#lake placid international 2019

[rabbitcruiser]

Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeated the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3 on February 22, 1980.

[figureskatingcostumes]

Aldis Kara Bergsdottir competing in the short program at the 2019 Junior Grand Prix Lake Placid and 2020 Reykjavik International Games.

(Sources: David W. Carmichael and ÍSS)

[sunskate]

I will collect my thoughts a bit more but this was my first season watching skating, specifically ice dance, and how exciting it was!

My favorite programs definitely included both RD and FD for LaLa, Lolo and Nik’s FD, Kaitlyn and Jean Luc’s FD, both of CPom’s programs, Green/Parsons RD, and Piper and Paul’s Evita (I know it was unpopular, Broadway really gets me feeling things and I thought they did it well even if not super innovative or complex).

I liked Lily and Nathan’s programs, hope they can get a boost next year. And Miku and Tyler at Canadian Nationals made me emotional with their FD. There were other things that I grew to like in pieces, like some parts of Lilah and Lewis’s Gaga, Charlene and Marco’s FD music, Madi C’s outright star energy on ice. I guess I liked at least a small something from most teams. Maybe I’ll develop more of a critics lens as I keep watching the sport, but I think I just appreciated what these athletes did throughout the season on the whole.

Recently, loved Hannah and Ye! They did so well at World Team Trophy. Of the other juniors, I watched a few but mostly at IAMO with Scott Moir being the head coach of the school, but I really enjoyed Noah and Jordan’s FD and liked Layla and Alex’s as well (Broadway again, yes!)

Also in general I’ve been loving watching any and all BTS from IAM and IAMO. I’ve been reflecting on how important it is to have community in general, and particularly as adults when that more easily fades away, and I’m so happy to see the community of skaters who seem to truly support each other coming out of that school. I can’t wait to see what happens in the off season, I’m not sure how long I can wait for new programs, I can’t believe the whole summer has to come and go!

Thanks for being such a fun and informative source of information this season. Looking forward to more!

Aww I love this- thanks for sharing 🥰 i get critical sometimes and disappointed by judging shenanigans, but the teams themselves, anyone competing at the senior GP level is a highly accomplished and dedicated athlete, and some are beautiful performers and artists - it makes me really happy to watch. and seeing the talent in juniors and watching their progression is also❤️

have you watched Broadway RD season??? 2019-20 and 2020-21 both were Broadway/operetta/musicals. if you love Broadway, there were so many fun programs - Lolo and Nik’s Bonnie and Clyde was my favorite those seasons, but it was a good theme for variety. Skating ISU on youtube has entire RD events still up, like from 4CC and Europeans in 2020, which adds up to most of the top teams, though you might need a vpn. maybe you know all this, but if you didn’t, you might really like it☺️

i love the sense of community and kindness and friendship the skaters at the IAM schools have too - it makes the sport better when schools foster those values. you can feel the night and day difference in women’s skating this season compared to the Eteri years. the winning at all costs mentality was so toxic that it’s like the sun came out in their absence

we don’t have to wait for the whole summer to come and go🤗 there are summer competitions 🥳 the very first ones start end of June, just over 2 months from now. the first one with a good number of dance teams is often Lake Placid International end of July, and Skate Canada has been streaming its Next Gen development camp from July sectionals around the same time. and then JGPs start Aug 23 in Bangkok this year

[icedanceupstarts]

Ice Dance Musings and Lake Placid Impressions

Much like the skaters themselves, we're still shaking off the rust of the off-season, but here are some thoughts and impressions, first in general, and then the seniors at Lake Placid.

1. The Broadway RD theme is the best idea the ISU has come up with in ages and we will hear no word against it

2. We will hear many words against the outrageous exclusion of the dancey stop in the Finnstep pattern, a tragedy and a crime.

3. There's no better way to remind yourself of all the seemingly small rule changes than watching new programs and seeing a bunch of things you've never seen before show up in each program

4. Currently not seeing a single clear leader or two in Junior ice dance, which is very exciting. The field is always great to watch but looks particularly outstanding and intriguing this year.

5. The knowledge of the inexorable passage of time will not stop us from getting emotional over the babies growing up.

Smart/Diaz

Starting off the season with a win! They were only 4th in the RD despite her astoundingly appropriate Bad Sandy hair, but more than made up the ground in the free. We're maybe a little(a lot) dubious about that 114 but they were actually quite polished and prepared for this time of year, more so than their competition. Their Grease RD shows off their sass and is a good challenge for them portraying such distinctive characters.

