Sochi Figure Skating Thoughts and Feelings

Where on earth do I begin? I have feelings of Olympic proportions about these Olympics we just experienced. I waited for a week to post because I didn't want to say anything I would regret in the heat of the moment. Read between the lines and you know who I'm talking about. Let's start at the very beginning, a very good place to start.

The Team Competition
What I Loved: I loved seeing the pride that the skaters have for their country and I also loved seeing national rivals pretend to like one another. I'm looking at you Diva Wagner. I liked that the top skaters had a chance to get the Olympic jitters out before the event.
What I Hated: I hated that some of the skaters felt like they weren't taking this seriously, though I think that may change in a few Olympic cycles if this event becomes more important. I also hated the points system and that the free skates barely mattered. Since IJS is all about those points and breaking records, let's just add up all the total points and be done with it. In the future, I would like to see this event at the end of the Games so the top skaters aren't conserving energy for the individual events.
What I Was Apathetic About: I found myself not caring about any team outside of Russian, Canada, and the US because they had no shot at the podium.
Feelings Meter: I was as anxious as I always am the night before the TONY awards when I can't predict how they will stage the opening number.

The Pairs Event
What I Loved: Volosozhar & Trankov in the short program, Savchenko & Szolkowy in the short program, Pang & Tong's passionate farewell free skate, and Ksenia Stolbova's facial expressions in the free. I also loved seeing Volosozhar & Trankov stand up under all that pressure. Though I was really over Russia later in the games, all seemed right with the world with two Russian pairs on the podium. I love the spunk of Kirsten Moore-Towers and hope they medal at worlds and keep going.
What I Hated: I hated the OCD flare-up I had when Tatiana Volosozhar's bun came loose in the free skate. I hated how I was bored during their Jesus Christ Super Star until the lift in the second half on the "Jesus Christ, Jesus Christ" music. You know what I'm talking about. I hated how the over scoring of Volosozhar & Trankov (a plus GOE on a throw with a hand down) made me feel dirty inside and made me skeptical that the judging would get worse and worse.
What I Was Apathetic About: I found myself not caring about any pairs outside of the top 5. None of the other performances got me excited.
Feelings Meter: I felt about Volosozhar & Trankov winning gold like I did about Bernadette Peters winning the TONY for the revival of "Annie Get Your Gun." I was so happy they won, but the win wasn't supported by great material.

The Mens Event
What I Loved: I loved Jason Brown in the short, everything about Takahashi at all times, the clean skating of Denis Ten, and the fact that it was over and eventually the falling stopped.
What I Hated: I hated that craptacualar mess of a free skate and the fact that we have an Olympic Champ who fell several times. I hated that we couldn't copy and paste Jason Brown's skate from Nationals and snag him a bronze medal.
What I Was Apathetic About: I stopped caring that Javier Fernandez wasn't on the podium because if he cannot count the jumps at this stage in his career, he doesn't belong on an Olympic podium. I couldn't bring myself to feel bad for Patrick Chan because Hanyu left the door open for him and he couldn't triple axel through it cleanly.
Feelings Meter: I felt like I was watching the women's All-Around finals in Sydney and knew disaster was upon us and could do nothing to stop it.

The Ice Dance Event
What I Loved: I loved the short dances of Virtue & Moir, Cappellini & Lanotte, the free dance of Pechalat & Bourzat, and the look in Meryl's eyes during the free. I loved the sigh of relief on the faces of Charlie & Meryl when they saw that all of their hard work paid off. I loved the Spanish team's Picasso free skate and I hope to see more from them in the future.
What I Hated: I was angered by the fact that Pechalat and Bourzat's superior skating and artistry were not rewarded and were beaten by (in my opinion) a knock-off ballet. They lost that mandatory 3 points for skating while not being Russian. I hated the nastiness directed at Bobrova & Soloviev on social media, it wasn't their fault that they've been propped up for so long and were upset when scored semi-appropriately. I especially hated Canada's inability to form an argument. Either lash out at the judging or at Marina, not both.
What I Was Apathetic About: Oddly enough, Weaver & Poje did nothing for me, though I generally love them. I didn't feel strongly about either American team, which worries me for the future.
Feelings Meter: That bronze medal decision was like "La Cage aux Folles" beating "Sunday in the Park with George" for best musical in 1984; camp was chosen over true art.

