Savchenko and Szolkowy are competing for their third consecutive and 5th total World title in hopes of setting themselves up for Olympic gold next year in Sochi. They have had some troubles this season and had to withdraw from their second Grand Prix assignment due to her sinus infection and missed the chance to qualify for the Grand Prix Final. They have been battling with Volosozhar and Trankov for the top placements but have always come out on top until Europeans.
Volosozhar and Trankov not only beat the Germans at Europeans, but did so by 7 points, a far cry from the point or less margin they've been separated by in the past. They also have a four point lead over the Germans in the free skate this season. Both teams had a slow start to the season and neither has spectacular programs this season. Both have great twists and throws and nice lifts. Volosozhar and Trankov are chasing their first World Championship title and are Russia's best homes of a Pairs gold in Sochi after all the Russian teams finished off the podium in 2010.
Bazarova and Larionov have had one of their best seasons, winning two Grand Prix medals and claiming the silver medal at the Grand Prix Final. An injury kept them out of Russian nationals and Europeans. They are still having struggles with their side by side jumps, a problem that has plagued them each season, but they've been able to improve their other elements in order to compensate for those errors. They crossed the 200 point at the Final and seem poised to take over as the top Russian pair after Sochi. They placed 6th at Worlds last season and seem ready to claim their first World medal.
Duhamel and Radford have been continuing to improve and claimed their first Four Continents title last month. They finished just off the podium at the Grand Prix Final and have some of the most difficult content planned in their side by side jumps along with solid throws and an improved triple twist. They finished just a hair shy of the 200 point mark at Four Continents and have the advantage of competing in front of the home crowd.
Moore-Towers and Moscovitch have been chasing Duhamel and Radford all season. They finished ahead of their teammates in the free skate at Four Continents to claim the silver medal. The rivalry between the two teams has helped to push them to the top of the world standings and they'll also have the support of the home crowd. If both Canadian teams skate their best, they could qualify a third pairs team for their country at the Olympics next year.
Pang and Tong have had a consistent if underwhelming season. They have been vocal about their difficulties with injuries that have effected their ability to train at full capacity. They've struggled with their side by side jumps because of their injuries and had to withdraw from Four Continents. They won two medals on the Grand Prix and took home the bronze from the Final, but they'll need to land all their elements if they hope to claim a spot on the Worlds podium.
Sui and Han are a wild card at this event. After winning three Junior World titles, winning a Four Continents title and finishing in the top 10 at Worlds last season, they sat out the entirety of this season due to her growth injury. Their training has been restricted and they spent time off the ice. They haven't competed in a year and will be showing off new programs for the first time. However, they have quads in their arsenal along with an infectious personality on the ice. Their personal best is over 200 points, so at their best they are podium threats.
Berton and Hotarek placed 11th at Worlds last season but seem poised to make a big jump in the standings. After winning bronze at both of their Grand Prix events, they had a 15 point improvement in their scores to claim the bronze medal at Europeans. They would need another 13 point improvement to be podium contenders but they're likely to have a personal best performance at Worlds and set themselves up well for next year.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Volosozhar/Trankov
Silver: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Bronze: Bazarova/Larionov
Bios of the competitors:
Makarova/Kenchadze, BUL: They placed 11th in the preliminary round at Worlds last season. They placed 12th at Europeans. Their personal best is 115.96. She is 17 and he is 26.
Duhamel/Radford, CAN: They placed 5th at Worlds last season. They are the reigning Four Continents Champions. They won silver at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 4th. They are the 2011 Four Continents Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 199.18. She is 27 and he is 28. They have the 3rd best short program, 5th best free skate and 4th best total scores.
Moore-Towers/Moscovitch, CAN: They are the reigning Four Continents Silver Medalists. They placed 4th at Cup of China and won silver at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 196.78. She is 20 and he is 28. They have the 7th best short program, 4th best free skate and 5th best total scores.
Pang/Tong, CHN: They finished 4th at Worlds last season. They won silver at Skate America and gold at Cup of China to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won bronze. They are the 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists; 2006 and 2010 World Champions; 2007 World Silver Medalists; 2004 and 2011 World Bronze Medalists; 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011 Four Continents Champions; and 2003, 2005 and 2007 Four Continents Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 213.31. She is 33 and he is 33. They have the 5th best short program, 6th best free skate and 6th best total scores.
Peng/Zhang, CHN: They placed 5th at Four Continents. They finished 5th at Cup of China and 4th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 167.76. She is 15 and he is 28.
Sui/Han, CHN: They placed 9th at Worlds last season. They are the 2012 Four Continents Champions and the 2010, 2011 and 2012 Junior Worlds Champions. Their personal best is 201.83. She is 17 and he is 20.
James/Cipres, FRA: They finished 16th at Worlds last season. They placed 4th at Europeans. They placed 4th at Skate America and 6th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 178.81. She is 25 and he is 21. They have the 10th best free skate and total scores.
Savchenko/Szolkowy, GER: They are the reigning World Champions and European Silver Medalists. They won gold at Skate Canada. They are the 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalists; 2008, 2009, 2011 and 2012 World Champions; 2010 World Silver Medalists; 2007 World Bronze Medalists; 2007, 2008, 2009 and 2011 European Champions and 2006 and 2010 European Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 217.85. She is 29 and he is 33. They have the 2nd best short program, free skate and total scores.
Vartmann/Van Cleave, GER: They placed 14th at Worlds last season. They finished 8th at Europeans. Their personal best is 154.99. She is 24 and he is 25.
Kemp/King, GBR: They finished 19th at Worlds last season. They placed 10th at Europeans. Their personal best is 139.94. She is 24 and he is 28.
Berton/Hotarek, ITA: They finished 11th at Worlds last season. They are the reigning European Bronze Medalists. They won bronze at Skate Canada and at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 187.45. She is 22 and he is 29. They have the 8th best short program, 7th best free skate and 8th best total scores.
Della Monica/Guarise, ITA: They placed 15th at Worlds last season. They finished 9th at Europeans. They finished 7th at Rostelecom Cup and 7th at NHK Trophy. Their personal best is 142.53. She is 23 and he is 24.
Klatka/Chruscinski, POL: They placed 15th at Europeans. Their personal best is 118.48. She is 15 and he is 21.
Bazarova/Larionov, RUS: They finished 6th at Worlds last season. They won silver at Rostelecom Cup and gold at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won silver. They are the 2012 European Silver Medalists, 2011 European Bronze Medalists and 2007 World Junior Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 201.60. She is 20 and he is 26. They have the 4th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total scores.
Kavaguti/Smirnov, RUS: They finished 7th at Worlds last season. They placed 5th at Europeans They won silver at Cup of China and gold at Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they placed 6th. They are the 2009 and 2010 World Bronze Medalists, 2010 European Champions, 2009 and 2011 European Silver Medalists and 2008 European Bronze Medalists. Their personal best is 213.15. She is 31 and he is 28. They have the 6th best short program, 8th best free skate and 7th best total scores.
