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Yuzuru Hanyu of (center) claimed the gold at 2018 Autumn Classic. South Korea’s Jun-Hwan Cha (left) won the free skate but placed second overall. Canada’s captured the bronze. Photo: Susan D. Russell Contents 24 Features

VOLUME 23 | ISSUE 6 | DECEMBER 2018

ASHLEY WAGNER 6 On the Road to Recovery

VANESSA JAMES & 10 MORGAN CIPRÉS Ready to Conquer the World

FIERCELY COMPETITIVE! 14 Junior Stars Heading to the Grand Prix Final

MIKHAIL KOLYADA 18 New Season, New Perspective

STARR POWER VALLE PHOTO: FLAVIO 20 U.S. Teen Chasing Olympic Dream

ALINA ZAGITOVA 6 22 Rising Above the Challenges

ON THE COVER Ê 24 & The Best is Yet to Come

VANCOUVER CALLING 32 Final Three Grand Prix Events Play out in Japan, & Departments

4 FROM THE EDITOR 46 QUICKSTEPS

36 WEDDING BELLS 47 TRANSITIONS

38 INNER LOOP 48 MEDIA GUIDE

COVER PHOTO: FLAVIO VALLE

2 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 TOS: ROBIN RITOSS` PHO Reigning Olympic champion Alina Zagitova of Russia (center) scored a runaway victory at the 2018 . Japan’s (left) captured the silver medal ahead of Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, who placed third. TOS: MARIA KATESHOVA` PHO Russia’s (center) claimed her second Challenger Series victory at 2018 . Kazakhstan’s Elizabet Tursynbaeva (left) mined silver and ’s Viveca Lindfors (right) claimed the bronze.

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 3 4PK:LHZVU9LÅLJ[PVUZ

Mental health has become an important discussion in igure skating, opportunity to watch all the events live. ever since spoke out about her condition. It is the same with the Junior Grand Prix. Kudos to the In mid-October, Ashley Wagner went public with the news that International Skating Union for once again investing in and she has been sufering from depression since the U.S. Championships delivering live online coverage of every competitor at every event. last January. She hopes that by speaking out about it, others will be his is a costly venture, so it was heartening to see so many people encouraged to seek help, just as she did. watching the streams each week and getting engaged with the Canada’s also recently announced she was junior stars. sufering from mental health issues and was taking a break from What was again remarkable for me was how iercely competitive skating to heal. the juniors have become. Many of them will be front and center We wish them both a speedy return to good health. on your screens in the next couple of years as they transition into hough the irst half of the season has been a challenge for the senior ranks. some senior skaters, others have lourished. One of them, Elizaveta We have a recap in this issue of the top six in each discipline who Tuktamysheva, has returned this season with a vengeance. She are heading to the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. won both her Challenger events in the fall, her irst victories since Television and online schedules for the last three Grand Prix late 2015. events are included in this issue, along with those for the senior hough many top skaters withdrew from the Grand Prix Series Grand Prix Final in December and the competitions in the irst prior to the start of the events, the newcomers on the circuit half of 2019. have shown themselves to be worthy of earning places at these he IFS team will be in Vancouver covering both Finals, so stay competitions. I hope you are enjoying the Series as much as I am. up-to-date with our reports, news and photos at ifsmagazine.com, If you have been watching the Challenger Series online, I am and on Facebook and . sure you will join me in giving a shout-out to all the small skating federations that are providing live streams for those of us not at the actual competitions. hese eforts bring skating to many thousands Susan D. Russell of people around the world, and I certainly appreciate having the Publisher

PUBLISHER Susan D. Russell [email protected]

NORTH AMERICAN EDITOR Robert Brodie EUROPEAN EDITOR Tatjana Flade

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4 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 Canada’s Keegan Messing and , and Alexa Scimeca Knierim of the U.S., and , , and Thomas Stoll of accepted the trophies on behalf of their respective teams.

he 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy was a historical celebration. Nebelhorn Trophy has been used as the testing ground This year’s event marked the 50th anniversary of one for changes to the judging system, most notably the switch Tof the oldest competitions in igure skating. to the International Judging system in 2002. The following Throughout the decades, the careers of many skaters year it was the irst competition to oficially implement the have taken ight at this event. new scoring system. , the commentator for the International Skating It also serves as the testing ground for judges who wish Union’s Junior Grand Prix Series, won the title in 1975. Tom to gain international judging status. Dickson, now a renowned choreographer from the U.S., In 2009, Nebelhorn served as the qualifying event for the mined gold in 1980, defeating . 2010 Olympic Winter Games. That tradition continued in , , and all found 2013 and 2017. early success in Oberstdorf. This competition is unique in that skaters are not only Many notable ladies also struck gold at this competition. awarded medals, but also receive trophies. At the end of the captured the 1984 title, followed by Surya event, the three highest-scoring teams are also presented

Bonaly in 1990, and , who claimed two with trophies. This year, top honors went to the U.S.; Canada TO: ROBIN RITOSS`

consecutive titles in 1993 and 1994. ranked second and Germany placed third. PHO

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 5

I said, ‘I gotta turn this big ole lemon into my lemonade.’ accomplishments and longevity in the sport, she realized that competing at the elite level for more than a decade had taken its toll. “Skating is incredible for so many reasons, and I have been at the elite level as one of the top U.S. ladies — if not the top U.S. lady — for about a decade,” Wagner said. “When you’ve been at that level as long as I have, you also get tired — emotionally tired, physically tired. I was exhausted from years of that pressure on my shoulders, from competing in the sport. “In the inal months of last season, I was so incredibly unhappy. I was stressed out; I had too much on my plate and I was doing everything by myself. My life just became work. Work happened to be skating, and it really afected my relationship with the sport. “Not a lot of people understand that as an elite athlete, my life was a one-track record — it just played over and over again. You don’t really learn much about yourself as a person beyond who you are as an athlete. I wanted to give myself some time to do that and I knew that was not going to happen in California. I do not miss “I was at a point where I said to myself, ‘you can go live some life to see what you like and feeling so what you don’t like.’ I don’t think I really started to push myself into a better place until I moved lonely.. out of California. I was trying to build a new life in the bones of my old one. “I always wanted to get back east — my whole family is on the east coast, and it was just one of those things where I looked at a map, picked a place and just packed up and moved.” hat place was , the site of her silver- medal winning performance at the 2016 World Championships. “I love this city so much. I love the people and I love the life that I am creating for myself,” said Wagner. “It’s also helping me create a much more positive relationship with skating. “Now when I go to the rink and get on the ice, it’s my choice — because I want to. It’s getting me really excited about the sport again, and that’s something I needed. Just changing it up and allowing myself the chance to live the life that I promised myself I would have, I’m incredibly saw my place in the world and how I felt “Because I was able to eventually get happy and fulilled.” about my own sense of worth and value.” myself to a point where I sought help, While on hiatus from competitive skating, When Wagner eventually opened I’m inally gaining tools to help myself Wagner has embraced new opportunities that up to friends and family about how get better.” are keeping her connected to the sport. She went she was feeling, they encouraged her As she moved through the recovery to in the spring to perform with Stars to seek professional help. Wagner took process, Wagner realized what she on Ice, and is scheduled to perform in a show in their advice. needed most was a change of scenery. later this year. “I am in a completely diferent place She had promised herself that after “I’ve been able to say yes to a lot of cool now than I was then because I had a the Olympic season — no matter what skating shows. I am joining ’s professional help me. I’m deinitely not happened in her skating career — she show in the winter for Gay Ski Week. I have 100 percent better, but it’s one of those was going to let herself live a little bit never been so excited for anything in my entire things where it’s a work in progress and of life. life,” said Wagner, a longtime ally of the LGBT+

it’s day by day. Though Wagner is proud of her community. “I can do that because I am taking PHOTO: SUSAN D. RUSSELL