We've watched a lot of ice dance this weekend, and we've seen free dances run the gamut from insta-love to promising to ehhhhh, but Smart/Diaz have the dubious honor of having the only free dance that made us feel like we were losing our grip on reality, so that's fun. We were actually with them for the first minute of wacky, yet precisely executed clown antics, including a mid twizzle sequence cartwheel, but then the voiceover kicked in and suddenly we were lost. We've loved fun, weird circus programs in the past, but those have never included introspective voiceovers about rain and the nature of happiness. We were not prepared for an examination of the complicated inner life and emotions of clowns. By the time the music switched back to pure circus, we were too bewildered to even enjoy it on that level anymore. Maybe we're just uncultured rubes who aren't open-minded enough to appreciate this artistic innovation, but currently we are confusion.

Carreira/Ponomarenko

The second year seniors came a matching second in both segments and overall in a nice start to the season. They've been talking in interviews about how they wanted to up the difficulty of their programs and definitely delivered, not only upgrading their elements but increasing their transitions, complexity of their usage of the ice surface, and spending more time in hold. From a performance aspect their sassy RD is farther along at this point, as it's a natural fit for their brand of showmanship. It's only been a year without a fun Carreira/Ponomarenko program but it felt longer and we're thrilled to have them back. Their flamenco free dance is currently surprisingly subtle and nuanced, when a more dramatic approach would probably be easier for them, but it's a good stretch for them, and it's early enough that they could always change their minds and go for something more in your face.

McNamara/Carpenter

They apparently skated well in the RD, winning that segment, although all we can say about that is the costumes are nice and Liza Minelli is always a bonus. Their new free dance continues in the more modern, lyrical style they started exploring last season. They've introduced quite a few new elements and skate with such passion we actually forgot that the first piece of music they're using is kind of a dreary funeral dirge. That's the kind of trick you can pull off when you're at this level. The final third of their free dance switches to a more dynamic Adele piece in a music cut we don't love, and while they're not quite skating up to that energy yet, they've got plenty of time for tweaks in both choreo and performance.

Soucisse/Firus

A favorite of ours, Soucisse/Firus brought their signature pizzazz to both programs. Or so we assume, as their RD is currently still a mystery beyond the cute pink dress she wore. The free dance though! A return to their strengths of classy, upbeat elegance after their rocky season, it's a really nice program. They’re still warming up but the lightness and energy is already a great fit for them. Hopefully having a new, strong program that they feel comfortable with from the start will boost their confidence and make them more consistent this upcoming season, as they'll have to fight for that third Canadian spot.

Green/Parsons

When asked about their partnership some weeks back, we mentioned as a potential pro that having two strong skaters who grew up learning the same technique could be quite the boon, but we may have underestimated just how much that would be the case. Particularly in the rhythm dance where they finished a narrow third behind M/C and C/P, although once more all we can really say about that is that those are some interesting costumes. The free dance had some wobbles but they're coming together really well, good flow through step sequences and matching timing on their elements. Caroline is adjusting well to the senior level, no doubt helped by having such a wonderful and experienced partner.

Lanaghan/Razgulajevs

Canada's a hard field to make a dent in at the moment but they've made great strides over the summer. Their new free dance is actually quite nice, and a low key highlight of the competition. It's light and dreamy, and deceptively difficult. Very pleasant surprise!

Min/Eaton

They sat out last season to gel after the somewhat… unfortunate demise of their previous partnerships, but they're looking good together now. Their RD is a perfectly charming take on 42nd Street. Their FD is an ode to really good US Men SPs, if somewhat disjointed. You can see that they're still adjusting to each other, but they should make a nice addition to the world scene as they continue to gel.

[tanosandtwizzles]

Junior Rhythm Dance, Lake Placid Ice Dance International 2019

Nadia Bashynska/Peter Beaumont 🇨🇦, 55.48

Emmy Bronsard/Aissa Bouaraguia 🇨🇦, 54.70

Molly Cesanek/Yehor Yehorov 🇺🇸, 53.86

Irina Galiyanova/Grayson Lochhead 🇨🇦, 53.83

Oona Brown/Gage Brown 🇺🇸, 53.66

[window-n-roof]

source: tanosandtwizzles

[alysaliufan]

❀ → alysa liu gif pack | jgp — lake placid, ny

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• like or reblog if you save/use or find these gifs helpful

• (c) 80sand90sshit on twitter, skcterkidz on instagram and/or itsabusbyworld on wattpad (i run all of those accounts, obviously)

• do not edit these gifs any further than what is already done to them (unless it’s for a crackship gif, then you may do so, but please let me know first & give me some type of credit when it’s due, thank you all so much for understanding) or add them into any gif hunts, please (:

• do not claim these gifs as your own, thank you

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a/n: i might start coloring my gifs, but we’ll see hehe! ps, i’m sorry for being such an inactive blogger, but i am back now! there will be a lot of alysa content coming your way, so get ready. <3

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note: alysa is currently fourteen and is of caucasian & asian decent, please cast her correctly & appropriately (race/ethnicity & of [her] age [range]) if you use these for fanfiction or fancast purposes. and please, keep this in reference, if you ever need to mention her background because she is not just “a white girl,” she is part asian, chinese to be specific.

