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NHK Trophy, Day 2
30 Nov 2007 14:33
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The NHK Trophy in Sendai, Japan continued Friday with the Original Dance, the Ladies Short Program and the Pairs 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.
Ice Dancing, Original Dance
The Original Dance of the 2007/2008 season is the “Folk/Country Dance”. The couples at NHK Trophy presented dances from Russia, Greece, South Africa, Scotland, France and Gypsy Dances.
Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder of France defended their lead, although Canadians Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir won the Original Dance. Russia’s Jana Khokhlova/Sergei Novitski finished third.
Delobel/Schoenfelder had chosen a Gavotte, a French Country Dance, whose music “Replique” had been especially arranged for them. The European Champions effectively used two purple cloths in the dance, for example when he held her in the straight line lift. The French produced a difficult side by side midline step sequence (level four) and a circular step sequence (level three). However, their spin appeared short in revolutions and was graded only a level two by the Technical Panel. On Schoenfelder’s 30th birthday, the couple earned 61.67 points (31.10 element score/30.57 program component score) for the OD and was ranked second in this segment. Overall they remained in first place at 100.63 points. “We felt very confident today in our performance. I think we were able to show the character of the dance. This music is from the French west coast, the Bretagne (Brittany). The man I play wants to marry Isabelle, but she doesn’t agree right away. She first wants to test the man and we dance together. At the end of the dance, she agrees to marry him”, Schoenfelder explained. “I know we still have to work on our technical elements and to receive a higher level for the spin and the circular step sequence, we have to skate cleaner and show deeper edges”, he added.
Virtue/Moir performed a characteristic Russian dance to “Kalinka”, executing intricate yet smooth footwork, a curve and a one armed rotational lift as well as a dance combination spin. All their elements received a level four and the 2006 World Junior Champions scored a new personal best of 62.04 points (33.60/28.44) and now have accumulated 96.71 points so far. “It definitely felt better than at Skate Canada. We had definitely more energy, it was more fun, because we felt the connection a little bit more together, it was freer, more body movement, which is exactly what we worked on in between SC and NHK. We’re very happy with it”, Virtue said.
Khokhlova/Novitski’s passionate Russian Gypsy Dance “Two Guitars” featured precise steps, a dance combination spin, a one-armed rotational lift and a straight line lift. They were awarded a level four for all elements as well, but got a one-point deduction for an extended lift. The Russians received 57.84 points (31.80/27.04) and got 92.07 so far. “We are pleased with our performance today. We picked the Russian music, because it is passionate and shows the love between a man and a woman. This kind of music is close to our soul”, Khokhlova told the press.
Sinead Kerr/John Kerr (GBR) came in fourth with an unusual Scottish Dance and John Kerr wearing a typical kilt (86.26 points). Kristin Fraser/Igor Lukanin (AZE) are ranked fifth at 81.44 points. They presented a Russian Gypsy Dance.
Pairs, Free Skating
Germany’s Aliona Savchenko/Robin Szolkowy claimed the Pairs title at NHK Trophy, their second gold medal in this season’s Grand Prix. Keauna McLaughlin/Rockne Brubaker (USA) moved up from fourth to capture the silver and Jessica Dube/Bryce Davison of Canada settled for the bronze.
Savchenko/Szolkowy opened their routine to “L’Oiseau” from “Cirque du Soleil” with a throw triple flip, followed by a triple toe-double Axel sequence and a triple twist out of a spiral move. The reigning World bronze medalists completed two difficult Lasso lifts and a hand-to-hip lift which were all graded a level four by the Technical Panel. However, Szolkowy stumbled on the side by side triple Salchow and their last element, the throw triple Salchow, never took really off and became a single. The Germans picked up a new seasonal best of 120.32 points (58.64 element score/61.68 program component score) which added up to 190.64 total. “It started well, but you have to push through”, Savchenko commented. “It is just a second and then it’s gone”, she said about popping the throw Salchow. “I did a mistake, I was too fast (early). This is something I need to improve for the next competition”, Szolkowy added, referring to the error.
McLaughlin/Brubaker rallied back from a faulty Short Program. The reigning World Junior Champions reeled off a big triple twist, a triple Salchow-double toeloop combination, a throw triple loop and interesting lifts. Their spins and their spiral sequence were graded a level four. The only glitch in the dynamic in the “Romeo and Juliet” program to music by Sergei Prokofiev and Nino Rota came when McLaughlin put down her hand on the throw triple Salchow, and also both skaters were shaky on the double Axel. The Americans scored 110.82 points (60.18/50.64), surpassing their previous personal best of 101.72 points and pulled up to second at 166.48 points overall. “Our goal at the beginning of the season was to make the Final. We knew we were coming up against some great teams, so coming here our goal was to stay in the top four to ensure a slot at the Final”, Brubaker said. “That program was one of our best skates this year, but that’s what we train for every day. Today we found ourselves in kind of a different place for the long program. We learned a lot from (the Cup of) China, obviously we struggled there. Today we just went out and did what we did practice every day and it kind of fell into place.”