8 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 time away from competitive skating, and I am just really happy with what I did in crowds who provided some of the best I’m getting these really cool opportunities the sport. I go back and forth. memories in her long career. “If that was that I didn’t have time for before. Jeremy “Right now, I really don’t know what I my last nationals, I will absolutely miss the has a show every year in his hometown of am going to do.” sound of the audience on its feet as I am Aspen, Colorado, and I usually can’t do it Should Wagner opt to sit this one out, inishing up my spin at the end. hat’s the because it’s so close to nationals. she said she would be in the audience at coolest thing. But I can also know that if “But this year he scheduled it during nationals to cheer on the athletes who that was my last nationals, I inished with Aspen’s Gay Ski Week. I am imagining do compete. people on their feet. After all the things drag queens on skis and if it’s anything “Do you know that retired athletes go I have done in my career, that’s really all less, I think I’ll be really disappointed. It’s to nationals and they all just go get a nice I can ask for.” going to be a blast, and part of the proceeds glass of wine and just watch nationals? hat When asked what she would and would is going to charity. It’s a really cool thing sounds lovely,” she said with a laugh. not miss about training, Wagner had an that he’s doing for skating and for the “here’s nothing more that I want to immediate response for both scenarios. LGBT+ community.” do than have a glass of wine and watch “here is something really satisfying about In between her various professional everyone else be stressed out and reminisce being so exhausted that you can barely commitments, the 27-year-old is now about how stressed I used to be. It’s your move at the end of the day. coaching — on a consultant basis — at right as a retired athlete at that point to “I like that, and right now I am trying the . absolutely partake in that.” to ind something that gives me that same “I’m the kind of person who has to stay If the 2018 U.S. Championships was feeling. I skate — and it’s deinitely dicult busy or I go insane,” she said. “Coaching her last hurrah, Wagner said she would — but there’s nothing quite like being so has been a really good opportunity for me leave the competitive ranks with just a exhausted that you feel like you’re totally to stay busy and be in a rink. I get to train single regret. empty as a person. pretty much every single day, and I get to “hat’s a really great description though create a new relationship with skating and not a great sell on the feeling, but I love learn more about the sport. when I have spent every ounce of energy “I feel like my skating has improved so that I have to give in a day. much just by working with the kids and I am so proud “I do not miss feeling so lonely. It’s a having to explain everything that I know. really lonely life being an athlete. When “It’s been pretty humbling. It’s not my of every single I was training, I missed my family and I long-term goal — I don’t want to coach missed being with my friends. I always had for the rest of my life, but right now I’m thing I have to say no to things, and I feel like my life just trying to be smart and this is a good was always just training. opportunity. It would be a shame to let it done. “I don’t miss that. My life is so much go right by me. richer now and I am loving it. “I am no one’s head coach. Honestly, “A few nights ago I went to a music after working with Rafael (Arutyunyan) concert with Marissa Castelli on a for as long as I did and seeing the passion training night. I got to go and randomly do and the amount of time and energy that he “Letting myself get burned out would something on a weeknight. It was fantastic. put into his students, I would never want have to be a huge regret of mine. I think I didn’t ever get to do those kinds of things. to be a full-time coach and be any diferent a lot of ingers could be pointed at a lot of his is going to sound so basic, but I get to than what he was for me. diferent things, but at the end of the day go meet friends for drinks — it’s so fun. “So, I’m coming in as a secondary coach the one thing I wish I had done was ask for “I am joining a rock climbing club — I because, like I said, this year is for myself help much sooner,” she admitted. couldn’t do that before because it was a — this time away from competitive skating “I do everything on my own. I have waste of energy, so I feel like I am getting is me doing my own thing.” been on my own since I was 18, so I’m to expand on my life.” very independent. It’s not my natural Should Wagner decide to give it another UNDECIDED habit to ask when I need help. I got really go at the U.S. Championships in January, Although Wagner is registered to compete overwhelmed with everything that was on she plans to remain engaged with the new at the 2019 U.S. Championships, she has my plate the last two years and I think that life she is crafting for herself. not decided if she will be in the arena as a took away from my ability to be as strong “For me, I don’t have a set process competitor or a spectator. as I possibly could be on the ice. because this is all so fresh. I think that “I genuinely don’t know what I want to “But, I’ve had an incredible career. I am it’s all going to come down to the next do. I am not playing coy. Today I went on so proud of every single thing that I have couple of months. I am currently signed up the ice and did pretty much a long program done. In the end, I have no real regrets — for nationals, but I will have to see if this with a triple-triple and I felt really good,” I just wish that I would have opened the is my thing. If not this year, then maybe she said. door to get some other people to help bear next year. “And then, there are other days when the weight.” “I would have to start feeling I am ready I get on the ice and I see another Russian If she does hang up her competitive to re-experience skating in a way that its girl is doing a Lutz, and I think that skates, Wagner said she would miss the in with the life I am living now.” IFS

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 9

VANESSA JAMES MORGAN CIPRÈS READY TO CONQUER THE WORLD

Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès are thinking big heading into this season — bigger than ever before. They know that what might be possible for them can be so much more than a mere dream now. The popular French pairs team wants to conquer the World in the 2018- 2019 season and have set the most ambitious goals of their career — goals they are convinced are eminently achievable in the months ahead.

BY ROBERT BRODIE

hey have been an emerging force “hat takes time for us, but the end of routines and same ideas. We are trying to in the pairs discipline since the season is when we’re always at our change that, and we made a good decision making the decision in 2016 strongest. So, we’re starting our season to do that. It’s not because John Kerr wasn’t to shift their training base to very well heading toward that.” good enough, but we just felt we needed Coral Springs, Florida, to work Neither James nor Ciprès consider the something new.” Twith John Zimmerman, Silvia Fontana and thought of targeting a World title in Japan heir new short program “Uninvited,” by Jeremy Barrett. in March to be overly audacious in any way. Alanis Morissette, was choreographed by Last season saw the most successful “If you don’t believe in your goals, you will their teammate, Guillaume Cizeron, the campaign for Vanessa James and Morgan never reach them,” said Ciprès. “So yes, I reigning World champion with Ciprès, which culminated with a bronze think we are capable of doing that.” Gabriella Papadakis. James describes the medal at the World Championships in program as having a vibe. , . hat success sparked their SPREADING THEIR WINGS “It’s a love tragedy,” she said. competitive ire. hey have built a reputation as an innovative he collaboration with Cizeron was born “It was our first World medal, and team and it is in that spirit that James, 31, during a post-Worlds tour of France by hopefully this year, we can continue to and Ciprès, 27, made an of-season change that nation’s top skaters. “We talked to progress,” said James, adding a victory at to their team — speciically, choosing to Guillaume during the French tour, and Autumn Skate in September helped fuel work with two new choreographers instead we talked about the choice of music,” said their early season conidence. “Our goal is of John Kerr, the former British ice dancer Ciprès. “Everything came together then. to be European and World champions. We who, together with Silvia Fontana, crafted We talked to our federation about it and know it will be a challenge because there’s their programs for the Olympic season. our coaches and everybody was into it. So, always stif competition, especially in pairs. It is their constant drive to be diferent, we made the decision to make this happen “But we have two really strong programs Ciprès said, that led them to make the and it was really good.” early in the season. We always evolve choreography change. James was impressed by how eager and throughout each season, once we get a “hat’s exactly what the idea was, and ready the 23-year-old Cizeron was to take little more mileage on the programs and why we changed choreographers. We don’t on the challenge when he visited them in

PHOTO SUSAN D. RUSSELL pay more attention to our levels. want to stay with the same moves and same Florida at the end of June. “He’s amazing,

