ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: NHK Trophy
Day Three
The NHK Trophy in Sendai, Japan went on Saturday with the
Free Dance, the Men’s Short Program and the Ladies Free
Skating. The NHK Trophy is the sixth and last event of the
2007/2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and held for the
first time in Sendai. The skaters compete for a global prize
money of US $ 180, 000 per individual event of the ISU Grand
Prix of Figure Skating and receive points according to their
placements. The top six skaters/couples then qualify for the
ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Torino, Italy (December
13-16). Skaters are vying for the last open spots for the
Final at NHK Trophy.
Men, Short Program
Today’s competition kicked off with the Men’s
Short Program. Tomas Verner of the Czech Republic skated to
the lead with Japan’s Daisuke Takahashi following as
a close second. Stephen Carriere finished third.
Skating to “Melodie in Crepuscule” and “Gypsy
Swing” Verner hit a triple flip-triple toeloop combination,
a triple Axel and a triple Lutz. Once he had the jumps under
his belt, he put a lot of energy in his footwork and interpretation,
earning a level four for both the circular and straight line.
Two of his spins were graded a level four as well, and the
European silver medalist collected a new personal best of
78.15 points (42.00 element score/38.25 program component
score). “I feel great right now, but I don’t want
to talk too much, because I gave many interviews in Paris
(Trophee Bompard) and then I didn’t skate well”,
Verner explained. “After Paris, I just tried to forget
about it and take the experience. I didn’t make any
changes and my practices were as always before coming here”,
he added, referring to his disappointing performances at Trophee
Bompard.
Takahashi excited the crowd at Sendai City Gymnasium with
his creative routine to a Hip Hop version of Swan Lake. He
produced a triple flip-triple toe, triple Lutz, level-three
footwork and got a level four for his change foot sit spin.
However, the World silver medalist stumbled on his triple
Axel and wobbled in his final spin. The crowd went dead silent
when the marks were announced: 77.89 points (39.64/38.25),
just behind Verner.
Carriere opened his program set to “Stairway to Heaven”
with an intricate circular step sequence (level three) followed
by a triple Axel and a triple flip-double toeloop combination,
but he stepped out of his triple Lutz. The 2007 World Junior
Champion was awarded a level four for all his three spins
and scored 67.85 points (35.40/32.45), slightly surpassing
his previous personal best of 66.85 points.
Ice Dancing, Free Dance
The Ice Dancing event concluded with the Free Dance. Isabelle
Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder of France captured the title
and their second gold medal on the Grand Prix circuit this
year. Canadians Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir earned the silver,
and Russia’s Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski claimed
the bronze. All three medalists qualified for the Grand Prix
Final.
Delobel/Schoenfelder produced a lyrical dance to “The
Piano” soundtrack, telling the love story of a deaf
woman and a hearing man. The European Champions produced a
one-armed rotational lift, a curve-rotational lift, well synchronized
twizzles and a difficult side by side step sequence. Their
circular step sequence was graded a level three as was a serpentine
lift, and their spin again was only a level two. The French
received 96.91 points (49.10/47.81), which is a new seasonal
best and were ranked second in the Free Dance. Overall they
held on to first place at 197.54 points. “We are very
happy with this competition. Our Free Dance was good for the
moment, we just wanted to skate clean”, Schoenfelder
commented. “The technical level of this competition
was very high. We know of course that we still need to improve
our technical elements, but I think we have a good program
and we’ll be able to win the Original and Free Dance
once we have the technical elements”, he added.
Virtue/Moir’s romantic Free Dance to “The Umbrellas
of Cherbourg” featured smooth step sequences and excellent
lifts including a curve-rotational and straight line lift
with changes of position for Virtue right on the music. The
Canadians were awarded a level four for seven out of eight
elements, only the final lift was graded a level three. Virtue/Moir
got 100.18 points (52.90/47.8) and set a new personal best
for themselves. They won the Free Dance but overall remained
in second place at 196.89 points.
Khokhlova/Novitski put out a dynamic performance to “Night
on Bald Mountain” and “In the Hall of the Mountain
King” and completed impressive lifts that showed off
Khokhlova’s flexibility as well as difficult steps and
a dance combination spin with many different positions. The
Muscovites earned a level four for all elements but for the
circular step sequence (level three) to score 94.89 points
(50.70/45.19). They accumulated a total score of 186.96 points.
Sinead Kerr/John Kerr (GBR) came in fourth with an interested
futuristic dance to “The Landing” by Engima (172.37
points). Kristin Fraser/Igor Lukanin (AZE) placed fifth. They
skated to “Time to Say Goodbye” (162.15 points).
Ladies, Free Skating
In what was a dramatic Ladies Free Skating, Carolina Kostner
of Italy came out on top and ended a five-year-long streak
of Japanese winners at NHK Trophy. Switzerland’s Sarah
Meier took the silver medal, and Nana Takeda of Japan pulled
up from fifth to capture the bronze.
Performing to “Dumsky Trio” by Antonin Dvorak,
Kostner hit a triple flip-double toeloop combination, a triple
Lutz (but fell on the double toe that she added for a combination),
a triple Salchow and a double Axel-double toe, but she doubled
her loop and singled her last Axel. The European Champion
produced a level-four straight line footwork and earned a
level four for the combination spin as well as a level three
for two others spins. Kostner got 103.45 points (47.81 element
score/56.64program component score) and finished second to
Meier in the Free Skating, but defended her overnight lead
at 164.69 points total. “I was not quite satisfied after
the program, because I made many mistakes on my jumps, but
I am happy with my spins and steps. I tried to be clean on
them, and it was rewarded”, Kostner told the press.
“Now I need to work on my jumps and to become more consistent
and calm.” Asked about qualifying for the Grand Prix
Final for the first time in her career, she answered: “It
means a lot to me, because it will be held in my hometown
(Torino). This was something we’ve worked for from the
beginning of the season. It shows that we are on the right
way.”
Meier’s program to “La Folia in Black”
and “Red Autumn” by Tokuhide Niimi contained a
triple Lutz-double toe-double loop combination, a triple Salchow
and toeloop as well as three level-four spins, but she stumbled
on a triple flip and doubled her second flip and Lutz. The
European silver medalist scored 104.01 points (51.29/52.72)
to win the Free Skating and to move up from third to second
with 163.17 points.
Takeda gave an inspiring performance to “Otonal”
and landed a big triple loop, two triple toes (one in combination
with double toe), a triple Salchow, triple loop-double Axel
sequence and showed strong spins, especially a beautiful position
in her layback spin (level three). Her only mistake came when
she went down on an underrotated triple flip. The 18-year-old
earned 99.77 points (53.33/47.44), which was a new personal
best for her, and pulled up two spots with a total score of
154.83 points.
World Champion Miki Ando (JPN), who stood in second place
after the Short Program, slipped to fourth after a shaky performance
with three falls. Mai Asada (JPN) withdrew before the Ladies
Free Skating citing high fever. She stood in 11th place following
the Short Program.
|
