As close as we are to Senior GP time, it seems high time to take a look at the U.S. Ladies much the way we did with the men a few weeks ago.
And we will… in a couple days. But first, gotta take care of the news:
+ Reigning Olympic Gold Medalists Virtue/Moir have announced they’ll be sitting out Skate Canada, due to Virtue’s needing surgery (actually, she’s already had it) for pain associated with Chronic Exertional Compartment Syndrome… the same thing that required surgery for her a couple of years ago. Read more about her situation here... no word yet on whether or not they will fulfill their other assignment (Trophee Eric Bompard, which is in the last slot this year).
+ The “pre-season” perks along in the meantime, with Finlandia Trophy taking place last weekend. Of note was Akiko Suzuki (who won), as well as the fact that both Kiira Korpi (finishing 2nd) and Ksenia Makarova (4th) are using music from Evita in their free skates. Korpi definitely looks the part; unfortunately neither performance is ready to light up the room just yet. Amanda Dobbs of the U.S. finished 5th… the men’s side was a mass (or should I say MESS) of inconsistencies, with Japan’s Daisuke Murakami turning in the 2nd best SP but the 9th best FS (5th overall)… U.S.’s Grant Hochstein only in 6th after SP, but pulling to 1/10th of a point from 3rd when he delivered the second-best FS… and Russia’s Artur Gachinski was 3rd and 1st (which left him the winner), Sweden’s Kristoffer Berntsson was 1st and 4th (finishing 2nd)… and the other veteran in the event, Samuel Contesti, is the one who edged Hochstein out of a medal. (The other U.S. competitor, Jonathan Cassar, finished 7th.) Finally, the U.S. dance team of Hubbell/Hubbell came in 4th (Pechalat/Bourzat won that event).
+ Also last weekend was the JGP Germany, held in Dresden, earning the U.S. one more medal of each color: gold for Richard Dornbush, silver for Kiri Baga, and bronze for the dance team of Lichtman/Copely. That brings the total JGP medal count to 17, with one more regular event on the way this weekend in the Czech Republic. (By comparison, last year’s senior-level GP earned the U.S. 16 medals, plus 3 more in the Final.)
For the Clip of the Day, I’ve got Dornbush’s winning FS to music from Sherlock Holmes.
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2 comments:
Christina Gao got silver in JGP Germany, not Kiri Baga
You're right... I was looking at the wrong line, and thinking about Baga competing this past weekend in the Czech Republic. Thanks for catching that.
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