Skating to the lyrical soundtrack of “The Blower’s Daughter”, Dubé/Davison produced a double twist, a throw triple loop and level four spins and lifts, but she fell on the triple Salchow and throw triple Lutz while he singled the second jump in the double Axel-double Axel sequence. The Canadian Champions collected 102.05 points (53.17/50.88) and remained in third place with 160.21 points. “Competition is what we do, and it’s not necessarily the points (for the Grand Prix standings) that motivate the most”, Davison said when asked about competing in a non-scoring event. “We love to come to Japan. Even if it’s a non scoring event, it’s a good opportunity to go out and try a few new things before the Final”, he explained. The couple risked the throw triple Lutz for the first time this season for example.
Tatiana Volosozhar/Stanislav Morozov (UKR) dropped from second to fourth after she stumbled on the solo jumps after aborting their Axel Lasso lift (150.81 points). Anabelle Langlois/Cody Hay (CAN) placed fifth (145.33 points).
McLaughlin/Brubaker pocketed another 13 points and qualified for the Grand Prix Final in their first senior season with 26 points. Savchenko/Szolkowy and Dubé/Davison competed in a non scoring event. Both couples had qualified for the Final before.
Ladies, Short Program
Carolina Kostner of Italy captured the Ladies Short Program ahead of Japan’s Miki Ando and Sarah Meier of Switzerland. Seven out of the 11 skaters set a new seasonal best for themselves, and the leaders are separated by just a little over two points.
Kostner opened her program set to “Riders on the Storm” by The Doors with a triple flip-triple toeloop combination, but had so fight for the landing of the landing of the second jump. The European Champion also stepped out of her triple Lutz, but hit the double Axel and earned a level four for her flying sit spin and combination spin as well as for her spiral to receive 61.24 points (32.84/28.40), which is a new seasons best for her. “I am pleased with what I did. I know I had some small mistakes, and tomorrow is another chance to make it better”, the Italian commented. “It didn’t expect to be in first place. I hope I can keep it and improve on my placement from (the Cup of) China.”
Ando’s program to “Samson and Dalilah” by Camille Saint-Saens included a triple Lutz-double loop combination, a triple flip and a double Axel, but she almost lost her balance on the spiral sequence which was graded only a level one. The reigning World Champion got a level four for her combination spin and a level three for her flying sit spin to score 60.52 points (30.84/29.68). “I have some problems with the timing of my triple Lutz recently in practice, and so my coach (Nikolai Morozov) and I decided after the warm up not to go for the triple-triple (Lutz-loop) combination, but for a triple-double to have a clean program”, Ando explained. “I had a balance problem in my spiral, and it was only a level one instead of a level four. My practice at NHK Trophy has been going very well, but I felt tense in the warm up today. For the Free Skating, I want to do my triple-triple combination and my double Axel-triple toeloop combination”, the 19-year-old continued.
Performing to the “Patch Adams” soundtrack, Meier nailed a triple Lutz-double toe combination, a double Axel and a triple flip, but the judges deducted on the flip for the wrong edge take-off. The reigning European silver medalist was awarded a level three for her layback spin, the combination spin and for the step sequence. The Swiss Champion collected 59.16 points (31.40/27.76), improving her seasonal best. “I felt shaky before competing, but I am happy that I did a clean program. I made a lot of changes since the Trophee Bompard. I was disappointed with some of the levels for my elements (in Paris). My sit spin was a level zero, now I changed to a camel spin and I try to improve the sit position in my combination spin. I also changed from a circular to a straight line step sequence, and I still need some time to become more comfortable with the program”, Meier told the post-event news conference. “Tomorrow I hope to give 200 percent in the Free Skating and I want to improve from my last competition (Trophee Bompard).”
Alissa Czisny (USA) is currently ranked fourth at 58.24 points. She gave a solid performance to “The Swan” by Camille Saint-Saens that contained a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, a triple flip and excellent spins that all were graded a level four. Nana Takeda (JPN) was fifth with another clean skate. She hit a triple toe, a triple loop-double toeloop combination and shows strong spins (55.06 points). Laura Lepistö (FIN) in sixth place skated also very well, but downgraded her planned triple toe-triple toe combination to a triple-double (54.48 points).
For full results, please click on Results. The NHK Trophy continues Saturday with the Free Dance, the Men’s Short Program and the Ladies Free Skating.
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