The Ladies Event
What I Loved: I must start by saying that Mao's free skate was one of the finest programs I've seen in my 20 years watching figure skating. I loved Carolina's ethereal angelic short program, Carolina's sassy nuanced free skate, and everything else that Carolina did. I loved the subtlety of Yuna's short program and the emergence of Gracie Gold as a major threat on the world stage. I loved that Ashley Wagner had no filter when speaking about the judging, and though it was a little bit of sour grapes on her part, she's saying what we're all thinking. What I loved most was how out of control and ridiculous we got on twitter during that ladies event. I'm looking at you Dave and Ann.
What I Hated: I hated seeing Julia fall, especially when I heard that reporters were stalking her family and bugging her house, and all I wanted to do was give her a hug. I hated seeing Diva Wagner's scores drop in front of her very eyes as the judges chose a new favorite American and I really hated that she cut the post-short program ponytail flip in the ladies event. I hated seeing Mao crumble in the short, because I strongly believe that she'd be Olympic Champ if she had skated that short cleanly. I hated when Sotnikova waved at me from her spiral sequence, but we will blame Peter for that and not her. I hated the judging in most events, but the judging errors really were egregious in this ladies event.
What I Was Apathetic About: I feel nothing about our ladies champion. I know I should be outraged that Carolina didn't win, but when I look back on some of our recent ladies champions (cough Tara, Sarah, Shizuka) they don't represent the best of that era of skating either, so whatever.
Feelings Meter: I wanted to throw a floor lamp out of my 2nd story dressing room window like Patti LuPone did when Andrew Lloyd Webber fired her from Sunset Boulevard.


As mother Evita would ask, "Where do we go from here?" I know we are going through skating withdrawal, but worlds are just a hop, skip, and a jump away. I have a love/hate with Olympic-year Worlds because many of our favorites will retire, but there are always "A Star is Born" moments too when the babies step up and reach the podium. I'm looking at you Gracie and Julia! See you in Japan!

The Casual Figure Skating Fan's Guide to Sochi 2014

I know more than my fair share about figure skating and follow it very closely every season, but I'm also aware that most people do not. Therefore, I give you "The Casual Figure Skating Fan's Guide to Sochi 2014". If I see a facebook status asking about Johnny Weir, Michelle Kwan, or 6.0, I will probably post this link on your wall to keep me from saying something catty.

General Notes:

-Figure Skating is no longer an art form, it is a math problem

-You will be confused and frustrated because the best programs rarely score the highest

-If you think all the programs look the same, you're probably right; IJS programs are very cookie cutter

-Skaters are scored on TES (the old technical mark) & PCS (the old artistic mark)

-Every element (jumps, spins, lifts, throws, footwork sequences) is given a base value and/or a level and a grade of execution mark

-There is no "best score," though the NBC commentators will likely compare skaters' scores to their own Season's Best of Personal Best

-This season will be the debut of a Gymnastics-style Team event where skaters from all 4 disciplines will combine their scores and the "top country" will win gold; this even will begin before Opening Ceremonies and conclude before the individual disciplines begin

-Here is a link to the full IJS code of points if you want to confuse yourself even further

http://www.isu.org/en/single-and-pair-skating-and-ice-dance/isu-judging-system/introduction

Ladies:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Yuna Kim (KOR), Carolina Kostner (ITA), Mao Asada (JPN)

-If anyone outside of Kim, Asada, or Kostner win Gold it will be a Sarah Hughes-esque surprise

-If we do have a Sarah Hughes moment, it will be Russian teen Julia Lipnitskaia

-If Yuna Kim skates cleanly, expect her to win a 2nd OGM, regardless of how the other ladies skate

-The US ladies have an outside chance at a medal but are in no way favored

-NBC will talk up Gracie Gold, and probably Ashley Wagner as medal favorites, but they will only medal if others make mistakes

-The fully rotated triple-triple combination is key for the ladies, expect NBC commentators to talk that to death

-You will be able to tell which skaters NBC loves because they will drop phrases like "complete package," "complete program," or "fantastic transitions"

-A US lady hasn't won an Olympic or World medal since 2006, expect to hear that from NBC commentators on repeat

-A certain 'top lady' waves during her spiral sequence, I'll let you look for it in Where's Waldo fashion

Mens:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Patrick Chan (CAN), Denis Ten (KAZ), Javier Fernandez (ESP)

-Johnny Weir has retired and Evan Lysacek is injured, neither will compete

-Patrick Chan has won the last 3 World Titles, and though he is sputtering this season, it will be an upset if he doesn't win Gold

-The Quadruple jump (Quad) is key in the mens event, it will be hard to get near the podium without one

-The elder statesman Evgeni Plushenko has returned for one final hurrah and the Russians will be doing their best politicking to get him back on the podium

-You will probably prefer Yuzuru Hanyu's more artistic programs and you'll hate it when Patrick Chan wins regardless

-US men have little to no chance of winning a medal, we haven't won a World or Olympic medal since 2010