[figureskatingfanblog]

Full results from the Lake Placid Ice Dance International and the Philadelphia Summer International which both took place at the end of July.

[phroyd]

It’s because of shit like this that we have Regulations of one kind or another, because when we don’t, we have THIS!  And, it’s that people are not only buying this shit, they are defending buying it, that it’s clear, Trump will probably win and civilization is in serious decline. - Phroyd

Industrial bleach is being sold on Amazon through its product pages which consumers are buying under the mistaken belief that it is a “miracle cure” for Covid-19, despite health warnings from the US Food and Drug Administration that drinking the fluid can kill.

The chlorine dioxide solutions are being sold on the Amazon platform under the brand name CD Kit and NatriChlor. Third-party sellers signal the bleach as a “water treatment” and include legal disclaimers that the liquid is “not marketed for internal use”.

But comments from Amazon customers under the review section of the pages tell a different story. Users discuss how many drops of bleach they are imbibing and explain they are drinking the chemical which they call MMS to “disinfect ourselves”, a phrase that echoes Donald Trump’s controversial remarks in April that injections of disinfectant could cure Covid-19.

One purchaser, writing in Spanish, said his family had started taking bleach soon after the coronavirus pandemic hit the US. “Many people still don’t believe in it, but I am sure that it has helped us a lot,” he said.

Another Amazon customer wrote: “My mom who is 77 got Corona, Covid, and had a whole body-ache stomach upset, very extreme headache, fatigue … Well, she started taking MMS and NOT KIDDING you, she was practically half better the NEXT day and the day after she was totally good!!”

The bleach that is being sold on the Amazon marketplace is typically used in industrial processes including textile manufacturing and bleaching of pulp and paper. In small doses it can be used to disinfect water, but the concentrations being advocated by pushers of MMS – “miracle mineral solution” – are well above safety levels.

Proponents of MMS falsely claim that it is a cure-all for almost all diseases, including malaria, HIV/Aids, cancer and now Covid-19. They also market it untruthfully as a cure for the condition autism.

Since the start of the pandemic, the FDA has been trying to clamp down on fraudulent dealers of quack remedies claiming to protect against the virus. Last August the agency issued a strong health warning that MMS bleach products could be life-threatening.

The American Association of Poison Control Centers has recorded more than 16,000 cases of chlorine dioxide poisoning, including 2,500 cases of children under 12. Many of those individuals suffered serious side effects, the group noted, including a six-year-old autistic girl who three years ago required hospital treatment for liver failure.

Several deaths of people drinking bleach marketed as a “miracle cure” have been reported across South America, including in Argentina where a five-year-old boy was reported to have died in August having been given chlorine dioxide as a Covid cure.

In the past, Amazon has removed from its platform several pro-MMS books, including those by the founder of the movement, Jim Humble. He claimed to have discovered that chlorine dioxide cures malaria while on a gold mining expedition in the Guyana jungle in 1996.

Amazon in March promised to crack down on product listings that cash-in on false remedies for Covid-19. But third-party sellers are still finding ways to peddle potentially dangerous products on the site.

Amazon did not immediately respond to Guardian questions about the sale of the bleach on its platform.

Fiona O’Leary, a campaigner against MMS based in Ireland, said she was “shocked and heartbroken that Amazon is still selling this product. The FDA is prosecuting producers of bleach, but now we have Amazon selling it. How can this be happening?”

The CD Kit and Natrichlor bleach products currently on sale through Amazon are made by KVLAB, which is linked to Keavy’s Corner, an online shop based in Lake Placid, Florida. In a business listing, Keavy’s Corner describes itself as specializing in “chlorine dioxide products for consumer use”.

In an email to the Guardian, the owner of Keavy’s Corner, Steve Pardee, said that he began selling the product for cleaning dog kennels and equine use. He denied ever having claimed that chlorine dioxide is a cure, and stressed that he had nothing to do with the third-party sellers touting his wares on Amazon.

“I have never advocated human consumption. My listings for all these items have included links to FDA warnings since 2013,” he said.

Documents show that Pardee was active on the “MMS Forum”, an online community of advocates of bleach as a miracle cure, as recently as last year. In 2012 he was involved in preparing an approved list of MMS suppliers, and said in one post: “I started making MMS in 2008.”

