2013 Trophee Bompard Recap

Useful Links

Twitter  #TEB2013  |  Competition Notes (PDF)

Live Results/Starting Orders  |  icenetwork Event Page

What a week for Team USA! The Americans hauled in three medals, including one in each discipline in which it was represented.

Ashley Wagner is now a two-time Trophee Bompard champion, and with the win, should cement her spot at the 2013 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Japan. Meryl Davis and Charlie White punched their ticket to the event last weekend.

Wagner’s total score of 194.37 points represented an ISU personal best. She finished second in the free skate behind silver medalist Adelina Sotnikova of Russia. Wagner’s Romeo and Juliet free skate, which she performed in a lovely new maroon dress, featured a triple flip-triple toe combination and two Level 4 spins. Wagner’s PCS mark of 65.81 was the highest of the event. The bronze medal went home with Russia’s Anna Pogorilaya.

Samantha Cesario, who finished fourth, set ISU personal bests all around. Her clean “Carmen” free skate earned 116.15 points as she finished with 172.70 overall. Christina Gao endured a tough free skate and finished eighth overall.

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin won the first American pairs medal of the Grand Prix season, taking home bronze behind China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong (193.86 total points) and Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford (190.89 total points). The gold medal for Pang and Tong is their 10th on the Grand Prix Series.

Denney and Coughlin, who earned 184.01 points overall, produced a clean Phantom of the Opera free skate that featured the highest technical score of the competition. Their free skate score totaled 120.49, including 63.54 on the first mark. Highlights included three Level 4 lifts in the program’s second half and a huge triple twist worth 7.00 points (including 1.20 on GOE). The bronze-medal win is the third of Denney and Coughlin’s career.

Jason Brown, in this second career Grand Prix appearance also won the bronze medal behind perennial power houses Patrick Chan of Canada and Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan. Chan, the three-time World champion, posted world record scores in the free skate (196.75) and overall (295.27) as he sailed to victory. Hanyu was also superb as he earned 263.59 points overall.

And for Brown, while it may not have been perfect, his free skate was easily enough to put him in medal position when combined with his clean short program from the day before. In fact, Brown’s total score of 243.09 points was nearly 30 points more than that of fourth-place finisher Han Yan of China. Brown set personal superlatives throughout the week. His “Reel Around the Sun” free skate featured a triple Lutz-loop-triple Salchow combination worth 12.37 points and added triple flip-triple toe worth 10.54.

Team USA didn’t have any ice dancers compete in France. Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir of Canada won the title followed by Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalpov and France’s Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat.

Next week, the Grand Prix Series will wrap up in Moscow with Rostelecom Cup. Team USA will also have a team competing at Ice Challenge in Graz, Austria.

2013 Trophee Eric Bompard – Day 1

Useful Links

Twitter  #TEB2013  |  Competition Notes (PDF)

Live Results/Starting Orders  |  icenetwork Event Page

What a day from Paris! The short programs featured great all-around competition, and going into Saturday’s free skates, Team USA is in medal contention in all three disciplines in which it is represented.

NBC will air coverage of the event from 4:30-6 p.m. (ET) on Sunday, Nov. 17, with additional broadcast coverage available on Universal Sports Network and throughout the weekend.

Icenetwork Season Pass subscribers will have access to live video from Trophee Bompard. To become a registered user or a Season Pass subscriber, please visit www.icenetwork.com. Event coverage, including results, news, recaps and photos, will be available on icenetwork to all users.

Ashey Wagner, who began her season with a second-place finish at 2013 Hilton HHonors Skate America, leads after the short program. She takes a six-point cushion into the free skate over Russia’s Anna Pogorilaya and Adelina Sotnikova, who are virtually tied at 60.03 and 60.01, respectively. En route to 66.75 points, Wagner’s “Shine On You Crazy Diamond” program featured a trio of Level 4 spins and Level 4 footwork, while she added two jumps, a triple loop and a double Axel, in the second half of the performance. Christina Gao and Samantha Cesario sit in fourth and fifth, respectively, and certainly in medal contention. Gao totaled 58.81 points and Cesario earned 56.55.

Friday started off strong as Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, the 2012 U.S. pairs champions, registered their best short program score of the season at 63.52 points. They are in fourth place, but less than four points out of first. The “Tosca” program featured seven elements that received positive GOEs, including side-by-side triple toes and a level 4 lift and pairs spin. China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong, who have skated together internationally since 1997, hold the lead with 67.69 points. They are followed closely by Canada’s Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, Russia’s Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov and Denney and Coughlin.

