2005 European Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Highlights

Tatiana Navka and Roman Kostomarov of Russia were the winners in the ice dance competition, claiming their second consecutive gold medal at this event. Elena Grushina and Ruslan Goncharov of Ukraine won the silver, while France’s Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder won the bronze.

Albena Denkova and Maxim Staviski of Bulgaria, who stood in fourth after the Compulsory and Original Dance, withdrew prior to the Free Dance, due to Denkova’s bronchitis.

The Compulsory Dance (CD) for the event 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.

Navka and Kostomarov were not only elegant, but appeared confident in their waltz, displaying good edges, flow, timing, speed, and expression. The two-time and reigning ISU Grand Prix Final champions received 44.19 points for a first place finish after the CD.

“We feel more relaxed and confident than in last year’s European championships,” admitted Navka, who missed a…

2005 European Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Highlights

Russia’s Irina Slutskaya skated to her sixth European gold, equaling the record six titles of Germany’s Katarina Witt and Norway’s Sonia Henie. Finland’s Susanna Poykio won her first silver and it was the first time for Finland to medal at an ISU senior Championship in the ladies event. Ukraine’s Elena Liashenko won the bronze, while defending champion Julia Sebestyen of Hungary placed fourth.

Skating to an energetic tango by Dmitry Shostakovich, Slutskaya opened with triple Lutz-double loop combination, followed by a triple flip, and a double Axel. The 25-year-old also produced a good layback and spiral sequence, as well as nice spins and footwork, earning a score of 65.02 for first place after the short.

“It was a good program,” said Slutskaya, “but I hope that I will skate even better at Worlds.” The 2002 Olympic silver medalist added that she recovered from her flu that she suffered during Russian Nationals earlier this month. “I had to stay in bed…

2005 European Figure Skating Championships: Men’s Highlights

Evgeni Plushenko won his fourth European title, but it was close. Brian Joubert of France trailed behind by only 2.71 points, winning his second European silver. Germany’s Stefan Lindemann won the bronze, while Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland placed fourth.

The men’s event began with the Short Program (SP). Following a decision of the ISU congress in 2004, there will no longer be a Qualifying Round at the European championships. Therefore, all 33 men competed in the Short Program with the top 24 proceeding to the Free Skate.

Joubert nailed a quadruple toeloop-double toeloop combination in the opening of his routine to a selection of music by the Blue Men Group. The current European champion also landed a solid triple Axel and triple flip, displaying good spins and footwork throughout the program. The Frenchman earned a score of 76.98, a new personal best for his short, placing first after the short.

“At the moment, I’m happy to be first and to have done…

2005 European Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Highlights

The 2005 European Figure Skating Championships were held Jan 23-27 at the Palavela ice rink in Torino, Italy. It was the third time this event was held in Italy and the first time in Torino.

For the first time since 1994, the Russian pairs swept the European podium. Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin won their fourth consecutive European title, while teammates Julia Obertas and Sergei Slavnov and Maria Petrova and Alexei Tikhonov placed second and third, respectively.

Totmianina and Marinin set a new personal best score of 69.70 with their short to Ave Maria. The current World champs executed a throw triple loop, side-by-side triple toeloops, a double twist, a lift, and good spins to place first overall after the short.

“The Russian Nationals helped us a lot to come back mentally,” offered Marinin, referring to the first time they competed since the terrifying fall that took place at Skate America in October. “Here, we had to improve our performance a little…

2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships: Ladies Highlights

The 2005 BMO Financial Group Canadian Figure Skating Championships were held Jan 17-23 at the John Labatt Centre in London, Ontario. For the first time, Skate Canada used the Cumulative Points Calculation (CPC) judging system at this event. The CPC system, Canada’s version of the International Skating Union judging system, was tried and used successfully at the Skate Canada Western and Eastern Challenges last month.

Joannie Rochette (QC) was the winner in the ladies event, edging out last year’s champ, Cynthia Phaneuf (QC) who settled for silver. Mira Leung (BC) claimed the bronze, while Amanda Billings (AB) placed fourth.

The ladies event began with the Qualifying Round (QR) – 25% of the QR score was added to the total score for the skater.

In the short, Rochette performed to Dvorák’s Dumsky Trio, opening with a double Axel, followed by a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination. The two-time and reigning Canadian silver medalist also executed a triple flip out of footwork and displayed…

2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships: Men’s Highlights

Jeffrey Buttle (NO) won his first senior national title in the men’s event, upsetting reigning and three-time champ, Emanuel Sandhu (BC), who placed second. Shawn Sawyer (NB) claimed the bronze, while Ben Ferreira (AB) placed fourth.

The men’s event began with the Qualifying Round (QR) – 25% of the QR score was added to the total score for the skater.

Skating to Prelude in C Minor by Rachmaninov for his short, Buttle opened with a triple flip-triple toeloop combination, followed by a double Axel. Despite putting his hands down on the landing of the triple Lutz, two-time and reigning Canadian bronze medalist displayed good footwork and spins to earn a score of 70.93 for a first place finish in the short and overall (105.28).

Sawyer also opened with a triple flip-triple toeloop combination, but double-footed the landing on the triple Axel and triple Lutz in his routine to Astor Piazzolla’s Libertango. The 20-year-old earned a score of 66.61, placing second in the…

2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships: Ice Dance Highlights

In the ice dance event, the podium placements were a repeat of last year. Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon (QC) won the national title for the third time, while veterans Megan Wing and Aaron Lowe (BC) won their third silver. Chantal Lefebvre and Aresniy Markov (EO) claimed their second bronze in their second season together as a team.

The Compulsory Dance (CD) of the event was the Midnight Blues, the newest of the CDs. The dance was invented by Roy Bradshaw, Sue Bradshaw, Mark Bradshaw, and Julie MacDonald and was first performed in 2001 in Vancouver, Canada.

Dubreuil and Lauzon took the lead in the CD, followed by Wing and Lowe (second) and Lefebvre and Markov (third). Fresh from the junior circuit and in their fourth season together, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir (WO) placed fourth.

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…

2005 Canadian Figure Skating Championships: Pairs Highlights

Valerie Marcoux and Craig Buntin (QC) captured their second consecutive national title. Utako Wakamatsu and J. Sebastien Fecteau (QC) won silver, their first senior medal at nationals as a team, while Anabelle Langlois and Patrice Archetto (QC) settled for bronze. Elizabeth Putnam and Sean Wirtz (BC) came in fourth.

Skating to Fever for their short, Marcoux and Buntin opened with side-by-side triple toeloops, but Marcoux fell. The team performed a good lasso lift with an upside down exit and executed a good double twist. Marcoux hung onto the landing the throw triple loop, and the team displayed good spins to earn a score of 60.21 for a first place finish after the short.

Wakamatsu and Fecteau opened with side-by-side triple toeloops in their routine to Swan from the Carneval des Animaux by Camille Saint-Seans, but Wakamatsu turned out the landing on hers, but had no problems on the throw triple Salchow. The team produced a good double twist as well…