Sunday, August 30, 2009

ISU Junior Grand Prix Budapest 2009


Junior Men
  1. Richard Dornbush (USA) 187.83 pts
  2. Grant Hochstein (USA) 179.03 pts
  3. Zhan Bush (RUS) 155.27 pts
  4. Alexander Nikolaev (RUS) 155.02 pts
  5. Takuya Kondoh (JPN) 154.53 pts

Junior Ladies
  1. Polina Shelepen (RUS) 157.57 pts
  2. Angela Maxwell (USA) 136.31 pts
  3. Harula Imai (JPN) 131.13 pts
  4. Ellie Kawamura (USA) 120.46 pts
  5. Anna Ovcharova (RUS) 119.88 pts

Junior Ice Dance
  1. Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) 166.06 pts
  2. Karen Routhier & Eric Saucke-Laelle (CAN) 149.94 pts
  3. Lorenza Alessandrini & Simone Vaturi (ITA) 142.03 pts
  4. Piper Gilles & Zacharky Donohue (USA) 141.33 pts
  5. Evgenia Kosigina & Sergei Mozgov (RUS) 138.93 pts

Ladies continue to impress at Moran

If their free skates at the Moran Memorial on Saturday give any hint, Elene Gedevanishvili and Ashley Wagner mean business.

Both skaters were in nifty form, showing programs well-developed for so early in the season.

The 19-year-old Gedevanishvili is following in the steps of Katarina Witt, Debi Thomas and, more recently, Mao Asada with her interpretation of Carmen. She's not alone. Mirai Nagasu, too, is taking a stab at Bizet's fiery heroine this Olympic season.

Robin Wagner, who trains Gedevanishvili at Hackensack's Ice House, grappled with the familiar choice.

"I thought about it 50 times. Do we really want to do Carmen?" she said. "But Elene said she always wanted to skate to it, and if an athlete is really committed to the music, that's half the battle. I felt she could really get into the character and actually be the character."

"I love it," Gedevanishvili said. "It's so different. I tried to do it two years [ago], but I wasn't old enough. I'm glad I waited for the Olympic year."

The skater, whose 10th-place finish at the 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships earned two Olympic ladies' spots for Georgia, opened with a Lutz and triple toe-double toe combination. She also hit two triple Salchows, one in combination with a double toe, but didn't try a flip.

"It's a strategic move. Her flip is big and consistent, but at times, it changes edge [from inside to outside] a bit," Wagner said. "It's a hard call. The edge deduction can really hurt you. We'll have to work on it and think about it as the season progresses."

Gedevanishvili earned 98.86 points, placing first in the free by .71.

Wagner debuted her new free program choreographed by Irina Romanova to Borodin's "Polovetsian Dances."


Full article.

Wagner looks sharp at Moran despite downgrade

Without a protocol, you're lost.

At first glance, there were some clean short programs from the ladies at the Moran Memorial Championships, a non-qualifying competition being held at the Ice House in Hackensack, N.J. But that's before you study the sheet that tells the technical tale.

Take Ashley Wagner. After an opening triple flip-double toe combination, she got hit with a double deduction on her triple Lutz. It was both downgraded and flagged for an incorrect inside take-off edge, leaving it worth just 1.6 points.

"We've been working a lot on my technique," said Wagner, 18, who placed fourth at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships after winning the event's free skate.

"Clearly, [coach] Priscilla [Hill] and I will not be satisfied until my Lutz is 100 percent on an outside edge [take-off]. We're taking baby steps. We hope it's there by nationals, and we're also hoping for a triple-triple combination for my Grand Prix events [NHK Trophy and Rostelecom Cup]."

Wagner's Once Upon a Time in America short was crisp and sure, with energetic straight-line steps and two level 4 spins, as well as a level 4 spiral sequence. She earned 54.88 points, edging out Georgia's Elene Gedevanishvili by 1.19.

"I was happy with it," she said. "The first program of the season is always the most difficult. You want to go out there with a big bang, but everything is still so new.

"I've really only been seriously training for one month; after Champs Camp [in June], I was so sick. I was out for two weeks and off ice completely for a week. Ever since I've gotten healthy again, we've been training all out."

Gedevanishvili, who placed tenth at the 2009 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, took second with a speedy, flirtatious take on the jazz classic "Fever," opening with a solid triple Lutz followed by a triple toe-double toe combination.


Full article.

Chan puts the generation gap on ice

Patrick Chan and Don Jackson's figure skating eras are separated by nearly 50 years, but you wouldn't have known that on the ice yesterday.

Chan, world championship silver medallist and a top contender for the 2010 Winter Olympics, put on a clinic for the Forest Hill Figure Skating Club with Jackson, world champion in 1962 and the first man to land a triple Lutz in competition.

The 18-year-old Chan and the 69-year-old Jackson were a pair of skating Pied Pipers in the frosty arena, as youngsters ranging from 5 to 19 followed their every word and move, as did a group of instructors. Talk about rapt attention.

"Well, I think if I was a young kid and Patrick Chan came to do a seminar for me, I'd be eating up everything, too," said Jackson.

Elaine Hume, an instructor at the club for 25 years who knows Chan through his late coach Osborne Colson, put things in perspective.

"This is a unique situation where the past meets the present," said Hume. "These kids have a pretty good idea they (Jackson and Chan) are part of figure skating history. They know this is something pretty special."

Chan and Jackson have some history, too. Turns out that when Chan was just 8 and living in Ottawa, he was in Jackson's learn-to-skate class at the Minto Club. But their closest connection is through Colson, who was Jackson's best friend and trained the 1960 Olympic bronze medallist as a pro.

Jackson recalls when he first heard about Colson's prize protegé.

"He said, `I've got this young boy with me, he's an excellent little skater but he's got something special.' It was Patrick Chan he was talking about."

That something special was on display yesterday, as Chan charmed everyone. He also left behind more than memories. Chan donated his gold medal and award from his first-ever Grand Prix victory at the Trophée Eric Bompard in Paris in 2007 to the club's trophy case.

"It's sort of to inspire you guys," he told the skaters, later adding: "I owe you guys more than you owe me."

Chan said it was important for him to connect with the skaters.

"This is going back to the roots," he said. "These are the kids that are the future of Canada's skating. They're the ones who are going to be looking up to me – hopefully – when they get up to a higher level if they do, just like I looked up to Elvis (Stojko) or Kurt (Browning)."

Jackson reminisced with Chan about Colson and showed him the ins and outs of a toe wally, a move not used much today but one Chan may employ in a show program.

"He gives me a lot of tips," said Chan. "Always, always so nice and always compliments me. If I ever feel down, I'll probably give him a call to motivate me back up."