-Jason Brown (USA) will be one of the darlings of the games and will probably rise to the occasion under pressure, but without the Quad he will have a hard tim finding the podium unless others make mistakes

Ice Dance:

2013 WORLD Medalists: Davis & White (USA), Virtue & Moir (CAN), Bobrova & Soloviev (RUS)

-There are no longer 3 phases to the Ice Dance competition, there are now only 2

-Expect to hear the phrase "Finn Step" a lot as it is the compulsory pattern that all teams will perform in the original dance

-Free Dances range from Classical and Opera to Musical Theatre and Michael Jackson

-Gold & Silver will go to Davis & White (USA) or Virtue & Moir (CAN) and it will likely be very close; they are far above the rest of the field and will take the top spots on the podium

-Davis & White are slightly favored for Gold because they beat Virtue & Moir at the 2013 Worlds and this season's Grand Prix Final and their scores have been consistently higher

-Bobrova & Soloviev (Russia) will likely win bronze, primarily because of Russian politics; if you personally feel that their performances are not deserving of a medal, you would be correct

-The other teams that have a shot at bronze are Pechalat & Bourzat (FRA), Ilinykh & Katsalapov (RUS), Cappellini & Lanotte (ITA), and Weaver & Poje (CAN)

-The top dance teams are coached by the same small cluster of coaches; become familiar with names like Marina Zoueva, Igor Shpilband, Pasquale Camerlengo, Nikolai Morozov, and Alexander Zhulin

-All 3 American teams are likely to finish in the top 10

-It's tough to tell the difference between average, good, and great ice dance programs because there are no jumps/falls; you should look for speed, overall flow across the ice, synchronization, and smooth transitions in and out of lifts

Pairs

2013 WORLD Medalists: Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS), Savchenko & Szolkowy (GER), Duhamel & Radford (CAN)

-US Pair Teams will be very fortunate to finish in the top 6 and have about a 1% chance of winning a medal

-Volosozhar & Trankov (Russia) will win Gold unless they make major mistakes

-Savchenko & Szolkowy (Germany) will win Silver unless they make major mistakes

-Pang & Tong (China) will most likely win bronze, but Canadian teams have a shot

-The pairs event directly follows the Team Trophy event; fatigue/training could play a role in this event

-Expect some drama with the top two teams, they've been going back and forth in the standings for several years

-Commentators will make a huge deal about Russians retaking the top spot on the Olympic pairs podium

2013 Skate America: Pairs Short Program Recap

Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS) are world class.  Their commitment to the characters sets them apart from everyone else but the Germans. The power, speed, and precision don't hurt either. I feel like I'm watching a piece of theatre when I watch them skate. The impressive thing is that your eye goes to both of them equally and not just to one or the other. Even down to the death spiral, they never break character. Total Short Program Score: 83.05

I will try to stifle my hatred of the "ass up" death spiral because I loved the program as a whole. I personally love light, whimsical short programs and this was certainly it. The costumes were unique without being over the top and their lifts are always spectacular. I am enamored with that final spin and how the speed never dissipates when they change levels. The peck on the cheek was to die for. Total Short Program Score: 71.51

I was impressed by Stolbova & Klimov (RUS) minus his odd facial hair. They had a quiet power about them, very commanding, and very Russian. This program is going places and they are ready to step up as the 2nd Russian pair team. Nothing about the piece blew my socks off, but they are an easy team to watch, it didn't feel anxious or nervous like I do with a lot of pair teams. Total Short Program Score: 64.80

Berton & Hotarek (ITA) had an acrobatic short to say the least. That one-handed lift was unreal and everything about the piece screamed "circus trick". I couldn't take anything in the program seriously because of that insane shade of yellow. Total Short Program Score: 63.85

Okay so I was really surprised by Castelli & Shnapir (USA) today. After being default US champs, you guys really stepped it up. Speed and attack were great and aside from Simon doubling that SBS jump, the rest was awesome. They have a lot to work with in that great throw 3Sal, a pizzazzy footwork sequence, thrilling final lift, and the overall energy. Hopefully the confidence stays up for the free and the rest of the season. Total Short Program Score: 62.56

There is a fine line between aggressive and frantic. Today Denney & Coughlin (USA) stumbled over that line. Tosca is a dramatic piece, but it was all over the top. The twist was so high and the unison was perfect on the SBS jumps, but she couldn't possibly maintain that pace and wiped out on the throw. The piece didn't do much for me, probably because the music is so "been there done that". I much preferred Castelli & Shnapir. Total Short Program Score: 62.06 

Overall I got a good vibe from Zhang & Toth (USA) today. They had the double fall on the SBS jumps, but the twist, throw, and lifts were strong. The Carousel Waltz is music they can feed off of. I get his character, but she needs to work more on establishing hers. The final pose was so Broadway! Total Short Program Score: 55.83