Volosozhar/Trankov, RUS: They are the reigning World Silver Medalists and European Champions. They won gold at Skate America and Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold. They are the 2011 World Silver Medalists and 2011 European Champions. Their personal best is 212.45. She is 26 and he is 29. They have the best short program, free skate and total scores of the season.
Castelli/Shnapir, USA: They are the reigning Four Continents Bronze Medalists. They placed 5th at Skate America and won bronze at NHK Trophy. They are the 2009 World Junior Bronze Medalists. Their personal best is 174.51. She is 22 and he is 25. They have the 9th best short program score.
Scimeca/Knierim, USA: They placed 4th at NHK Trophy. Their personal best is 163.10. She is 21 and he is 25.
Showing posts with label han. Show all posts
Showing posts with label han. Show all posts
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Saturday, May 5, 2012
Potential Grand Prix Pairs
There are 30 pairs on the list including several that have split but could still receive assignments.
There are 48 Grand Prix slots (including host picks) with 42 of the 48 slots filled from this list. Some of these teams may elect to remain junior and once the split teams are removed, there will be more opportunities for second assignments.
Note that this season the top 6 finishers at Worlds will not be able to compete at three events. Also, teams will no longer be able to compete on both the Junior and Senior Grand Prix.
The assignments will be released on May 21st.
There are 48 Grand Prix slots (including host picks) with 42 of the 48 slots filled from this list. Some of these teams may elect to remain junior and once the split teams are removed, there will be more opportunities for second assignments.
Note that this season the top 6 finishers at Worlds will not be able to compete at three events. Also, teams will no longer be able to compete on both the Junior and Senior Grand Prix.
The assignments will be released on May 21st.
Top 12 finishers at Worlds (guaranteed 2 GP spots, top 6 are seeded and may do 3 events)
1 Savchenko/Szolkowy
2 Volosozhar/Trankov
3 Takahashi/Tran
4 Pang/Tong
5 Duhamel/Radford
6 Bazarova/Larionov
7 Kavaguti/Smirnov
8 Denney/Coughlin
9 Sui/Han
10 Marley/Brubaker
11 Berton/Hotarek
12 Dube/Wolfe
Top 24 Seasons Best (guaranteed 1 spot)
10 Zhang/Zhang (split)12 Moore-Towers/Moscovitch
13 Stolbova/Klimov
14 Evora/Ladwig (split)
16 Yu/Jin (Junior)
17 Iliushechkina/Maisuradze (split)
18 Lawrence/Swiegers
20 Vise/Baldwin
21 Vartmann/Van Cleave
22 Davankova/Deputat (Junior)
23 Bobak/Beharry (rumored to have split)
24 James/Cipres
Top 24 World Standings (guaranteed 1 assignment)
10 Hausch/Wende
15 Gerboldt/Enbert
21 Dong/Wu
22 Kadlecova/Bidar (split)
23 Kemp/King
15 Gerboldt/Enbert
21 Dong/Wu
22 Kadlecova/Bidar (split)
23 Kemp/King
Top 3 at Junior Grand Prix Final and Jr. Worlds (considered for 1 spot)
JGPF
3 Simpson/Blackmer (Junior)
Canada: 5 (one split)
China: 5 (one split)
USA: 5 (one split)
Czech Republic: 1 (split)
France: 1
Germany: 3
Great Britain: 1
Italy: 1
Japan: 1
3 Simpson/Blackmer (Junior)
Number of skaters eligible by country (not including host picks):
Russia: 7 (one split)Canada: 5 (one split)
China: 5 (one split)
USA: 5 (one split)
Czech Republic: 1 (split)
France: 1
Germany: 3
Great Britain: 1
Italy: 1
Japan: 1
Monday, March 26, 2012
Worlds Championships: Pairs Preliminary Round Results
| Pl. | Qual. | Name | Nation | TSS = | TES + | PCS + | SS | TR | PE | CH | IN | Ded. - | StN. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN | CHN | 116.57 | 62.35 | 55.22 | 6.96 | 6.86 | 6.86 | 7.04 | 6.79 | 1.00 | #10 | |
| 2 | Q | Vanessa JAMES / Morgan CIPRES | FRA | 96.48 | 51.91 | 44.57 | 5.96 | 5.21 | 5.75 | 5.61 | 5.32 | 0.00 | #6 | |
| 3 | Q | Mari VARTMANN / Aaron VAN CLEAVE | GER | 90.68 | 44.93 | 46.75 | 5.93 | 5.75 | 5.79 | 5.96 | 5.79 | 1.00 | #8 | |
| 4 | Q | Stacey KEMP / David KING | GBR | 89.30 | 48.08 | 42.22 | 5.39 | 5.11 | 5.39 | 5.39 | 5.11 | 1.00 | #9 | |
| 5 | Q | Danielle MONTALBANO / Evgeni KRASNOPOLSKI | ISR | 84.71 | 47.89 | 37.82 | 4.89 | 4.64 | 4.89 | 4.86 | 4.36 | 1.00 | #4 | |
| 6 | Q | Ji Hyang RI / Won Hyok THAE | PRK | 84.28 | 47.59 | 36.69 | 4.96 | 4.32 | 4.75 | 4.61 | 4.29 | 0.00 | #3 | |
| 7 | Q | Nicole DELLA MONICA / Matteo GUARISE | ITA | 77.70 | 41.52 | 36.18 | 4.75 | 4.18 | 4.57 | 4.68 | 4.43 | 0.00 | #2 | |
| 8 | Q | Anais MORAND / Timothy LEEMANN | SUI | 73.19 | 38.25 | 35.94 | 4.68 | 4.32 | 4.43 | 4.71 | 4.32 | 1.00 | #11 | |
| 9 | Lubov BAKIROVA / Mikalai KAMIANCHUK | BLR | 71.58 | 39.04 | 33.54 | 4.50 | 3.96 | 4.29 | 4.25 | 3.96 | 1.00 | #5 | ||
| 10 | Stina MARTINI / Severin KIEFER | AUT | 64.72 | 32.76 | 31.96 | 4.29 | 3.86 | 4.00 | 4.04 | 3.79 | 0.00 | #7 | ||
| 11 | Elizabeta MAKAROVA / Leri KENCHADZE | BUL | 55.13 | 29.93 | 27.20 | 3.75 | 3.21 | 3.29 | 3.57 | 3.18 | 2.00 | #1 |
Saturday, March 24, 2012
World Championships: Pairs Preview
Volosozhar and Trankov are in only their second season together and already have one world medal and a European Championship. They have big triple twists and throws and lots of power but show their elegant side in their Black Swan free skate. They just missed out on the gold at the Grand Prix Final and will be looking to move up the podium here. They have the best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score of the season.
