2007

Four Continents Championships

Ladies Event

By Alexandra Stevenson

All photos Copyright 2007 by George S. Rossano

Rochette not perfect but takes the lead while favorite Meissner lies sixth after fall.

Twenty six Ladies from 13 countries competed. With no qualifying rounds, a new seeding, based on ISU world rankings, is being used to determine the starting order of the short. In Colorado, the top nine drew to skate in the last two groups; the next four drew their order in the previous group and the other 13 drew for the first three groups. (There is a tendency to criticize the lower placed competitors but they all gained experience. Just think of Bin Yao in the Dortmund 1980 worlds. He and his partner were way below standard but he persevered. Though he never became a star competitor, his coaching founded the Chinese dynasty of hugely talented pairs. Maybe some of these lower level skaters representing countries that aren’t known for skating, may do the same for their nations.)

1. The three-time Canadian champion, Joannie Rochette, who turned 21 on January 13, has had an up and down season, doing a bad short and great long in Skate Canada and reversing that in the French Grand Prix. But, looking pretty in pink, with her blonde hair flapping in a long pony tail, Rochette’s grace and her sheer personality flowing over the ice, made up for stepping out of the triple flip before doing the double toe in her combination. The steps before the second jump meant she got no marks for the double toe and the flawed landing of the flip meant she earned only 2.93 for that move. She also had a slight negative on her triple Lutz which she landed on a deep edge which meant -0.14 was taken off the base value of 6.0. Everything else received either base value (which she received for her final move, the Level 4 change foot combination spin) or higher. Her spirals were also Level 4 but both the layback spin and the spirals were Level 3. She is in the lead by 1.26 over the second placed Emily Hughes.

Rochette said her music, Little Wing by Jimmy Hendrix "is a new style for me this season." She skated third to last. "It was a good fight," said Rochette, who was more worried about the triple Lutz from steps than the triple flip. "Adding the steps before the Lutz was a challenge because it slows you down and you want as much speed as possible on the Lutz to get the height for the rotations. I missed the Lutz at Canadians. The overall performance was much better here than nationals. Despite making the costly mistake on my first jump, I was still able to enjoy my performance. I held the performance together in spite of the mistake. Hopefully I can build on that for Worlds. I missed a lot of training between nationals and here. I was sick." She is trained by Manon Perron and Nathalie Martin.

2. Emily Hughes, the runner-up for the US title, who just turned 18 on January 26, also ran into trouble. She came down on the side of her blade and fell on the triple flip so she couldn’t do the double toe. Very sensibly thinking on her feet, she included the double toe after the triple Lutz figuring correctly that would mean she lost less marks. She presented a very fiery, earthy Carmen choreographed by Mark Mitchell dressed in black with a red ribbon holding back her pony tail.

Hughes beat Rochette by 0.26 on the technical score but was 0.52 behind her on the component marks and lost 1.0 deduction for the fall. Hughes said, "My goal tonight was to compete for my personal best, but it didn’t happen," said Hughes who skated immediately before Rochette. "I’m ready to move on. I’m coming off Nationals which was a big high and really exciting. The fall surprised me but it was soon in the program. I tried to forget about it which was a little tough, but I’m really happy with the way everything turned out. With the fall I’m surprised to be second, but I tried to bring my levels up from my last competition, so I did achieve one of my goals. As we say, the ice is slippery."

In addition to the -3 and a one point deduction for the fall, she received a negative GoE (-0.57) for the improvised combination. Hughes also was given a slight negative (-0.04) for her last element, the Level 4 flying sit spin. However, all the rest gained positives including a +1 for the spirals. Her double Axel was a real powerhouse and her levels were the same as Rochette’s. Bonnie Retzkin has been her coach for her entire career.

3. Performing last, Aki Sawada, an 18 year from Osaka, who is just up from juniors, skated an outgoing jazzy number to finish only a minuscule 0.21 behind Hughes, bettering her personal best by 4.06. She was one of only three competitors to skate a clean program. Her music was the evocative Blues in the Night and she performed in royal blue sequins with red trim with her hair pulled back into a frizzy blob. The landing on her triple Lutz was slightly jackknifed but that suited the music and she got up fine into her double toe. The rest of the program was well done with lots of energy.

Sawada was sixth in the Japanese championships and fifth in the last world juniors. Last week she was fifth in the Asian Games. She was obviously over the moon to be in this high position. "This is my first time to be interviewed in front of so many international journalists, so I’m really nervous. I was very happy to achieve a personal best. It didn’t matter to me that I skated last. I didn’t think about it being anything special. The competition is late but this doesn’t bother me. My birthday is October 7, so I’m aiming at getting the score of 107 in the free on Saturday." She is taught by Mie Hamada, who guided Midori Ito to a world title and Olympic silver. Hamada hit Sawada on the forehead before she went out to skate. Sawada explained, "The first time my coach hit me on the forehead was during the National Novice Championships and I won. Now this is my good luck charm." She is one of the few women to have landed a triple Axel in competition but she won’t try it in this event. "I succeeded it at Junior Nationals but I didn’t do it since the scoring system has changed."