Pardee told the Guardian that back in 2012 he had “offered safety and technical advice” to a forum run by Genesis II, a one-time leading provider of bleach miracle cures in the US run by the Grenon family. Mark Grenon, the head of the family, and his son Joseph were arrested and charged by the FDA last month in Columbia and are awaiting extradition to the US, while two other sons are also in jail facing similar charges in Florida.

Pardee said he had cut ties with Genesis back in 2013 or 2014 and had nothing to do with them. But he did join a discussion on the MMS Forum in March 2019 in which members discussed changing the name from Miracle Mineral Solution to WPS, an acronym for Water Purification Solution.

The name change would help them “hide from the wolves and hyenas targeting MMS,” as one user put it.

Pardee contributed to that conversation with the comment that “people who deal in any alternative health items need to be very careful of the language they choose. It all boils down to words. If you simply sell a chemical, and let people be educated elsewhere, they will find you when they know what they are looking for.”

Phroyd

[morgauseloveshersisters]

Christina Carreira/Anthony Ponomarenko | Rhythm Dance | 2019 Lake Placid Ice Dance International

[rabbitcruiser]

Miracle on Ice: In Lake Placid, New York, the United States hockey team defeated the Soviet Union hockey team 4–3 on February 22, 1980.

[sywtwfs]

2019 Summer Competitions

A list of some notable small competitions in the early 2019-2020 season. Although several of these competitions have already taken place, we’ve decided to compile a post for reference! Most of these competitions are domestic club competitions, though sometimes international skaters also participate. Withdrawals with no notice are very common. For more events and info, please check out Unseen Skaters or threads on Goldenskate.

JUNE

Lake Placid Figure Skating Championship (6/27 - 6/30) Skating Club of Lake Placid - Lake Placid, NY

Website & results

Notable entries:  Senior Ladies - Gabriella Izzo, Alina Soupian, Michelle Long. Junior Men - Mark Gorodnitsky, Ilya Kovler, Maxim Naumov

How to watch: Paid livestream by Snapshot Live.

Broadmoor Open (6/25 - 6/29) Broadmoor Skating Club - Colorado Springs, CO, USA

Website, Results

Notable entries: Senior - Karen Chen (SP only), Amber Glenn (SP only), Hanna Harrell, Pooja Kalyan (SP only), Alysa Liu, Yi Christy Leung, Young You,  Jimmy Ma

How to watch:  No paid Livestream this year.  Youtube videos

JULY

1st Interclub League Competition: North Division (7/11 - 7/14) Hailar, China

Website

Notable Competitors: Boyang Jin, Han Yan, Xuehan Wang/Lei Wang, Jiaxi (Chelsea) Liu/Xie Zhong Yi Christy Leung, Yi (Beverly) Zhu, Emily Zhang, Ashley Lin

How to watch: Fancams posted around the internet

Glacier Falls Summer Classic (7/18 - 7/21) Glacier Falls Figure Skating Club - Irvine, CA, USA

Website Schedule   

Notable Entries: Senior - Alysa Liu, Emmy Ma, Gabriella Izzo, Akari Nakahara, Audrey Shin, Megan Wessenberg, Yaroslav Paniot, Emmanuel Savary, Ryan Dunk, Joonsoo Kim, Sean Rabbitt. Junior - Stephen Gogolev

How to watch: Fancams 

Skate Detroit (7/23 - 7/27) Detroit Skating Club - Bloomfield Hill, MI, USA

Website/Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Amber Glenn, Alex Krasnozhon, Jimmy Ma, Ashley Cain-Gribble / Timothy DeLuc, Audrey Lu / Misha Mitrofanov, Jessica Calalang / Brian Johnson.

How to watch: Paid livestream by 828 Studios. Youtube videos

Minto Summer Skate (7/25 - 7/28) Gloucester, ON, Canada

Website, Entries/Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Nicolas Nadeau, Conrad Orzel, Michelle Long, Camille Ruest / Andrew Wolfe. Junior - Corey Circelli, Alec Guinzbourg, Iliya Kovler, Olivia McIsaac / Corey Circelli, Irina Galiyanova / Grayson Lochhead

How to watch: Free livestreams of each rink on Skate Ontario’s Dailymotion account

Ice Dance Summer Cup (July 26-27) Lyon, France

Entries/Results

Notable Entries: Junior - Loicia Demougeot / Theo Le Mercier, all French junior teams.

How to Watch: There are no current livestreams available 

South Korea JGP Selection Event (July 27-28) Taereung International Skating Rink - Seoul, South Korea

Website, Schedule

Notable Entries: Haein Lee, Jihun To, Seoyeong Wi, Hyun Soo Lee, Sihyeong Lee, Younghyun Cha, Sunghoon Park.

