God I loves being a skating fan! I saw the whole Canadian team in
their team blazers in the hotel lobby last night, met Sarah Hughes and
the sweetie remembered the stuffed animal I threw her two seasons ago.
And today I got the biggest, cutest grin from Todd when I congratulated
him on his quad.
My sister tried to convince me I should see Paris, but what could be
better than spending your vacation time and retirement money on skating
trips? Sarah has a much better smile than the Mona Lisa.
Okay the best laid plans of mom’s of a toddler gang aft aglay, so I
got to the arena today just in time to see all the pair’s take their
bows. The only practice group I saw was the same one I saw yesterday, so
I am a complete failure as a reporter, but not nearly bad as Christine
Brennan. Did you see that mind-boggingly stupid column she wrote in
today’s USA today? Here is what I saw in practice.
All the girls were in their short program costumes except for
Michelle Kwan and Sarah Hughes. All in all I must say this is a very
graceful warm up group, all the girls have very balletic arms and lovely
movements.
I have lost my notes so here is what I can remember.
Siyin Sun – China
She has a sort of Arabic/Indian style
program and costume. She did the triple part of her combo fine, but
couldn’t manage the double toe, she landed the triple out of steps fine.
Chisato Shiina – Japan
She definitely landed a triple lutz, but
not the double toe.
Alisa Yamasaki – Japan
I don’t think she was trying any jumps,
if she did I don’t remember.
Angela Nikodinov – USA
Gorgeous costume, long and flow,
turquoise with lots of sliver sparklys. The flowing costume and her new
Ally McBeal arms made her look willowy. I missed the beginning of her
run through. But I did see a beautiful, well extended spiral sequence
and her beautiful layback spin. If she can manage those jumps this will
be a great program.
Sarah Hughes – USA
She is skating to a classical piece that I am so
familiar with but I can’t place the name to save my life. If anyone
knows, e-mail me please cause it is making me nuts. She landed her
double axel, held the landing edge and kind of dipped her hand down, a
beautiful effect. She was working mostly on her "in-betweens",
she has some beautiful arm movements and dance steps in both her
programs this year. She didn’t do a complete run through, but like
Angela did her closing spiral sequence and layback. She has beautiful
spirals that made me cheer. Oh and she was working very hard on that
lutz! In fact I saw her land a couple true lutzes! Good girl!
Michelle Kwan – USA
What can I say? She is a class by herself, even
when she does programs that are not her best, which I think she is doing
this year. But if all you do is watch her feet, it is amazing. Her edges
are so sure and deep, she has more connecting steps than most dance
teams. I could spend a happy hour just watching her do footwork. Okay in
her actual run through she stepped out of her double axel, hit the lutz
and then fell on her flip. Then she went over talked to Frank a bit,
didn’t finish the run-through and then went back and nailed a perfect
axel and flip. She looked very relaxed and happy.
Well now comes the real test. Taking a very active toddler to the
actual events. This will never work and I am a madwoman to even try.
Marshall is consumed with climbing the steps of the arena, the little
monkey loves to climb. And he won’t sleep, he had us up half the night
last night and I apologize to the people in the rooms next to us who had
to hear him wail. I have actually thought of just going back to
California, but if all I ever get to see are some practices and skaters
walking through hotel lobbys I am a happy and very lucky woman. Yo, ho a
skatie fans life for me.
Pairs Short Program
Skate America 2000
Pairs Short Program
Okay it is very late so I am going to try to bare bones this as much
as possible. First of all to make it easy all the American’s are doing
the same short as last year.
Larivierre & Faustino – Canada
He wore a black jacket with
checked pants she wore a white bodice with multi color chiffon skirt.
There program was some sort of folk music, I think Italian. Twist was
good, she went down on the side by side triples. Throw was good, nice
spiral sequence with her holding the spiral position till the end of the
rink. They very noticeably lost speed in their side by side spins. But
the real disaster was she dropped her free leg in the death spiral,
almost caused the spiral to fall. Tech marks were al 4.2 with one 4.0
Presentation were all 5.0, one 4.8 and one 4.9
Sale & Pelletier – Canada
Skated to a very nice, bluesy sax version of
Come Rain or Come Shine. She stepped out on the side by side triple
toes, everything else was sensational. Way good twist. Very romantic
program with lots of "come hither" dance moves, their
excellent presentation as always. Excellent speed, wonderful distance in
the throw. Beautiful side by side camels with excellent extension and
position. He did these deep knee bends during the spiral sequence. Tech
marks mostly in the 5.6, 5.7 range, presentation marks almost all 5.8s.
