Indholdsfortegnelse for July/August 2018 i International Figure Skating

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…

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…

As a young girl from a small town in Canada’s easternmost province, Kaetlyn Osmond dreamed of being in the spotlight and performing in ice shows. Being the centre of attention was what it was all about for her, but she knew the only way to achieve that goal was to make a name for herself in the competitive world. With three Olympic medals — one of each color — from two Winter Games and a World crown to her credit, the girl from Marystown exceeded all her childhood dreams. Kaetlyn Osmond became the centre of attention in ladies’ figure skating, in more ways than she ever imagined last season. That attention continued with her post-season performances in shows around the world, most recently in Japan, South Korea and a cross-Canada…

One of Canada’s most popular athletes, Elladj Baldé, announced his retirement from competitive skating on May 4. Baldé, 27, who had been a member of the Canadian senior national team for a decade, said he had no regrets about calling an end to his career. His performances at his seventh and final national championships were two of the best he had ever laid down. His short program brought the audience to its feet, and as took his final bows following a solid free skate the crowd rose once again to applaud his efforts. As he skated off the ice Baldé executed one of his trademark backflips, which gave his fans one more reason to cheer. Though Baldé stood on an international podium only once in his career — winning 2015…

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…

“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…

SHIZUKA ARAKAWA Shizuka Arakawa was one of the trailblazers for ladies figure skating in Japan. Born in Tokyo in December 1981, she was named after Shizuka Gozen, a famous Japanese court dancer from the 12th century. Arakawa grew up in Sendai and began skating at age 5. She won the first of three consecutive national junior titles in 1995 and claimed two senior titles in 1998 and 1999. At age 16, she made her Olympic debut on home soil, placing 13th at the 1998 Winter Games in Nagano. Four years later, a second-place finish at 2002 Japanese nationals left her off the Olympic team. Despite winning two silver medals and a bronze on the 2003 Grand Prix circuit and finishing third at the Grand Prix Final, Arakawa planned to retire…

The future of Canadian men’s skating hit the big time for the first time last January when 13-year-old Stephen Gogolev made his senior debut at the 2018 Canadian Championships in Vancouver. Despite his youth and height he did not look out of place in the field of 18 men. Gogolev, who won the novice title in 2016 and the junior crown in 2017, said it “was really motivating” competing in the senior ranks for the first time and that his expectations heading into the event were to “just do my best, and try to do what I can do.” The Toronto-based teenager had a solid outing at nationals, placing 11th in the short (72.61), ninth in the free (148.20), finishing in 10th place with a combined score of 220.81. “It…

STAY OR GO? Ashley Wagner may not be done with her skating career. The 27-year-old American will decide what comes next for her sometime in August or September, her coach Rafael Arutyunyan said in a recent interview. “She will make the decision about her future career and probably she will continue to skate.” NEW GRAD Sarah Hughes, the 2002 Olympic champion, graduated from Penn Law (University of Pennsylvania Law School) on May 15. The 33-year-old graduated from Yale University in 2009 with a degree in American studies. No word on where, or what area of law, she plans to practice. CHANGING TIMES With pairs coach Nina Mozer taking a sabbatical to recuperate and re-energize, the Russian Figure Skating Federation announced that 2014 Olympic pairs champion Maxim Trankov is now the…

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…

Ice dance hubs are fluctuating phenomena in skating circles. Rinks that were once regarded as the “ice dance halls of the world” rise and fall, and new ones emerge that continue the cycle. That circumstance is no more evident than it is in 2018. For many years the Detroit, Novi and Canton schools in Michigan were the place to go for those who wanted to reach the top of the ice dance ladder, but today it seems those locales are no longer on any elite ice dancer’s radar. In the few short months since the Olympic Winter Games closing ceremony, a number of skaters have left their long-established training bases in search of new and perhaps better options. Likewise, a couple of coaches who also obviously believed the end of…

Artur Danielian was the third Russian man assigned to the 2018 World Junior Championships last March, but he surprised everyone, including himself, with a silver medal finish. Danielian stood in eighth place after the short program, but delivered a clean free skate that included two triple Axels. “I told myself after the short, ‘I have nothing to lose. Just skate well, enjoy it and then it will be fine,” he said. Coached by Elena Vodorezova and Marina Selitskaia at the Central Army Sports Club in Moscow, Danielian did not expect to finish his season as a World Junior medalist — especially considering how it began. He was selected to compete at the Junior Grand Prix in Latvia, but was replaced when he had a sub-par performance at the Moscow Championships.…