I liked Purdy & Marinaro's (CAN) drama-filled opening, but the emotion never went anywhere for me. It's Unchained Melody, amp up the romance for heaven's sake! She doesn't seem gritty enough for a pair girl, you have to jam that leg out and land those elements girlfriend! I think this piece of music was too mature for a young team. Total Short Program Score: 50.26

2013 Skate America: Pairs Preview

Pairs is a discipline I run hot and cold with. I was all about them after that 2002 debacle and then they faded away for me until Shen & Zhao won the Olympic Gold in 2010. The rivalry between Savchenko & Szolkowy and Volosozhar & Trankov has been thrilling for me in the past two seasons and I truly hope they are back and forth up until their Olympic Free Skate. That being said, let's talk about this event. The paris will skate their short Saturday 10/19 at 12:00pm EST and their free on Sunday 10/20 at 2:30pm EST.

Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS) are the overwhelming favorites here. They will win unless they withdraw. I am hearing fantastic things about their Jesus Christ Superstar free (notice the abundance of British musical theatre tunes at this event) and I'm sure they won't disappoint. This event will be about getting their timing down and building strength and speed so they can ace this season. Anyone in the arena to watch them live in Detroit will be in for a treat.

Kirsten Moore-Towers & Dylan Moscovitch (CAN) have been developing a healthy rivalry with their

countrymen Duhamel & Radford, and it's been great for their performance over the past two seasons.They are coming off of a win at the US Classic in Salt Lake City and US events have always treated them well. I'm not sure what to make of their Fellini Medley free skate, but they've always been a little offbeat in their choices. They're a contender for a Grand Prix Final spot and they have a great shot at taking silver here to keep themselves in the running.

Caydee Denney & John Coughlin (USA) seem to be the logical choices for the third podium spot. Their Phantom of the Opera free skate (another ALW?) should be an overdramatized tacky mess, but they are consistent which is something most pairs cannot say. The rumor mill was busy last season that they weren't getting along anymore and/or that John's body was too wrecked to compete, but I think they'll press on through this season to make it to the big dance.




Ksenia Stolbova & Fedor Klimov (RUS) are in a crucial year in

their career. There are so many young powerful Russian pairs, they aren't too far removed from that, so they better step it up if they are going to make that Olympic team. A good showing here will set them on the right track.

Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir (USA) are my prediction for the next US pair to break up and fizzle out. They essentially won the US title by default last season because so  many top teams were injured. Rumors flew that they had a poor work ethic and they were only staying together so they could go to worlds. They aren't a favorite for the Olympic team, but if they want to change the minds of US Figure Skating, they best hold it together here.






Podium Predictions:
Gold: Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS)
Silver: Moore-Towers & Moscovitch (CAN)
Brozne: Denney & Coughlin (USA)

The Rest of the Field:
Purdy/Marinaro (CAN)
Berton/Hotarek (ITA)
Stolbova/Klimov (RUS)
Castelli/Shnapir (USA)
Zhang/Bartholomay (USA)

2012 Grand Prix Final: Pairs Preview

This event is kind of a hodgepodge. I feel like no pair has impressed me this year. The fact that Denney & Coughlin are the 1st alternates shows you how weak the pairs field is this season.

Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS) are certainly the frontrunners. They should be at least 20 points ahead of the rest of the field. They are outstanding and if they can stay healthy, they should take the World title this year. They don't make me nervous when they compete because I know they'll hit every element. Plus, he's easy on the eyes.

Pang & Tong (CHN) should be podium favorites. After all these years, they are still divine. I feel like we we see the same lyrical programs from them each year, but with different costumes and music. But if it aint broke, I guess you don't need to fix it.

I'd actually love to see Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS) take the silver this year, but just when I start to believe in them, they find a way to screw things up. They almost always peak early in the season and then fizzle out by Worlds. They are aging and she has a history of injuries, so their window to win another World, and possibly an Olympic medal is closing.

Duhamel & Radford (CAN) are one of my favorite pairs these days. They have accomplished so much but still have a lot of upside. They are getting better every season and I see them being a real podium threat in 2014.They need to up the ante in terms of their chemistry and on-ice expression and they'll move up to the top tier.

Bazarova & Larionov (RUS) were the beneficiaries of a weak field at both of their events. She has no jump in her jumps and he is just "there". They are, in a word, 'dull'. They are fading fast, in my opinion, and I believe Stolbova & Klimov or one of the rising junior teams will pass them in time for Sochi.

