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2008 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships - HighlightsFree Dance and Men's Long Program
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The 2008 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships continued with the Free Dance and the Men's Long Program.
Canada's Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir maintained first place throughout the event to win their third consecutive Four Continents medal. However, this time it was a gold compared to the bronze they took in 2006 and 2007.
Meryl Davis and Charlie White of the U.S. won the silver in their second appearance at this event, while teammates Kimberly Navarro and Brent Bommentre took the bronze. USA's third team, Jennifer Wester and Daniil Barantsev, who are competing in their first major international event, finished fourth.
Twelve of the thirteen couples earned a new personal best in their Free Dance, including the top 10.
Virtue (18) and Moir (20) delivered a captivating, yet technically difficult performance to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. Their routine featured superb diagonal and circular footwork which highlighted the expressive interaction between the two skaters. The two-time Four Continents bronze medalists received positive GOEs all elements, and also earned a level four on all elements except for a serpentine lift (level 3).
Moir had a slight wobble on a the straightline lift, but the judges didn't seem to notice, and the team placed first in the FD with 104.08 (54.91/49.17) points and overall with 207.32 points.
Canada's Tessa Virtue, 18, and Scott Moir, 20, perform their Free Dance to The Umbrellas of Cherbourg. |
"Today's performance was very exciting for us," said Moir. "The Korean fans were amazing and really into the performance, which was rewarding for us."
The team was aware that they had achieved the highest score of any couple this season. "We've heard it about twelve times since we're off the ice," said Moir. "We do know, but I still don't think you can compare competitions. For us, it was our season's best three skates that we've had. We really wanted to come and show the emotional connection and I hope that made it to the judges and that's where the points are coming from, but other than I don't think it really means that much."
When asked about training together with Davis and White, Virtue replied: " Just being on the ice together with Meryl and Charlie is very motivating and encouraging for us. They're such a talented team and they work so hard, so we really feed off the energy, and we enjoy it. It's so much fun competing together, I love it."
Davis and White had similar feelings.
"They match so well, and all the things they do and the expression are so perfect," said White, in regards to training with Virtue and Moir. "We can learn a lot from watching them. It's great to have such great friends and such good competitors. I think we really help each other in this aspect."
Davis (21) and White (20) also delivered a very strong dance, earning a level four and positive GOEs for all eight of their elements. The team displayed wonderful expression in their routine to Eleanor Rigby and Eleanor's Dream by The Beatles, and impressed with very fast and perfectly synchronized twizzles. Like the leaders, the U.S. silver medalists also had very good transitions throughout their dance, and placed second in the FD with 100.16 (53.99/46.17) points and overall with 199.45 points.
"We try really hard to make sure we're in synch with one another before we go out there," said Davis, when asked about their well-synchronized twizzles. "I think we're trained well enough at this point that it just sort of happened."
The team plans to train hard for the upcoming World Figure Skating Championships. "We're going to make a couple of tweaks here and there to make ourselves comfortable with everything," Davis added.
Teammates Navarro (26) and Bommentre (23) performed a provocative, yet technically difficult dance, in which all elements received positive GOEs. The U.S. bronze medalists produced a very good level 4 midline (non-touching) step sequence in their routine to Since I've Been Loving You by Corinne Bailey Rae, and impressed with a final rotational lift that had unusual variations of position. The finished third in the FD with 89.62 (48.47/41.15) points and overall with 180.65 points.
"It was a great skate," said Bommentre. "I think that was the best performance we've had this season. I think we're both really, really happy with it. In terms of Worlds and this being a tune-up for Worlds, I feel like that was the performance we've been working for. We've just got to fine-tune that and we're going to be in a great position for Sweden."
"We've made a lot of changes even since Nationals, so we had to think about all of that," added Navarro. "On top of that, we wanted to bring up the level of performance of this program because it feels like it's been the hardest one to achieve."
Kaitlyn Weaver (18) and Andrew Poje (20) of Canada placed fourth in the FD with 88.47 (49.33/39.14) points with their sultry routine to Blues for Klook by Eddy Louis. However, with a total score of 174.36, the team remained in fifth place overall, just .01 point behind Wester and Barantsev. The current World Junior bronze medalists, who have been skating together for less than 18 months, earned a level 4 on all elements except for a midline (non-touching) step sequence (level 3). They also received positive GOEs on all eight of their elements and showed very strong expression in their dance.
Wester (22) and Barantsev (25) earned 87.98 (48.23/39.75) points for a fifth place finish with their upbeat and joyful routine to Singin' in the Rain by Irving Berlin. The 2007 Nebelhorn Trophy champions produced two level 4 lifts, as well as very strong level 3 circular and diagonal footwork, placing fourth overall with 174.27 points.
