2023 Inclusive Skating World Championships

[CaroLiza_fan]

In what turned out to be the final group, we started with something I have dreamed about for years. Cara Leigh Sisson (ENG) did an "Indiana Jones" programme!!!



She had a fall but, on the whole, it was great!!!

She was followed by Hazel Ferguson (SCO), but unfortunately the stream was playing up badly, jumping and missing big chunks of her programme. Although we did get the end, we missed the start and quite a lot in the middle.

Anyway, that's it for today. And I really enjoyed it.

The action resumes tomorrow afternoon at the earlier time of 13:30 BST.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Day 4 of the Inclusive Skating World Championships is starting now.

Livestream for the Free Dances is now on air.

Here is the link for the livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wJ7SUM-r3zY

Hope this helps

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

We start with a 3 skater group. Vilma Mellegård (SWE) is in the middle. But the skaters either side of her, Jennifer Lee (ENG) and Callum Mills (ENG), are due to be back in just over an hour from now as an Ice Dance partnership.

So, Jennifer will be starting and closing the day's competitive action.

Yes, it is a short day today. There are a lot of virtual entries. That said, from a quick glance at the names, I noticed that at least one of the skaters that is down as a virtual entry was skating in person yesterday. So, there might be changes to the running order.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Oh, Vilma you caught us out! You fooled us into thinking we were going to get "The Greatest Show", but after the first line it switched to "A Million Dreams"!

It's not a song we hear being skated to much (the choreographers in elite level skating tend to always go for the same two or three songs from that film), but Vilma skated beautifully to it.

Really looking forward to seeing her duet with Teddy tomorrow. They are both really good skaters.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Speaking of Teddy, she is starting off the second group.

There were only two skaters introduced at the start of the Warm Up. However, the girl that was originally scheduled to close this group, Mimi Lomas (ENG), is also listed as a Virtual entry. So, after hedging her bets when entering, she has probably opted to compete via video rather than travelling to Scotland to compete in person.

Anyway, here's our girl!

ALL THE BEST TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

That was frustrating. The camera doesn't seem to have anybody moving it today. And as a result, most of the first half of Teddy's programme was out of camera shot.

What we did see looked good. But, I didn't really see enough of the programme to say any more than that.

Maybe it was because we missed seeing so much of the programme, but I would have liked it to have gone on for longer. The music seemed to be building up to really burst into life. And just as it did, Teddy did her bows and left the ice.

Personally, after seeing her doing Singles Skating yesterday and then seeing her doing Solo Dance today, I think Teddy feels more comfortable with the Singles Skating. But, as I say, we didn't see the full Solo Dance programme, so I may be totally wrong.

Anyway, I'm looking forward to seeing her doing yet another type of skating tomorrow.

WELL DONE TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

What a beautiful programme from Juliana Sweeney-Baird (SCO)!

By the way, Juliana is the daughter of Margarita Sweeney-Baird, the former Scottish Ladies Singles Champion who founded Inclusive Skating.

The irony is, Margarita came up with the idea of Inclusive Skating well over a decade before Juliana was born. And the organisation was set up before it was discovered that Juliana had a disability.

And now to end proceedings, we have the only Ice Dance partnership.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Again, like Teddy earlier, there was a chunk of the programme that was out of camera shot. But, I was impressed. Callum looked a lot more comfortable skating with Jennifer than he did when skating on his own earlier. And as for Jennifer, she was a star out there. She was really selling it!

I really enjoyed them. So much so that it makes me wish that there were more Ice Dance partnerships competing!

Well, we have plenty of partnerships tomorrow! But, they are Synchro partnerships. I have only ever seen Synchro teams before, so seeing Synchro partnerships will be something new for me. And I am really looking forward to seeing what they are like.

The action starts an hour earlier than it did today. And once the competitions are over, we will have the awards ceremonies.

And given that there was no livescoring, I am fascinated to find out the results of all the competitions!

See you tomorrow!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[snowflake]

Oh, Vilma you caught us out! You fooled us into thinking we were going to get "The Greatest Show", but after the first line it switched to "A Million Dreams"!

It's not a song we hear being skated to much (the choreographers in elite level skating tend to always go for the same two or three songs from that film), but Vilma skated beautifully to it.

Really looking forward to seeing her duet with Teddy tomorrow. They are both really good skaters.

CaroLiza_fan

Thanks @CaroLiza_fan for covering this event. I know about it because there have been reports about Vilma Mellegård in Swedish media(she is also recognized because of stroke among children). I think you can watch this from Swedish television: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/h...-sjuaring-nu-i-varldstoppen-i-parakonstakning

Vilma: ”I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk, I couldn't do anything.