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 11 he’s very professional. He came prepared,” that putting more emphasis evidence as to why that program should she said. “He had already cut the music, on the choreography and be on top.” and he already knew the program content relationship helped to White designed a new long program and the layout of it. He had watched many alleviate the stress in elements. to Ursine Vulpine’s cover version of of our programs to time the spins and how “Without all that, you Chris Isaak’s 1989 hit “Wicked Game, long the entries should be. He was very are only left with boring which features the vocals of British singer prepared and impressive for how young elements and though the Annaca Espach. he is. He did an amazing job.” elements are cool it is “It’s very powerful music, like ‘The For the long, they turned to Michigan basically skating elements Sound of Silence,’ but in a dif erent way,” native Charlie White, the 2014 Olympic to background music. James explained. “We got it touched up by ice dance champion with . “h e judges want Maxime Rodriguez, who does an amazing Zimmerman and Fontana i rst brought to be entertained job with our music and gets it to the level White to Florida to work with some of the and delivered a that we need it to be. other teams in their training group. He real performance. “Charlie has come back and forth to choreographed both programs for former If it’s just a revamp it and clean it up because we had to U.S. and World junior champions Haven program of make a few changes. We’ve gotten a lot of Denney and , who also elements, compliments about this program already.” train with Zimmerman and his team. they will be James and Ciprès also believe working He and Fontana then suggested to James challenged to with choreographers who are ice dancers and Ciprès that White might be the right provide real helps them explore dif erent sides of their i t for them as well. skating, which keeps their innovative spirit “We thought of Charlie as we’ve known fresh and vibrant. him for a while personally and we felt his “They’re in a completely different chemistry would be great for Morgan and discipline. h ey work on transitions all Vanessa,” said Zimmerman. “I worked the time and partnering,” said James. with Charlie and Meryl on lifts going “We have a little bit less time to do that, into the Sochi Olympics when their so if you work with pairs and singles coach Marina (Zoueva) asked choreographers all the time, you end up me to help out with them. with a lot of the same ideas and you always “We got to know each other have the same type of transitions. really well. His and Meryl’s “But ice dancers take us out of the box attention to detail and relentless and out of our comfort zone. h at is why attempts at anything I threw at we always work with them.” them was unparalleled. James and Ciprès have become known “h at intensity is what drew for what they describe as their “signature me to ask him if he would move” — a unique lift to conclude their consider working with us to long programs. A new version of last year’s develop their long program this year. lift is the i nal move in White’s creation. His input on the music selection from “Everyone expects it, everyone wants to what Morgan and Vanessa presented was see it,” said James. “Last year, we did the very helpful. same lift with a really cool exit. h is year, “I also made sure he was there to help we have the same type of lift, but it’s in a with their basic skating. It’s like, eat di cult lasso position. your vegetables! You hate it but you “We’re still doing the lunge at the end, know you need it.” but this position is even harder — it’s even Zimmerman also learned from more di cult because I roll out of it, which his experience of working with is very cool. that ice dancers “We’re just trying to evolve. We want have a greater attention to detail than to have our fans expecting our signature most singles and pairs skaters, which move, but with a little surprise added to it.” he felt would benei t his team. “Ice dancers put so much more emphasis on AIMING FOR THE TOP the performance and relationship and When the French most of all, attention to detail,” duo made their said Zimmerman. Olympic “I love working with them debut as well because it helps me as in 2014, a coach to remember those things they were not included in the group of as I work with all the teams. I always felt contenders. But four years after Sochi, PHOTOS: SUSAN D. RUSSELL

12 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 ... h eir preparation time for the ensuing training to get them to where they want ice dancers Worlds was hindered by the fact that to be. take us out of the Ciprès was dealing with a neck injury and “h eir approach this season is interesting could not skate for two weeks. because with their results at Worlds last box and out of “It was very hard for us to be ready, but season they feel their hard work is starting we still had our program in our legs, so we to pay of . h ey have returned with so much our comfort zone. just tried to stay focused,” James recalled. more coni dence and motivation to be the “We went to Worlds just trying to do our best — and to work on their consistency. That is why we job for the last event of the season, and “More than that, I feel very happy that always work with make it happen.” both have devoted more time working with The bronze medal they took home ballet teachers, stretching instructors and them. from Milan — they finished third in of -ice lifting and conditioning. I feel they —Vanessa James both segments of the competition — was have it set in their minds that this is their job a breakthrough for this team. and that is to be respected by themselves. But James said the real breakthrough came h ey are serious about this year.” where they placed 10th, James and Ciprès a year earlier, when they claimed bronze at James and Ciprès are non-committal faced a dif erent set of expectations heading the 2017 European Championships. when asked how much longer they plan to into the 2018 Olympic Winter Games in “After that, we knew we were capable of compete. How fast and how close they get PyeongChang, South Korea. being at the top of the European or World to reaching their maximum potential will Their mindset was also completely podiums. Before then, we had only dreamt go a long way toward telling them when dif erent thanks to the two seasons they of it,” she said. “Worlds was just … we it will all end. spent cultivating their talent at their fertile knew that we could do it. We just had to be “We’ve realized that we haven’t done our training base in Florida. strong mentally because we didn’t have the best yet, and we still have a ways to go, and h e French duo went into the 2018 run-throughs (in practice) going in because we can still be better,” said James. “Until on the heels of a season of Morgan’s injury. We had to really trust we stop having that desire to be better … in which they produced a pair of medals ourselves and be coni dent.” or if we still have that mentality to keep at their Grand Prix events (bronze at Indeed, there is no shortage of coni dence going, that’s what we’re going to do. But and silver at Internationaux for the French team as they head into this we’ll take it year by year. de France). season. Now it is about achieving their At the 2018 European Championships, full potential and, with reigning Olympic James and Ciprès missed the podium by and World champions Their approach a scant .01 of a point after winning the and having retired from short program. the sport, they believe the top spot on the this season “It was four years of work, four years of World podium is within their grasp. is interesting a lot of new things,” Ciprès said. “h ank “We always dreamt of being on the God we grew up and we improved. We World podium, but now that we know because with their went to the 2018 Olympics with a lot we’re capable of it, we can’t just sit back more ambitions than we did in Sochi. It’s and let things happen,” said the Canadian- results at Worlds another approach when you are trying to born James. reach another level.” “We still have to i ght, we still have to last season they In PyeongChang, James and Ciprès be innovative, and we still have to be the feel their hard were sixth in the short program, but a mere best. We’re not comfortable with where we 1.25 points behind the team in third place. are right now.” work is starting to h e opportunity for a podium i nish was For the second straight year, James and there, but they could not match the trio Ciprès are competing at the Grand Prix pay off. of spectacular performances turned in by events in Canada and France. h ey hope —John Zimmerman the teams that wound up on the podium. to make their i rst appearance at the Grand h ey were i fth in the long program and Prix Final in December after being i rst i nished i fth overall, 11.47 points behind alternates a year ago. “Our coaches told us this story. Someone the bronze medalists, Zimmerman said the approach heading asked a group of people to lift their arms and . into this season was to “uncover everything up as high as they could. h e people raised “We were very proud of our perform- that was left to uncover in their personal their arms, and then the person said, ‘Now ances,” said James. “We were considered skating. All the things they lacked last year raise them a little higher.’ And they were medal contenders, but we knew it was they want to command this year. able to raise them a little higher. going to be very di cult. “We sat down and had a couple of long “So, basically, until we’ve reached our “Top i ve is an amazing thing to have, meetings after last season and started max and we know we’re the best we can be especially since we’ve really only risen in addressing all sorts of things that they — not by the results we get, but how much the rankings the last two years with John could have done better, how to i ll that we’re able to give each time — that’s when and Silvia.” dei cit, and to i nd other and new ways of we’ll decide that we’re done.” IFS

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 13 FIERCELY COMPETIVE! JUNIOR STARS HEADED TO THE FINAL REPORT BY SUSAN D. RUSSELL

Alexandra Trusova Petr Gumennik

he 2018 Junior Grand Prix that domination. Series (JGP) once again left Russian pairs teams swept three of the no doubt about the depth and four podiums in the Series. h at was not level of talent that exists in the the case for the ice dance teams that swept Alena younger ranks. just one podium (Slovenia) this year. Kostornaia Th ough many skaters returned for their second, third or even fourth Series — as LADIES in the case of of the A total of eight Russian ladies were U.S. — a handful of i rst-time competitors assigned to the seven competitions. Four claimed steps on the podiums. of them captured all seven gold medals h e seven-event Series which started and none placed lower than third at in , , in late August, any competition. ended in , , the second Five Russian ladies (whose i rst names week of October. all begin with the letter “A”) qualii ed for Berths at the junior Final are determined the Final, three of whom claimed the top i rst by placement. Skaters are awarded three placements on the leaderboard, with 15 points for i rst; 13 for second; 11 for each earning the maximum of 30 points. third, with each placement dropping At the season opener in Bratislava, incrementally by two points. If there is a Russia’s Anna Shcherbakova was tie in the top six placements, the highest unchallenged in capturing the title in her score determines the ranking. JGP debut. Only six skaters/teams in each discipline h e 14-year-old missed last season after Yelim Kim qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final suf ering a broken leg while attempting a and this season was one of the most combination jump in practice, but she was competitive in history. unstoppable this year. Once again, the Russian ladies, pairs Shcherbakova has a quad Lutz in her and ice dance teams captured the most arsenal but did not attempt the jump in medals of the Series but, unlike in previous Bratislava. She failed to execute it at her years, the men did not contribute to second event in Canada, but nonetheless

