So who woulda thunk there’d be one more twist left in that big dance we all watched last summer known as the coaches’ shuffle?
But yes, sure enough, it appears Patrick Chan and his coach Don Laws have parted ways as the clock ticks both towards Vancouver AND London (where Canadian Nationals begin next week). I say “appears” because it hardly came down like the traditional I-felt-like-I-had-to-make-a-big-change switcheroo…
The basic announcement can be found here, but the more interesting side can be found over at IceNetwork.com. You can’t miss it; it’s the article bearing the headline Laws Ran, Not Walked, Away From Coaching Chan. In short, here’s what we’ve got:
+ Chan giving a wish-nothing-but-the-best statement with regards to Laws’ accepting a permanent position in Florida, rather than an actual announcement that they’ve split.
+ Laws having to write Skate Canada to inform them he’s no longer coaching Chan.
+ Prior to this, we’re now told (by Laws) that Chan headed to Colorado Springs recently for his training, for reasons that included “altitude training”—though as Laws was quick to point out, Vancouver is at sea level.
+ And wouldn’t you know, all this shuffling started right after Chan’s disappointing 6th place finish at Skate Canada.
It’s not like what Kwan did four months before 2002’s Winter Games, when she parted ways with Frank Carroll and went coach-less into Salt Lake City. Chan has choreographer Lori Nichol and coach Christy Krall (who won the Pieter Kollen Sport Science Coaching award in 2008), and he’s worked with both for a while.
Still, isn’t it all just one of those Things That Make You Go Hmmmmm…?
And one more thing…(this is my last chance to gripe about this before Nationals, so hang on to something as I grab my soapbox)
From maternity leaves to chronic injuries to just plain not-gonna-do-its, this Olympic season has had more than it’s fair share of, shall we say, competitive procrastinators. And frankly, that’s not fair at all.
I know, I know… they’ve all paid their dues in seasons past; we’re talking former and/or current world champions, Olympic medalists who don’t deserve their various adversities any more than other athletes. Can’t we cut them some slack—a “bye” for Euros here (as will likely be granted Delobel/Schoenfelder), a super-generous PCS score there…? After all, if they want to “save their best” for the Olympics, what’s the harm in that?
No harm, I suppose—if it were 1972, when the season didn’t have early and late competitive circuits… and the majority of competitors hadn’t spent their fall globetrotting their way through Grand Prix events. But most don’t have the luxury of staying home for fear of aggravating an injury, or of catching the flu on a long plane ride. They can’t “save their best” for the Olympics because many of them knew there was no guarantee they’d BE at the Olympics. So instead, they competed for all the old-school reasons: face time with the judges… thrill of victory, agony of defeat… the possibility of a paycheck… (OK, so that last one isn’t really old-school as far as ISU events go.)
Put it this way: the only “comeback” I’m happy to support this time around is that of Shen/Zhao, and I think that’s due at least in part to the fact that they’ve actually been competing. Ironically, with Zhao’s ruptured Achilles tendon from 2005, this was the team that bypassed the entire season and just barely returned to training in time for the 2006 Games…
So maybe, deep down, all the competitive procrastinators have been aching to compete with the others all season. Or not. My biggest question is this: of all the competitors Cinquanta could grumble to about pulling out of an event (or never getting assigned in the first place), why did he have to pick Yu-Na Kim-- one of the hardest-working players in the whole ISU game?
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
A Time Most Wonderful... (Sing along, won't you?)
Please sing along with me… I’m sure this Andy Williams classic is still lodged in your head somewhere! (If not this particular variation)
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the young athletes skating
And everyone waiting
To see who to cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With the news and attention
Need I even mention
Olympics that call
It's the hap-happiest season of all
There'll be toe-loops and twizzles
And rockers and swizzles
And too many Biellmann spins
There'll be scary free dances
And tales of romances
Of rivals, all trying to win
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There be more old wisdom
‘Bout the current system
Than Ciquanta can hear
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be Evan and Johnny
And Wagner and Czisny
And names that nobody will know
There'll be Tanith and Ben
And John Baldwin… AGAIN
Perhaps Cohen will finally show
It's the most wonderful time of the year
Scott and Sandra are set
They won’t let us forget
Those that land on their rear
At the most wonderful time
Check for highlights and blogs online
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Here are Ice Network’s streaming times for U.S. Nationals, which start (!) next Friday 1/15. If you’re not a subscriber, don’t despair… NBC will air all the senior-level finals LIVE. Just remember, they’ve broken it up differently this year: pairs and men skate the first weekend; dance and ladies the second.