Vilma had a heart virus that led to a stroke when she was seven. She couldn’t talk, walk or stand up but was insistent on heading back to the rink where she started skating as a four years old. Though many grownups didn’t think it would be possible she made it with hard work and help from her club.

"I believed in my self because if you don't you don't get anywhere."

Her mom says it’s magical to watch what she can do on the ice. Off ice she can’t jump on one leg or hold her balance on her right leg.

"I feel happy and free. My goal is to jump an axel and be ranked as number one in inclusive skating.”

She is thirteen now. I see various age groups, disciplines and levels. I don’t get the rules exactly or the judging, but fun to watch all the same. Wish there were better film- and sound quality.

Interesting that Vilma and Teddy will do a duet together on Friday. I wonder how and when they decided to team up.

You know, when Nicole Copithorne (ENG) came out, I was scared because she was wearing a really long dress. And I was worried about it catching her skate, or tripping her.

As it turned out, she did fall, although it wasn't the fault of the dress. She lost her balance on landing a jump. It was a hard fall, and when she tried to get up, she fell again. Unfortunately, it affected her confidence, and her coach came out to skate alongside her as encouragement.

That is what I love about Inclusive Skating. It allows for things like this. Yes, there is the competitive element, but the main thing is about helping and encouraging the skaters.

CaroLiza_fan

Lovely... and I immediately got pictures in my head of certain top skaters... their coaches hitting the ice to give them courage after nasty falls

 

[Diana Delafield]

Thanks @CaroLiza_fan for covering this event. I know about it because there have been reports about Vilma Mellegård in Swedish media(she is also recognized because of stroke among children). I think you can watch this from Swedish television: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/h...-sjuaring-nu-i-varldstoppen-i-parakonstakning



Lovely... and I immediately got pictures in my head of certain top skaters... their coaches hitting the ice to give them courage after nasty falls

Particularly the way so many coaches, as caught on camera, obviously skate the programs behind the boards right along with their pupils

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Thanks @CaroLiza_fan for covering this event. I know about it because there have been reports about Vilma Mellegård in Swedish media(she is also recognized because of stroke among children).

You're welcome!

I'm actually in a similar position in that I knew about it because of reports about Teddy being on the TV. She is autistic, and skating helps her confidence.

I actually started a thread last year when BBC Northern Ireland did a feature about her. And since then, she has been featured in the national media too. There are links to the videos in the thread:

https://www.goldenskate.com/forum/threads/92517/

I think you can watch this from Swedish television: https://www.svt.se/nyheter/lokalt/h...-sjuaring-nu-i-varldstoppen-i-parakonstakning

Vilma: ”I couldn't talk, I couldn't walk, I couldn't do anything.

Vilma had a heart virus that led to a stroke when she was seven. She couldn’t talk, walk or stand up but was insistent on heading back to the rink where she started skating as a four years old. Though many grownups didn’t think it would be possible she made it with hard work and help from her club.

"I believed in my self because if you don't you don't get anywhere."

Her mom says it’s magical to watch what she can do on the ice. Off ice she can’t jump on one leg or hold her balance on her right leg.

"I feel happy and free. My goal is to jump an axel and be ranked as number one in inclusive skating.”

She is thirteen now.

Wow! Seeing Vilma on the ice, I would never have imagined that she was coming back from not being able to walk or even stand up.

At the same time, I am not surprised to find out that she started skating at such a young age. Because she is a brilliant skater. I am so glad that she was able to return to the ice after her stroke. Because she is a real natural.

Interesting that Vilma and Teddy will do a duet together on Friday. I wonder how and when they decided to team up.

Yeah, it doesn't seem ideal logistically for a schoolgirl from Sweden to partner up with a schoolgirl from Northern Ireland. But, it totally makes sense based on their level of skating. No doubt about it, these two girls have been the stand out skaters in terms of ability. And given how young they are, they are definitely promising prospects for the future.

I would love to see them get a shot at elite level skating. Because they could ruffle a few feathers.

I see various age groups, disciplines and levels. I don’t get the rules exactly or the judging, but fun to watch all the same.

Same here. I haven't a clue how the judging works either. But, hey, I don't have much of an idea about the judging of the skating we normally watch either!

Wish there were better film- and sound quality.

Yeah, the filming is a disappointment, as the camera does not zoom in on the skaters or follow the skaters around the rink. But, to be honest, I wasn't expecting there to be a stream. So, I'm grateful that we are getting to see it at all.