4. Alissa Czisny, 19, who drew to skate immediately following Meissner, lies only 0.49 behind Sawada despite a fall. She had a sensational early Olympic season but then faded and was only able to equal her previous seventh place at nationals. However, this time the pattern was reversed. She didn’t do that well in her Grand Prix events but started ’07 on a higher level winning the free skate at nationals and securing the bronze overall which came with a place on the world championship team. When she is on, she is a mesmerizing skater with unmatched spirals and spins. Her La Bayadere routine when she won the gold in the ’05 Skate Canada was spine-tingling and unforgettable.

Czisny kept the same short program routine as last year, Prelude and Quadukka by J. Cook, performing in her elaborately jeweled two-piece. She began with a Level 3 flying sit spin which gained a substantial +0.86 GoE. Then she went into her combination, but didn’t have enough airtime on the first jump so she wasn’t able to complete the three revolutions on the flip before falling. "The flip wasn’t that good but I fought back and worked it out. It was a little difficult to go from nationals to here because of the short time and I was emotionally tired. I was still high from Nationals and began to crash a little bit this week." That meant she earned only 0.70 for this element.

Czisny, who is not inexperienced in the situation of having to bounce back from falls, said, "I just try to stay in the present and the character of my program and perform the best I can, and not worry about it." The following double Axel gained a small positive (+0.14 GoE). Her Level 4 spirals, as expected, were unmatched and gained a +1.29 which meant that some of the judges, whose marks were randomly selected by the computer to count, had punched in +2’s. Her triple Lutz from footwork was saddled with a -0.57 GoE but that was followed by her Level 4 change foot combination spin which was rewarded with a +1.00. Her Level 3 straight line steps gained +0.07. Her final move, the layback spin was Level 3 with +0.86 GoE. One judge gave Czisny the maximum +3 GoE for this beautifully done element and seven gave +2. The four others, who may or may not have included the referee, punched in a measly +1.

Czisny, who has a history of travel nightmares – remember her trip in ’05 two years ago to Skate Canada where it took her days to get from Detroit to St. John’s Newfoundland - experienced problems getting to the Springs. "The flight was rough," she explained. "The first flight was cancelled and then the second was delayed and cancelled so we missed our connection. That meant we missed practice and didn’t get here till Wednesday (the day before the short). I think of travel as an adventure and just deal with it."

Czisny, who is taught by Julianne Berlin & Liz Swallow, is a fraternal twin and they were rivals at junior level. But, after an injury, Amber tied to go into ice dance but couldn’t find a partner. Now Amber coaches skating and goes to school full time as a dance major at Oakland University in Michigan.

5. Skating to Song of Boundless Traveling, Yan Liu, the 22 year old 2005 and 2007 champion of China, gave a flawless, soft, elegant showing with a textbook perfect triple Lutz to double toe to take fifth place only 0.30 behind Czisny. Liu gained 0.53 more technically than Czisny but Czisny was 2.83 ahead on components. Of course, the sum of Czisny’s scores was reduced by the 1.0 reduction for her fall. Liu said, "This was my best performance of the season so far. The altitude was a bit tiring, though. I am very happy with this performance because I was able to perform up to the level of my practices. The Olympic season (she finished 11^th in Torino but only 16^th in the Calgary worlds) took away a lot of my strength, therefore this season has been difficult for me so far." She is trained in Qiqihar by Sun Yu.

6. Skating immediately after the ice cut, in the penultimate warm-up group, World and US champion Kimmie Meissner, 17, succumbed to pressure and fell on her first move, the triple Lutz meant to be combined, very ambitiously, with a triple toe. It was obvious from her lean in the air that there might be a problem when she came down. (The only other competitor planning to do triple-triple was Rochette, who abandoned that after stumbling out of her the first jump.) Meissner bounced right up and still earned 3.00 for that move. (As long as the rotations are completed so that the jump is classed as a triple Lutz, the skater is given -3 off the base value [6.00] which leaves 3 points. Of course, a further 1.0 is lost because of the deduction for the fall.

But the landing of her second element, the triple flip, was extremely strained with the boot at an angle. Only strength kept her from falling on that move, too. She received a -1.0 GoE but that still gave her 4.5 points. She also struggled a little with the layback spin, her least favorite move, which was slammed with only Level 1 and -0.30 GoE. The other five elements all received better than base including the double Axel which gained +0.29. The spiral sequence and her two other spins were all Level 4 and her straight line steps Level 3. The routine was set to Snow Storm by G. Sviridov and choreographed by Nikolai Morozov. She wore the lovely light blue outfit with bands of royal blue which she had on at nationals.

She is taught by Pam Gregory. Many felt that expecting the top skaters to compete with only a week between all the hoopla of nationals and this event, was courting disaster. Neither US champion, Meissner nor Evan Lysacek, skated to their potential in the Short Program. Meissner was very upset at herself and refused to offer up any excuses. "The altitude didn’t really both me. It’s important to get your program out there among the international judges. I just have to work on things tomorrow and we will see. (In Friday’s practice for the free, Meissner was landing triple Axels.) My long program is my best section."

