Kerrs Prove Critics Wrong

The Scottish brother and sister ice dancing team of Sinead and John Kerr had their sponsorship funds cancelled last fall by the Scottish Sports Funding Body, Sportscotland. Infuriated by the national agency’s lack of confidence, they vowed to become British champions this season. They succeeded by winning their first British ice dancing title, defeating both of the teams that had won in previous seasons. The Kerrs had finished on the podium at all of their previous British Championships, but never at the top.

Internationally, the Kerrs goal for this season was simply exposure. “We wanted to get as good a place as possible at Europeans and Worlds,” Sinead said. “But mainly we want to get ourselves noticed.” They were wildly successful…

Vasiliev Guides Top Russian Pairs

Oleg Vasiliev, the 1984 Olympic champion and 1988 Olympic silver medallist in pairs with Elena Valova, now coaches skating himself. His primary focus is the team of Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin, two-time Russian pairs champions and two-time World silver medallists. When he skated, Vasiliev trained with the dean of pairs coaches, Tamara Moskvina.

“I never wanted to be a coach,” he remarked. “I saw how difficult a job it was and how hard Tamara worked. It looked too difficult. Definitely what I didn’t want to do. But I graduated from the Institute for Physical Culture in St. Petersburg, like most Russian skaters. I learned a lot from Tamara, all of the basics. But I have changed some details. Maybe I use…

Sarah-Yvonne Prytula: Designing Woman

Australia’s Sarah-Yvonne Prytula has her future all mapped out. The19-year-old has been working towards a career in the design field. “I just finished my exams to complete my first year at university,” said Prytula, who turns 20 in May. “The first two years cover everything in design,” she explained. “I’m now thinking about environmental design – landscaping, buildings, architecture, but I’m not sure where I’ll finish. I even designed some jewelry.”

Prytula got into figure skating when she was seven. “My brother was involved in a lot of sports,” she said. “He played ice hockey so I went to the rink to try skating. Eventually he quit and I stayed. I tried pairs some for fun when I was young, but I never tried dance.” She landed her first triple loop when she was 13, but…

Chinese Dancers Make First Trip to Worlds

China’s three-time ice dancing champions, Fang Yang and Chongbo Gao, made a good impression on the judges and the crowd at the 2004 Four Continents Championships in January, finishing sixth in the field and ahead of the national bronze medallists from both the United States and Canada. That was a solid improvement from last year’s tenth place finish. Now the dancers are planning on attending their first worlds, where they hope to finish in the top 16.

Gao began skating when he was six. “Most skaters start because their parents like skating and want them to do it or because they want their children to be more healthy,” Gao said. “My mother sent me for both reasons. I…

Medal Not a Maybe for Canada’s Mabee

Canada’s Christopher Mabee was surprised when he won a bronze medal at the Junior Grand Prix Final this season. “My goal was just to do well at the Junior Grand Prixs and make the final,” he said. “I was happy just to get there and eighth would have been fine with me. I didn’t expect the podium at all. The short was absolutely insane. Everyone but Griazev skated clean. The long was just as good. The top four all had seven triples. But it was just like in Slovenia. I did two triple Axels and I haven’t missed a triple Axel all season.” Mabee won the JGP Skate Bled in Slovenia and took third at Skate Slovakia.

Then it was on to Canadians where the likable…

Japan’s Artistic Yukina Ota

While many of the Japanese ladies have been inspired by Midori Ito to focus on the technical side of skating, balletic Yukina Ota has focused on the artistry involved in the sport. Her heroine is Yuka Sato, the 1994 ladies world champion. “She has a good balance of everything – jumps, skating, edges, and artistry,” said Ota. “I have met her and she has helped me on how to use my edges and change the tempo in my program.”

The 17-year-old from Kyoto stunned the more experienced senior skaters when she won the Four Continents Championships in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada in January. Ota finished third in the short and second in the long to take the gold medal. “I was really proud to be there,” she said. “I wanted to…

Canada’s Trombley and Frenette Find Success in First Season

Meeran Trombley and Jordan Frenette just missed the podium at the 2004 Canadian Nationals in their first competitive season together in junior pairs. They finished fourth, but still made the Junior National Team. Eventually, the couple hopes to make the senior team and compete at Worlds and the 2010 Olympics.

Trombley arrived in Canada three years ago after living in the United States for several years after she was adopted from her home country of South Korea as an infant. “I started skating when I was seven because I lived in a small town and there was nothing else to do,” she said. “I never tried dance because my coach didn’t think it was relevant.” She landed her first triple salchow at the age of 13 and continued to compete in singles. She started skating pairs when she was 10. “I like the interaction between the partners and the big tricks, like lifts and throws,” she said.

Frenette began skating when…

2004 European Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Highlights

in the Ladies event, Hungary’s Julia Sebestyen won her first European Championship title. Elena Liashenko of Ukraine won the silver, while Russia’s Elena Sokolova seized the bronze.

Sokolova skated first in her group, appearing somewhat slow overall and two-footing her triple flip. The 2003 World silver medalist earned marks from 4.7 to 5.6 to place sixth in the short.

“I practiced quite early this morning,” said Sokolova. “Actually, it was quite difficult to skate first. I didn’t do my job very well, but there is still one more chance for me (Free Program). My jumps didn’t work out today, I don’t know why. Hopefully, I’m in a better shape like at the beginning of the season.

When Sebestyen took the ice, the home crowd waved their flags and greeted her with loud cheers. The 2003 European bronze medalist appeared calm and focused, landing a triple flip, a triple Lutz-double toeloop, and a double Axel. The spins in her program to a…