I had a great time last weekend attending the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in Salt Lake City! I covered the event for Figure Skaters Online. It was my first time going to U.S. Classic, and my first time attending any Challenger Series event. U.S. Classic takes place in a small 2-rink facility in Salt …
Continue reading U.S. Classic 2017: Highlights from Ladies, Men, Ice Dance & Pairs
This past week, I covered the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic competition for Figure Skaters Online. Here's a link to an article I wrote about the four U.S. pairs teams who competed at U.S. Classic. It includes comments from all of the American teams. Check it out! http://figureskatersonline.com/news/2017/09/21/u-s-pairs-reflect-on-u-s-classic-performances-look-ahead-to-rest-of-season/
Last season was full of highs & lows for U.S. pairs team Haven Denney/Brandon Frazier. They came back from injury to win their first U.S. National title, but had a rough performance at the World Championships. It wasn't easy coming to terms with the disappointment at Worlds; however, Denney/Frazier are now ready to put the …
Welcome to my third annual round-up of the best, most, and worst in pairs skating!! Included are my picks for the top 10 long programs and top 10 short programs of the season (with videos). As usual, all opinions expressed herein are strictly my own. (And possibly more idiosyncratic than usual.) So feel free to …
Last season was challenging for American pair Marissa Castelli/Mervin Tran. They struggled with injury and inconsistency during the fall of 2016. And although they regrouped to win the silver medal at U.S. Nationals in January 2017, the U.S. Figure Skating Association did not name the couple to Four Continents, Worlds, or World Team Trophy. However, …
The pairs event at Worlds 2017 was projected to be a close and intense competition. And it certainly lived up to that expectation. There was drama to spare: Injuries, accidents, quads, spectacular crashes. Chinese head coach Hongbo Zhao recently commented: “2017 Worlds, it’s the qualifying event for the Pyeongchang Olympics. We can say it’s the …
So, it's time: The World Championships start this week in Helsinki! And, while all World championships are important, this is the big one: The pre-Olympic Worlds. The final Worlds before Pyeongchang. What happens in Helsinki will help set the stage for the Olympics. How important is the pre-Olympic Worlds? Well, let's look back at the …
It's a little over 2 weeks until the pairs competition starts at 2017 Worlds in Helsinki. With that in mind, I thought I'd put together my second consecutive Top 6 Pairs Marathon watchlist! (Some of you may remember last season's Top 6 Pairs Marathon.) Just like last year, I think 6 pairs are legitimate contenders …
Prior to the event, the pairs competition at this year's Four Continents looked a bit unpredictable. For three of the top pairs, it was their first international event of the season after time off due to major injuries/illness. Another question was how World champions Duhamel/Radford would rebound from their bronze medal at the Grand Prix …
This year's European Championship was easily one of the best pairs competitions we've seen since Sochi. The event was star-studded, with Savchenko/Massot, Stolbova/Klimov, and Tarasova/Morozov the top contenders coming in. However, other Euro pairs were determined to make their mark this year. And none more so than French couple James/Cipres, who unexpectedly took the bronze …
