The NHK Trophy continued Saturday in Nagano, Japan, with the Original Dance, the Pairs, Men’s and Ladies Free Skating. The NHK Trophy is the fourth of six events in the 2009/2010 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series. The skaters compete for a global prize money of US $ 180, 000 per individual event of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating and receive points according to their placements. The top six skaters/couples of the series will proceed to the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Tokyo, Japan.
Ice Dance, Original Dance
The competition day started with the Original Dance. The Original Dance for the 2009/10 season is the Folk/Country Dance. The couples at NHK Trophy chose different dances from India, Russia, Spain, Italy, the USA and Greece among others.
Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) strengthened their lead in the Original Dance. Sinead Kerr/John Kerr from Great Britain remained in second place while Canadians Vanessa Crone/Paul Poirier moved up from fourth to third.
Davis/White delivered a strong performance of their exotic Indian dance that featured a straight line lift with her changing positions in front of him and behind him, intricate steps and fast twizzles. The lift, the twizzles and the side by side footwork were graded a level four by the technical panel, and the circular footwork was a level three. The 2009 Four Continents Champions earned a new seasons best of 63.09 points (31.50 element score/31.59 program component score) and have accumulated 101.18 points so far. “We feel pretty good after the OD. We’ve been able to compete this program a couple of times so we feel more confident in the program”, Davis said. “It was nice to see the progression from Cup of Russia. One more level four is always good”, added White. “Obviously I think it’s just going to be a little more of practice, taking time to go over all our edges. It has to be a 100 percent on edge. It’s easy to make a little mistake here and there. We just go home and really focus on that. It’s one of the last things left in terms of technique in that program we need to work on”, he answered when asked what they need to do in order to achieve a level four on all elements.
Kerr/Kerr put out an entertaining American Country dance to “I’ve been everywhere” by Johnny Cash with him portraying a hitchhiker and her taking the role of a truck driver. The program was highlighted by a straight line lift and well synchronized twizzles and smooth footwork. The brother-and-sister team picked up a 56.53 points (28.10/28.43), which is a new seasons best. Overall they now got 91.57 points. “We feel pretty good with our performance. It feels like every time we get out there we feel from a performance point of view we really improve on it. The more we can perform this routine the more we can relate to the crowd, the more we can realize which parts work really well and which parts still don’t work so well. I feel it’s a good progression from where we were at in Paris (at Trophée Bompard)”, John Kerr explained.
Crone/Poirier chose a Flamenco routine that included a rotational lift, a level-three diagonal step sequence and level-three twizzles. The 2008 World junior silver medalists scored 50.87 points (26.20 element score/24.67 program component score), which is a new seasons best, and moved up one spot to third at 81.38 points overall. “We were very happy with our performance today. We did all our elements very well. We had a few things that we were told to work on at the Cup of Russia two weeks ago and it felt like we really improved on them. I think something that was a lot better was the level of expression and interpretation, which is something that’s usually not our strongest point”, Poirier told the post-event press conference.
Ekaterina Bobrova/Dmitri Soloviev (RUS) dropped one spot to fourth after wobbly twizzles in their Russian dance (79.23 points). Anna Zadarozhniuk/Sergei Verbillo (UKR) finished fifth with an Ukrainian dance (78.68 points).
Pairs, Free Skating
Qing Pang/Jian Tong of China skated to victory in the pairs event. Russia’s Yuko Kavaguti/Alexander Smirnov claimed the silver medal, and the bronze went to Rena Inoue/John Baldwin (USA).
Pang/Tong turned in a dynamic performance to “The Impossible Dream” from the musical “The Man of La Mancha”. The reigning ISU Grand Prix Final Champions hit their opening side by side double Axel-double Axel sequence, the triple toeloop, a high triple twist, throw triple loop and Salchow. The 2006 World Champions were awarded a level four for their side by side spin, the death spiral, the pair spin, spiral sequence and all three lifts and collected 132.35 points (69.63 element score/62.72 program component score), setting a new personal best for themselves. Overall they accumulated 199.65 points, another personal best, to move up one spot and to take the gold in their second Grand Prix event this season. “We achieved a new personal best score today, and that makes us very happy. We skated very well, but there are still some things we can improve. In the three weeks before the Grand Prix Final we will work on solving these issues and then we want to skate our very best there”, Tong commented.