Have you made your Wish List for the season yet?
I’ll put mine up online, starting next week.
The Clip of the Day is Alissa Czisny’s exhibition from last year’s Nationals… always nice when a skater picks contemporary music that’s older than SHE is.
It's the most wonderful time of the year
With the young athletes skating
And everyone waiting
To see who to cheer
It’s the most wonderful time of the year
It's the hap-happiest season of all
With the news and attention
Need I even mention
Olympics that call
It's the hap-happiest season of all
There'll be toe-loops and twizzles
And rockers and swizzles
And too many Biellmann spins
There'll be scary free dances
And tales of romances
Of rivals, all trying to win
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There be more old wisdom
‘Bout the current system
Than Ciquanta can hear
It's the most wonderful time of the year
There'll be Evan and Johnny
And Wagner and Czisny
And names that nobody will know
There'll be Tanith and Ben
And John Baldwin… AGAIN
Perhaps Cohen will finally show
It's the most wonderful time of the year
Scott and Sandra are set
They won’t let us forget
Those that land on their rear
At the most wonderful time
Check for highlights and blogs online
It's the most wonderful time of the year!
Here are Ice Network’s streaming times for U.S. Nationals, which start (!) next Friday 1/15. If you’re not a subscriber, don’t despair… NBC will air all the senior-level finals LIVE. Just remember, they’ve broken it up differently this year: pairs and men skate the first weekend; dance and ladies the second.
Have you made your Wish List for the season yet?
I’ll put mine up online, starting next week.
The Clip of the Day is Alissa Czisny’s exhibition from last year’s Nationals… always nice when a skater picks contemporary music that’s older than SHE is.
Monday, January 4, 2010
As the Calendar Turns (Towards Vancouver)... Roundup #3
If Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert can come back with new stuff on this first Monday of the New Year, gosh darn it, so can I. (Just don’t look for me to be as hilarious or entertaining, and you’ll be fine.)
Here are a few of the newer developments of the past several days:
+ WILL SHE OR WON’T SHE? Here comes that pesky Four Continents event again… just after Euros this year, and much too close to the Olympics, as usual… and there goes even peskier Ottavio Cinquanta, making a “formal request” to South Korea that Yu-Na Kim show up at the event, along with alluding to possible rule-based sanctions from the ISU if they don’t get her to show. If you read this article of Phil Hersh’s—which includes Cinquanta’s answers to questions Hersh himself asked—be sure to pay extra heed to the part where Cinquanta tries to defend the ridiculous timing of 4CC’s by pointing out there’s a full 25 DAYS between 4CC’s and the Ladies’ event in Vancouver. Ah, yes! How stupid of Yu-Na and Brian Orser to want to bypass an event that would serve NO DISCERNIBLE PURPOSE other than to make the ISU a bunch of money and make an Olympic favorite a little nuts…not to mention exhausted and vulnerable.
+ WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY? Call it mononucleosis, or call it “glandular fever” as they do in this article from CTV, but it sounds like Aliona Savchenko’s got it bad, and in this case that ain’t good. Ugh! Europeans sounds doubtful, doesn’t it.
+ MAYBE THEY JUST SHOULDN’T? A new interview at Golden Skate has Russia’s Domnina and Shabalin talking about their “season” thus far (not much of a season when you can’t compete, eh?), the knee, the training, and the important role Domnina’s dog played in choosing their Aboriginal OD music. Yep, I said DOG.