Moore-Towers & Moscovitch (CAN) also benefitted from an easy schedule. They are fine, I actually loved them back in the Zorba/Les Mis season, but they are falling fast compared to Duhamel & Radford. One of their best qualities is they know how to do them. They know their style and they stick to it. There's nothing phenomenal about the Queen Free skate, but then again I'd hate to see them do Dr. Zhivago.

Podium Predictions:
1) Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS)
2) Pang & Tong (CHN)
3) Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS)

Rostelecom Cup: Pairs Free Skate LIVE BLOG

1) Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin (USA)
  Music: Legends of the Fall & Time to Say Goodbye

• I love to see them jump in opposite directions, when it goes well that is
• Seeing that death spiral from overhead made me dizzy
• This choreography seems so old fashioned to me
• Hard slip on the 2nd throw
• Even aside from that, this is light years better than their first GP outing
• I do like the positions on that final spin
• Ended after the music
• I wish he would shave, he looks scruffy
• 50.22 (TES) + 48.02 (PCS) -1.00 (DED) = 97.24
• 45.91 (SP) + 97.24 (FS) = 143.16

2) Nicole Della Monica & Matteo Guarise (ITA)
  Music: The Phantom of the Opera

• What do these costumes have to do with Phantom?
• Her upper body is very expressive
• She is clearly the better skater, he needs  lot of work on jumping and artistry
• Oh geez, he tripped and fell on a crossover
• He is clearly just there because he's strong enough to lift and throw her
• He looks so unsure and shaky out there that I'm concerned for her safety in those lifts
• They are just skating through this music, no connection to it at all
• This music may be overdone, but it's very emotionally charged and I don't understand how you can skate to it without feeling something
• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 50.25 (SP) + (FS) =

3) Anastasia Martiusheva & Alexei Rogonov (RUS)
  Music: The Mission

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 50.90 (SP) + (FS) =

4) Paige Lawrence & Rudi Swiegers (CAN)
  Music: War Horse

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 51.86 (SP) + (FS) =

5) Caydee Denney & John Coughlin (USA)
  Music: Phantom of the Opera

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 59.02 (SP) + (FS) =

6) Vera Bazarova & Yuri Larionov (RUS)
  Music: Spartacus

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 66.02 (SP) + (FS) =

7) Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)
  Music: Violin Muse

• (TES) + (PCS) =
• 74.74 (SP) + (FS) =

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Short Program Results

Pl.   Qual. Name Nation TSS = TES +   PCS + SS TR PE CH IN Ded. - StN. 1 Q Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY GER 68.63 35.74   32.89 8.29 7.96 8.29 8.32 8.25 0.00 #19 2 Q Qing PANG / Jian TONG CHN 67.10 33.94   33.16 8.36 7.93 8.39 8.39 8.39 0.00 #20 3 Q Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN JPN 65.37 34.94   30.43 7.57 7.50 7.68 7.68 7.61 0.00 #11 4 Q Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV RUS 65.02 35.33   29.69 7.57 7.32 7.46 7.46 7.29 0.00 #14 5 Q Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD CAN 63.69 35.00   29.69 7.50 7.32 7.46 7.46 7.36 1.00 #17 6 Q Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN CHN 63.27 34.90   29.37 7.21 7.11 7.46 7.54 7.39 1.00 #18 7 Q Caydee DENNEY / John COUGHLIN USA 62.48 34.36   28.12 7.14 6.61 7.32 6.96 7.11 0.00 #10 8 Q Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV RUS 60.48 31.62   30.86 7.93 7.36 7.68 7.79 7.82 2.00 #16 9 Q Stefania BERTON / Ondrej HOTAREK ITA 60.39 32.39   28.00 6.96 6.71 7.07 7.14 7.11 0.00 #15 10 Q Mary Beth MARLEY / Rockne BRUBAKER USA 59.62 33.08   26.54 6.68 6.29 6.82 6.75 6.64 0.00 #4 11 Q Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV RUS 59.59 31.20   30.39 7.68 7.50 7.50 7.68 7.64 2.00 #13 12 Q Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE CAN 55.83 30.37   25.46 6.50 6.21 6.36 6.46 6.29 0.00 #8 13 Q Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES FRA 50.51 27.36   23.15 6.04 5.50 5.96 5.82 5.61 0.00 #7 14 Q Nicole DELLA MONICA / Matteo GUARISE ITA 49.07 27.88   21.19 5.64 4.93 5.39 5.32 5.21 0.00 #5 15 Q Maylin HAUSCH / Daniel WENDE GER 48.48 25.44   24.04 6.32 5.75 6.04 6.07 5.86 1.00 #12 16 Q Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE GER 47.91 25.66   22.25 5.79 5.21 5.75 5.64 5.43 0.00 #1 17 Danielle MONTALBANO / Evgeni KRASNOPOLSKI ISR 44.69 25.90   18.79 5.00 4.39 4.93 4.68 4.50 0.00 #6 18 Anais MORAND / Timothy LEEMANN SUI 44.59 24.28   20.31 5.29 4.86 5.14 5.18 4.93 0.00 #9 19 Stacey KEMP / David KING GBR 39.33 23.24   18.09 4.64 4.57 4.57 4.50 4.32 2.00 #2 20 Ji Hyang RI / Won Hyok THAE PRK 36.23 19.03   18.20 5.04 4.11 4.64 4.57 4.39 1.00 #3