Skating to “Valse Sentimentale” by Peter Tchaikovski and to “On the Blue Danube” by Johann Strauss, Kavaguti/Smirnov went for a quadruple throw Salchow, but Kavaguti took a bad fall. The Japanese-born skater needed a medical break before she was able to continue the performance. As if nothing had happened, the couple then reeled off a side by side triple toeloop, a triple twist, a double Axel-double Axel sequence and a throw triple loop. The European silver medalists received a level four for their spins, their lifts and the forward inside death spiral and posted a new seasons best of 124.15 points (65.39 element score/61.76 program component score). They received one point deduction for the fall and two points deduction for the interruption of the program. Kavaguti/Smirnov totaled 193.05 points and slipped from first to second place. “I dislocated my shoulder in the fall and it didn’t go back so easily, therefore we had to stop the performance”, Kavaguti said. “I just thought that I have to finish the program, but now to be honest, it does really hurt now. I skated the program just with my spirit.” The couple was forced to withdraw from the exhibition gala.
Inoue/Baldwin’s program to Peter Tchaikovski’s Piano Concerto No. 1 inlcuded a side by side triple toeloop, a sequence consisting of two double Axels, a throw triple loop and difficult lifts. Only their triple twist was messy and Inoue fell on the throw triple Axel. The 2006 Four Continents Champions picked up 106.26 points (59.14/49.12). In addition to the deduction for the fall, they lost a point because of a time violation. The former U.S. Champions moved up from fourth to third at 158.78 points overall. “From the beginning of our program we were able to enjoy our skating”, Inoue noted. “Now we have to go back and prepare for our Nationals. This will be the height of our season”.
Caydee Denney/Jeremy Barrett (USA), who stood in third place after the Short Program, came in fourth after she fell on the throw triple Lutz and he singled an Axel, but they completed a throw triple loop and a triple twist (151.43 points). Mylene Brodeur/John Mattatal (CAN) moved up one spot to fifth. They produced a side by side triple toeloop, a triple twist and throw triple Salchow (150.71 points).
Pang/Tong pocketed 15 points and are now qualified for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final with the maximum of 30 points. Kavaguti/Smirnov (13 points) most likely will have qualified with 26 points. Inoue/Baldwin (11 points) got 20 point overall.
Men, Free Skating
Brian Joubert of France claimed gold in the Men’s event. Johnny Weir (USA) moved up from third place to second and newcomer Michal Brezina from the Czech Republic came from sixth place to grab the bronze medal.
Overnight leader Joubert skated last and knew what his competitors had done and what he needed to do. The three-time and reigning European Champion opened his routine to “Ancient Land” by Ronan Hardiman with a solid quadruple toeloop followed by a triple Salchow. He stumbled on the triple Axel but recovered to reel off two triple flips (one in combination with a double toe), a triple Lutz, triple loop-double toe and triple Salchow-double toe. However, the Frenchman received a negative grade of execution on both flips because of the take off from the wrong edge. The flying sit and change sit spin were graded a level four while the footwork and the combination spin were a level two. Joubert earned a seasons best of 147.35 points (70.65 element score/76.70 program component score) and racked up a total score of 232.70 points to win the NHK Trophy. “I am very happy about this competition. I’ve never won NHK Trophy”, Joubert said. “We’ve worked a lot a lot, but we had only one week and I wasn’t completely ready. Winning this competition is great, but I still have a lot to work on.”
Weir landed a triple flip, a solid triple Axel-triple toe combination, another triple Axel and three more triples in his lyrical routine titled “Fallen Angel” which is set to music from the movies “City of Angels” and “Lady Caliph”. The only major glitch was a popped loop jump. The reigning ISU Grand Prix Final bronze medalist picked up a level four for two of his spins and a level three for both step sequences to score 139.35 points (68.15/71.20), setting a new seasons best for himself. Weir scored 217.70 points and was ranked third in the Free Skating but overall moved up to second place, edging out Brezina by just 0.22 points. “I was very happy that I was able to push through this week. It is definitely a medal well earned”, Weir commented. “Of course there were mistakes that shouldn’t be made later in the season. It (competing in spite of illness) will help me immensely in the season, because I had this very stressful and difficult situation behind me and I came out with a medal.”
Brezina stood in sixth place after the Short Program and turned a playful program to “An American in Paris” by George Gershwin. The current World Junior silver medalist nailed six clean triples, including two triple Axels, that all received positive grade of execution marks from the panel of judges. The Czech skater also earned a level four for two spins and a level three for the footwork and the flying sit spin. Brezina got a personal best of 146.68 points (78.78/67.90) and totaled 217.48 points (personal best as well) to jump on to the podium in the first senior-level Grand Prix event of his career. “This is my first senior Grand Prix, and I’m very happy with my medal. I skated almost clean in both programs, which is what I wanted. I hope that I can continue to skate like this in my next Grand Prix, Skate Canada”, Brezina explained. “I knew this (NHK Trophy) was a difficult Grand Prix, and I didn’t expect a medal, but I thought of what my father always says – ‘everybody can beat everybody’”, he added.
