choreographed by Christopher Dean (so in the end...I guess Great Britain still wins out!). The Canadians are really putting pressure on these Grand Prix Podiums. Paul and Islam, another Canadian Team at this event, was actually 2nd in the free dance and finished 4th overall. It was the Americans Chock and Zuerlein that snuck in for the bronze after after a fun dance set to Cabaret.

The ladies event was so unpredictable start to finish. I actually pegged the Junior World Silver Medalist Agnes Zawadzki to win it because I though at the least she would be consistent and that would win the day. Well Agnes was hot and saucy in the short but nerves got the better of her in the free and she fell to 6th. The podium was quite a roller coaster. Amelie Lacoste 5th after the short, managed the bronze. She didn't have a great free but it was good enough on the day. Johnny Weir tweeted several times that we should all pray for Ksenia. The prayer must have worked because she worked her Evita free skate enough to earn the silver medal. She seemed happy with her skate and Johnny tweeted he almost cried his lashes off! The Gold Medal, however, went for the second time in her career, to Alissa Czisny (video below). She came back from 4th in the short to take it all with a gorgeous program set to George Winston's Winter and Spring. Are good things ahead this season for Alissa?

Finally the men. I took some heat on Twitter for defending the judges at this event. Patrick Chan had a terrible short program and many felt he should have been further back than what he was (4th). In the free skate, he came roaring back (quad included) to take the title. Nobunari fans in particular harped on the "Canadian Bonus" Patrick got in the short. I will be the first to call out any point padding. I think Kevin Reynolds (who hit two quads in the short!) and Amelie Lacoste in particular were beneficiaries of some point bumps at this event. Chan, I felt was marked fairly. His tech score wasn't padded at all, the protocols show that, and he is one of (if not the) the best skaters as far as the component score. A better way of looking at it is like this...so you think Patrick was over scored in the short, so you think he should have been ranked behind Alban Preaubert, Javier Fernandez, Yasuharu Nanri? Even on a bad Patrick Chan day, you have to admit his skating skills are certainly going to keep him ranked ahead of those skaters. On the flip side, you can say Adam Rippon and Nobunari Oda weren't given the component scores they deserved. But as good as they are (and I love both of them!), Patrick is still far superior to them in the component mark. In the end...rationally...I think the judges did get it right and there were just some mad fans. I think Nobunari's silver and Adam's bronze were right. Should I prepare for more egg dodging?

You can see the full results here.

I can report that I am 0 for 8 on accurate podium predictions. I have to improve this. I did do better on my fantasy picks though. Tied for 197th (better than the 365th last week) and have improved to being ranked 175th overall. I just keep telling myself slow and steady... Cup of China next week!

U.S. Nationals Preview (Ladies)

Finally, we have reached the ladies competition at Nationals. Seems like it took forever to get here. More than any other discipline, this one is completely up for grabs with lots of ladies with a shot at taking it (or second place which secures the other Olympic Berth).

Rachael Flatt - She's winning my poll on who people think will win the title. She's been the runner up for two straight years now and looks poised to finally take the crown. Her big moment this season so far was at Cancer.Net Skate America where she upset Kim Yu-Na in the free skate. Kim went on to take the title but Rachael proved she could be a heavy hitter. She has a crowd pleasing short program that could vault her ahead of the competition. A betting person would put their money on her...will they cash in?

Alissa Czisny - The defending champion has had an up and down season to this point. She did nab the silver medal at HomeSense Skate Canada but it wasn't off a great performance. Alissa is one of the most gifted skaters as far as artistry is concerned in the competition. Holding her back is those nerves; something she and her mentor, Brian Boitano, have been working on. If she can keep the nerves under check, land her jumps, and most importantly rotate her jumps, she'll have a great chance of making the Olympic Team.

Mirai Nagasu - She arrived in Spokane in good spirits. The 2008 Champ has looked far more confident this season but she is still getting those pesky jump downgrades from under-rotating her jumps. The only thing between her and an Olympic berth is a quarter turn cheat. She admitted during a USOC Presser in Chicago earlier in the season that she was a bit 'intimidated' by the presence of Sasha Cohen in the event. She'll need to get over the 'fear factor' and trust her training has prepared her for this moment.

Caroline Zhang - She's had a rough season to this point. She was late settling on a coach going from Li Mingzhu to Charlene Wong...then back to Li. After a so-so start in Paris she landed a devastating 8th place at HomeSense Skate Canada after numerous mistakes and jump downgrades. Along, with jump downgrades, Caroline is often slow and also receives edge calls on lots of her jumps. Her coach, Li, has also stated that she enters this championship with a back injury that will require constant therapy...further setbacks indeed. She'll need to do several things to be competitive for an Olympic berth in Spokane...land jumps, skate faster, and find a way to connect with the audience. When Caroline is on she has a natural way of relating to the crowd but if she's off, it just doesn't work.

