Showing posts with label Crone Poirier. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Crone Poirier. Show all posts

Saturday, April 30, 2011

2011 World Figure Skating Championships: Free Dance Live Blog

1) Charlene Guignard & Marco Fabbri (ITA)
 Music: March With Me
  • Who decided that these costumes were necessary?
  • Nice tight twizzles
  • But seriously can we get a deduction for that heinous costume
  • They are practically at  a standstill at some points of this program
  • When in doubt, do a haircutter position in your rotational lift?
  • Slight bobble by Marco on the curve lift
  • Thank god Barbra Fusar-Poli created something tackier than herself
 FD Score: 37.15 (TES) + 33.07 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.22
 Combined Total: 49.80 (SD) + 70.22 (FD) = 120.02


2) Xintong Huang & Xun Zheng (CHN)
 Music: Singing In The Rain
  • They have a nice light quality, a good lilt to their movements
  • Simple position on the curve lift
  • Not the fastest twizzles, but pretty good unison
  • The straight line lift is like an homage to swing dancing, but position changes and exit could be much smoother
  • I love his sweater vest
  • This techno rap remix in the middle of the piece completely ruins the romantic, Old Hollywood feel
  • Very nice hydroblade move
 FD Score: 36.08 (TES) + 34.76 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.84
 Combined Total: 52.17 (SD) + 70.84 (FD) = 123.01

3) Penny Coomes & Nicholas Buckland (GBR)
 Music: The Lion King
  • They are carrying great speed right now, let's see if they can maintain it and stay in control
  • Loss of unison in twizzles
  • The lift with him in a low position and her on his upper back is interesting
  • Her upside down balance on his knee is also nice
  • I love this music and they seem to be able to emote with it quite well
  • They have mostly maintained their energy level throughout
  • They have a lot of potential and are now the top team in Great Britain
 FD Score: 38.93 (TES) + 35.61 (PCS) - (DED) = 74.54
 Combined Total: 51.75 (SD) + 74.54 (FD) = 126.29

4) Louise Walden & Owen Edwards (GBR)
 Music: Goodbye Lenin
  • Decent rotational lift
  • I like the tempo of this music
  • That fee leg twizzle was too much for them to maintain
  • That is an interesting dance spin position
  • Some unique counter-balance moves
  • Nice innovation, but lacked polish
 FD Score: 38.28 (TES) + 31.51 (PCS) - (DED) = 69.79
 Combined Total: 46.73 (SD) + 69.79 (FD) = 116.52

5) Allison Reed& Otar Japaridze (GEO)
 Music: The Messiah Will Come Again/Pretty Woman
  • This seems like a piece of music that Lang & Tschernyshev would've skated to
  • That double spread eagle movement was awkward
  • Very slow and out of synch twizzles
  • The age difference between them (16 & 23) is borderline awkward
  • Why is she dressed as Xena warrior princess
  • They have a lot of passion and energy, but lack the control and polish of better teams
 FD Score: 37.15 (TES) + 33.52 (PCS) - (DED) = 70.67
 Combined Total: 49.44 (SD) + 70.67 (FD) = 120.11

6) Siobhan Heekin-Canedy & Alexander Shakalov (UKR)
 Music: La Vie En Rose/Padam Padam/ L'Arrestation/Je Ne Regrette Rien
  • Very elegant, good flow
  • Positions are interesting in the dance spin but they could be more stretched
  • I love Padam, Padam
  • I really want them to pick up some more speed
  • Good unison on twizzles but a little slow
  • They use levels well
  • This is an example of good music editing
  • These costumes are very elegant and they really relate well to one another
  • Could've used more speed on final lift
 FD Score: 40.70 (TES) + 36.69 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 76.39
 Combined Total: 52.31 (SD) + 76.39 (FD) = 128.70

7) Isabella Tobias & Deividas Stagniunas (LTU)
 Music: Les Miserables
  • Her hair looks a mess, did she brush it?
  • Really fast twizzles like the other Zoueva & Shpilband teams
  • I like the positions in the dance spin
  • I think we could do without the lyrics in this piece
  • The size of their movements is not living up to the power of the vocals
  • These costumes also don't scream Les Miz to me
  • Nice hydroblade move, I like his dramatic arm movements
 FD Score: 39.68 (TES) + 38.17 (PCS) - (DED) = 77.85
 Combined Total: 53.16 (SD) + 77.85 (FD) = 131.01

8) Cathy Reed & Chris Reed (JPN)
 Music: Just for a Little While/Aint No Sunshine/Think
  • Nice twizzles
  • Nice improvements since the last time I saw them
  • This music is a little to romantic for a sibling team
  • The "Think" section suits a brother and sister team better in my opinion
  • The rotational lift is nice, but we've all seen that position many times before
  • I enjoy watching Chris more than Cathy because he is more expressive
  • Chris fell  doing a hitch kick in literally the last second of the piece
 FD Score: 41.64 (TES) + 37.83 (PCS) - 1.00 (DED) = 78.47
 Combined Total: 54.86 (SD) + 78.47 (FD) = 133.33

9) Nelli Zhiganshina & Alexander Gazsi (GER)
 Music: Liebestraum/Four Seasons
  • Really nice twizzles
  • Good attention to character details
  • I don't love the background noise that is in this arrangement
  • Small stumble by Alexander getting up from a kneel
  • I like that they use true ballet-inspired movements
  • They look very happy with that
 FD Score: 44.13 (TES) + 41.29 (PCS) - (DED) = 85.42
 Combined Total: 55.53 (SD) + 85.42 (FD) = 140.95

