2004

Skate America

Ladies Event

By Sandra Stevenson

Photos Copyright 2004 by George  S. Rossano

Miki Ando, the world junior champion who placed a remarkable fourth in her first world seniors earlier this year, drew to skate first of the 11 girls from 8 nations, and proved unbeatable.

The 16 year old Japanese champion rocketed into a triple Lutz to triple loop combination set to music called Gypsy Soul. The majority of the judges thought that the three sections of this incredibly difficult move (the approach and entry into the move; the actual jumps and positions in the air; and the landing and quality coming out of the move) were quite satisfactory. One judge even gave a plus two but another saw what others didn’t and pressed the minus one button.

All of her elements were executed without apparent error but the spiral sequence was not up to the standard of the rest of the elements and eight of the judges punched in minus figures.

Through an interpreter, Ando said she was nervous because she had drawn to skate first. Skaters have always expressed fear of drawing to skate early in a large field.

When the 1999 Russian world champion Maria Butyrskaya drew to skate early for the short in the 1998 Olympics, she publicly burst into tears. She believed judges would save their high marks for later skaters. As the competition progressed and the judges’ warmed up, they would forget her efforts.

She was mistaken. The judges did not overlook her and she finished third out of 30 in the short.

The policy of staggered draws was implemented because of fears like this. Once an order is established in an earlier round, the draw is done in groups so the top six skate in the last warm-up group.

In any case in a field of eleven, judges would hardly become so overwhelmed they forget earlier efforts.

And one of the selling points of the new system is that this whole discussion is irrelevant because the officials are no longer ranking individuals, merely passing judgment on how each move or program component has been executed.

Ando, who is from the commuter community of Aichi, which is close to the big cities of Kobe and Osaka, is trained by Kumiko and Nobuo Sato, the parents of 1994 world champion, Yuko Sato.

Ando was given credit from the ISU for landing the first quad by a woman (a Salchow) in an international, which she accomplished at the Junior Grand Prix Final in The Hague in December 2002. However, she has not landed the feat cleanly again in competition.

Ando said, through an interpreter, "I’m glad to skate here but, if I’m competing in the U.S., they are interested in more than my jumps, and I wasn’t confident about my expression. Compared to Michelle Kwan, I don’t feel confident about my expression. Being here I felt like other people gave me courage, saying they like my smile, and the audience is very nice, and that encouraged me. So, now, I feel okay even while I made a mistake in the beginning

Angela Nikodinov, who made the US world team in 1999, 2000 and 2001, finishing fifth in her last appearance, performed to Beethoven’s Moonlight Sonata.

She was awarded almost no minuses, considerably less than Ando. However, her triple Lutz to double toe had a technical value of 7.3 as compared to Ando’s combination which was worth 11.0.

Nikodinov confessed, "My footwork didn’t look at all like it should tonight, but nobody can be perfect in October. You go home and work on what you don’t feel comfortable with."

Nikodinov’s second place proved she is on the comeback trail. She is now training with Igor Pashkevich in Lake Arrowhead, on the same rink as Kwan. "Michelle and I get along really well. We’re both the same age, 24. I really respect her.

"Last year, because of my injury, I didn’t start training till October. I started competing in Grand Prix events when I was 17 but this is my first one in two years. I walked in and I didn’t know anyone. There were all these youngsters.

"It was great to see Elena (Liashenko, from Ukraine, who is 28) because we have competed against each other. But it’s not about age. There’s no deduction for age. It’s about who can put those triples on the ice.

"It felt good to get the first program of the new season out of the way. It’s a hard competition. With the new system I’m thinking about the new levels in the spins and elements. When I saw my scores, I had no idea what it meant.

"Before, we were just doing the elements. Now we’re counting positions in spirals and rotations.

"I don’t often get injured but when it happens, it’s serious. I went through some personal problems when my coach passed away just before the Olympics. And then I was off the ice for seven months after my shoulder surgery which is pretty long for a competitor. But things like that make you stronger.

"I didn’t want to watch my rivals out there while I wasn’t skating. I had doubts about coming back. It was difficult to stay in shape and, mentally, you start doubting yourself. Everyone goes through that and I started asking, ‘Why am I doing this to myself?’ But then I found I can’t live without skating.