Here’s their OD as performed recently at Russian Nationals. Will it be the monster hit in Australia that Davis/White’s Bollywood number is India (see below)? You tell me…
Here are a few of the newer developments of the past several days:
+ WILL SHE OR WON’T SHE? Here comes that pesky Four Continents event again… just after Euros this year, and much too close to the Olympics, as usual… and there goes even peskier Ottavio Cinquanta, making a “formal request” to South Korea that Yu-Na Kim show up at the event, along with alluding to possible rule-based sanctions from the ISU if they don’t get her to show. If you read this article of Phil Hersh’s—which includes Cinquanta’s answers to questions Hersh himself asked—be sure to pay extra heed to the part where Cinquanta tries to defend the ridiculous timing of 4CC’s by pointing out there’s a full 25 DAYS between 4CC’s and the Ladies’ event in Vancouver. Ah, yes! How stupid of Yu-Na and Brian Orser to want to bypass an event that would serve NO DISCERNIBLE PURPOSE other than to make the ISU a bunch of money and make an Olympic favorite a little nuts…not to mention exhausted and vulnerable.
+ WILL THEY OR WON’T THEY? Call it mononucleosis, or call it “glandular fever” as they do in this article from CTV, but it sounds like Aliona Savchenko’s got it bad, and in this case that ain’t good. Ugh! Europeans sounds doubtful, doesn’t it.
+ MAYBE THEY JUST SHOULDN’T? A new interview at Golden Skate has Russia’s Domnina and Shabalin talking about their “season” thus far (not much of a season when you can’t compete, eh?), the knee, the training, and the important role Domnina’s dog played in choosing their Aboriginal OD music. Yep, I said DOG.
Here’s their OD as performed recently at Russian Nationals. Will it be the monster hit in Australia that Davis/White’s Bollywood number is India (see below)? You tell me…
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
Torches, and Other Sources of Light In The New Year
Three little news items, some “newsier” than others, to take us out of 2009…
The Trail-Blazin’ Torchbearer
I’d seen that 1948 Ladies’ OGM Barbara Ann Scott was involved in the Olympic torch relay currently in progress across Canada, but have to admit it wasn’t until I caught this article (which appeared today on IceNetwork.com) that I took particular notice. There’s a very cute part in there about how she started practicing for the relay by running with something weighing about the same as the torch… and it turned out the only thing to fit the bill was her garden shears. Hee. By the way… last week I was marveling at Darlene Love (singing on Letterman as she does every December 23rd) and wishing I could look and sound that good when I’M 71 years old (71!) like she is… this week, I’m wishin’ and hopin’ I’m as physically fit at age 81 (81!!) as Canada’s Barbara Ann.
Oh, and she mentioned how she really wants to see another Canadian woman win the Olympics in her lifetime. Um… no pressure, Joannie.
If the Revolution is Not Televised, it Might Still Work as A Webcast
Check out this December 8 blog post from Phillip Hersh if you haven’t done so already… it’s got a lot of interesting info about the ways and means of skating coverage as we head into a new decade. Whether you have access to the Universal Sports Network where you live… or anticipate getting it in the near future… or have traditional (“over-the-air”) TV as your only option, you’ll get something out of it (see below):
To those who have problems in getting Universal Sports: the network is becoming available on more and more cable systems nationwide. Those viewers without cable, for economic or other reasons, rightfully feel shortchanged because some of these broadcasts used to be on over-the-air TV, but the market doesn't support that anymore.
Feel free to weigh in on this, particularly regarding your own reliance on over-the-air TV vs. Universal, IceNetwork, or the dreaded “other” outlets…
Hooray for Bollywood
Speaking of the “other outlets”… You Tube has been thus far a source of great joy for skating fans, particularly those with limited access to Universal or Ice Network. It’s also been a source of enormous frustration for outfits like U.S. Figure Skating, who own the Internet rights to, for instance, all the GP events and would take down every program posted if they the ability to police it as they wish. But seriously, how can they be upset when a link to Davis/White’s Indian Folk Dance OD has become a bona fide Internet sensation over the past month, generating over 218,000 hits according to this article??!? (By comparison, the average D/W video on You Tube has received well under 10,000 hits.)