14 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 claimed her second title and was the i rst lady to qualify for the Final. SILVER BLADE TOURS, INC. She subsequently landed a quad Lutz and a quad toe at the Skating Tour Experts for Russian Cup in early October, so it is possible she will include both in her long program at the Series Final in Vancouver. 38 Years! , 14, was visibly disappointed with her second-place i nish at her i rst event in Canada, losing DELUXE TOUR PACKAGES by almost i ve points to Shcherbakova. Two weeks later, she TO SKATING EVENTS IN THE U.S. & AROUND THE WORLD! rectii ed that by mining gold in Slovenia and punched her ticket to the Final. 2018 GRAND 2019 SKATE , 15, the reigning World junior silver PRIX FINAL AMERICA medalist, scored a decisive win at her i rst competition in VANCOUVER, CANADA LOCATION TBA Austria. However, her second event in the DECEMBER 5-9, 2018 OCTOBER 2019 gave her cause for concern when she narrowly won the short 2019 U.S. 2019 SKATE program by 0.04 of a point. Kostornaia rallied in the free CHAMPIONSHIPS CANADA and won the event, again by a slim margin (2.04 points) over , MICHIGAN LOCATION TBA JAN 19-27, 2019 South Korea’s Yelim Kim. OCTOBER 2019 Kostornaia said she plans to include a triple Axel in her 2019 FOUR 2020 WORLD long program at the Final. CONTINENTS CHAMPIONSHIPS ANAHEIM, CALIFORNIA MONTRÉAL, CANADA Alena Kanysheva, 13, skated into second in her international FEBRUARY 4-10, 2019 MARCH 23-29, 2020 debut in Austria, 11.66 points behind Kostornaia. Kanysheva qualii ed for the Final with a second-place i nish in Armenia. Claudyne Cassella Hutchinson Reigning World junior champion , 14, TEL: (386) 943-4071 - FAX: (386) 738-2512 made history at her i rst event in Kaunas, , when 2672 FLOWING WELL ROAD, DELAND, FL 32720-8903 USA she attempted three quad jumps in her long program. [email protected] h ough two were unsuccessful, Trusova became the i rst female skater — at any level — to execute a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination in competition. She scored a runaway victory, 29.55 points ahead of Kim, who placed second. EXPERIENCE THE THRILL AND EXCITEMENT Trusova followed that up with another historical OF LIVE COMPETITION! achievement in Armenia, becoming the i rst lady to land a quad Lutz in international competition. She claimed her second title and took i rst place in the overall standings by a WILLY BIETAK PRODUCTIONS, INC. CASTING 40.56-point margin. In a repeat of last season’s results, Kostornaia ranked second overall. Trusova and Kostornaia placed i rst and second, respectively, at the 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final and repeated that i nish at the 2018 World Junior Championships. Kim ranked i fth at the end of the Series with 26 points. h e

NOW CASTING: • Male and Female Soloists • Pair/Adagio Skaters • Dance Teams • Comedy and Variety Acts For our worldwide award- winning productions and Royal Caribbean cruise ships

Please send a current skating video, resume and photo to: Sylvia Froescher, Producer [email protected] 1404 Third St. Promenade, Ste. 200 The medal count for each nation following the Santa Monica, CA 90401 For more information, visit seven events of the Junior Grand Prix Series. Phone: (310) 576-2400 BietakProductions.com/casting

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 15 and

15-year-old from Gunpo, who is coached last season. Gumennik did not attempt by Tom Zakrajsek in Colorado Springs, any quads in his long programs but scored a second-place i nish in Lithuania does have a rarely seen triple Axel-triple and also in the Czech Republic. She is loop combination. the only non-Russian lady to qualify for He qualii ed i rst for the Final following the Final. his victories in Canada and Slovenia and Anna Tarusina was badly injured in a car will be the only Russian man competing accident in Courchevel, France, before the in Vancouver. 2016 JGP got underway. She was only able In a repeat of last season, three American to compete at one small event last season. men claimed berths at the Final. h e 15-year-old skated into second in her Competing in his third season on the Tomoki Hiwatashi 2018 JGP debut. circuit, Camden Pulkinen mined gold at h ough she claimed a second silver his i rst event in Austria. h e 18-year-old medal in Canada and earned 26 points, won the short program at his second outing her score was the lowest of the three ladies in the Czech Republic, but a l awed free who captured two second-place i nishes skate left him in second overall. and she did not qualify for the Final. She Nonetheless, with 28 points he qualii ed is the i rst alternate. second for the Final. Perseverance paid off for Tomoki MEN Hiwatashi. In his fourth and likely last The success of the Russian ladies did season in the junior ranks, he skated into not transfer to its men. Of the eight that second at both his assignments in Canada competed, Petr Gumennik was the only and Slovenia. With 26 points to his credit, one to claim two titles. the 18-year-old will make his Final debut h e 16-year-old from St. Petersburg in Vancouver. made his debut on the circuit in 2016 h e third U.S. man, Andrew Torgashev, Koshiro Shimada but was not assigned to any JGP events collected 24 points with a fourth-place

16 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 i nish in Slovakia and a victory in Lithuania. He qualii ed i fth. Adam Siao Him Fa of France, who is coached by , placed third in Canada and i rst in Armenia. He ranked third in the overall standings with 26 points and is headed to the Final. Koshiro Shimada of Japan placed second in Austria and third in Slovenia and earned 24 points. He will be the sole representative of his nation in Vancouver. Shimada is coached by Stéphane Lambiel in Champéry, . Canada’s , 13, captured the title in Bratislava. At his second event in Canada, his short and long programs fell far short of his best and he landed in a distant i fth place. He failed to qualify for the Final and is currently the i rst alternate.

PAIRS Russia captured i ve of the six berths in the pairs discipline, but the team at the top of the standings was not the one most expected. and Aleksandr Galliamov led a Russian sweep of the podium in Bratislava in their debut on the international circuit. h ey backed up that victory by leading another sweep in Canada two weeks later. Mishina and Galliamov were the only team to win both of their events. and TJ Nyman of the U.S. — the only non- Russian team to capture a medal on the circuit this season — placed sixth at their i rst event in Canada and captured bronze a week later in the Czech Republic. With 16 points, ©Disney/Pixar ©Disney, they ranked sixth in the overall standings and are headed to Vancouver. h is will be the i rst time in four years that a U.S. pairs team has qualii ed for a junior Final.

ICE DANCE As in previous years, Russia will i eld the most teams (four) in the ice dance discipline at the Final. Arina Ushakova and , and and were the only teams to capture two titles during the Series. In their second year on the circuit, Avonley Nguyen and of the U.S. placed second at their i rst event in Lithuania. h ree weeks later, they caused a minor upset in Slovenia by edging out the favored Russian team for the top step of the podium. Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha claimed a berth at the Final for the second year in a row. h e duo earned a spot following a second-place i nish in , Austria, and a victory on home soil two weeks later. h ey will be Canada’s sole representatives in Vancouver. h e senior and junior Grand Prix Finals take place Dec. 6-9 in Vancouver, Canada. h e junior Final will only be available online on the International Skating Union YouTube channel. Ted Barton will be the host for this competition. Full details are on our website at ifsmagazine.com. Television and live stream schedules for the senior Grand Prix Final are contained in the Media Guide, which can be found at the back of this issue. IFS