Like most, Chan marvels at the longevity of Jackson, who still coaches at the Minto Club and skates in shows.

"I think I'd be in sunny Florida enjoying my retirement," said Chan. "But that's what he loves."

Jackson, for his part, is impressed with Chan's sense of joy on the ice.

"He loves what he's doing. That's why he's there. And he passed that on to the skaters. And I hope I do the same thing."

No worries on that front.


TheStar.com

Ice dancers snag gold

The Peninsula ice dancing duo of Tarrah Harvey and Keith Gagnon began the 2009/10 competition season in fine style this month, with a first-place finish in New York.

The pair, who have skated together for 12 years with the White Rock-South Surrey Skating Club, placed first in the compulsory dance event at the Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships.

For Harvey and Gagnon, the gold medal in Lake Placid continues what has been a banner 12 months. Last year, the team soared up the international ice dance rankings, winning silver at national championships and finishing fourth and fifth in competitions in Italy and Belarus, respectively. They wrapped up their impressive run with a 12th-place showing at World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Bulgaria.

Closer to home, the White Rock-South Surrey Skating Club's season begins soon, with registration and the annual open house/skate sale scheduled for Thursday, Sept. 10, from 4:30-6:30 p.m. at Centennial Arena.


www.bclocalnews.com

Virtue and Moir in Prime Form for Olympics

Canada's Olympic hopes in ice dancing for the upcoming Games are riding on the shoulders of Ontario's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The couple, only 20 and 22 respectively, has skated together for 13 years.

The two-time Canadian Champions finished with silver and bronze medals at the last two World Championships and have won both the World Junior and Four Continents Figure Skating Championships.

They open the 2009-10 season in Paris with Trophée Eric Bompard, and then close with Skate Canada. The team is happy with their schedule.

"Having the first and the last Grand Prixs with time between is an advantage," Moir noted. "We like going to Paris so we're excited about that. Just being there makes us happy."

"We've skated in all the rinks that we'll compete in this season," he continued. "We're very familiar with Kitchener-Waterloo since it's near our homes and we trained there for years when we were younger. And we have training camp in Vancouver in September, so we have another chance to skate in that rink again."

"We haven't thought at all about what we'll do next year," Moir admitted, "but we'll do the whole season, including Worlds. We owe Torino a little something. We didn't go to the last Olympics and didn't skate well when we there at the Grand Prix Final. And we don't have a gold medal at Worlds."

The dancers first premiered their new programs in a competitive atmosphere at Thornhill in Toronto, Canada earlier this month.


Full article.

Wednesday, August 26, 2009

Meissner won't have to qualify for 2010 U.S. championships

Former world and national figure skating champion Kimmie Meissner will not have to qualify for the 2010 U.S. championships. The championships, scheduled for Jan. 14-24 in Spokane, Wash., will determine which two women will go to the Winter Olympics.

Despite being assigned to two international Grand Prix events this season, the skater from Bel Air was going to have to qualify at the South Atlantic regionals in Rockville in early October because she withdrew from the national championships earlier this year due to injury. And she missed by one day the bye granted to skaters whose Grand Prix assignments and travel would create a conflict with regionals.

Meissner, who trains in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., is to compete in Moscow in the Cup of Russia on Oct. 22-25, and the NHK Trophy in Nagano, Japan, on Nov. 5-8. U.S. Figure Skating officials granted her a bye because of the short time frame and extensive travel involved.


baltimoresun.com

"Stars, Stripes and Skates" set for Sept. 26

On Saturday, Sept. 26, Olympic figure skaters and young local talent will partake in the eighth annual Stars, Stripes and Skates ICEtravaganza, which honors the memory of September 11 and benefits The Heritage Foundation of 9/11. The show will take place at 7:30 p.m. at the Danbury Ice Arena in Danbury, Conn.

Confirmed guest skaters for this year's show include world champion Miki Ando, three-time U.S. champion Johnny Weir, current U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott, Japanese national champion Nobunari Oda, and U.S. Olympians Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.

Weir and Abbott are United States hopefuls for the 2010 Winter Olympic Games being held in Vancouver and plan to showcase their talent at Stars, Stripes and Skates.

In addition to the world-class roster, young area skaters will share the ice with their idols in a performance celebrating the patriotic spirit of the United States.

Weir competed in the 2006 Winter Olympics in Turin, Italy, and recognizes his role as a model for young skaters.

"As a representative of the United States and as an Olympian, I understand the beauty and splendor of my country," said Weir. "I am so honored to be taking part in this year's Stars, Stripes and Skates."

"I am happy to lend my time to such a cause and help raise awareness about an epic disaster that should never be forgotten or repeated," continued Weir. "I am training hard for the 2010 Olympic Games, and I am excited to show my skills for such a loving audience this September."

With a star-studded cast, Stars, Stripes and Skates plans to build on the success it has had in past years. In previous shows, the event has featured an all-star cast including Olympic gold medalist Sarah Hughes, vocal recording artist Ashanti, Emmy-nominated choreographer Shane Sparks, actor Steve Buscemi, various American Idol finalists and many others. This is the second year in a row that the show will be held in Danbury, Conn.


Full article.

Cohen joins cast of "Skate for the Heart"

Sasha Cohen, who recently announced her comeback to Olympic competition, will make her first televised skating performance in the high-energy Skate for the Heart show on Saturday, Sept. 19, 2009, at the Sears Centre Arena in Hoffman Estates, Ill.

The taped show will air on NBC on Sunday, Jan 31, 2010, from 4:00 - 6:00 p.m. EST, less than two weeks before the 2010 Olympic Winter Games kick off in Vancouver, Canada.

Cohen, the Olympic silver medalist at the 2006 Winter Olympics in Torino, will perform in the show along with reigning world champion Evan Lysacek and 2009 world silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, to help generate awareness of heart disease. Cohen announced last month that she was returning to competitive skating and hopes to represent the United States at her third Olympic Games in Vancouver.

Disson Skating's Skate for the Heart, features live performances from music stars Jordin Sparks, Charice, Honor Society and KSM. Sparks, the winner of the sixth season of American Idol, appeared on this season's American Idol, May 13, and introduced the exciting new single "Battlefield" from her sophomore album.

Other Olympic, world and national figure skating champions will perform with Lysacek, Agosto and Belbin in Skate for the Heart including 2009 U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, 2009 U.S. pairs champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker, 2009 U.S. bronze medalist Caroline Zhang, 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu, three-time U.S. champion and 2008 world bronze medalist Johnny Weir and 2009 U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott.