10) Pernelle Carron & Lloyd Jones (FRA)
 Music: George Gershwin Medley
  • I love me some Gershwin
  • Some unison issues on the twizzles
  • I love the costumes
  • They are a nice team but they look very young, some more experience will give them a more mature look
  • They almost look like they could be a brother-sister team
 FD Score: 41.55 (TES) + 41.63 (PCS) - (DED) = 83.18
 Combined Total: 57.68 (SD) + 83.18 (FD) = 140.86

11) Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte (ITA)
 Music: The Umbrellas of Cherbourg
  • Great unison in twizzles, they could be faster though
  • Wonderful glide and flow across the ice
  • This elegant music suits them oh so well
  • I love how seamless everything is, it doesn't look like they are doing elements, just a great flow across the ice
  • They've maintained the same speed and tempo throughout the entire piece
  • They lose a lot of speed coming out of the third position of their camel spin
  • That was simply gorgeous, very European
 FD Score: 44.58 (TES) + 44.07 (PCS) - (DED) = 89.65
 Combined Total: 64.12 (SD) + 89.65 (FD) = 153.77

12) Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein (USA)
 Music: Cabaret
  • Nobody pulls their faces like these two!
  • This is my favorite free dance of the season, such theatrics
  • Nice unison and speed in twizzles
  • I love her upside down camel position in the dance spin on "The Money Song"
  • They really start picking up speed during The Money Song
  • Good soft knees
  • Love the straight line lift
  • The curve lift with Greg on one foot is very nice
  • Loving the Liza moment!
  • Great position and speed on rotational lift
  • That's the best I've seen them do that program all year
 FD Score: 46.65 (TES) + 44.74 (PCS) - (DED) = 90.30
 Combined Total: 61.47 (SD) + 90.30 (FD) = 151.86

13) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (CAN)
 Music: Eleanor Rigby
  • I will never understand the appeal of this program
  • He is a good strong partner but she does nothing for me and I don't find them well matched
  • Unison issues on 2nd and 3rd twizzles
  • Curve lift loses a lot of speed
  • He has beautiful posture but her upper body is very stiff and she is wearing her shoulders as earrings
  • She also needs to point her feet more
  • I don't understand why the elaborate opening and closing pose is necessary
 FD Score: 45.69 (TES) + 44.43 (PCS) - (DED) = 90.12
 Combined Total: 61.01 (SD) + 90.12 (FD) = 151.13

14) Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov (RUS)
 Music: Don Quixote
  • She fully embodies this character
  • I'm so happy she is wearing a real tutu
  • Nice curve lift
  • Nikita loses unison in the second set of twizzles, the distance between them increases
  • He could have her higher off the ground in the one-arm rotational lift
  • Was it really necessary for her to stop mid-program and do a heel stretch
  • Awkward moment getting into the lift with her leg behind his head, awkward getting out as well
  • She has gorgeous posture and upper body carriage, she mus have studied a lot of ballet
  • The speed is not consistent in the dance spin
  • The last lift is a very ugly position
  • I've seen them do that program much better, this was not polished today
 FD Score: 42.47 (TES) + 46.52 (PCS) - (DED) = 88.99
 Combined Total: 65.51 (SD) + 88.99 (FD) = 154.50

15) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN)
 Music: Moulin Rouge
  • I'm praying to finally see a clean version of this free dance
  • Good unison in the twizzles
  • There are certain transitional moments still look sloppy to me
  • This middle section fits them better because its more lyrical
  • She caught her boot in the haircutter position of the rotational lift, but the exit was awkward
  • Nice cartwheel entrance to the curve lift
  • That horizontal lift must take amazing ab strength on Kaitlyns' part
  • I don't know what it is, but this program still looks so choppy to me
 FD Score: 48.51 (TES) + 46.74 (PCS) - (DED) = 95.25
 Combined Total: 65.07 (SD) + 95.25 (FD) = 160.32

16) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (FRA)
 Music: Charlie Chaplin Medley
  • Just an exquisite free skate
  • So true to character
  • It is just perfection, and they don't seem to be working, its all so natural
  • Every detail is just perfection
  • They have an ease out there that the top american and Canadian teams don't have
  • Wow they both took a fall out of nowhere
  • That opened the door for the Shibutanis to come from behind in 4th
  • I don't believe the fall was on an element so I doubt it will cost them much
  • I just can't believe that, after such an amazing season
  • I just feel terribly for them
 FD Score: 43.00 (TES) + 51.57 (PCS) - 2.00 (DED) = 92.57
 Combined Total: 70.97 (SD) + 92.57 (FD) = 163.54

17) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (RUS)
 Music: Melody of the White Nights
  • Slight unison issues, she does an extra rotation on the 3rd set
  • Very awkward entrance to first lift
  • I don't like this program at all
  • The is very little drama and the costumes are very dull
  • This is not a perfect skate, a few stumbles and bobbles here and there
  • They did not capitalize on the mistake by the French team
 FD Score: 45.78 (TES) + 48.56 (PCS) - (DED) = 94.35
 Combined Total: 65.88 (SD) + 94.35 (FD) = 160.23

18) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)
 Music: Smile/Just Face The Music and Dance
  • Such amazing speed and flow across the ice
  • The lifts are looking very good today
  • All I want is for them to go clean
  • The quicker part is where they really shine
  • Their twizzles are the best in the world
  • Can't wait to see what the judges will do
  • The two point deduction to the French for the fall takes away their lead from the short dance
  • Shibutanis should get a higher technical score, but judges could hold the French up on PCS if they want
 FD Score: 48.14 (TES) + 48.77 (PCS) - (DED) = 96.91
 Combined Total: 66.88 (SD) + 96.91 (FD) = 163.79

19) Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (CAN)
 Music: Temptation/Mujer Latina

  • This fast footwork and th hip action at the top is phenomenal
  • I can't wait until we get to see the who piece
  • Wonderful twizzles
  • I love that little moment when she pushes Scott
  • That change of position lift was phenomenal
  • The upside down straight line lift is equally great
  • This dance was so worth waiting for 
  • These two just look so great together, they were born to dance with each other
  • The eye contact is amazing
  • I saw no visible mistakes; they look as though they've been competing all season
  • Wow, that was electrifying
 FD Score: 51.21 (TES) + 56.29 (PCS) - (DED) = 107.50
 Combined Total: 74.29 (SD) + 107.50 (FD) = 181.79

20) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)
 Music: Il Postino/Payadora/Recuerdo

  • They need absolute perfection, they can't withstand even a small mistake
  • Amazing speed
  • Incredible twizzles with phenomenal unison & speed
  • I could see Igor in the background getting very excited after the twizzles
  • They are attacking this every bit as hard as they possibly can
  • Great dance spin with almost no speed lost in position changes
  • I love the backward entrance rotational lift, slightly clunky exit
  • I love how close and intricate the holds are
  • Signature Tanith Belbin lift at the end
  • They did that as well as they possibly could've
  • If you are the judges, how do you make that decision
 FD Score: 53.78 (TES) + 57.73 (PCS) - (DED) = 111.51
 Combined Total: 73.76 (SD) + 111.51 (FD) = 185.27

Thursday, April 28, 2011

2011 World Figure Skating Championships: Short Dance Skate Order

The Ice Dancers take the ice tomorrow for their Short Dance and the order is as follows. The top 20 will move on to compete in the Free Dance on Saturday.


1Brooke Elizabeth FRIELING / Lionel RUMI
ISR
2Sara HURTADO / Adria DIAZ
ESP
3Allison REED / Otar JAPARIDZE
GEO
4Charlene GUIGNARD / Marco FABBRI
ITA
5Isabella TOBIAS / Deividas STAGNIUNAS
LTU
Warm-Up Group 2
6Louise WALDEN / Owen EDWARDS
GBR
7Cathy REED / Chris REED
JPN
8Ramona ELSENER / Florian ROOST
SUI
9Penny COOMES / Nicholas BUCKLAND
GBR
10Nelli ZHIGANSHINA / Alexander GAZSI
GER
Warm-Up Group 3
11Dora TUROCZI / Balazs MAJOR
HUN
12Siobhan HEEKIN-CANEDY / Alexander SHAKALOV
UKR
13Lucie MYSLIVECKOVA / Matej NOVAK
CZE
14Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENG
CHN
15Madison CHOCK / Greg ZUERLEIN
USA
Warm-Up Group 4
16Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJE
CAN
17Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIR
CAN
18Vanessa CRONE / Paul POIRIER
CAN
19Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANI
USA
20Elena ILINYKH / Nikita KATSALAPOV
RUS
Warm-Up Group 5
21Ekaterina BOBROVA / Dmitri SOLOVIEV
RUS
22Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITE
USA
23Anna CAPPELLINI / Luca LANOTTE
ITA
24Pernelle CARRON / Lloyd JONES
FRA
25Nathalie PECHALAT / Fabian BOURZAT
FRA

Wednesday, April 20, 2011

2011 World Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Preview

As the 2011 World Championships kick off next week, the biggest story in ice dance will be the battle of the training mates: Davis & White vs. Virtue & Moir. With the recent retirement of top contenders Faiella & Scali and Kerr & Kerr, the rest of the top five seems to be up for grabs.

The Top Contenders
Virtue & Moir are my team to watch at Worlds next week. In my opinion, they hold all of the cards because if they perform at their best, I think they'll win another World gold. They well may have beaten Davis & White at Four Continents this season if they had not had to withdraw midway through the free skate due to injury. As much as I'd love to see Davis & White win, I think they lack the spark and heat that that their Canadian training mates have. Even if Virtue & Moir don't give their best performance, they should still place no lower than second.
Davis & White really do deserve the World title this year. They've gone undefeated all season and they've never stopped working to improve on their programs. However, I fear that they've become so good that they are almost robotic in their performance quality. They are so well trained that their presentation looks manufactured whereas that of Virtue & Moir is natural and effortless. I predict that Davis & White will take the top technical marks but Virtue & Moir will outscore them in components and the winner will be decided by the slightest of margins.
If Davis/White & Virtue/Moir are favorites for gold and silver, then the French team of Pechalat & Bourzat are favorites for bronze. They've been solid all season and have phenomenal programs, including a fiery short dance and a theatrical Charlie Chaplin free dance. I find them to be the most interesting to watch, in terms of sheer artistry and performance, of any of the world's top ice dance teams. I love their signature European quality. The are in a league of their own in the world in that they aren't quite up to the level of the Americans or Canadians, but they are well above the level of the next tier of ice dancers. I'll be floored if they do not make the podium in Moscow next week.