7. Yoshie Onda, a 24 year old from Nagoya who trains with past Canadian champion Josee Chouinard in Toronto, jackknifed and had to put her hand on the ice to keep from falling on the landing of her triple Lutz. She then did a double three turn before getting airborne for a single toe loop. "I was very nervous from this morning on," said Onda. "I was able to do what I should do but it was not perfect and not so satisfactory." Onda was only fifth nationally after being fourth last season and runner-up in 2003. Much was made of her when she finished fifth in worlds in 2002 after being 17^th in the Salt Lake Olympics. She has been to worlds twice since then, in 2003 and 2006, but was 11^th in both, unable to reproduce the form she showed in Nagano in 2002.

8. Dan Fan, who will be 22 on March 20 but looks far younger, is from Qiqihar. She was the Chinese champion in 2000, 2002 and 2003 but dropped to runner-up in 2004, 2005 and 2006. This season she was third. She skated to Romeo & Juliet dressed in pink. She began skating very carefully. Her first element was a double Axel. Then came a very high, quickly rotated triple Lutz which was planned as the triple out of footwork but to which she added an unplanned double toe. The combination was meant to be a triple Salchow so it became the jump out of footwork and she stepped out of it and received a -2.14 GoE. Sometimes it’s best to stick with the original plan. She is trained by Yanjin Shi. Last week she was 4^th in the Asian Games in Changchun in China.

9. Chae-Hwa Kim, 18, was born in Osaka, Japan, and still trains there with Mie Hamada. However, she has discarded her Japanese name, Ayaka Nagase, and taken up her Korean heritage and now represents Korea. In the absence of Yu-na Kim due to back problems, she became Korean champion. She began with the double Axel but then presented only a triple toe for the jump out of footwork which received a negative (0.29). The combination, a triple Salchow to double toe got a positive (0.43) but it was "junior" and not "senior" level. Her music was Cumparsita.

10. Binshu Yu, 18, from Changchun, who held the Chinese title in 2004 and 2006 but finished second this season, skated in lime green to Lee Loos Theme by Maksim Mrvica. Her opening move, triple Lutz to double toe was very nice and she got the base value. But she messed up the triple flip and fell. She was seventh last week in the Asian Games, and has competed in three world juniors when her best placing was 7^th.

11. Anastasia Gimazetdinova, 26, from Tashkent in Uzbekistan, who skated fifth, very early in the proceedings, gave a vibrant, very "Sokolova" like performance marred only by a hand down on her triple Lutz which was combined with a double toe. She had no Level 4 moves. Three were given Level 3 and her change foot combination spin and circular steps were only Level 2. Her music was From A Distance performed by Richard Clayderman. She has competed at least five times in this event with a highest place of 9^th in 2003. She is her country’s three time champion and was second three times before that. She is trained by Peter Kiprushev.

12. (Subsequently withdrawn) Fumio Suguri, 26, followed Czisny and, skating to Ravel’s Bolero, struggled, completely skidding off her landing and falling on her triple Lutz meant to be the combination and getting her feet crossed on the touchdown of the downgraded triple flip and falling. Everything else was judged base level or better. The double Axel gained +0.29. She had finished second in the previous week’s Asian Games (in a very close decision behind her Japanese teammate, Yukari Nakano). "My condition wasn’t the best," Suguri admitted. Although she was drawn for the free skate, she later withdrew, citing "a moderate cervical (neck muscle) strain. The 2002 & 2003 world bronze medalist, was expected to retire after placing fourth in the Olympics and winning a silver medal in the Calgary Worlds. But she stayed on and finished a disappointed fourth in the recent Japanese championships.

13. Na-Young Kim, 16, from Incheon, is the South Korean junior champion, who competed in two junior Grand Prix events in both 2005 and 2006 and is quite promising. She began with her spirals which were Level 4. Her triple flip out of footwork received a -1 GoE. Her combination was a triple Lutz to double toe but the second jump was downgraded and she was given -2.0 GoE. Her circular steps were only Level 1. She is trained by Shin Heasook. Her music was Romeo & Juliet.

14. Yea-Ji Shin, from Seoul, Korea, who will be 19 on February 25, performed in an orange dress to Ritual Fire Dance by Manuel de Falla. She fell on her triple toe loop meant to be her combination. She was the runner-up for the Korean title (in the absence of Yu-na Kim) and trains with Hyung Jung in Seoul and Frank Carroll & Ken Congemi in El Segundo.

15. Cynthia Phaneuf, 19, skated to You Are So Beautiful, by Karl Hugo, and it was not the performance she hoped for. She began with a base level double Axel, but then turned the planned triple Lutz to double toe into a single Lutz. Her triple jump from footwork was the easiest – a toe loop and she stepped out of it. All her other moves made base value or greater but her only Level 4 was her spiral sequence. Three of her elements were Level 3 but the layback spin was only Level 2.

Phaneuf is making her return to international competition after some turbulent times. In 2004, she unexpectedly won the 2004 Canadian championship but chose to go to the world juniors instead of the seniors because she and her coaches Annie Barabé, Sophie Richard & Yvan Desjardins decided she wasn’t ready for the higher level. Her first international was her only previous appearance in the Four Continents Championships which was in 2004 when she finished second. A short time afterwards she finished a disappointing tenth in the world junior championships. She subsequently grew and had troubles with the jumps. After losing her national title in 2005 (she was second) and placing a disappointing 20^th at world seniors, she stopped competing. She returned in 2007 to take fourth place in her nationals.

