ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: HomeSense Skate Canada
International Day One
HomeSense Skate Canada International opened Friday in Quebec
City, Quebec with the Compulsory Dance, the Pairs, Ladies
and Men’s Short Programs.
HomeSense Skate Canada International is the second of six
event of the 2007/2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating. The
athletes compete for a 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.
Ice Dancing, Compulsory Dance
The Compulsory Dance at Skate Canada was the Yankee Polka.
The Yankee Polka was invented by James Sladky, Judy Schwomeyer
and Ron Ludington. It was first performed in 1969.
To the delight of the home crowd at the Collisee Pepsi, Tessa
Virtue/Scott Moir of Canada took the lead ahead of Italy’s
Anna Cappelini/Luca Lanotte and Melissa Gregory/Denis Petukhov
(USA).
As the highest ranked couple, Virtue/Moir skated last and
put out a lively Polka to earn 36.25 points (18.78 element
score/17.47 program component score). They just a had a little
wobble getting into their ending pose. “The Polka went
well, we’re happy with it. As always after compulsories,
we’re excited about getting into the next event”,
Moir told the press. “Every compulsory is really different.
For us, we actually didn’t really like the Polka, it
took us a while to get into it. So hopefully we can build
on that and try to find a love for the dance. We kind of like
the Argentine Tango and Austrian Waltz more to tell you the
truth”, he admitted.
Cappellini/Lanotte showed a strong performance of the Yankee
Polka as well and received 32.23 points (17.12/15.11). Gregory/Petukhov
seemed a little cautious in their Polka and were edged out
by the Italians by less than one point. They scored 32.03
points.
Pairs, Short Program
In what was a high-level competition, Aliona Savchenko/Robin
Szolkowy of Germany captured the Pairs Short Program with
Canadians Jessica Dube/Bryce Davison and Russia’s Yuko
Kawaguchi/ Alexander Smirnov following in second and third.
Skating to “Asoka”, the soundtrack of an Indian
“Bollywood” movie, Savchenko/Szolkowy hit the
throw triple flip, the triple twist, as well as the side by
side triple toeloop. The reigning European Champions earned
a level four for their one-armed Axel Lasso lift and their
death spiral and a level three for their interweaving straight
line footwork and the side by side combination spin. The Germans
picked up 69.44 points (40.64 element score/28.80 program
component score) and surpassed their previous personal best
of 67.65, achieved at the past World Championships. “This
was our first performance in a big international competition,
and it was good. We can be proud of ourselves and want to
do the same tomorrow”, Szolkowy commented. “We
skated better than in Oberstdorf (Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany
in September) but still we felt that we weren’t at home”,
Savchenko added.
Dubé/Davison delivered a strong performance to “Galicia
Flamenco” that featured a side by side triple Salchow,
a throw triple loop, a double twist and a level-four pair
combination spin. The Canadian Champions received a level
three for their Axel Lasso lift, the side by side spin, the
death spiral and the footwork and got 63.12 points (36.88/26.24),
improving their personal best of 60.80 that they just had
set at Skate America last week.
Kawaguchi/Smirnov are not far behind with 60.00 points (36.00/24.00).
The couple completed a side by side triple toeloop, triple
twist, throw triple loop in their program to “Rondo
Capriccioso” by Camille Saint-Saens. The Technical Panel
awarded them a level four for the Axel Lasso lift and for
the two spins.
Ladies, Short Program
Laura Lepistö of Finland pulled off quite a surprise
by grabbing the Ladies Short Program. Emily Hughes (USA) came
in third while World silver medalist Mao Asada is currently
standing in third place.
Performing to the movie soundtrack “1900” by Ennio
Morricone, Lepistö landed a triple toe-triple toeloop
combination followed by a triple loop and Axel. The 19-year-old
produced a level-four spiral and two level-four spins to collect
59.18 points (34.50 element score/24.68 program component
score) and significantly improved her previous personal best
of 44.70 points. “It was almost perfect and the best
I could do. It was the best short program I’ve done”,
Lepistö told the post-event press conference. “My
jumps went well, but also my other elements such as my spins
and spirals. I didn’t expect this (result)”, she
continued, still looking stunned. “I compete in fir
first senior Grand Prix, and this is a bigger competition
than the ones I have been to before. The atmosphere is fantastic
and it was really fun to skate tonight.”
Hughes’ routine to “I got Rhythm” by Georges
Gershwin included a triple flip, a triple Lutz-double toeloop
combination as well as a double Axel and high quality spins.
The 18-year-old American was awarded a level four for her
layback, combination spin and the spiral sequence and a level
three for the flying sit spin to rack up 58.72 points (33.80/24.92),
which was a new seasonal best.
Asada went for a triple flip-triple loop combination, but
underrotated and stumbled on the second jump which was downgraded.
The judges also penalized her for the take off from the inside
edge of her triple Lutz. The World silver medalist landed
a solid double Axel and was awarded a level four for her flying
sit spin, but her layback was graded only a level one. The
17-year-old earned 58.80 points (30.80/27.28).
Men, Short Program
Brian Joubert of France clearly won the Men’s Short
Program ahead of his teammate Yannick Ponsero and Canada’s
Jeffrey Buttle.
The reigning World Champion Joubert, who skated last, impressed
with a dynamic performance to the piece “All for You”
that composer Sebastien Damian had written for him. The Frenchman
nailed a quadruple-double toeloop combination, a triple Flip
and a triple Axel. He received a level three for his combination
spin but only a level one and two for his flying sit spin
and the change foot sit spin. Joubert earned 78.05 points
(40.70 element score/ 37.35 program component score) for this
performance. “I am very pleased with my program and
I really enjoy skating it. My score wasn’t bad and I
hope to get even better scores (in the future)”, Joubert
commented. “I was very tense at the Masters (a National
competition earlier this season) and it didn’t work
out there. I was a little nervous here but I also felt confident,
because my practices have been going well.”
Skating to “Otonal” by Raul di Blasio, Ponsero
opened with a high triple Axel followed by a quadruple toeloop-double
toeloop combination, but he stepped out of the first jump.
The 21-year-old scored 67.09 points (35.44/31.65).
Buttle’s classical program to “I Pagliacci”
featured a triple flip-triple toeloop combination and a triple
Axel as well as high quality spins and footwork. However,
the 2006 Olympic bronze medalist slipped on crossovers before
setting up for his triple Lutz and then missed the jump. Buttle
was awarded 66.85 points (32.60/35.25) and was just edged
out by Ponsero.
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