Though Ice Dance has become more objective in the past years, it is still one of the easiest disciplines to predict and I feel very confident that Bobrova & Soloviev will finish solidly in the top five next week. Home ice advantage will give them a boost, but they've been steadily improving all season and most importantly, they've scrapped that god awful "Delilah" short dance. Expect two very solid programs from them next week.
Although I hate to say it, Canada's Crone & Poirier very well may round out the top 5 next week in Moscow. For reasons I cannot understand, their free skate has been a favorite of the judges all season and even with their subpar short dance, they seem to always sneak back toward to top of the rankings after the free dance. However, they were beaten in a surprise by the young American Shibutani siblings and they also have great momentum going into Worlds so they too good complete the top 5. I have tried all season to enjoy this team but they really do nothing for me. Paul always looks very young and frail and Vanessa struggles to connect with him in a passionate or emotional way. She also has an odd way of moving her limbs, but then who am I to judge.

In The Hunt
As mentioned above, Maia & Alex Shibutani have been climbing all season and surprised the world with a silver medal at this year's Four Continents Championships. In only their first senior season, they've collected two Grand Prix bronze medals and a US silver medal in addition to their Four Continents silver. They are known for their speed and technique, with some of the best twizzles in the world, but they've really shown that they are performers as well. Their coaches Zoueva and Shpilband have given them two phenomenal programs that suit them perfectly and I wouldn't be surprised in the least to see them in the top 5 next week in Moscow.
Weaver & Poje of Canada have been one of my favorite teams all season and have what I consider to be the best short dance of the entire season. They've struggled in the free dance with silly mistakes that have taken them off the podium when they were in medal contention. If they can set themselves up with a strong short dance and get the level fours they got at Four Continents, and then follow it up with a clean free skate, they have top five potential.
Ilinykh & Katsalapov entered the senior ranks this year along with the Shibutani siblings but their debut was not quite as strong, though they did climb steadily. The placed fourth at NHK trophy and took the bronze at Cup of Russia after several withdrawals. They placed a very respectable fourth at the European Championships and they'll have the crowd behind them next week in Moscow. I find them to be extremely passionate and elegant and they too could move into the top five or six depending how other teams perform.
Chock & Zuerlein of the US are my favorite team and I am obsessed with their Cabaret free skate. They are such amazing performers but it seems they don't have the difficulty in lifts that the other American teams have. Their short dance is also a little weaker and they don't score as many level fours as the other top teams. Though I'd love them to place in the top group, I am forcing myself to be realistic and anywhere in the top eight would be an amazing finish for them.
Hoffman & Zavozin were the surprise qualifiers for the Grand Prix Final this season, though they did so because of a second place finish at Cup of Russia when the favorites withdrew due to injury. They are a nice enough team, though they don't do much for me personally. They finished a disappointing 8th at the European Championships and their highest total score of the season is just below that of Chock & Zuerlein.
Capellini & Lanotte of Italy have been thrust into the spotlight at their country's best hope in Ice Dance after the sudden retirement of Faiella & Scali. They placed 5th at NHK trophy this season, 2nd at the Nebelhorn Trophy and 1st at the Mont Blanc Trophy. They are big wild cards and could finish anywhere on the board depending on their performance.
The Rest of the Field
Obrien & Merriman (AUS): 9th at 2011 Four Continents Championships; 15th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 10th at 2010 O Nepala Trophy
Geil & Eisenbauer (AUT): 8th at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 4th at 2010 Int Trophy of Lyon; 4th at 2011 Bavarian Open
Valadzenkava & Vakunkov (BLF): 5th at 2010 P. Roman Memorial; 10th at 2011 Winter Universiade
Tremasova & Lichev (BUL): 24th at 2011 Junior Worlds; 13th at 2010 JGP Great Britain; 16th at JGP Czech; 7th at 2010 Int Trophy Lyon
Huang & Zheng (CHN): 19th at 2010 Olympics; 5th at 2010 Cup of China; 5th at 2010 Grand Prix Paris; 6th at 2011 Four Continents; 1st at 2011 Asian Winter Games
Mysliveckova & Novak (CZE): 16th at 2010 Worlds; 8th at 2010 Mont Blanc Trophy; 7th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 2nd at 2010 O Nepala Memorial; 6th at 2010 NHK Trophy; 5th at 2010 Cup of Russia; 1st at 2010 Golden Spin; 10th at 2011 Europeans
Good & Sorensen (DEN): 24th at 2010 Worlds; 14th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 9th at 2010 Finlandia Trophy
Carron & Jones (FRA): 12th at 2010 Worlds; 1st at 2010 Mont Blanc Trophy; 1st at 2010 Coup de Nice; 5th at 2010 Skate Canada; 1st at 2010 Coup de Nice; 4th at 2010 Grand Prix Paris; 9th at 2011 Worlds
Reed & Japaridze (GEO): 22nd at 2010 Olympics, 21st at 2010 Worlds; 2nd at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 4th at 2010 Golden Spin; 17th at 2011 Europeans
Zhiganshina & Gazsi (GER): 6th at 2010 Mont Blanc; 4th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 3rd at 2010 O Nepala Trophy; 2nd at 2010 NRW Trophy Ice Dance; 1st at 2010 R Roman Memorial; 1st at 2011 Bavarian Open; 7th at 2011 Europeans
Coomes & Buckland (GBR): 20th at 2010 Olympics; 4th at 2010 O Nepala Memorial; 3rd at 2010 Coup de Nice; 8th at 2010 NHK Trophy; 8th at 2010 Skate America; 14th at 2011 Europeans
Walden & Edwards (GBR): 12th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 8th at 2010 O Nepala Trophy; 5th at 2010 Coup de Nice; 6th at 2010 NRW Ice Dance Trophy; 1st at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 1st at 2010 Int Trophy Lyon; 5th at 2011 Winter Universiade
Nagy & Fejes (HUN): 7th at 2010 O Nepala Trophy; 8th at 2010 Finlandia Trophy; 5th at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 3rd at 2010 P Roman Memorial
Frieling & Rumi (ISR): 13th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 9th at 2010 O Nepala Trophy; 9th at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 12th at 2010 Golden Spin; 6th at 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy; 20th at 2011 Europeans
Guignard & Fabbri (ITA): 4th at 2010 NRW Ice Dance Trophy; 3rd at 2010 Golden Spin; 3rd at 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy
Reed & Reed (JPN): 17th at 2010 Olympics; 15th at 2010 Worlds; 7th at 2010 NHK Trophy; 7th at 2010 Skate America; 2nd at 2011 Asian Winter Games
Tobias & Stagniunas (LTU): 11th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 3rd at 2010 NRW Ice Dance Trophy; 12th at 2011 Europeans
Bruhns & Westenberger (MEX): 10th at 2010 Coup de Nice; 6th at 2010 Int Trophy Lyon; 10th at 2011 Four Continents
Hurtado & Diaz (ESP): 10th at JGP Great Britain; 5th at JGP Germany; 8th Junior at NRW Trophy Ice Dance; 11th at 2010 Golden Spin; 4th at 2011 Winter Universiade; 3rd at 2011 Bavarian Open; 15th at 2011 Europeans
Elsener & Roost (SUI): 25th at 2010 Europeans; 12th at 2010 Mont Blanc Trophy; 7th at 2010 JGP Austria; 13th at 2010 JGP Germany; 10th at 2010 Ice Challenge Graz; 5th at 2011 Bavarian Open; 19th at 2011 Europeans
Heekin-Crane & Shakalov (UKR): 5th at 2010 Mont Blanc; 10th at 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; 6th at 2010 Finlandia Trophy; 4th at 2010 Coup de Nice; 3rd at Int Trophy Lyon; 4th at 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy; 11th at 2011 Europeans

