2009 Skate America

"I felt a lot of pressure to skate well because I skated so well in Paris but once I got going, I was alright," said the 19 year-old. Her sophisticated look as a James Bond heroine was set off by her black and silver dress, with its strap over one shoulder and bondage neck band. The "dangerous woman" was complete, right down to her black nail varnish.

However, the perfectionist, who was too young by a few months to compete in the last Olympic Games, was not completely satisfied. Speaking in English, she said, "I think my footwork and my last spin were a little slow. But the reaction of the audience was incredible." The rink was wallpapered with signs of support and posters of her and the audience rose in a total standing ovation when her music stopped. "I’m aware that after Paris, people were talking about my score. I can do better but I can do worse, too. It’s not about the score. I don’t want to think about the score."

Brian Orser, who became a coach because Kim and Korean officials thought he would be good for her, knows all about pressure. He was second in both the 1984 and 1988 Olympics. She is so much of a celebrity that the Korean Association thinks it better for her to train in Canada where she will not be as bothered by the adoring public.

He said, "She wants to go out, skate well, and show everybody who she is. When that music starts, she just goes into this other state," Orser explained. "I think she’s just excited about these new programs. They are such a good fit for her. She wears them well."

Kim’s opening triple-triple, which has a base value of 10 points, got 2.20 added marks because six of the judges punched in a GoE of 2 and two gave the maximum +3. The remaining judge thought the move deserved only +1. The following move, a triple flip was also light, very high and securely landed, earning +2s from seven of the judges and +1 from the other two. A layback spin and the spiral sequence followed earning Level 4 and good GoEs of +0.70 and 1.40 respectively. Her double Axel was rewarded with +1.60. The flying sit spin was Level 4 with +0.50; the straight line steps gained Level 3 and +0.90; and a change foot combination spin earned Level 3 and +0.50.

Her component marks ranged from a low of 7.25 given by two judges for transitions up to a high of two 8.75s, one for choreography and composition and the other for Interpretation, both given by one of the judges who punched in one of her lows. The score was enough to win the silver medal in the men’s event.

Flatt, who finished fifth in the World championships earlier this year, picked herself up and immediately soared into a base value triple flip. Her flying camel and spiral earned Level 4 and small positive GoEs, +0.10 and +0.40 respectively. Her layback spin was only Level 2 with +0.20. The double Axel which followed earned its base value. Her straight line steps were Level 3 with +0.90 and the final element, her change foot combination spin was Level 4 and +0.50. Her components ranged from a low of one 5.25 for her for Transition/Linking steps up to three 7.50s

Julia Sebestyen, Hungary, 3. 58.54 (32.10 + 26.44) is very aware this is her last season. The 28 year old 2004 European champion has been in top level competition since the last century. Her first appearances in the European and World championships were, respectively, in 1995 and 1998. This year, she appears to have got a fresh lease on life, and produced a clean short as she had in the Nebelhorn Trophy and in the Rostelecom Grand Prix in Moscow. Her jumps are very high and she soared through her triple Lutz to double toe earning 0.60 over the base value of 7.30. However, her triple flip was given an "e" for wrong edge which meant 1.40 was taken off the base value of 5.50. Her flying camel was Level 4, which has a base value of 3.20 and she got an added 0.40. Her spirals were also Level 4 and she earned the base value of 3.40.

Her double Axel got +0.80 but her Layback, always her weakest element, got only the base level for Level 2 (1.90). Her circular steps and change foot combination spin were both Level 3 and both earned +0.30 over their base values of 3.30 and 3.0. One judge gave her particularly low component marks, a 4.50 for interpretation, 4.75 for transitions and 5.25 for choreography. But she also had 11 marks in the 7s. She said, "I need to get points from the spins and spirals, not just the jumps. But I’m really happy with my Short Program performances this season."