Sasha Cohen - A good portion of the skating world (myself included) doubted she would even make it to this event. After withdrawals from Trophee Eric Bompard and Cancer.Net Skate America and continued talk of injury and unsuccessful triples...the writing 'seemed' to be on the wall. But her coach John Nicks said she has worked harder in the several weeks leading up to this event than she has ever worked in her life. We all took a deep breath when she actually arrived in Spokane and then our jaw dropped when in her first practice session she looked amazing! Now translating a solid practice to a solid competition is another issue. Artistically she can't be touched. People keep talking about her inexperience with the IJS but in fact she is one of the most experienced skaters, posting some of the systems top scores after its inception (her 2003 Skate Canada score is still #6 on the top score list). I had a sneaky suspicion that if she showed up in Spokane she'd be up to the challenge. Olympics bound for the third time?

Emily Hughes - Finally making it back to Nationals after a two year hiatus, she's kind of the wildcard in the bunch. Spokane ice has been good to her, the last time she was at Nationals was here (2007) and she was the silver medalist. A silver medal here would send her back to the Olympics again. At Cancer.Net Skate America she looked a tad rusty but was giving it good attack. If she worked out the rust and is rotating her jumps fully (that is what did her in at Skate America) and can bring that spark that comes natural to her (all Hughes'?), I suspect she'll be in the hunt for a medal and perhaps a trip to the Olympics.

Ashley Wagner - Ashley was the lone American woman to make the Grand Prix Final where she placed a respectable 4th. She's looked solid in practice leading up to the event and has seemed very focused. She's stated that rather than attempting lots of tricky triples, she's just trying to do what she can do well and earn positive GOE's. Third in 2008, fourth in 2009, is 2010 her year? In my poll she is in second place for those predicting who will win this competition. She's been the U.S. leading lady so far this season...does it continue with a trip to Vancouver?

2009 Nebelhorn Trophy

Thursday marks the beginning of the 2009 Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany. This is an important competition not only because top talent will be competing but many competitors are on a quest to attempt to qualify berths at the 2010 Olympic Games.

Two men have a realistic chance of qualifying berths for the Olympics (the qualifying process begins with Nebelhorn but it does not end here). Switzerland's Stéphane Lambiel begins his comeback bid here and realistically has to be seen as the clear favorite. It will be the first time we will have seen him in competition mode since the 2008 World Championships and give us a picture of how successful his comeback may be. Also with a solid chance of qualifying a berth for Azerbaijan is former Canadian competitor Fedor Andreev who recently won the Skate Detroit competition. His stock is on the rise and I expect he'll skate well. Plenty of other talent to keep an eye on including Czech skater Michael Brezina who won this event in 2007. France's innovative Yannick Ponsero is in the mix as is the 2004 World Bronze medalist Stefan Lindemann who'll be skating at home. Ryan Bradley from the U.S. will make his season debut in Germany.

This event has a fairly solid pairs and dance field. In Pairs, World Champions Savchenko and Szolkowy look to begin their season with an easy win. Also competing are Ukranians Volosozhar and Morozov, Canadians Langlois and Hay, and Americans Castille and Okolski. The Ice Dance competition gives Americans Davis and White a chance to get early feedback on their dances this season.

Amongst the women, three ladies I feel have a near equal chance at taking the title. Alissa Czisny, who won the title last season, Kiira Korpi, and Sarah Meier all have a shot, just depends who shows up with their jumping legs. Hungary's Julia Sebestyen, 2004 European Champion, is competing but unfortunately she hasn't been much of a factor in recent years.

UPDATE: Terrible news. Fedor Andreev will not be competing at Nebelhorn Trophy and thus will be unable to qualify for the 2010 Olympic Games. The reason...the Azerbaijan Skating Federation forget the paperwork! He and teammate Joelle Forte (who used to compete for the U.S.) were forced to withdraw because of the mishap. You can check out the full scoop at Jenny Kirk's blog. How unfortunate.

UPDATE #2: Sarah Meier has also withdrawn from Nebelhorn.

UPDATE #3: A quick update with the winners of this event. No surprises really. Switzerland's Stéphane Lambiel won the men's event. American Alissa Czisny took the ladies title (despite a sixth place free skate). Pairs title easily went to reigning World Champs Savchenko and Szolkowy of Germany. The dance title went to Americans Davis and White.

Pic of the Week

Alissa Czisny, I feel, is getting lost in translation.