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 17 Mikhail KolyadaMikhail NEW SEASON, NEWPERSPECTIVE said Kolyada. “I justcompletely dif started to a —in at —competitions are some things that I look fresh start for . Kolyada. for Mikhail start fresh Russan championRussan qualii his long-time coach, Valentina Valentina coach, long-time his and Kolyada Championships, Olympics, the since year half dei I experience. learning a huge was season “Last nemesis. his been has of consistency a lack potential, doubt his about any silver medal from the Team Event. However, he went homein his individual competition. with a eighth placed Kolyada Games, Worldand Championships. i place that up with two more third- Hefollowed . in medal bronze the captured and time i for the Final Prix a Grand W Chebotareva, sat down to analyze toanalyze down sat Chebotareva, is dif my perception of —but same the certain still is — that things myfriends with chat out and hang tofool around, like I still changed. has my consciousness important thing. most the is that Ithink you. leave doesn’t feeling that and pressure without and young feel you still time, same Atthe started. has life adult and ended has youth their everyone when they realize that dif feel At the 2018 Olympic Winter Winter 2018 Olympic Atthe h two-time the season, Last Following the 2018 World the Following the in summer, past “This “There is a moment for h upalot. grew nitely ough there has never been been never has there ough erent.” erently erently inside. nishes at the European European atthe nishes this season a this is like in his back pocket, year Olympic an of ith the experience erent now,” way BY TATJANA FLADE ed for ed ere rst the rule changes, they headed studying and programs of his transitions, but most of the ideas ideas of the but most transitions, and steps some I suggested program. the in elements the place doing. are feet and hands everything goes and what the where about information the digest and over everything think to Ineeded that. notlike it was fact but in understood, quickly I me that praised Stéphane fast. that it would come together so Kolyada said. Champéry,” it in Iliked so mountains, like Ireally to work. it easy makes that and friendly, very was atmosphere the great, h everything. I liked him. “h for aprogram choreographed had i the was this before, once Lambiel with Idoit myway.”obviously but moves, the did and program the developed Stéphane down. lyrical. It goes in waves,suf up and said. Kolyada character,” but it adif is short, year’s last to similar somewhat is program “h choice. the with he agreed To Belong (“I You”) byMuse, Voix” àta S’ouvre Cœur “Mon suggested Lambiel when ideas, program. short onanew Lambiel Stéphane with to Switzerland in June to work word. key the was again, once Consistency, for improvement. alotof room was there knew both satisi were they While season. the “I analyzed how and where to to where howand analyzed “I expect “To Ididn’t honest, be h h “However, is there also layout the reviewing After ering, love, and passion. It’s passion. and love, ering, ough Kolyada had his own own his had Kolyada ough ough Kolyada had worked worked had Kolyada ough ed with the overall results, results, overall the with ed e work with Stéphane … … Stéphane with work e rst time the Swiss star star Swiss the time rst e energy was was eenergy erent erent e

PHOTO: OLGA TIMOKHOVA came from Stéphane. He imagined right Kolyada headed to the annual Russian just days before Finlandia Trophy. He is away how the program should be. I agreed test skates in September with a new now building his conditioning level and because I trust him and I saw what he was maturity and perspective. “Everything doing more run-throughs in practice to doing was with energy and commitment. was diferent. I approached the situation prepare for his next event, the Grand Prix I wanted to do the same. I always liked in a diferent way, but I can’t express it in in . Stéphane as an athlete.” words,” he said. As the changes to the Grade of While the Muse piece suits him, his he positive feedback Kolyada received Execution scores impacted the layout of choice of “Adagio from Suite” for at the test skates was backed up at his irst his programs this season, Kolyada has been the long program, choreographed by Olga Challenger Series event, Ondrej Nepela testing out diferent jump combinations. Kliushnichenko, was unexpected. Kolyada Trophy, which he won. “he performance At the test skates, he had two triple Axels said he had wanted to skate to this music came out quite bright in my opinion,” and a quad toe in his free. He switched out since he was or 10 years old, “but we he said. one Axel and added a second quad toe at put this idea away and I remembered it only “Looking at the scores, the program was Ondrej Nepela Trophy and kept the same recently. I really like this music and wanted well received. Not everything worked out, layout for Finlandia Trophy. He did not to try it because it energizes me. not everything was smooth. It’s still a little include the quad Lutz or Salchow in his “his program is diferent in every way rough around the edges and I need to break programs in the early part of the season, from my old program — in the energy, the it in. here is always something to improve, preferring to have them consistent before presentation, the emotions. I am diferent but it is clear that most of the work was adding them. in it.” done in the summer. “We are trying one thing at one Kolyada is one of three elite Russian “Now we’re making adjustments with competition and another thing at another skaters who chose selections from that the presentation, interpretation and competition. Whatever works well at opera for their long programs this season everything else.” one event, we’ll keep in the program,” — the other two being Alina Zagitova and Kolyada explained. . “Now the most important thing is to In July, Kolyada and his coach headed I try to approach skate clean, to show the programs and to Lakewood, California, to work with not only the jumps. I think this year most for two weeks. “We each competition people will pay attention to the second worked on the technical part and broke with responsibility mark — the presentation, choreography in the programs,” Kolyada explained. “It and interpretation — so that everything was important to see how they worked but it does not will be at a high level. Maybe some people on the other side of the ocean, and to will move away from dicult jumps so pick up information that I didn’t know always work. the programs are cleaner. In general, we’ll before. Sometimes you have to change experiment this season.” your environment and your usual routine A few weeks later, Kolyada won his he of-season held another challenge in order to relax mentally. his really helps second Challenger title at Finlandia for the 23-year-old St. Petersburg native. to move forward. Trophy, but it was no walk in the park. In addition to preparing his programs and “I wanted to know what a coach who His practices did not go well and he had his international trips, he had to defend is not coaching me thinks about me. a hard time pulling himself together. “I his master’s thesis, which was based on Someone who is looking from the outside was in a strange condition. I felt that I was the science of multi-revolution jumps in to say, ‘this is good, and this is not so good,’ well prepared, I didn’t have any sleeping igure skating. and to get his opinion on what he thinks problems, and I felt great,” he recalled with “Obviously, athletes are used to a physical would be better. I tried it and I liked it. a sigh. “But it happens sometimes that you workload, but that was a mental workload,” “When we are growing up, we think struggle to pull yourself together and your Kolyada recalled. “It was especially hard to we know everything and can do anything, ingers are all thumbs. Everything was ine get back into that kind of work when you but Rafael told me that everything starts at home, but once I got there, everything haven’t done it for a while. from the beginning, the basics. And so, we started to crumble. “But now I have dealt with university, the started from the very beginning, relearning “here were mistakes that I can’t forgive soul is at peace. Working on the master’s the basics, step by step. We worked mostly myself for — like the loop. I did a double thesis was nerve-wracking, but I can’t say on triple jumps and Rafael pointed out and on top of that I did it poorly. I almost that it was more dicult than competing some things to me where I was having fell on the entry to the second quad toe, at Worlds or the Olympic Games.” problems. He said, ‘your problem is not so I decided quickly to do a triple. I saw Kolyada successfully defended his thesis the jump itself, but in the entry.’ I thought in the protocol in Bratislava that you get and graduated from the Lesgaft National that was interesting. I tried to do the entry more points for a good triple than for a State University of Physical Education, he suggested and it was ine. fall on a quad. Nevertheless, I should go Sport and Health at the end of June. “He told me the most important thing for the quad, rotate it and do it anyway. “I gained new knowledge that I can use is to work the right way, and not to spend I try to approach each competition with in my life. Without a diploma it is hard energy left and right. responsibility, but it does not always work.” to ind a good job later,” Kolyada said. “I I’m trying to use all the advice he Kolyada had been battling a bad cold won’t skate until I’m 50 years old. I need gave me.” since August, which started clearing up to think about the future.” IFS

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 19 Starr Power American Teen Chasing Olympic Dream

