2009-10 ISU Junior Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating Preview

The 2009-10 ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from December 3-6, 2009.  Forty-eight skaters representing six member nations qualified for this event by skating in Junior Grand Prix events in August, September, and October.  Russia boasts twelve entries in the event, and the United States will send ten entries to Tokyo.

This is the second time that the Junior Grand Prix Final and the Grand Prix Final will be held at the same time and place. Skaters will compete both a short program (or original dance) in reverse order of their qualification finish, and then a free skate in reverse order of their finish in the short program.  The compulsory dance will not be skated in Tokyo.

The ladies competition will be a battle of the junior ladies superpowers – Japan, Russia, and the United States.  Three skaters representing each of these countries have won two events apiece, and the others are all…

2009-10 ISU Grand Prix Final of Figure Skating Preview

The 2009-10 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final will take place in Tokyo, Japan, from December 3-6, 2009. Thirty-six skaters representing eleven member nations qualified for this event by skating in Grand Prix events in October and November. Two medalists from last year’s competition return in the men’s division, while all three pairs medalists return to compete in Tokyo. Only one medalist each from both the ladies and dance division return to this season’s competition.

Skaters will compete both a short program (or original dance) in reverse order of their qualification finish, and then a free skate in reverse order of their finish in the short program. The compulsory dance will not be skated in Tokyo.

LADIES

The ladies competition is choc-full of skaters who want to be the one who finally defeats Korea’s Yu-Na Kim. In fact, Kim has not lost a competition since last year’s Grand Prix Final where she lost to the then reigning World Champion Mao Asada…

Savchenko and Szolkowy Back in Business

Germany’s Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy had a rough start into the Olympic season when they struggled  in their free skate at last month’s Trophée Bompard.

The  two-time World Champions finished an uncharacteristic third. Then the question was whether or not they would qualify for the Grand Prix Final.

Not making the Final would have been embarrassing for the three-time European Champions, however, the team rose like a phoenix at last weekend’s Skate Canada after skating both programs brilliantly.

Mind you, their free skate was brand new as they had dumped the ill-fated previous routine right after Paris. Not only did the Germans take the gold with a 21-point advantage over Russia’s Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov, but they…

Rachael Flatt: Breaking it Down

USA’s Rachael Flatt won the long program at Skate America despite not receiving credit for her last spin, beating Korea’s Yu-na Kim’s score by nearly five points. But the 2008 World Junior Champion had help as Kim fell on her triple flip and struggled with two other jumps.

“I am honored to compete against the best in the world,” said Flatt of Kim. “Unfortunately, she did not have her best skate, and I happened to skate well. Everyone has good and bad days…no matter how hard we try to have a good day everyday! But it feels fantastic to have skated so well and won the long program!”

Of nine senior Grand Prix events, Kim has only been beaten once in…

2009 Skate Canada Preview

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues this week in Kitchener, Ontario, Canada, for the final installment of competition known as Skate Canada. Sixty skaters representing 16 countries will compete in the competition, attempting to earn points towards qualification to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in December in Tokyo.

Canadian ice dancers Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir look to continue their winning ways after a victory to open the Grand Prix in Paris, France. World Champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy from Germany will try to rebound from a disappointing performance in Paris, and will face a strong challenge from Russia’s Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov who won that event.

Likewise, Canada’s Joannie Rochette will look to get revenge on Japan’s Akiko Suzuki, while World silver medalist Patrick Chan returns to action after being sidelined with an injury for the first part of the season.

The opportunity to qualify for the Grand Prix Final is…

Miki Ando: “I was just lucky”

Miki Ando of Japan has won both her Grand Prix assignments (Rostelecom Cup of Russia and NHK Trophy), and is the first lady skater to have qualified for sure for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Despite the good start into the Olympic season, the 2007 World Champion still wasn’t too pleased with herself. “I know that my free skating wouldn’t be really competitive in a bigger competition,” Ando admitted.

Ando made a few errors in her programs at NHK Trophy and was beaten in the free skating portion by Russia’s Alena Leonova. “I wanted to skate better than I did in Moscow, but all my weaknesses came out instead,…

Brian Joubert: Taking the Risk of Change

Thus far this season, France’s Brian Joubert  has  shown two sides. One side has depicted the insecure, stressed out skater who struggles, while the other has shown a  confident, powerful skater who goes out onto the ice, knows what he has to do, just does it – and wins.

The latter side was displayed at  NHK Trophy this past weekend, where Joubert won and most likely qualified for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in December.

It didn’t appear that this was going to happen after disappointing performances at the French Masters in September and the Trophée Bompard in October. Joubert had crumbled under the pressure at the Trophée Bompard in Paris, especially in the short program, and finished fourth.

“I was very disappointed,” he admitted…

2009 Skate America Preview

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating continues this week in Lake Placid, USA, for the fifth installment of competition known as the Skate America. Sixty skaters representing 16 countries will compete in the competition, attempting to earn points towards qualification to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final to be held in December in Tokyo.

American ice dancers Tanith Belbin and Benjamin Agosto are hoping to win for a second time, as is the Chinese pairs team of Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao. Korea’s Yu-Na Kim should continue to dominate the ladies field with a win in Lake Placid, and World Champion Evan Lysacek looks to harvest his first Grand Prix gold of the season.

The ladies competition should be a walk in the park for World Champion Yu-Na Kim of Korea.  In seven Grand Prix events, Kim has won six titles, and in three tries, she has won the Final twice.  At her first competition this season in…