Out of retirement translation that is.

The Olympic Games are looming and the U.S. has only two spots available (insert horrified gasp....here!). All the attention seems to be going towards Cohen's return and the part in a horror/suspense movie when you know something is coming but it takes forever...kind of like Kwan's decision to return or not. Alissa Czisny is a fan favorite...until past champions return.

But what of our National Champion? My goodness, you have to really think about it to remember that she IS the reigning National Champ. Snubbed for Skate America 'just in case' Kwan comes back, free skate not even shown on T.V. from L.A., little media attention. At least Skating Magazine had the good graces to give her 4 pages in their June/July edition.

I was talking ice with a friend and her comment shocked me' "Well, Alissa blew it in L.A., so if she doesn't make the Olympic Team I won't feel bad for her." Ouch! But I get the feeling that there is a general consensus out there that Alissa isn't one of the two 'candidates of choice' for Vancouver. Maybe the comment my friend made wasn't off base at all? Maybe I'm wrong, but when you think about who should be on that Olympic team does Czisny come to mind as a leading candidate (chance for Czisny fans to come to the rescue here!)?

Anywho, it's her birthday tomorrow and she's turning the ripe ole' age of 22. That does make her one of the 'older' (but certainly not the oldest) ladies that will be competing for a shot in Vancouver but by no means 'over the hill.' (Glasses raised) Here's to Czisny; that she have a great birthday and may she not be completely invisible next season (clink!).

2nd Annual Loop Axel Awards

Part Two...time for some of the more interesting awards. Lots of these are new awards that weren't amongst the ranks of awards last season. It's just so much fun to hand out awards (which is interesting since I'm 'really' not handing any awards out!). Categories include:

*Best Jump (NEW)
*Best New Face
*Hottest Skater
*Best Fall
*Best Coach
*Most Improved Skater (NEW)
*Best Outfit (NEW)
*The OMG Moment of the Season (NEW)
*Best Comeback (NEW)
*Blog of the Year (NEW)

*Best Jump award goes to Canadian Vaughn Chipeur for his Triple Axel in the short program at Cup of China that just took us all by surprise. If you've never seen his Axel...it's huge! Other great jumps that were taken into consideration include Evan Lysacek's Quad at the Four Continents Cup, Mao Asada's Triple Axel at the Grand Prix Final, and every jump Miki Ando attempted in the Free Skate at Worlds. ;-)

*Best New Face goes to Denney and Barrett. They really have been remarkable this season. Being a team for such a short period of time and in their two first international competitions, to put down clean free skates...impressive. It was the year of Ten as well, as I considered both Jeremy (the Canadian version) and Denis (the version from Kazakhstan) as well as Russian newbie Alena Leonova.

*Hottest Skater is always tricky for me. Like last year, I had to confer with others. I actually put together a panel of six individuals (close friends) and put 4 skaters in front of them. It was a tie so I broke the tie with my vote and named Aliona Savchenko the winner. She is a stunner, so much so, that at the Public Pairs Medal Ceremony in L.A. Peter Carruthers looked at her, stepped back, looked at her again and proclaims, "She's looking good, huh? Very L.A." Before my tie breaker, Keauna McLaughlin was right up there with her, but as she is only 16 it felt a little wierd. Also in the mix was Alexander Smirnov (last year's winner!) and Rockne Brubaker (although he had tamed the curls at Worlds...and that made me sad).

*Best Fall award absolutely goes to Candice Didier for that frightening fall she had on an easy triple toe in the free skate at Worlds. I thought no way can she comeback from that, not only did she, but earned a standing ovation for the heroics she displayed. Two other Worlds falls made the nominee list, Yuko Kavaguti's spill on her throw quad salchow and Jenna McCorkell's fall in the free skate. Also on the list, Emily Hughes for her crash and burn Triple Flip at Eric Bompard Trophy.

*Best Coach I decided to give to Nikolai Morozov. At almost any competition, he is the coach for like a third of the competitors...no joke. I always wonder how he has the time to teach so many but he must be doing something right as he has so many high level athletes. Almost gave it to the dup of Natalia Linichuk and Gennadi Karpanossov for getting both Domnina and Shabalin and Belbin and Agosto in such amazing shape for worlds with little prep time. Brian Orser made the list for his amazing work with Yu-Na Kim and recently Adam Rippon, and Tatiana Tarasova for her work with both Lysacek (she worked with him to perfect and work out his program a bit) and Asada.

