by
Liz Leamy
Men
The men’s showdown ought to be a main
event at this year’s 2011Hilton HHonors Skate America, in spite of the fact
that Evan Lysacek, the esteemed 2010 U.S. Olympic champion announced his
withdrawal last week.
This year, the men’s roster features
some of the sport’s top men’s contenders, many who have scored a decent
amount of hardware at various international events over the past few seasons.
Collectively, this bunch ought to stage quite a interesting competition.
Richard Dornbush, the 20-year old
Corona, California native who last season stole the spotlight after having
catapulted from tenth at the 2010 Nationals to second at the 2011 U.S.
Nationals, will be helming the way for the American contingent.
Dornbush, who trains with Tammy Gambill
in Riverside, California, is hoping to continue his skyward ascent as a major
men’s player and has upped his technical ante to insure this indeed will
happen. This season, Dornbush has added a quad to his jump repertoire, which
should help him score some big points here. (Last summer, he landed this jump
for the first time ever at a non-qualifying California event, so the odds that
he will accomplish this feat again appear likely.)
Douglas Razzano, the 22 year-old from
Scottsdale, Arizona who was called in at the last minute to replace Lysacek,
might very well prove himself to be a wild card here. Last season, he came up
tenth at the 2011 Nationals. He is coached by Doug Ladret.
On the international front, Takahiko
Kozuka of Japan, the 2011 World silver medalist and reigning Japanese titlist,
should be reliable for a medal-worthy performance. This skater, known for his
technical acumen, musical interpretation and consistency, trains with Nobuo and
Kumiko Sato in Yokohama.
Florent Amodio, the 2011 European
champion and French silver medalist, is another premier international entry to
watch. This skater, who is coached by Nikolai Morozov, is known to be a big
crowd pleaser and ought to rack up some big points as long as he stands up.
Michal Brezina of Czeckoslavakia, the
fourth-place finisher at the 2011 Worlds, is another strong contender.
This year, the ladies event ought to be
a dramatic one, especially in looking at the list of entries, which features
some notable domestic and international contenders.
Alissa Czisny, the reigning U.S. gold
medalist known for her fantastic artistry and fast, flexible spins, will lead
the American team. Last year, this Michigan native earned international acclaim
as a top-rate jumper when she finished fifth at the 2011 World Championships.
Since 2010, she has been training with Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen in Bloomfield
Hills, Michigan.
Caroline Zhang, the 18 year-old
California contender, should be another interesting U.S. entry to watch. This
skater, who placed second at the 2007 Nationals (CHECK) and third at the 2009
Nationals, has been training with Peter Oppegard in Artesia, California. She is
hoping to stage a comeback here at this event after a disappointing12th-place
finish at the 2011 Nationals.
Joelle Forte, a solid ladies skater from
the New York City area, is always good for a nice series of performances. This
athlete, reputed to have wonderful artistry and fluid triples, was ninth at the
2011 Nationals. She trains with Dmitri Gromov and Elaine Zayak, the 1982 World
titlist.
Carolina Kostner of Italy, the 2011
World bronze medalist, should be a definite medal contender. This skater, 24,
who is trained by Michael Huth in Obersdorf, Germany, has also won two World
medals in the past, a bronze in 2005 and silver in 2008 and is known her fast
and long triple jumps.
Elene Gedevanishvili of Georgia, who was tenth at the 2011 Worlds, is another formidable contender. This athlete, reputed for her exceptional athleticism, has been training with Brian Orser in Toronto this past year and seems primed to do well at this competition.