International Figure Skating July/August 2018

This off-season has had a lot of interesting twists thus far. Though many of the retirements that have been announced were expected, some of the coaching changes and pairs and ice dance partnership splits were unexpected. The coaching change that took most by surprise was that of Evgenia Medvedeva, who is now training in Toronto. We spoke to Brian Orser about taking on the Russian star and have reported in this issue on how this change came about. As we go to print, the International Skating Union (ISU) is in the midst of its 2018 Congress in Seville, Spain. For the first time in history, the ISU live-streamed many of the meetings for all disciplines under its umbrella. I have found it very interesting to watch, listen and learn. The…

At the end of an Olympic season, coaching changes, partner splits and retirements take place in the world of figure skating. Few, however, capture global attention. Though coaching changes are the norm at the end of any season, few make headlines around the world. One, however, which captured global media attention was that of two-time World champion and reigning Olympic silver medalist, Evgenia Medvedeva. In early May, while she was on vacation, a Russian television network aired an unconfirmed report that she was leaving her longtime coach, Eteri Tutberidze — a rumor that had surfaced weeks earlier in skating circles, but which Medvedeva denied at the time. The news exploded like a bombshell in Russia. Then came the speculation and rumors that not only was Medvedeva moving to Canada to…

With a résumé that includes a U.S. Championships title, two World Championships medals and two Olympic Winter Games appearances in seven years as a team, it would have been easy for Madison Chock and Evan Bates to simply call it a career. But the four-time Grand Prix finalists are not ready to give up on the dream of standing on an Olympic podium, and are forging ahead in hope of capturing a medal at the 2022 Olympic Games in Beijing. “We believe that we still have a lot of potential to grow,” Chock said. “Last season’s free dance was really an eye opener for us. We realized that we have new and different styles of skating that we have not yet explored.” Before the 2017-2018 season began, Chock, 25, and…

She has enjoyed a multi-faceted career many may dream about, but one that few have ever had the opportunity to actually live. From a teenage pairs champion to award-winning choreographer, there is no creative medium Sandra Bezic has not explored. Her career has spanned a multitude of platforms from crafting programs for Olympic champions, to producing and directing award-winning television specials, tours and live shows. Sandra Bezic’s first foray into the world of skating was in a pairs partnership with her brother Val Bezic. At ages 13 and 17, respectively, the siblings won the first of five consecutive Canadian pairs titles in 1970 and placed 14th in their World Championships debut a couple of months later. The teenagers represented Canada at four ensuing World Championships, rising to fifth in their…

“Part of a choreographer’s job is to adapt to each person you work with. Skating is different to dance where the choreographer creates a piece on the floor. There the choreographer is God, and everyone is obedient to the choreographer’s wishes. “In the skating world it is very different when it comes to competitive programs. It is much more collaborative, and the goal is always to create something that is true to the skater. It is so individual. “For me, it has always been about the private moments with a skater who has given you their trust. When you are sharing those hours alone in the rink you sometimes witness something magical — perhaps they have done something exactly as you had hoped, or they have taken it somewhere you…

Aljona Savchenko and Bruno Massot closed out last season in spectacular fashion with a runaway victory at the World Championships in March. Following the medal ceremony that night, Savchenko and Massot lingered, enjoying the moment to the fullest as they signed autographs and flags for fans, took selfies with spectators, and hugged their partners in life, their parents, relatives and friends who had come from Ukraine, Germany, France and Italy to see them. “I didn’t want to leave the ice after the awards ceremony because it was so wonderful,” Savchenko said. “I wanted to go back in time and relive everything again because it was so beautiful. We would not have been able to skate that way without all those people. There is such an incredible story behind all this.…