19 Entertainment/Jive Records artist, Jordin Sparks rose to fame as the winner of the sixth season of American Idol. With the success of her platinum self-titled debut album, by the end of 2008 Jordin won an American Music Award for Favorite Artist- Adult Contemporary Music, an NAACP Image Award for Outstanding New Artist and a Teen Choice Award for Choice Music "Hookup" song. She also received a Grammy nomination for "Best Pop Collaboration with Vocals" as well as two nominations at the MTV Video Music Awards for "Best Female Video" and "Best New Artist." Sparks joined other notable music artists in performances at the Commander-in-Chief's Inaugural Ball hosted by President Barack Obama.


Full article.

Team USA poised for medal sweep in Budapest

U.S. skaters have a good chance of coming away with all three gold medals at the first event in the 2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series this week in Budapest, Hungary.

The event, which will be held at the Budapest Ice Rink, begins Thursday, Aug. 27, with the compulsory dance and the ladies and men's short programs. Official practice will take place Wednesday, Aug. 26.

LADIES

The ladies event figures to come down to American Angela Maxwell, Japan's Haruka Imai and Estonia's Svetlana Issakova.

Maxwell is competing in the Junior Grand Prix Series for the third season; last season she finished second in Czech Republic, third in Great Britain and fifth at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Imai competed in only one JGP event last season, in Belarus, winning gold at that event. She went on to capture the Japanese junior title before placing 16th at the World Junior Figure Skating Championships.

Issakova will have redemption on her mind, as she placed 13th and 16th at her two JGP events last season after medaling at both of her assignments and qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final in 2007. She finished one spot better than Imai at the 2009 World Junior Championships.

France's Mae Bernice Meite (12th at the 2009 World Junior Championships) could also find herself in the medal mix.

MEN

The men's field is a mostly inexperienced one, as only one skater in the field has a JGP medal in his trophy case. Leading the charge is American Richard Dornbush, who, like teammate Maxwell, is in his third season on the JGP circuit. He took home gold from both of his assignments last year, in Mexico and South Africa, and won the bronze at the JGP Final.

Canadian Samuel Morais pocketed top-10 finishes at both of his JGP assignments last season, in Mexico (eighth) and Belarus (10th).

Other entrants with top-10 JGP finishes to their credit are France's Morgan Cipres (ninth at 2008 JGP Great Britain) and Czech Republic's Petr Bidar (ninth at 2007 JGP Romania).

ICE DANCING

The ice dancing competition looks to be the most competitive, with three very strong teams in the field.

Americans Piper Gilles and Zach Donohue had a successful debut last season in the JGP Series, taking gold at their first event, in Czech Republic, and silver at their second, in South Africa. They are the 2009 U.S. junior bronze medalists.

Canadians Karen Routhier and Eric Saucke-Lacelle won the bronze at both of their 2008 JGP events, claimed the 2009 Canadian junior title and placed seventh at the 2009 World Junior Championships.

Lorenza Alessandrini and Simone Vaturi of Italy have placed no lower than seventh at any of their four career JGP assignments. They won the bronze at last season's JGP Italy, took the 2009 Italian junior title and came in ninth at the 2009 World Junior Championships.


icenetwork.com

2009 JGP Series kicks off this week in Hungary

The kickoff event for the 2009 International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating (JGP) Series takes place Aug. 26-30 in Budapest, Hungary.

The event, which will be held at the Budapest Ice Rink, begins Thursday, Aug. 27, with the compulsory dance and the ladies and men's short programs. Official practice will take place Wednesday, Aug. 26.

Eight athletes will represent the United States at the event in three disciplines: ladies, men's and ice dancing. A pairs competition will be held at four of the seven JGP events during the season.

The JGP Series, now in its 13th season, consists of seven international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. Approximately 400 athletes representing more than 35 countries are expected to participate in the series. Each athlete is eligible to score points in two of the seven scheduled events (pairs can compete in two of four designated events). The top eight point-earners in each of the disciplines qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final Dec. 3-6 in Tokyo, Japan.

LADIES

Making her debut on the JGP circuit is Ellie Kawamura. Her most recent international competition was the 2009 AEGON Challenge Cup in The Hague, Netherlands, where she won silver as a junior. She placed second at the junior level at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland, Ohio. Kawamura will be joined by Angela Maxwell, who will be competing in the JGP Series for the third season. Last season she finished second in Czech Republic, third in Great Britain and fifth at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Goyang City, Republic of Korea.

MEN

This is Richard Dornbush's third season competing in the JGP Series. He took home gold from both of his assignments last year, in Mexico and South Africa, and won the bronze at the JGP Final. Grant Hochstein won the pewter medal at the 2009 U.S. Championships. In his only international competition to date, he captured the gold as a junior at the 2008 Gardena Spring Trophy.

ICE DANCING

Piper Gilles and Zach Donohue had a successful debut last season in the JGP Series, taking gold at their first event in the Czech Republic and silver at their second in South Africa. They are the 2009 U.S. junior bronze medalists. Charlotte Lichtman and Dean Copely are competing in the JGP Series for the first time. In their most recent competition, they finished ninth at the 2009 U.S. Championships.


In addition to Budapest, Hungary, the Junior Grand Prix Series consists of the following events:

JGP Lake Placid: Lake Placid, N.Y. - Sept. 2-6
JGP Poland: Torun, Poland - Sept. 9-13
JGP Belarus: Minsk, Belarus - Sept. 23-27
JGP Germany: Dresden, Germany - Sept. 30-Oct. 4
JGP Croatia: Zagreb, Croatia - Oct. 7-11
JGP Turkey: Istanbul, Turkey - Oct. 14-18
JGP Final: Tokyo, Japan - Dec. 3-6


U.S. ENTRIES AT JGP HUNGARY

Ladies

Ellie Kawamura
Angela Maxwell

Men

Richard Dornbush
Grant Hochstein

Ice Dancing

Piper Gilles, Zach Donohue
Charlotte Lichtman, Dean Copely


icenetwork.com

Just add ice: Flatt and Hamill in Lake Placid

The Aug. 15 edition of the Lake Placid Olympic Center Saturday Night Ice Show was a star-studded affair, led by two-time U.S. silver medalist and 2009 worlds competitor Rachael Flatt. Guest stars, junior men's champion Ross Miner and Italian pairs team Stefania Berton and Ondrej Hotarek, took to the ice with 26 other talented skaters to give dazzling performances. The crowd was in awe of the skaters, while more than a few skaters were in awe of the audience, which included skating luminaries Dorothy Hamill, John Zimmerman and Silvia Fontana. For her opening program, Flatt skated to "Sing, Sing, Sing," which received ecstatic applause. Her closing number was a heartfelt skate to Miley Cyrus's inspirational song "The Climb." The next day, I met up with Flatt and her mentor for an informative chat. Lake Placid is not a new destination for Flatt. She first visited this scenic Olympic village in December 2002, for the U.S. Junior Championships, and is now in her second year of starring in a Saturday Night Ice Show.