Fumie Suguri, Japan, 4. 56.04 (29.28 + 26.76), is another "old-timer". Suguri, who will turn 30 on New Year’s Eve, won bronzes in the 2002 & ’03 world championships and silver in 2006, but has since been eclipsed by younger skaters in Japan. She is now training in St. Petersburg hoping Plushenko’s coach, Alexei Mishin, can refresh her skating. She performed to two pieces by Bach, Air from his Orchestral Suite No.3, and Toccata & Fugue, in a relatively plain but bright royal blue long-sleeved outfit with matching gloves, that had a yellow skirt and a yellow ribbon in her hair.

She began with a triple Lutz to double toe which was saddled with an "e" for wrong edge and -1.40 was taken off the base value of 7.30. Then she was slapped with a downgrade for her triple flip which meant she earned only 1.74 for a move which has a base value of 5.50. However, she earned the maximum Level 4 for four of the five moves which are given a Level. (The jumps are not awarded levels.) She received at least the base value for the other six moves, which included a double Axel which is not given a level. Her flying camel and spirals were Level 4. The straight line steps were Level 3 but earned her best GoE, +0.70. She judged her performance as "so-so, better than the Cup of China. I went back to Lori Nichol and we rechoreographed a few things. I love her work. I worked with Lori many years ago and I told my coach I wanted to work with her again. We didn’t have much time but I think it helped a lot."

Elena Glebova, Estonia, 5. 52.28 (28.80 + 23.48), is a 20 year old, 4-time national champion, athough her titles were not consecutive. She skated to Lee Holdridge’s East of Eden, a piece once used by Michelle Kwan. She was the only skater, apart from Kim, to successfully accomplish a combination of two triples, both toe loops, for which she earned +1.0 in addition to the base value of 8.0. Her solo triple was a Salchow. Although she was rewarded with +0.80 GoE for this element, it has a lower base value, 4.5, than the loop, flip or Lutz, which most of the competitors attempted.

Glebova is trained in Tallinn, the capital city of her country, which will host the European championships in January, by Anna Kondrasheva Levanti, who was the first Soviet woman to win silver in the world championships (in 1994). She wore a lime green dress. "I designed it. Fashion is my hobby. I’m happy I landed all my jumps. I don’t know what happened with the flying sit spin. I came off my blade and so I did it again but you can’t do that and so I got no points for that element."

Elena Gedevanishvili, Georgia, 6. 52.18 (27.90 +24.28), earned less technical marks but greater components than Glebova, and the two are almost tied. The 19-year-old, who is trained in Hackensack by Robin Wagner, made a splash when she took 10^th place in the 2006 Olympics, but she subsequently grew and has had problems adjusting to the transition into womanhood. She has stayed with her routine set to Fever which she really sells. But she doubled her Lutz and received only 0.90 marks for this element. Her second move was meant to be a combination of two triple toes but she doubled the second jump and got a minus for the GoE of 0.80. All her other moves got positive GoEs. Three of the five moves, which earn levels, got 4 and the other two, the layback and the straight line steps, were awarded 3s.

Joshi Helgesson, Sweden, 7. 51.32 (29.48 + 21.84), is a new comer to Senior level competition. The 16-year-old is 3-time Swedish Junior champion and has placed 7^th and 4^th in the world junior championships. Skating to Chris Spheeris’ Magaya, she began with a triple toe which earned the base value but her triple Lutz to double toe had -1 taken off the base value. Her double Axel gained +0.40. Three of her five level moves earned 4 but the straight line steps were given 3 and the layback only 2 with a marginal negative.

Tugba Karademir, Turkey, 8. 49.42 (27.50 +21.92), skated to the appropriate, Bazaar Istanbul, but got off to an unfortunately start, doubling her flip in combination with a double toe. The Technical Specialist, Ravi Walia, and his assistant, Evelyn Rossoukhi Schneider, gave the 24-year-old long-time Canadian resident, a dreaded "e" for wrong edge take-off and that meant she scored only 2 points for this element. However, the rest of her elements, which included triple Salchow and double Axel, all gained positive GoEs. She gained three Level 4s. The layback spin was Level 3 and her straight line steps Level 2. Both of these moves got +0.40. Her component marks ranged from a low of 4.50 for transitions up to a 6.50 for choreography.