Savchenko and Szolkowy will be looking to defend their title after taking home two gold medals on the Grand Prix and a gold at the Grand Prix Final. They withdrew from the European Championships due to injury. They've been attempting a throw triple axel this season and have yet to land it successfully. Their free skate set to music from Pina has lots of unique elements and choreography. One of their signature elements is a throw triple right at the end of their free skate. They have the 2nd best short program, best free skate and best total score of the season.
Bazarova and Larionov have stunning lines and beautiful lift positions but lack consistency in the jump elements and often lack an emotional connection with each other in their programs. When they're on, they can be one of the top teams in the world, but one mistake tends to be their unraveling. They tend to perform better in the short program where there are less elements to contend with. They have the 3rd best short program, 5th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Sui and Han have been pulling double duty this season on the junior and senior circuit. They secured their third World Junior title and the Four Continents title earlier this year, breaking 200 points for the first time in their career. They have tons of energy, difficult lifts, throw quads and a quad twist which gives them a huge technical edge, but they are still a young team and lack the polish of some of the top competitors. With big elements also comes big risk, and they've been knocked off the podium when their quad twist has gone awry. They have the 4th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Kavaguti and Smirnov have had a good season with two gold medals on the Grand Prix and a bronze at the Final. They've been struggling with injuries to her shoulders and had to withdraw from Europeans after Smirnov had emergency surgery to remove his appendix. They have some gorgeous lifts and when their Claire de Lune free skate is done right the program is magical. They have the 5th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Denney and Coughlin are in their first season together and took home the silver medal from Four Continents. They have huge twists and throws and always look like they're enjoying being out on the ice but neither skater is well known for the finesse. They've been working all season to fine tune and tweak their programs as they got more comfortable in the partnership and to maximize the PCS points. They have the 7th best short program, 6th best free skate and 6th best total score of the season.
Marley and Brubaker are in only their second season together and Marley is only in her second year as a pair girl. They won the short program at U.S. Nationals with a clean skate and tons of bubbly energy and Marley showed her toughness when she hung on to her throw jumps after Brubaker made mistakes on the side by side elements. They had a nearly 40 point improvement in their personal best at Four Continents where they won the bronze medal and they are still growing together as a team. They have a great connection on the ice and if they hit everything have the potential to place well. They have the 8th best short program, 9th best free skate and 8th best total score of the season.
Duhamel and Radford had a great debut season last year capped by a 7th place finish at Worlds. They won two bronze medals on the Grand Prix to earn their first trip to the Grand Prix Final. After taking home their first Canadian title, they struggled at Four Continents but were able to pull up in their free skate. After Four Continents, they both vacationed and came back rested and ready to work and have stated their back to their full competitive form and hope to move up the rankings. They have the 9th best short program, 10th best free skate and 10th best total score of the season.
Pang and Tong will be the spoilers at this event, having not competed at all this season. They have an impressive resume and great choreography by Lori Nichols. It took them a long time last season to regain their form and land on the podium at Worlds and they won't have any feedback on their new programs to help guide their levels. The podium is within their reach but only if they are in their peak competitive form.
Also in the mix are NHK Trophy Silver Medalists Takahashi and Tran who have the 10th best short program of the season and Rostelecom Cup Bronze Medalists Berton and Hotarek.
Notable teams not competing here are European Bronze Medalists Stolbova/Klimov, Skate America and Cup of China Silver Medalists Zhang/Zhang, Skate America and Cup of China Bronze Medalists Moore-Towers/Moscovitch.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Volosozhar/Trankov
Silver: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Bronze: Kavaguti/Smirnov
Bios of the competitors:
Martini/Kiefer, AUT: They finished 21st at Worlds last season. They placed 15th at Europeans and 15th at Junior Worlds. They placed 16th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 112.10. She is 19 and he is 21.
Bakirova/Kamianchuk, BLR: They finished 19th at Worlds last season. They placed 10th at Europeans. Their personal best is 122.25. She is 19 and he is 24.
Makarova/Kenchadze, BUL: They placed 17th at Europeans. She is 17 and he is 25.
Dube/Wolfe, CAN (Direct Entry): They placed 8th at Four Continents. They placed 6th at Skate Canada and 5th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 158.44. She is 24 and he is 22.
Duhamel/Radford, CAN (Direct Entry): They placed 7th at Worlds last season. They finished 4th at Four Continents. They won bronze at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 181.79. She is 26 and he is 27.
Pang/Tong, CHN (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Worlds Bronze Medalists. They are the 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists; 2006 and 2010 World Champions; 2007 World Silver Medalists; 2004 World Bronze Medalists; 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011 Four Continents Champions; and 2003, 2005 and 2007 Four Continents Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 213.31. She is 32 and he is 32.
Sui/Han, CHN: They are the reigning Four Continents Champions and World Junior Champions. They won silver at Skate Canada and placed 5th at Cup of China. They won gold at JGP Austria and Latvia to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where they won gold. They are the 2011 and 2010 World Junior Champions. Their personal best is 201.83. She is 16 and he is 19.
Ri/Thae, PRK: She is 16 and he is 24.
James/Cipres, FRA: They finished 6th at Europeans. They placed 8th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 151.93. She is 24 and he is 19.
Hausch/Wende, GER (Direct Entry): They finished 12th at Worlds last season. They placed 7th at Europeans. They placed 8th at Skate America. Their personal best is 157.42. She is 23 and he is 27.
Savchenko/Szolkowy, GER (Direct Entry): They are the reigning World Champions. They won gold at Skate America, bronze at NHK Trophy and gold at Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold. They are the 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalists; 2008 and 2009 World Champions; 2010 World Silver Medalists; 2007 World Bronze Medalists; 2007, 2008 2009 and 2011 European Champions and 2006 and 2010 European Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 217.85. She is 28 and he is 32.
Vartmann/Van Cleave, GER: They placed 5th at Europeans. Their personal best is 154.99. She is 23 and he is 24.
Kemp/King, GBR: They finished 17th at Worlds last season. They finished 9th at Europeans. Their personal best is 139.94. She is 23 and he is 27.
Montalbano/Krasnopolski, ISR: They finished 20th at Worlds last season. They placed 11th at Europeans. Their personal best is 120.32. She is 23 and he is 23.
Berton/Hotarek, ITA (Direct Entry): They finished 10th at Worlds last season. They placed 4th at Europeans. They placed 4th at NHK Trophy and won bronze at Rostelecom Cup. Their personal best is 168.02. She is 21 and he is 28.
Della Monica/Guarise, ITA: She is 22 and he is 23.
Takahashi/Tran, JPN (Direct Entry): They placed 9th at Worlds last season. They finished 5th at Four Continents. They placed 4th at Skate Canada and won silver at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 6th. They are the 2010 World Junior Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 172.09. She is 20 and he is 21.
