The second day of the 2021 ISU World Team Trophy began with the Pairs’ Short Program, followed by the Free Dance and Men’s Free Skate in Osaka, Japan, on Friday. Team Russia holds on to first place with 91 points as Team USA (83) and Team Japan (78) maintain second and third.
The ISU World Team Trophy format is based on a competition consisting of the six best national teams from ISU Members with a special provision for the host ISU Member to be included as a Qualified Member. Competing in this seventh edition of the event, are: Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Russia, and the United States. Each team is composed of two Men and Ladies’ single skaters, one pair team, and one ice dance team. Each team nominates a Captain who represents the team.
Team Russia (91 points)
With the exception of a doubled salchow (by Galliamov), new world champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov were otherwise solid in their routine to variations on the ballet Esmeralda, earning 73.77 points. The team showed a strong triple twist and throw triple Lutz that garnered many high positive grades of execution (GOE) and earned a level four on all elements.
Performing to “Songs My Mother Taught Me,” Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov delivered a smooth performance which featured level-four twizzles, lifts, and spin. All elements received positive GOEs, including the level-three one-foot and serpentine steps, and the world champions scored a new personal best of 130.15.
Evgeni Semenenko gave a very good performance to music from the Notre Dame de Paris soundtrack which featured a quad toe, quad Salchow and seven triple jumps. The national junior champions also earned a level four on two spins, scoring 166.33 points.
Mikhail Kolyada produced a quad toe-triple toe, quad toe and four triple jumps in his routine to music from The White Crow soundtrack. The errors came when he turned out the last jump on a triple Lutz-Euler-triple Salchow and double Axel, as well as stepping out of doubled loop. Nevertheless, all spins were graded a level four and he scored a new personal best of 180.72 points.
“All of our team members, the dancers, the pair, the boys, skated great and achieved the best possible placement for them. Everyone is very strong and confident and I am very pleased with how our day went,” team captain Elizaveta Tuktamysheva commented. “Today, when I looked at the result after the boys, I could not be happier, because I don’t think we’ve seen such a score after the second day in a long time. It would be great for me if Russia wins the Team Trophy for the first time with me as captain, but we need to wait for tomorrow and skate well in the Pairs and Ladies.”
Team USA (83 points)
Other than a fall on a throw triple loop, Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier were otherwise clean and showed a level-three triple twist, side-by-side triple toes, and earned a level four on the spin, death spiral, and lift. The national champions scored 65.68 points for a new personal best for their routine to “In the End” and “Too Far Gone.”
National bronze medalists Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker received a level three on the twizzles, one-foot steps, and second curve lift (in combination with a level-four curve lift). The diagonal steps were graded a level two while the rotational lift was awarded a level four. The team earned 110.16 points for their smooth and modern routine to “Heart of Glass” and “First Movement” by Philip Glass.
Jason Brown underrotated and put a foot down on his opening quad Salchow before popping an Axel in his routine to Slaughter on Tenth Avenue. The national bronze medalist also took a fall on a triple Lutz, but produced five clean triple jumps and showed good spins and footwork, scoring 160.33 points.
Nathan Chen landed a solid quad flip and quad Salchow in his dynamic routine to selections from Philip Glass. The only errors came when he popped the back end of a quad toe-triple flip and slightly underrotated a quad toe in combination with a triple toe. The three-time world champion landed a total of four clean triple jumps while showing level four spins throughout and earning many high positive GOES.
“I’m very proud of my team’s fight today,” said Brown. “You know, we really fought out there and I’m proud to be up here again with the two other teams. I’m just looking forward to just cheering on my team tomorrow, the final day. We are going to be in the team space, cheering loud and proud!”
Team Japan (78 points)
Performing to “Hallelujah,”Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara landed a level-three triple twist, but Miura went down on the side-by-side triple toes. She recovered to hang on to the landing a throw triple Lutz, and all other elements were graded a level four. The reigning national champions earned a new personal best of 65.82 points.
