2021-22 Coaching Changes & Country/Category Switches

[BlissfulSynergy]

@moonvine has reported in the Partner Split/Changes thread that Winter Deardorff (a U.S. pairs skater who skated with 3 different partners (Max Settlage in seniors; Micheil Johnson and Jake Pagano -- both in juniors) has now switched country representation to Australia, to skate with Ryan Dodds. Interesting.

How many other active pairs teams are now representing Australia? How is Harley Windsor's recently formed partnership with Maria Chernyshova fairing?

Per Anything GOES, Winter Deardorff and Ryan Dodds are a new pairs team representing Australia I believe.

https://twitter.com/anythinggoe/status/1528311593162924032?s=21&t=fUvtR59nhfaHykTO9aY3yQ

 

[Tatjana]

https://www.instagram.com/p/CdywMcLhOUp/ Looks like we have now have a Mexican ice dance team now! Harlow Stanley & Nikita Sosnenko.

Their names sound really Mexican!

 

[Apple1078]

Camden was spotted in Irvine a couple of weeks before worlds and although he was with Tammy in Montpellier, he’s been in LA ever since. This looks pretty official:

Camden Pulkinen - Figure Skating - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Camden Pulkinen (95) He/Him - CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist (2017) U.S. bronze medalist (2024) U.S. junior champion (2018) U.S.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

ETA: So I guess he’ll be working with Alex when he’s in New York and Raf during breaks?

 

[surimi]

Camden was spotted in Irvine a couple of weeks before worlds and although he was with Tammy in Montpellier, he’s been in LA ever since. This looks pretty official:

Camden Pulkinen - Figure Skating - U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone

Camden Pulkinen (95) He/Him - CAREER ACCOMPLISHMENTS Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist (2017) U.S. bronze medalist (2024) U.S. junior champion (2018) U.S.

usfigureskatingfanzone.com

ETA: So I guess he’ll be working with Alex when he’s in New York and Raf during breaks?

Trains where, with whom, leaves who? I appreciate new info, but I'm none the wiser (I know Gambill and Arutyunian, but not 'Alex'), can you please post what you know without me having to go to Camden's fanfest or click the link? I don't have detailed knowledge of US coaching centers. Much appreciated.

 

[Apple1078]

Trains where, with whom, leaves who? I appreciate new info, but I'm none the wiser (I know Gambill and Arutyunian, but not 'Alex'), can you please post what you know without me having to go to Camden's fanfest or click the link? I don't have detailed knowledge of US coaching centers. Much appreciated.

According to his profile on US figure skating fan zone, he has changed coaches from Tammy Gambill in Colorado to Rafael Arutyunyan (Irvine) and Alex Johnson (New York). Alex Johnson is a former skater (retired in 2019).

Camden was accepted to Columbia University (it looks like a transfer from Colorado University as he’s due to graduate from Columbia in 2024) so the assumption is that he will be training with Alex Johnson during the semesters and go to California to train with Raf during breaks.

 

[surimi]

According to his profile on US figure skating fan zone, he has changed coaches from Tammy Gambill in Colorado to Rafael Arutyunyan (Irvine) and Alex Johnson (New York). Alex Johnson is a former skater (retired in 2019).

Camden was accepted to Columbia University (it looks like a transfer from Colorado University as he’s due to graduate from Columbia in 2024) so the assumption is that he will be training with Alex Johnson during the semesters and go to California to train with Raf during breaks.

Okay, thanks.

 

[noskates]

If this is true about Camden - I'm thrilled!!!!!!!!

 

[moonvine]

If this is true about Camden - I'm thrilled!!!!!!!!

If it’s on the official USFSA webpage I would imagine it’s true.

 

[Apple1078]

If it’s on the official USFSA webpage I would imagine it’s true.

Yeah, I can also see Jackie confirms he's been with Raf for months:

 

[moonvine]

Yeah, I can also see Jackie confirms he's been with Raf for months:

I thought Raf was retiring? But now he’s got Ilia and Camden?

 

[Weathergal]

I thought Raf was retiring? But now he’s got Ilia and Camden?

If I had Ilia and Camden as students, I wouldn't retire either.

I hadn't heard he was retiring though -- where did you hear that?

 

[el henry]

If I had Ilia and Camden as students, I wouldn't retire either.

I hadn't heard he was retiring though -- where did you hear that?

Raf has been alluding to becoming a "consultant", that he does not want to travel, and that he wants to cut back on work.

Raf does not have Ilia as a full time student, and will not until Ilia graduates high school, as Ilia's parents want him home and attending public high school (good for them). Even now during the summer, many of the practice clips I see are from Ilia's home ice.

Camden has talked about intense summer training, but then he's in NYC. So if the vaunted technique takes a year or two to learn, I don't see that really happening. (And I loved Alex Johnson as a skater, I'm excited to see what he can do with Camden. More excited for that than for Raf actually )

I think for better or worse, Raf has political juice, particularly in the US, and skaters are happy to list him as a coach no matter how much he actually coaches them.

 

[Kris135]

Raf has been alluding to becoming a "consultant", that he does not want to travel, and that he wants to cut back on work.