Bazarova/Larionov, RUS (Direct Entry): They finished 5th at Worlds last season. They are the reigning European Silver Medalists. They placed 5th at Skate America and won silver at Trophee Eric Bompard. They are the 2011 European Bronze Medalists and 2007 World Junior Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 193.79. She is 19 and he is 25.
Kavaguti/Smirnov, RUS (Direct Entry): They finished 4th at Worlds last season. They won gold at Cup of China, gold at NHK Trophy and silver at Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won bronze. They are the 2009 and 2010 World Bronze Medalists, 2010 European Champions, 2009 and 2011 European Silver Medalists and 2008 European Bronze Medalists. Their personal best is 213.15. She is 30 and he is 27.
Volosozhar/Trankov, RUS (Direct Entry): They are the reigning World Silver Medalists and European Champions. They won gold at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won silver. Their personal best is 212.08. She is 25 and he is 28.
Morand/Leeman, SUI: They finished 14th at Europeans. They placed 13th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 114.20. She is 18 and he is 20.
Denney/Coughlin, USA (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Four Continents Silver Medalists. They placed 4th at Skate America and 5th at NHK Trophy. Their personal best is 185.42. She is 18 and he is 26.
Marley/Brubaker, USA (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Four Continents Bronze Medalists. They finished 7th at Skate America. Their personal best is 178.69. She is 16 and he is 25.
Savchenko and Szolkowy will be looking to defend their title after taking home two gold medals on the Grand Prix and a gold at the Grand Prix Final. They withdrew from the European Championships due to injury. They've been attempting a throw triple axel this season and have yet to land it successfully. Their free skate set to music from Pina has lots of unique elements and choreography. One of their signature elements is a throw triple right at the end of their free skate. They have the 2nd best short program, best free skate and best total score of the season.
Bazarova and Larionov have stunning lines and beautiful lift positions but lack consistency in the jump elements and often lack an emotional connection with each other in their programs. When they're on, they can be one of the top teams in the world, but one mistake tends to be their unraveling. They tend to perform better in the short program where there are less elements to contend with. They have the 3rd best short program, 5th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Sui and Han have been pulling double duty this season on the junior and senior circuit. They secured their third World Junior title and the Four Continents title earlier this year, breaking 200 points for the first time in their career. They have tons of energy, difficult lifts, throw quads and a quad twist which gives them a huge technical edge, but they are still a young team and lack the polish of some of the top competitors. With big elements also comes big risk, and they've been knocked off the podium when their quad twist has gone awry. They have the 4th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Kavaguti and Smirnov have had a good season with two gold medals on the Grand Prix and a bronze at the Final. They've been struggling with injuries to her shoulders and had to withdraw from Europeans after Smirnov had emergency surgery to remove his appendix. They have some gorgeous lifts and when their Claire de Lune free skate is done right the program is magical. They have the 5th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Denney and Coughlin are in their first season together and took home the silver medal from Four Continents. They have huge twists and throws and always look like they're enjoying being out on the ice but neither skater is well known for the finesse. They've been working all season to fine tune and tweak their programs as they got more comfortable in the partnership and to maximize the PCS points. They have the 7th best short program, 6th best free skate and 6th best total score of the season.
Marley and Brubaker are in only their second season together and Marley is only in her second year as a pair girl. They won the short program at U.S. Nationals with a clean skate and tons of bubbly energy and Marley showed her toughness when she hung on to her throw jumps after Brubaker made mistakes on the side by side elements. They had a nearly 40 point improvement in their personal best at Four Continents where they won the bronze medal and they are still growing together as a team. They have a great connection on the ice and if they hit everything have the potential to place well. They have the 8th best short program, 9th best free skate and 8th best total score of the season.
Duhamel and Radford had a great debut season last year capped by a 7th place finish at Worlds. They won two bronze medals on the Grand Prix to earn their first trip to the Grand Prix Final. After taking home their first Canadian title, they struggled at Four Continents but were able to pull up in their free skate. After Four Continents, they both vacationed and came back rested and ready to work and have stated their back to their full competitive form and hope to move up the rankings. They have the 9th best short program, 10th best free skate and 10th best total score of the season.
Pang and Tong will be the spoilers at this event, having not competed at all this season. They have an impressive resume and great choreography by Lori Nichols. It took them a long time last season to regain their form and land on the podium at Worlds and they won't have any feedback on their new programs to help guide their levels. The podium is within their reach but only if they are in their peak competitive form.
Also in the mix are NHK Trophy Silver Medalists Takahashi and Tran who have the 10th best short program of the season and Rostelecom Cup Bronze Medalists Berton and Hotarek.
Notable teams not competing here are European Bronze Medalists Stolbova/Klimov, Skate America and Cup of China Silver Medalists Zhang/Zhang, Skate America and Cup of China Bronze Medalists Moore-Towers/Moscovitch.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Volosozhar/Trankov
Silver: Savchenko/Szolkowy
Bronze: Kavaguti/Smirnov
Bios of the competitors:
Martini/Kiefer, AUT: They finished 21st at Worlds last season. They placed 15th at Europeans and 15th at Junior Worlds. They placed 16th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 112.10. She is 19 and he is 21.
Bakirova/Kamianchuk, BLR: They finished 19th at Worlds last season. They placed 10th at Europeans. Their personal best is 122.25. She is 19 and he is 24.
Makarova/Kenchadze, BUL: They placed 17th at Europeans. She is 17 and he is 25.
Dube/Wolfe, CAN (Direct Entry): They placed 8th at Four Continents. They placed 6th at Skate Canada and 5th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 158.44. She is 24 and he is 22.
Duhamel/Radford, CAN (Direct Entry): They placed 7th at Worlds last season. They finished 4th at Four Continents. They won bronze at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 181.79. She is 26 and he is 27.
Pang/Tong, CHN (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Worlds Bronze Medalists. They are the 2010 Olympic Silver Medalists; 2006 and 2010 World Champions; 2007 World Silver Medalists; 2004 World Bronze Medalists; 2002, 2004, 2008, 2009 and 2011 Four Continents Champions; and 2003, 2005 and 2007 Four Continents Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 213.31. She is 32 and he is 32.
Sui/Han, CHN: They are the reigning Four Continents Champions and World Junior Champions. They won silver at Skate Canada and placed 5th at Cup of China. They won gold at JGP Austria and Latvia to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where they won gold. They are the 2011 and 2010 World Junior Champions. Their personal best is 201.83. She is 16 and he is 19.
Ri/Thae, PRK: She is 16 and he is 24.
James/Cipres, FRA: They finished 6th at Europeans. They placed 8th at Trophee Eric Bompard. Their personal best is 151.93. She is 24 and he is 19.
Hausch/Wende, GER (Direct Entry): They finished 12th at Worlds last season. They placed 7th at Europeans. They placed 8th at Skate America. Their personal best is 157.42. She is 23 and he is 27.