What better way to gain free publicity for the sport… AND, quite likely, some new and badly needed fans… by showcasing some of the best the sport has to offer?
Just a thought as we head into what will surely be a most interesting new year.
Here is their OD Clip…
And just for fun, here’s a clip of Barbara Ann Scott when she was the mystery guest for the game show What’s My Line back in 1955.
Happy New Year to all!
The Trail-Blazin’ Torchbearer
I’d seen that 1948 Ladies’ OGM Barbara Ann Scott was involved in the Olympic torch relay currently in progress across Canada, but have to admit it wasn’t until I caught this article (which appeared today on IceNetwork.com) that I took particular notice. There’s a very cute part in there about how she started practicing for the relay by running with something weighing about the same as the torch… and it turned out the only thing to fit the bill was her garden shears. Hee. By the way… last week I was marveling at Darlene Love (singing on Letterman as she does every December 23rd) and wishing I could look and sound that good when I’M 71 years old (71!) like she is… this week, I’m wishin’ and hopin’ I’m as physically fit at age 81 (81!!) as Canada’s Barbara Ann.
Oh, and she mentioned how she really wants to see another Canadian woman win the Olympics in her lifetime. Um… no pressure, Joannie.
If the Revolution is Not Televised, it Might Still Work as A Webcast
Check out this December 8 blog post from Phillip Hersh if you haven’t done so already… it’s got a lot of interesting info about the ways and means of skating coverage as we head into a new decade. Whether you have access to the Universal Sports Network where you live… or anticipate getting it in the near future… or have traditional (“over-the-air”) TV as your only option, you’ll get something out of it (see below):
To those who have problems in getting Universal Sports: the network is becoming available on more and more cable systems nationwide. Those viewers without cable, for economic or other reasons, rightfully feel shortchanged because some of these broadcasts used to be on over-the-air TV, but the market doesn't support that anymore.
Feel free to weigh in on this, particularly regarding your own reliance on over-the-air TV vs. Universal, IceNetwork, or the dreaded “other” outlets…
Hooray for Bollywood
Speaking of the “other outlets”… You Tube has been thus far a source of great joy for skating fans, particularly those with limited access to Universal or Ice Network. It’s also been a source of enormous frustration for outfits like U.S. Figure Skating, who own the Internet rights to, for instance, all the GP events and would take down every program posted if they the ability to police it as they wish. But seriously, how can they be upset when a link to Davis/White’s Indian Folk Dance OD has become a bona fide Internet sensation over the past month, generating over 218,000 hits according to this article??!? (By comparison, the average D/W video on You Tube has received well under 10,000 hits.)
What better way to gain free publicity for the sport… AND, quite likely, some new and badly needed fans… by showcasing some of the best the sport has to offer?
Just a thought as we head into what will surely be a most interesting new year.
Here is their OD Clip…
And just for fun, here’s a clip of Barbara Ann Scott when she was the mystery guest for the game show What’s My Line back in 1955.
Happy New Year to all!
Monday, December 28, 2009
As The Calendar Turns (Towards Vancouver)… Roundup #2
As the rest of the world is winding down, the skating world winds up again. How else can it be explained when at least two countries of prominence hold their Nationals on and around Christmas Day?
The developments, they kept on a’comin’ throughout December… and a few of them I will touch on before the month is out, so they don’t feel lonely. But just because the U.S. won’t start its Nationals for a few more weeks doesn’t mean the rest of the world does it that way. Here’s a quick roundup of notable championships/winners and, occasionally, their respective links to more info:
Switzerland: No surprises here, as Stephane Lambiel and Sarah Meier did repeat business as winners.
Italy: Samuel Contesti won for the men… but here’s your surprise: Carolina Kostner was upset for the title by Valentine Marchei. Ouch. Doesn’t mean much in that both ladies will still be headed to Vancouver, but still…
Hungary: Not a surprise, but surely a milestone: Julia Sebestyen won her ninth title… and yes, in case you were wondering… this will be her fourth Olympics. (Her best Olympic finish to date was 8th in 2002; her best Worlds was 6th in 2004.)