How to Watch: Fancam videos [1] [2]

Note: This competition determines assignments for the Junior Grand Prix.

Lake Place Ice Dance International/Championships (July 30 - August 2) Skating Club of Lake Placid - Lake Placid, NY

International Website, International Schedule, Championship Website, Championship Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - McNamara/Carpenter, Carreira/Ponomarenko, Soucisse/Firus, Smart/Diaz, Min/Eaton, Green/Parsons, Chen/Sun, Lanaghan/Razgulajevs. Junior - Brown/Brown, Bronsard/Bouaraguia, Makita/Gunara, Bashynska/Beaumont, Galiyanova/Lochhead.

How to watch: Paid livestream by Snapshot Sports Live

Philadelphia Summer International/Championship (July 30 - August 2) Iceworks Skating Club - Aston, PA, USA

Website, International Competition Results

Notable Entries: Young You, Karen Chen, Hanna Harrell, Starr Andrews, Pooja Kalyan, Donovan Carillo, Camden Pulkinen, Andrew Torgashev, Alexei Krasnozhon

How to watch: No livestream this year, the company they previously used went out of business. Fancam videos [1]

AUGUST

Russian Junior Test Skates (8/1 - 8/9) Novogorsk, Russia

Website 

How to watch: Livestreamed on Channel 1

Wild Rose Invitational (8/2 - 8/5) Leduc, AB, Canada

Website, Entries/Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Aurora Cotop. Junior - Aleksa Rakic, Eric Liu, Rinka Watanabe.

How to watch: Free livestreams of each rink on Skate Alberta/Nunavut Dailymotion account

57th Kitakyushu Open & Izuka Ice Palace Cup (8/2 - 8/4) Fukuoka, Japan

Website, Schedule

Notable entries (Full List) Senior - Mitsuki Sumoto, Ryuju Hino, Wakaba Higuchi

How to watch: News clips on Japanese TV

Asian Open Figure Skating Trophy (8/5 - 8/9) Dongguan, China 

Website, 

Notable Entries: TBA

How to watch: TBD

Quebec Summer Championship (8/8 - 8/11)

Entries/Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Véronik Mallet, Lubov Ilyushechkina / Charlie Bilodeau, Justine Brasseur / Mark Bardei, Camille Ruest / Drew Wolfe, Carolane Soucisse / Shane Firus, Marie Jade Lauriault / Roman Le Gac, Oliva Smart / Adrian Diaz. Junior - Joseph Phan, Bronsard/Bouaraguia.

How to watch: Free livestreams of each rink on the Patinage Québec Dailymotion account

Gensan Summer Cup 2019 (8/8 - 8/12) Shiga, Japan

Website, Schedule

Notable entries: (Full list) Senior: Taichi Honda, Yuto Kishina, Kazuki Tomono, Sota Yamamoto, Yuhana Yokoi, Mako Yamashita, Yuna Shiraiwa, Mai Mihara, Kaori Sakamoto, Wakaba Higuchi. Junior - Sena Miyake, Mitsuki Sumoto, Nana Araki, Miyu Honda

How to watch: News clips on Japanese TV

Dance Pairs Chicago

Website, Schedule

Notable entries: Junior - Avonley Nguyen / Vadim Kolesnik, Katarina DelCamp / Ian Somerville

How to watch: There are no current livestreams available

NRW Summer Trophy (8/9 - 8/11) Dortmund, Germany

Entries, Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Egor Murashov, Konkina/Drozd, Popova/Byelikov. Junior - Kazakova/Reviya.

How to watch: There are no current livestreams available 

BC Summer Skate (8/15 - 8/18) Burnaby, BC, Canada

Website, Entries/Results, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Aurora Cotop. Junior - Emily Bausback, Emma Bulawka, Olivia Gran, Eric Liu, Beres Clements, Aleksa Rakic, Makita/Gunara

How to watch: Free livestreams of each rink on the Skate British Columbia Yukon Dailymotion account

Sectional Series North York  (8/15 - 8/19) North York, Ontario, Canada

Entries/Results, Website, Schedule

Notable Entries: Senior - Keegan Messing, Nam Nguyen, Conrad Orzel, Roman Sadovsky, Gabby Daleman, Moore-Towers/Marinaro, Walsh/Michaud. Junior - Corey Circelli, Alec Guinzbourg, Iliya Kovler, Mark Gorodnitsky, Shingo Nishiyama, Alison Schumacher, Amelia Orzel, McIntosh/Toste, Andrew/Daleman, Leung/Fletcher, D’Alessandro/Waddell, McIsaac/Circelli, Galiyanova/Lochhead, Bashynska/Beaumont, Yoshida/Nishiyama