"It's always fun to come out," said Flatt. "It's such a wonderful little town with all these fun little quirks that I really enjoy!"

She loves everything, from the restaurants to staying at the Mirror Lake Inn, to "all the cute Adirondack memorabilia shops on Main Street."

Our talk then entered the realm of training. "The training environment is wonderful," said Flatt, referring to the World Arena in Colorado Springs. "Everyone obviously pushes each other to be their best every day. It's nice to have such a great support system." She recounted her average training schedule; Flatt skates four hours, six days a week and she runs both programs every day. She spends about 15-30 minutes warming up for each session. Twice a week she goes to ballet and stretch class, along with working out at the Olympic training center.


Full article.

Monday, August 24, 2009

Canton ice dancers use non-traditional methods

U.S. ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White are looking for a little something extra this season to vault them onto the podium at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver.

The ice dancing event at the upcoming Olympics promises to be one of the closest in history. Fewer than six points separated the top four teams at the 2009 World Figure Skating Championships and three of those teams had been slowed by injuries during the year. This year's gold medal could be decided by a tenth of a point.

With the technical side of the sport already being pushed to the limits allowed by the Code of Points, every couple is looking for that one little thing that will make the color of their medal gold and not silver or bronze.

With so much riding on the Olympics, Davis and White have added new dimensions to their training to try to get an edge on their rivals.

Each of their dances requires a bit of special training. Their original dance is a traditional folk dance from India, a concept that sprang to coach Marina Zoueva's mind when she was shopping in a Hermes store in Madrid and saw a display of new scarves.

"There was a display of big Indian scarves that looked very colorful," Zoueva said. "I immediately saw Meryl in an Indian costume with the red dot on her forehead. The costume for Meryl would be amazing."

"I knew the Indian dances had very intricate arm and hand movements that could talk," Zoueva added. "Everything means something. It's not necessary for the audience to know the meaning of the movements but it keeps their interest."

The dancers found Anuja Rajendra, founder of BollyFit, Fitness through (Indian) Dance, to teach them the right moves and find authentic music for their original dance.

"It's a very different, unique style of dance," Davis stated. "There's a stark contrast between Indian folk dancing and Mideastern dances."


Full article.

Sunday, August 23, 2009

Michelle Kwan's come back - Ice All Stars 2009



Car Crash Doesn't Deter Dancers

For some skaters, winning a medal is the most important thing, but for Pennsylvania ice dancer Michael Soyfer, just being able to skate again was a victory.

The 18-year-old was involved in horrendous car crash in May 2009 that totaled his car and left him in the hospital in a coma with a fractured skull and a shattered left arm that had to be reassembled with metal plates and screws.

"I don't remember anything about the accident," he said, "but as soon as I came out of the coma, I told my Mom I wanted to start back skating." "I told him that the only way he was going back on the ice was with a helmet," Mrs. Soyfer noted.

After a lot of physical therapy, Soyfer was back skating again within a month, but didn't regain full use of his arm for a few additional months. It wasn't until August that he was first permitted to do any lifts.

That put Soyfer and his partner, Nathalie Wojton, behind schedule for this season, their first as juniors. They placed eighth nationally in juvenile dance in 2006, ninth in intermediate dance in 2007, and 11th in novice dance in 2009.

The couple won a silver medal in the original dance and bronze in the compulsories at BC Summer Skate in Vancouver in their first competition after returning from the injuries.

"We just want to establish ourselves and not look like a novice team this year," Soyfer said. "We need to have more speed and energy and show more expression. We're hoping to improve our levels on the elements, especially the footwork sequences."

"Our big goal this year is just to make it to Nationals," Wojton added. "We're just starting and we want to keep skating for as long as we can - as long as it makes me happy."


Full article.

Michelle Kwan to co-host Skate for the Heart

Michelle Kwan, the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, is co-hosting Skate for the Heart, live at the Sears Centre on September 19 in Hoffman Estates, Ill. Kwan, the two-time Olympian, five-time World Champion and nine-time U.S. National Champion and one of the most popular figure skaters of all time, will join skating legend Peggy Fleming in co-hosting this high-energy show that brings top music and figure skating talent together to raise awareness of heart disease.

Amidst the buzz of a potential return to competitive figure skating and a bid for the 2010 Olympic Games, Kwan recently announced her decision to continue her education and attend graduate school, pursuing a master's degree in international affairs.

Among her numerous honors and accomplishments, Kwan, in November 2006, was appointed an American Public Diplomacy Envoy by the U.S. Secretary of State. In this capacity Kwan travels the world and meets with young people to speak about leadership and engage them in dialogue on social and educational issues. In January 2009, Kwan was appointed to the President's Council on Physical Fitness and Sports, a group that advises President Obama on ways to promote regular physical activity to improve the health of all Americans.

Reigning world champion Evan Lysacek, 2009 ice dancing world silver medalists Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, 2009 U.S. champions Alissa Czisny,Jeremy Abbott and 2009 U.S. pairs champions Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker are just a few contenders for the upcoming 2010 Winter Games featured in Disson Skating's Skate for the Heart, combining art and sport with live performances by Jordin Sparks and a stellar cast of music stars including Charice, Honor Society and KSM. Tickets range in price from $30 - $187 and are available at Sears Centre Arena Box Office, all Ticketmaster outlet locations, online at www.ticketmaster.com. Visit www.dissonskating.com or www.searscentre.com for more information.


icenetwork.com

Gilles and Donohue have sights set high

For ice dancers Piper Gilles and Zach Donohue, success was almost immediate. The couple started dancing together in June 2008 after both had split with previous partners.

Less than three months later, they won the original and free dance competitions for their group at the 2008 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships and were awarded an ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) assignment in Ostrava in the Czech Republic, their first international competition. They won the event, an experience Gilles categorized as her biggest life-defining moment to date.

The duo followed up with a silver medal at the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) in Cape Town, South Africa. That qualified them for the Junior Grand Prix Final, but Gilles injured her groin in training and they had to withdraw.

"It was probably due to my last growth spurt," Gilles said. "I was off the ice almost two months. Whenever I tried to go back, it would flare up. I tried to skate the week before the Final, but it was like, no way."

The couple was back on the ice for the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, where they won the bronze medal in junior dance.

"That was great for what we'd been through," Gilles said. "We only had a month to train, and I wasn't doing much, just a quick run-through of the original or free in the morning and a compulsory dance run-through in the afternoon if I felt OK."

The couple won the free dance and the original dance in their group this season at the 2009 Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships in August.

They will open the ISU Junior Grand Prix season in Budapest, Hungary at the end of August and then compete again in Dresden, Germany in October.