*The Most Improved Award goes to Samuel Contesti who really put himself on the map this season with an unexpected Silver at Europeans and a really solid 5th place finish at Worlds. Previously (and as Frenchman) , not even close to being in the mix at major international competitions, suddenly he's a big time competitor! I considered Caroline Zhang for the remarkable progress she has made this season, Adam Rippon for the same, and Kavaguti and Smirnov for really beginning to gel as a team.

*The Best Outfit Award is highly subjective and I'm sure plenty will completely disagree with me but I went with Kerr and Kerr's Free Dance Outfit. There is a story behind the program, brother and sister that survive a natural disaster, and I think the costumes tell that story beautifully without being over the top. I was a big fan of Samuelson and Bates Original Dance Outfit, especially Evan in his Popeye bits. Although some thought it a bit 'nude' I liked Ashley Wagner's 'Spartacus' digs. I'm also a sucker for gloves, and loved Nobunari Oda's 'Warsaw Concerto' get-up.

*The OMG (Oh My God!) Moment of the Season for me was definitely when I was looking at the scoreboard inside Quicken Loans arena and said "Did Alissa Czisny just win National's?" I had several OMG moments this season, thus the award, including "Did Craig Buntin just slice his hand in half on Megan Duhamel's blade?" Also, "Did Patrick Chan just bitch-slap Brian Joubert in the L.A. Times over a Quad jump?" Don't forget, "Jeffrey Buttle just retired! Did he get the memo that the Olympics were in Canada next year?"

*Best Comeback award goes to Miki Ando for after a rocky season, getting it together to have a...well at the least...technically proficient skate at Worlds to claim the Bronze medal. Belbin and Agosto nearly got it for getting it together to fast and narrowly missing the World Title. Tomas Verner for finishing 4th this season at Worlds after the disaster and meltdown that was Goteborg, Sweden. And Alissa Czisny for almost keeping it together the entire season.

*The last award is a fun one. Our online skating community is growing and I'd like to take a little time to give some credit where I think some credit is due. I give the best figure skating blog award to myself...just kidding! Actually, after some long thought I really decided to give it to Lifeskate! Susan over there is a genius and I look at Lifeskate as more than a blog, but rather a resource for all things skating. She not only keeps tabs on competitive figure skating, but also professional skating, adult skating, synchronized skating, leisure skating, Ice Theatre, special events, basically everything. Her Journalism skills are crazy...she got interviews with Lu Chen and Denis Petrov...in Shenzhen, China! Exclusives with Nikolai Morozov, Johnny Weir, etc. etc. etc...Lifeskate...we are not worthy! If you have not bookmarked this site...who am I kidding...of course you already have it bookmarked!

That does it for the 2009 edition of the Loop Axel Awards.

If you missed part one...they're right here.

You can revisit the class of 2008 here.

The results are in...

The results of my recent poll are in. The question, does Czisny and Flatt have what it takes to get the U.S. three Olympic berths at the upcoming World Championships, was answered and overwhelmingly people are not convinced they can pull it off.

Nearly half of all respondents didn't think they have what it takes. A quarter thought maybe they could pull it off and about a fifth said they absolutely could. Seven percent were even less optimistic, stating they thought Czisny and Flatt might only earn the U.S. one spot...eeek!

Now Rachael has gone back to last season's free skate that served her well at U.S. Nationals where she won the silver and the Junior World Championships where she won gold. There have been rumbles that Alissa has up'd the technical difficulty of her free skate to get every point possible.

While we can predict all we want the question remains, how will it all play out?

A Saturday in Cleveland

So...finally I made it back to my computer to post! What a day it's been. Three finals to discuss.

So the pairs final...ugh! I love Keauna and Rockne to death...I love them! However, they should not have one this one, hands down. Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett were sensational. They had us captivated in the arena and it was amazing. Keauna and Rockne just didn't have the spark and made lots of little technical errors. When the final scores went up, most of us in the arena were disappointed by the results. In third, and possibly off the World Team was Inoue and Baldwin after a program that lacked technical depth. Evora and Ladwig were fourth with a solid, crowd pleasing program. In the end Amanda was just crying so much because she and Mark had skated well. Rounding out the top five was Castille and Okolski who looked unprepared for this event and definitely lacking on content.

In Dance it was the Davis and White show. They skated beautifully to 'Samson and Delilah.' As expected, they won by a comfortable margin. Taking the Silver was Samuelson and Bates. They skated very well. Pulling in for the Bronze was Navarro and Bommentre. They had a solid free dance after a lack-luster OD. However, over this season they've lost ground and will probably not get to go to world's this season. Hubbell and Hubbell in their senior debut looked very good as well in placing fourth.

