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<\/a>Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim won the silver medal in Salt Lake City. The team debuted their new \u201cPaint It Black\u201d SP at the event. The program was interesting but a bit tentative technically. The Knierims earned 61.32, well off their personal-best score, but took the experience in stride.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
\u201cWe just wanted to get the programs out, so we could get feedback on them. To make sure they’re where we want them to be for the Grand Prix [events],\u201d Chris Knierim explained. \u201cWhat we came to this competition to do was get the programs out, regardless of where we were in training, to get opinions.\u201d<\/p>\n
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Scimeca Knierim added: \u201cI think that the [short] program is going to grow in the component area. I think it felt a little \u2026 dry. And that’s a good place to start. Because if we didn’t come here and feel it in a competition setting, we wouldn’t know where to grow for our Grand Prixs. I think being out there today, and seeing what felt strong and weak, is a really great starting point for moving forward. I know we left a lot of level points out there. [But] I think we’re in a good place. We know that it’s September, so we are not trying to be in peak form here.\u201d<\/p>\n
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The couple said they’re satisfied with their conditioning level at this stage. \u201cI’m probably the healthiest I’ve [ever] been,\u201d said Scimeca Knierim. \u201cI had to rebuild my body [after gastrointestinal surgeries last year]. When I competed at the World Championships, I didn’t have quite the muscle mass and reflexes that I need to feel confident. I got the job done, but I just knew I wasn’t physically strong enough. In the summer, I spent a lot of time on the ice, just jumping, just to get my body back to that athletic point.\u201d<\/p>\n
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<\/p>\n \u201cWe’re really happy with the score,\u201d said Knierim afterward. \u201cWe’re especially happy that we won the component mark. Because that’s where we’re going: We’re trying to raise the component mark of our skating. When we hit the elements, I think we can keep up with most of the world. But the components is where most of the U.S. teams lack, compared to China and Germany and Russia. So it’s nice that we can keep the nice component mark, even with mistakes. I think our program can score really well if it’s done clean.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The couple said that they planned to do double toe loops in their side-by-side jump sequence in the long program. However, the singled side-by-side triple Salchow was an unexpected error.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Scimeca Knierim said: \u201cI’m not much of a popper, into a single jump. Usually, it’s an awkward fall instead. But for me, subconsciously, I think there was a little pressure because the first throw Salchow was so good, that I wanted to really keep the program going. And I think I lost my focus a little bit. But it’s all right. I’m feeling very motivated, with the score. With not having [side-by-side triple] jumps in the program\u2014one intentional, and one not\u2014and the mistake on the second throw \u2026. If I really sell it, I think this program can be our highest-scoring program when we skate it clean. So yes, I think it’s a great start. No regrets in coming [to Salt Lake]. Although we did feel a little unprepared, to be honest.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe have 7 weeks or so until we go to NHK Trophy,\u201d said Knierim. \u201cThere’s so much time to work on the little stuff, and our jumps.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Many were surprised to see the Knierims skating to “Ghost”\u00a0<\/span>again, after previously announcing a new Chaplin-themed long program, choreographed by Christopher Dean. Scimeca Knierim said that they changed programs the day after Champs Camp.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt wasn’t that they did not like the Chaplin program,\u201d Knierim explained. \u201cBut they knew we would get farther with this program this season, than [with] the Chaplin program. The Chaplin program, we actually really liked. It brought us out of our shell a little bit. And it was really hard. It took us a long time to get the choreography, and it still wasn’t great when we did it at Champs Camp. But they talked to us about feeling like we would get further with the Ghost<\/span> program this season than [with] the Chaplin program.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThen we spent a week creating a new Ghost <\/span>program,\u201d Scimeca Knierim said. \u201cAnd we felt that it didn’t portray the storyline as well as the original one. So, after spending a week and some change learning that program, we said, ‘Hey, this is not good enough for us. Let’s use pieces of it and go back to last year’s program.’ And then we were like, ‘Well, we’re leaving in 3 days. Are we going to remember the program?” She laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOnly training the program for such a short time\u2014a week and a half\u2014is one reason why we don’t feel super-prepared,\u201d added Knierim. \u201cIt was more me than her. When we were practicing this [past] week, it’s not like muscle memory. I really have to walk through the program off the ice a lot, to make sure that I remember it. Because usually, at the end of the season, I’m like–cut and start over. I don’t remember what we did. She’s so good at remembering what we’ve done in the past.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The couple said that, although they really like their new Chaplin program, they feel a strong connection to the Ghost <\/span>LP. \u201cIt has such a special meaning,\u201d said Scimeca Knierim. \u201cWhich is a huge reason why we would like to use this program at the Olympics, if we’re on the team. In the movie, he dies and becomes a ghost, and their love is still real and it’s there. For us, the storyline is, I was sick last year and he was taking care of me, and it’s our love for one another, and just the understanding that he’s there for me.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cYou know, I’ve skated many characters in programs,\u201d Scimeca Knierim continued. \u201cFor instance, our short [program] this year, I really have to put on a persona and a character to make it come alive. And this is our third time skating to “Ghost”<\/span> in competition, and every time the music starts, I’m just so free. I’m just me, with my husband. And I let the program develop. If we’re on the Olympic team, we want the most special program to be the one we skate.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt’s funny, the short [program] is so uncomfortable right now,\u201d Knierim noted. \u201cBecause it’s new. And it’s sort of like what happened with our Metallica program, when we first got it. It was tough to get into it–into character. But with this Ghost<\/span> program, it’s so easy to get into the program, even when we first did it at Four Continents. And to get into just skating with Alexa and not worrying about what’s going on. It’s really nice, actually. This is probably the easiest program we’ve ever had. Because I don’t think about how long the program is, or how many elements I have to do. We just go. And it’s really nice.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The team plans to keep the Chaplin long program for next year. \u201cSo you’ll see it, eventually,\u201d Knierim said. \u201cBecause we like it so much, we didn’t want to just get rid of it and never do it again. We’ll do it next year, and it’ll bring us out of our shell. Probably me more than her,\u201d he laughed.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure Skaters Online asked if they’d already made the decision to continue on after the Olympic season.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cOne year at a time,\u201d said Scimeca Knierim, smiling.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cAnother four years \u2026 I’ll be 34,\u201d Knierim said. \u201cSo we’ll see how it goes. You never know. But we know that skating can be taken away in an instant. So we’re just going to take it year by year, and not make any huge \u2026 Four years is a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Young American team Chelsea Liu and Brian Johnson won the bronze medal in Salt Lake City, surprising nearly everyone. This was only their third competition as seniors. Last year, the pair competed mostly on the junior international circuit.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Despite their lack of experience, Liu and Johnson put out a lively and clean performance of their \u201cStill Got the Blues\u201d short program to place a surprising 2nd in that segment. Liu\/Johnson then had a few mistakes in their new Spartacus long program, but skated cleanly enough to hold on for 3rd LP\/overall.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Liu and Johnson had previously won a Challenger Series medal at Warsaw Cup last year, but this medal came against a much deeper field of competitors.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cWe feel a lot better about this one,\u201d said Johnson.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The team was mostly pleased with their performances at Salt Lake City. \u201cThe short program, I thought, went amazing. Really good,\u201d Johnson commented. \u201cLong program, there were a few little things. But still, a really good program. We have some stuff we can work on, that we hope we can get better.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Figure Skaters Online asked Liu and Johnson what they see as their biggest challenge in stepping up to the senior level.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a>The Knierims reprised last season’s “Ghost” LP in the free skate. They opened the program with an excellent triple twist and throw triple Salchow (both elements received all +2s\/+3s). Problems followed on the side-by-side triple Salchow, but they recovered well and finished the program strongly. The Knierims earned 124.76, almost matching their free skate score from Four Continents last year (124.81). They won the free skate over Moore-Towers\/Marinaro and finished 2nd overall.<\/p>\n