Savchenko/Szolkowy, GER (Direct Entry): They are the reigning World Champions. They won gold at Skate America, bronze at NHK Trophy and gold at Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won gold. They are the 2010 Olympic Bronze Medalists; 2008 and 2009 World Champions; 2010 World Silver Medalists; 2007 World Bronze Medalists; 2007, 2008 2009 and 2011 European Champions and 2006 and 2010 European Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 217.85. She is 28 and he is 32.
Vartmann/Van Cleave, GER: They placed 5th at Europeans. Their personal best is 154.99. She is 23 and he is 24.
Kemp/King, GBR: They finished 17th at Worlds last season. They finished 9th at Europeans. Their personal best is 139.94. She is 23 and he is 27.
Montalbano/Krasnopolski, ISR: They finished 20th at Worlds last season. They placed 11th at Europeans. Their personal best is 120.32. She is 23 and he is 23.
Berton/Hotarek, ITA (Direct Entry): They finished 10th at Worlds last season. They placed 4th at Europeans. They placed 4th at NHK Trophy and won bronze at Rostelecom Cup. Their personal best is 168.02. She is 21 and he is 28.
Della Monica/Guarise, ITA: She is 22 and he is 23.
Takahashi/Tran, JPN (Direct Entry): They placed 9th at Worlds last season. They finished 5th at Four Continents. They placed 4th at Skate Canada and won silver at NHK Trophy to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they finished 6th. They are the 2010 World Junior Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 172.09. She is 20 and he is 21.
Bazarova/Larionov, RUS (Direct Entry): They finished 5th at Worlds last season. They are the reigning European Silver Medalists. They placed 5th at Skate America and won silver at Trophee Eric Bompard. They are the 2011 European Bronze Medalists and 2007 World Junior Silver Medalists. Their personal best is 193.79. She is 19 and he is 25.
Kavaguti/Smirnov, RUS (Direct Entry): They finished 4th at Worlds last season. They won gold at Cup of China, gold at NHK Trophy and silver at Rostelecom Cup to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won bronze. They are the 2009 and 2010 World Bronze Medalists, 2010 European Champions, 2009 and 2011 European Silver Medalists and 2008 European Bronze Medalists. Their personal best is 213.15. She is 30 and he is 27.
Volosozhar/Trankov, RUS (Direct Entry): They are the reigning World Silver Medalists and European Champions. They won gold at Skate Canada and Trophee Eric Bompard to qualify for the Grand Prix Final where they won silver. Their personal best is 212.08. She is 25 and he is 28.
Morand/Leeman, SUI: They finished 14th at Europeans. They placed 13th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 114.20. She is 18 and he is 20.
Denney/Coughlin, USA (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Four Continents Silver Medalists. They placed 4th at Skate America and 5th at NHK Trophy. Their personal best is 185.42. She is 18 and he is 26.
Marley/Brubaker, USA (Direct Entry): They are the reigning Four Continents Bronze Medalists. They finished 7th at Skate America. Their personal best is 178.69. She is 16 and he is 25.
Saturday, March 3, 2012
Junior Worlds Recap
Men
Han Yan won the first ever World Junior title by a Chinese man. He set a new personal best and a record score for the men's event at Junior Worlds. He landed a quad toe and a triple axel in his free skate. Joshua Farris took home the silver medal and finished less than a point behind Yan. He improved his personal best score by 14 points. Jason Brown won the bronze medal and gave the U.S. two spots on the podium for the first time since 2004. He didn't try the triple axel here, but had the highest PCS of the event and also set a new personal best.China and the United States will have three slots in this event next season.
Kazakhstan, Russia, Japan and Canada will have two slots next season.
Aging out are Denis Ten (4th), Zhan Bush (5th), Liam Firus (8th), Timothy Dolensky (12th), Artur Dmitriev (14th), Maurizio Zandron (20th), Yakov Godorozha (25th) and Florian Gostelie (preliminary round)
Ladies
Julia Lipnitskaia demolished the competition, finishing 15 points above the field, setting a new personal best, and beating the previous junior worlds record by 6 points. Gracie Gold just missed out on a personal best score, but set a personal best in her free skate en route to the silver medal in only her second international event. Adelina Sotnikova failed to defend her title and dropped to the bronze medal but showed significant improvement over her only other junior outing this season, the Youth Olympic Games.Russia and United States have three slots at next years event.
Sweden, Canada, Korea, China and Japan have two slots.
Aging out are Joshi Helgesson (9th), Carol Bressanutti (17th), Anine Rabe (25th), Amanda Sunyoto-Yang (preliminary round), Katie Powell (preliminary round) and Kai Jing Leong (preliminary round)
Pairs
Sui and Han won their third consecutive Junior Worlds title and tied the record for most titles won by a pairs team. Yu and Jin finished right behind their teammates and took the silver medal while improving their personal best score. Davankova and Deputat of Russia made their international debut at this event and took home the bronze medal, pulling up from a 5th place short program.China, Russia, United States and Canada will have three slots next season at this event.
Aging out are Petaikina/Kurduykov (6th), Duarte/Grafton (8th), Martini/Kiefer (15th), Paliakova/Fomichev (19th), Mendozza/Boyadji (16th) and Rodriguez/Maestu (preliminary round).
Dance
Sinitsina and Zhiganshin continued their golden season with their Junior Worlds title and an increase in their personal best score. They were joined on the podium by their teammates Stepanova and Bukin. Aldridge and Eaton showed great improvement with a 5 point increase in their personal best to climb from a 5th place finish in the short dance and take the bronze medal, edging out the third Russian team by less than a point.Russia and the United States earned three slots at this event next season.
France, Canada, Ukraine, Germany and Italy will each have two slots.