How to watch: Free livestreams of each rink on the Skate Ontario Dailymotion account

5th Interclub League Competition: NorthEast Division (8/15 - 8/18) Jilin, China

Website

Notable Competitors: Senior - Xiangyi An, Hongyi Chen, Xiangning Li, Ashley Lin, Yi (Beverly) Zhu, Xuehan Wang / Lei Wang, Xiaoyu Yu / Hao Zhang, Yuzhu Guo / Pengkun Zhao, Tong Liu / Quanshuo Ge, Wanqi Ning / Chao Wang.

How to watch: Fancams posted around the internet

2019 Rinspo Cup (8/24 - 9/1) Osaka, Japan

Website, Schedule 

Notable entries (Full list) Senior - Mitsuki Sumoto. Junior - Miyu Honda

How to watch: News clips on Japanese TV

1st MGC Ice Arena Cup (8/31 - 9/1) Niigata, Japan

Website, Schedule, Results

Notable entries: Senior - Hiroaki Sato

How to watch: News clips on Japanese TV

[gogogogolev]

LAKE PLACID, NEW YORK - AUGUST 29: Stephen Gogolev of Canada performs in the Junior Men's Short Program during Day 1 of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating at Herb Brooks Arena on August 29, 2019 in Lake Placid, New York. (Photo by Patrick Smith - International Skating Union (ISU)/International Skating Union via Getty Images)

Links: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6

[sunskate]

Would you be able to give me a rundown on Scott’s teams? Just what you think of them and what growth you’ve seen? I know it’s only his second season coaching but it’s also my first watching! Trying to understand what my feelings should be about for ex the JGP skaters coming in 6/7 and S/W coming in 5 at Lake Placid etc. Thank you!!!

I would say trust your own reactions ☺️ if you enjoy a team, their placement doesn't matter. I really like Dozzi/Papetti -their tango program is😘 I don't know if I can be much help, but I had fun thinking about your question- this ended up being more than you might want to know lol -

His two top teams are CPom and Sales/Wamsteeker- they both were up and coming a few seasons back and then stalled a little bit and switched to Scott.

Carreira/Ponomarenko won🥈at 2018 Junior Worlds, and in their first 2 senior seasons 2018-20, they medaled at 6 Challengers and won🥉at a Grand Prix so there was a feeling that they were a team to watch.

They were getting results and were 4th at US Nationals. But in 2019-20, their then-coach Igor Shpilband had them skate Farrucas for their FD, and it exposed areas that weren't strengths - they're not the most fiery team, so it was a risk to skate a flamenco (esp the one associated with VM). Christina wasn't holding herself in lifts and there was more mention that Anthony was the stronger partner. Then the lockdown season 2020-21, their FD didn't feel like anything new, and they had the bad luck to have to withdraw from Nationals because of a close covid contact. CPom, especially Christina, are big VMies, and around that time they decided to switch camps and go to Scott.

Christina grew a lot their first season at IAM.O. She was noticeably stronger and projected her performances more. Best of all was that she looked more confident, like there was an internal shift. Anthony was dealing with injury, and that understandably held them back, especially in lifts, but it was kept quiet til the end of the season, so while some of their struggles got chalked up to growing pains from switching camps, some commentators blamed Scott.

Meanwhile, Green/Parsons had a stellar season and overtook CPom for the #4 spot in the US, and now some younger US teams including the Junior World Champs Oona and Gage Brown have seniored up, so this season, CPom will want to come roaring back.

They're probably aiming for the #3 US spot, but they were 7th at Nationals this past January, so top 5 would be progress and top 3 would be really exciting. Fingers crossed that they have great programs this year!

Then Scott's top Canadian team are Haley Sales and Nikolas Wamsteeker- they've been around long enough that they competed against VM. They were #4 in Canada 2018-2020 but had other🇨🇦 teams going ahead of them (Lajoie/Lagha, and Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen switching to🇨🇦) and needed a change.

These two have a good connection and are expressive - I used to think they had a quiet personality as a team, but I think it's that more power would give them the oomph to be impactful. Their speed has improved since they've been with Scott (compare their 2020 Samson & Delilah FD to this season's Phantom FD), but it's still not a strength. I wish they skated with more extension - with their long limbs and good unison, they have nice lines and look so good when they do extend their free legs. They came to Scott already with good lifts, especially the stationary and rotational. Their straight line lift is striking (Wang/Liu is another team with a tall male partner who does a similar lift). Their spin has improved and is faster.