Susanna Poykio, Finland, 9. 46.72 (22.80 +23.92) won the bronze in this year’s European championship, although she was only third in the last Finnish Nationals. She was the first Finnish lady ever to medal in an ISU event, which she did when she won bronze in the 2001 world junior championships. She is trained by her sister, Heidi. Skating in royal blue, the 27-year-old performed to music with the intimidating name, Vanhoja Poikia Viiksekkaittia. She got off to a less than stella start when she was forced to put her hand down on the combination of triple Lutz to double toe and then doubled her flip. The double Axel earned 0.80 over its base level of 3.50. However, she earned no Level 4s and her layback gained only the basic Level 1.

Alexei Gilles, US, 10. 46.56 (24.04 + 22.52) had two major errors. The 17 year old who was born in Rockford, IL, now lives in Colorado Springs and trains with Tom Zakrajsek. She said, "I made a silly mistake. After the triple Lutz (which was landed a little unsteadily), I only put in a single toe and so I didn’t get credit for a combination. And then my foot slipped on the take-off for the triple flip, so I only did a single. I’m always nervous for my competitions." The flip got an exclamation mark on the details sheet. That means the Technical Specialist was issuing a warning that the edge had been outside for a short time but not held long enough to incur a penalty for wrong edge takeoff.

The delay, before she was announced and could take up her starting position, was almost three minutes because there was an unusual situation concerning Rachael Flatt’s last element, the change foot combination spin. Flatt has the ability to do what few skaters can – spin both ways, not just the same way on different feet, and she has incorporated this into her routine. Her coach, Tom Zakrajsek, said she’s been doing this variation for four years. She has also performed it in competition and there has not been a problem before, including at the recent Grand Prix in China. In Lake Placid, the Technical Specialist, Ravi Walia, and his assistant, Evelyn Rossoukhi-Schneider, decided that, because Flatt must step out to establish a center for the spin on the other foot, the distance makes it no longer a combination spin but two separate spins. So she got no marks for this move. If that is what is decreed, then that is what the skaters must do. A "request for clarification" was made by USFigureSkating but no further action will be taken.

Performing in royal blue and silver to George Gershwin’s Concerto in F, Kim landed her first move, a triple Lutz combined with a triple toe, with a little tremor on the first landing. The tremor was a little more pronounced on the second jump which was deemed under-rotated. On her second move, the triple flip, which was also called as under-rotated, the landing was worse with the boot buckling and she fell. Kim said, "My flip was all right in practice this morning and in the warm-up. I think I was just nervous. I was very actually very nervous." The double Axel to double toe to double loop was given the base value deeming it satisfactory in all aspects, but she definitely has done it with more aplomb.

Then things took a turn for the better. The flying combination spin (Level 4, +0.40 GoE), the spiral sequence (Level 4, +1.40) and the soaring double Axel to triple toe (+1.20) were all superb. A good triple Salchow earned +0.40 over the base value. But then there was a gasp from the knowledgeable members of the audience. Something went wrong on the take-off for a triple Lutz and the move became an under-rotated double. Still, Kim didn’t let up. She pulled herself together and the last four moves showed off the superb skater we have come to expect. Her straight line steps received Level 3 and +0.80. A high, very steady double Axel earned +1.20 over the base value. Her flying sit spin gained the maximum Level 4 and +0.50. Her final move, a change foot combination spin, was good, although she has done better. It was awarded Level 3 and +0.60.

"I was too nervous today," she explained. "It was terrible. I want to forget about it. That sometimes happens. I was feeling nervous and heavy. I don’t know what happened. I just want to forget about it. I learned a lot today: Always focus on the next jump. Anything can happen, anytime. Not every skater can achieve what they want every time. I felt my stamina was not that good. I couldn’t move my body like I wanted to." A little later she added, "I skated last and I had had a perfect Short Program, so I felt the pressure. My first two jumps were weird and my body got tense. When I miss a jump, I try to refocus, but I wasn’t able to do that this time."