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Short Program Skate Order

The top 16 will advance to the Free Skate

StN.	Name	Nation
	Warm-Up Group 1
1	Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE	GER
2	Stacey KEMP / David KING	GBR
3	Ji Hyang RI / Won Hyok THAE	PRK
4	Mary Beth MARLEY / Rockne BRUBAKER	USA
	Warm-Up Group 2
5	Nicole DELLA MONICA / Matteo GUARISE	ITA
6	Danielle MONTALBANO / Evgeni KRASNOPOLSKI	ISR
7	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA
8	Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE	CAN
	Warm-Up Group 3
9	Anais MORAND / Timothy LEEMANN	SUI
10	Caydee DENNEY / John COUGHLIN	USA
11	Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN	JPN
12	Maylin HAUSCH / Daniel WENDE	GER
	Warm-Up Group 4
13	Yuko KAVAGUTI / Alexander SMIRNOV	RUS
14	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS
15	Stefania BERTON / Ondrej HOTAREK	ITA
16	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS
	Warm-Up Group 5
17	Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD	CAN
18	Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN	CHN
19	Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY	GER
20	Qing PANG / Jian TONG	CHN

2012 World Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Preview

 Here we are again, can you believe the figure skating season is nearly over already?  But before the season ends, we get the best event of the year, Worlds. Pairs will certainly be an interesting event. Three teams dominated the senior Grand Prix, but we have a set of former World Champs from China returning, as well as a pair of Chinese youngsters making their senior Worlds debut. Aside from who will medal, another interesting storyline is if the teams from the USA and Canada can come together and secure their country a third spot at the pre-Olympic Worlds in 2013. The pairs skate their Short Program Wednesday March 28th at 8:00 am EST and their Free Skate on Friday March 30th at 2:30 pm EST.

Podium Predictions
1) Savchenko & Szolkowy (GER)
2) Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS)
3) Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS)

Top Contenders

Savchenko & Szoklowy (GER) had an up and down season by their standards, winning Gold at Skate America, Cup of Russia, and the Grand Prix Final, Bronze at NHK Trophy, and withdrawing from Europeans due to injury. I think they easily have the finest pairs programs of the season, their Pina free skate is so artistic and contemporary; nothing else holds a candle to it. I’m picking them to win their second consecutive and fourth overall World title.

Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS) were the other dominant pair this season. They won Skate Canada, Trophee Eric Bompard, and Europeans. They won Silver behind the Germans at the Grand Prix Final and they too with drew this season due to injury, but it was from Russian Nationals. They have impressive technical elements and outstanding chemistry, but I prefer the polish of the Germans to the flash and athleticism of the Russians.

Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS) also took two Golds on the Grand Prix, at Cup of China and NHK Trophy. They picked up a Silver at Cup of Russia and a Bronze at the Grand Prix Final. Continuing the theme, they also struggled with injury and withdrew from Europeans and Russian Nationals. They have two very diverse programs, a passionate edgy short, and a lyrical long to Claire de Lune. They missed the World podium last year after a fall, but I think they’ll find their way back there if they go clean.

Pang & Tong (CHN) will be a curious case to say the least. They were fantastic last season and finished it off with a Bronze at Worlds, but we haven’t seen them since then. They planned to take time off to rest and get married, but they found they loved skating too much to take a full year off. China needs them too, they only have two slots for pairs this season, a travesty by their standards, so they’ll look to help get that third spot back. They are a beautiful team and that is what they exploit in their programs, but I’d love to see them take a risk and try something with an edge to it. That may be what they need to challenge the top three at this point.

In The Hunt

Sui & Han (CHN) appeared to be in a bit of a sophomore slump, and by that I mean they didn’t make the Grand Prix Final as they did in their debut season, but they came back with a big time win at Four Continents. Their attempt at maturity in their new Tango free skate was all but laughable at the beginning of the season, but now they are really starting to to grow into it. Expect them to make a huge splash in their senior Worlds debut.

Bazarova & Larionov (RUS) are an elegant team with beautiful lines, but unfortunately that's about all they're offering this season. They haven't upped their technical game and they've been less than consistent. They are normally a shoe in for the Grand Prix Final, but a poor showing at Skate America knocked them out of the running. 