Thursday, February 17, 2011

2011 Four Continents Championships: Free Dance

Final Standings

  Pl.  NameNationTSS
=
TES
+
PCS
+
SSTRPECCITDed.
-
StN.
1Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITEUSA103.0250.0153.018.798.758.968.898.860.00#10
2Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANIUSA93.3448.7644.587.507.217.437.547.610.00#9
3Vanessa CRONE / Paul POIRIERCAN90.1747.2742.907.326.897.297.117.290.00#6
4Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJECAN85.6942.2943.407.297.077.147.397.390.00#12
5Madison CHOCK / Greg ZUERLEINUSA85.3044.1541.156.686.686.937.077.110.00#5
6Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENGCHN77.3640.0137.356.256.006.296.366.390.00#7
7Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANGCHN75.1740.9234.255.755.465.825.825.860.00#8
8Xueting GUAN / Meng WANGCHN63.4935.1028.394.864.544.824.864.680.00#3
9Danielle OBRIEN / Gregory MERRIMANAUS62.0235.7226.304.434.254.434.574.320.00#1
10Corenne BRUHNS / Benjamin WESTENBERGERMEX47.8724.9522.923.963.613.824.043.790.00#4
11Maria BOROUNOV / Evgeni BOROUNOVAUS43.7124.6619.053.462.963.113.293.140.00#2
WDRTessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIRCAN#11

2011 Four Continents Championships: Short Dance

**Denotes USFSA Fantasy Skating Team Selections
Warm-Up Group 1:
1) Danielle O'Brien & Gregory Merriman (AUS)
2) Xueting Guan & Meng Wang (CHN)
3) Maria Borounov & Evgeni Borounov (AUS)
4) Corenne Bruhns & Benjamin Westenberger (MEX)

Warm-Up Group 2:
5) Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir (CAN)
6) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (CAN)
7) Xintong Huang & Zun Zheng (CHN) **
8) Kaitlin Weaver & Andrew Poje (CHN)

Warm-Up Group 3:
9) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA) **
10) Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA) **
11) Xiaoyang Yu & Chen Wang (CHN)
12) Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein (USA)

Standings After Short Dance


Pl.  NameNationTSS
=
TES
+
PCS
+
SSTRPECCITDed.
-
StN.
1Tessa VIRTUE / Scott MOIRCAN69.4035.6433.768.298.188.578.548.570.00#5
2Meryl DAVIS / Charlie WHITEUSA69.0134.5034.518.618.468.648.718.680.00#9
3Kaitlyn WEAVER / Andrew POJECAN65.4536.5028.957.187.047.367.187.390.00#8
4Maia SHIBUTANI / Alex SHIBUTANIUSA62.0434.2227.827.116.756.966.966.960.00#10
5Vanessa CRONE / Paul POIRIERCAN61.6633.5028.167.146.866.967.187.040.00#6
6Madison CHOCK / Greg ZUERLEINUSA57.1430.9426.206.506.326.506.826.570.00#12
7Xintong HUANG / Xun ZHENGCHN52.9328.4224.516.215.896.146.186.180.00#7
8Xiaoyang YU / Chen WANGCHN50.5827.7822.805.715.435.825.715.790.00#11
9Xueting GUAN / Meng WANGCHN42.7724.7218.054.644.394.464.614.460.00#2
10Danielle OBRIEN / Gregory MERRIMANAUS42.6725.0017.674.464.214.434.574.390.00#1
11Corenne BRUHNS / Benjamin WESTENBERGERMEX40.6825.2815.404.043.643.863.963.750.00#4
12Maria BOROUNOV / Evgeni BOROUNOVAUS28.5215.6212.903.463.043.213.393.040.00#3