They will continue competing in junior dance this season at 2009 U.S. nationals as well and hope to medal at all their competitions.


Full article.

Abbott among impressive field at DuPage Open

The DuPage Figure Skating Club, home club to world champion Evan Lysacek, hosted its annual summer competition Aug. 13-16. Some of the top skaters in the country joined together to compete at the Twin Rinks Pavilion in Buffalo Grove, Ill.

The junior ladies event was a hotly contested one, with U.S. junior ladies champion DeeDee Leng, up-and-coming star Agnes Zawadzki and U.S. novice ladies silver medalist Mary Beth Marley competing for the title.

Zawadzki amazed the crowd with a flawless short program Friday evening. She performed an impressive triple Lutz combo followed by a triple flip that was beautifully executed. She set a new high score of 59.04 for herself. Marley, skating at her home club, finished second in the short with 49.62 points, and Leng placed third, landing a gorgeous triple Lutz but failing to land the ensuing triple flip. Zawadzki's free skate was just as pleasing as her short, as she finished with a score of 102.18, far and away the best in the event. Club mate Marissa Secundy was second with 75.06 points. Marley was third in the free skate (71.35), and Leng was sixth (65.89).

Shocking herself, Kayla Howey took the senior ladies title in both segments. She skated a dramatic short program, completing a solid triple toe-double toe combination. She also performed an interesting free skate, the main highlight of which was an inside edge spiral. She scored 81.63 points in the free skate and took home the sizable first-place cup. Alexe Gilles finished second with 44.50 points in the short and 80.90 in the free skate. She landed a solid triple loop-double toe combination in the free skate.

In men's competition, Eliot Halverson skated a clean short and had a nine-point lead heading into the free skate Sunday afternoon. He competed as a junior in order to prepare for his upcoming Junior Grand Prix assignment. In the free skate, Jason Brown completed six triple jumps as well as an astounding triple toe-triple toe halfway through the program. He took the lead, scoring 111.39 points, with Joshua Farris behind him in second with 97.46. Halverson finished third with a program that was not nearly skated to its potential. Despite his setbacks, Halverson still pleased the crowd with his unique style of skating.

An intriguing group of senior men tested their new programs. Triple Axel attempts flooded the ice, and Ryan Bradley nailed the quad toe in his free skate. He pulled into first after placing third in the short with a program rife with character.

Jeremy Abbott made an appearance with his new coaches. He won the short by five points over former club mate Brandon Mroz but ended up second in the free skate. Mroz pulled off a triple flip-double toe-double loop combination.


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No kilts for Kerrs on road to Vancouver

Fans hoping for another eyeful of John Kerr in a kilt are in for a disappointment.

He and sister Sinead Kerr, the prides of Scotland, wowed crowds with their home country dance two seasons ago when the ISU last prescribed the folk genre. This time around, they're turning to the two-step and Johnny Cash's version of "I've Been Everywhere." And while John is sticking to jeans, Sinead struts her stuff in a pair of Daisy Mae shorts.

"I love 'em. It's my turn to show off," she said.

The six-time British ice dance champions took the ice at Flushing Meadows' World Ice Arena as part of Ice Theatre of New York's popular Summer Youth Concert Series, which continues Aug. 22 with another performance from Sinead and John and other special guests.

"We wanted to make this original dance a laugh, almost like something you could do in an exhibition, so we were glad to come here and show it to people," Sinead said.

Although the ISU selected folk/country dance rhythms in part to help skaters honor their home country traditions at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, the Kerrs resolved not to draw water from the Scottish well again.

"It's like the expression 'You cannot win twice,'" their coach, Evgeni Platov, said. "[The Scottish dance] has been done in kilts, and it's been done well, so I don't know how they could do it better.

"The Olympics are in Canada, so we thought cowboys. And then I was going through my iPod and heard this Johnny Cash song. I really loved it, so I played it for them, and they really liked it. And this idea was born to do something not exactly Canadian, but country. We tried it here for the first time, and the audience picked it up immediately so it's going to be a bull's eye, I think."

The skaters are again working with Robert Royston, who perfected their swing OD last season. The four-time U.S. Open swing dance champion is also a four-time world country dance champion (1995-1998) and is helping the siblings polish their turns, loops and duck outs.


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Reality show pairs jocks with figure skaters

Canada's first ladies of pairs figure skating, two of its retired queens of ice dance, and a veteran of Britain's Dancing on Ice, will all be skating with new partners this fall -- although only temporarily.

Jamie Salé, Barbara Underhill, Isabelle Brasseur, Christine "Tuffy" Hough-Sweeney, Jodeyne Higgins, Shae-Lynn Bourne, Marie-France Dubreuil and Kristina Lenko could have their work cut out for them as they pair up with eight former pro hockey players from various NHL teams -- who may or may not be wearing hockey skates -- when CBC-TV's on-ice, reality show Battle of the Blades debuts October 4.

Over the course of seven weeks, viewers at home and a panel of judges headed by master choreographer Sandra Bezic will decide which of the women has done the best job of molding her former stickhandling, shoulder-pad wearing hockey jock into a lithe, if not graceful, skating partner capable of lifting and spinning in tandem and generally sashaying across the ice to music. The shows, hosted by Kurt Browning and veteran CBC sportscaster Ron MacLean, will be performed in a Toronto area arena for a live audience.

The winning couple in the elimination-style competition earns $100,000 for the charity or charities of their choice. Each eliminated pair receives $25,000. The winners will be crowned November 16.

In the country where almost every Canadian-born youngster laces on skates -- with or without picks -- sometime during their elementary school years, CBC is counting on the figure skater-hockey player match-ups to grab the public's attention as the Olympic season gets underway.

Bezic admits that the first question the men asked when they were approached to participate was: "Am I going to look like an idiot?"

Understandably, none of them wanted to risk ridicule by agreeing to trade their hockey jerseys for something a little more stylish -- and perhaps sparkly. Bezic points out none of the women were interested in looking foolish either.


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Goo Goo Dolls, skaters team for Improv-Ice

In the sports and music world, often the greatest moments in history are the least expected or prepared for. Improv-Ice takes this idea to an exciting level with top Olympic, world and national figure skating champions putting their creativity and athletic prowess to the ultimate test of performance under pressure, in an off-the-cuff show, backed by the live music of one of the biggest popular rock bands of the past two decades, the Goo Goo Dolls.

The Show: Hosted by Olympic champions Brian Boitano and Kristi Yamaguchi, Improv-Ice will require each skater to perform to one contemporary piece of music chosen in advance by Lea Ann Miller, artistic director of Disson Skating, and one of the Goo Goo Dolls greatest hits, performed live by the band. To close the show, there will be a group number with the Goo Goo Dolls featuring music from their new album. The skaters will not get to hear any of the music before performing. The live audience and viewers will have the opportunity to vote for the skater they feel performed the most creative routine. Results will be announced on the television special.

