November 29, 2008

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, now in its 14th season, consists of six international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. The 2008 series just concluded with its sixth event, the NHK Trophy, in  Japan. Approximately 60 skaters from 16 countries competed for points and prize money.

Mao Asada led a  Japanese sweep of women’s podium at NHK Trophy - World champion Asada won the NHK Trophy Saturday, qualifying for the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix finals and completing a Japanese sweep of the podium.  Asada almost made history when she attempted two triple axels at the start of her routine. She completed the first one but the second was downgraded to a double.

It was a disappointing night for American skaters. Ashley Wagner, who was second after the short program, finished fourth with 161.10 points.  Last season, Wagner won bronze at Trophée Eric Bompard and finished fifth at Skate Canada.

Sixteen-year-old Mirai Nagasu, the U.S. national champion competing in her first Grand Prix Series,  finished NHK eighth after falling on a double axel and a triple toeloop.

At last week’s Cup of Russia, the fifth event of the 2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, Italy’s Carolina Kostner earned gold in the ladies event.  American Rachael Flatt won silver, while teammate Alissa Czisny finished just off the podium in fourth.

Pretty Tough Trivia: Rachael Flatt began skating at age 4. Her father took her to shop for a birthday gift for her grandfather, and they came home with skating lessons instead of a gift. Her grandfather was a national fencing champion.

The Grand Prix Final (GPF) will be held Dec. 10-14, 2008, in Goyang City, South Korea. Check Grand Prix results here.

Ask Five-Time World Champion Michelle Kwan a Question
When one thinks about the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, it’s hard not to recall all the great moments Michelle Kwan provided fans across the country. The nine-time U.S. titlist has won 43 championships, including five World titles and two Olympic medals.

So if you have a burning question for the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, now is your chance. Want to know what’s on her iPod? What her favorite competition was? Fave book or movie? Ask away. Visit the U.S. Figure Skating site now to ask Michelle your question… 

November 7, 2008

The “Bayer Diabetes Care Presents Friends and Family Ice Show” was filmed last month at the U.S. Airways Arena in Phoenix.  It will be broadcast this Saturday, November 8th, from 4:00pm – 6:00pm ET on NBC (check local listings).

The Jonas Brothers — Kevin, Joe and Nick — are the music headliners for Yamaguchi’s annual “Friends and Family” ice show, which features Olympic and world-class skaters and their children.

Bayer Diabetes Care, the lead sponsor of the“Friends & Family” ice show, recently announced a partnership with Nick Jonas, who has type 1 juvenile diabetes, to launch the “Walk In Nicks Shoes” campaign to help young people with diabetes and their families simplify life with diabetes. Information and updates from Nick are available on www.nickssimplewins.com.

The “Friends and Family” show concept has been something dear to Yamaguchi’s heart. She and husband, Bret Hedican, are parents of two daughters. Keara was born in 2003, and Emma arrived in 2005. Their children have big skates to fill as Yamaguchi has won a gold medal and Hedican was part of the Carolina Hurricanes team that won the coveted Stanley Cup title in 2006. Yamaguchi has always been involved with children’s organizations and established her Always DreamFoundation for children in 1996.

Among the skaters expected to join Yamaguchi in the show this year are Olympic gold medalists Jamie Sale and David Pelletier, who will be making their first appearance in the show after becoming proud parents of son, Jesse, on Sept. 30,2007. Two-time Olympic medalist Nancy Kerrigan, who gave birth to her third child, daughter Nicole, in May, also will take to the ice.

Other members of this star-studded cast are two-time Olympic gold medalist Ekaterina Gordeeva, Olympic gold medalist Viktor Petrenko, and four-time world champion Kurt Browning. Children of the skaters also participate in the show.

On the musical front, Demi Lovato & Jordan Pruitt also perform.

Sounds like a great kick-off to the holiday season. I’ll be setting my DVR.

October 24, 2008 -

It looks to be a tough contest for the women. Reigning U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu will be participating in the event, along with reigning World Junior champion Rachael Flatt and Skate America defending champion Kimmie Meissner.

How do the particpants stack up?

Nagasu, who won the U.S. women’s title earlier this year at the tender age of 14, will make her debut at the senior level. The skater grew over the summer from 4-foot-11 to 5-foot-2 and is still getting accustomed to her new height.

Meissner burst onto the scene in 2005 when she became only the second American woman to land a triple Axel in competition. A year later, she surprised just about everyone by winning the world title.  After a season of competitive flops, the defending champion has a new coach and a newly hopeful attitude and she’s clearly out to reclaim glory.

Sixteen year old Rachael Flatt juggles training, competition and high school, while excelling in every area. For Flatt, multitasking is a way of life. The competition at Skate America is so strong Flatt should get an immediate sense of where she stands internationally.

