Pairs

Starting Order - Short Program

Short Program

Notes after the short program:

The Chinese pair team of Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao edged out Canadians Jamie Sale & David Pelletier on a four-three split in the short program.  Skating second, Sale & Pelletier landed throw triple Salchow and then attempted triple toe loops which Pelletier landed but Sale stepped out off.  Their double twist was very well done as was the following death spiral (back outside required this year).  The unison in their side-by-side combination spin was excellent.  Overall it was a great performance with only the one error on the triple toe loop.  They were immediately followed in the skating by the Chinese team.

Shen & Zhao opened with a better than average death spiral and then landed triple toe loops.  They landed throw triple loop and their double twist was also well done.  Overall, however, the performance had some rough spots and was skated slowly, especially the spiral sequence and connecting steps.  Even though they arrived in Colorado Springs eight days before the event they still had trouble with the altitude.  Said Shen, "I thought we performed very well tonight.  We finished all our elements, but the altitude did affect our breathing."Jessica Miller & Jeffery Weiss

Third in the short program were Tatiana Totmianina & Maksim Marinin who skated first in the second warm-up.  They opened with successful triple toe loops and then completed an adequate double twist.  Totmianina held onto throw triple loop dragging the free toe and breaking at the waist.  Unison on their side-by-side combination spin was very good and overall it was a decent performance.

Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn gave a capable performance landing opening triple toe loops followed by a better than typical death spiral.  Their double twist was adequate but not in the same league as the top three teams.  On their combination spin they started out with good unison but after the change of foot got way out of synch.  Their throw triple Salchow looked labored but was landed cleanly.   Overall it was presented well despite dragging in a few places.  They ended up with a respectable fourth place finish in the short.

Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman skated to their "Truman" program from last year.  They started off by landing triple toe loops and then completed the double twist.  These elements were followed by throw triple Salchow on which Ina fell.  Their side-by-side combination spin was relatively simple but had good unison while their pair spin, near the end of the program, was a bit slow.  Overall the program had some rough spots and was slow, and even with just a 2 minute 40 second program stamina problems were in evidence.

Jessica Miller & Jeffery Weiss were not competitive with this group.   He put a hand down on triple toe loop and she fell on throw triple Salchow.   The death spiral had a poor position and the program was slow lacking any kind of spark.

During their warm-up,  Mariana Kautz of the German team Mariana Kautz & Norman Jeschke sprained her left ankle.  They competed despite the injury and placed eighth in the short program.  The following day they withdrew from the competition.

Starting Order - Free Skating

Final Results

Notes after the free skate:

The free skating was led of by Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman.  They started off strong with triple toe loops and double Axels and went on to land throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow (which they missed in the short program) and also a double toe - double toe sequence.  Their lifts and pair spins were not nearly as strong, however.   The catch on triple twist was very poor.  They completed a simple lasso lift and a second combination lasso lift which included a one arm position.  Near the end of the program they left out a fourth  lift.  The program also included only one death spiral - the relatively simple forward inside.  The program had many nice stylistic aspects but was weak on content and very slow.  A third of the way through the program the tempo noticeably declined and by the end of the program Zimmermann looked totally drained, to the point they had to leave out the one lift.  Despite the weaknesses in this performance they were able to move up one place over Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn due the several errors made by that team in their performance.

Tiffany Scott & Philip Dulebohn gave a performance whose basic air skating quality was good, but the program was slow and had many errors.  They landed double Axels but then on triple toe loop Scott stepped out.  Later on the program they landed double flips.  The catch on triple twist was very poor and on throw triple Salchow Scott slid off the landing edge.  On throw triple loop she had a turn out of the landing.   The lifts were of capable quality but the last lift,a helicopter near the end of the program was slow going up.  The side-by-side combination spin had good unison but their pair spin had a small slip in it.  The team looked better conditioned than Ina & Zimmermann but the numerous errors cost them one place and they dropped to fifth.

The third American team of  Jessica Miller & Jeffery Weiss were again not competitive at this level.  They gave a junior level performance and looked "in over their heads" in the extreme.

Among the medalists, Jamie Sale & David Pelletier skated first.  They opened with throw triple loop and then attempted triple toe loops, which Sale doubles.  It was the only major error of the program.  They went on to complete throw triple Salchow, and a double Axel - double toe loop sequence.  The triple twist was well done and for their other three lifts they complete a lasso to one arm with a twist out, a star combination, and a lasso to swan with flip out.  They included two death spirals - the back inside and the forward inside.  The program was nicely done and was well received by the audience with a standing ovation.  It was a program worthy of the unanimous first place ordinals it ultimately received.  The program was choreographed by Lori Nichol.  As well as it was done, Pelletier felt there was still room for improvement.  Later he said, "We know it's a long season.  From here to March we need improvement.  That's not our 'A' skate."  Said Sale, "Our music is more powerful and more mature.  I think Lori was sort of wanting to give us that because she waited to give us the program when we were ready.  She thought we were ray this year.  This year it's more passionate and very powerful."

Tatiana Totmianina & Maksim Marinin skated next to music from "West Side Story."  They opened with triple Salchows and a triple twist that almost got away from Marinin.  That was followed by throw triple loop and a triple toe loop - double toe combination. Marinin had trouble with the triple and inserted extra steps.   They then completed a variation on the forward inside death spiral with Totmianina in a split position.  At point the program began to decline.  After two simple lifts Totmianina stepped out of throw triple Salchow and then did a forward inside death spiral with an extremely ugly hip-out entry position.  There was also a small slip in a subsequent pair spin.  The program was slow and boring and ended two seconds over the permitted time.  They ended up third in the free skating, although two judges had them fourth and one fifth.

Last to skate were Xue Shen & Hongbo Zhao.  They landed double Axels and triple toe loops.  These were followed by a triple twist with a marginal catch.   Next came throw triple loop and a combination lasso lift that was nicely done.   A second set of triple toe loops were then attempted which he two footed and she stepped out of. Apparently the first two jumps in the program were intended to be a jump sequence, but they were executed so far apart it was not obvious that was the case.   Following a star lift and half a circular footwork sequence they attempted throw triple Salchow which got away from Shen with a late step out.  The remainder of the program consisted of spins and step sequences, and a forward inside to forward outside death spiral sequence.  The program ended with an inverted star lift with a twist out.  They received unanimous second place marks and ended up second overall.

2000 Skate America Pair Medalists

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