The Cast: Includes 2009 world champion and two-time U.S. national champion Evan Lysacek, 2006 Olympic silver medalist and two-time World silver medalist Sasha Cohen, four-time world champion and four-time Canadian national champion Kurt Browning, 2008 world champion and 2006 Olympic bronze medalist Jeffrey Buttle, two-time world bronze medalist and three-time U.S. national champion Michael Weiss, two-time Olympic medalist and 1993 U.S. national champion Nancy Kerrigan, 2009 world silver medalist and five-time Canadian national champion Joannie Rochette, 2003 world ice dancing champion and ten-time Canadian national ice dancing champion Shae-Lynn Bourne.

The Music: In anticipation of the follow-up release to their 2006 album Let Love In, set to drop in early 2010, four-time Grammy-nominated artists the Goo Goo Dolls will perform eight of their greatest hits live with the skaters and perform three numbers from their new album. The band has become one of the most globally respected and influential forces in popular music history, selling more than 10 million albums since 1987. They have been topping charts for decades, having an unprecedented string of 14 consecutive number one and top 10 multi-format hit singles including "Name," "Slide," Black Balloon," Broadway," "Here Is Gone," "Big Machine," "Sympathy," "Stay With You," "Before It's Too Late," "Jim's Theme" (Treasure Planet)," and "Better Days," which, due to its uplifting lyrical spirit, was adopted by CNN as an anthem for the news channel's Hurricane Katrina recovery coverage. "Iris," from the City Of Angels soundtrack, spent nearly 12 straight months on the Billboard charts and held the number one position for 18 consecutive weeks. By that point, sales of the soundtrack exceeded a phenomenal 10 million copies worldwide.

The title track of their 2006 album Let Love In marked the band's 20th anniversary and gave the band a record number of top 10 hits in Adult Top 40 history, beating artists including Matchbox Twenty and Sheryl Crow. Be one of the first to hear brand new tracks from the Goo Goo Dolls as they perform live at Improv-Ice.

Tickets: Tickets go on sale Friday, August 14 at 10:00 AM and are available to purchase at Ticketmaster.com, all Ticketmaster retail outlets and charge-by-phone: 800-745-3000 (tickets will be available at the Honda Center Box Office beginning Monday, August 17). All dates, acts and ticket prices subject to change without notice. A service charge is added to each ticket price.


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Hughes targets second Olympic team

Things are coming full circle for Emily Hughes.

When the 20-year-old took the ice last weekend at Flushing Meadows' World Ice Arena as part of Ice Theatre of New York's (ITNY) Summer Youth Concert Series, she continued a tradition that stretched back nearly 15 years.

"Part of what we do is give young skaters the opportunity to perform just for the joy of it," said ITNY founder Moira North.

"Both Emily and her sister [2002 Olympic champion] Sarah performed with us in shows at Rockefeller Center when Emily was just wee. Now that we're presenting other young talent, it's so nice she's coming back. The young skaters were thrilled."

It's back to the future in other ways as well. The 2007 U.S. silver medalist is taking a year off from her studies at Harvard University, leaving Cambridge in favor of the Hughes family home in Great Neck, Long Island, although she may return for a few weekends.

""I'm going to miss school a lot, but I'll visit every so often," Emily said. "My friends are supportive; my old roommates said there's always a futon waiting for me."

Of the six Hughes siblings, Emily will soon be the only one in full-time residence. Younger sister Taylor leaves for her freshman year at Tulane University in two weeks, although father John says, "Everyone is always in and out."

The skater is training full-time at Syosset's Iceworks with Bonni Retzkin, who began putting her through her paces when she was just three or four. And, just as she did at the beginning of her senior career in 2004-2005, she'll have to earn her way to the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships by competing at qualifying competitions this fall.


Full article.

U.S. team announced for JGP Poland

U.S. Figure Skating announced today the athletes that will compete in the third event of the 2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series in Torun, Poland, which takes place September 9-13.

The event will be held at the Tor-Tor Ice Rink and will begin Thursday, Sept. 10 with the compulsory dance and the ladies and pairs short programs. Official practice will be held Wednesday, Sept. 9.

Fourteen athletes will represent the United States at the event in four disciplines: ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing. The U.S. team hails from 10 states: Alaska, California, Delaware, Indiana, Maryland, Michigan, Nevada, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee.

In addition to Torun, Poland, the Junior Grand Prix Series consists of the following events:

• JGP Hungary: Budapest, Hungary. - Aug. 26-30
• JGP Lake Placid: Lake Placid, N.Y. - Sept. 2-6
• JGP Belarus: Minsk, Belarus - Sept. 23-27
• JGP Germany: Dresden, Germany - Sept. 30-Oct. 4
• JGP Croatia: Zagreb, Croatia - Oct. 7-11
• JGP Turkey: Istanbul, Turkey - Oct. 14-18
• JGP Final: Tokyo, Japan - Dec. 3-6

U.S. Entries at the 2009 JGP Poland

Ladies
Laney Diggs
Karen Zhou

Men
Austin Kanallakan
Keegan Messing

Pairs
Cassie Andrews and Nicholas Anderson
Tori Vollmer and Zack Sidhu
Felicia Zhang and Taylor Toth

Ice Dancing
Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello
Anastasia Olson and Jordan Cowan


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News Silicon Valley Open 2009: A bird's eye view

Two hundred and seventy skaters gathered in the heartland of technology to participate in the 2009 Silicon Valley Open last week. Hosted by the Peninsula Skating Club, this competition featured many national competitors including Bebe Liang, Alexander Johnson, Austin Kanallakan, Andrew Gonzales, and Vanessa Lam.

Kicking off a great weekend of performances, Lam captured the gold medal in the junior ladies event. She won both the short and free programs, finishing with 133.54 points.

The junior men's event featured Grisha Fournier in an exhibition performance of his programs.

The senior ladies crown was awarded to veteran and world competitor Liang. After placing third in the short with 43.16 points, Liang skated the cleanest free skate of the event garnering 80.53 points. Dressed in a dark blue, velvet costume which sparked with silver stones, she landed three triple jumps including a strong opening triple Lutz-double toe combination set to the music "New World Symphony."

When asked about her free skate, Liang commented: "It was a lot better than the short program, and I am happy about that."

Liang's next stop is the Cup of China, which she will be preparing for in the coming weeks.

Following Liang was Laney Diggs, Victoria Muniz and Michelle Hong.

