2005 World Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Highlights

The 2005 ISU World Figure Skating championships took place Mar 11-20 with over 180 skaters participating from 44 countries. Marking the first time this event was ever held in Moscow, Russia, the competition took place in the Luzhniki arena beginning March 14 with the Men’s Qualifying Round and the Pairs Short Program.

Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin of Russia defended their World title, winning their second consecutive gold medal. Teammates Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov won silver, while China’s Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang captured the bronze – their first World medal.

Totmianina and Marinin delivered a solid short to Ave Maria, which included a good level three back-inside death spiral, spiral sequence, and pair combination spin. The reigning World champions also executed a good throw triple loop, solid side-by-side triple toeloops, and a double twist. The crowd cheered throughout the program and the three-time and reigning Russian champions received a score of 70.12 (personal best) for a first place…

2005 World Figure Skating Championships: Men’s Highlights

The men’s event began with the Qualifying Round (QR) in which 45 entries were divided into two groups. The top 15 competitors from each group proceeded to the Short Program. The segment score for the QR was multiplied by a factor of 0.25 and was then added to the scores of the Short and Long programs for a total score.

Switzerland’s Stephane Lambiel was the surprise winner in the men’s event, winning his first medal ever in a senior ISU competition. Jeffrey Buttle of Canada won his first World medal – a silver, while USA’s Evan Lysacek captured his first – the bronze.

Lambiel delivered one of his best long programs of his career (152.00) since 2003 Cup of Russia (136.01). The Swiss champion landed two quadruple toeloops (one in combination with a triple toeloop), as well as a triple Axel, a triple loop, a triple Lutz-triple toeloop combination, a triple flip (shaky landing), and a triple…

2005 World Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Highlights

Irina Slutskaya of Russia was the gold medal winner in the ladies’ event, while USA’s Sasha Cohen won silver, and Italy’s Carolina Kostner picked up her first World medal – the bronze.

The ladies event began with the Qualifying Round (QR) in which 41 entries were divided into two groups. The top 15 competitors from each group proceeded to the Short Program. The segment score for the QR was multiplied by a factor of 0.25 and was then added to the scores of the Short and Long programs for a total score.

Cohen landed a triple Lutz-double toeloop-double toeloop combination, a triple flip-double toeloop combination, a triple toeloop-triple Salchow sequence, and a triple Salchow, but underrotated and fell on a triple loop. The 2004 World silver medalist also produced good level two spins and footwork, earning a Total Segment Score (TSS) of 28.41 for a first place finish in her group.

“It was not too bad for so…

2005 World Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Highlights

Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov of Russia won their second consecutive World gold medal, while USA’s Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto picked up the silver – their first World medal. Ukraine’s Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov also captured their first World medal – the bronze.

The Compulsory Dance (CD) drawn for the World Championships was the Midnight Blues, the newest of the Compulsory Dances. It was invented by Roy Bradshaw, Sue Bradshaw, Mark Bradshaw, and Julie MacDonald and first performed in 2001 in Vancouver, Canada. The Midnight Blues were also used last year at this event.

Navka and Kostomarov took the lead (45.97) followed by Belbin and Agosto (42.18) and Grushina and Goncharov (41.30).

We’re very happy with the way we skated today,” said Navka, adding that she felt the crowd was large for the compulsories. “Of course, it’s a lot of pressure to skate at home, but it’s very nice kind of pressure, because the public expects the best from…

2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Highlights

Japan’s Mao Asada led the ladies throughout the event, winning the gold. Yu-Na Kim of South Korea catapulted from sixth place after the short to win the silver, while USA’s Emily Hughes rose from fifth place to win the bronze. It was the first time all three competitors competed at this event.

The ladies event began with the Qualifying Round (QR). The qualifying round did not impact the final score in this event. It’s purpose was to determine which of the 30 (of 44) competitors would proceed to the Short Program.

In the short, Asada popped a boot lace on the landing of her opening jump – a triple lutz-double loop combination, and had to restart her routine. The 2005 Japanese junior champ had no problems resuming her program and landed a double Axel, a triple loop, and displayed a nice spiral sequence as well as good spins. With a score of 60.11, the 14-year-old placed an easy first overall…

2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Highlights

USA’s Morgan Matthews and Maxim Zavozin were the gold medal winners, while Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada won the silver. Russia’s Anastasia Gorshkova and Ilia Tkachenko claimed the bronze in their second season together as a team.

The Compulsory Dance (CD) of the event was the Blues. The dance was invented by Robert Dench and Lesley Turner and was first performed in 1934 in London at the Streatham Ice Rink.

Matthews and Zavozin took the lead (39.89 points) in the CD, followed by Virtue and Moir (36.91 points) and Israel’s Alexandra Zaretski and Roman Zaretski (36.58 points).

Italy’s Anna Cappellini and Matteo Zanni tied Gorshkova and Tkachenko for fourth place with 34.58 points.

The event continued with the Original Dance (OD) with the “Rhythm Combination”, which is being used for the 2004-2005 season. Couples can choose any two or three of the following rhythms: Slow Foxtrot, Quickstep, and/or Charleston.

Matthews and Zavozin maintained the lead after performing a fun OD…

2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Men’s Highlights

Nobunari Oda of Japan was the gold medal winner in the men’s event, while France’s Yannick Ponsero won the silver. The bronze went to Sergei Dobrin of Russia.

The men’s event began with the Qualifying Round (QR). The qualifying round did not impact the final score in this event. It’s purpose was to determine which of the 30 (of 40) competitors would proceed to the Short Program.

Skating to Played-A-Live (The Bongo Song) by Safri Duo, France’s Yannick Ponsero opened with a triple Axel-triple toeloop combination, followed by a triple loop, and a double Axel, earning a 64.90 points (a personal best) for a first place finish after the short.

“This was the best program I ever did,” said a smiling Ponsero. “The result of this Junior Worlds is very important for me.” He added that he finished ninth in the Short Program last year at Junior Worlds. “I progressed mentally since then. I have been landing the quad toeloop, quad…

2005 World Junior Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Highlights

The 2005 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships were held at The Aud – Dom Cardillo Arena, in Kitchener, Canada for the second time (first was in 1987), with over 165 competitors from 42 different countries. The competitive events began February 28 with the Ladies’ Qualifying Round and the Pairs Short Program.

Russia’s Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov were the gold medal winners in the pairs event, while teammates Tatiana Kokoreva and Egor Golovkin had to settle for bronze. Jessica Dube and Bryce Davison of Canada won their second consecutive silver medal.

Kokoreva and Golovkin performed their short to Dmitri Shostakovich’s Paraphrase, opening with a good double twist and following up with spread eagles into side-by-side double Axels that were close together and in good sync. The 2004 Russian junior bronze medalists also executed a throw triple toeloop that had good air position and a nice lift to earn a score of 54.46 (a personal best) for a first place…