1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Senior Dance

 

Final Standings

Place Couple C1 C2 OD FD
1 Naomi Lang
Peter Tchernyshev
1 1 1 1
2 Eve Chalom
Mathew Gates
2 2 2 2
3 Deborah Koegel
Oleg Fediukov
3 3 3 3
4 Beata Handra
Charles Sinek
4 4 4 4
5 Tiffany Hyden
John Lee
5 5 6 6
6 Stephanie Woodman
Robert Peale
7 8 7 5
7 Christie Moxley
Tom Gassbeck
6 6 5 7
8 Shannon Simon
Jason Simon
8 7 8 8

        J1:  Margaret Faulkner
        J2:  Anthony Bardin
        J3:  John Millier
        J4:  Susan Keogh
        J5:  Richard Dalley
        J6:  Marilyn Whelan
        J7:  Michael Bauer
        J8:  Bette Todd
        J9: Robert Horen

 

Notes after the free dance.

No surprises among the top four teams.  Lang & Tchernyshev took first place with an Argentine Tango to  "Adios Nonino" by Aster Piazzolla.  Their technique was the best in this group of couples but they lacked the passion that Punsalan & Swallow brought to the Latin rhythms.  The most dramatic of the three routines came from Chalom & Gates who skated to Mozart's "Requiem" and "21st Symphony."  Although not nearly as precise in their footwork than Lang & Tchernyshev, they brought a passion to the free dance that was lacking from the other couples.  The dance showed the influence of Anissina & Peizerat and included one lift in which Chalom lifts Gates into a vertical headstand position.  Koegel & Fediukov placed third with a lively but simpler program to music from "Fiddler on the Roof."

The top two couples will represent the U.S. at the World Championships next month in Helsinki, Finland.  Thanks to a "loop-hole" in the rules Peter Tchernyshev is able to represent the U.S. - but only by the skin of his teeth.  In order to represent the U.S. at Worlds, USFSA rules require skaters be U.S. citizens.  The Russian born Tchernyshev does not meet that requirement, but there is a provision in the rules that non-citizens who entered the U.S. competition system prior to May 1995 can continue to represent the U.S.  This provision was included in the rules for the benefit of Gorsha Sir who was the reigning U.S. dance champion with Renee Roca at the time the rule was passed.  Tchernyshev began competing in U.S. competitions in the 1994/95 season and placed 13th at the 1995 U.S. Nationals with his former partner.

Notes after the original dance.

With so many couples no longer competing since last year, the dance event here is extremely weak, even by U.S. standards.  There are only eight couples competing here and the results are completely as anticipated  before the event began.

At the start of the season Lang & Tchernyshev and Chalom & Gates had used the "Masquerade Waltz" for the original dance, as had several European teams.   Realizing that many teams had selected the same music, both these couples and their European counterparts chose new music, so that now no one is using the "Masquerade Waltz".  Lang & Tchernyshev are now skating to the "Waltz of the Flowers" from the "Nutcracker" and Chalom & Gates are using "Second Waltz" by Shostakovach.

The top three teams all did respectable jobs, but it is clear that which ever two teams make the U.S. World Team, the U.S. has little to look forward to at Worlds.

 

Original Dance

Place Skater J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 J8 J9 Maj
1 Naomi Lang
Peter Tchernyshev
2 1 1 1 1 1 2 1 1 7/1
2 Eve Chalom
Mathew Gates
1 3 3 2 2 2 1 2 2 7/2
3 Deborah Koegel
Oleg Fediukov
3 2 2 4 3 3 3 3 3 8/3
4 Beata Handra
Charles Sinek
4 4 4 3 4 4 4 4 4 9/4
5 Christie Moxley
Tom Gassbeck
5 5 5 5 6 6 5 6 5 6/5
6 Tiffany Hyden
John Lee
6 7 6 6 5 5 6 5 6 8/6
7 Stephanie Woodman
Robert Peale
8 6 7 8 8 8 7 7 7 5/7
8 Shannon Simon
Jason Simon
7 8 8 7 7 7 8 8 8 9/8

 

Free Dance

Place Skater J1 J2 J3 J4 J5 J6 J7 J8 J9 Maj
1 Naomi Lang
Peter Tchernyshev
1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 9/1
2 Eve Chalom
Mathew Gates
2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 9/2
3 Deborah Koegel
Oleg Fediukov
3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 9/3
4 Beata Handra
Charles Sinek
4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 9/4
5 Stephanie Woodman
Robert Peale
6 6 5 6 7 6 6 6 5 8/6
6 Tiffany Hyden
John Lee
5 8 6 8 6 7 5 5 6 6/6
7 Christie Moxley
Tom Gassbeck
7 5 7 5 5 5 7 7 7 9/7
8 Shannon Simon
Jason Simon
8 7 8 7 8 8 8 8 8 9/8

 


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