Julia Sebestyen, 3.159. 03; 3. 100.49 (47.13 + 53.36), performed to a medley of music by Raul di Blasio, Voice of Violin and Allegro. "I was really tired in the program because of jet lag and we came really late, Wednesday night. It was a long trip - almost 24 hours." (This complaint was echoed by many competitors. Lake Placid does not have a commercial airport and some competitors revealed they had to hang around the airport for hours before being collected. The most extreme case occurred at the Montreal Airport where some skaters were not met for over six hours. And one skater’s skates didn’t arrive until after the last practice before the Short Program. However, the organizers bent over backwards and let him practice just before the Short Program began.)

Sebestyen said, "The beginning of the routine was perfect. I got 100 points (for the FS) and I’m excited about that. This is my personal best (since her 107.6 free in Skate Canada in 2003)." She began with an excellent +1.60 double Axel and then got credit for a three jump combination, triple Lutz to double toe to double loop. Although that combination got -0.60 removed from the base value, she still banked 8.20 points for it. Her triple flip received a wrong edge call but she earned an extra +0.20 on her triple Salchow. Her second attempt at a triple Lutz was doubled but right at the end she brought off a triple toe to double toe combination, although that had a slight deduction of -0.20. Her planned sequence of two double Axels turned into singles and her flying combination spin was only Level 1. Her high place in this section was accomplished mainly because most of the field made major errors. Her last medal in a Grand Prix event was three years ago. She said, "I am happy. I was a little tired in the middle of the program, but then I pulled myself together because I knew that the combination at the end would earn the 10% bonus and I really needed that." Asked why she wasn’t doing a triple-triple combination as were the other skaters on the rostrum, she said, "I can do triple-triple but it is very risky. The chance of getting down-graded is too high so I stick with the triple Lutz to double toe. I can do that nice and high and clean so it is a better bet for me. But, of course, I’m sure that will be necessary in the future.

Fumie Suguri, 4. 148.99; 5. 92.95 (40.95 + 52.00). Suguri, who skated to Khatchaturian’s music for the ballet Spartacus, prettily and appropriately dressed, admitted her performance was, "So-so. It was good at the beginning but I’m not physically trained enough. I’ll have to get better for Japanese nationals." She had a wrong edge call on her triple Lutz which was combined with a double toe. She also got an edge call on the second of her triple flips. She singled her second triple Lutz and doubled her Salchow. But she earned four Level 4s and her remaining Level move, the straight line steps, gained a 3. Her elements score was only the 8^th highest but her components were 4^th best behind Kim, Flatt and Sebestyen.

Elena Glebova 5. 148.71; 4. 96.43 (48.51 + 47.92). Skating to Rimsky Korsakov’s Capriccio Espagnol, the Estonia champion survived a poor beginning in which she executed a single flip to two double toes and a triple loop with a poor landing. She earned +0.40 over the base value plus 10% for her combination of two triple toes. Glebova included a rare combination upright spin which received the base value for Level 4. Her technical score was the 3^rd highest, behind Kim and Flatt, but her elements were graded only 6^th best.

Elena Gedevanishvili, 6. 144.19; 6. 92.01 (42.09 + 49.92) performed to music from the opera, Carmen, dressed in black. She brought off only two triples, a toe loop which was combined with a double toe, and a Salchow. Both earned the base value. Her only Level 4 move was her flying sit which was rewarded with +0.40. But her program was entertaining.

Emily Hughes, 7. 135.31; 7. 89.99 (43.35 + 46.64), said, "This is my fourth or fifth Skate America. I’m really happy to be here and happy with getting back the Lutz and the flip. That’s the first time in the season I got credit for both in the same program. Now, I’ll just go back and train, train, train. I wasn’t at a top level event (in the 2008 season or at nationals in 2009). January (nationals) is still two months away. Thinking of where I was two years ago (with injuries), I’ve made huge leaps since then and who knows what can happen in two months?"