The top four men after the short program, Patrick Chan of Canada, Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu, our own Jason Brown and China’s Han Yan, came to compete on Friday. Chan registered a personal best short program score with 98.52 points. Hanyu’s technical mark of 52.72 (overall 95.37) was the highest of the event. Brown, skating to “The Question of U” by Prince put out a perfectly clean performance. Six of the program’s seven elements earned a GOE of over 1.00 and his four non-jump elements (three spins and a step sequence) were all Level 4. His total score of 84.77 represented a personal best. Han, who won Cup of China by a landslide, narrowly trails Brown at 84.34 points.

Canada’s Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the reigning Olympic champs, lead the dance event with 75.31 points. They are followed by Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat of France and Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov.

2013 TROPHEE BOMPARD ICENETWORK BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern; subject to change)
Saturday, Nov. 16
8:10 a.m. – Pairs free
Denney/Coughlin – 8:58 a.m.

9:55 a.m. – Men’s free
Brown – 10:51 a.m.

12:45 p.m. – Free dance

2:15 p.m. – Ladies free
Cesario – 3:06 p.m.
Gao – 3:14 p.m.
Wagner – 3:37 p.m.

UNIVERSAL SPORTS NETWORK 2013 TROPHEE BOMPARD BROADCAST SCHEDULE
(All times Eastern; subject to change)
Saturday, Nov. 16
1 p.m. – Pairs free
2 p.m. – Free dance

Competition begins today in Salt Lake City

Twitter  #SLC2013 | icenetwork Event Page  |  Schedule   |   Competition Notes |  Results

The senior international season begins today as competition commences at the 2013 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic with the pairs and men’s short programs.

Competition Schedule (All times Eastern, subject to change)

Thursday, Sept. 12, 2013

Pairs short program – 8:50 p.m.

Men’s short program – 10:15 p.m.

In the pairs event, Marissa Castelli and Simon Shnapir will begin their Olympic campaign as reigning U.S. champions. They will be joined by 2012 U.S. champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, who will return to competition for the first time since Coughlin underwent surgery last December. Also competing are 2013 U.S. bronze medalists Felicia Zhang and Nathan Bartholomay, who finished fourth at this competition last year.

Max Aaron, the 2013 U.S. champion, will lead Team USA in the men’s event. Aaron hopes to defend his 2012 title at this event and in October will embark on his first Grand Prix season. Reigning World Junior champion Joshua Farris will make his senior international debut today, while Stephen Carriere will compete internationally for the second time since 2010. Recently named to the event, Grant Hochstein will also return to the international scene for the first time since 2011.

Competition also begins today for the 2013 Challenge Skate, an invitational for American skaters who have competed nationally at the intermediate, novice and junior levels. The event will begin at 10:45 a.m. MDT with the novice pairs short program, followed by the novice ladies short program at 11:52 a.m. and the novice men’s short program at 1:28 p.m. Expected to take the ice are reigning U.S. intermediate silver medalist Anastasia Kortjohn, 2013 U.S. intermediate champion Andrew Torgashev and reigning U.S. intermediate champions Alicia Bertsch and Austin Hale.

Icenetwork will provide complete event coverage, including live and on-demand event video to Season Pass subscribers. Results, news, photos and more will be available for free to all users.

Third annual “An Evening on Ice” set for July 20 at the Toyota Sports Center

An all-star cast of athletes is scheduled to perform at “An Evening on Ice,” including 16 U.S. champions, six Olympians and five World and World Junior champions. Two performances are set for Saturday, July 20, at 2 and 7 p.m. at the Toyota Sports Center in El Segundo, Calif., with all proceeds benefiting the U.S. Athletic Foundation.

Douglas Razzano, a recipient of U.S. Athletic Foundation funding, is set to skate in this year’s performance.

Now in its third year, “An Evening on Ice” strives to raise funds to support top competitive skaters who have demonstrated financial need, have a track record of success but who do not have other funding avenues available to them through the U.S. Athletic Foundation.

