2004 Skate Canada: Ladies Highlights

Canada’s Cynthia Phaneuf, who won silver at Skate America last week, became the first woman to win gold at a Skate Canada event since Josee Chouinard won in 1990. Japan’s Yoshie Onda won the silver, while Susanna Pöykiö of Finland cinched the bronze.

Despite a bad warm-up, Phaneuf skated a clean short to Songs My Mother Taught Me by Dvorák, which included a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, followed by footwork into a triple flip, and a double Axel. The Canadian champion also displayed nice spins with various changes of positions to earn 57.76 for a first place finish after the short, as well as a standing ovation from a cheering home crowd.

Phaneuf was very happy with her program, saying, “It was better than at Skate America. There, I had lost my focus, so I really wanted to stay focused here and it worked.” The 16-year-old, who won silver last week at Skate America, was also surprised to find herself…

2004 Skate Canada: Men’s Highlights

The Canadian men swept the podium with Emanuel Sandhu winning his first gold. Though he won the 2004 Grand Prix Final, this was his first win in an individual Grand Prix event. Ben Ferreira won the silver, a first for him as well, and Jeffrey Buttle, who was second at this event last season, won the bronze.

In the short, Buttle produced a conservative but clean program to Rachmaninov’s Prelude in C Minor, landing a solid triple flip-double toeloop combination, a triple Axel, and a spread eagle into a triple Lutz. The two-time and reigning Four Continents champion also displayed good footwork, spins, and transitions, earning the highest component score (36.75) in the men’s short and a total segment score of 72.15.

Buttle was pleased overall with his program. “I think this is a good place to start from at the beginning of the season,” he said, adding that he felt there is also feels there is room for improvement.

Ferreira…

2004 Skate Canada: Ice Dance Highlights

Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria were the gold medal winners in the ice dance event. Canada’s Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon won silver, while Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski of Israel seized the bronze. All three teams competed at Skate Canada last year, placing second, third, and fourth respectively.

The Compulsory Dance for Skate Canada was the Rhumba. The dance was invented by Walter Gregory and was first performed in 1938 at the Westminster Ice Rink in London.

Denkova and Staviski appeared comfortable and fluid in their CD, taking the lead with a score of 41.05.

“I think our expression could have been better,” offered Staviski. “We could have been more musical maybe. He added that they prefer the technically more demanding dances such as the Golden Waltz. “The more steps the dance has, the better it is for us. The Rhumba and the Quickstep don’t have so many steps.”

France’s Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder placed second with a…

2004 Skate Canada: Pairs Highlights

Skate Canada, the second of six events of the Grand Prix Figure Skating series, was held October 28-31 at the Halifax Metro Centre in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Skaters competed for points and for prize money totaling $180,000 (U.S.). The points go toward qualification for the Grand Prix Final, to which the top six competitors in points standings from each discipline will be invited. The Grand Prix Final will be held Dec 16-19, 2004, in Beijing, China.

In pairs, the Chinese teams dominated the event with Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao winning gold, while teammates Qing Pang and Jian Tong won the silver. Poland’s veteran team of Dorota Zagorska and Mariusz Siudek repeated their placement from last year’s Skate Canada event, winning the bronze.

In the short program, headliners Shen and Zhao earned the highest component score (32.08 points) of the evening in their routine to Debussy’s Claire de Lune. The 2002 Olympic bronze medalists opened with side-by-side triple toeloops, followed…

Triple Axel Gives Sawada An Edge

Japan’s Aki Sawada, who won the Japanese novice title in 2001, was virtually unknown until last season, when she finished fifth at her first major international competition, the 2004 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in the Netherlands. “I wanted to be at the World Juniors very much,” she said. “That was my goal for the season. It was my first big competition and I had a very good time. It was a lot of fun. Next year, I want to come again.” She started well this year, finishing second at the Junior Grand Prix in Budapest and third in Ukraine. With 24 points accumulated from these events, Sawada has secured herself a spot for the Junior Grand Prix Final which…

2004 Skate America: Men’s Highlights

Skate America was the first of six events of the Grand Prix series and was held at the Mellon Arena, October 21-24, in Pittsburgh, Pa. Over 60 skaters from 15 different countries competed for points and/or monies totaling $180,000 in U.S. dollars. The points go toward qualification for the Grand Prix Final, to which the top six competitors in points standings from each discipline will be invited. The Grand Prix Final will be held Dec 16-19, 2004, in Beijing, China.

Brian Joubert of France was the winner in the men’s event, reaping his second Skate America title. USA’s Ryan Jahnke rose from fourth place after the short program to win the silver, while teammate Michael Weiss took the bronze.

Joubert, who was fourth to skate in the short, opened his new program with a quadruple toeloop-triple toeloop combination followed by a triple Axel. Despite falling out of a triple flip, the two-time and reigning French champion scored 72.10 points for…

2004 Skate America: Ladies Highlights

USA’s Angela Nikodinov won her first gold medal in a senior Grand Prix event at her fifth visit to Skate America. Canada’s Cynthia Phaneuf won the silver, while Miko Ando of Japan won the bronze.

Skating to Gypsy Soul, Ando landed a triple Lutz-triple loop combination followed by a triple flip and a double Axel to earn 53.64 points for a first place finish after the short.

“I am glad to skate here,” said Ando of being at Skate America, “but if I’m competing in the U.S., they are interested in more than my jumps, and I wasn’t confident about my expression. I felt like other people gave me courage.”

Nikodinov landed a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination as well as triple flip and a double Axel in her elegant routine to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata, earning 53.62 points for a second place finish after the short.

“It felt good to get the first program of the new season out of the way,” said…

2004 Skate America: Ice Dance Highlights

In ice dance, USA’s Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto won their second consecutive gold medal in this event, while Galit Chait and Sergei Sakhnovski of Israel won the silver. Canada’s Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe won the bronze, their first senior Grand Prix medal.

The Compulsory Dance for Skate America was the Golden Waltz. The dance was invented by Natalia Dubova, Marina Klimova, and Sergei Ponomarenko and was first performed at the 1987 Moscow Cup.

Belbin and Agosto placed first in the CD with a score of 43.71 points. “It felt strong and we were comfortable with the dance,” said Agosto, adding that he thought it was it an interesting dance. “It’s more fun and not boring.” His partner agreed. “This dance challenges you and shows the abilities of the couples. It was a good way to start the competition.”

Chait and Sakhnovski were second with 40.98 points. “It was a good crowd,” acknowledged Chait, “we had good support.”

Wing and…