Second place
Shen & Zhao – China
Skated to the diamond commercial music. Nailed the
program, every technical element perfect and high. There side by side
spins were too far apart and the positions in the lift were not pretty.
The twist was very good and at the end of the program, usually the
toughest elements are done earlier. Tech 5.7, 5.8, but presentation
marks went down at least a tenth of a point. Sale and Pelletier got much
higher second marks, but this is the tech program so the Chinese are
first.
Ina and Zimmermann – USA
Truman Show program. Hit toes good height on
the twist but she fell down on the throw triple. I didn’t see the rest
of their program, Marshall hated the music and started to fuss.
Scott & Duelebohn – USA
Hit all the technical elements didn’t
miss any jumps. Very nice line and extension in their death spiral.
There side by side synch spins got out of synch. They had a lot of
different positions in their lift. Tech marks 5.2 – 5.5, presentation
went up a tenth, they are in fourth. Well deserved
Kautz & Jeschke – Germany
Oh this is sad, I think they fell
four times, I lost count. Last place.
I did not see the Russians or Miller and Weiss, the Russians are in
third.
Ladies Short Program
Skate America 2000
Ladies Short Program
Michelle Currie – Canada
Spanish program. She had good speed and
presentation, really threw herself into the steps and the music. Triple
out of steps was good, she did triple lutz/double toe, 2 footed the toe.
Good camel spin, excellent speed and extension. I think I liked her
spiral sequence but I can’t quite make out my handwriting. Tech marks
were in the high 4s, all 5.0 for presentation she is in
5th.
Caroline Gulke – Germany
Jazz program. She landed a triple/double
combo, but leaned forward on the landing, no touchdown though. Also was
fast. Popped a loop, did a catch foot spiral, double axel was fine.
Button Camel with excellent extension. Straightline footwork, ended with
a combo spin that featured catch foot spins on both feet. Tech marks low
4s, presentation marks high 4s. 8th place.
Victoria Volchokova – Russia
Spanish program. Hands down on the
lutz, which was on the end not the corner. She double the jump out of
steps, double axel was ok. Her spiral extension did not have good
extension and her circular steps had more arm waving than footwork. Tech
mark high 4s, presentation low 5s. 4th place.
Elena Sokolova – Russia
Lutz/toe was fine, she did triple loop out
of steps, also good. She has a nice sequence spread eagle into a double
axel into a spread eagle, old Peggy Fleming move isn’t that?
Unfortunately she fell out of the double axel. Slow spiral sequence, but
the circular steps had good, fast footwork. Tech marks mostly low 5s,
presentation marks mid 5s. 3rd place.
Sabina Wojtala – Poland
Tango. Double lutz/double toe. Fast layback
spin, popped the loop. She did the Kerrigan spiral for a half circle.
Flyting sit spin, double axel. Ended the program with a scratch spin and
only got two bears thrown from the audience, if you go to the ladies
free bring her flowers! She is in 10th.
For more details on this group you can see my reports from the
practices:
Angela Nikodinov – USA
Angela fell on the lutz and singled the
axel, and that is all she wrote. The flip was good. She did Button camel
and lovely spiral and footwork sequences. Her tech marks were low 4s,
but her presentation marks were mid 5s, so the judges like her new
program, they just wished like I that she had those jumps. She is in
7th
Sarah Hughes – USA
I oooed and ahhed much over
this program in my practice reports. She landed the double axel fine,
but in her lutz combo she tilted forward on the landing. She had the
flip landed, but it looked like she got excited and lost her
concentration, cause then her foot came down and she stepped out of it.
After the flip she had a big smile on her face throughout the program
and was adorable. She got mostly low 5s technical and mid 5s
presentation. 2nd place.
Siyun Sun - China
I like her more everytime I see her.
Double axel was good, so was her triple sal/double toe combo, good
height. She did a triple flip or toe out of steps fine. Had very fast
spins. Because her technical difficulty wasn’t high her marks were all
over the place. -She got mostly high 4s technical and low 5s high 4s
presentation. 6th place.
Michelle Kwan – USA
This is what my notes say "wow, whoah,
wow." She was fast she was clean, her jumps were nailed. She flew
into that flip coming in and going out of it. She was Kwan. All 5.8
technical with two 5.6’s, All 5.9 presentation except for two 5.8s.
First of course.
The Japanese girls did not land their jumps well. Please see my
practice reports for more about them.