This year’s event, hosted by five-time U.S. pairs champions Tai Babilonia and Randy Gardner, will feature performances from 2006 World champion Kimmie Meissner, two-time U.S. champion Alissa Czisny, 2010 U.S. champion Rachael Flatt, 2012 U.S. champions Caydee Denney and John Coughlin, World Junior champion Joshua Farris and 2012 U.S. silver medalist Adam Rippon. Also scheduled to take the ice are 2006 U.S. bronze medalist Emily Hughes and eight-time British champion Steven Cousins, among others.

The U.S. Athletic Foundation is a non-profit, donor-funded organization that offers financial management services to nationally and internationally competitive figure skaters. The foundation was envisioned by 2002 U.S. junior champion Nicholas LaRoche and his sister, Tricia. Working together, they created a training assistance fund to help promising athletes who are held back from their potential due to financial hardship. Among the beneficiaries of the fund are Czisny, two-time U.S. pairs silver medalist Mark Ladwig, Ice Challenge silver medalist Douglas Razzano and U.S. pewter medalist Courtney Hicks.

Tickets range from $35 to $105 and are available at the door or online at http://www.usathleticfoundation.org/events.html. Donations to the U.S. Athletic Foundation can be made online at http://www.usathleticfoundation.org/donations.html.

SKATING magazine – January Cover

Every month we will unveil the new cover for the upcoming issue of SKATING magazine. Here is the cover for the January issue featuring all of the reigning U.S. champions.

* There appears to be a reddish tint to this photo that does not occur in the actual copy.

SKATING magazine – November Issue

Click on the cover to view the entire digital version of the November SKATING magazine.

Team USA Nets Eight Medals this Weekend

icenetwork.com | Notes

Starting Order/Results Page (Rostelecom Cup) | Starting Order/Results Page (Ice Challenge) | Twitter

Fantasy Skating

Team USA earned three medals, including one silver and two bronze, at 2012 Rostelecom Cup and added five more, two gold, two silver and one bronze, at 2012 Ice Challenge to bring the weekend total to eight.

Rostelecom Cup, the fourth event of the Grand Prix Series, concluded Saturday in Moscow with four free skates.

Gracie Gold, earned her first career Grand Prix medal, the silver, while teammate Agnes Zawadzki took home bronze. Finland’s Kiira Korpi won her second career Grand Prix gold, with 177.19 points. Gold, who made her career Grand Prix debut two weeks ago at Skate Canada, earned led after the short program with 62.16 points, the fourth-highest short program score of the season. Gold on her way to 175.03 total points, earned 115.64 for her “Life is Beautiful” free skate that featured a triple Lutz-triple toe and three level 4 spins. Each of Gold’s scores represent international personal best marks. Zawadazki, who edged her teammate for the gold medal at the 2012 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in September, earned 60.18 points for her “Sex and the City” short program. Her “Rhapsody in Blue” free skate, that earned 106.43 points, included three level 4 spins and a double Axel-double toe-double loop sequence worth 7.18 points. Her total for the week was 166.61 points. Caroline Zhang, in her third outing of the season, finished 10th and earned 138.21 points.

Richard Dornbush, in his Grand Prix season debut, placed sixth. The 2012 Finlandia Trophy silver medalist earned 210.89 points for the competition, including 143.45 for his free skate. Despite falling on his program-opening quad toe, Dornbush received huge points for his triple Lutz-triple toe combination (12.51) and triple Axel-double toe-double loop sequence (13.62). Dornbush’s U2 short program, worth 67.44 points, began with a beautiful quad toe that received a GOE of 1.29 and overall score of 11.59 points. Despite struggling on his other two jumping elements, Dornbush saw positive GOEs on his spins and step sequence. Standing atop the medals podium was Canada’s Patrick Chan, joined by silver medalist Takahiko Kozuka of Japan and bronze medalst Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic. Johnny Weir, who made his return to the Grand Prix circuit for the first time since 2010, withdrew due to injury prior to the free skate.

Caydee Denney & John Coughlin won their second bronze medal of the season, becoming the first U.S. pairs team to medal at two Grand Prix events since Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker did so in 2008. Their “Phantom of the Opera” free skate, which received a season-high 120.19 points, earned positive GOEs on 11 of 12 elements. The programs highlights included two level 4 lifts and a throw triple flip. They finished behind home country representatives Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov and Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov. Denney and Coughlin are also the 2012 Skate America bronze medalists, while Volosozhar and Trankov won gold at the same event last month. Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin finished sixth.

