2001 Skate Canada Ladies Medalists
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2001Skate CanadaLadies Event |
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Skating to Ave Maria, Hughes skated a clean program that was well done landing double Axel, triple Lutz - double toe loop, and triple flip. Six of the seven judges placed her first with the Japanese judge place her second behind Suguri. In addition to making all the jumps, Hughes displayed excellent footwork and connecting moves and an expressive presentation. Michelle Kwan placed second in a another controversial decision edging out Suguri on a 4-3 split of the panel. Kwan left her combination in the warmup, landing double Axel, falling on the triple Lutz and then later landing the triple flip. She turned in a better performance than at Skate America, however, displaying more energy and expression than last week. Only a few tenths in the total marks separated Kwan and Suguri. Third in the short program was Fumie Suguri. Suguri also skated to Ave Maria, using a less harsh arrangement than Hughes, that she performed to beautifully. She landed her triple Lutz - double toe loop combination effortlessly but then barely eked out a triple flip. On double Axel the landing was a bit off, with a wild free leg, though still clean. Her circular footwork sequence was well done and she ended with a fast cross-foot spin in her spin combination. It was a tough choice for the judges with Suguri not making any major errors but having a few quality issues while Kwan had the one fall but otherwise was clean and secure. During the warmup the triple Lutz was not working for Irina Slutskaya, and she spent much of her warmup time working that jump. In presenting her program she did not attempt (at least that is how it appeared) the triple and threw a double Lutz - double toe loop instead. She then landed double Axel and triple flip. Overall it was a decent skate but her diagonal footwork sequence was slow and overall she did not attack the program. Afterwards she indicated she had not yet adjusted for jet-lag. Some severe critics of Kwan felt she should have been placed below Slutskaya, but with nearly equivalent deductions in the combination and the lackluster quality of Slutskaya's skating that is not really a defensible view.
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Sarah Hughes was the first of the four leaders after the short program to skate the long program. Her program, which includes seven triple jumps, was nicely presented and skated with decent speed, but had numerous small cheats on the jumps that were worse than is typical for her. She started with a double Axel and then attempted a triple Salchow - triple loop combination. It was one of her best attempts at that combination in competition, but the Salchow was a bit cheated. Her next element was a triple flutz - double toe loop combination which was followed by a triple flip that was also slightly cheated. Following a combination camel spin she attempted a triple toe loop but came up half a turn short. Then, after a flying camel spin, came a cheated triple flutz. A combination spin and two step sequences later she landed a triple toe loop with a weak landing edge. Six of the seven judges placed her second while the Swiss judge placed her first. Because Irina Slutskaya place fourth in the short program, second in the free skating was good enough this time to place first overall and win the gold medal. Irina Slutskaya took to the ice following Hughes. Skating to Tosca, she gave an intense, strong performance. The triple Lutz which deserted her in the short program was in fine form for the free skating. She landed her opening triple Lutz and followed with a triple Salchow - triple loop - double Salchow combination. Normally this combination consists of just the Salchow and the loop, but the triple loop was two footed and short half a turn and she tacked on the double Salchow for damage control. After a flying camel spin she landed a triple Lutz double toe loop combination and a triple loop. In the second half of the program she landed a triple flip and a double Axel. Near the end of the program she double what was to be a triple toe loop, but following footwork improvised a second attempt that was successful. She received marks of 5.6-5.8 and 5.8-5.9 with six of the seven judges placing her first. Next to skate was Michelle Kwan. Still coachless, she made some changes to the front end of her program since Skate America. She began with a fall on a triple toe loop attempt and then threw a triple Lutz - triple loop combination, falling on the triple loop which was severely under-rotated. She did not attempt the triple toe loop - triple toe loop combination. Following these two elements, the remainder of the program was skated cleanly, landing a double Axel, and solo four triple jumps: flip, Salchow, Lutz, and toe loop. In terms of speed and presentation her performance was similar to what she turned in at Skate America. It was capable clean skating but in need of speed, intensity and improved connecting moves; i.e, polish. All seven judges placed her third with marks of 5.5-5.6 and 5.6-5.8. Placing third in the long, she dropped to third overall, her lowest finish in an ISU competition in over five years. Fumie Suguri, who had placed third in the short program, skated last. Skating to the Moonlight Sonata, she gave a lovely presentation with good spins and footwork, but her jumps were not strong enough to hold onto a medal position. She attempted a difficult triple Lutz - triple toe loop combination but missed the toe loop. She also cheated and two footed a triple flip and a triple loop. She cleanly landed a double Axel, a triple Salchow, a triple flip, and a triple toe loop - double toe loop combination. She dropped to fourth in the long program and fourth overall. |
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2001 Skate Canada Ladies Medalists
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