Allie Hann-McCurdy (20) and Michael Coreno (23) of Canada placed sixth overall (164.02 points) after placing sixth in the FD with 83.76 (47.82/35.94) points. The Canadian bronze medalists were solid except for a minor error on the dance spin. Their routine to Rhapsody in Blue by Georges Gershwin featured four very good level 4 lifts, as well as very good level 3 circular and midline (non-touching) step sequences.
"We learned no matter how tired we are, how jet lagged we are, we can go out and skate," said Hann-McCurdy, when asked what they learned at their first Four Continents. "We've been training hard at home and that's what showed up this week. We had three personal bests here."
"We haven't changed any steps, but we've worked on intensity and the patterns kind of exploded," she added, regarding their progress since Canadian Nationals. "Our goal coming in was to get new personal bests, we did that, so we're happy. At Worlds, we hope to get three more personal bests and to improve our dance spin."
Japan's Cathy Reed and Chris Reed finished seventh overall (158.37 points). The brother-and-sister team earned positive GOEs for all elements except for their level 4 twizzles. They also showed good edge work in both their step sequences in their routine, which was choreographed by Nikolai Morozov, placing seventh in the FD with 81.77 (46.56/35.21) points.
"It was a very good competition for us," said Cathy Reed. "It's definitely boosted our confidence.We got personal bests in every dance, the compulsory, original and free. So we're very happy with the way we've skated throughout the entire competition. We've been through a lot this season. We started very low. Chris had two surgeries on his knee. We're going to our first Worlds and we're so excited."
Chris Reed had surgery on his knee in April and August due a torn meniscus and ligament. " It was really a tough season, but we're managing to pull it off at each event. We're gaining experience with each competition. Our nerves are getting lower and lower."
Xiaoyang Yu and Chen Wang of China were eighth overall (148.19 points), followed by teammates Xintong Huang and Xun Zheng (147.02 points).
Daisuke Takahashi, 21, landed two clean quadruple jumps (one in combination with a double toeloop) in his Long Program to Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet. |
Japan's Daisuke Takahashi maintained his overnight lead to win his first Four Continents title with a safe margin of over 30 points. Jeffrey Buttle of Canada edged out USA's Evan Lysacek by just over a point to win his second consecutive silver.
Performing an very strong and expressive routine to Tchaikovsky's Romeo and Juliet, Takahashi opened with a solid quadruple toeloop, followed by a quadruple toeloop-double toeloop combination. The 2007-08 Grand Prix Final silver medalist proceeded to land a total of seven triple jumps throughout his program, including two triple Axels (one in combination).
Takahashi earned positive GOEs for 13 of his 14 elements, with a triple loop receiving a -0.86 for a slight overrotation on the landing. The Japanese champion also produced two level 4 spins, as well as a two excellent footwork sequences, and earned a new personal best of 175.84 (93.98/81.86) points for a first place finish in the long. His total score was 264.41 points.
His long program and total scores bested Evgeni Plushenko's Long Program score of 167.67 and Total Score of 264.41 - both of which were achieved at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games.
"I'm so happy to have achieved my best result," said the 21-year-old. "During my performance, I was calm, everything was smooth – the jumps, the spins, the steps, and I was careful and focused on each detail. I landed two quads for the first time in an ISU competition, and this is a big improvement for me. I got a great score, and it gives me confidence for Worlds."
Buttle also delivered a strong performance, opening with a solid triple Axel-double toeloop and triple flip-triple toeloop combination, however, he later fell on a triple Lutz and double a planned triple Axel. The 2006 Olympic bronze medalist also had a bad lean on the landing of a triple loop, but otherwise landed five clean triple jumps.
Despite the mistakes, Buttle showed very good transitions and connecting elements in his expressive routine to music from the Ararat soundtrack, earning a level 4 on three of his spins, as well as displaying good footwork throughout. The Canadian silver medalist earned a new seasonal best of 150.17 (73.59/77.58) points for second place finish in the long, and with a total score of 234.02 points, moved up to second overall to win the silver.
Buttle was visibly surprised and pleased when his scores were shown.
"I'm pleased with the result today," said the 25-year-old. "I wasn't overly pleased with how I skated, but I think it was a small improvement over Nationals. As I said earlier this season, this is really the direction that I want to have. As long as things are getting better, I'm happy with that."
Lysacek had a rough start in his Tosca routine when he fell on a quadruple toeloop which was intended to be a combination jump. The two-time and defending champion recovered to land a solid triple Axel, triple loop, and triple Salchow, but then put his hand down on the landing of a triple Axel and didn't complete the second sequence jump.