BY ELVIN WALKER

tarr Andrews wants to make history. As one of girls that they can be a part of igure skating, and that only a handful of African American ladies to hard work can pay of.” ever reach the upper echelons of igure skating, Last season, she made her senior debut at the U.S. Andrews hopes to be the irst to capture a gold Championships, inishing in sixth place. In the free medalS at an Olympic Winter Games. skate, Andrews boldly chose to perform to her own he 17-year-old began her quest for Olympic glory vocal rendition of ’s “One Moment this season — her irst as a fulltime senior competitor. in Time.” Andrews’ dream began in southern California at age “My mom and my coach had the idea. I thought it 3. At the time, her mother, Toshawa Andrews, an adult would be amazing,” said Andrews. skater, took her young daughter with her to the rink “he irst time I heard it, it was weird because I was where she was taking lessons. used to the Whitney version. I think it worked out hough Andrews wanted to join her mother on the ice, because I related to the music more when it was my own her feet were too small for the boots available at the rink. version. It was me telling the story, my interpretation “My mother told me I had to wait until I was older, of the song.” so I would sit on the sideline and watch, waiting for my Andrews competed in two Challenger Series events feet to grow,” Andrews recalled. this season, earning a ifth-place inish at the Asian When her feet were inally big enough to it into a Open Trophy in Bangkok, hailand, in early August. pair of boots, it was not long before she fell in love with She followed that up with a seventh-place inish at the sport. Autumn Classic in Canada in September. Sharing the passion with her mother has created a “My performances at Autumn Classic were deinitely special bond between them Andrews said. “We both an improvement from the Asian Open,” she said. “But know how hard the sport is, and we also know how I see places where I can continue to improve as the fun it is. She taught me to always have fun when I am season progresses. skating and to remember why I am doing it. I think that “I need to continue to work on bigger crossovers sharing the sport made us closer.” because I am a small person. My coach will yell when Andrews irst stepped into the spotlight as a nine- I am skating to remind me, but I have to consciously year-old when a video of her skating to “Whip My remember to skate bigger because it’s not ingrained in Hair” went viral. me yet. Dressed in a bedazzling luorescent pink shirt and “I also need to continue to work on my components, purple shorts, Andrews executed hip-hop moves with inish my lines and gain consistency with my jumps.” a playful maturity that deied her age. he video, which Andrews also understands that taking a big step now has more than 54 million views, is a source of pride forward this season means she has to be bold. She has for the 2017 U.S junior ladies silver medalist. added a triple Axel to her free skate arsenal and went “Looking back, I still can laugh at the video because for it at both international competitions. it’s really entertaining. I was having the time of my life. hough she was unable to land the jump cleanly in It was super fun,” she said. those two attempts, Andrews still plans to keep it in Andrews, who lives in Rancho Cucamonga, the program. California, trains at rinks in Torrance and Lakewood “In practice, you can redo it after your program if you with Derrick Delmore and Peter Kongkasem. make a mistake, but in competition, you can’t. You have Delmore, the 1998 World junior champion, is the to rotate it and land it. here’s just more pressure to do irst and only African American man to win that title. it because you only get one chance,” she said. Together with Andrews, they are the only African Andrews, who will make her senior Grand Prix debut American athlete-coach duo in the . at in October, learned she had been given “We don’t really talk about that, but I think it’s really the assignment in an interesting way. cool,” Andrews said of working with Delmore. “More “I was practicing on the ice with one of my coaches, importantly, I want to show other African American and my mom found out irst. She yelled down to the

20 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 coach and tossed her phone to him. He said, ‘Congratulations, you got your irst Grand Prix.’ I said, ‘You’re lying.’ When I realized he wasn’t, I was really excited. I am happy my irst Grand Prix will be in the U.S. To be able to represent my country in my country is a dream come true.” In mid-October, she received a second assignment to Skate Canada. Andrews’ new short program this season is set to Ella Fitzgerald and Louis Armstrong’s version of the classic, “Summertime.” “Derrick chose the short program music. It was a great option and something diferent for me. It’s really soft and luid,” she said. he long program is a compilation of various pieces of music by several artists, which she and her team have called “African Tribal Xotica.” “I really wanted a free skate with no lyrics this year and something that was similar to the 4`WLYMVYTHUJLZ ‘Black Panther’ movie soundtrack,” Andrews H[(\[\TU*SHZZPJ said. “Derrick already had this music selected and cut, and when I heard it, I loved it. It’s ^LYLKLÄUP[LS`HU challenging because it is a character-driven PTWYV]LTLU[MYVT piece. If I go in and out of character, it doesn’t really help the story. It takes a lot of efort to [OL(ZPHU6WLU make sure I am doing all the elements and also paying attention to the character, as well.” Aside from her desire to perform at her best this season, Andrews also has lofty goals in terms of placements. “I have always had the mindset that if I skate my best, then I have a chance to get on the podium. hat’s never really changed. I believe that if I work hard in practice, stay healthy and continue to grow as an athlete, then I can get good scores.” Away from the ice, Andrews, a high school junior, has three pets — an Australian Labradoodle named Mochi, a bearded dragon named Katara, and a stray cat named Koda. “She came up to me when we lived in Los Angeles. I fed her and she never went away, so we ended up keeping her,” Andrews said. he teenager is aiming to make a run for the podium at the 2019 U.S. Championships next January, and knows she will need to be consistent, skate clean programs and nail the triple Axel to achieve that objective. “Of course, I want to skate more consistently cleaner programs as the season progresses. I want to place higher than I did last year and, hopefully, end up on the podium. “In the long term I want to be in the history books as the irst African Amersican to win the Olympics, and to inspire more African Americans to come to the sport.” IFS PHOTO: SUSAN D. RUSSELL

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 21 RISING ABOVE THE CHALLENGES BY TATJANA FLADE

hen you fulill your biggest dream at age 15 it can be tough to ind a new goal, as Russia’s Alina Zagitova Wdiscovered during the of-season. She is one of an elite group of teenage Olympic champions, and was the youngest in 20 years when she claimed the title in PyeongChang last February. Her predecessors, turned professional after her win in 1994 and followed suit in 1998. continued to compete for another season following her 2002 Olympic victory, but retired after a sixth-place inish at the World Championships in 2003. Winning the Olympic title in her irst season in the senior ranks was somewhat unexpected, but unlike her predecessors — and despite the challenges — Zagitova intends to continue competing. During the post-Olympic of-season she experienced ups and downs just as she had a year earlier and struggled to get back into a groove. A growth spurt took its toll and there were moments when Zagitova wanted to hang up her skates. “It was dicult for her. here was a loss of coordination and this is still present,” said coach Eteri Tutberidze. “I don’t want to say that we overcame all this, but we are in the process of going through it. It has been tough. his happens when things don’t work for her, when there are demands on her, and though she is doing everything, she feels like she is running on the spot. It is like she is running with all her power, but she is not moving. “Due to her body changes, Alina now needs at least 30 or 40 minutes of solid practice before she starts to jump normally. Her new body does not yet have the muscle memory.” hey read everything and then some get very, very nervous at the test skates,” said Like most teenagers, Zagitova is very upset, and some are taking it all in.” Zagitova, who took this negativity to heart. active on social media and reads what fans Following the Russian test skates “here was some harsh criticism after and the media post and write about her. It in September, where Zagitova did not the test skates and Alina even cried. She is not always positive. Tutberidze said she perform at her best, a fall in the free has a lot of fans and some anti-fans as learned when she coached Julia Lipnitskaia skate brought an unexpected backlash of well,” Tutberidze said. “I felt that it was

“that you can’t keep them of the Internet. criticism from fans and the media. “I was not justiied criticism and she had diculty FLADE PHOTOS: TATJANA

22 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 tolerating it. I wanted to respond h e program shows a more to them myself, but I don’t want mature side of Zagitova’s to get into that kind of tennis skating and she enjoys match, back and forth. performing it. “When I knew ‘It’s sport, you need to overcome that I would skate to ‘Carmen,’ all kinds of di culties, growth the i rst thing I did was watch spurts, loss of coordination, performing to it. etc., and then you have these Nobody did it better than she expectations — or even perhaps did,” Zagitova said. an obligation — to perform well.” “I wanted to use that music Tutberidze knows it is not an for a long time — already easy task to continue competing last season — but I was not at the highest level. “To try experienced or grown up and appear worthy of being an enough for this character. h is Olympic champion is very hard season, my coaches felt that I morally, and probably hard to can interpret this character overcome,” she said. “It is not a because I have now grown up. question of motivation, but rather I feel that, too. Half a year has a question of expectations. Alina passed since the Olympics and understands what the fans expect a lot has changed.” from her, what we all expect of However, Zagitova pointed her, and so there is huge pressure out that her own character has on her from all sides.” not changed and Tutberidze Despite the challenges, agreed. “She is still Alina, a Zagitova opened her season friendly, open-minded girl that with solid performances, winning has dreams like other teenagers. Nebelhorn Trophy at the end of I like her very much. She is very September and the Japan Open a week later. means she needs to have a dif erent entry talented, she is very beautiful, and she has h is season, her coaches — Tutberidze, for the same jump. h at is hard to switch something special. In addition to that, Sergei Dudakov, and Daniil Gleikhengauz in one program. But it is something she she works hard and understands that it is — have moved the emphasis to developing has to overcome. Obviously, it is in our sometimes di cult. Even though she has her as the complete package. minds that we might change that and do fuli lled the biggest dream an athlete can “We mounted her two new programs and something dif erent.” have, she i nds the motivation to go on.” maximized the di culty of the transitions h is season Zagitova and her team chose “I have my motivation, but I won’t tell and connecting elements,” Tutberidze two pieces of music that are considered anyone what it is,” Zagitova added with a explained. “Everyone, including the “war horses” — “The Phantom of the smile. “h is is just for myself.” federation, asked us to make it easier, but Opera” for the short and “Carmen” for Zagitova, who turned 16 in May, moved we didn’t do that. h ey want it to be easier the free. from her hometown of Izhevsk as a child so she gets all the jumps done and it is Zagitova had wanted to skate to to train in . She lives with her easier for her. Obviously, it is tiring, the “Carmen” for a long time, but it was not grandmother and does not see her parents transitions are hard and the speed is fast. until this season that Tutberidze agreed, often. After the 2018 Olympic Games, But this is the way we are developing her. despite knowing the choice would she said she wanted to be with her family “Alina skated the same long program for be criticized. but that reunion has still not taken place. two years and we didn’t take any risks. Now “h ere is always criticism when you Her parents and younger sister moved to we’re developing her in dif erent characters take these programs like ‘Swan Lake,’ , a city some 800 kilometers (500 and showing her from dif erent sides.” ‘Carmen’ and even ‘h e Phantom of the miles) southwest of Moscow. Her father, Her coaches brought back the triple Opera.’ Daniil had this dream to design a an coach, is currently working Lutz-triple toe combination that Zagitova program to ‘Swan Lake’ as well as ‘Carmen’ in Kazakhstan. had not attempted the past two seasons for Alina for the Olympic season. I agreed h e one thing Zagitova wanted following because it was not included in her to ‘Swan Lake’, but said we would keep the her Olympic victory was an Akita-Inu, a programs. “She didn’t do it at all during long program from the previous season. Japanese breed of dog. Her desire for a dog the time she was growing up and her body “h is year there was no way out. h e only stemmed from her belief that she would was changing, so it was hard to get it back, thing I told Alina was, either you match always have a friend, one that would always physically and mentally,” said Tutberidze. this character or I will not allow you to be loyal to her. “It is kind of risky, but the long program skate to it. After working with her for one “I don’t have many friends in Moscow ‘Don Quixote’ (from last season) was built and a half to two weeks, I saw — as strange and some are not sincere. None are as on risk and it won. h ese two combinations, as it might sound — this ‘meat’ in her sincere as the animals,” Zagitova explained. the Lutz-loop and Lutz-toe loop, are both movements and glances when portraying “I have already many pets and they are done with a dif erent technique, which the role of ‘Carmen’ and I liked it.” my friends.” IFS