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani also kicked off their season in Moscow, finishing fourth with a total of score of 140.91 points. The duo had to restart their “Memoirs of a Geisha” free dance, and after getting into rhythm turned in a performance that featured two level 4 lifts and level 4 twizzles. Reigning Olympic champions Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir earned their second gold of the season, followed by a pair of Russia teams, Elena Ilinyhk & Nikita Katsalapov and Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan

In Graz, Austria, Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir won their first international gold medal, totaling 175.86 points for the competition. Their win came by 40 points over teammates and silver medalists Gretchen Donlan & Andrew Speroff. Castelli and Shnapir’s 18-point lead after the short program grew to the final margin after earning 114.42 points for their free skate. Their “Payadora” program featured side-by-side triple toes as well as a throw triple Salchow and a level 4 lift that earned 8.13 points. Donlan and Speroff, who nabbed their first international medal in Graz, earned 135.43 points for the competition and moved up from third place after the short program.

Douglas Razzano earned his second Ice Challenge silver medal (2010) with a total score of 204.62 points. He edged teammate Armin Mahbanoozadeh, who earned 200.01 points total. Gold went to Germany’s Peter Liebers. Razzano’s short program to Rachmaninoff’s music featured seven elements that received positives GOEs, including a triple Axel and level 3 and 4 spins and a level 4 step sequence. With 72.21 points, he led after the segment. Mahbanoozadeh also turned out a solid short worth 72.14 points. The program included a triple Lutz-triple toe combination that was the segment’s highest-scoring element at 11.27 points.

Ice dancers Lynn Kriengkrairut & Logan Giulietti-Schmitt earned their second consecutive Ice Challenge gold medal. They started the competition as the only team to break the 50-point mark in the short dance with 50.46 points. They went on to win Friday’s free dance by over 20 points, totaling 89.24 points for their program set to Adele’s music. The free featured four Level 4 lifts and a Level 4 step sequence. The duo was joined on the podium by the Czech Republic’s Lucie Mysliveckova & Neil Brown and Switzerland’s Ramona Elsener & Florian Roost. In their competitive debut, Anastasia Olson & Keiffer Hubbell finished 10th with 102.10 points.

Complete coverage of Rostelecom Cup and Ice Challenge is available on www.icenetwork.com.

2012 Rostelecom Cup, 2012 Ice Challenge Under Way

icenetwork.com | Notes

Starting Order/Results Page (Rostelecom Cup) | Starting Order/Results Page (Ice Challenge) | Twitter

Fantasy Skating

After earning three medals Friday at 2012 Ice Challenge, Team USA is poised to win several more Saturday at Rostelecom Cup and Ice Challenge.

From Moscow, 2012 Rostelecom Cup, the fourth event of the Grand Prix Series, began Friday.

Team USA is in first and third positions in the ladies event with Gracie Gold leading and Agnes Zawadzki not far behind. Gold, who made her career Grand Prix debut two weeks ago at Skate Canada, earned a short program score of 62.16 points, the fourth-highest short program score of the season. Her program included a triple flip-triple toe combination and three level 4 spins. Zawadazki, who edged her teammate for the gold medal at the 2012 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic in September, earned 60.18 points for her “Sex and the City” short program. She also executed a triple-triple combination, with hers featuring a pair of toe loops. Finland’s Kiira Korpi, the 2012 Cup of China bronze medalist, sits between the Americans with 61.55 points. Caroline Zhang, in her third outing of the season, is in 10th place with 46.15 points.

Richard Dornbush, in his Grand Prix season debut, is in seventh place, but sits just nine points out of bronze-medal position with 67.44 points. Dornbush’s U2 short program began with a beautiful quad toe that received a GOE of 1.29 and overall score of 11.59 points. Despite struggling on his other two jumping elements, Dornbush saw positive GOEs on his spins and step sequence. With 85.44 points, Patrick Chan of Canada holds a nine-point lead over Russia’s Konstantin Menshov and Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka, who are in a tight race for second. In his first Grand Prix since the 2010 season, Johnny Weir is in 10th place.

Caydee Denney & John Coughlin are poised to win their second medal of the season. With 59.02 points, they are in third place behind home country representatives Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov and Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov. Denney and Coughlin are the 2012 Skate America bronze medalists, while Volosozhar and Trankov won gold at the same event last month. Tiffany Vise & Don Baldwin sit in seventh place.