Nevertheless, Lysacek landed three more triple jumps, and earned a level 4 on three of his spins. He also displayed a very complex level 3 straightline footwork sequence, and in the end, earned 149.05 (74.27/75.78) points for a third place finish in the long. However, with a total score of 233.11 points, the U.S. champion slipped to third overall by less than a point to settle for bronze.
"It was pretty bad," said Lysacek of his performance. "I think I've been training really well, but this was much below what I've been doing in training. So, I was pretty disappointed in that, but at least I know it can't get very much worse than that going into Worlds."
The 22-year-old has been working a great deal on his stamina since U.S. Nationals, as well as the quad. "My quad has actually been really consistent," said Lysacek, "so to go down on it in the program is kind of strange. But something that I'll obviously go home and analyze and see what went wrong and where I need to make more improvements before Worlds."
Teammate Jeremy Abbott, who stood in ninth after the Short Program, placed fourth in the long with a new personal best of 145.53 (74.37/ 71.16) points. Last year's bronze medalist opened his routine with a solid quadruple toeloop, but then touched down with his free foot on the landing of a triple Axel. He also stepped out of his second jump in a triple Axel-triple toeloop combination, and singled his Lutz in combination with a triple toeloop.
Abbott otherwise landed three more triple jumps, and earned a level 4 on all four of his spins. The 22-year-old also displayed expressive level 3 circular and straightline footwork, showing good use of his upper body. With a total score of 206.40 points, he rose to fifth place overall.
Abbott felt he did very well. "It's probably the last time I'm going to do that program and to end it the way it did," he said. "I'm just very pleased. I felt that I really stayed in the program the whole time. I mean, I had mistakes, but I really felt that it couldn't have gone any better. I did exactly what I came here to do and I'm proud of what I did."
"This is my second Four Continents," Abbott continued. "Last year was at home, so coming to Asia is quite a bit different. This is my third trip to Asia this year, and I love it. The arena is full, so that's really nice. The fans here are incredible. They're just so appreciative of everything you do. It's really gratifying that good, bad or indifferent, no matter how I skate, to know that that support is there and they really appreciate what I did is just so cool."
USA's Stephen Carriere placed fifth in the long with a new personal best of 144.22 (72.14 72.08) points for his routine to Hollywood Nocturne, and with a total score of 218.30 points, maintained fourth place overall.
The current World Junior champion singled his opening triple Axel, but otherwise landed a total of six solid triple jumps, including a triple Axel-double toeloop and a triple toeloop-double toeloop-double toeloop. Carriere also earned a level 4 on three of his spins.
"It's bittersweet," replied Carriere, when asked how he felt about his performance. "I haven't popped in a program in forever, so doing that single Axel at the beginning of the program was kind of weird. But, I re-centered myself and it was an amazing skate."
"It was a really good experience," said the 18-year-old of his experience at this event. "Coming off of Nationals for a week and a half – I've never had that before. Now I'm just getting ready for Worlds. I'm planning on lots of practice. It's going to be 'pedal to the metal', full-out for Worlds, because I want to be the best of the best, so I'm definitely pushing harder than I've ever pushed before because I know it will be the last competition."
Takahiko Kozuka of Japan also produced a good skate to Beatles Concerto by John Rutter which consisted of six triple jumps. The 2006 World Junior champion received a -1.29 GOE for his triple flip-double toeloop-double loop combination for using the wrong take-off edge on the flip. The 18-year-old also singled a triple loop, but otherwise earned a level 4 on three of his spins, and earned 128.90 (64.14/64.76) points. He finished eighth overall at his first appearance at this event, with a total score of 196.38 points.
Shawn Sawyer of Canada earned a new seasonal best of 126.39 (60.65/ 66.74) points for his expressive routine to Moments in Love by Art of Noise. The 23-year-old underrotated and fell on a triple Axel and two-footed the landing of a triple Lutz, but otherwise had a fairly solid program which consisted of six clean triple jumps. He placed seventh in the long, and with a total score of 187.18 points, finished ninth overall.
Teammate Vaughn Chipeur placed eighth in the long with a new personal best of 125.74 (59.24/66.50) points. The 23-year-old landed a total of five triple jumps and earned a level 4 on all of his spins. In his first appearance at this event, he finished in seventh place overall with a total of 196.57 points.
Chengjiang Li of China slipped from fifth to sixth place overall (197.98 points) after finishing ninth in the long with 125.73 (59.37/67.36) points. The 28-year-old landed a quadruple toeloop, but two-footed and fell on a triple Lutz, and later put his hand down on the landing of a triple toeloop. The Chinese champion showed obvious signs of fatigue during the last 30 seconds of his routine.
In his sixth appearance at this event, it was the first time that the veteran skater didn't make the podium.
Teammates Jialian Wu and Ming Xu finished in 10th and 11th place respectively.
The event concludes with the Ladies Long Program.
