U.S. CHAMPION BEATS JAPANESE SUPERSTAR

1.  192.41Overall Ashley Wagner 1.FS 128.34 (66.61+61.73); 2.SP

In an unexpected upset, the newly crowned US champion, Ashley Wagner, 20, seized her moment. She lay only 0.18 behind the Japanese legend Mao Asada after the Short Program going into Saturday’s Free Skate. Skating second in the last group of six competitors, a beautifully choreographed four minute ten second routine to Tchaikovski’s ageless music for the world’s most popular ballet, Swan Lake, dressed in black, Wagner dominated the ice surface with a star’s presence.

Asada had drawn to skate 23rd of the 24 entries permitted into the Free, which was three later than Wagner so Wagner had no idea of how her rival would skate. All she could do was her best, and that turned out to be good enough to win this title with a significant significant 3.79 points.

Opening with a triple flip to two double toe loops which earned a full point over its base value, Wagner received positive Grades of Execution for all 12 of her elements. All three of her spins gained the highest Level, 4. In all, she accomplished six triple rotation jumps, although she stopped short of risking a combination of two triple toes. It was a polished showing which earned her a margin of victory in this section of 3.94 points, and overall by 3.97.

She said she won’t be resting on her laurels. “Both of my performances here were better than at nationals. Going into worlds, I want to get my triple-triple in the short on one foot and the Axel-triple toe in the long. If I can do something similar to this at Worlds, I would be extremely pleased.”

Since she first made her mark in skating, earning a bronze in Oberstdorf in the world junior championship, which she repeated two years later, Wagner has seemed not quite able to make maximum use of her talents. She has only made the world (senior) team once before, placing 16th in 2008. That also was the year she made her only other appearance in this event and finished 8th.

The trigger who has released her potential is John Nicks. Wagner managed to persuade the well-preserved Briton who was the world pair champion in 1953, to spend less time on his beloved boat and teach her at the Aliso Viejo rink in the fall and the partnership appears to be working extraordinarily well. 

Wagner said, “Tonight was an awesome performance for me, a personal best, and to receive that internationally is a huge accomplishment. Everything I did out there was solid and strong. I think that I have the confidence and technique and performance now to put that to rest (her reputation as a competitor who does well but not quite well enough). But, at same time, I have to maintain this level of skating to not be the ‘almost girl’ anymore. I don’t think I can say right now I feel pressure. The next step is to learn how to take these great scores and compartmentalize. It’s one competition at a time. I did a good job at nationals and Four Continents. As long as I can do the same thing, stay calm and focus on my performance and technical elements, I will be fine.”

She is the first American woman to win this title since Kimmie Meissner in 2007.

2.  188.62 Overall Mao Asada 2. FS 124.37 (62.95+61.42); 1.SP

Mao Asada won this event in 2008 and 2010 but was pushed down to silver last year by her Japanese teammate, Miki Ando, who has taken this season off from competition. She left the ice believing that she had successfully completed her trade mark, a triple Axel, at the beginning of her routine, set to Lizst’s Lieberstraum. She said, “I’m very happy about succeeding on my triple Axel tonight, but I made several other mistakes.” But the video replay on the landing shows she came down “short” half a rotation and that cost her heavily. She was slapped with an “arrow” and got -1.29 taken off the base value of six points for this move. 

Later she said, “I understand my result. I will show a stronger performance at Worlds. I lost points on quality of jumps and that’s something I would like to work on before Worlds. I would like to land the triple Axel both in the short and free programs in Nice (the world championships) and I’d like to fix the small problems in free program. Actually in this altitude the jump (Axel) was easier to jump but I do have the tendency to under-rotate some jumps even without altitude so that is something I need to work on.

Dressed in a blue outfit, Asada, completed a good triple flip to double loop but had to put her hand on the ice on the landing on her triple Lutz which lost her a further 0.70. Later, after a double Axel to triple toe, and triple flip to two double toes, she lost points by doubling her Salchow. Equaling Wagner’s efforts, Asada gained Level 4 for all three spins and Level 3 for her straight line step sequence, although Asada gained 0.43 more on the GoE scores overall for these four moves. 

