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<\/a><\/b>Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres (FRA)\u00a0 – GOLD<\/strong> (136.40 FS\/210.21 TS)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/p>\n
After free skate:<\/em><\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cEverything went well so we were too relaxed, hence the error on the throw at the end. The program was not difficult to learn, but to repeat and improve. Before we used to be focused only on the elements, but now we want to skate more like dancers, it took time to put everything together. But we are pretty happy with the first competition.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our (Level) 3s is from the spread eagle. The triple toes are from different entrances between us. Last year, we were focusing on the quad and it took a lot of energy so we didn\u2019t have the time to focus on these transitions, but now we are more confident on the elements. The choreographic step is quite hard, it\u2019s almost like a real lift because Morgan has all the weight on one arm. We also have an outside spread eagle that we think they\u2019ve never seen before, it\u2019s dangerous as it\u2019s harder to catch the girl with your weight back, We like to create new things.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n With the new judging system, it is not worth the risk having the quad. We needed it in the past when we were stronger technically and we were improving our skating skills and transitions. We needed something different than everyone else. Now it\u2019s not worth the energy and the reward is less. They also changed the rules for a level 4 lift. There is not so much variety of what you can do before a lift. For example, everyone is going to do a lunge before a backward lasso. At the moment, we haven\u2019t found something interesting enough to put in the program yet, but we will work on it. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our goals for today were mental. We have practiced it, but never competed the long for an audience this season. So the goal was to see how we deal with the program under pressure. Morgan skates faster when he\u2019s stressed and Vanessa skates slower, so we learnt to adapt to each other. It went better than we expected. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The long was choreographed by Charlie (White). You can see how him and Guillaume have two very different styles on the ice, but each of them is giving something of themselves. They are both amazing, very professional. We got along with both. They don\u2019t try to change us, they still try to get us out of our comfort zone but still with a style that suits our bodies. It was amazing also with John Kerr, but this season, we wanted something different and fresh.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cIt was a pretty good skate for a first competition. The first time is always a bit shaky, a little tight, but we are on a good way. Our elements were good, except the back outside edge death spiral. We know it\u2019s our weakness and we want to improve to get higher levels. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are trying to be different from the other teams with our elements, for example, by having a short preparation for the toe-loop right in the middle of the ice. After that, we do choreography, then pattern into the spin, lift, everything has to be timed perfectly with the music. The positioning of the throw is on the music high. We have gotten consistent so when it\u2019s going to be great, we hope to get a high GOE. We have to work hard to keep in time with the music and not having to rush. There\u2019s no room for error in this program. We have more confidence this year, but we know that we don\u2019t pay enough attention to the details and give often few points away here and there on the levels. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Our goal is to show more ice dance in pairs. That\u2019s why we chose ice dancers as choreographers. Guillaume Cizeron (2018 Olympic silver medalist French ice dancer with Gabrielle Papadakis) choreographed our short program. He did an amazing job. He was really committed to it and gave everything he had. He still is in contact and gives us feedback. He\u2019s really professional and passionate, coming from a 22-years-old. Guillaume had already timed the elements and picked where they had to be in the program even before meeting us, he had the setup of the program. He also cut the music himself. The costumes we are wearing are not our real costumes, but he designed Vanessa\u2019s costume that she will have soon. He did all of it for free during his holidays. He stayed for a week in Florida. We want to make him proud.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After free skate:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>We need more time to train the program at home, we lacked the mileage and that\u2019s why some things went wrong, it\u2019s normal, we are now fully training after Kirsten\u2019s injury, not 100% yet and sometimes we still have to adjust.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Haven Denney and Brandon Frazier (USA)<\/strong> – BRONZE<\/strong> (102.52 FS\/164.43 TS)<\/p>\n <\/p>\n After short program\u00a0 (61.91 – third place after short program):\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cThis is our first competition of the season. We haven\u2019t competed in a while and we were thinking a bit too hard. We made some little mistakes, but this is a jog before the run. We are working on the twist to get high level and GOE’s. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We are happy to be back with the coaches (John\u00a0<\/span>Zimmerman, Silvia Fontana and Jeremy Barrett) who groomed us in juniors, it feels natural. Training with Vanessa (James) and Morgan (Cipres) is at a different level than before, they make us push ourselves by watching how they skate, they motivate us.\u201d<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After free skate:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI had a bit of a rough warm up, so I\u2019m glad I came back with the program. I\u2019m overall happy, although, there are some improvements. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve always loved this music. It\u2019s a very mature piece, a tragic story, so there was a lot to do there with interpretation and choreography. I had a friend in intermediate who skated to it. I loved it then and I love it now. Last year, I was the princess. This year, I am the queen. Benoit Richaud is the choreographer. He\u2019s a joy to work with–fun. He always brings a new challenge. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The spins at the end are very musical to match the music and hit the accents. The accents are very obvious, so I felt it was important to accentuate them and help the PCS. After I land the salchow and go down on one knee, I call this the Ironman pose after the first Avenger movie when Ironman makes his entrance like that. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Winning will help my confidence, but I didn\u2019t focus on my competitors here, only on myself and what I can control on the ice. There are good days and bad days in practice, but what I showed in the competition is what I practice.