Lichtman and Copely hungry for another podium

On the eastern shore of the Korean Peninsula lies the city of Gangneung in the province Gangwon-do. A city known for its rich cultural festivals this week becomes the host of the 2011 World Junior Figure Skating Championships. In recent years, ice dancers representing Team USA have made a lasting impact on this event, winning four times in the last ten years. This year, US Junior Champions Charlotte Lichtman and Dean Copely are America’s best shot at standing on the podium.

In just their third competitive season as a team, Lichtman, 17, and Copely, 21, started skating together after the 2008 Lake Placid Ice Dancing Championships. Lichtman competed as a novice in Lake Placid with another partner, and shortly after they returned…

Ando wins gold at 2011 Four Continents

Miki Ando of Japan earned her first title at the Four Continents Championships at the conclusion of the event in Taipei on Sunday. Teammate Mao Asada rebounded from a tough start to the season to claim the silver medal, while USA’s Mirai Nagasu took the bronze in her debut.

Ando kept her record of clean long programs this season straight with a flawless performance to  Edvard Grieg’s powerful Piano Concerto in A Minor. She upped the difficulty, pulling off six triple jumps including a double Axel-triple toeloop combination and two triple Lutzes. Her spins were all graded a level four. The 2007 World Champion picked up a season’s best of 134.76 points, which added up to 201.34 points overall. She now seems in a good position…

Ando leads after short program; Asada second at Four Continents

The Japanese Ladies took the lead in the Ladies short program at the 2011 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Saturday. Miki Ando has a 3.17 lead over World Champion Mao Asada heading into tomorrow’s free skating. USA’s Rachael Flatt is third with just 1.18 points behind Asada.

Ando turned in a solid, if somewhat slow, performance to Gabriel’s Oboe and The Falls from The Mission soundtrack by Ennio Morricone. She was very pale when she stepped onto the ice, but nailed the triple Lutz-double loop combo, a triple loop out of footwork, and the double Axel. The 23-year-old picked up a level four for the flying sit and combination spin, and a level three for the footwork and the layback spin.

With a…

Takahashi takes title in Taipei

World Champion Daisuke Takahashi won his second Four Continents title Saturday in Taipei and positioned himself as one of the top contenders for the World Championships next month in Tokyo. Youngster Yuzuru Hanyu, also from Japan, snatched the silver medal, while USA’s Jeremy Abbott bagged the bronze.

The season hasn’t gone too smoothly for Takahashi, who was left off the podium at the Grand Prix Final and finished third at the Japanese Nationals in December, but the reigning World Champion is rebuilding confidence and strength as Worlds in his home country are drawing closer.

Winning the Four Continents title was another stepping stone for the 24-year-old Japanese, although his performance wasn’t perfect. Takahashi crashed on his opening quad toe that was downgraded, but he recovered to land…

Takahashi leads after short program at Four Continents

Daisuke Takahashi of Japan put out an excellent performance to earn a strong lead in the Men’s Short Program at the 2011 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships on Friday. USA’s Jeremy Abbott and Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan finished second and third.

Takahashi was on in his Latin program. He not only nailed the jumps: triple flip-triple toe, triple Axel and triple Lutz, but also got a level four on two spins. The footwork certainly was a highlight of the performance as the reigning World Champion felt every beat of the music and really danced. He was obviously was enjoying himself, and achieved a new season’s best of 83.49 points.

“This was the first time for me to…

Pang and Tong win fifth Four Continents title

China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong struck gold at the ISU Four Continents Championships 2011 in Taipei on Friday, claiming their fifth Four Continents title. The two Canadian teams stayed on the podium, but switched places with Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada earning the silver medal and Paige Lawrence and Rudi Swiegers taking the bronze.

Pang and Tong gave beautiful performance to the lyrical Liebestraum by Franz Liszt, but it wasn’t flawless. Tong singled an Axel and doubled the toe, but the World Champions hit a triple twist, triple throw loop and Salchow as well as difficult lifts and had a level four for the pair combination spin. The team earned a season’s best of 128.04 points and accumulated a total of…

Davis and White win title; Virtue and Moir withdraw

USA’s Meryl Davis and Charlie White took the dance gold at the ISU Four Continents Championships after a dramatic turn events in which Olympic and World Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir withdrew midway through their performance citing injury.

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani made it one-two for the U.S. team by claiming the bronze medal in their debut at their ISU senior level championships, while Canadians Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier of Canada captured the bronze.

Davis and White showed off their skills in their program to a selection of Tangos. All their elements were smooth and executed at high speed, and the lifts drew gasps from the crowd. However, the World and Olympic silver medalists also expressed the music very well and…

Virtue and Moir grab lead in Taipei

Olympic and World Champions Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada came back strong after a long break due to injury to win the Short Dance at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2011. Virtue and Moir edged out their friends and toughest rivals, World and Olympic silver medalists Meryl Davis and Charlie White (USA), by just 0.39 points. Canada’s Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje are currently third.

It was the first competition for Virtue and Moir since taking the World title last March. The team had to postpone their season debut after Virtue underwent surgery on both shins last fall to treat chronic exertional compartment syndrome, a painful injury. She resumed on-ice training in December and started to…