Gilles/Poirier, Fournier-Beaudry/Sorensen, Lajoie/Lagha are the top 3 🇨🇦 teams. S/W are among 6 other senior teams who have international assignments from Skate Canada and are competing for the ranks below them. S/W so far have been placing behind Lauriault/LeGac and Soucisse/Firus so they're probably #6 in 🇨🇦 and need to skate lights out at their Grand Prix and keep improving in general to be considered stronger contenders.

[sportsavourblog]

26/11 is a past; now for Praveen Ironman Teotia its only ‘Run, Run and Run’

When Sportsavour last met Praveen Teotia, he signed off by saying, “Pain is there, it will always be there. But overcoming it is the greatest challenge. Success reduces all the pain…both mentally and physically.”

Two years have passed in between and in these two years, Praveen Teotia has courageously faced all challenges and bravely conquered those. Today, he is one of the most successful long-distance runners of India- a victorious marathon man and a triumphant Ironman.

THE PAST – AS A MARINE COMMANDO

It was on the night of 26/11 when Praveen Teotia, a marine commando, took four bullets in his lungs and ear while resisting the insurgents of Taj Hotel in Mumbai. It was the most terrific terrorist attack in India. For almost 6 months he was in hospital, fighting for life against death. His lungs ruptured, he had multiple operations and even the doctors planted prosthetic ear to bring back his face symmetry. Praveen could not move his right hand and also could not walk. But he never lost hope….the hope to survive.

Praveen Teotia’s strong will power brought him back to the mainstream. Post hospitalization, several medications made him extremely weak but at the same time he began to gain weight. He joined his office in Vishakhapatnam to continue his service in Navy but was assigned administrative desk job. It is during this time, Teotia started motivating himself to start afresh. He began jogging and running- first to keep him fit and then to remain involved.  Praveen used to set a target everyday. For the first few days he ran 500 m and then gradually increased his distance. Within 1 month he started running 5 km a day and also reduced his weight from 78 kg to 67 kg. He began to feel fit and therefore applied for Navy Mountaineering Expedition. But he was rejected on medical ground. Instead of becoming disheartened, he became more determined. In 2014, Teotia forced his transfer to Mumbai and from then onwards another exciting chapter of his life started.

THE PRESENT – AS A RUNNER

Praveen Teotia participated in Mumbai Marathon in 2014 but under an alias as he knew that Indian Navy would not permit him to take part in a marathon. He was successful in his first attempt as he finished the race in 1 hour and 53 minutes. Next year he ran the full marathon. Though he cramped in the middle, still he finished the race in 4 hours 37 minutes. In 2016, he came out from his alias and took part in the Indian Navy Half Marathon. But as the Navy was still not convinced about his fitness, he did not clash with the authority and took a voluntary retirement. Since then Praveen Teotia has participated in various long-distance runs both at national and international level.

In February 2017, Praveen took part in Goa Triathlon where he covered 1.5 km of Swimming, 40 km of Cycling and 10 km of Running. This win made him high with confidence. So, Praveen decided to do another encounter but this time against nature’s dangerous landform Khardung La. On 9th September Praveen and his fellow runner reached the top of the Pass that runs at an altitude of 18,380 feet. He finished the race in 12 hours 43 minutes, before the stipulated time of 14 hours.

“Glory always comes with guts, not by death. It is not something that is awarded or gifted but is always earned.”

With the much-needed endurance level, Praveen Teotia has touched new heights. He has damaged lungs and serious hearing disability; but still he has achieved the title of Ironman, not once but thrice.

1st Ironman on 15th April 2018 at Nelson Mandela Bay in South Africa

“It was the day of Ironman Triathlon Championship in South Africa in which one has to swim 3.8 km, cycle 180 km and run 42.2 km. After finishing Swimming, I started Cycling. When I reached 110 km on my cycle, suddenly the derailleur broke and the chain got twisted. I fell down on the road with a bang on my knee that started to bleed immediately. But luck favoured me as the bike maintenance centre was just 50 m from where I fell. The volunteers helped me to rush to the centre with my cycle. The servicing was done but it took away almost 35 minutes from my schedule and more importantly the derailleur was removed. With a mechanical disadvantage and a bleeding knee, I cycled the remaining 70 km against some strong winds. But I stayed focussed on finishing the remaining distance within the cut-off time. I pushed myself, thought of not losing the battle and continuously motivated myself to finish 180 km of cycling within the fixed time. I reached my target, became the Ironman for the first time and had a great feeling.  But that day I made up my mind not to stop but continue to push my limits.”