16. Lesley Hawker, 25, who was fifth and fourth in the past two Four Continents championships, landed on her toe in her triple Lutz and was unable to do the double in the combination. She singled the triple flip but received base value or better for all her other elements. Her spirals and change foot combination spin were Level 4 and the flying camel a Level 3 but the straight line steps, which she did as her final element, were only Level 2. Hawker is currently ranked fourth in Canada. She is trained by Richard Callaghan. She skated to Destiny.

17. Ana Cecilia Cantu, 21, who is ranked third in Mexico, had a bad experience when she first skated in this event in 2003, in Beijing. Her bag with her skates disappeared. In a very sportsmanlike action, her teammate, Ingrid Roth, who had not qualified for the final, loaned Cantu her skates. Cantu was able to complete the event and finished 20^th. In her next two appearances in this event, in 2005 & 2006, she finished 22^nd and 18^th. Skating to Get Ready For This by Mark Hird, Cantu received minus GoE’s for her first five elements but got the base value for the Level 3 straight line steps and Level 1 layback, and a positive +0.14 for her final move, the Level 3 change foot combination spin. She is trained by Richard O’Neill.

18. The Austalian champion, Joanne Carter, 26, started like a horse out of the race box but the speed was too much and she singled her triple Lutz meant to be a combination which meant this element earned only 0.30. Then she fell badly on her hip on her under-rotated triple flip which gave her only 0.70. All her other elements gained better than base value. She accomplished the double Axel and her Level moves were all 3 except for the Level 2 layback. This was her seventh appearance in this event with a best finish of fourth in 2005. She skated to Russian Gypsy Fire by Talisman.

19. Phoebe Di Tommaso, 16, who lives in Sydney and was Australia’s junior champion in 2005 but is now only their third junior, gave a very snappy performance to All That Jazz and Hot Honey Rag from the show Chicago. She began with a Level 2 layback spin which gained +0.21 but then, unfortunately, fell on her downgraded triple flip. Her combination of double Lutz to double toe was saddled with a substantial minus (-1.00) GoE. She received base value for her Level 4 spirals and Level 2 straight line steps. However, there was a -0.10 on her double Axel and -0.09 for her flying sit spin. She is trained by Liz Cain & Gloria Pracey.

20. Jocelyn Ho is a 19 year old who was born in Etobicoke, a suburb of Toronto, and now lives in Brampton (near the Toronto Airport) in Canada. However, she represents Taipei. She has competed in the last two world junior championships finishing 30^th and 28^th. She is trained by Ernest Pryhitka. Dress in purple, she skated to Piano Fantasy by William Joseph. She stepped out of her down-graded triple Salchow that was meant to be her combination and was penalized with -1.0 and then was saddled with -1.43 for her triple toe. The Level 3 flying sit and Level 1 layback spin gained base. Her spirals were Level 4 but received a -0.10 GoE. She finished with a Level 3 change foot combination spin was Level 3.

21. Emily Napthal, 17, is the second ranked Mexican. She was born in Skokie, IL, and now lives in Weston, MA, where she is trained by Suna Murray and Eduard Pliner. She fell on her first move, the double Axel, and on her triple Lutz meant to be her combination. Her triple Salchow was downgraded. She received base value or better for four of her elements and two Level 4’s – for her spirals and change foot combination spin. Her music was The Matrix

22. Ami Parekh, who turned 19 January 10, was born in Jersey City and now lives in Bear, Delaware. She is very proud of her Indian heritage. She skated in a sari-inspired outfit to a Bollywood mix of music. In the Kiss and Cry area she sat with her mother who wore a lovely full sari. She is trained by Jeff DiGregorio. This was her second international representing India. In the Junior Grand Prix in Norway she finished 17^th. She completed a triple toe loop but had to do a double three before the double toe.

"There are one or two other Indian skaters who have competed in the Junior Grand Prix. My mother and father were born in India. I was born here but I lived in India for a year. I can speak some Hindi, but not very fluently. We have a state language as well, which I understand. I feel a strong connection with this country. The (Indian Skating) Federation is only a few years. I saw skating on television when I was little and would go into the kitchen and try to copy the jumps and have fun."

Parekh did a double three turn instead of the double toe after her triple toe. Her double Axel and triple Salchow were both downgraded. However, her last two elements, the spirals and the change foot combination were both Level 4 and received base value or better.

23. Michele Cantu, 18, (the younger sister of Ana Cecilia), from Monterrey, is the Mexican champion. She skated in blue to Satin Doll by Duke Ellington. She began with an under-rotated triple loop but then messed up her Salchow meant as the combination, which was classed as a double. Two of her moves, the Level 3 layback spin and the Level 2 straight line steps received base value. She gained only one positive (+0.14) which was for her Level 4 spirals. She is trained by Richard O’Neill.

24. Abigail Pietersen, 22, from Capetown, was competing in her second international. Way back in 2001, she placed 9^th in the Golden Bear competition in Zagreb. She is second ranked in her country, South Africa. She performed in black to Tango de los Exilados by Walter Taieb performed by Vanessa Mae. She fell on her first move, the double Axel and her combination of double Lutz to double toe was given a -1.0 GoE. She got no points for the triple out of footwork because she did a double toe and all her other moves gained negatives. Her spirals were Level 4 but she gained only Level 2 for two of her elements and Level 1 for the straight line steps and the layback spin. She is trained by Oula Jääskelainen.