Aging out are Orford/Williams (6th), Bonacorsi/Mager (7th), Nosulia/Kholoniuk (8th), Shtork/Rand (11th), Pecherkina/Jakushin (13th), Hetman/Allain (23rd), Bausback/Rokachev (25th), Baadsgaard Snider/Dubrovski (preliminary round) and Kaliszek/Kaliszek (preliminary round)
Thursday, March 1, 2012
Junior Worlds: Pairs Free Skate Results
| Pl. | Name | Nation | TSS = | TES + | PCS + | SS | TR | PE | CH | IN | Ded. - | StN. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN | CHN | 116.40 | 60.28 | 56.12 | 7.00 | 6.79 | 7.11 | 6.96 | 7.21 | 0.00 | #13 | |
| 2 | Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN | CHN | 112.76 | 61.10 | 51.66 | 6.64 | 6.25 | 6.54 | 6.36 | 6.50 | 0.00 | #14 | |
| 3 | Vasilisa DAVANKOVA / Andrei DEPUTAT | RUS | 103.16 | 55.39 | 47.77 | 6.11 | 5.71 | 6.00 | 5.96 | 6.07 | 0.00 | #9 | |
| 4 | Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER | USA | 99.74 | 50.94 | 48.80 | 6.21 | 5.79 | 6.29 | 5.96 | 6.25 | 0.00 | #16 | |
| 5 | Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO | CAN | 92.25 | 48.12 | 44.13 | 5.68 | 5.25 | 5.50 | 5.54 | 5.61 | 0.00 | #10 | |
| 6 | Katherine BOBAK / Ian BEHARRY | CAN | 90.12 | 45.81 | 45.31 | 5.89 | 5.50 | 5.54 | 5.71 | 5.68 | 1.00 | #11 | |
| 7 | Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDYUKOV | RUS | 90.01 | 45.43 | 46.58 | 6.07 | 5.61 | 5.68 | 5.89 | 5.86 | 2.00 | #15 | |
| 8 | Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON | USA | 85.69 | 41.67 | 44.02 | 5.54 | 5.25 | 5.61 | 5.50 | 5.61 | 0.00 | #12 | |
| 9 | Hayleigh BELL / Alistair SYLVESTER | CAN | 84.72 | 44.72 | 40.00 | 5.21 | 4.75 | 5.00 | 5.00 | 5.04 | 0.00 | #5 | |
| 10 | Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER | USA | 81.10 | 40.47 | 42.63 | 5.50 | 5.04 | 5.25 | 5.32 | 5.54 | 2.00 | #7 | |
| 11 | Meiyi LI / Bo JIANG | CHN | 81.08 | 44.32 | 37.76 | 5.00 | 4.54 | 4.71 | 4.71 | 4.64 | 1.00 | #6 | |
| 12 | Kamila GAINETDINOVA / Ivan BICH | RUS | 80.33 | 40.71 | 40.62 | 5.32 | 4.96 | 4.93 | 5.14 | 5.04 | 1.00 | #8 | |
| 13 | Magdalena KLATKA / Radoslaw CHRUSCINSKI | POL | 77.06 | 41.87 | 35.19 | 4.57 | 4.21 | 4.46 | 4.39 | 4.36 | 0.00 | #3 | |
| 14 | Stina MARTINI / Severin KIEFER | AUT | 70.85 | 36.55 | 34.30 | 4.50 | 4.11 | 4.29 | 4.25 | 4.29 | 0.00 | #2 | |
| 15 | Julia LAVRENTIEVA / Yuri RUDIK | UKR | 70.32 | 36.69 | 33.63 | 4.43 | 4.11 | 4.11 | 4.25 | 4.11 | 0.00 | #4 | |
| 16 | Camille MENDOZA / Christopher BOYADJI | FRA | 68.97 | 35.74 | 34.23 | 4.57 | 4.04 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.29 | 1.00 | #1 |
| FPl. | Name | Nation | Points | SP | FS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN |
| 175.69 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN |
| 167.48 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 3 | Vasilisa DAVANKOVA / Andrei DEPUTAT |
| 153.66 | 5 | 3 | |||
| 4 | Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER |
| 150.55 | 4 | 4 | |||
| 5 | Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO |
| 141.76 | 7 | 5 | |||
| 6 | Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDYUKOV |
| 141.19 | 3 | 7 | |||
| 7 | Katherine BOBAK / Ian BEHARRY |
| 139.89 | 6 | 6 | |||
| 8 | Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON |
| 133.93 | 8 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Meiyi LI / Bo JIANG |
| 128.05 | 10 | 11 | |||
| 10 | Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER |
| 127.93 | 11 | 10 | |||
| 11 | Kamila GAINETDINOVA / Ivan BICH |
| 127.84 | 9 | 12 | |||
| 12 | Hayleigh BELL / Alistair SYLVESTER |
| 126.73 | 12 | 9 | |||
| 13 | Magdalena KLATKA / Radoslaw CHRUSCINSKI |
| 118.48 | 13 | 13 | |||
| 14 | Julia LAVRENTIEVA / Yuri RUDIK |
| 110.03 | 15 | 15 | |||
| 15 | Stina MARTINI / Severin KIEFER |
| 109.77 | 16 | 14 | |||
| 16 | Camille MENDOZA / Christopher BOYADJI |
| 109.64 | 14 | 16 | |||
| 17 | Rachel EPSTEIN / Dmitry EPSTEIN |
| FNR | 17 | ||||
| 18 | Bianca MANACORDA / Niccolo MACII |
| FNR | 18 | ||||
| 19 | Maria PALIAKOVA / Mikhail FOMICHEV |
| FNR | 19 | ||||
| 20 | Alessandra CERNUSCHI / Filippo AMBROSINI |
| FNR | 20 |
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Junior Worlds: Pairs Short Program Results
| Pl. | Qual. | Name | Nation | TSS = | TES + | PCS + | SS | TR | PE | CH | IN | Ded. - | StN. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Q | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN | CHN | 59.29 | 32.60 | 26.69 | 6.57 | 6.57 | 6.71 | 6.68 | 6.82 | 0.00 | #18 | |
| 2 | Q | Xiaoyu YU / Yang JIN | CHN | 54.72 | 31.25 | 23.47 | 6.04 | 5.61 | 6.00 | 5.82 | 5.86 | 0.00 | #13 | |
| 3 | Q | Ekaterina PETAIKINA / Maxim KURDYUKOV | RUS | 51.18 | 28.49 | 22.69 | 5.82 | 5.46 | 5.79 | 5.54 | 5.75 | 0.00 | #14 | |
| 4 | Q | Haven DENNEY / Brandon FRAZIER | USA | 50.81 | 27.93 | 22.88 | 5.71 | 5.46 | 5.79 | 5.71 | 5.93 | 0.00 | #10 | |
| 5 | Q | Vasilisa DAVANKOVA / Andrei DEPUTAT | RUS | 50.50 | 27.94 | 22.56 | 5.89 | 5.46 | 5.64 | 5.64 | 5.57 | 0.00 | #3 | |
| 6 | Q | Katherine BOBAK / Ian BEHARRY | CAN | 49.77 | 26.97 | 22.80 | 5.71 | 5.43 | 5.75 | 5.82 | 5.79 | 0.00 | #15 | |
| 7 | Q | Margaret PURDY / Michael MARINARO | CAN | 49.51 | 27.88 | 21.63 | 5.54 | 5.14 | 5.46 | 5.32 | 5.57 | 0.00 | #20 | |
| 8 | Q | Kylie DUARTE / Colin GRAFTON | USA | 48.24 | 26.63 | 21.61 | 5.46 | 5.11 | 5.46 | 5.36 | 5.61 | 0.00 | #17 | |
| 9 | Q | Kamila GAINETDINOVA / Ivan BICH | RUS | 47.51 | 26.91 | 20.60 | 5.25 | 5.00 | 5.29 | 5.18 | 5.04 | 0.00 | #1 | |
| 10 | Q | Meiyi LI / Bo JIANG | CHN | 46.97 | 26.88 | 20.09 | 5.07 | 4.89 | 5.04 | 5.11 | 5.00 | 0.00 | #12 | |
| 11 | Q | Britney SIMPSON / Matthew BLACKMER | USA | 46.83 | 25.82 | 22.01 | 5.57 | 5.36 | 5.39 | 5.61 | 5.57 | 1.00 | #16 | |
| 12 | Q | Hayleigh BELL / Alistair SYLVESTER | CAN | 42.01 | 23.00 | 19.01 | 4.96 | 4.50 | 4.61 | 4.82 | 4.86 | 0.00 | #2 | |
| 13 | Q | Magdalena KLATKA / Radoslaw CHRUSCINSKI | POL | 41.42 | 24.44 | 16.98 | 4.36 | 4.07 | 4.32 | 4.25 | 4.21 | 0.00 | #11 | |
| 14 | Q | Camille MENDOZA / Christopher BOYADJI | FRA | 40.67 | 23.13 | 17.54 | 4.57 | 4.25 | 4.25 | 4.39 | 4.46 | 0.00 | #7 | |
| 15 | Q | Julia LAVRENTIEVA / Yuri RUDIK | UKR | 39.71 | 22.94 | 16.77 | 4.32 | 3.93 | 4.18 | 4.25 | 4.29 | 0.00 | #9 | |
| 16 | Q | Stina MARTINI / Severin KIEFER | AUT | 38.92 | 21.21 | 17.71 | 4.57 | 4.21 | 4.46 | 4.43 | 4.46 | 0.00 | #19 | |
| 17 | Rachel EPSTEIN / Dmitry EPSTEIN | NED | 36.84 | 20.19 | 16.65 | 4.29 | 3.89 | 4.21 | 4.21 | 4.21 | 0.00 | #6 | ||
