Flatt announces new coaches for 2011-12 season
- Thread starter R.D.
- Start date
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
I was wondering what Rachael was up to. Lucky for her that she will get to skate at Nationals as a "local."
I have been expecting to hear of her withdrawals from the GP events, and am surprised she is taking on another year of skating
I have been expecting to hear of her withdrawals from the GP events, and am surprised she is taking on another year of skating
Anybody know anything about these coaches?
Good luck to Rachael! I'm not at all surprised that she is continuing. Skating is obviously an important part of her life that she doesn't want to give up without a fight. If she can pull of Standford AND a good season it would be mightily impressive, indeed.
Good luck to Rachael! I'm not at all surprised that she is continuing. Skating is obviously an important part of her life that she doesn't want to give up without a fight. If she can pull of Standford AND a good season it would be mightily impressive, indeed.
- Joined
- Jul 29, 2003
I believe Justin Dillon is a former US Men's Competitor. Sergei Ponomarenko is the 1992 Olympic Ice Dance Champion with partner and wife Marina Klimova. They are the only Ice Dancers to have a complete set of Olympic Medals (Bronze 1984, Silver 1988). And I think they have coaching in San Jose for the past decade.
Interesting approach she is taking using three different coaches at three different rinks. Haven't read the article yet - anyone know if she is going to be taking a full course load at Stanford?
You guys don't know who Sergei Ponomarenko is??? I can understand the other two names being less well known, but not Ponomarenko. He and his wife Marina Klimova are largely regarded as the best ice dancers in history not named Torvill and Dean. 3 Olympics Medals (gold, silver and bronze), 3 World Titles and 5 World Silvers, 4 Euro titles. Ponomarenko and is Klimova settled in the Bay Area after the 1992 Olympics and have lived there ever since. They have two sons and have coaching mostly young skaters there for years.
1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68WiUAbWCSI&feature=related (one of their earliest international competitions; Marina is only about 15-16 here)
1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etOfVCi7h5Q
1988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENaL2M62kDY&feature=channel_video_title Worlds FD
1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N13-Xu7ttk Olympic OD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-niom1jc8 Olympic FD
1982
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=68WiUAbWCSI&feature=related (one of their earliest international competitions; Marina is only about 15-16 here)
1984
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=etOfVCi7h5Q
1988
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENaL2M62kDY&feature=channel_video_title Worlds FD
1992
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2N13-Xu7ttk Olympic OD
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kl-niom1jc8 Olympic FD
One of my top fave ice dancing couples of all time! They were as dazzling in their pro career as they had been as Olympic-eligible skaters—technically innovative, musical, gorgeous projection of emotion. Thanks for the links, which I'll devour when I leave work. I'm thrilled to hear that Rachael is heading for Ponomarenko, because maybe he'll be able to help her with presentation. I don't know the other coaches and await details from all you well-informed folk here on GS.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
Maybe Sergei can teach Rachael some artistry.
- Joined
- Jun 18, 2011
Well, I sort of wanted to write this, too, in a nice way. Rachel skates with a lot of power, but there isn't much artistry, or much in the way of musical interpretation. It's jump, jump, jump. Frankly, I've never been impressed with her overall skating - she just doesn't stack up with the top women.
Sergei and Marina are one of my all-time favorite ice dance teams. A full set of Olympic medals - bronze, silver, gold, and World titles. They brought so much passion into their performances. You could see the love they have for each other throughout their skating - a real joy to watch.
- Joined
- Mar 7, 2011
I'm curious to see what they can do with her. If she doesn't improve, then there's no hope. A lot of Tom Z's skaters are "bleh" so being away from him should do her some good. I have never liked her skating though.
- Joined
- Jul 26, 2003
I put her in the same category as Sarah Hughes; good skater, but does not excite me, at all.
Klimova & Ponomarenko were/are the best ice dancers IMO of all times. I saw them at two different COI shows and just watching them during the warmup periods, basic stroking around the rink, was fascinating. Their Masquerade Waltz was dark, evil, exciting, scarey & gorgeous--soooo dramatic! And this was back in 1996 so that particular program really made a major impression on me ;>) If Sergei can't help RF with artistry...then it just can't be done.