It was an exciting senior men's event, since all three men are superb national competitors entering their first year as seniors. Snatching the gold was Johnson followed by Kanallakan and Gonzales, respectively. Performing in his first competition of the year, Johnson won both the short and the free with stellar performances. He landed seven triple jumps in his free skate including a commanding triple flip-triple toe combination and a triple Lutz-double Axel sequence. This was the final and most outstanding performance of the weekend, bringing down the house with a rare standing ovation from members of the crowd.


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Carriere announces coaching change, leaves Boston

Stephen Carriere, the 2007 world junior champion and 2008 U.S. bronze medalist, announced Wednesday that he has ended his nine-year professional relationship with coaches Peter Johansson and Mark Mitchell and will train with Priscilla Hill and Karl Kurtz at the Skating Club of Wilmington in Delaware.

Carriere has trained at the Skating Club of Boston since 2000 with Johansson and Mitchell, under whom he captured the 2006 U.S. junior title, the gold medal at the 2006 Junior Grand Prix Final and more.

"Making the decision to train with Priscilla was a difficult one," Carriere said. "Peter and Mark have been my coaches since I was 11 years old. They've done so much for me and for my skating career -- I don't think I'll ever be able to thank them enough."

Hill also coaches two-time world junior bronze medalist Ashley Wagner. Her former students include three-time U.S. champion and world bronze medalist Johnny Weir and six-time U.S. ice dancing medalists Melissa Gregory and Denis Petukhov.

"Going into this Olympic season, I felt I needed a change that would help give me an edge," Carriere said. "I'm now looking forward to the challenge of working with Priscilla and Karl."

During the 2008-09 season, Carriere won silver at the Cup of China, finished sixth at the NHK Trophy and placed ninth at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Cleveland.

Hill is the 1978 U.S. bronze medalist and a two-time worlds competitor.


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Castile, Okolski come out on top at Indy

Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski marked themselves as contenders this Olympic season, surging into the U.S. pair mix with a commanding win in the Indy Challenge free skate.

With past injury troubles seemingly behind them, the Michigan duo topped a strong field by more than four points.

"We're pretty pleased," Okolski said. "Our goal was to get in and out with solid skates and try to make all of our steadier elements -- the death spirals, combination spin and [side-by-side] spins -- really strong."

The 24-year-old skater said being healthy makes all the difference.

"It's been really good," he said. "We're practicing very well, very consistent. We know how to train hard. It's training hard without an injury that has been a challenge the last few seasons. We're taking forward steps, not backward steps."

The 2007 U.S. champions, who placed fifth at the 2009 AT&T U.S. Figure Skating Championships, are known for strong pair elements and fine choreography, but they often have trouble with side-by-side jumps.

In their free program at Indy, choreographed by Marina Zoueva last season to Debussy's "Clair de Lune," they received credit for rotating their opening triple Salchows, although Castile turned out of the landing.

"We got around on the Salchows, but, if you make any mistake, you're easily down one or two points," Okolski said. "Still, we're happy with them. In the short program, they were [under-rotated], and we only got .5."

Other moves -- including a soaring triple twist, three Level 4 lifts and a throw triple flip after the halfway mark -- were exceptional. Although the skaters faltered slightly on a single Axel-double toe sequence, they finished with a strong combination spin and ended with 116.86 points overall.

Castile and Okolski, who train under Johnny Johns in Canton, Mich., appear to have achieved their main goal of the summer: to impress U.S. Figure Skating officials enough grab an international assignment, perhaps a slot at Skate America in Lake Placid this fall.


Full article.

U.S. team announced for JGP Lake Placid

U.S. Figure Skating announced on Monday the skaters that will compete in the second event of the 2009 ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) of Figure Skating Series, which takes place Sept. 2-5 in Lake Placid, N.Y.

The event will be held at the 1980 Rink-Herb Brooks Arena and will begin Thursday, Sept. 3, with the compulsory dance and the men's and pairs short programs. Official practice will be held Wednesday, Sept. 2 at the USA Rink-Jack Shea Arena. This is the second time in three years a JGP event has been held in Lake Placid, as the town played host to the first event in the 2007 JGP Series.

Eighteen athletes will represent the United States at the event in four disciplines: ladies, men's, pairs and ice dancing. The U.S. team hails from 10 states: California, Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Maryland, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.

In addition to Lake Placid, N.Y., the Junior Grand Prix Series consists of the following events:
• JGP Hungary - Budapest, Hungary. - Aug. 26-30
• JGP Poland - Torun, Poland - Sept. 9-13
• JGP Belarus - Minsk, Belarus - Sept. 23-27
• JGP Germany - Dresden, Germany - Sept. 30-Oct. 4
• JGP Croatia - Zagreb, Croatia - Oct. 7-11
• JGP Turkey - Istanbul, Turkey - Oct. 14-18
• JGP Final - Tokyo, Japan - Dec. 3-6

U.S. Entries at the 2009 JGP United States

Ladies
Taylor Firth
DeeDee Leng
Kristine Musademba

Men
Joshua Farris
Andrew Gonzales Jr.
Ross Miner

Pairs
Kylie Duarte and Colin Grafton
Meredith Pipkin and Brett Dunie-Neustadt
Britney Simpson and Nathan Miller

Ice Dancing
Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani
Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker


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Zahradnicek Zooms Ahead at Season's Start

Last month, Alexander Zahradnicek began his season with a big win at the Liberty Open in Aston, Penn. The 17-year-old won both the short and free programs to dominate the junior men's competition.

"Liberty's always a very tough competition," Zahradnicek said. "I wasn't focused on winning, just on skating consistently and getting a personal best score. My short was clean, but I stepped out of two jumps in the qualifier for the long. My long in the final was clean."

Zahradnicek first gained national attention when he won juvenile men at U.S. Junior Nationals in 2004. He followed that up with a bronze medal in intermediates in 2005.

Last year he placed fourth in novice before moving up to juniors for the 2009-10 season.

Zahradnicek didn't start out as a skater, but as a skier when he was four or five. "I was a ski instructor when I lived in Australia," said his father, Joseph. "I was hoping Alex would follow after me."

"I didn't start skating until I was eight," Zahradnicek said. "I tried lots of other sports first. I did tennis, swimming, T-ball and soccer, but I didn't like team sports. I wanted something I could do by myself."

"When we lived in Greenville, N.C., we started going to a new rink to go to the public skate on Friday and Saturday," he continued. "I saw other people jumping and spinning and wanted to do that so I started skating every day."


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A Perfect Pair

Anastasia Martiusheva and Alexei Rogonov of Russia took the silver medal at the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in their first and only appearance at this event.

The team stood in 11th following the short program, but their balletic "Nutcracker" free program was performed so beautifully that the attending journalists shared knowing glances amongst each other - this was the best program they were probably going to see that evening.

And they were right.

