I’m trying to find a fitting analogy as I write about the 2021 World Figure Skating Championships, then watch, then write about them some more. How’s this: I feel a little like I’m returning to the scene of a HUGE high school talent show that used to happen in some form at least six times a year... where some of the kids have moved away, some have transferred in, some I vaguely recall from junior high talent shows, and some have had incredible “glow-ups,” talent-wise, in the time since I last saw them.
But in using that analogy, I can’t help but think of how frowned-upon a HUGE high school talent show would still be right now in the midst of the ongoing pandemic.
2021 Worlds is in Stockholm this week, “in a bubble” as the ISU calls it; I’ve read numerous accounts disputing the validity of that claim, calling out the frequency of testing, the modes of transport from all corners of the globe, and the flagrant disregard for COVID protocol by the Russian Worlds squad (and perhaps others; Russia is the one I hear about and/or have seen repeatedly this season). There’s plenty of frustration and fear to go around for the athletes involved, all trying to keep health and safety concerns in check while “doing their job” of representing in a way that nets the most spots possible for the 2022 Winter Olympics. The very best will win medals, of course; perhaps medals that were denied them when Worlds was canceled last year. But the overwhelming majority are just standing as tall as they can for his/her respective country… and hoping the only thing they bring back from the event are great memories, and continued good health.
I know some skating fans are boycotting Worlds 2021 on principle, and if you’re one of them, I don’t blame you at all. But with NBC SN at my disposal (as usual), and with my IndyCar-loving husband now subscribed to Peacock as racing season gets underway, I’ll be watching… and trying to keep up with the Tweets… and praying for all of them.
As for who’s there, who isn’t, and who’s favored… first, allow me to mention a few other sites and/or articles that you might enjoy, if you haven’t seen them already:
Jackie Wong/Rocker Skating’s World previews (listed by discipline on his home page)
Lynn Rutherford’s Team USA Storylines-to-Watch preview
(Lynn was a frequent contributor to IceNetwork; you might recognize her name from those days)
And the Anything GOES website has comprehensive tables assembled for all the disciplines including each skater’s program music, recent notable finishes, and jump content highlights:
As for me, well, I’m going to try and make the best of this opportunity by paying more attention to skaters who are NOT from the USA… or Japan...or Russia. Or Canada, China, or South Korea, for that matter. I want to see which ones make the best impressions on the way to next February. I’ll let you know how I do with that once Worlds is over.
But there’s a thing or two to be said about the bigger names as well:
LADIES
WHO’S THERE? Better to start with who isn’t there-- all three medalists from 2019 (Zagitova, Turnsynbaeva, Medvedeva). Repping for Russia this time around are two “newcomers” (would’ve been there last year though) and a veteran:
Anna Shcherbakova (5’2”, 16 years old, coached by Eteri Tutberidze), who you might remember as the skater with the red-to-blue reversible costume from last season
Alexandra Trusova (5’2”, 16 years old, coached by Evegeni Plushenko), who skated to Game of Thrones music last season
Elizaveta Tuktumysheva (5’2”, 24 years old, coached by Alexei Mishin), making her first trip back to Worlds since she won it in 2015.
I only mention the coaches in this case because of the negative press Tutberidze continues to earn for herself (she used to coach Trusova as well).
On the other hand, Japan has the same formidable three young women they sent in ‘19 (finishing 4-5-6, respectively):
Rika Kihira (5’1”, 18 years old)
Kaori Sakamoto (5’2 ½”, 20 years old)
Satoko Miyahara (5’0”, 22 years old)
And with the U.S. only securing two spots with a 7th and 9th place (Bradie Tennell and Mariah Bell, respectively) at 2019 Worlds, Tennell and Karen Chen are the chosen ones this time around. They’ll need to get placement ordinals adding up to 13 or lower (6th and 7th place, for example, or 5th and 8th) in order to win back a third Olympics spot.
While I’m not making official predictions on any results this season, I find it nearly impossible -- with their tremendous arsenals of quad jumps-- to expect anyone other than Scherbakova and Trusova as World Champion (with the other close behind). Who would I rather see up there? Kihira, no contest. Hopefully she won’t have to settle for 4th this time.
PAIRS
WHO’S THERE? 24 teams representing 17 different countries; those countries with multiples there are Russia (3), China (2; a third team has WD), USA (2), Canada (2), Italy (2), France (2). Only the top 20 SP finishers will make it to finals.