- Joined
- Mar 14, 2006
^ To me Sarah Hughes' physical gifts and her appeal were much greater than Rachael's.
This is an unexpected move. It's hard to envision Ponomarenko and Flatt as a team. I wonder how he will deal with her determination to combine international competition with college. Maybe he will help her bring out the musicality that I saw in her first senior season that seemed to fade away with the years. She can expect to be challenged artistically by such a great ice dancer. He's skating royalty. Good for her for daring to work with him.
This is an unexpected move. It's hard to envision Ponomarenko and Flatt as a team. I wonder how he will deal with her determination to combine international competition with college. Maybe he will help her bring out the musicality that I saw in her first senior season that seemed to fade away with the years. She can expect to be challenged artistically by such a great ice dancer. He's skating royalty. Good for her for daring to work with him.
At least Sarah managed to win medals at Worlds and at the GPF and of course the Olympics. Sara's skating didn't excite me either but she was better then Flatt.
Somebody, I think it was Doris, once linked us to a program Rachael skated when she was about fourteen. I was impressed with her musicality and even her posture. She had an especially lovely spreadeagle. Her musical choice was interesting, too: it was a section from a Brahms string quartet, I think. Remember that she was the junior world champion.
I don't know what happened in the following years: I know that body types can change, but even Caroline Zhang, who's changed greatly, retains the beautiful upper-body carriage she always had. Somehow Rachael's line has weakened, and I'm sorry about that. But I think she must be aware of it, because she's signed on with Ponomarenko. It seems like a terrifically smart choice, doesn't it?
I don't know what happened in the following years: I know that body types can change, but even Caroline Zhang, who's changed greatly, retains the beautiful upper-body carriage she always had. Somehow Rachael's line has weakened, and I'm sorry about that. But I think she must be aware of it, because she's signed on with Ponomarenko. It seems like a terrifically smart choice, doesn't it?
- Joined
- Dec 28, 2006
Racheal was so musical as a young skater. I think she is still innately musical the way a lot of other skaters are not, and can "sell" her chreography pretty well, more so than Alissa or even Mirai at times, but her line and posture disallow her from looking like a dancer the way Sasha, Alissa or Mirai do.
Here she was in the summer of '06, at 13 years old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRZOzqHHHog
she skates so much the way she does today actually.
Here she was in the summer of '06, at 13 years old:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sRZOzqHHHog
she skates so much the way she does today actually.
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I'm not sure where I stand on Rachall's musicality or its change over time - I think I would say it is quite good, but her sort of rounded shoulders, which might very well be body type, and a certain "rush" through programs (many skaters do this, and I think I sometimes feel it a lot with Rachael) might mask or dampen her musicality a bit. I think technically she is quite strong in some ways, but as with many skaters, I would love to see her be able to do all those moves and jumps and stretch it out - again, the doing it deeper, with a bit more depth (of edge, of control, of purpose, of command....) and stretch. That said, while she isn't my favorite of favorites of favorites (which of course, is Michelle Kwan), I really admire her spirit and competitive abilities. And, now that I have had time to read the articles about this coaching change, this thread, and "stuff" on her having some coaching with one of the world's truly great ice dancers, I feel really excited about 'what' next' for her and can't wait to see it.
Thank you and no, I didn't. Back in 1992 I was one of those who watched figure skating once every four years. At the Olympics. And I'm sure I mostly paid attention to the men and the women. In fact, I think the 92 Olympics are the first time I remember actually watching skating. I wouldn't even have been able to appreciate ice dancing. I think it was Michelle Kwan's long career and her quest for an Olympic goal that gradually got me paying attention to nationals and world and eventually all the competitions... and I have to admit that I am still trying to understand ice dancing. I love watching now but I can't write about it very well.
Anyway. Interesting choice for Rachael! I will be very interested to see how her skating evolves this year working with great ice dancers. What a change from her last coach!
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