This rink seems to be used primarily for curling. And the mirror positioned above the targets to allow team members and spectators to see what is happening is proving to be very useful for when the skaters are down at the far end of the rink. To the extent that I am thinking that that is something that should be added to more rinks. Although, I can imagine the mirror getting broken very quickly if it was installed at a rink where ice hockey is played!

As for the sound, I remember Teddy saying in one of the TV features I saw about her that the disabilities that some of the skaters have means that they cannot cope with loud noises. And as a result, they have to skate without music, or with music that is not very loud. So, it may actually be deliberate that the sound quality at this event is not as good as we are used to.

Lovely... and I immediately got pictures in my head of certain top skaters... their coaches hitting the ice to give them courage after nasty falls

After seeing that coach coming out to help, it started me thinking about the elite skating scene, and how we never see anything like that happening there. And it made me sad. Of course, this is a specialist event for disabled people, and as such there are rules to allow for coaches helping skaters with their programmes. In this case, the coach initially came out to help his skater to get up but, by the time he arrived, she had already managed it herself.

I'm sure that this is against the rules in elite level skating. But, it would be a nice if it was allowed. Just think of Anna Pogorilaya and all her scary falls. Wouldn't it have been lovely to see Anna Tsareva going out and helping her? It would certainly have shone Tsareva in a totally different light amongst us fans.

All in all, I am really enjoying this event. And enjoing seeing the obvious love of skating that these people have. And how they are able to do it despite their issues.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

And now. The end is here. And so we face. The final curtain.

It's Synchro Skating, but not as we know it! Although we do have a Synchro Team to finish the competitive action, Day 5 is mostly made up of Synchro Partnerships.

Livestream for the Synchronised Skating is now on air.

Here is the link for the livestream:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8Qfp8nwsN4M

Hope this helps

ALL THE BEST EVERYBODY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

You know, maybe it is a good job that yesterday had an early finish. Because the skaters that finished proceedings yesterday, Jennifer Lee (ENG) / Callum Mills (ENG), are starting off proceedings today.

Unfortunately, the picture was way out of focus. So, it was hard to tell if they were as good as a Synchro partnership as they were as an Ice Dance partnership.

EDIT: Apologies. This opening group is Pairs partnerships. That I didn't realise just shows how little we could see!​

I hope it gets sorted out soon.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Following the English partnership that opened the competition, we had a Scottish partnership, Jennifer Gibson / Jonathan Higgins. But, we were still out of focus.

Thankfully, it was sorted in time for the third and final partnership. Another English partnership, Stephanie Gott / Michael Taylor.

This was a good example of how useful the mirrors are. Because when they were down at the curling targets at the far end of the rink, we got to see some nice choreographic details in the mirrors that we wouldn't have seen otherwise.

They definitely got more confident as the programme went on.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

@snowflake - our girls are doing their Warm-Up now.

ALL THE BEST VILMA AND TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[snowflake]

@snowflake - our girls are doing their Warm-Up now.

ALL THE BEST VILMA AND TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

OK, I'll watch them before I have to go Maybe they teamed up here during practices.

ETA Short but great

And now wheelchair skating. I'll watch more when I'm home again.

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Awwwww!!!! I loved that they had matching dresses!

And beautiful dresses they were too!

When they were down at the far end of the rink, it really did help to tell them apart that Teddy was wearing tights, whereas Vilma wasn't.

They were skating to "You've Got A Friend In Me" by Randy Newman. And it was really lovely, because you could see that they do get along.

I did find it funny that Vilma decided to throw in an extra element after they had finished when Teddy was going off the ice.

Yes, I enjoyed that.

WELL DONE VILMA AND TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Oooh! That was different from Scottish partnership Lucy Baxter / Grant Baxter.

When I saw in the Time Schedule that we had a Wheelcheer Duet coming up, I was expecting them both to be in wheelchairs. Whilst that was not the case (Grant was in a wheelchair, but Lucy wasn't), it was still very impressive!

I don't know whether they are siblings, or if they are married, or what. But, what a lovely way to spend time together - on the ice, skating together!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Having already had one local skater on, we now have an all-local partnership for me.

ALL THE BEST MATTHEW AND WILLIAM!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

STAR WARS!!!!

It wasn't until I saw them on the ice together that I realised how small Matthew is. But, he is a bundle of energy!

So lovely to see him and William skating together. I assume they are brothers.

WELL DONE MATTHEW AND WILLIAM!!!

CaroLiza_fan