The ladies! Even in the earlier groups there was tremendous skating. First, I'll have to wait and see what was going on when I get home and watch the NBC telecast but just prior to Mirai Nagasu's program she was crying like crazy and we all thought she was going to withdraw. But she turned in a gutsy program, jump downgrades aside, and finished strong. How about the 8 place jump for Wagner from 12th to fourth! It's now the second year in a row she's won the free skate at National's and not won the title. I didn't like the new music cuts and choreography she developed for her "Spartacus' program...but apparently the judges did! In my opinion, Caroline Zhang had the best performance on the night. However, I'm sure the jump police were probably after her too. She seemed pleased with her bronze and I guess that's what counts. Rachael Flatt took the silver after a solid, but slow program. She seemed to be skating with caution and that might have been the difference between winning and not winning. Alissa Czisny started her program so well but after the fall on the lutz I thought that would be it. Thankfully for Alissa the two people who beat her in the free skate were behind her after the short (Wagner wayyyyyyyyyy behind her) and she was able to squeak the victory over Flatt. The crowd in Q Arena went nuts for her and it was nice for a Cleveland native to win here. If you had asked me if this was even possible last season, I would have said no way! I'm currently eating my words.

So the men are tomorrow, I'll post some pre-free thoughts tomorrow before heading to the arena. And you can keep track of my thoughts during the competition on twitter (check the right side of the blog). Till tomorrow!

2008 Nebelhorn Trophy

This past weekend brought the first major Senior ISU competition of the season. Some surprises here and there and some interesting items to report.

Amongst the men, Nobunari Oda of Japan had a good competitive redebut by winning the men's title. He was able to hold his lead from the short program over the defending champion Michael Brezina of the Czech Republic. Yannick Ponsero of France was a distant third. Surprisingly, Tomas Verner, also of the Czech Republic, reigning European Champion could only muster fourth place...a dissapointing start to his season. Scott Smith and Dennis Phan finished seventh and eigth, respectively.

In Ice Dance, Americans Samuelson and Bates won both the Original and Free Dance and captured their first senior title. The Americans were able to hold off the Israeli team of Zaretski and Zaretski, who lead after the Compolsory Dance but fell behind in later parts of the competition. The Americans also took bronze with Summersett and Gilles. "We skated great," said Samuelson. "We're really happy with how we performed. It was a great senior international debut for us."

No big surprises in Pairs. Savchenko and Szolkowy of Germany posted an easy win over Russians Mukhortova and Trankov. Ukranian's Volosozhar and Morozov, as expected, won the Bronze. Very strong senior debut for American's Denney and Barrett, they finished fourth overall and was actually third in the free skate. Yankowskas and Coughlin were sixth.

Amongst the ladies Alissa Czisny pulled out an impressive win jumpstarting her season. With the withdrawl of Carolina Kostner she seized the opportunity to take her second ISU Senior title. She held off Finnish upstart Laura Lepisto who won the silver and Akiko Suzuki of Japan who took Bronze. Chrissy Hughes of the U.S. in her senior debut finished 13th. After the competition, Alissa spoke with Icenetwork reporters, "I've been working with Linda [Leaver] and Brian [Boitano] on my [jump] technique, and this year it's starting to click. That's one of the things that's making me better plus I'm a little more relaxed in competition."

Apparently there is a team trophy awarded at Nebelhorn and on the strength of Czisny, Samuelson and Bates, as well Summersett and Gilles the American team was able to win that as well!

Full Results can be seen here.

Fresh start for Czisny

So Alissa has an important competition beginning tomorrow. She has to compete against her biggest competitor...herself.

Alissa Czisny is the easy favorite to win the 2008 U.S. Collegiate Championships which kick off tomorrow in Denver (Arvada, CO to be exact). As the only ladies competitor in the field to see a podium finish at U.S. Nationals for Senior Ladies, it should be a cake walk.

My guess is Alissa knows this so it's probably more of a mental game for her to put her skating back on track. Two years ago she was a sensation on the Grand Prix only to struggle at the Grand Prix Final and 2006 U.S. Nationals. In 2007, she struggled through the regular season but rallied to a bronze medal at Nationals (winning the free skate in fact!) but struggled at the World Championships. This past season she has just struggled and found herself finishing 9th at Nationals. This event is a chance for her to get her skating back together.

Alissa has stated clearly that her goal is to make the 2010 Olympic Team, a task getting harder and harder each passing season with young stars on the rise. Alissa has the talent to do it; her spins are amazing and she has natural beauty, breath, and grace to her skating that her national rivals envy and the judges respect. This season is a critical test for Alissa, can she compete with the big guns or is her Olympic Dream too far out of reach?

Ice Network will be covering the event, you can check it out here.