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani also kicked off their season in Moscow. They are in fourth and earned 58.26 points for their short dance. They are less than two points behind the third place team of Victoria Sinitsina & Ruslan Zhiganzhin of Russia. Reigning Olympic champions Tessa Virtue & Scott Moir lead with 70.65 points. They were gold medalists at Skate Canada. Shibutani and Shibutani debuted a short dance to music by The Incantations in Moscow.

Meanwhile, in Graz, Austria, Douglas Razzano earned his second Ice Challenge silver medal (2010) with a total score of 204.62 points. He edged teammate Armin Mahbanoozadeh, who earned 200.01 points total. Gold went to Germany’s Peter Liebers.

Razzano’s short program to Rachmaninoff’s music featured seven elements that received positives GOEs, including a triple Axel and level 3 and 4 spins and a level 4 step sequence. With 72.21 points, he led after the segment. Mahbanoozadeh also turned out a solid short worth 72.14 points. The program included a triple Lutz-triple toe combination that was the segment’s highest-scoring element at 11.27 points.

Ice dancers Lynn Kriengkrairut & Logan Giulietti-Schmitt earned their second consecutive Ice Challenge gold medal. They started the competition as the only team to break the 50-point mark in the short dance with 50.46 points. They went on to win Friday’s free dance by over 20 points, totaling 89.24 points for their program set to Adele’s music. The free featured three of Level 4 lifts and a Level 4 step sequence. The duo was joined on the podium by the Czech Republic’s Lucie Mysliveckova & Neil Brown and Switzerland’s Ramona Elsener & Florian Roost. In their competitive debut, Anastasia Olson & Keiffer Hubbell finished 10th with 102.10 points.

Going into Saturday’s free skate, Marissa Castelli & Simon Shnapir hold a significant lead in the pairs competition. Their short program score of 60.44 points is nearly 18 points higher than that of second place team Danielle Montalbano & Evgeni Krasnopolsky of Israel. Americans Gretchen Donlan & Andrew Speroff are in third place and trail place Montalbano & Krasnopolsky by just over a point.

Complete coverage of Rostelecom Cup and Ice Challenge is available on www.icenetwork.com.

Saturday Competition Schedule (All times Eastern)

Rostelecom Cup

Ladies – 5 a.m.

Caroline Zhang – 5:07 a.m.

Agnes Zawadzki – 6:09 a.m.

Gracie Gold – 6:25 a.m.

Pairs – 6:50 a.m.

Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin – 6:57 a.m.

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin – 7:38 a.m.

Men’s – 8:30 a.m.

Johnny Weir – 8:37  a.m.

Richard Dornbush – 9:02 a.m.

Ice Dancing – 10:30 a.m.

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani – 11:14 a.m.

Ice Challenge

Pairs – 9:30 a.m.

2012 Rostelecom Cup – Guide

Thursday, November 8, 2012 – Moscow

Useful Links

icenetwork.com | Notes

Starting Order/Results Page | Twitter

Photo Gallery | Fantasy Skating

The United States will send a large contingent of skaters to Moscow to take part in the fourth ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating event of the season. Most notably will be the return to the circuit of 2010 Olympian Johnny Wier, who, along with Richard Dornbush, Agnes Zawadzki and Maia and Alex Shibutani will make their season Grand Prix debuts. Returning to action will be Gracie Gold, Caroline Zhang and Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin who will look to improve upon their skates from earlier this year to land on the podium. Finally, the pair of Caydee Denney and John Coughlin will aim for a second medal this season and a spot at the Grand Prix Final.

Friday Competition Schedule (All times Eastern)

Ladies – 6 a.m.

Gracie Gold – 6:07 a.m.

Caroline Zhang – 6:14 a.m.

Agnes Zawadzki – 6:27 a.m.

Pairs – 7:40 a.m.

Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin – 8:00 a.m.

Caydee Denney and John Coughlin – 8:14 a.m.

Men’s – 10 a.m.

Johnny Weir – 10:07 a.m.

Richard Dornbush – 10:20 a.m.

Ice Dancing – 11:40 a.m.

Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani – 12:33 p.m.

Rostelecom Cup and Ice Challenge Notes

Click below to read competition notes for 2012 Rostelecom Cup and 2012 Ice Challenge