There is a two-way tie for third place between the Canadian champion, Cynthia Phaneuf, 16, and Alissa Czisny, 17, who only heard on October 17 that she was to report in for this event. Fortunately, she had just taken part in Regionals and was in full training.

"I was exhausted from Regionals but it’s an honor to be invited. I wasn’t expecting it and was a little afraid. I wasn’t really nervous. I’m very excited to be here. I didn’t expect to be in third."

Czisny, who is the elder of twins born 12 minutes apart, was runner-up for the US junior title in 2001 and had been in US nationals at senior level for three years (finishing 11^th, 10^th and 12^th).

Her sister also skates but was injured and is now looking for a dance partner.

Czisny gave a very balletic performance to The Mission. She is trained in Bowling Green by Julianne Berlin. Her triple flip became a double and her triple Lutz to double toe had some minuses.

Phaneuf, who is trained by Annie Barabe, has grown considerably this year which has resulted in problems with jumps. In Pittsburgh she completely popped her triple flip which was recorded as a single and was given the lowest rating of minus three from all the officials.

"I was off balance. It just takes time to get used to my new body," Phaneuf explained.

However, Phaneuf completed all her other elements including a triple Lutz to double toe combination to Dvorak’s haunting music, ‘Songs My Mother Taught Me’.

"I will do the flip next week in Skate Canada," Phaneuf promised.

Yukino Ota, a 17 year old from Kyoto, who won the 2003 world junior title and the Four Continents Championship earlier this year, injured her right ankle in September.

Skating to Ravel’s Tzigane, her triple Lutz to double toe was classed as a double to double, and she took fifth place.

Liashenko, who has competed in the world championships for many years with a best placing of sixth in 2002, popped her triple flip and was sixth.

Seventh was the Australian Miriam Manzano, a 29 year old who has made the world championship team for the past three years (best place 16^th in 2002). Manzano used the music Enchanted Nymph by Levitsky. She doubled her triple flip and had a 1.0 deduction for a time violation.

The 22 year old Susanna Poykio, from Oulu in Finland, who finished 12^th in the 2004 worlds, skated to Camille Saint-Saens’ Henry VIII but had several mistakes. Her triple flip became a double, and her triple Lutz to double toe, was classed as a double-double. Her double Axel received unanimous minus ones.

Twenty one year old Anne Sophie Calvez from France, who was 17^th in her third world championship last March, began with a triple toe loop to triple toe loop combination which was awarded mostly minus scores. She fell on her triple flip which means she not only received minus threes, she got a 1.0 deduction.

Taking tenth place was Idora Hegel, 21, of Croatia, who was 16^th in the 2004 worlds, which was her fifth entry. She fell on her triple Lutz which was to be her combination and had minuses on her triple loop and spiral sequence.

In last place was Fan Dang, 16, from Harbin in China. She singled her double Axel, turned her triple Salchow into a double and had other errors.

Susanna Poykio

Poykio’s showing, though good, was not spectacular. She began with a planned combination of two triple toes, but the second jump turned into a double. She followed with a triple Lutz to double toe and a triple Salchow. Her triple flip received some minuses and the triple loop turned into a double. Her only other jumps were a double Axel and triple toe.

She received Level 2 for her layback spin and her spiral sequence. Apart from the flip, all her moves received base value or better clearly demonstrating she gave an all-round performance.

Nikodinov was obviously over the moon with her gold. "I didn’t come here to win, or even to place. I just wanted to see how things went. The elements were really strong but I ran out of steam.

"I don’t have another Grand Prix. Hopefully, I will be given one."

Dressed in white, she began her free, which was set to Tchaikovsky’s Romeo and Juliet overture, with a double Axel sequenced into a triple toe, followed by a triple Lutz to double toe and triple flip that did not have the planned second jump, a double toe.

She then presented a change foot combination spin Level 1.

After her second triple flip, she added the double toe she had omitted on her first try in this combination.

Her lovely spiral sequence was given a Level 2. However she substituted a double Axel for her planned triple loop. She then presented a layback spin Level 1.