3.  176.18 Overall Caroline Zhang 3. FS 117.44 (63.25+ 54.19); 4.SP

Caroline Zhang, who was fourth in the recent US championship, skated first of the top six in a chiffon-y black and silver outfit to Dvorak’s Allegro from Cello Concerto in B Minor. The 18-year old Californian left the ice with a smile on her face although she had to wait over 40 minutes to find out she had won the bronze which she had also claimed in 2010. She said, “I was really happy with my performance tonight. There were a lot of things that I did differently than my previous long programs so I’m really happy with how I did.” Her score beat her season and personal best. “That feels great. It just gives me more motivation to keep working and help me get an even better one next year.”

In the past, she has been noted for her magnificent spins, particularly the layback in which her head seems to be an oyster encased by her arms and in which her head goes down farther than any other competitor this correspondent has seen. But for some reason, lately, she had not been been executing these moves to her previous wonderful full potential. That ability has now come back and she received Level 4 for all three spins and Level 3 for her footwork.

Her “pearl” spin was so incredible, the entire nine-member panel of judges punched in +3 Grade of Execution which is the maximum possible, and that meant 1.50 was added to the Level 4 base value of 2.70  She said, “I wanted to get those levels on spins and footwork. To get those was big accomplishment for me.”

She began with a +0.60 triple flip to double toe, followed by a +0.70 triple Lutz. Later she brought off a +0.50 triple loop, a triple flip to double toe to double loop, and a second triple loop. She also brought off two double Axels. This is the end of her season. She explained, “I don’t have any plans right now for new programs. I will be getting a new long. I will probably keeping my short because I like it. I hope to improve on it and learn to perform it better. I want to add the triple-triple back into the long. And work on my triple Salchow and the triple loop-triple loop so they will be better next year.”

4.  169.32 Overall Kanako Murakami 5. FS 105.87 (51.58+54.29); 3.SP

The 17-year old Kanako, Murakami who has won bronze for the past two years in the Japanese championships, is the 2010 World Junior Champion.  She dropped a place from third after the SP to fourth with a Free which was ranked fifth best. Skating in a light blue outfit, to Mendelsson’s Violin Concerto, she opened her routine with a triple Lutz, which was saddled with an “e” for wrong edge take-off. The following triple loop earned +0.70 over the base value, but she stepped out of her triple flip. Later she did a triple toe to single toe, a triple flip to single Axel sequence, and a triple Salchow to single loop. Although her first two spins were Level 4, her last one, the change foot combination, was only Level 1.

She said, “I’m very mortified about my triple toe-triple toe combination because I haven’t made mistakes at practice on this element but I made it at competition. My condition is gradually getting better so I’d like to achieve a perfect performance at Worlds.”

5.  162.59 Overall Kexin Zhang 4.FS 108.52 (58.32+51.21); 5.SP

The Chinese 16-year-old stayed fifth although she placed fourth in the Free. Skating last, to music from Love, the Magician, she opened with a +0.30 combination of two triple toe loops followed by a +0.70 triple Lutz to double toe and a +0.70 triple Lutz. All three spins were Level 4 and the steps Level 3. Her only mistake was an arrow for slight under-rotation on her triple flip. She said, “I am pretty pleased with what I did today; I only regret that I missed one jump. But everything else was quite good. This is my first time at the Four Continents Championships and to come fifth is very good for me, especially since this is a senior level championship. I am now going to Worlds. ”

6. 157.23 Overall Agnes Zawadzki 6.FS  104.36 (49.27+55.09); 6.SP

Agnes Zawadzki, 17, the bronze medalist at US nationals, skated third in the top group of six, and stayed sixth. Interpreting Rhapsody in Blue in a blue outfit, the youngster from Des Plaines, Ill., who trains in Colorado Springs, said, of her showing, “It’s a little disappointing because practice was a lot better.  I think I need to work on getting it the same and having it click during competition instead of practice. Yeah, it’s a seasons best, but I had higher standards for myself.”