Martiusheva and Rogonov won the free skating portion and moved up to second place overall - just behind their teammates and friends, Lubov Iliushechkina and Nodari Maisuradze, who train with them in Moscow under Natalia Pavlova and Alexei Sokolov.

"We've learned that you never should give up after the short program and that you have to pull yourself together to deliver in the free skating," Martiusheva, a tiny 14-year-old blonde, summed up.

"Yes, no matter what mistakes happened, you just have to move on and do your job," Rogonov added. "It happens that something goes wrong and the athlete falls apart. However, the judging system now makes it possible that even if you miss an element, you still can make up for it with others. That's how you can vault from 11th in the short to first in the free skating. That's perfectly normal now," the 21-year-old continued.

The 2008-09 season was the first international season for the young Russian couple and they drew attention right away. After winning two medals on the ISU Junior Grand Prix circuit, they proceeded to the Final where they finished fourth. They went on to win Russian Junior Nationals, placed fifth at senior Nationals, and then took the silver medal at Junior Worlds.


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Lutai Prepares for Olympic Season

Andrei Lutai is a strong contender for the Russian Olympic team this season, but it won't be a walk through the park, and he knows it. Competition inside Russia has been tough for decades, and once again, there is whole group of talented young men competing for two spots at the Olympic Games and World Championships in 2010.

Last season, Lutai placed seventh at Europeans and 10th at Worlds, overtaking two-time National Champion Sergei Voronov at both events. Besides Voronov, Artem Borodulin, Alexander and Vladimir Uspenski, up-and-coming Ivan Bariev and others are in the hunt for a spot on the team.

Evgeni Plushenko's return to competitive skating only adds to the excitement, and Lutai knows exactly what to expect from the Olympic Champion since he is training with him once again in the same group under Alexei Mishin's tutelage.

"Well, I'm forcing myself to work even harder!" Lutai laughed when talking about the impact of Plushenko's comeback. "It is actually a good motivation for me. I'm watching Zhenia (Plushenko) and I watch how much he is working and I'm comparing myself. He is the [current] Olympic Champion. I'm looking at him, even when we go to play soccer. I'm just striving to work harder, to do even more in order to become the best. I just have to prove that I'm not worse, that I'm not the number two. I'm still striving to be the number one. The aspiration is there and this is helping me in my work. I'm not upset at all about his return.”


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Mining For Gold

Vermont's Ross Miner is in the hunt for gold - medals that is. The talented 18-year-old won the gold medal in the men's junior division at the 2009 U.S. National Figure Skating Championships on his first try. He previously won the gold in the intermediate division in 2006 and the silver in novice in 2008.

However, Miner missed qualifying for nationals in 2007 (by .29 points). He placed first in the short at Eastern sectionals, but blew the long and placed fifth overall. "It made me a better skater," he said. "I learned to work harder and skate every day."

Miner finished tenth at the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships - his first ISU championship event. His only previous international experience was a silver medal at the Gardena Spring Trophy in 2008.

"This season, I plan to move up to seniors in the U.S.," he said, "but I want to do the Junior Grand Prixs internationally. My long term goal is just to get as good as I can at skating and learn something from it. I'll continue as long as it makes me happy."

He began the 2009-10 season with a second place finish (in both the short and long programs) at the Liberty Open in July, losing to Olympic contender Patrick Chan by just six points in the free and scoring the highest technical score in the event.

Miner, who was born in Burlington, Vermont, first started skating when he was three years old. "I just wanted to learn how to skate," he said. "Then I started playing hockey and kept playing until I was twelve. I played left wing and center in recreational leagues and a county travel team. I also took figure skating lessons at the same time."


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Saturday, August 1, 2009

Sweet Revenge

Samuel Contesti came out of nowhere to take the silver medal at the European Championships and to place 5th at Worlds. His story was one of the most intriguing comebacks of the year.

In 2006, Contesti was disesteemed and outcasted by the French Federation. In 2008, however, he returned as a competitor for Italy. Last season, he inspired the audience and judges alike, and achieved Italy's best Men's singles result in 55 years.

"This is a wonderful victory for all of those who supported me," Contesti said at Europeans Helsinki.

Meanwhile, some French officials were following the success of their former athlete with rather grumpy faces. Contesti's silver medal at the 2009 European Figure Skating Championships was bitter for them.

While the former Frenchman came in behind Brian Joubert at both the 2009 European and World Figure Skating Championships, Contesti edged out the other French skaters Yannick Ponsero and Alban Préaubert at Europeans and beat Ponsero again at Worlds. Contesti won his medal for his new country at Europeans, and it was the first one for an Italian man since Carlo Fassi was European Champion in 1954.

What happened?

Contesti's career looked promising until 2005. The son of former French first division soccer player Yves Contesti grew up in Gap and followed his two elder sisters on to the ice when he was four years old. "I was a very active child and I needed to exhaust myself," he said, grinning. "Actually I wanted to play soccer. I just love soccer, and I like all kinds of sports in general. I just had to spend my time and so I went skating," he recalled. "Later I started to compete and I discovered that it was competing that appealed to me a lot."

Contesti trained in Annecy under Didier Lucine, who had some other successful skaters in his club. In 2005, he qualified for the first time for the European team and finished 9th. He also went to Worlds, but missed the final cut when he was ranked 26th after the short program.


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Scion of Rodeo Family Roped into Pairs

Paige Lawrence, whose parents own a rodeo production company in Kipling, Saskatchewan, didn't set out to be a pairs skater. She actually competed in barrel racing as a youngster. But partner Rudi Sweigers found a way to get her into pairs.

"I kind of got tricked into it," Lawrence said. "Rudi had a good partner but when she left, our coach asked me to help him out since I was one of the few lefties in our club. Two weeks later, he had made some programs for us."

"I figured I'd give it a try," she continued. "It was something fun and different for me. I liked the feeling of being thrown and started to like doing pairs. When we landed a throw triple Salchow on our second week, I knew it was special."

"Paige is a great partner because she's so dedicated," Sweigers stated. "When I want to call it a day, she says, 'let's do five more.' She trains me harder than our coach. She's so gutsy. She'll do whatever I ask of her."

The couple didn't meet with instant success, placing 14th at Canadian Nationals (Junior Division) in both 2006 and 2007. However, in 2008, they won the silver medal and in 2009, they placed a surprising fourth in senior pairs.

The couple started the 2008-09 international season by placing eighth at the ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) in Gomel, followed by a fifth-place finish in Sheffield, England. Then they placed a very respectable fourth at the 2009 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Sofia, Bulgaria. It was the highest placement for Canadian athletes at Junior Worlds.

"Our main goal last season was to make the senior international team," Sweigers said, "and we accomplished that."


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