My analysis:
  • As I, and probably mostly everybody else expected, the Americans and Canadians currently occupy 1st-6th place
  • Virtue/Moir: what a fabulous debut from the reigning World and Olympic champions to finish the short dance in first place on their first time out; they lead by .39 and they received level fours on every element but their mid-line step sequence
  • Davis/White: an uncharacteristic bobble by Meryl on a twizzle and level 3s on their mid-line step sequence and their 1st golden waltz sequence lost them enough technical points to keep them in second after the short dance, though they did win the program components scores
  • Weaver/Poje: they have my favorite short dance of the season and because they were the only team to receive all level 4s, they have the highest technical elements scores; their free dance has been the weaker dance for them this season but if they can avoid mistakes, they may just stay on the podium
  • Shibutani/Shibutani: they received all level 4s, aside from a level 3 on their mid-line step sequence but low GOEs on their twizzles, which are usually their strongest elements; if Weaver/Poje struggle in the free as they have all season, the Shib Sibs can definitely move up into podium position
  • Crone/Poirier: I've thought their short dance was weak all season and it truly shows in the scores against the top teams in this field; they are about 4 points off of the podium right now but then again they did come from 5th to win bronze at the Grand Prix Final so don't count them out quite yet
  • Chock/Zuerlein: they are my favorite team and it kills me to say it but I'm not surprised to see them at the back of the American/Canadian pack; I don't think this short dance suits them terribly well-they only received a level 2 on their 1st Golden Waltz sequence and negative GOEs on their twizzles due to an unusual bobble by Greg-but the good news is the free dance is their strength so if they skate a season's best, they could move up if others make mistakes

Monday, February 7, 2011

2011 Four Continents Championships: Ice Dance Preview

The 2011 Four Continents Championship kicks off next week from Chinese Taipei.. In the past the US has not sent its top flight to this event, but the ISU has been encouraging federations to send their World championship team in an effort to make this event an equivalent of the European Championships. The US will be sending their top 3 Ice Dance teams to the competition next week, as will Canada. There are a total of 13 teams competing and if all goes according to plan, the US and Canada should sweep the top 6 spots.

Here are my podium predictions, and I will update with my fantasy skating picks as soon as USFSA opens up the selection for this event:

1) Davis/White
2) Virtue/Moir
3) Shibutani/Shibutani

Meryl Davis & Charlie White are poised to take the title in this event. They have not lost all season, winning two Grand Prix events, the Grand Prix Final, and US Nationals, but they also have not been challenged. Because the rest of the field is improving and Davis and White have been scoring almost all level 4s and near perfect components scores, there is not a lot of room for them to grow, so I look for the gap to close a bit at the event with Meryl and Charlie still finishing on top. Their programs are both looking very solid this season and they have so much confidence at this point in the season that a victory here would be just one step away from claiming the world title in March.
Davis & White may not have had much competition this season, but ready to spoil their efforts are their training mates and friends Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir, debuting new programs in their first competition of the season. After Tessa required surgery, the team had to withdraw from the Grand Prix and Canadian Nationals. Though it is a tall order to come back in the second to last major event of the season and beat a team that has dominated, if anybody can do it it's Tessa & Scott. Though they haven't competed the short dance yet, their coaches Zoueva & Shpilband now have experience in what the judges are looking for in this event from the feedback and scores their other teams have gotten. I have high expectations for this team and I'm expecting to be wowed. Don't get me wrong, I still believe Davis & White will win, but I suspect it will be close.
I may be going out on a limb here, but my gut tells me that Maia & Alex Shibutani of the US are going to take the final spot on the 4 Continents podium along with their older training mates. They have been improving like wildfire and have beaten some top teams this year.While I believe all scores from the US Nationals are inflated, there is no denying that they gave two world class performances. I think the momentum and the silver medal from Nationals will give them great confidence going into this event and if they perform as well as we've seen them, they'll be tough to keep off the podium. They'll have to put up a season's best total score, but I truly think they can do it and a medal here would give them yet another confidence boost going into worlds.
While I think most people would agree with my predictions for the top two, many probably have Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier, the new Canadian national champions and Grand Prix Final bronze medalists in 3rd at this event. I think they'll have a strong showing, but I'm putting them in 4th and here is why. The Shibutanis were only 4 points behind this team at Skate America, and the young Americans have improved by leaps and bounds since then. Also, I've seen Vanessa & Paul struggle in the short dance (at the Grand Prix Final) while the Shibutanis have sailed through their short dance ever since the costume-related fall at NHK trophy. Also, I think Crone & Poirier's Eleanor Rigby Free Dance seemed unique at the beginning of the season but the novelty is beginning to wear off, at least in my opinion. In other words, I think the Shibutanis have more staying power because their great scores this season are coming from solid training and technique while Crone & Poirier seem to have gotten a boost from their free dance and its renowned choreography, Christopher Dean.
As I've said above in not so many words, I believe this ice dance competition will come down to three distinct battles among the top six. Davis/White v. Virtue/Moir, the Shibutanis v. Crone/Poirier, and Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje v. Chock/Zuerlein for 5th and 6th place. I think Weaver/Poje, the recently crowned Canadian silver medalists will take the third battle based on the strength of their short dance. Theirs is my favorite short dance of the season and I think their music choices suit them perfectly. I think what has kept them from reaching the upper echelon of ice dance this season is their free dance. It hasn't been getting the highest scores and they can't seem to perform it in competition without mistakes or bobbles, however small they may be.
Madison Chock & Greg Zuerlein are my absolute favorite ice dance team and as much as it pains me to say it, I see them finishing at the bottom of this 6-way USA vs. Canada match-up. They have not beaten any of these other teams all season in competition and they have the lowest scores of the bunch. They put together two solid programs last week to win the US national bronze medal and were finally able to eliminate the mistakes that plagued them at their Grand Prix events. It any of the above teams make mistakes, they could capitalize, but if everybody else skates cleanly, I'm afraid this will not be the year for my team to win a 4 continents medal.