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 23 PHOTO: FLAVIO VALLE GABRIELLA PAPADAKIS & GUILLAUME CIZERON THE BEST IS YET TO COME

BY ROBERT BRODIE

They have always been about exploring the boundless depths of their creativity and talent, about following their own path and not letting convention steer them in any direction.

It is who Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron are, and who they will likely always be.

But this, the three-time World ice dance champions from

France will tell you, is truly a step in a new direction for them.

One that is both daunting and exhilarating at the same time, but one that fi ts the four-year journey that will eventually take them all the way to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing.

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 25 26 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 hen the reigning School — did much of the choreography has a complete picture of igure skating,” Olympic silver medal- for the program, Papadakis and Cizeron said Haguenauer. “He knows what ice ists debut their new also enlisted the creative genius of former dance is, but the vision and the way to at NHK two-time World champion Stéphane develop them and create the movements Trophy in Japan in mid- Lambiel. Papadakis and Cizeron spent with ice dancers from his point of view is November, they will unveil what can only ive days working with the Swiss star in completely fresh. Wbe considered a huge departure for a team Toronto in July and were thrilled by the “Also, I accepted the choice of Stéphane that spent the last four seasons performing experience and what it produced. because he skates in a very similar way to to familiar musical scores. “We have a good connection, a similar Guillaume in particular. He had, and he They have stepped away from the way to see skating,” said Cizeron, a huge still has, that lexibility and a really soft classical styles of the past and this season fan of Lambiel’s work. “He’s one of my reaction on the ice. I was really pleased will skate to the “lyric folk” style music of favorite skaters of all time. It was really with the result of what he created with American singer Rachael Yamagata. nice to work with someone who doesn’t Gabriella and Guillaume.” “Everything we do will always be do ice dance. The program, which was not ready Gabriella and Guillaume’s style. I want “He didn’t choreograph the whole to perform at French Masters in late to keep them as who they are,” said program, but he gave us a lot of inspiration September, also includes a variety of new coach of the shift and materials, and a lot of things to work lifts. hey are, in great part, a product of in direction. “But in terms of music, the on. He gave us some really nice direction. Papadakis and Cizeron’s collaboration last four years, the four free dances we with Les sept doigts de le main (The did — whether it was a classical one or Seven Fingers of the Hand), a well-known a contemporary piece of music — it was It was the Montréal acrobatic troupe. based on the piano. “Montréal has a lot of circus (acts), a “Yamagata’s music is lyric folk with a lot of acrobats … it’s like the capital of bit of country, a bit of blues, and she used intention to the world for that,” said Haguenauer. the guitar. So, it is new — the approach is “We found the creator of this company new and it suits them very well. hey will try something (Sebastien Soldevilla), and Gabriella and make this program their own. It will still Guillaume started a collaboration with be Gabriella and Guillaume, but with very different, but we him. hey went to his acrobatic school to diferent music.” will still stay who learn the basics of some lifts. We already While Papadakis and Cizeron have found some ideas on the ice and with that, heard the line of commentary that suggests we are. we are trying to build four completely new everything they have done for the past — lifts for this season. It’s a lot of work and it’s four years is quite similar, they do not Guillaume Cizeron taking a lot of time to bring it all together necessarily agree with it. “I was always in the program.” surprised when people said we are doing For their , Papadakis and the same things because for us, every year is “Anybody who knows Stéphane will see his Cizeron turned to British ice dance legend something diferent,” said the 23-year-old inluence in our free dance this year. I’m for a second straight Papadakis. “he characters are diferent, pretty excited to perform it at competitions. season. he violin is at the heart of the and the emotions are diferent. But I think “He showed us diferent ways to move inished product, which features “Oblivion” this year is something that is going to be our upper body and diferent steps. Singles and “Primavera Portena,” a pair of tunes really diferent.” skaters move diferently and they have a from renowned Argentine tango composer Clearly, this team is ready to embrace a diferent vocabulary on the ice. Stéphane Astor Piazzolla. new beginning in the new quadrennial that has a pretty complex style … he really “We were listening to some tango music leads to the 2022 Olympic Winter Games combines dancing, jumping and skating, and we picked two pieces, and then realized in Beijing. hey have always dared to be and it’s pretty impressive for a singles skater they were from the same composer,” diferent, and it is a choice they continue to do that. Papadakis recalled. “He practically to relish with great enthusiasm. “If you watch any of his performances, composed most of the contemporary tango “It was the intention to try something you see him dancing. He’s a really brilliant music, so it was not a surprise. It’s very diferent, but we still stay who we are,” said dancer and artist, and it was really inspiring classic with a lot of feelings. We thought, Cizeron, 23. “It’s still not completely out to discover his world and his process with tango, it would be interesting to see of our comfort zone, but it was a challenge of creating.” what we could do with the story and the because we’ve never done something like Their creative collaboration with emotions of the dance.” this before. It’s really inspiring and it kind Lambiel was irst discusssed when the of its with the way we want to move. It’s trio were on tour in South Korea last May. RENEWED INSPIRATION not being diferent just to be diferent. It’s Haguenauer saw an opportunity to On the heels of a long, draining season continuing with what we’ve been doing.” “bring another vision” into the team’s that included their irst appearance at an While Marie-France Dubreuil — who, choreographic process and gave the idea Olympic Winter Games, Papadakis and along with , co-coaches the the green light. Cizeron chose to ease their way into a new

PHOTO: SUSAN D. RUSSELL team at the Montréal International Skating “Stéphane is a singles skater … but he campaign and did not really get back into