Denney & Coughlin (USA) are the hot new American team, but unfortunately they are still an American team and that usually means choking at Worlds. They have pretty impressive elements, but they are packaged as athletes,  not as artists, and than needs to change next season if they expect to compete with the best teams in the World.

Duhamel & Radford (CAN) were fantastic on the Grand Prix and even qualified for the final. They easily won their Nationals with what looked like the performance of a lifetime, but it seems they may have peaked too soon. 

Takahashi &Tran (JPN) have been all over the place this season, placing fourth and second at their Grand Prix events and qualifying for the Grand Prix Final. They can be described in four words: beautiful lines, inconsistent elements. Narumi just seems to have no self-confidence in the throws and jumps and that needs to be addressed before they can reach their full potential.

Berton & Hotarek (ITA) stepped up their International game this season, finishing 4th and 3rd in their Grand Prix assignments and fourth at Europeans. I don't love their look on the ice, but the judges clearly appreciate their elements. They've been pretty consistent this season and if they stay that way, they can finish well.

Marley & Brubaker (USA) are attending their first Worlds, though Rockne was here with a previous partner. If Mary Beth can block out the pressure of the World stage, they have a good shot at making a splash. They won Silver at Nationals and their first International medal in Bronze at Four Continents so they are well on their way if they stay clean and consistent. They can't afford any mistakes though, because no judges will give a relatively new team the benefit of the doubt.

Dube & Wolfe (CHN) are in a similar situation to Marley & Brubaker. She has a lot of Worlds experience but he has none. They got better at every event this season and finished a surprise 2nd at Canadians to earn a spot on the World team over some more experienced teams. They won't challenged for a medal as Dube did with Davison, but they can earn some International judges' favor if they are clean.

The Rest Of The Field

Martini & Kiefer (AUT)

Bakirova & Kamianchuk (BLR)

Makarova & Kenchadze (BUL)

Ri & Thae (PRK)

James & Cipres (FRA)

Hausch &Wende (GER)

Vartmann & Van Cleave (GER)

Kemp & King (GBR)

Montalbano & Krasnopolski (ISR)

Della Monica & Guarise (ITA)

Morand & Leemann (SUI)

2012 European Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Short Program Results

Pl.	Qual.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	SS	TR	PE	CH	IN	Ded. -	StN.
1	Q	Tatiana VOLOSOZHAR / Maxim TRANKOV	RUS	72.80	37.94		34.86	8.75	8.43	8.75	8.79	8.86	0.00	#15
2	Q	Vera BAZAROVA / Yuri LARIONOV	RUS	66.89	36.27		30.62	7.68	7.39	7.75	7.79	7.68	0.00	#19
3	Q	Ksenia STOLBOVA / Fedor KLIMOV	RUS	58.66	31.80		26.86	6.64	6.54	6.79	6.82	6.79	0.00	#16
4	Q	Stefania BERTON / Ondrej HOTAREK	ITA	54.38	28.36		27.02	6.68	6.50	6.64	7.00	6.96	1.00	#17
5	Q	Maylin HAUSCH / Daniel WENDE	GER	54.03	28.69		25.34	6.43	6.11	6.32	6.39	6.43	0.00	#13
6	Q	Daria POPOVA / Bruno MASSOT	FRA	53.91	31.62		22.29	5.79	5.25	5.71	5.61	5.50	0.00	#4
7	Q	Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE	GER	52.00	27.40		24.60	6.21	5.96	6.21	6.25	6.11	0.00	#18
8	Q	Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES	FRA	51.81	29.24		22.57	5.79	5.36	5.75	5.64	5.68	0.00	#3
9	Q	Stacey KEMP / David KING	GBR	45.75	25.80		19.95	5.11	4.75	5.04	5.11	4.93	0.00	#12
10	Q	Alexandra HERBRIKOVA / Rudy HALMAERT	CZE	42.99	24.47		18.52	4.71	4.36	4.82	4.61	4.64	0.00	#2
11	Q	Carolina GILLESPIE / Luca DEMATTE	ITA	42.75	23.26		19.49	4.82	4.61	5.00	4.93	5.00	0.00	#9
12	Q	Danielle MONTALBANO / Evgeni KRASNOPOLSKI	ISR	41.69	23.89		18.80	4.79	4.57	4.71	4.79	4.64	1.00	#6
13	Q	Anais MORAND / Timothy LEEMANN	SUI	41.48	23.91		18.57	4.82	4.43	4.71	4.71	4.54	1.00	#5
14	Q	Lubov BAKIROVA / Mikalai KAMIANCHUK	BLR	39.06	20.23		18.83	4.93	4.54	4.54	4.82	4.71	0.00	#11
15	Q	Stina MARTINI / Severin KIEFER	AUT	38.05	20.56		17.49	4.36	4.11	4.43	4.43	4.54	0.00	#10
16	Q	Sally HOOLIN / James HUNT	GBR	33.41	17.50		15.91	4.14	3.79	3.93	4.07	3.96	0.00	#8
17		Elizabeta MAKAROVA / Leri KENCHADZE	BUL	32.80	18.23		15.57	4.14	3.71	3.79	4.00	3.82	1.00	#1
18		Maria PALIAKOVA / Mikhail FOMICHEV	BLR	28.33	17.25		15.08	4.00	3.68	3.61	3.93	3.64	4.00	#7
WD		Aliona SAVCHENKO / Robin SZOLKOWY	GER											#14

