2008 Skate America

Pairs Event

Russians Lead Germans at Skate America

In a surprise, Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov of Russia won the pairs short program with 66.37 points, grabbing a 2.24-point lead over German world champions Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy.

"I knew we could skate [well], but today was magic," Trankov said. "We did our job. For sure, the world champions were the favorites, but we just did our work."

Performing in an elegant style reminiscent of Olympic champions Tatiana Totmianina & Maxim Marinin, the Russians opened their short to Pink Floyd’s "Nobody Home" with a high triple twist capped by a wonderfully soft catch. They both hit triple toe loops, followed by a level four spiral sequence. Their throw triple loop had good run out on the landing, and their Level 4 forward inside death spiral was entered from a shoot-the-duck position.

Their side-by-side flying camel combination spins featured difficult positions including low, sideways-leaning sit spins. The attractive level four lift was entered with Trankov in a spread eagle position, and the closing combination spin featured a stunning image of Trankov in a catch foot upright position with Mukortova beneath him in a sit spin.

Asked the secret of their improved performance, Trankov responded, "First of all we were born in Russia so it is in our blood. Second, we have a good coach (Oleg Vasiliev) who was [1984] Olympic pairs champion and knows the secrets to winning. We follow him and do his training every day. It’s all secrets."

The evening turned disappointing for the Germans when Szolkowy doubled his triple toe loop, costing the pair more than three points. The remainder of their short to the Lost in Space soundtrack – including a huge throw triple flip; big triple twist; and inventive death spiral and pair spins -- was solid, but lacked the magic of the Russians.

"Like Max said, we are world champions, but even we are human," Szolkowy said. "On the triple toe loops, my body was on the ice but my head was somewhere else, I don’t know where. I hope I find it by tomorrow."

U.S. Champions Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker’s otherwise fine performance to "Malaguena," choreographed this spring by Lea Ann Miller, was marred by McLaughlin’s disruptive fall on the throw triple loop. On the plus side, the speedy program opened with a spectacular pair spin, with McLaughlin performing twizzles at the exit. The lift was solid, and although Brubaker turned out of the triple Salchow, they regrouped quickly with a high triple twist.

"This program was definitely a step in the right direction for us," Brubaker said. "There were some little mistakes but it’s the beginning of the season and it’s something we can improve upon."

The Americans enter the free skate in third place with 57.02 points.

Canadians Meagan Duhamel & Craig Buntin sit fourth with 54.26 points after poorly synchronized side-by-side flying camel combination spins, where they lost unison. Their two finest elements were an intricate, well-centered level four pair combination spin and a strong throw triple Lutz late in the program that earned 6.06 points. They earned aa54.26 points.

Former two-time U.S. champions Rena Inoue & John Baldwin had difficulty with the first two elements of their short to Secret Garden’s "Illumination." First, Baldwin doubled the toe loop (Inoue hit a triple); then, Inoue fell on the landing of the throw triple Axel. They scored 50 points.

Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin, who placed sixth at 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, sit sixth with 48.40 points. Performing to music from Swan Lake, Yankowskas fell on a triple Salchow but hit the next element, a throw triple Salchow.

Order returned to pairs with the reigning World Champions, Aliona Savchenko & Robin Szolkowy taking first place in the Free Skate, to win the gold medal.  Nipping at their heels, however, where the U.S. Champions Keaunna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker.

Savchenko & Salkowy skated a capable, though somewhat flawed program, opening with a nicely executed triple toe loop - triple toe loop sequence.  Their triple twist was also fairly well  done, though one judge gave it a GoE of minus one.  On triple Salchows, Savchenko had a poor landing, and the element was scored negative, costing them a point.  Their side-by-side spin was also scored negative, with poor unison, and there closing pairs spin was called "no level" costing them several points.  Their first throw jump was decent, but their second was singled (a Salchow).  One judge gave a GoE of minus three for this element, perhaps thinking a double or triple was required, but that is not the case.

Skating to the adagio from "Schindler's List" their performance was again capable but not particularly emotional or expressive.  Their component marks were mainly in the mid sevens giving them the highest Program Component Score of the group, 5.20 points ahead of the Americans.  Overall at this competition, the Germans were not at the top of their game, with plenty of room for improvement as the season progresses.

Despite errors in three elements, McLaughlin & Brubaker trailed the Germans, by just 1.02 points in the Free Skate, placing second in the Free Skate and second overall.  They had the highest element scores of the group, and third best component scores.

The Americans opened with a nice triple twist, with GoEs of mainly ones and twos, and then landed a triple Salchow - double toe loop combination.  An attempt at triple toe loop ended up as doubles, with McLaughlin stepping out, resulting in negative GoEs.  Negative marks were also received for the their side-by-side combination spin, and a death spiral called at level one.  The remaining elements were well done, with strong lifts and throws (triple Salchow and triple loop).

As Maria and Tony from "West Side Story," McLaughlin & Brubaker gave a performance with a decent relationship between the skaters and a decent, but a little cold, interpretation.  The program was judged a little weak on Transitions, with that mark about 1/2 point below the other components, which averaged around seven points each.

After leading in the Short Program, the Russian team of Maria Mukhortova & Maxim Trankov placed fourth in the Free Skate and dropped to third overall.  Technically the program was riddled with errors too numerous to mention.  In total, four elements were scored negative overall, and all but one element had at least one negative GoE.  They had three falls.

In Program Components, the marks from the judges were as muddled as the performance itself.  Their component marks ranged from 4.25 through 7.75, a range of 3.50 points.  3.50 points!  Skating to "The Lady and the Hooligan" the choreography was a dreadful muddle, with little interpretation.  One judge gave marks in the fours and fives, with which we agree.  The official answer, however, is that this was the second best presentation of the group.  It's good to be Russian in pair skating.

The composer was not indicated on the program information provided the media, but we assume this is the ballet of the same name by Dmitri Shostakovich.  (Gang member boy falls in love with school teacher girl.  Gang members give teacher girl a hard time.  Gang member boy defends her, gets killed by former friends.)

Third place in the Free Skating and fourth overal were Canadians Meagan Duhamel & Craig Buntin.  They attempted a difficult program, wich was tolerably well executed, with four elements scored negative.  Like Mukhortova & Trankov the errors both large and small were too numerous to mention.  But with no one skating particularly clean it was good enough to score third in elements.  Skating to (God help us) "Tosca" all one can say is they just don't get it.  We again agree with the one judge who gave them component marks of 3.25 through 5.5.

Stagnating in fifth place, Rena Inoue & John Baldwin Jr. missed three big tricks, but otherwise shoed competent elements.  Inoue under rotated triple toe loop and stepped out of the landing, stepped out of throw triple loop, and fell on throw triple Axel.  There Program Components average around 6.00.

The third American team here, Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin placed sixth in the Free Skate and sixth overall.  Their opening group four lift, with carry, was very well done, as was throw triple Salchow.  Otherwise, their elements were adequate at best.  The team landed a triple toe loop - double toe loop combination, but in triple Salchows Yankowskas doubled the jump, and Coughlin put a hand down.  Their performance to "Bram Stoker's Dracula" was of average artistic skill and was scored mainly in the low fives for components.

2008 Skate America Pairs Medalists