Daisuke Takahashi (JPN) finished fourth. He landed five triples, but he stumbled on a quad toeloop attempt, missed a triple loop and toeloop that were downgraded as well (214.29 points). Jeremy Abbott (USA) plummeted from second to fifth. His routine contained four clean triple jumps, but he crashed on a quad toe attempt, a triple flip and a triple Axel (208.45 points).
Joubert picked up 15 points for his win and collected 24 overall. He will now have to wait and see if that is enough to get him to the ISU Grand Prix Final. Weir (13 points) now has 22 overall and also will know only after the last two events if he qualified for Tokyo. Brezina (11 points) will compete again in two weeks at Skate Canada.
Ladies, Free Skating
Miki Ando of Japan came out on top in the Ladies event with a lot of shuffling in the standings. Russia’s Alena Leonova won the Free Skating to surge from fifth to second while overnight leader Ashley Wagner (USA) slipped to third. The Ladies repeated the podium from the Rostelecom Cup, only second and third place switched.
Ando stood in second place following the Short Program and skated next to last. She had to overcome a shaky start when she under-rotated and two-footed her opening triple Lutz attempt in her “Cleopatra” routine. The 2007 World Champion went on to complete a double Axel-double toeloop combination, a big triple loop and triple Salchow and a triple Lutz, but she fell on the back end of a triple toe-double loop combination. The reigning World bronze medalist received a level four for the flying combination spin, the flying sit spin and the spiral sequence to earn 106.33 points (48.93 element score/58.40 program component score). She was ranked second in the Free Skating but overall pulled up to first at 162.55 points. “I stood in the middle of the podium for the first time in Japan (at a Grand Prix event), but I’m not really happy, because my free skating wasn’t competitive”, Ando said. “I am pleased to be in the Final and I will train hard for it and try to become stronger mentally. I’m looking forward to the Finale in Tokyo, so I can show the people in Japan a better performance.”
Leonova turned in an entertaining program to “Chicago” that featured five clean triple jumps, but she stepped out of the triple toe-triple toe combination and her triple Lutz was wobbly. The flying combination spin was graded a level four, while the combination spin and the spiral sequence got a level three. The World Junior Champion collected 108.51 points (57.07/51.44), setting a new seasons best and accumulating 160.85 points to move up from fifth to second. “I am very pleased with my free skating. I almost did the triple toe-triple toe combination, I just stepped out of it. But I’m still very happy, because this is the first time that I got credit for it in competition”, Leonova noted. “If I can go to the Grand Prix Final, it would be another chance for me to present myself, and I want to make up for the mistakes that I made in the short program, like some of the levels”, she continued.
Wagner started with a shaky triple flip-double toe combination into her routine to “Polovetsian Dances” and then hit a triple loop and double Axel, but she struggled with her jumps in the second half of the program, stumbling on a triple Salchow, a double Axel (in sequence with a triple flip) and singling her Lutz. Wagner picked up some points for solid spins that got level four and threes. The two-time World Junior bronze medalist scored 99.45 points (45.61/53.84) which added up to 155.99 points overall. “It wasn’t the best program, but I still accomplished some of the goals that I wanted to accomplish here”, Wagner told the press. “I’m on the podium, so I’m pretty happy with that overall. Going through the program, I think I just was a little bit tired. I’ve been on the road for three weeks. By the time I got to the long program it’s been a long trip”, she explained. Following the Rostelecom Cup in Moscow, the skater hadn’t returned home but trained in Austria before coming to Japan.
Yukari Nakano (JPN) slipped from third to fourth place with 152.35 points. She completed three clean triples and strong spins, but she doubled the Lutz, a triple flip was cheated and she fell on an under-rotated triple Salchow. European Champion Laura Lepistö (FIN) came in fifth after doubling a Lutz and a Salchow and singling a loop.
Ando collected the maximum of 30 points from her two wins in the Grand Prix series and has qualified for the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Leonova earned 13 points in Nagano and now has 24. Wagner (11) points collected 24 points as well, but is ranked behind Leonova because of a tie breaker.
Sarah Meier (SUI) withdrew from the Ladies event after the warm up due to an acute inflammation of her right Achilles tendon. She stood in 8th place following the Short Program.
The NHK Trophy concludes Sunday with the Free Dance and the Exhibition Gala.
Results