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After short program (69.26 – 2nd place after short program):<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI skated like I\u2019ve been practicing, so I\u2019m happy with that.\u00a0 <\/span>My hopes for the season are doing my best, exactly how I\u2019ve been training and like tonight.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I\u2019ve been working really hard on the components and that\u2019s one of my goals for the season, to draw the audience into my performance, make more of a connection. My choreographer Benoit Richaud is helping me with that. For <\/p>\n There are no words to express what last season meant to me. It was a whirlwind and a rollercoaster and I still get chills when I think about it. I have come to this season with new goals and a new style and I\u2019m ready for that. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I had the triple Lutz-triple loop last year already. I like better the loop than the toe. It\u2019s a fun challenge and I\u2019m excited for people to see it. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n To design my costumes, my mom and I and my dress designer sit at the table and take ideas from various dresses that I like and mix them all together.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I was aware of the criticism to the U.S. ladies last year. I couldn\u2019t do anything about it and I went to the Olympics as prepared as I could, not knowing what to expect. I think I did well for the situation I was in. I don\u2019t take into account what the critics have to say. \u201c<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After free skate:<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>To be honest, I feel amazing. This competition was an incredible experience for me. It\u2019s the first competition with (my) new team, new everything, I made lots of mistakes, which we will fix, but I feel good and I feel I can do this clean. I only made one huge mistake at the end. I have more than a month to improve it. I can\u2019t wait to start working again and more and more, the whole team is ready to work.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n In Canada, I learned to be happier here as a person. Everyone is so polite and you always feel in a good mood and mentally ready to work.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I always wanted to skate to Libertango. It\u2019s still hard and a fast rhythm for me. At the end, when you are tired, you still want to show fire. It will take time, but I\u2019m sure everything will be fine by Skate Canada.<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I am changing my skating technique. Everybody knows the Canadian skating school is so special and I have this incredible chance to get all that is good from the Russian school and Canadian school. I feel special as the only one who trained in Russia and then in Canada. I\u2019m happy I have the opportunity to show my potential to everyone, but myself first, that I can do everything.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201cI enjoy performing a new style of program and the challenges of improving on my skating. Everything is new and different now–my hairstyle, my program style and my training. The training is very fast at the (Toronto) Cricket Club. People are nice.\u00a0 There\u2019s a great atmosphere between the skaters. Jason Brown welcomed me and my mom to Canada and helped us settle down. He\u2019s been a great friend.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Yuzuru Hanyu (JPN) – GOLD<\/strong> (165.91 FS\/263.65 TS)<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After short program (97.74 – 1st after short program):<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n \u201c<\/b>I\u2019m disappointed in my skate, I need to perform more, I don\u2019t think about the score, but I want to express the music and explain the story and use more the music, feel more the ice. I wants to try the 4A in the future.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n Junhwan Cha (KOR)<\/strong> – SILVER<\/strong> (169.22 FS\/259.78 TS)<\/a><\/p>\n <\/p>\n After short program (90.56 – 2nd place after short program):<\/a><\/em> <\/p>\n \u201cIn competition, I\u2019m trying to calm down and skate like I train. I like skating with the group at the (Toronto) Cricket Club, we do stroking and jump together, they give me energy and we work really hard, it helps all of us. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This year, my goals are not to be injured, be healthy, keep training hard. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n We had a dance class in summer camp–hip-hop. It was a fun time with the other skaters. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have a Korean fan club. (They are) very supportive. It is really helping me when they are cheering, I get a lot of energy and a better performance.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n After short program (78.14 – 4th place after short):<\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n This was the first time competing after nationals, I was nervous but I thinks it went well. I\u2019m happy with the score given that I made mistakes so I have room to score higher, the axel has been such a struggle for me for years, but finally this year it\u2019s coming along well in practice, so I would like to show it in competition. The salchow is my favorite jump. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n I have settled into my new height, I stopped growing and filled out, I gained weight in muscles and feel more comfortable, more athletic. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n It\u2019s hard to try to find a balance between jumps and transitions. David Wilson choreographed the SP, Mark Pillay did the free. I added some variations to the spins, to get high levels and GOEs. <\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n The biggest challenge for the FS will be surviving, now that they cut 30 seconds. My choreographer did a really good job in planning the elements so that I have 3 jumps, then the steps that go well with the music but also allow me to recuperate before the next quad, I feels comfortable going into it.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>\n<\/a>After short program ( 731.81 – 1st place after short program):\u00a0<\/em><\/span><\/b><\/p>\n<\/a>Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro (CAN) –\u00a0 SILVER<\/strong> (111.59 FS\/176.32 TS)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/strong><\/p>\nLadies<\/h3>\n
<\/a>Bradie Tennell (USA)<\/strong> – GOLD<\/strong> (137.15 FS\/206.41 TS)<\/p>\n<\/a>example, he reminds me to look up and to focus on some other details like body movements. I\u2019ve worked with him twice so far. He\u2019s great. He has his own style and he always has new challenges for me. The music is called \u201cRebirth\u201d and that\u2019s my goal for the new season. I\u2019m trying to change my skating. Benoit choreographed both programs and picking the music is a collaborative effort. <\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/b>Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) – SILVER<\/strong>(133.91 FS\/204.89 TS)<\/span><\/p>\n<\/a>After short program (70.98 – 1st place after short program):<\/span><\/em><\/p>\n<\/h3>\n
<\/h3>\n
Men<\/h3>\n
<\/a><\/b><\/span><\/p>\n<\/a><\/p>\n<\/a>Roman Sadovsky (CAN) – BRONZE<\/strong> (155.72 FS\/233.86 TS)<\/span><\/p>\n