2001

Skate America

Pairs Event

Reigning World Champions Jamie Sale & David Pelletier easily won the short program skating their new routine set to Jalousie.  It was a clean performance with a good throw triple loop and side-by-side triple toe loops.  Their double twist was outstanding.  Their spins were deduction free but the pair spin was of only moderate difficulty and the unison on the change of foot in their side-by spin was way off.  The team is now being coached by Jan Ullmark with whom they began training after the 2001 World Championships.  All seven judges placed them first with marks 1 to 5 tenths above their nearest rivals.

Kyoko Ina & John Zimmerman, 2-time U.S. Champions had a good skate, landing triple toe loops and a throw triple loop which was strong and well controlled.  Their double twist was clean and high but the catch was delayed, almost too late.  Their program to Shine on You Crazy Diamond by Pink Floyd was well skated though lacked the energy it deserved and their pair spin was of only moderate difficulty.

Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin got off to a good start but had trouble going the distance and were exhausted by the end.  They started with a cautious back inside death spiral in the face-up position and then followed with a good throw triple loop and nice side-by-side triple toe loops.  Their side-by-side spin had an anxious moment when they drifted dangerously close together, but they did not make contact.

Skating again to the soundtrack from Broken Arrow, Danielle & Steve Hartsell lumbered along through their program.  Both skaters look a wee bit too heavy, especially Steve who looked bloated.  Their twist lift was adequate and throw triple Salchow was clean.  On triple toe loops Steve fell.  Their pair spin met requirements but was very simple.  If they hope to make the U.S. Olympic team it appears they have their work cut out for them.

Placing seventh behind the Hartsells were Laura Handy & Jonathon Hunt.  They too struggled through their program.  They started with a nice pair spin and an adequate double twist.  Their triple toe loops, however, were not pretty and on throw triple Salchow Handy put her hand down.  Their footwork sequence had poor unison.  The program ended with an unattractive back inside death spiral in the face-down position.

Their program this year, skated to Rachmaninov's Piano Concerto No. 2,  has an abstract them in which the two skaters are orchids.  In describing what it is like approaching such a program Pelletier said, "If you know Lori, you know that you don't ask questions, you just do it because you trust her.  I don't think this program would have worked 3 years ago.  I think Lori had plans when she started choreographing for us.  We obviously didn't know what the outcome was going to be.   This program is still too early to tell what kind of impact it will have, but for sure this program we couldn't have done three years ago.  It's more mature, more difficult.  The entries into lots of elements are more complicated that they used to be."

In describing the pressure of coming up with new things each season Sale said, "It's hard.  Every year we want to get better.  She (Lori Nichol) is amazing in that she can come up with something every year, and everybody keeps saying to us 'How do you top this program?'  and so she's been fabulous for that."

Ina & Zimmerman captured their first Skate America medal, placing second, and became the first U.S. pair team to medal at Skate America since 1997.  Skating to the Paganini Variation by Andrew Lloyd Weber,  they gave a strong performance which edged out Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin on a 4-3 split of the panel, with the margin of victory in the second mark.  All their pair elements were cleanly done, with both throws (triple loop and triple Salchow) well executed.   Zimmerman had two problems with his jumps, however, stepping out of triple toe loop, and a rough landing in double toe loop in a double Axel - double toe loop sequence.

Totmianina & Marinin skated their elements cleanly, which included triple side-by-side triple Salchows and a triple toe loop - double toe loop combination, and throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow.  Their program, however, only included three lifts and their presentation was flat.  They struggled again this year with the altitude though not a badly as least year when they could barely get through their program.  Said Marinin. "At the last Skate America we lost the last lift.   It as not so easy here.  But every year skating here gets better, but it is hard to skate in altitude for us."

The brother and sister team of Danielle & Steve Hartsell had a stronger skate in the long program than in the short program the day before and were able to move up one place to finish fifth overall.  The only major error was a fall by Steve on triple toe loop.Side-by-side double Axels were successful as were throw triple loop and throw triple Salchow.  They also executed four lifts though they were labored and the need for better conditioning was evident.

The third U.S. pair team in the event, Laura Handy & Jonathan Hunt, placed seventh in the long program but still dropped one place in the standings to finish eighth.    There were two errors in the program with Handy falling on throw triple toe loop and again on a double Axel.  They completed a side-by-side triple toe loop - double toe loop combination and throw triple Salchow as well as four lifts.  There program, however, was expressionless, which is the fundamental weakness in all their programs.

2001 Skate America Pairs Medalists