1999 U.S. Figure Skating Championships

Senior Pairs

Final Standings

        J1:  Douglas Williams
        J2:  Kevin Rosenstein
        J3:  Hal Marron
        J4:  Deveny Deck
        J5:  Sharon Wiggins
        J6:  Roberta Parkinson
        J7:  Peggy Graham
        J8:  Roger Glenn
        J9: Franklin Nelson

Notes after the long program.

Skating to music from "Romeo and Juliet" and "The Man in the Iron Mask", Danielle & Steve Hartsell won their first senior pairs championship in a nearly clean program which was clearly the most well rounded of the event.  Except for a weak catch on their triple twist, their four lifts were well done and included one element in which Danielle is held in a headstand position.  Their throws, triple Salchow and triple loop, were not the most spectacular of the group but were still strong and clean.  They landed side-by-side triple toe loops, with just a small reach for the ice by Steve.  Overall they skated with good speed and unison, and included two death spirals in the program - a back inside and back outside.

Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman IV took second place on a 5-4 split over Laura Handy & J. Paul Binnebose.   Ina & Zimmerman got into trouble early in the program with a bad catch on triple triple twist that led to both skaters falling.   Following that element they made a number of adjustments to their program.  On side-by-side triple Salchows Zimmerman stepped out of the landing and for throws they only did doubles - double loop and double Salchows.  Except for the twist their lifts were strong, but their spins were fairly simple.  Their greatest strength was in the second mark and stylistically the team was closer to Stiegler and Zimmerman in appearance than Ina & Dungjen.  They are also starting to show the influence of their new coach Tamara Moscvina with whom they work in New Jersey.

Handy & Binnebose started off like gang-busters but faded in the last minute of the program, which was probably the difference between second and third place.  They landed a good throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow and included three lifts in the program and a forward inside death spiral.  Near the end of the program they aborted the ending of their pairs spin and then seemed distracted for the remainder of the program.  Binnebose decided they should omit the final fourth lift in the program - a one arm helicopter lift - in the interest of safety.  None of these changes constituted a major error but they created enough of a negative impression to cost them one place in the long program.  They received four second place mark, but also three fourth place marks.

With the few problems in Handy & Binnebose's  program, Tiffany & Johnnie Stiegler had the opportunity to move up a place and gain the third spot on the World Team, but several errors in their side-by-side jumps held them in fourth place.  They received placements of second through fifth in the long program.  Their most spectacular elements were two huge throws, throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow.   Except for a poor catch on triple twist their lifts were also well done, but they were undone by their solo jumps.  On double Axels he put a hand down and she fell, on double loops he singled the jumps, and both skaters singled double Salchows.   Stylistically they were the best of the teams, skating to music from "Giselle",  with only Ina & Zimmerman coming close to matching them.

Notes after the short program.

Although Kyoko Ina is the reigning U.S. pairs champion (along with former partner Jason Dungjen) the pairs title this year was viewed as open to any team that could get the job done, and the results in the short program bear that out.  Former U.S. junior pairs champions and World Junior Champions Danielle & Steve Hartsell won the short program on a 6-3 split of the panel.  All the elements in their performance were well done as was their basic skating.  Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman received three first place marks but also one fourth place ordinal.  They are much improved since Skate America, their first competition together, but they still have a ways to go.  Their twist was acceptable but three teams were stronger in that area, and their throw triple Salchow could use more height.

Placing third in the short program were Handy & Binebose who edged out Stiegler & Stiegler on another 6-3 split.  Handy & Binebose had a strong lift with a lasso to star with a twist out, a strong double twist, and great unison on their side-by-side spin combination.  Their weakest element was a small reach for the ice on throw triple Salchow.

Stiegler & Stiegler had decent lifts, but their strengths were an excellent throw triple loop, and fine spins.  Their back inside death spiral was in the less difficult down position and Johnnie tripped in the opening moments of the program ending up sprawled across the ice at his sister's feet during her opening pose.  Their presentation, always a strong point for them, served them well, allowing them to securely hold fourth place and presenting them with a chance to move up for a medal and to make the World Team by skating well in the long program.  In the free skating it appears that the competition will be between Hartsell & Hartsell and Ina & Zimmerman for the top two places, and between Handy & Binebose and the Stieglers fighting for third place and the third spot on the World Team.

Short Program

Free Skating

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