Roxanne Rheault: Quebec’s Rising Star

In recent years the ladies competition at the Canadian National Figure Skating Championships has been dominated by women who call the French-speaking province of Quebec home. In fact, a Québécois competitor has won each of the last eight senior ladies titles, and for the past three championships, they have swept the podium. So it was no surprise when this trend trickled down to the junior level at the 2011 championships in Victoria, B.C., as Roxanne Rheault became the first lady from Quebec to win the title in six years.

“It feels so good to be the Canadian junior ladies champion when you know that you have put forth lots of effort and given everything you have to reach the top,” Rheault said. “I was so proud of everything that I accomplished,…

2008 U.S. Junior Champion Alexe Gilles Announces Coaching Change

Exotic Spanish ice dancers Hurtado and Diaz progress quickly

Spain certainly isn’t a country that you would associate immediately with figure skating, but it has made itself known in the scene. By now, not only single skater Javier Fernandez draws attention, but also the young dance team of Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz. These two teamed up only three years ago and are the first ever ice dance team to represent Spain in international competition.

This season they already placed 15th at the European Championships and cracked the top ten at Junior Worlds when they finished ninth. The audience and fans take notice of them not only because of their placements, but because of their cool programs and flamboyant style. Hurtado and Diaz are exotic, they are original, and…

Thoughts on the Japanese tragedy and the World Figure Skating Championships

By now we all know of the horrific natural disasters that has challenged the people of Japan in the last week.  The rest of the world sits in front of computer screens and televisions hoping to hear good news, while an entire nation in mourning begins to put the pieces of their lives back together.

In many ways, the now postponed World Figure Skating Championships scheduled for next week in Tokyo now seems insignificant in comparison; however,  there are many who wish to see the competition continue one way or another.  Currently, the event is in limbo with the ISU announcing that they are considering several options including cancellation.  The athletes who were to compete are also left in limbo, wondering if they should continue to train for the competition or start looking forward to the next chapter in their skating lives.  Golden Skate spoke with skaters from all over the globe to hear what they have to say about…

Yankowskas and Coughlin rising to the top

Legendary figure skating coach Tamara Moskvina once said of pairs teams that it takes four years to come together as a team. Newly crowned U.S. pairs champions Caitlin Yankowskas and John Coughlin have proven Moskvina’s theory to be true, capturing their first American title in the fourth year of their promising partnership.

Yankowskas, 20, and Coughlin, 25, teamed up late in the second half of 2007 after dissolving previous respective partnerships.

“Caitlin came to have a tryout with Dalilah (Sappenfield) as a coach and Broadmoor as a training center in June 2007,” Coughlin explained. “Dalilah mentioned her to me as a possible partner. When I came for the tryout, the Broadmoor closed down because the State Games of America was…

Zhang and Toth End Partnership

Rogozine claims Junior World title

Things went quite up and down in the Men’s event with some surprising results. Andrei Rogozine claimed the gold, the first for a Canadian man since 1978. Keiji Tanaka of Japan surged from sixth to second to snatch the silver medal, while Sweden’s Alexander Majorov won the bronze – making history by winning the first medal ever for his country at Junior Worlds.

Overnight leader, USA’s Keegan Messing, and second-placed Artur Dmitriev of Russia dropped to fourth and eighth, respectively.

As in the short program, Rogozine had drawn to skate last and once again he delivered. The 18-year-old opened with a triple Axel-triple toe and followed up with another triple Axel and five more triples. However, he did not have much flow on his landings,…

Sotnikova bags Junior World title

Adelina Sotnikova of Russia dominated the Ladies at Junior Worlds and took the title in convincing fashion. Teammate Lisa Tuktamysheva claimed the silver medal, trailing the leader by 5.85 points, while USA’s Agnes Zawadzki captured the bronze.

Russia was the most successful country at Junior Worlds with five medals – two golds and three silvers. Japan and the USA both had two medals each, while Canada, China and Sweden took home one medal each.

Sotnikova looked in command when she took the ice as the third skater in the final flight. She opened her routine to Rondo Capriccioso” with a spectacular triple Lutz-triple loop combination (which alone was worth 12.10 points), followed by a double Axel-triple toeloop, three more clean triples, and two level-four spins. She…