25. Kristine Y. Lee, a 21 year old who was born in Worcester, MA, but now represents Hong Kong, drew to skate first. Wearing a black dress with bright orange ribbons, she skated to Tango de los Exilados performed by Vanessa Mae. She stepped out of her under-rotated triple Salchow which was meant to be her combination. Her triple toe was also downgraded as was her double Axel. Four of her moves were Level 1. The remaining move for which a level is given, the straight line steps, gained a 2. She is trained by Eduard Pliner. This was her second international. She was 16^th in the Vienna Cup.

26. Stephanie Gardner, 17, skated to The Girl From Ipanema which was very appropriate for the first competitor in this sport representing Brazil. The 17 year old lives in and is trained by Sherri Torando in Anaheim. But with a low double Salchow to downgraded double loop and a single Axel, her career is still in the formative stage. "The rinks in Brazil are tiny," Gardner explained. "Put a box around the hockey circles and it’s about that size. I spent about four months down there this past year but typically am only down there only two months. When I go down there, it’s like putting on a show and not really training."

Kimmie Meissner

Emily Hughes

Joanne Rochette

Meissner was the only competitor to present a triple-triple combination. Rochette finished third in this section and dropped from first to third overall. The Canadian refused to blame the collision in the morning’s practice for any lack of concentration later in the day. She had been flattened by Hughes, who appeared to be wearing blinkers. "We were just doing edges and could see each other," said Rochette. "Somehow we didn’t think our paths would intersect and she caught my foot." In a previous session while Meissner’s music was playing and she had right of way, Hughes nearly collided with Meissner three times. After the first time Meissner was heard to call out, "Excuse me." After the second, Meissner said, "Heads up," as a suggestion that Hughes pay more attention. After the third time, Meissner, obviously annoyed, shouted, "Look out."

Meissner drew to skate next to last. Her music was Galicie Flamenco. After Meissner and her choreographer, Lori Nichol, made the decision in Toronto to use this music, she and her family stopped in Buffalo to visit her maternal grandmother, who asked the obvious question about what Meissner had picked. When she heard, she revealed that her father, Meissner’s great-grandfather, had emigrated from Galicia, a north-western area of Spain, in the 1920s. Meissner now carries a shawl from her grandmother around in her skate bag to inspire her. Sometimes she puts it around her costume to get into the mood. The grandmother suggested she cut the shawl and make it a part of the costume but Meissner said, "It is so beautiful. I couldn’t possibly cut it up."

Dressed in a dazzling, sparkling black topped, royal blue creation, Meissner made an instant impression with a triple Lutz to triple toe. None of her rivals attempted a triple-triple. With a GoE of +0.83, she gained 10.83. A solid +1.0 double Axel followed but then she singled the intended triple flip. Since she didn’t do the intended double toe second jump, she was asked why she did not add it to a later jump. She replied, "That kind of stuff messes me up. I’m set in my program because I do it every day. It’s set in my mind." Improvisation is indeed risky, but she will have to learn this skill in the future."

She swung back into gear with Level 3 straight line steps (+0.58 GoE) and Level 4 change foot combination spin (+0.50). At that point the bonus marks click in, and she received ten percent more on the later jumps. She executed a triple Salchow (+0.50). Her Level 4 spirals received (+0.83) and the triple loop (+0.50). Her Level 3 sit spin was her only negative GoE and that was a very slight (-0.05). Then, seemingly tirelessly, she threw off a +0.33 second triple Lutz and her (+0.33) three jump combination of double Axel-double toe-double loop. Her final move was a Level 4 change foot combination spin which earned +0.42 GoE.

She said, "It’s my first Four Continents and I’m excited to have the title and to have landed those Lutzes (after falling on that jump in the short). I felt really excited to go out there and do a good program. When I first got here (to the Broadmoor World Arena at 9:15 am to get ready for practice) I wished that I was already going." When she got on the ice, "My legs were a little shaky, but, as I got on more and more, the audience was cheering. I got even more excited. Yesterday (for the short), I don’t know what happened. Today was more normal for me. I definitely found some more determination today. At nationals, when I was first in the short, it was different for me. I’m used to having to come from behind. I was pretty disappointed with myself after the short, just because I do train so much every day, I know I have that jump (triple Lutz), in my sleep. It really makes me mad if I miss something that is really easy to me. I guess I was a little angry at me and it helped.

"I like the long program a lot better, because there are a lot of jumps and there are a lot of opportunities to earn a lot of points. I’ve been training very hard and I was determined today to skate well. I’ve been trying to focus on my spins, because those always have been the hardest for me. I cannot always get into these positions they want us to get into, so I’m trying to find new ways to get there. Coming off nationals, I was just excited to have won and I think it gave me a lot of confidence. I feel good and I just kind of put it into my program. The last year has been a whirlwind. I feel in great shape hopefully that will keep the ball rolling into Worlds."

She had been landing triple Axels in practice but did not try one in the routine. "They were really good this week. I have landed a bunch of them in practice. Hopefully I’ll have it for worlds. But it’s one of those jumps that sometimes mess up the timing of the program." The day was a marathon for her. She had an autograph session between the free and the evening’s exhibition program in which she appeared in the opening and closing presentations along with her exhibition spot after the Chinese pairs champions and her encore which only the gold medalists are invited to do. However, having the time table this way, instead of the exhibitions on the Sunday, saves the organization a day’s expenses.