| 18 | Bianca MANACORDA / Niccolo MACII | ITA | 35.37 | 20.19 | 15.18 | 3.82 | 3.64 | 3.86 | 3.86 | 3.79 | 0.00 | #4 | ||
| 19 | Maria PALIAKOVA / Mikhail FOMICHEV | BLR | 33.43 | 18.49 | 15.94 | 4.14 | 3.86 | 3.93 | 4.07 | 3.93 | 1.00 | #8 | ||
| 20 | Alessandra CERNUSCHI / Filippo AMBROSINI | ITA | 29.91 | 14.66 | 15.25 | 3.75 | 3.43 | 3.79 | 3.96 | 4.14 | 0.00 | #5 |
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Junior Worlds: Pairs Preview
Sui and Han are the two-time reigning Champions of this event and the only medalist returning from last season. They also just won the Four Continents title at the senior level. They won two gold medals on the JGP and the JGP Final this season as well as a silver medal on the Senior Grand Prix. They have a quad twist and a throw quad in their free skate which gives them a technical content unmatched in the world. Their size difference also allows from some interesting and difficult lift entrances and exits. This is their title to lose, but they've shown that big elements can be costly as a mistake on the throw quad at Cup of China cost them a medal and a trip to the Grand Prix Final. They have the best short program, free skate and total score of the season. They have the 4th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total senior scores of the season.
Bobak/Beharry won a gold and silver medal on the JGP to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their silver medal came in their first competition together and they improved by 15 points to take the gold in Estonia. They have been known to come from behind after a poor short program, but have really cleaned this segment up to keep them in contention the whole competition. They have the 2nd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Yu/Jin won two silver medals on the JGP to qualify for the Final and took home gold from the Youth Olympic Games. They increased their score by 15 points from Latvia to Austria. However, they dropped to a disappointing 5th place at the Final, even though they were only 2 points from the podium. They have the 3rd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score of the season.
Simpson/Blackmer won a gold and silver medal on the JGP and qualified for the Final where they won bronze. Their gold medal came in their first event together as a team and they were the first U.S. team to win JGP gold since 2007. Their free skate is especially breathtaking set to the music from Titanic and is wonderfully emoted. They have the 4th best short program, 5th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Petaikina/Kurdyukov won bronze at JGP Austria and qualified for the JGP Final. They showed significant improvement between Latvia and Austria with a 17 point improvement in their score. They just missed the podium at the JGP Final, finishing .18 behind Simpson and Blackmer. They have the 7th best short program, 4th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Li/Jiang: While they didn't win a medal on the JGP, their scores are some of the best in this field and they showed significant improvement during the season with a 38 point bump in their scores between Latvia and Austria. They have the 8th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score of the season.
Purdy/Marinaro won bronze at JGP Latvia showing a big improvement over their previous placements but dropped to 10th place with a score 17 points lower in Austria. They have the 7th best free skate and 9th best total score of the season.
Other teams in the mix include Davankova/Deputat who won the Russian Junior National title and Denney/Frazier who won the US Junior National title.
Teams who won a medal on the JGP but are not at this event include Russians Tudvaseva/Lisiev (alternates) and Americans Calalang/Sidhu (alternates).
My podium predictions:
Gold: Sui/Han
Silver: Yu/Jin
Bronze: Bobak/Beharry
Bios of the competitors:
Kestila/Bullard, AUS: They finished 20th at their international debut in Austria and 14th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 75.84. She is 13 and he is 18.
Bobak/Beharry won a gold and silver medal on the JGP to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their silver medal came in their first competition together and they improved by 15 points to take the gold in Estonia. They have been known to come from behind after a poor short program, but have really cleaned this segment up to keep them in contention the whole competition. They have the 2nd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Yu/Jin won two silver medals on the JGP to qualify for the Final and took home gold from the Youth Olympic Games. They increased their score by 15 points from Latvia to Austria. However, they dropped to a disappointing 5th place at the Final, even though they were only 2 points from the podium. They have the 3rd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score of the season.
Simpson/Blackmer won a gold and silver medal on the JGP and qualified for the Final where they won bronze. Their gold medal came in their first event together as a team and they were the first U.S. team to win JGP gold since 2007. Their free skate is especially breathtaking set to the music from Titanic and is wonderfully emoted. They have the 4th best short program, 5th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Petaikina/Kurdyukov won bronze at JGP Austria and qualified for the JGP Final. They showed significant improvement between Latvia and Austria with a 17 point improvement in their score. They just missed the podium at the JGP Final, finishing .18 behind Simpson and Blackmer. They have the 7th best short program, 4th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Li/Jiang: While they didn't win a medal on the JGP, their scores are some of the best in this field and they showed significant improvement during the season with a 38 point bump in their scores between Latvia and Austria. They have the 8th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score of the season.
Purdy/Marinaro won bronze at JGP Latvia showing a big improvement over their previous placements but dropped to 10th place with a score 17 points lower in Austria. They have the 7th best free skate and 9th best total score of the season.
Other teams in the mix include Davankova/Deputat who won the Russian Junior National title and Denney/Frazier who won the US Junior National title.