However, the next jump, a triple toe was doubled. Her straight line step sequence was given a Level 2. But it was followed by a single instead of the planned double Axel. Her last two moves, a flying camel and a change foot combination spin were both given only Level 1s.

Nikodinov, who skated last, said she had watched Miki Ando, who went into the free in the lead. "I saw that she missed some things and knew that I could beat her so that made me much more nervous. Skating last means you wait a long time – forty minutes after the warm-up. You start thinking, ‘Why even warm-up?’ I had to force myself to think of other things. I did look at the monitor but just to see where we’re at.

"It was a little overwhelming. I came into the competition more with a just go for it attitude than doubting myself (which she had in the past). I had nothing to lose. I have to reestablish myself.

"I felt I skated great but I know that I need to be more focused and calm down. After double Axel (her seventh move) I calmed down. I expected to do five triples and I did four so it was nearly there. I felt that the crowd was with me. That gives me confidence. I’m back to normal."

She began working with Igor Pashkevich a year ago after being off the ice for seven months. "It was scary. I couldn’t even do a back scratch spin. It was really tough. I was not my best, but I still came out on top. I know I can do it, if I land the jumps."

Pashkevich said, "I’m so glad this season we could get started in May, off ice and on. She had time to get in shape physically.

Nikodinov said she had learned a lot from her coach who had passed away just before the Olympics. "She was like a mother to me. I feel like she actually helps me get through it. I don’t want to let her down. Igor got me back and motivated me."

Phaneuf was third in both sections and second overall. "I was pretty nervous. I just need to work to be more focused.

The Canadian champion skated to Rimski Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol and began badly, singled the first jump, a Lutz, and not attempting the triple toe loop which was planned in the sequence.

She also singled the next jump, a flip, but pulled herself together for the double Axel which she followed with a flying camel spin which was given a Level 2. She accomplished a triple Lutz to double toe although she received some minuses.

Then came a layback Level 1. Next came a triple loop and triple Salchow. Her spiral sequence was rated Level 2. She received unanimous zeros for her triple toe loop to double toe loop (which mean it was done without any mistakes stepping into, during the air time, and flowing out on the back outside edge).

The following camel spin was only a Level one but her straight line step sequence was given Level 2. She finished with a change foot combination spin which gained a Level 1.

Phaneuf promised, "For Skate Canada, I will be ready."

Ando sat in the press conference with tears running down her cheeks. Her sixth in the long dragged her from first place to third overall, a big comedown for the 16 year old who won the world junior championships and was fourth in her first world senior championship earlier this year.

She began well with a triple Lutz but instead of the accompanying double loop and double toe, she did two double twos. She was awarded the base value of 8.6

Ando is the only woman that the ISU has certified as accomplishing a quad Salchow in competition but that was two years ago and she has grown since then. She keeps trying it but this effort was under-rotated and she collapsed on the ice in an ugly heap.

She later had another 1.0 deduction for a bad fall which was her second attempt at a triple Lutz almost at the end of the routine which wasn’t rotated enough to get the classification as a double.

She did bring off a triple flip, double axel, triple toe and triple Salchow to double loop. The last move was supposed to be triple-triple but the second jump was half a revolution short. It earned her an average of minus 1.2 which was taken off the base value of 6.6.

Although her spiral sequence gained a Level 2 all her spins and her footwork sequence rated only Level 1.

Through an interpretation, with the tears wet on her cheeks, she said she was pleased with her short program showing but she regretted she was able to do only 80% of what she was trying in the long.

Alissa Czisny was fourth. She fell on her first move, a triple Lutz to double toe sequence. Her triple flip was given an average of minus 0.20. The landing of the triple loop was pulled and received an average of minus 1.80.

Her triple Salchow got an average of minus 1.20. However her triple toe to double toe gained the full base value of 5.8. The second triple Lutz turned into a single but she got the full base value of 3.6 for her double Axel.

Skating to Swan Lake, she gained a Level 2 for her spiral sequences and although her footwork sequence and spins were only Level 1, they were all awarded plus marks to their base levels.

2004 Skate America Ladies Medalists

Photo by Paul Harvath