On Edge: Ladies Figure Skating Update

November 29, 2008 – Haven’t written much lately about figure skating so let’s catch up:

The ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, now in its 14th season, consists of six international events in a cumulative point-scoring format. The 2008 series just concluded with its sixth event, the NHK Trophy, in  Japan. Approximately 60 skaters from 16 countries competed for points and prize money.

Mao Asada led a  Japanese sweep of women’s podium at NHK Trophy – World champion Asada won the NHK Trophy Saturday, qualifying for the International Skating Union’s Grand Prix finals and completing a Japanese sweep of the podium.  Asada almost made history when she attempted two triple axels at the start of her routine. She completed the first one but the second was downgraded to a double.

It was a disappointing night for American skaters. Ashley Wagner, who was second after the short program, finished fourth with 161.10 points.  Last season, Wagner won bronze at Trophée Eric Bompard and finished fifth at Skate Canada.

Sixteen-year-old Mirai Nagasu, the U.S. national champion competing in her first Grand Prix Series,  finished NHK eighth after falling on a double axel and a triple toeloop.

At last week’s Cup of Russia, the fifth event of the 2008 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, Italy’s Carolina Kostner earned gold in the ladies event.  American Rachael Flatt won silver, while teammate Alissa Czisny finished just off the podium in fourth.

Pretty Tough Trivia: Rachael Flatt began skating at age 4. Her father took her to shop for a birthday gift for her grandfather, and they came home with skating lessons instead of a gift. Her grandfather was a national fencing champion.

The Grand Prix Final (GPF) will be held Dec. 10-14, 2008, in Goyang City, South Korea. Check Grand Prix results here.

Ask Five-Time World Champion Michelle Kwan a Question
When one thinks about the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, it’s hard not to recall all the great moments Michelle Kwan provided fans across the country. The nine-time U.S. titlist has won 43 championships, including five World titles and two Olympic medals.

So if you have a burning question for the most decorated figure skater in U.S. history, now is your chance. Want to know what’s on her iPod? What her favorite competition was? Fave book or movie? Ask away. Visit the U.S. Figure Skating site now to ask Michelle your question… 

American women dominate competition at junior world figure skating championships

March 1, 2008  SOFIA, Bulgaria  – The American women were as good as expected at the junior world figure skating championships.

Rachael Flatt conquered the ladies free skate to capture the division and the United States’ third gold medal at the 2008 World Junior Championships. The U.S. ladies dominated both the short and free skate competitions, with Rachel Flatt, Caroline Zhang and Mirai Nagasu finishing an overall first, second and third, respectively.

Nagasu and Flatt were first and second in the senior division at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last month. But neither was 15 by last July 1, making them too young for the senior world championships. Flatt turned 15 on July 21 while Nagasu won’t even turn 15 until April. Zhang, who was fourth at nationals, doesn’t turn 15 until May.

So they came to junior worlds – and are going home with some shiny souvenirs!

Full results

U.S. Figure Skating names World, World Junior and Four Continents Teams

Saint Paul, Minn. Jan. 28, 2008 – U.S. Figure Skating has named its international selections for ladies, men’s pairs and ice dancing. Those selections include the World Championships, Four Continents Championships and World Junior Championships. Among those named are newly crowned U.S. champions Mirai Nagasu and Rachel Flatt who are ineligible because of age to compete at the Worlds but will be skating at the World Juniors.

Ladies
World Championships
Bebe Liang
Kimmie Meissner
Ashley Wagner

Four Continents Championships
Katrina Hacker
Bebe Liang
Ashley Wagner

World Junior Championships
Rachael Flatt
Mirai Nagasu
Caroline Zhang

Full List

Young figure skating stars unnecessarily sidetracked?

Jan. 28, 2008 – Four of the top female figure skaters in the nation, the youngest collection of stars in the history of U.S. skating, waved from the top of the podium Saturday night at the U.S. national championships.

Gold medal winner Mirai Nagasu, who at 14 is the second-youngest U.S. “women’s” champion ever, along with a trio of ladies in waiting: 15-year-old Rachael Flatt, 16-year-old Ashley Wagner and 14-year-old Caroline Zhang.

Unfortunately, three of the four cannot go to the World Championships in March because of a minimum-age rule that is enforced at only one big competition this year, the same competition that is so essential to sending a young skater on her way to greatness. The Worlds.

Christine Brennan wonders why U.S. officials don’t leap to these young skaters’ defense. Read more.

Nagasu hangs on for ladies national title

ST. PAUL, Minn. Jan. 27, 2008 – On a night when a new generation came to the fore, Mirai Nagasu overcame a fall on her opening double Axel and a third-place finish in the free skate to capture the U.S. title.The ninth grader from Arcadia, Calif., became only the second skater in history to win the U.S. senior ladies crown the season after taking the junior title.

In a quandary for U.S. Figure Skating’s International Committee, the top two finishers, Nagasu and Rachael Flatt, are both too young under International Skating Union (ISU) rules to compete at the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden.

With their gold and silver medalists unavailable, the committee named bronze medalist Ashley Wagner; fifth-place finisher Bebe Liang; and 2006 world champion Kimberly Meissner, who placed a devastating seventh in Saint Paul, to the 2008 world team.

Full story

Pretty Tough Trivia:

• Mirai means “the future” in Japanese. She’s definitely skating’s future.
• Only Tara Lipinski in 1997 was younger when she won the title (and just by a month).

Fourteen-year-old Mirai Nagasu leads after stunning short program

ST. PAUL, Minn. Jan. 25, 2008 – If 14-year-old Mirai Nagasu skates her free program anything like she did her short, she’ll easily take the ladies title at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

What she won’t have is a trip to the 2008 World Championships in Gothenburg, Sweden. She’s too young.

The winsome skater captured the crowd and judges with her peppy take to Gershwin’s classic, “I Got Rhythm.” The program included a strong triple Lutz-triple toe combination; speedy, well-centered spins; and a beautifully extended spiral sequence. Four of her five non-jumping elements gained Level 4.

Defending champion Kimmie Meissner sits fourth after falling on a triple flip in her short to Peter Gabriel’s “The Feeling Begins.” She enters the free skate with 57.58 points, 12.65 points behind Nagasu.

So what lies in store for the newest wunderkind? No one knows for sure but try catching Saturday’s performance for a clue.