Stellar Season Ahead for Belbin and Agosto

U.S. ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto are poised to take over the ice dancing title in the United States. Last season, the popular dancers finished a close second to Naomi Lang and Peter Tchernyshev at U.S. Nationals, but bested their teammates at both the Four Continents Championships and Worlds. They took their second silver at Four Continents behind world champions Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz, while Lang and Tchernyshev took the bronze. At the World Championships, they finished seventh to Lang and Tchernyshev’s eighth.

That was quite an improvement from the 2001-2002 season in which Belbin battled injuries. Belbin fractured her skull when they fell while practicing a lift and was off ice for about three weeks. She then had…

Colin Pennington Follows Brother Into Skating

For 2003 U. S. novice men’s champion, Colin Pennington, the title is the first step in catching up to his older brother, Parker, who now competes in seniors after winning both the novice and junior men’s titles. This season, Colin is competing in juniors. So far, he has won the North American Challenge in Lake Placid and placed seventh at the ISU Junior Grand Prix in Mexico. He won the North Atlantic Regionals, but finished fifth at Easterns, just missing a trip to Nationals this season. Pennington said, “My goals in competitive skating are to be a National, World and Olympic champion. I plan to compete for as long as I possibly can, then skate professionally.”

Colin Pennington began skating when he was seven. “I…

Andreev Races Towards the Future

For 2003 Canadian men’s bronze medallist Fedor Andreev, skating is his business and racing is his passion. “Cars are my passion,” he enthused. “Racing takes up all my time off ice. I have three cars including a BMW 325, an Acura RXS Type 2 and a dragster. I try to race every weekend in either autocross, SCCA, or drag races. I usually run in the import, STS class, street tire division but if there are no races, I go to the drag strip. I usually get a trophy almost every week and I won the last race of the season. I do a lot of work on the cars and by the end of the season, I’m really running well. I do all the engine and suspension work, everything…

Cohen Has Breakout Season

This may be a breakout year for Alexandra Pauline (Sasha) Cohen, the diminutive ballerina on ice who has captivated the public’s eye in the last year. Cohen, who had her 19th birthday party at this year’s Skate America, won her first major international competition last season when she took the ISU Grand Prix Final title in St. Petersburg, Russia. She won her first Grand Prix medal the same season by winning at Skate Canada, then at Trophée Lalique.

This season, she did even better, dominating Skate America, Skate Canada, and Trophée Lalique. However, she came in second at the Grand Prix Final behind Japan’s Fumie Suguri after some costly mistakes. “It’s been tough,” Cohen said of her competitive season so far. “I haven’t really had a chance to train since before my Grand Prix series began. It starts to show when you are traveling and competing and don’t have time to stay at home and train.”

Under the new Code of…

2003-04 Junior Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating: Highlights

The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was held at the Malmö Isstadion in Malmö, Sweden, December 12-14, 2003. The event featured the top eight qualifiers (in each discipline) from the eight Junior Grand Prix series which began in September.

Japan’s Miki Ando won her second Junior Grand Prix Final competition (she won gold in 2002 and bronze last year). Lina Johansson of Sweden, who was in first after the short program, fell to second place to settle for silver, while Hungary’s Viktoria Pavuk moved up one spot from fourth to win the bronze.

In the short program, Ando stepped out of the triple Lutz in her opening combination, but was able to add the double toeloop. The 15-year-old (who turns 16 in a few days) went on to complete a triple flip and double Axel to score marks ranging from 4.5 to 5.4 for required elements and 4.8 to 5.5 for presentation. She was in second place after…

2003-04 Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating: Highlights

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final was held at the World Arena in Colorado Springs, Col., December 12-14, 2003. The event featured the top six qualifiers (in each discipline) from the six Grand Prix of Figure Skating series which began in October.

Japan’s Fumie Suguri seized the gold medal in the ladies event with a total of 182.08 points. USA’s Sasha Cohen had to settle for silver with 177.48 points, while Shizuka Arakawa of Japan fought for and won the bronze (167.57points).

In the short program, Suguri landed a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, a triple flip, a double Axel, and completed nice spins in her smooth performance to Paint it Black by the Rolling Stones. The two-time World bronze medalist received 32.10 points in the element score and 29.92 for program components (62.02 total segment score).

“After NHK, I practiced for more details and tonight it was exactly what I have been training for,” a happy Suguri said. “This event…

Moskvina Grooms New Pair for 2006 Olympic Games

After her fourth pairs team won Olympic gold, famed Russian coach Tamara Moskvina could have retired to St. Petersburg and a place in Olympic history. But earlier this year, some unique new Russian pairs skaters, Viktoria Borzenkova and Andrei Chuvilaev, came to her and pleaded with her to continue her coaching and help them reach the highest level of the sport. “We want to skate at the 2006 Olympics and continue until our health diminishes,” Chuvilaev said. Intrigued by the couple’s unique talents, Moskvina agreed to take them on. Borzenkova, at 167 cm, is tall for a pairs skater, but extremely flexible, allowing her to contort herself into interesting new positions that Moskvina devises. Chuvilaev is even taller at 200 cm, making him probably the tallest skater competing today.

The couple…

Cousins Continues to Entertain

Robin Cousins began competing in 1969, where he won the British Novice National Championships. There was no turning back. After winning the Olympic gold medal at Lake Placid in 1980, the four-time British champion went on to win the 1980 European gold medal as well as the 1980 World silver. During his eligible career, Cousins stood on the podium of more than 24 various national and international competitions.

A highly successful career as a professional skater followed. Appearing as special guest star with Holiday On Ice, with whom he set new, and currently unbroken box office records, and made many “Special Guest” appearances with Ice Capades in the United States. Cousins started is own Ice Company in 1983, choreographing the shows Electric Ice and Ice Majesty. In addition, Cousins co-produced and choreographed…