Grand Prix Final: Pairs Preview

Savchenko & Szolkowy struggled in their first 2 events of the season, but only because they're trying really difficult elements. They are one of those teams that I expect to win every time they take the ice, and this event is no exception. This is certain to be an exciting event as it is the first head-to-head match up between the Germans and Volosozhar & Trankov. Each team picked up two Gold medals, but neither team has peaked yet so it will be exciting to see them grow throughout the rest of the season. Kavaguti & Smirnov also picked up two Gold medals this season and can seize Gold here if the other teams make mistakes.

So we have the medal favorites, and then a second wave of teams that are pretty good in their own right. Zhang & Zhang are back after a year off and they've been competent, but not inspired. Takahashi & Tran are so young and they have the elegance and beauty to be a top team if they could improve the consistency in their technical elements. Skating against this field will help them take their careers to a new level. Duhamel & Radford are a feel good team  because you know they are workhorses and it's great to see that work pay off. They are a joy to watch and I love their programs, though they don't have the polish of the top flight.

Placement Predictions:
1) Savchenko & Szolkowy (GER) Season's Highest GP Score 208.69
2) Volosozhar & Trankov (RUS) Season's Highest GP Score 201.38
3) Kavaguti & Smirnov (RUS) Season's Highest GP Score 197.84
4) Zhang & Zhang (CHN) Season's Highest GP Score 178.66
5) Duhamel & Radford (CAN) Season's Highest GP Score 176.62
6) Takahashi & Tran (JPN) Season's Highest GP Score 172.09


Competitive History: 


Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)-3rd at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, 3rd at 2011 Skate Canada, 7th 2011 Worlds, 2nd 2011 Four Continents, 5th 2010 Skate Canada, 3rd 2010 Nebelhorn Trophy; PB: 181.79 at 2011 Four Continents (Skate Canada, Trophee Eric Bompard)


Yuko Kavaguti & Alexander Smirnov (JPN)-2nd at 2011 Rostelecom Cup, 1st at 2011 NHK Trophy, 1st at 2011 Cup of China, 4th 2011 Worlds, 2nd 2011 Europeans, 1st 2010 Rostelecom Cup, 3rd 2010 Worlds, 4th 2010 Winter Olympics; PB: 213.15 at 2010 Europeans (Cup of China, NHK Trophy, Rostelecom Cup)


Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy (GER)-1st at 2011 Rostelecom Cup, 3rd at 2011 NHK Trophy, 1st at 2011 Skate America, 1st 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Europeans, 1st 2010 Grand Prix Final, 1st 2010 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st 2010 Skate America, 2nd 2010 Worlds, 3rd 2010 Winter Olympics; PB: 217.85 at 2011 Worlds (Skate America, NHK Trophy, Rostelecom Cup)


Narumi Takahashi & Mervin Tran (JPN)-2nd at 2011 NHK Trophy, 4th at 2011 Skate America, 9th 2011 Worlds, 7th 2011 Four Continents, 1st 2010 JGP Final, 2nd 2010 Cup of Russia, 3rd 2010 NHK Trophy, 2nd 2010 JGP Germany, 2nd 2010 JGP England; PB: 172.09 at 2011 NHK Trophy (Skate Canada, NHK Trophy)


Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov (RUS)-1st at 2011 Trophee Eric Bompard, 1st at 2011 Skate Canada, 1st 2011 O Nepela, 1st 2011 Nebelhorn Trophy, 2nd 2011 Worlds, 1st 2011 Mont Blanc Trophy; PB: 210.73 at 2011 Worlds (Skate Canada, Trophee Eric Bompard)


Dan Zhang & Hao Zhang (CHN)-2nd at 2011 Cup of China, 2nd at 2011 Skate America, 5th 2010 Worlds, 5th 2010 Winter Olympics, 6th 2009 Grand Prix Final; PB: 197.82 at 2008 Worlds (Skate America, Cup of China)