Raf does not have Ilia as a full time student, and will not until Ilia graduates high school, as Ilia's parents want him home and attending public high school (good for them). Even now during the summer, many of the practice clips I see are from Ilia's home ice.

Camden has talked about intense summer training, but then he's in NYC. So if the vaunted technique takes a year or two to learn, I don't see that really happening. (And I loved Alex Johnson as a skater, I'm excited to see what he can do with Camden. More excited for that than for Raf actually )

I think for better or worse, Raf has political juice, particularly in the US, and skaters are happy to list him as a coach no matter how much he actually coaches them.

Well Ilia could still be finishing up he school year if his school system starts after Labor Day. Also even he is done for he year it has only been couple of weeks so maybe his parents wanted to give him a couple weeks to decompress and relax.before he has to go out California to work with Raf' s team because once he goes out there he is going working and getting every thing ready for the ice shows in Japan that he has next month and competitions/Grand Prix this fall .

Candem might just going to work on quads and Raf' is one the of the best in business in that area so it makes sense because it may also balance out what his other coach strengths are.

 

[el henry]

Well Ilia could still be finishing up he school year if his school system starts after Labor Day. Also even he is done for he year it has only been couple of weeks so maybe his parents wanted to give him a couple weeks to decompress and relax.before he has to go out California to work with Raf' s team because once he goes out there he is going working and getting every thing ready for the ice shows in Japan that he has next month and competitions/Grand Prix this fall .

Candem might just going to work on quads and Raf' is one the of the best in business in that area so it makes sense because it may also balance out what his other coach strengths are.

I have heard nothing about Ilia moving to CA, but others may follow him more intently than I do. In a recent podcast with Polina Edmunds, I believe he indicated he was staying in NoVA to attend school, but I could have misheard.

Camden's jumps, IMO, are fine, Camden's problem is Camden's headspace. If Raf can give him more confidence in that, good. I was just commenting that most coaches (not just Raf) give the "A skater needs two years to learn my technique" speech, and if that means in-person training, that's four years away for Camden. Alex J. is not a technician, as far as I know, I've seen his work more as a choreographer.

 

[Ziotic]

TSL just posted that Diana Davis will represent USA moving forward.

 

[Kris135]

I have heard nothing about Ilia moving to CA, but others may follow him more intently than I do. In a recent podcast with Polina Edmunds, I believe he indicated he was staying in NoVA to attend school, but I could have misheard.

Camden's jumps, IMO, are fine, Camden's problem is Camden's headspace. If Raf can give him more confidence in that, good. I was just commenting that most coaches (not just Raf) give the "A skater needs two years to learn my technique" speech, and if that means in-person training, that's four years away for Camden. Alex J. is not a technician, as far as I know, I've seen his work more as a choreographer.

Well I know that I I lia has been going out to California there for a couple months each summer and because this will be his first year full time senior he will be going will be going out there to work on his programs for both the ice shows he has in July and the upcoming season. He most likely will go out for the summer and come back just before school starts. Though if something changes about that I would not be surprised.

 

[Weathergal]

Raf has been alluding to becoming a "consultant", that he does not want to travel, and that he wants to cut back on work.

Raf does not have Ilia as a full time student, and will not until Ilia graduates high school, as Ilia's parents want him home and attending public high school (good for them). Even now during the summer, many of the practice clips I see are from Ilia's home ice.

Camden has talked about intense summer training, but then he's in NYC. So if the vaunted technique takes a year or two to learn, I don't see that really happening. (And I loved Alex Johnson as a skater, I'm excited to see what he can do with Camden. More excited for that than for Raf actually )

I think for better or worse, Raf has political juice, particularly in the US, and skaters are happy to list him as a coach no matter how much he actually coaches them.

Thanks el henry - I hadn't heard those comments from Raf before, with the exception of consultant one - that sounds a bit familiar. It certainly makes sense, especially about the travel part. A coach with several top skaters, particularly if they're from different countries, can really be traveling a lot.

And you're right, of course, Ilia's main coach isn't Raf anyway - my understanding is his parents are his main coaches, and they're doing an amazing job! I have to admit I'd love to see Tatiana with Ilia and his dad in the KnC.

I didn't realize Camden was working with Alex Johnson (sheesh apparently I've been a bit distracted lately!) I also was a big Alex Johnson fan. His program to Jamie Cullum's "Don't Stop the Music" is a favorite - and it introduced me to Jamie Cullum!

 

[BlissfulSynergy]

TSL mentioned something about the possibility of Zabiako/ Daleman skating for Estonia (as an option), rather than Canada. Perhaps to solve time-consuming citizenship issues for Zabiako in Canada?

 

[Lili1122]

IAM announcing that Sara Kishimoto & Atsuhiko Tamura of Japan are now training with them in Montreal

 

[Anni234]

TSL mentioned something about the possibility of Zabiako/ Daleman skating for Estonia (as an option), rather than Canada. Perhaps to solve time-consuming citizenship issues for Zabiako in Canada?

It's very hard to get Estonian citizenship. This is one of the reasons Zabiiako went to Russia in the first place, as her partner was not given citizenship and they didn't get to go to Sochi. If they're looking for a citizenship and a shot at next Olympics, then I'd say Estonia is out of the question. If they just want to compete, then we have no pairs and they would have no difficulty with that.