Attired in red in a shorter version of the dress which Vivien Leigh wore to scandalize polite society in Atlanta, Hughes opened her routine, set to the soundtrack of the immortal 1939 Gone With the Wind by Max Steiner, with a +1.0 double Axel and a base value triple Lutz to double toe. The following triple flip to double toe was given a slight negative (-0.40) and the next move, a Lutz was doubled. Her triple Salchow, combined with a double toe, was downgraded and a second attempt at the Salchow doubled. But a second triple toe earned the base value and her Layback spin was Level 4 with +0.30.

Sarah Hecken, 8. 131.10; 8. 87.24 (46.36 + 40.88) rose up four slots from her disappointing Short Program finish of last. Dress in an unusual, lovely white dress with black swirling lines and a flash of red on one side of the skirt, Hecken interpreted three pieces played by Maksim Mrvica, Croatian Rhapsody, Wonderland and Lee Loos’ Tune. She opened with a solid combination of two triple toes which earned +0.60 over the base value but her triple loop was downgraded. The German brought off two base value triple Salchows, the second, timed after the bonus marks clicked in, was combined with a double toe loop. She executed three double Axels. The first and third, which was combined with two double toes, earned the base value, but the second had -0.96 taken off. Only her spirals were Level 4 and she gained only one Level 3 which was for her concluding element, the change foot combination spin. Her technical score was the fifth highest but her components were ranked 12^th.

Joshi Helgesson, 9. 129.91; 10. 78.59 (38.83 + 41.76 -2.0), dropped from 7^th after the Short Program with a disappointing showing in which she fell on both downgraded triple Lutz attempts. Her triple Salchow and the two triple toes, the second of which was combined with a double toe, were all flawed. They received GoEs of -0.80 for the Salchow, and -0.40 for both toe loops. However, three of her Level moves gained the maximum, 4, and the remaining two earned Level 3.

Alexe Gilles, 10. 129.01; 9. 82.45 (40.33 + 43.12 -1.0). Dressed in bright blue, Gilles opened the routine with playful movements choreographed to Leonard Bernstein’s On the Town. She said, "I fought through it. I really don’t know what happened. I was fighting to hold the landings. I have to have more flow out of the jumps. I was pleased I didn’t get the edge deduction." Both her flips were given an exclamation mark, which is a warning, but not a penalty, that there was a "very short" wrong edge take-off. Her first three jumps were flawed. The triple flip and triple Lutz were saddled with -2.0 GoEs, and the triple toe, in which she was forced to put a hand on the ice, had -1.0 taken off the base value.

Her Level 4 flying sit gained the base value while her Level 4 layback had +0.30 added. She put two hands and her free foot on the ice landing her double Axel so that was counted as a fall. The three jump combo, triple flip to double toe to double loop had -1.60 removed from the base value. She singled the following Lutz and though she completed the triple Salchow, it was combined with a single and not the planned double toe and was given a -1.0 GoE. All three spins were Level 4, with two earning the base value and the layback getting an additional +0.30. Her spirals and circular steps were deemed Level 3 and worth the base value.

Susanna Poykio, 11. 124.22; 11. 77.50 (32.02 + 46.48 -1.0), performed in black and silver to two pieces, The Hours Suite, Movement 111 by Portait and Phillipp Glass’ Secret Agent. Her routine started badly. Though she accomplished the rotation, she fell on her first jump, the triple Lutz and the following planned triple flip was doubled. Her triple Salchow to double toe had -1.60 take off the base value. Her first Axel was singled and the second downgraded. Her triple toe to double toe had a small -0.20 deduction from the base value but her second try was doubled. Two of spins earned Level 4 with +0.20 and +0.10 added. Her other spin was Level 3 and +0.10 but the spirals (+0.30) and steps (base value) were only Level 2. She was given the lowest elements score but the 8^th highest components.