2nd Ironman on 17th November 2018 at Langkawi in Malayasia

“I woke up early in the morning, did my meditation and yoga before heading towards the venue. It was a clear morning with lovely atmosphere and 1276 participants from 61 countries. The Swimming started at around 8am. But suddenly the weather changed, the clear sky got covered with cloud and rain started. The strong winds began to push me back. The kayaks which were in the water for route safety started getting dislodged and came in the way of the participants. One of the kayaks almost hit me but somehow I saved myself. I finished the remaining distance and ran to the transition area where the participants took shower, changed and picked up their bike for the next phase of 180 km Cycling. The bike course was absolutely spectacular where we had to complete two laps around the island. But due to rain the road became a nightmare. Throughout the first lap the rain continued. Then it stopped and again the weather changed. The sun was up above the head, shining brightly making the temperature high and humid. I was dried outside but my socks and shoes were wet inside. My feet were drenched and blisters made them worse. Suddenly I felt a little pain in my damaged lungs. I was worried that I might not face the situation further. But I remembered my Marcos training where I was trained never to give up in any situation. I completed my bike ride almost one hour late than what I targeted. After a quick break in the second transition area, I started my Marathon of 42 km. But it seemed like an uphill task for me. I felt pain in my lungs that gradually increased. So I stopped running and began walking. I had only two options then- either to give up the task or continue going. At that point, my inner self acted as my confidant who gave me confidence to finish the task. I started running again and only stopped after crossing the finishing line. I completed my 2nd Ironman Challenge that took 15 hours and 23 minutes. After this event, I understood that physical preparation is definitely needed for any endurance test but what is needed more is the training of mind.”

3rd Ironman on 28th July 2019 at Lake placid in New York

“Ironman Challenge in Lake Placid is any triathlete’s dream. It was also a dream coming true for me. On the day of the event, I put some bananas in my bike bag and an extra pair of socks in my running bag. With a flag of India, I reached the venue as early as 6 0’clock. The venue was absolutely fantastic. The race started with Swimming. All was well as I completed the Swimming part of my race smoothly. But after finishing as I was in the transition area, dizziness dawned on me. I started feeling hungry and weak. I ignored the weakness, had a banana and began Cycling. Hardly it was 10 km of Cycling, I felt that I would fall from my bike. I was sacred; I murmured- ‘ Oh God, how I will compete?’ Lots of questions started coming into my mind. I rested a little, took a deep breath and again started. On reaching 20 km I found an aid station. I had some chocolates, energy gels and drinks.  This rehydrated my body and I felt a bit fresh. Till 65 km, the track was non-hazardous but after that it was totally an uphill road. Wind was against us as all athletes faced difficulty in cycling. I pushed myself hard against the wind. It took 4 hours and 90 minutes to finish the first lap of 90 km. I was quite worried of getting disqualified as the next 90 km was harder and I knew I had to paddle faster. It was an extreme test of endurance for me. I tried my best and I don’t know from where all the power came. It was a do or die situation for me and the only option was to move forward. I finished the next 90 km in much lesser time. I was the happiest man at that point of time. I quickly went to the second transition area, changed to running attire and started my final round. The running track also comprised of uphill and downhill course but I successfully completed it in 4 hours 57 minutes. It was an extremely proud moment for me. It was an Ironman hatrick for me.”

There is a unique saying- ‘Tough time does not last, tough people do.’ Praveen Teotia is a burning example of this. I a true sense, he is a man of mettle. Praveen, presently, is in New York to run at the New York City Marathon and later this month he will be in Pune for another Marathon. 26/11 is a thing of past for him now. He has stepped far ahead from that;  has been in his own world of comfort where there is only ‘ Run, Run and Run’.      

[tanosandtwizzles]

Harshita Rawtani, 13, and Vansh Bhatia, 16, represented India at the 2019 JGP Lake Placid. They live outside New Delhi and travel two hours each way for an hour of ice time on Saturdays and Sundays.

“A lot of people within the skating community may ask, well shouldn’t there be a qualification for the Junior Grand Prix? This is the entry level for international skating. I go back to the name of a coach many people will remember, Yao Bin of China. He came to the world championships in pairs and couldn’t really do very well, just didn’t know quite what to do or how to do it. He was the coach of the Chinese Olympic pair champions. It has to start somewhere and this is not a bad place to start; giving respect to every skater and country who wants to participate in this sport (…) And talk about the courage to come on the ice surrounded by many skaters far more experienced than they are. This took a lot of courage on their part and I salute them for sure. It’s a good start to get new countries involved and who knows, just like Yao Bin maybe one day they’ll coach a skater from India to a podium position at a Junior Grand Prix or seniors, we don’t know. That’s the way history unfolds and we’ve been proven wrong many times when we think a person can’t do it.” – Ted Barton