2. Hughes, skating third of the top six dressed in red and purple, finished second as she had in the short, and won the silver, a considerable 6.15 points behind Meissner and only 0.70 ahead of Rochette. "To go out there and know I’m at high altitude and do a clear program, is amazing," she said. "I felt momentum from nationals till now and hopefully it will carry into Worlds. In practice I felt a little more tired than I did out there in performance, but every time I go out there I want to do a clean performance and this is a first for me for the season. I’m really happy for that and I’m hoping to build on it. I know I did miss a few things out there like the first two combinations, but I still got all the triples and I’m really happy about that. It just gives me another point to reach for, for worlds. This competition is a huge confidence builder. The standing ovation was amazing."

Set to elegant Delibes music from the ballet Sylvia, Hughes began her David Wilson-choreographed routine with a solid double Axel (+1.00) but she struggled with the landing of her next jump, a triple flip (-0.83). The following triple Lutz (meant to be combined with a double toe) made base value as did her Level 3 straight line steps. She then did two flying sit spins in a row. The first was executed after a death drop and received a slight negative (-0.05). The other was the traditional version which gained base value. Her next move, at the bonus kick-in point, was a triple toe to which she wisely added an improvised double toe to meet the rule that there must be a combination. She gained +0.17 for that and got that same GoE for the following triple flip. Since this was a repeated jump and neither was a combination, she was penalized by losing 20% of the base value. After Level 3 spirals, she repeated a triple Lutz, which was also penalized because it was not a combination. But she got a +0.50 GoE. Her final jump was a +0.17 triple Salchow. The Level 4 layback spin received +0.50 as did her final move, the Level 3 change foot combination spin. Hughes explained, "I really wanted to land the last three jumps because at nationals I fell on one of them. I did a clean program here and the next step would be a triple-triple. That’s what I’m going to work towards."

3. Rochette, in an elegantly sophisticated black and gold outfit, skated second in the top group to three pieces from Don Juan by Felix Gray - Have You No Shame; A Great Man is Dead; and To Love. She began well, earning +1.0 over the base value of 8.30 for a super triple flip to double toe to double loop. But then she aborted her triple Lutz meant to be combined with a double toe. She recovered to do an excellent +1.0 GoE triple loop. "I was really glad to have done the loop," said Rochette. "I didn’t do one all season. It’s been great in practice. I think it’s been a mental block."

The routine continued with a base value Level 4 change foot combination spin and +0.08 Level 3 straight line steps. As she reached the bonus point, she executed a triple flip which had a slightly flawed, two footed landing, which saddled her with a -0.50 GoE. Then came an excellent sequence of double Axel and triple toe which gained +0.83. The next two moves were Level 4 – a change foot sit spin which received base value and her spirals which earned 0.50. But then she singled her tenth move, a planned triple Lutz. Keeping her nerve, she accomplished a triple Salchow and added a double toe to make up for the missing one on her second move. That was given the base value. The change foot combination spin was given -0.15 GoE but her final Level 4 flying sit spin earned base value. Rochette actually beat Hughes by 0.30 on the technical marks for the free but Hughes was 2.26 ahead on the components.

"Of course my free skate wasn’t a hundred percent tonight, but it was a lot better than at Paris (Grand Prix) and nationals," said Rochette. About popping the two Lutzes, she said, "the Lutz was pretty good all season. I’ve been having problems with the loop but today was the opposite. The Lutz was a technical problem. I was holding back a little too much. Overall I feel good about my week. Every day was going better. Of course I’m working on the triple-triple combinations but I don’t think that’s the only thing that is important to get to the top. I will have to improve my spins, presentation and speed. There are a lot of areas where you can get points now in the free skate. But in the short, it’s really important to have a triple-triple combination. We’ve working on that."

4. Sawada brought the proceedings to a close. Skating to the Rolling Stones’ Paint It Black, in a purple dress, she dropped from third to fourth, a large 9.02 marks behind Rochette, with a free that was ranked fifth best. She gave a solid performance beginning with a +0.17 triple Lutz, a triple Salchow and triple flip-double toe-double which both earned base value. She doubled her loop but her triple flip was base value. Her sequence of double Axel and triple toe gained +0.50 but, in her last jump element, triple toe to double toe, she struggled with the landing of the second jump and was penalized with a -1.0 GoE. She does need to work on the other elements. Only her spirals were Level 4. She had only one Level 3 which was gained on her last move, the change foot combination spin. Her straight line steps and her two other spins were Level 2.

"I’m sorry," Sawada said, "to have made a mistake on the (flying sit) spin and about the loop which was only a double. If I had not made those mistakes, I might have gotten 107 points which was my goal today. (She got 101.75.) I’m pretty happy because I achieved a personal best. I was able to finish this season with a smile."