Teams who won a medal on the JGP but are not at this event include Russians Tudvaseva/Lisiev (alternates) and Americans Calalang/Sidhu (alternates).
My podium predictions:
Gold: Sui/Han
Silver: Yu/Jin
Bronze: Bobak/Beharry
Bios of the competitors:
Kestila/Bullard, AUS: They finished 20th at their international debut in Austria and 14th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 75.84. She is 13 and he is 18.
Martini/Kiefer, AUT: They finished 16th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 21st at Worlds. They finished 15th at Europeans. They finished 16th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 112.10. She is 19 and he is 21.
Paliakova/Fomichev, BLR: They finished 18th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 18th at Europeans. They placed 8th at their JGP debut in Poland and 9th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 109.01. She is 19 and he is 21.
Ilieva/Savinov, BUL: She is 15 and he is 20.
Bell/Sylvester, CAN: She is 15 and he is 17.
Bobak/Beharry, CAN (D): They won silver at their JGP debut in Poland and gold at JGP Estonia to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their personal best is 152.65. She is 17 and he is 20.
Purdy/Marinaro, CAN (D): They won bronze at JGP Latvia and finished 10th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 134.46. She is 17 and he is 20.
Li/Jiang, CHN: They finished 10th at their JGP debut in Latvia and 4th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 138.92. She is 14 and he is 19.
Sui/Han, CHN (D): They are the reigning Junior World Champions. They are the reigning Four Continents Champions. They won silver at Skate Canada and finished 5th at Cup of China. They won gold at JGP Latvia and Austria to qualify for the JGP Final and won gold. They are the 2010 World Junior Champions. Their personal best is 201.83. She is 16 and he is 19.
Yu/Jin, CHN: They won gold at the Youth Olympic Games. They finished 7th in their Grand Prix debut, Skate Canada and 6th at Cup of China. They took home the silver from JGP Latvia and Austria to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 162.96. She is 16 and he is 17.
Mendozza/Boyadji, FRA: They finished 10th at their international debut in Estonia. Their personal best is 103.36. She is 17 and he is 21.
Wenzig/Landgraf, GER: She is 14 and he is 19.
Cernuschi/Ambrosini, ITA (D): She is 15 and he is 18.
Manacorda/Macii, ITA: She is 14 and he is 16.
Epstein/Epstein, NED: They finished 17th at Junior Worlds last season. They finished 18th at their JGP debut in Austria and 12th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 86.33. She is 18 and he is 18 (they are twins).
Klatka/Chruscinski, POL: They finished 14th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 7th at JGP Poland and 7th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 115.07. She is 14 and he is 20.
Davankova/Deputat, RUS (D): She is 13 and he is 19.
Gainetdinova/Bich, RUS (D): She is 14 and he is 19.
Petaikina/Kurduykov, RUS: They finished 4th at JGP Latvia and won bronze at JGP Austria to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 4th. Their personal best is 146.17. She is 17 and he is 21.
Rodriguez/Maestu, ESP: They finished 17th at their international debut in Austria and 11th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 91.30. She is 15 and he is 21.
Lavrentieva/Rudik, UKR: They finished 15th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 9th at JGP Poland and 12th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 107.77. She is 14 and he is 20.
Denney/Frazier, USA: They placed 8th at their JGP debut in Latvia and 7th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 125.50. She is 16 and he is 19.
Duarte/Grafton, USA (D): They placed 9th at JGP Latvia and 6th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 127.54. She is 18 and he is 20.
Simpson/Blackmer, USA (D): They won gold at their international debut at JGP Poland and silver at JGP Estonia to qualify for the JGP Final where they won bronze. Their personal best is 146.35. She is 15 and he is 20.
Sunday, February 12, 2012
Four Continents: Pairs Free Skate Results
| Pl. | Name | Nation | TSS = | TES + | PCS + | SS | TR | PE | CH | IN | Ded. - | StN. | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN | CHN | 135.08 | 75.54 | 59.54 | 7.46 | 7.04 | 7.79 | 7.46 | 7.46 | 0.00 | #7 | |
| 2 | Caydee DENNEY / John COUGHLIN | USA | 122.07 | 62.82 | 59.25 | 7.43 | 7.00 | 7.57 | 7.46 | 7.57 | 0.00 | #9 | |
| 3 | Mary Beth MARLEY / Rockne BRUBAKER | USA | 116.47 | 60.91 | 56.56 | 7.04 | 6.89 | 7.14 | 7.25 | 7.04 | 1.00 | #10 | |
| 4 | Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD | CAN | 114.23 | 62.27 | 52.96 | 6.71 | 6.50 | 6.54 | 6.71 | 6.64 | 1.00 | #3 | |
| 5 | Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN | JPN | 109.57 | 55.32 | 55.25 | 6.93 | 6.86 | 6.71 | 7.14 | 6.89 | 1.00 | #8 | |
| 6 | Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG | USA | 107.24 | 54.30 | 53.94 | 6.82 | 6.64 | 6.61 | 6.93 | 6.71 | 1.00 | #6 | |
| 7 | Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS | CAN | 100.69 | 49.99 | 50.70 | 6.57 | 6.36 | 6.04 | 6.43 | 6.29 | 0.00 | #5 | |
| 8 | Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE | CAN | 97.11 | 49.45 | 49.66 | 6.46 | 6.04 | 6.04 | 6.36 | 6.14 | 2.00 | #4 | |
| 9 | Yue ZHANG / Lei WANG | CHN | 92.20 | 46.77 | 45.43 | 5.75 | 5.43 | 5.71 | 5.82 | 5.68 | 0.00 | #2 | |
| 10 | Huibo DONG / Yiming WU | CHN | 88.39 | 46.37 | 42.02 | 5.54 | 5.00 | 5.36 | 5.25 | 5.11 | 0.00 | #1 |
| FPl. | Name | Nation | Points | SP | FS | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Wenjing SUI / Cong HAN |
| 201.83 | 1 | 1 | |||
| 2 | Caydee DENNEY / John COUGHLIN |
| 185.42 | 2 | 2 | |||
| 3 | Mary Beth MARLEY / Rockne BRUBAKER |
| 178.89 | 3 | 3 | |||
| 4 | Meagan DUHAMEL / Eric RADFORD |
| 171.76 | 8 | 4 | |||
| 5 | Narumi TAKAHASHI / Mervin TRAN |
| 171.11 | 4 | 5 | |||
| 6 | Amanda EVORA / Mark LADWIG |
| 167.99 | 5 | 6 | |||
| 7 | Paige LAWRENCE / Rudi SWIEGERS |
| 158.66 | 6 | 7 | |||
| 8 | Jessica DUBE / Sebastien WOLFE |
| 154.79 | 7 | 8 | |||
| 9 | Yue ZHANG / Lei WANG |
| 140.24 | 10 | 9 | |||
| 10 | Huibo DONG / Yiming WU |
| 137.91 | 9 | 10 |
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