Finland: Laura Lepisto snagged the Ladies’ title over Kiira Korpi
France: very interesting among the men, with Florent Amodio coming out on top and therefore checking his ticket to Vancouver. As for Yannick Ponsero and Alban Preaubert, I believe I read that they’re both being sent to Euros before a decision is made about the Olympics… anyone else see that?
Russia: Some guy named Plush-something won for the 28th (or something) time with something like 100+ points in the SP alone. Apparently the judges at this event want us to believe if he’s worth inflating the scores THIS much, no other man need apply for that Vancouver gold medal…
Domnina/Shabalin are back… they won gold as expected too…
Kavaguti/Smirnov beat out Mukhortova/Trankov for the top spot…
And Ksenia Makarova beat out Alena Leonova for gold among the ladies. (Wait a minute—WHO?? And what happened to Leonova? Find out here.
Finally, JAPAN : It was Takahashi, Kozuka, and Oda for the men (all three go to Vancouver)… and Asada made a return to form that was good enough for first place, joined in second by Akiko Suzuki, and Yukari Nakano for third. BUT… because Miki Ando (finishing 4th) already qualified for the Olympics with her Grand Prix finish, the odd woman out was Nakano. (Fumie Suguri lost out as well, but a fall on her SP triple lutz effectively took her out of this tight race early.)
I found this post at FS Universe that serves as a lovely tribute to Nakano, a fine skater who happens to come from the deepest pool of skating talent in the world, and as I understand it has now been thisclose to the Olympics TWICE. Oh, if only we could bend the rules for Japan this one time…!
The developments, they kept on a’comin’ throughout December… and a few of them I will touch on before the month is out, so they don’t feel lonely. But just because the U.S. won’t start its Nationals for a few more weeks doesn’t mean the rest of the world does it that way. Here’s a quick roundup of notable championships/winners and, occasionally, their respective links to more info:
Switzerland: No surprises here, as Stephane Lambiel and Sarah Meier did repeat business as winners.
Italy: Samuel Contesti won for the men… but here’s your surprise: Carolina Kostner was upset for the title by Valentine Marchei. Ouch. Doesn’t mean much in that both ladies will still be headed to Vancouver, but still…
Hungary: Not a surprise, but surely a milestone: Julia Sebestyen won her ninth title… and yes, in case you were wondering… this will be her fourth Olympics. (Her best Olympic finish to date was 8th in 2002; her best Worlds was 6th in 2004.)
Finland: Laura Lepisto snagged the Ladies’ title over Kiira Korpi
France: very interesting among the men, with Florent Amodio coming out on top and therefore checking his ticket to Vancouver. As for Yannick Ponsero and Alban Preaubert, I believe I read that they’re both being sent to Euros before a decision is made about the Olympics… anyone else see that?
Russia: Some guy named Plush-something won for the 28th (or something) time with something like 100+ points in the SP alone. Apparently the judges at this event want us to believe if he’s worth inflating the scores THIS much, no other man need apply for that Vancouver gold medal…
Domnina/Shabalin are back… they won gold as expected too…
Kavaguti/Smirnov beat out Mukhortova/Trankov for the top spot…
And Ksenia Makarova beat out Alena Leonova for gold among the ladies. (Wait a minute—WHO?? And what happened to Leonova? Find out here.
Finally, JAPAN : It was Takahashi, Kozuka, and Oda for the men (all three go to Vancouver)… and Asada made a return to form that was good enough for first place, joined in second by Akiko Suzuki, and Yukari Nakano for third. BUT… because Miki Ando (finishing 4th) already qualified for the Olympics with her Grand Prix finish, the odd woman out was Nakano. (Fumie Suguri lost out as well, but a fall on her SP triple lutz effectively took her out of this tight race early.)
I found this post at FS Universe that serves as a lovely tribute to Nakano, a fine skater who happens to come from the deepest pool of skating talent in the world, and as I understand it has now been thisclose to the Olympics TWICE. Oh, if only we could bend the rules for Japan this one time…!
Thursday, December 24, 2009
Skaters' Letters to Santa (part 4)
Two more "letters" were located today...