5. It was a disappointing showing for Czisny, who dropped a place to fifth, 2.85 marks behind Sawada, with a free which was only sixth best. She performed first of the top six to extracts from the soundtrack of the movie, Sabrina, immaculately attired in black trimmed with white. She began with a good (+0.50) triple Lutz to double toe but the following triple flip to double toe was downgraded to double-double and she received -0.55 GoE. Her Level 3 flying sit gained +0.25 and her triple loop +0.33 as did the following Level 4 flying camel. She didn’t get enough height and fell on her first jump qualifying for bonus marks, a downgraded triple flip. She recovered to present a combination of triple and double toes which earned base level. Her Level 3 straight line steps gained +0.17 and her wonderful Level 4 spirals matched her beaming smile and earned +1.50. However, she fell on her final jump, a triple Lutz, which was downgraded. The audience appreciated her final two spins, a Level 3 layback which was done so well it earned a +1 GoE and a Level 4 change foot combination which gained +0.83.

In addition to the -2.0 for the two falls, Czisny was given a 1.0 timing deduction. In an understatement she said, "I was a little disappointed in my long program here. It was quite quick after Nationals. We only had a couple of days to get ready for this competition so it was a little more difficult in that respect. It was just good to get myself out in front of the judges again. The triple flip doesn’t usually give me trouble. I just didn’t let them so our today."

6. Onda advanced from seventh to sixth with a fourth ranked free. Skating to the soundtrack of the movie, The Red Violin, by John Corigliano, dressed in red, she began with a three jump combination of triple Lutz to double toe to double toe which gained +0.50 GoE. That was followed by a +0.17 triple flip to double toe and a base value triple Salchow. Her Level 2 change foot combination spin got a negative (-0.05) but her Level 3 layback received +0.17 and her Level 3 spirals earned base value. However, at the bonus point she stepped out of her triple loop which was given -2.0 GoE. She put her hand down on her following move, a triple Lutz, which was given -1.50 but then came a good triple flip which received +0.33. Her Level 3 straight line steps received base value but her final jump, a double Axel was given -0.23 and she did not do the triple toe that was meant to be part of a sequence with the Axel. She finished with two Level 3 spins, a flying sit, which gained the base value, and a change foot combination. Onda gained the second highest technical marks, beaten only by Meissner, but was only sixth on the component score.

Onda said, "I have almost decided if I want to retire or not, but I’m not ready yet to announce it. I’ll probably have a decision at the end of March. I have to discuss it with my parents. Whatever decision I’ll make, I don’t want to regret it. I thought this might have been my last performance as an amateur. Therefore I touched the ice at the end of the performance and thanked the rink. I left out the triple toe loop (in today’s performance and that was my biggest regret. The first triple Lutz was very high and energetic. Today, I was thinking too hard about the technique."

7. Hawker jumped all the way from 16^th after the short to seventh overall with a free which was ranked seventh best. She was a substantial 5.14 ahead of Binshu Xu who was eighth but a massive 14.38 behind Onda. Skating to the classic tear-jerking music I’ll Be Seeing You, Hymn to the Fallen by John Williams, Hawker gave a much more impressive showing than the day before. She began with a three jump combination, triple Lutz-double toe-double loop, followed by a double Axel, both of which gained base value. A Level 3 combination spin, which received a slight negative (-0.05) was next. Then came a base level triple flip and Level 4 spirals which were awarded +0.17. The second triple Lutz was good (+0.17). But the double toe after the second triple flip was downgraded and the combination saddled with -2.0. Next up was a Level 3 flying sit which was given -0.10. The following Level 3 flying camel was -0.05 but the triple Salchow to double toe was awarded the base level which was also given to the straight line steps. The final triple toe was strained and was penalized with -1.0. Her final move, a Level 2 change foot combination spin made the base value.

Hawker admitted, "It was a messy clean, but that’s the first time I’ve skated a clean long program with that level of difficulty. I’ve trained a lot at home, doing good run-throughs, but that’s the first time I’ve put it together. I had a hard time getting going at the beginning of the season. I’m going to work on it so hopefully my whole season will be a little more consistent. I think attitude is something you need to be a really good competitor. I really like watching Evan Lysacek because he’ll do the same thing every time he skates. It doesn’t matter if it’s the Olympics or Skate America or a summer competition just to get the consistency so it’s not a big deal."

8. Xu climbed up to eighth from tenth with an eighth ranked free. Using music from the Disney movie Mulan, dressed in blue and pink, Xu began with a triple Lutz to double toe but had to do a double three to hold the landing of the second jump and received -1.17 GoE. She followed with a high triple Lutz but it also got a negative though this was only -0.17. Then came a good triple loop which got the base value and an even better triple Salchow which was rewarded with +0.50. However, her Level 1 flying camel received a -

0.10 GoE. The Level 3 circular steps gained the base level as did a sequence of two double Axels in which she immediately stepped from one to the other. After her Level 3 layback (+0.33) and Level 1 camel spin (-0.45), she stepped out of a triple toe which was meant to be a combination of two of these jumps, and received -2.00 for that. She tried to do another triple toe and that was a single. These were then counted as two elements which meant her double flip, which she stepped out of, was not counted at all. She concluded with a change foot combination spin which got a -0.10 GoE.

9. Liu dropped from fifth to ninth with a 15^th ranked free. Performing to the music from the soundtrack Soong Sisters by Kitaro, in a red outfit with three-quarter length sleeves, she fell on her first two elements and downgraded her triple Lutz and flip. However, she managed a triple loop after singling her second attempt.

