2001

Skate Canada

Dance Event

Shae-Lynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz made it four in a row over the Israeli team of Galit Chait & Sergei Sakhnovski this season, winning the Compulsory Dance on a unanimous decision of the panel.  It was a clean and precise performance that earned them marks of 5.5 through 5.8.

Second in the CD were Chait & Sakhnovski.  They were placed well below the Canadians - a substantial three to seven tenths in total marks.  It was a well skated performance but in the second pattern Sakhnovski skated over Chait's dress in the dip at mid-pattern.  Neither skater fell, but Sakhnovski's stumble cost them a deduction in the first mark.  Even without it, however, they still would have finished second to the Canadians who were placed ahead of the Israelis by all seven judges in the second mark.

The French team of Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder was the favorite of six of the judges for third place, with the US judge placing them fifth below the Swiss and Russian teams.

There are no U.S. couples at this competition.

Chait & Sakhnovski received unanimous second place marks for their lively dance that was skated with enthusiasm.

Also with unanimous ordinals Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder held third place.  The fourth and fifth place teams, however, swapped placed on a 5-2 split of the panel.  The Russian team of Svetlana Kulikov & Arseyi Markov moved ahead of the Swiss team who skated a poorly choreographed incoherent dance of no imagination.

There were no surprises in the free dance, with all the couples maintaining their placements after the Original Dance.  Shae-Lynn Borne & Victor Kraatz skated their Michael Jackson routine with more speed and energy than they did at Skate America, though the last third still bogs down.  They were rewarded with marks of 5.5-5.8 and 5.8-5.9.  Their two consecutive victories in the Grand Prix and the high marks they received in the process appears to cement their position as strong contenders for the bronze medal at the Olympic Games.

Galit Chait & Sergei Sakhnovsky also skated here with more energy than at Skate America.  Their lively and fast routine of Jewish folk melodies was well skated throughout.  The Swiss judge had them nearly equal to the Canadian team, giving the edge to Bourne & Kraatz on presentation.  The remainder of the panel, however, had them one to five tenths below the Canadians.  At this point in the season, the Israeli team appears to have a good shot at moving up one place from their sixth place finish at Worlds last season.

The French team of Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder, who placed 13th at Worlds in 2001, had the start of their program interrupted by problems with their music, Song of the Victorious City. They skated a program reasonable difficulty with moderately good speed but were clearly outclassed by the top two teams.  Their marks were three to eight tenths below the second place Israeli team.  Their program is moderately interesting, but there are some boring spots in the middle that need work and during the last minute of the program they slowed down considerably.

2001 Skate Canada Dance Medalists