Hey Santa,
I’m not really in the habit of asking you for things—not since you gave me that cashmere scarf in the completely wrong color—but I’ve got some pretty important months ahead of me, so I thought I’d better try and ask for a few things:
1) A 3 month supply of vitamin C (to try and keep me healthy for the rest of the season)
2) Fingerless gloves
3) One of those new leopard-print Snuggies (Don’t tell Lysacek)
Спасибо,
Johnny Weir
산타 클로스…
I am so very blessed this year it is hard for me to think of anything I might need, but how about this… a great big ventilated bubble for my fans to sit in when they follow me to events around the world. That way, if they scream at inappropriate times—like when I’m setting up a jump—I won’t be distracted by them.
Oh, and a new karaoke machine would be nice too. I can brush up on my singing that way, and besides, Brian has promised me he’ll sing a Neil Diamond song for me if I win Gold in Vancouver…
Warmly,
Yu-Na Kim
(P.S. HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL MY READERS!!)
Hey Santa,
I’m not really in the habit of asking you for things—not since you gave me that cashmere scarf in the completely wrong color—but I’ve got some pretty important months ahead of me, so I thought I’d better try and ask for a few things:
1) A 3 month supply of vitamin C (to try and keep me healthy for the rest of the season)
2) Fingerless gloves
3) One of those new leopard-print Snuggies (Don’t tell Lysacek)
Спасибо,
Johnny Weir
산타 클로스…
I am so very blessed this year it is hard for me to think of anything I might need, but how about this… a great big ventilated bubble for my fans to sit in when they follow me to events around the world. That way, if they scream at inappropriate times—like when I’m setting up a jump—I won’t be distracted by them.
Oh, and a new karaoke machine would be nice too. I can brush up on my singing that way, and besides, Brian has promised me he’ll sing a Neil Diamond song for me if I win Gold in Vancouver…
Warmly,
Yu-Na Kim
(P.S. HAPPY HOLIDAY TO ALL MY READERS!!)
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
Skaters' Letters to Santa, part 3
(Just a reminder... these are mere fiction! Any resemblence these letters bear to actual Skaters' Letters to Santa is purely coincidental...)
Bonjour Pere Noel,
This is a fine time to me to have a serious foot injury, no? Ah well. Que sera sera. I am strong like bull and will be all right. But just in case it is harder to bounce back than I think, please fill my stocking with the following that I can then add into my protein shakes and become invincible…
NAILS
BULLETS
CAR BUMPERS
Merci.
Live par le quad, die par le quad…
Brian Joubert
Dear Санта Клаус,
I’m afraid I do not understand. Last year I told my partner Maxim that other than for training purposes, I would not touch him with a ten-foot pole… and then you gave me a ten-foot pole for Christmas. I did not even know they really MADE ten-foot poles. I was just trying to get him to leave me alone. Anyway, now I am confused because Maxim kissed me at the end of our Grand Prix free skate. It was not planned, of course, but I think I liked it. What should I ask from you for Christmas in this case? I do not know. How about a ten-centimeter ruler? Yes, that sounds right. That and an Olympic medal. Thank you.
Maria Mukhortova
Bonjour Pere Noel,
This is a fine time to me to have a serious foot injury, no? Ah well. Que sera sera. I am strong like bull and will be all right. But just in case it is harder to bounce back than I think, please fill my stocking with the following that I can then add into my protein shakes and become invincible…
NAILS
BULLETS
CAR BUMPERS
Merci.
Live par le quad, die par le quad…
Brian Joubert
Dear Санта Клаус,
I’m afraid I do not understand. Last year I told my partner Maxim that other than for training purposes, I would not touch him with a ten-foot pole… and then you gave me a ten-foot pole for Christmas. I did not even know they really MADE ten-foot poles. I was just trying to get him to leave me alone. Anyway, now I am confused because Maxim kissed me at the end of our Grand Prix free skate. It was not planned, of course, but I think I liked it. What should I ask from you for Christmas in this case? I do not know. How about a ten-centimeter ruler? Yes, that sounds right. That and an Olympic medal. Thank you.
Maria Mukhortova
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