Zawadzki made a mistake right off the bat. She had intended to execute a double Axel to triple toe loop but stepped out of the Axel. Although she received no other negative Grades of Execution, late in the program she reduced a couple of her planned moves, to a single Axel to double toe loop and a double Salchow. Her straight line steps were only Level 2. However, two of her spins were Level 4 and the other Level 3. 

7. 147.65 Overall Amelie LaCoste 8.FS 95.93 (43.84+51.88-1); 7.SP

There was a lot of pressure on the two Canadian skaters who were so close in their Nationals that the Association decided that the one place on the world team would go to Worlds. They were also incredibly close here. Only 0.18 separated them! LaCoste, the new Canadian champion, overtook her teammate who was last season’s Canadian champion. Both made several errors.

LaCoste maintained her seventh place but was beaten in the FS by Phaneuf but not by enough. Lacoste, 23, who skated to Don’t Cry For Me Argentina presented a +1.0 triple loop and +0.40 triple Lutz but that was followed by a stepout on a triple Salchow meant to be a combination. After a Level 3 layback spin, she lost a minimal -0.10 on her Level 3 straight line steps and then singled a flip. Her triple loop to double loop got the base value and her flying sit earned Level 4 with +0.43. Then she fell on her double Axel. Her final jump was a double Salchow but she got applause for her final Level 4 combo spin which was good enough for four judges to punch in +2.   

She said, “It wasn't my best obviously. I missed a lot of stuff that I usually don't miss. I think I was a bit nervous because I put a lot of pressure on myself. I was coming here for the spot for Worlds. It wasn't my best performance but I'm looking forward to Worlds. ”

She skated right after her rival, Phaneuf. “I didn't watch her performance at all, I was focusing on myself. I heard her marks but I don't think that affected my performance. I told myself, push through to the end and give everything you have.”

8. 147.47 Overall Cynthia Phaneuf 7.FS 96.71 (44.83+51.88) 8.SP

Phaneuf, 24, performed in white to Rachmaninov’s Rhapsody on a Theme by Paganini. She said, “I was nervous coming here but I have been doing very well at home so I was confident. I have been doing very well in practices all week long. This morning was a hard practice for me. I was off and I was more nervous going into the long program because of this morning. I’m quite happy that I fought through it.”

About missing making the World Team by a small margin, she said, “It was so close. It’s maybe a sign. It was so close at nationals and so close here. Maybe it’s a sign to go back home and work harder on stuff. It was the best for me and Amelie. It was a good thing because we were pushing each other. I’m sure this competition between us has been making us better skaters. I wish her the best for Worlds.”

Phaneuf singled her opening jump, a triple Lutz. After a nice +0.80 triple loop, she singled her second at this same jump. After a Level 4 combo spin, she executed a +0.30 triple Salchow. After a single Axel she did a +0.60 triple toe loop followed by a +0.70 triple toe loop to two double toe loops. She finished with two Level 4 spins with Level 3 straight line steps between them.  

9. 134.49 Overall Haruka Imai 9.FS 89.30 (49.05+42.25-2); 11.SP

The 18-year-old Japanese is now training at the Detroit FSC. She skated to My Fair Lady choreographed by Yuka Sato. She said, “Despite my multiple mistakes the score wasn’t so bad. That was pretty surprising but I am really disappointed in myself. Today’s performance was terrible.” Imai had a problem on her first three moves. She opened with a slightly flawed combination of two triple toe loops (-0.70) and then got an “e” for wrong edge take off on her triple Lutz. Then she fell on her triple flip. The middle section was Ok. She completed a base value triple loop to double toe, a Level 4 combination spin, and a triple Salchow to double toe to double loop. But then a second triple Salchow got an arrow for slight under-rotation and a double Axel had -0.43 take off its base value. After Level 2 steps, she entertained the audience with a Level 4 layback spin and concluded with a Level 3 flying camel.  

10. 130.52 Min-Jeong Kwak 10.FS 81.80 (40.41+42.39-1); 9.SP

The Korean 18-year-old, who fell on her triple Salchow, said, “I was so exhausted in the second part of my program that I thought about giving up. I never competed at such altitude. I want to skate better with the music and I want to improve my stamina.”