The field also includes 2007 world champion Miki Ando of Japan, and two-time Grand Prix Final winner Kim Yu-Na of South Korea.

The significance of Skate America goes far beyond being the opener of the annual six-event Grand Prix series. This year, it will be the first step to the world championships; the result of the world championships will determine the number of entries countries can send to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics; and the Winter Games…well you get the idea.

“The road is short. One hundred and twenty miles and sixteen months is all that separates the 2008 Skate America competitors from 2010. Be a part of this drama as the world’s elite skaters compete to establish supremacy on their way to the next Winter Olympics.”

The women’s short program is at 7 p.m. Saturday. The competition gets under way with pairs and the men’s short program tonight. For more information, visit 2008skateamerica.com.

March 1, 2008  SOFIA, Bulgaria

Rachael Flatt conquered the ladies free skate to capture the division and the United States’ third gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships. The U.S. ladies dominated both the short and free skate competitions, with Rachel Flatt, Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu finishing an overall first, second and third, respectively.

Nagasu and Flatt were first and second in the senior division at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last month. But neither was 15 by last July 1, making them too young for the senior world championships. Flatt turned 15 on July 21 while Nagasu won’t even turn 15 until April. Zhang, who was fourth at nationals, doesn’t turn 15 until May.

So they came to junior worlds - and are going home with some shiny souvenirs!

Full results

Asada hit a beautiful triple Axel in the first seconds of her program to “Fantaisie Impromptu” by Frederic Chopin. Once she had that key element under her belt, the rest went smoothly. She landed five more triples, and only the triple toe in a combination with a triple flip was downgraded.

Canadian Joannie Rochette climbed from third spot after the short program with the second-best long program to take the silver with a personal-best score of 179.54. World champion Miki Ando of Japan, struggled early in her program and dropped to third at 177.66.

Full results

After taking their bows, Rena turned and found John on bended knee. He not only surprised the crowd at the Xcel Energy Center but he also stunned Rena with the proposal. He had to ask twice before she said yes,  hugging him as tears rolled down her face. Later, she told PEOPLE:

“I was shocked I saw him on one knee and thought he was going to tell me how proud he was – and then he asked me to marry him. Then I started crying and I said yes.”

The two have been skating partners since 2000. They both had their own singles careers and were brought together upon the urging of John’s father. It wasn’t long before the two became a couple off the ice as well.

Marriage proposals are not uncommon at sporting events, but they usually involve fans and a banner towed by an airplane. How often do two athletic participants get engaged during their competition in front of an arena full of thousands of people and a live national television audience?

Though the couple may not have won the competition, they certainly came in first in the hearts of fans.

Video and Photos

Ladies
World Championships
Bebe Liang
Kimmie Meissner
Ashley Wagner

Four Continents Championships
Katrina Hacker
Bebe Liang
Ashley Wagner

World Junior Championships
Rachael Flatt
Mirai Nagasu
Caroline Zhang

Full List

Gold medal winner Mirai Nagasu, who at 14 is the second-youngest U.S. “women’s” champion ever, along with a trio of ladies in waiting: 15-year-old Rachael Flatt, 16-year-old Ashley Wagner and 14-year-old Caroline Zhang.

Unfortunately, three of the four cannot go to the World Championships in March because of a minimum-age rule that is enforced at only one big competition this year, the same competition that is so essential to sending a young skater on her way to greatness. The Worlds.

Christine Brennan wonders why U.S. officials don’t leap to these young skaters’ defense. Read more.

ST. PAUL, Minn. Jan. 27, 2008

In a quandary for U.S. Figure Skating’s International Committee, the top two finishers, Nagasu and Rachael Flatt, are both too young under International Skating Union (ISU) rules to compete at the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

With their gold and silver medalists unavailable, the committee named bronze medalist Ashley Wagner; fifth-place finisher Bebe Liang; and 2006 world champion Kimberly Meissner, who placed a devastating seventh in Saint Paul, to the 2008 world team.

Full story

Pretty Tough Trivia:

• Mirai means “the future” in Japanese. She’s definitely skating’s future.
• Only Tara Lipinski in 1997 was younger when she won the title (and just by a month).

What she won’t have is a trip to the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. She’s too young.

The winsome skater captured the crowd and judges with her peppy take to Gershwin’s classic, “I Got Rhythm.” The program included a strong triple Lutz-triple toe combination; speedy, well-centered spins; and a beautifully extended spiral sequence. Four of her five non-jumping elements gained Level 4.

Defending champion Kimmie Meissner sits fourth after falling on a triple flip in her short to Peter Gabriel’s “The Feeling Begins.” She enters the free skate with 57.58 points, 12.65 points behind Nagasu.

So what lies in store for the newest wunderkind? No one knows for sure but try catching Saturday’s performance for a clue.