2000 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Senior Pairs

Final Standings

        J1:  Margery Schleh
        J2:  Kitty Delio
        J3:  Anne Cammett
        J4:  Steve Winkler
        J5:  Kristin Arneson-Cutler
        J6:  Paula Ziegler
        J7:  Colette Nygren
        J8:  Beth Graham
        J9:  Joyce Burden

Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman	Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn	Larisa Spielberg & Craig Joeright

Notes after the long program.

For the top teams after the short program, the long program was a breakthrough for some and an ill omen for others.

For Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman it was a breakthrough, being their best performance of their partnership.  Most significantly it is the first time they successfully completed all their jumps and throws, and avoided any major errors.  They landed triple toe loops, double Axels, double toe loops, throw triple Salchow, and throw triple loop.  Their lifts were also stronger than last year and their presentation of the program was very well done.  The only two errors we noted in the program were a less than stellar catch on triple twist, and a most unattractive butt-out entry into a forward inside death spiral.

This long program was also a breakthrough for Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn.   Last year they looked like an adequately capable senior pair team, but it was not clear they had any real potential.  Tonight they skated like a solid senior team that could make something of themselves despite some errors in the performance.  The presentation was well done with good speed and power.  On triple twist Scott came up half a turn short, but the remaining three lifts were solid.  Throw double Axel was landed but on triple Salchow Scott stepped out.  They both landed triple toe loops, double Axel, and a double flip into double toe loop sequence.  Their side-by-side camel spin combination had good unison and a back outside death spiral was also well done.   There was a minor problem in a circular step sequence, however, with Dulebohn getting off pattern for about an eighth of the circle.

Larisa Speilberg & Craig Joeright gave a capable performance deserving of third place but clearly below the top two teams in difficulty and polish.  They landed throw triple Salchow and throw double loop, double Axels (with a weak landing edge from Speilberg), double flips, and double Salchows.  On triple twist the catch was poor and they had a broken lasso lift midway through the program. Two other lifts (a lasso to star with flip out and a star with a twist out) were well done.  Their back outside death spiral was one of the best of the night and they also included a back inside death spiral in the up position.

Tiffany & Johnnie Stiegler, who were third in the short program, skated last.   They had a reasonable opportunity to hold that position but their program was a disaster.  It had six major errors and one minor error spanning every category of pair skating elements except spins.  They dropped two spots to fifth place.   While this team remains artistically capable, has improved in strength, and finally acquired a mature look, in terms of technical development they are in serious trouble.

Notes after the short program.

There were a few sparkling moments in the sort program, but overall the quality of the skating highlighted the dismal shape of U.S. pair skating today.  Overall the marks were little higher than what one sees in a junior level event, and at the bottom of the heap the quality wasn't even at a respectable junior level.

Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman, IV won the short program with unanimous first place ordinals.  Their only error was a fall on throw triple Salchow, while the best elements of the routine were the double twist and the side-by-side triple toe loops.   The expression of the program, skated to music from "The Truman Show", was well done and slowly this team is coming together, though with the emphasis on the word slowly.

Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn had a decent skate with decent expression and a better than average twist lift.  On triple toe loop Scott fell, and in the death spiral she enters the element with the unattractive butt-out position.  Throw triple Salchow was successful and their spins were clean but of ordinary quality.

Tiffany & Johnnie Stiegler gave a fine performance to their music "Nightmare" with the second highest second marks of the event, but two major errors cost them second place.  Tiffany fell twice, on throw triple loop and on triple toe loop, giving the team 0.7 in deductions.  Their overhead lift and death spiral were well done.  The twist lift looked good but is cheated by Johnnie propelling his sister by pushing up under her butt as the team remains unable to perform the element using correct technique.

Larisa Spielberg & Craig Joeright gave the only other remotely senior level performance of the evening.  Their twist lift and death spiral were well done and the unison on their side-by-side spin was excellent.  On the overhead lift Joeright had a very minor stumble and on throw triple Salchow Spielberg put her hand down.

Short Program

Free Skating

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