Aside from the 6 headliners, the other teams competing next week in Taipei are as follows:

Borounov/Borounov (AUS)
O'Brien/Merriman (AUS)
Guan/Wang (CHN)
Huang/Zheng (CHN)
Yu/Wang (CHN)
Kucherenko/Adoniev (KAZ)
Bruhns/Westenberger (MEX)

Saturday, December 11, 2010

2010 ISU Grand Prix Final: Free Dance


1) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (Russia)
   Music: Melody of the White Nights by Schwartz 
  • This team is super young, but they made a huge jump this season with silver at Cup of China and gold at Cup of Russia
  • Keep in mind that they beat Faiella and Scali with these programs
  • This program is so gorgeous and romantic and they are very expressive
  • The is a well-composed twizzle sequence but Dmitri stumbles which will cost them if they want to move up
  • I would like them to pick up more speed here
  • I love that front walkover entrance that she does to the lift
  • I love that low spin position where they are almost hugging
  • This program is just so Russian and I just love it
  • I really believe they will be the next great Russian Ice Dance team since Navka & Kostomarov
  • I love the ending where she pulls away but then comes back
  • I couldn't tell if they finished after the music or if they were just having "a moment" there
  • Aside from Dmitri's twizzle error, that was simply beautiful
  • FD Score: 40.84 (TES) + 41.58 (PCS) = 82.42
  • 54.33 (SD) + 82.42 (FD) = 136.75
 2) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (Canada)
   Music: Eleanor Rigby by Lennon & McCartney
  • I have been vocal about not liking this team, but I do love this choreography
  • That opening sequence should be constantly moving, like contact improvisation, but they do it like poses so it looks too choppy
  • They are big fans of the upside down lift
  • They are interesting to watch because they are so similar in height
  • I would like Vanessa to bend her knees a little more
  • Their twizzles seemed a little slow and they got dangerously close together at the end
  • They seem to be picking up speed and gaining momentum toward the end of the program
  • That should put them in first for the time being
  • FD Score: 42.78 (TES) + 42.14 (PCS) = 84.92
  • 54.82 (SD) + 84.92 (FD) = 139.74

3) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (Canada)
   Music: Moulin Rouge Soundtrack
  • Here comes my new favorite team of the season! 
  • I would die to see them win the bronze medal here
  • They need to pick up speed
  • They both have such long limbs that their lines are gorgeous 
  • Kaitlin just uses her arms in such a beautiful way 
  • The two of them are incredibly expressive and seem so well matched
  • I love the way they change their performance quality when the music switches into the Tango de Roxanne
  • That rotational lift at the end with Kaitlyn in the head tap position is really lovely
  • They have such amazing intensity here at the end
  • I loved that program and I would be so happy if they could take the lead right now.
  • FD Score: 39.84 (TES) + 40.99 (PCS) = 80.83
  • 55.51 (SD) + 80.83 (FD) = 136.34
4) Nora Hoffmann & Maxim Zavozin (Hungary)
   Music: Gypsy Witch Soundtrack by Experidance
  • These are new costumes for them and while I think hers is better, his is worse
  • All of this loose fabric has Faiella-Scali costume malfunction written all over it
  • I like the drama at the beginning of this program, but those cackling witches freak me out
  • They remind me of like late 1990s, early 2000s European Ice Dance with the weird music and the fabric 
  • I wish she would hit more distinct positions in her changing-position rotational lift because it just looked a bit muddy
  • Max used to skate for USA and was successful on the Junior level, but its great to see him have success as a Senior, even if he is competing for another country
  • This would be good music for Miki Ando, or Nobunari Oda
  • Did I miss something? They don't look very happy! Was there a fall or a missed element or something? 
  • FD Score: 37.13 (TES) + 38.96 (PCS) = 76.09
  • 55.98 (SD) + 76.09 (FD) = 132.07
5) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (France)
   Music: Charlie Chaplin Medley
  • I just love how they take the ice in character and never  break that character throughout the piece
  • This choreography is fabuloso in that it is elegant, yet has an air of whimsy about it
  • I feel like I am watching a silent French film, they just create such beautiful images
  • They use every ounce of this music and their performance is so nuanced
  • The ending image is so lovely
  • I don't comment a lot because I wanted to watch their beautiful performance, but everything was top notch from the twizzles and spins to footwork and jumps
  • FD Score: 46.50 (TES) + 49.94 (PCS) = 96.44
  • 65.66 (SD) + 96.44 (FD) = 162.10
 6) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)
   Music: Il Postino by Luis Bacalov & Payadora/Recuerdo by Lisandro Adrover
  • And here come the headliners
  • Those holds at the beginning are so fantastic, so sensual
  • I think Charlie has evolved so much this season from an athlete into an artist 
  • Wow those twizzles are simply divine
  • Its good to seem them make it cleanly through drop where they had the falls at Skate America
  • I like that double camel position in their combination spin
  • She has such strength to hold her body parallel to the ice when he is spinning her by her legs with one arm
  • This is a phenomenal program, the best I've seen them do it this season
  • FD Score: 50.15 (TES) + 52.79 (PCS) = 102.94
  • 68.64 (SD) + 102.94 (FD) = 171.58
Final Results:


1) Davis/White                             171.58
2) Pechalat/Bourzat                     162.10
3) Crone/Poirier                           139.74
4) Bobrova/Soloviev                    136.76
5) Weaver/Poje                            136.34
6) Hoffmann/Zavozin                    132.07

Friday, December 10, 2010

2010 ISU Grand Prix Final: Short Dance

1) Nora Hoffmann & Maxim Zavozin (Hungary)
   Music: Sleeping Beauty by Tchaikovski & Skaters' Waltz by Strauss
  • They really have a lot of speed in this opening sequence
  • I would love to see a little more precision in the positions in the Golden Waltz sequence
  • This program shows great improvement over their short dances earlier this season, particularly in terms of speed
  • SD Score: 30.21 (TES) + 25.77 (PCS) = 55.98 
 2) Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (Canada)
    Music: At Last by Etta James & Cheek to Cheek by Irving Berlin
  • This is my favorite short dance of the entire season and I am so happy to be able to see it again
  • I love that side lift where Kaitlyn's  body is completely parallel to the ice
  • They integrate the Golden Waltz seamlessly into the free skating choreography
  • What an elegant and graceful program
  • The second have is so joyful and so free
  • SD Score: 29.50 (TES) + 26.01 (PCS) = 55.51
  • This is about 3 points lower than their season's best short program, so it looks like that twizzle issue really hurt them
 3) Ekaterina Bobrova & Dmitri Soloviev (Russia)
   Music: Delilah by Tom Jones
  • This music is really repetitive and kind of makes me crazy, but I like the program so much
  • Amazing speed going into the start of the program
  • They too have twizzle issues with Dmitiri stumbling out of his
  • They are nice and close on their midline step sequence
  • They look very "Russian" in the Golden Waltz sequence if that makes sense
  • That death drop always scares me, it is amazing but I'm always afraid he'll actually drop her
  • Lovely rotational lift
  • They do a great job of maintaining speed until the end of the program
  • How on earth did a Russian Ice Dance team choose to skate to Tom Jones?
  • SD Score: 27.00 (TES) + 27.33 (PCS) = 54.33
4) Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier (Canada)
   Music: Fallin' by Alicia Keys
  • Thank the good lord that Vanessa got a new dress, I've been criticizing that white spandex number all season
  • On the subject of costumes, I think I would put Paul in something a little more free updated than a tuxedo, he looks a bit too stuffy
  • They go almost immediately into their Golden Waltz
  • Vanessa's positions always look a little muddy to me and I desperately want her to make them more precise
  • I have criticized Vanessa all season for the tension in her upper body and while it is still there, it is improved
  • This team is really lacking in performance quality in my opinion
  • I want to see more tension between the two of them since they are skating to Fallin'
  • I don't think that will be a season's best score, but it should put them safely into first place for now
  • Their coach looks a little like Cynthia Nixon
  • SD Score: 26.86 (TES) + 27.82 (PCSI ) = 54.82
  • Oh wow that score seemed low, they must have gotten low levels on some of their elements
5) Nathalie Pechalat & Fabian Bourzat (France)
   Music: Main Theme from Dr. Zhivago by Maurice Jarre
  • They are just too beautiful for words in my opinion
  • Amazing flow across the ice, elegance, brilliance
  • Wow Fabian came so close to the boards before the shoot the duck
  • That was such a gorgeous program and they never lost the flow even for a second
  • What a great jump they have made from last season to this
  • This short dance just really suits them well
  • This is one of the most well choreographed short dances of the entire season
  • SD Score: 33.29 (TES) + 32.37 (PCS) = 65.66
  • That was their highest short dance score of the Grand Prix Season so far
6) Meryl Davis & Charlie White (USA)
   Music: La Boheme by Puccini & La Traviata by Verdi
  • I love how they start this program "asleep"
  • No twizzle issues for this team!
  • This is a wonderful elegant program, showing great strides for this team in terms of maturity
  • Nice flow through their Golden Waltz, deep edges, and precise positions
  • Meryl is almost parallel to the ice on the shoot the duck
  • The entrance into that rotational lift is wonderful and the positions and speed they achieve are fantastic
  • What a wonderful short dance, I am so happy for them
  • SD Score: 34.42 (TES) + 34.22 (PCS) = 68.64
Current Leaderboard:


1) Davis/White                                68.64
2) Pechalat/Bourzat                       65.66
3) Hoffman/Zavozin                        55.98
4) Weaver/Poje                              55.51
5) Crone/Poirier                             54.82
6) Bobrova/Soloviev                       54.33