Sui/Han and Peng/Jin are here for China as they were two years ago (finishing 1st and 4th there, respectively)... Boikova/Kozlovskii and Tarasova/Morozov are back for Russia (6th and 2nd in 2019), along with Mishina/Galliamov (2nd at Rostelecom Cup last Fall).
Representing the U.S. this time are current National champs Knierim/Frazier, who will be skating in the first group of the SP due to their relative new status on the international stage (as partners). Cain-Gribble/LeDuc are also there, taking the place of Calalang/Johnson who withdrew for personal reasons. Like the U.S. ladies, the pairs teams are trying to get a “13” or lower in placement ordinals to earn 3 spots for next year’s Olympics. (Not to cast any doubt on this possibility, but if any reader can easily recall the last time the U.S. qualified 3 pairs teams please post it in the comments… I don’t have time to research it right now! Probably dates back to at least the 90s.)
While I can’t say I’ve followed the international pairs scene steadily this season, I don’t think there’s a lot of change as to the favorites-- a Russian and Chinese mix on the podium; Sui/Han remain the gold standard as far as I’m concerned.
MEN
WHO’S THERE? Unlike the ladies, all three of the 2019 World medalists are present and accounted for (Nathan Chen, Yuzuru Hanyu, Vincent Zhou), as are six of the other seven that comprised the Top 10 two years ago. As for whether or not the 2021 Top 10 will look surprisingly similar-- that’s the kind of thing that’s pretty hard to say, given how little we’ve seen of them.
Chen and Hanyu still appear to be at the top of their respective games, so to see both men compete without one of them winning would still be a shocker. As for Zhou, I don’t think he’s lost a step either… but have a few others gained on him? I’m thinking of Shoma Uno (who seems to have regained his footing after a tough 2019-20 season), of Japanese “newcomer” Yuma Kagiyama (new to Worlds, anyway), and a MUCH improved Mikhail Kolyada.
So not only am I looking forward to an update on the Chen/Hanyu throwdown, but also how tight it gets for bronze. And how almost-forgotten, one-time favorites are doing nowadays (paging FRA’s Kevin Aymoz). And how 30-somethings like Alexei Bychenko and Michal Brezina (yes, both are still competing) are holding up. And if there’s any way the sublime of sublime Jason Brown can shake things up, even if his quad salchow attempt doesn’t go as planned. (Please be on the lookout for his “Sinnerman” SP above all else! He goes first in the final group.)
33 men are scheduled to skate their SP; the top 24 will move on to the FS.
DANCE
The last time a World Championship took place without Papadakis/Cizeron was all the way back in 2013, when the Davis/White and Virtue/Moir were the marquis names and Papa/Ciz were winning silver at Junior Worlds. Since then they’ve stood atop the podium four out of six times… which surely factored into their decision to sit out these particular championships, choosing instead to put all their focus on the final months of this Olympic cycle.
So who wins when the reigning champs are away? Russia’s Sinitsina/Katsalapov? USA’s Hubbell/Donohue? Russia’s Stepanova/Bukin? Those are the teams that went 2-3-4 in 2019, and they’re all back…
Sin/Kat won Rostelecom Cut last fall, but both later contracted COVID (Sinitsina with a reportedly “severe” case, affecting her lungs), and didn’t compete at Russian Nationals as a result.
Hubbell/Donohue lost their national title last year, but regained it in January. (Neither one has contracted COVID, as far as I know).
Step/Buk withdrew from Rostelecom Cup due to a COVID outbreak in their training location, then both contracted COVID themselves. They returned to training just before Russian Nationals, winning that event.
So have all three continued to improve, or have the lingering effects of COVID barely allowed them to keep pace? At least 10 other previous competitors have returned looking to make a move in this pre-Olympic season, along with another 20 or so just looking to make the cut for finals (of 33 teams, only the top 20 move on beyond the rhythm dance).
Speaking of the rhythm dance, most everyone planning to be at 2020 Worlds kept their RD once the ISU announced it would keep the requirements the same as last year (music from musicals and/or operettas). Some have kept their FD too, but not everyone: Step/Buk kept theirs, for instance, while Sin/Kat did not… Hub/Don left A Star is Born behind for “Hallelujah,” while teammates Chock/Bates kept their Egyptian Snake Dance from 2019.
I'll try to keep track of who has made changes, and who hasn't...
No comments:
Post a Comment