2023 Inclusive Skating World Championships

[CaroLiza_fan]

Wow! We have already reached the last Warm-Up of the eevnt.

This is more the type of Synchro skating we are used to. A team, named "Time Capsule".

And seeing them going around during the Warm Up, there seems to be a great variety of ages in the team. So, you could say it really is a time capsule.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

I'm curious. I wonder how many of this synchro team were competing individually. I spotted Lucy and Grant Baxter, and I spotted some other skaters that I recognised from earlier days of the event.

I loved the way that the Baxters were the centrepoint for the rotating line thingy. (I don't know the terminology!) It looked really effective!

Well, that's the end of the competitions. And it has been a really enjoyable week of skating.

The cheer in the arena at the end said everything about how enjoyable an event it was.

The Awards Ceremonies start at the top of the hour.

And I had a wee chuckle when the announcer came back on to tell the skaters that the presentations will be done on the ice, and to make sure to wear their skates!

There speaks the voice of experience!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Awards Ceremony starting now.

It hasn't been updated to include today's competitions yet, but here is the results PDF:

https://inclusiveskating.org/resources/world-championships-2023-official-results-070423103239.pdf

EDIT: Here is the link to the new PDF which contains all the results:

https://inclusiveskating.org/resources/world-championships-2023-official-results-090423095023.pdf​

I was looking through it, and noticed that the two Jamaican skaters that were virtual entries were actually competing on inline roller skates. And it made me think of the scene in "Cool Runnings" when they found out that they needed ice.

Also, I see that Juliana Sweeney-Baird's country is listed as "UK and Ireland". In the Ladies Rankings PDF that I have been consulting all week, it says "Scotland". Well, we know her Mum is Scottish, so I take it her Dad is Irish.

Or, to put it another way, she is the opposite of the Kerrs!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Ach, there's no sound. So, we don't know who we are looking at on the podium.

Well, I do know the skater that just got up onto the podium about a second after I posted this.

WELL DONE TEDDY!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Seeing Margarita Sweeney-Baird on the ice during the presentations, you can see how good a skater she still is.

I would love to see some videos of her when she was competing.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Aha! We just saw the wee girl that opened proceedings on Wednesday morning.

Awww!!! She really sped over the podium in her walking frame, and then her Dad lifted her up onto the podium, and then he lifted the walking frame up after her.

She looked delighted!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Teddy's back. She was on the 2nd position step, but there was nobody else with her on the podium.

That must have been the Free Skating podium. It was won by a Latvian girl. She was only in action on Wednesday, so I take it she has already gone back home.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Loved the camaradie between the girls on the only podium we have had so far where all 3 steps have been occupied.

Awww. And we just had a podium where Juliana got her Mum to come and join her for the photo!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Matthew went up onto the podium, and did a wee dance!

What did I say earlier about him being a bundle of energy?

The next podium ceremony was William's, and he was more calm.

WELL DONE MATTHEW AND WILLIAM!!!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

That was quick. They are back again.

This time, Matthew didn't dance. But, he did do a big bow. And I am so jealous of his hair!

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Callum Mills really loves doing the same pose with his arms on the podium. But, when he went up there now, he did a double thumbs up instead. Then Jennifer Lee came in, and put a medal around his neck, and joined him on the step for what I assume is the Ice Dance partnership podium.

Just before this, Jennifer had been up on the podium on her own, and she had two medals around her neck, which she held up for the camera.

Yep, it was the Ice Dance podium. Because they were back up for the Pairs podium straight afterwards. And they had company this time.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Awwww. We just had two ceremonies that made me beam with pride.

First of all, Matthew and William for their Synchro duet. Matthew did another wee dance, while William did a big bow.

Then, we had Vilma and Teddy, in their matching dresses with their arms around each other hugging.



CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

The stream started buffering on me when the Synchro team were going up to their podium.

Thankfully, the podium was big enough for them all to stand on. Admittedly, some of them were on the 2nd and 3rd position steps, but Margarita took the position signs away.

But, this was not actually the last ceremony, as Juliana had no sooner got off the podium with the team, than she was back on by herself.

And they continue on. Juliana is back again for her third podium in a row! But this time, there is a skater on each step.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Awww. The wee girl that was getting so excited in the Synchro team is back on the podium. Funnily enough, she is standing on the same step as she was when she was with the team, but it now has the 3rd position sign back in front of it.

And she was getting all excited again, doing a wee dance.

Then Teddy joined her on the 2nd position step, and this Scottish girl encouraged her to start doing a wee dance as well. So, she did. It was so cute.

Even though the winner wasn't there (it was the same Latvian girl that was missing the last time Teddy was on the 2nd position step), the two girls "presented" her. (I take it her name had been announced, but I don't know as we don't have sound).

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Aha! We just saw Matthew and William share a podium. But, the younger brother was on the top step.

During their duet earlier, I commented about how small Matthew is. Well this just confirmed it. Because William was still taller than him, even though Matthew was on a higher step!

It's hard to believe there is only a 3 year age difference in them.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Are we finished? Margarita just went over to the camera and did something. And then Matthew went and pinched one of the bunches of flowers in front of the podium. And then one of the girls came in and did the same. Then another girl did likewise.

Yeah, we must be. Another of the girls came in to pinch a bunch of flowers wearing her coat.

It was nice to see the podium ceremonies. But, it would have been nice to have had sound too, so that we knew what competition the podium was for, and who we were looking at. I remembered who some of them were, but not all.

CaroLiza_fan

 

[CaroLiza_fan]

Hang on, it's photo time!

A pile of skaters having a group photo with their certificates.

EDIT: I can so relate to William attempting to hide behind his certificates! I don't like getting my photo taken.​

CaroLiza_fan

 

[momma and teddy]

Panic over. The order of skating was changed. Vilma skated after Meg McFarlane (ENG) instead of before her.

Was that Teddy talking to the cameraman in between Vilma and Jennifer Gibson (SCO)?

It certainly sounded like her!

CaroLiza_fan

Yes, it was

 

[momma and teddy]

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.

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

Teddy trained with Vilma in östersund last summer, at an inclusive skating camp. They were immediate besties

 

[momma and teddy]

Teddy's back. She was on the 2nd position step, but there was nobody else with her on the podium.

That must have been the Free Skating podium. It was won by a Latvian girl. She was only in action on Wednesday, so I take it she has already gone back home.

CaroLiza_fan

Ted came second to Agata in ladies novice pre-skate level 3. And second to Agata (who DID return to Latvia earlier in the week) as novice ladies free skate champion. Teddy won novice ladies free dance level 1 gold, pattern dance (canasta tango) gold, and over all novice dance champion. She also won ladies compulsory elements L3, and she and Vilma won gold for level 2 synchro