Three-time national champions Misato Komatsubara and Timo Koleto scored a new personal best of 100.82 points for their routine to “Une histoire d’amour” which featured level-four twizzles, lifts and spin. The midline-steps were graded a level two while the one-foot steps were a level two for him and level three for him.
Shoma Uno fell on a rare triple Axel-quad toe combination as well as a quad toe in his routine to “Dancing On My Own” by Calum Scott. However, the 2018 Olympic silver medalist managed a quad flip and four triple jumps while showing two level-four spins with very high positive GOEs and level-three footwork.
Yuzuru Hanyu opened with an excellent quad loop that garnered many GOES but then popped an intended quad Salchow. The quad toe-double toe combination was solid and the only other error came when the two-time Olympic champion stepped out of the back end of a quad toe-triple Salchow. The triple Axels were textbook and he scored 193.7 points for his routine to Heaven and Earth.
“As I was saying yesterday, it’s only been a couple of weeks since Worlds, so I know it’s been very hard to prepare for this competition,” noted team captain Kihara said. “But all of us in Team Japan really wanted to do this competition for Japan. Everyone did their best and I really think we all gave courage to each other. I think everyone in our team wants to finish in first place, so if every one of our team is doing their part, I think that the results will follow.”
Team France (56 points)
Cleo Hamon and Denys Streakalin, put out a solid routine to “Kill of the Night” by Gin Wigmore which featured side-by-side triple toes, a triple twist, and throw triple loop. The lift was graded a level four while all other elements were a level three and the two-time and current national champions earned a new personal best of 61.37.
National champions Adelina Galyavieva and Louis Thauron earned a new personal best of 106.58 for their dramatic free dance to Le Parfum soundtrack. The lifts and spin were graded a level four while they earned a level three for the circular steps and a level two for the one-foot steps.
Adam Siao Him Fa put a hand down on both a solo quad toe and a quad toe (in combination with a double toe). The national silver medalist landed a total of four triple jumps, but had to hang on to a triple Lutz (in combination with a Euler-double Salchow). He scored 152.64 points for his program to “Leave a Light On” by Tom Walker.
Kevin Aymoz landed a quad toe-triple toe, quad toe and four more triple jumps in his routine to “Lighthouse” by Patrick Watson. The only error came when he stepped out of the back end of a triple Axel-double toe. Two spins were graded a level four and the three-time national champion scored 169.13 points.
Team Italy (53 points)
Performing to “Let It Be,” Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise, showed a good level-four triple twist, but she put a foot down on the side-by-side triple Salchow and stepped out of a throw triple loop. The lift, footwork and death spiral were also graded a level-four, and the six-time national champions scored 66.09 points.
National champions Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri earned a new personal best (124.75) for their expressive routine to music from Atonement which featured strong level-four twizzles, lifts, and spin. The team also earned many positive GOEs on all elements, including the level three circular steps and one-foot steps (which were graded a level four for her and level three for him).
Daniel Grassl earned 161.56 for his “Joker” routine which featured a quad Lutz, seven triple jumps and three level-four spins. However, the three-time and current national champ underrotated a quad flip and quad loop.
Team Canada (42 points)
Lori-Ann Matte & Thierry Ferland had a slight collision on the triple twist catch and Matte fell on the side-by-side triple toe. The former national junior champions otherwise showed a throw triple Lutz and earned a level four on the lift, death spiral, and spin and earned 54.91 point for their routine to “Awoo” by Sofi Tukker.
Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus scored 97.86 points for their routine to nostalgic music by Tom Jones. The 2020 national bronze medalists earned a level four for their lifts and spin, while the twizzles were graded a level three.
Nam Nguyen landed a quad Salchow and three triple jumps, but fell on a triple Axel and popped a second. The two-time national champion earned 133.04 points for his routine to “Mi Mancherai” performed by Josh Groban.
Roman Sadovsky struggled with most of his jumps, taking a fall on a quad Salchow and triple flip in his routine to “Chasing Cars” by Snow Patrol. He scored 134.80 points.