10. Fang dropped two places to tenth with a 13^th place in the free. Skating to The Legend of 1900 by Ennio Morricone, she seemed to consistently get too close to the barrier causing several problems but she didn’t fall. The routine began with a good double Axel to double toe followed immediately by a nice triple Lutz (+0.33) and a triple toe to double toe which received the base value. She then singled a planned double flip. She did a triple Salchow to double toe. After her straight line steps she singled her planned triple Salchow and after a Level 3 flying sit spin did another single toe. The spirals were Level 1. The Level 3 change foot combination spin received a negative (-0.25) and the Level 2 layback got -0.10.

11. Shin, who skated in royal blue to music from the Cirque du Soleil show, O, advanced three places to 11^th with the 9^th best free. Shin was giving a great performance until the altitude clicked in towards the end when she doubled her triple Salchow and fell badly sliding on her hip on a double Axel, which was meant to be a three jump combination.

12. Gimazetdinova dropped a place to 11^th with a 12^th ranked free. She two footed and stepped out of her first triple Lutz and fell on the second. Skating to a medley by V. Cosma in a bright blue dress in which the top half of the body was covered with only a sliver of non see-through material. She managed a triple toe to double toe and a triple Salchow but other triples turned into doubles.

13. Na-Young Kim stayed 13^th although she was 10^th in the free which she performed to an Argentine Tango. She opened with a base level triple flip and a +0.17 double Axel and triple Lutz.

14. Chae-Hwa Kim dropped from ninth to 14^th with a 14^th ranked free. At 16, she was the youngest skater in these championships. She performed in lavender to music by Pokofiev. She began with a triple toe to double toe which was originally planned as a three jump combination. Going to Plan 2, she later tacked the double toe onto a double Axel. She also accomplished a base level triple loop but other triple attempts were flawed.

15. Phaneuf skated to Claire de Lune by Claude Debussy in a black dress with blue sparkles. She stayed 15^th despite a free that was rated 11^th best. She began with two double Axels but fell on her third move, a triple Lutz, and also on her second triple toe and doubled her Salchow. However, she accomplished a good (+0.50) three jump combination of triple toe to double toe to double loop. Phaneuf said her problem now is confidence. "I have not done an international in two years. It’s a big gift to be able to come here. After the short program, my confidence went. My jumps are okay by themselves. I can do the Lutz and flip but not in the program. I’ve got a lot of work to do this summer. I’m keeping both my programs. I’ll do a summer competition, possibly Liberty or Quebec. My problems are related to my right knee and ankle. It took them a long time to diagnose what was wrong, and they used othodontics as part of the treatment. They said there was a problem with alignment."

16. Carter, from Sydney, rose two places to 16^th with a free that was ranked 16^th best. She skated to Cubeman by Rene Dupere in a blue outfit. She began with a base level triple flip to double toe, but then singled her Lutz and loop and later fell on her triple flip.

17. Ana Cecilia Cantu, who performed to music from the soundtrack of the movie Kill Bill, stayed 17^th though her free, in which she fell on her opening move, a downgraded triple Salchow, was ranked only 20^th.

18. Naphtal, skating to Tchaikovsky’s emotion-filled Romeo & Juliet overture, advanced three places with a free that was ranked 17^th. She fell on her first move, a triple Lutz, but quickly recovered and presented a three jump combination, double Axel to double toe to double loop.

19. Ho, who advanced one place to 19^th with a free that was rated 19^th best, skated to three different pieces, The Feeling Begins by Peter Gabriel, Cleopatra by Trevor Jones, and the Harem Overture by F. de Brito. Wearing a black outfit with a chiffon-y partial midriff, she did not fall but made several errors.

20. Parekh, who advanced two spots with a free that was ranked 18^th, skated to music written by Minkus for La Bayadere, which was extremely appropriate for Parekh since the ballet is set in the country of her parents’ birth, India. Dressed in orange, she fell on her opening jump, a downgraded triple Salchow. Though her showing was flawed, it showed promise.

21. Di Tommaso, from Brisbane, skated to The Jellicle Ball from the music score of Cats by Andrew Lloyd Webber. She started with a layback spin and then fell on her first jump, a triple flip. She dropped two places from 19^th with a free that was rated 22^nd .

22. Michele Cantu climbed one place with the 21^st best free. Performing in a sleeveless mid-blue with silver glitter creation, she performed her well-choreographed routine to I Could Have Danced All Night, from the show My Fair Lady, smiling appropriately. She did fall but she downgraded many of her elements.

23. Pietersen, who is from Capetown, skated to John Tesh’s Valley of Dreams, in a metallic gold, rust and green outfit. She began with a nice flying camel but then fell on her double Axel.

Only 24 progress to the free skate, so Lee and Gardner were out. Lee would have been in had Suguri withdrawn before, instead of after, the draw. (Suguri is suffering from a moderate cervical (neck muscle) strain. The Technical Specialists were Vladimir Petrenko (younger brother of Olympic champion Victor) and Fernand Fedronic.

In a try out by US FigureSkating, the first 150 lucky spectators were given a small radio to hear through headphones live commentary by Todd Sand and Peter Cain.

2007 Four Continents Ladies Medalists