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 27 full-out training until early August. said, ‘Finally, we are super happy to do yes, so we did it. I just loved working with Both skaters went back to France in June some work again.’ John (Zimmerman) and Silvia (Fontana), and spent three weeks with their respective “he long break helped them start fresh. their coaches. hey’re really cool people families. Cizeron even took the time to It’s going to be the irst year of a four-year and it was a great experience. get his driver’s licence. It was the kind of plan, and they will do their best to stay “I was a little bit nervous going there thing neither had the chance to really do the best in ice dance, and to show and but as soon as we stepped on the ice and since they shifted their training base to create something new and stay on their started working on the program, it just felt Montréal in 2014. own road.” natural. I’ve learned a lot from working “he last four years have been crazy, Cizeron also took some time during the with Marie-France on our programs — and we didn’t take a lot of vacation,” said summer to explore another area of skating. I kind of feel like a baby Marie-France. Papadakis. “We were home for three weeks At the end of June he went to Florida to She has been my main mentor and she’s straight, which had not happened for the craft a new short program for the French deinitely inspired me a lot.” last six or seven years. It was nice to spend pairs team of Vanessa James and Morgan time with family.” Ciprès. It was an idea that was conceived PYEONGCHANG REFLECTIONS Haguenauer agreed the extended break during the annual French tour — a series One thing the down time could not do, for his skaters was much needed. “hey of shows that criss-crosses the country and however, was give Papadakis and Cizeron never really stopped over the last four years. features the nation’s top skaters following the perspective to fully evaluate everything It was a lot of non-stop work and I didn’t a World Championships. that surrounded their Olympic experience want, when they decided to continue, to “We spent a lot of time together during in PyeongChang. Even as she spoke in early have them feel burned out in two years. the French tour, and we started talking October, Papadakis said the memories of hey took their time on vacation, they about it and discussing music,” said Cizeron. it are still “a little fresh” in their minds. “I did some shows in Japan, Korea and “hen they talked with their coaches about wouldn’t say we can actually look back at it France. hen when they came back, they the idea of working with me and they said completely just yet. It’s not the competition PHOTOS: SUSAN D. RUSSELL

28 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 we will always want to remember, for sure about those Olympics, just that feeling of “hey took it very seriously.” … not just good memories, I would say. It being really supported. We’re always really For Papadakis in particular, there were was very stressful. supported, but it had a diferent impact this no “mixed feelings” about Worlds. “It “We just take it as it was. We did really time — we really needed it. Everyone was was hard getting out of bed and going good stuf. We had terrible memories and there for us and it was really powerful.” to practice every day at the Olympics,” beautiful memories. I have mixed feelings When Haguenauer looks back at their she said. about those Olympics.” Olympic debut, he believes Papadakis and “The post-Olympics Worlds is No doubt, she was referring to the Cizeron handled everything well. “For something really diferent. Everybody was wardrobe malfunction that marred their them, the story, especially with Gabriella exhausted, and a lot of couples were retiring and left them 1.74 points behind and her dress, it was not the way they after the competition. rivals and training mates and wanted to inish … with a silver medal,” “But what a cool one to win … we have . Even though Papadakis and he said. great memories of those Worlds. We skated Cizeron produced a World record score of “he accident during the short dance both programs really well, maybe even 123.35 with a highly emotional free dance, was what it was, and they did quite well better than at the Olympics. it still left them 0.79 points behind the in handling that. And after that, they did “The crowd was amazing. Italy is a gold-medal winning Canadians, whom an excellent free dance. I never spoke with country that I love and it’s very close to they had beaten just two months earlier them about that immediately after, or at France. It was almost like being at home at the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya, Japan. the end of the season, and now the past for us. hose Worlds were really fun.” “he hardest part was after the short is the past. The Olympics not only marked the dance,” Papadakis admitted. “It was like, “Now I am sure they are very motivated end of their two-year rivalry with Virtue we did a mistake, but maybe it’s still to work hard for Beijing in four years.” and Moir, but also the conclusion of time saveable and we could still get the gold training alongside each other every day at medal. hen we won the free dance, and the same rink. we thought maybe it’s possible. While Papadakis admitted, “I guess “But it wasn’t enough ... by a few, few We were going there is less pressure at practice,” both she amount of points. hat was the hardest and Cizeron agreed that the presence of part, thinking that, ‘Oh my God, if this for gold and the two-time Olympic champions drove hadn’t happened in the short, we could them to be better. have had the gold medal.’ we were very “It really pushed us to have them “We were going for the gold, and we were around,” said Cizeron. “It’s hard to have disappointed to get silver. It’s something disappointed to that pressure every day, having your that was very possible, and it was very close. biggest rivals next to you. But it was really I didn’t feel in total control in the short get silver. inspiring, and we learned a lot from having dance, and I didn’t feel I had skated as —Gabriella Papadakis them at the rink. well as I was supposed to. hat was the “hey have so much experience from most disappointing part. It wasn’t about the their own career. It was definitely an medal, it was about the performance itself.” interesting experience for us and we Cizeron also had diculty picking one MOMENTS IN MILAN learned a lot from it.” feeling to describe his thoughts about how Papadakis and Cizeron quickly put the their irst Olympic experience played out. Olympics behind them — they had no DANCING INTO A NEW ERA But he does remember the groundswell choice, with the World Championships But now, with Virtue and Moir out of the of support they felt in the wake of what in Milan just a month later. picture, it is Papadakis and Cizeron’s ice happened in the short program — and hey would go on to claim their third dance world, and everyone else is just living not just from their families, who were global crown in four years in emphatic in it. in PyeongChang. fashion, producing World record scores As three-time World champions, the “It’s a mix of a lot of feelings. We were across the board — 83.73 for the short French team should rightly be in position really proud of what we had achieved and (breaking the mark Virtue and Moir to set the direction of the sport going there was a little bit of disappointment, established in PyeongChang); 123.47 for forward, but they do not feel that kind of course,” he said. “We were just really the free dance and 207.20 overall (also of responsibility. grateful for the experience as well, and we eclipsing the record the Canadians set at Rather, they will continue to follow their had such an incredible amount of support. the Olympics). hearts and their creative instincts and if ice Sometimes, you’re just so into your own “hey really didn’t take these Worlds dance changes along with them, so be it. kind of expectations that you forget to step like it was an exhibition at the end of the “We honestly do our own thing. We like back and say, ‘I just won a medal at the season, absolutely not,” said Haguenauer. to question how things are and not settle Olympics at 23 years of age.’ “hey wanted to perform super well and for doing certain things because ice dance “We were really proud and happy, and in particular the short dance. hey told me has always been this way,” said Papadakis. the support of our family, our team, the if it would be possible to break the World “We never cared about that. We always public, and the French people was so record of Tessa and Scott, they would do thought it was stupid. We hope we’ve amazing. It’s what I’ll always remember their maximum for that. changed things, but not in a way that we

30 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 , , Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron at the 2018 World Championships ice dance medal ceremony. ight, and we have big meetings and start As Cizeron put it, “we’re just really think Papadakis and Cizeron still have a revolution in skating. trying to ind what inspires us and by doing many more worlds to discover on the ice. “We love taking inspiration from other that, we can show the young skaters that Haguenauer, for one, believes the forms or art, and that’s how you change and you can think outside the box. You have best is yet to come from the team in the how you evolve. Ice skaters before us have room for creativity and change, and don’t years ahead. done some amazing things, and if you take necessarily have to stick with what has been “hey showed in the past a great maturity inspiration just from them, you’re never going on in the past. in skating despite their age … but they can going to leave your own mark. “It’s not that we’re trying to set an show a lot more maturity,” he said. “Why were the ice dancers before us so example and lead in one speciic direction. “With maturity, I am talking about good? Because they re-invented ice dance We feel pretty free to do and try whatever expression and the relationship between at some point and then it became the norm, we want to. Of course, we have to stay them, and the connection they could create and then somebody else came along and within the rules, but I feel like it’s our thing together with the music they are going did something diferent and then that to play with those lines and blur them a to choose. became the norm. It’s always going to be little bit.” “Technically, they are excellent skaters, like that. Given their ages — for all their but there are still many things they can “It’s important for us to be ourselves accomplishments, they are extremely improve and explore, so they are absolutely IFS that way.” young in ice dance terms — it is easy to not at their peak yet.” VALLE PHOTO: FLAVIO

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 31 2018 GRAND PRIX VANCOUVER CALLING

Tatiana Tarasova & Carolina Vladimir Madison Kostner Morozov Chock &

With the rst three events of the 2018 Grand Prix Series in the books, the race is on to earn one of the remaining berths at the Grand Prix Final in December. Hiroshima NHK Trophy marks the halfway point to be Russia’s Sergei Voronov, who won the season in Hiroshima and are the solid gold of the Grand Prix Series. he last time event in 2017, and possibly favorites in the ice dance event. Hiroshima hosted this competition (1991) of the U.S. Russia’s Tifani Zahorski and Jonathan a battle of the titans played out between Following on the heels of their Guerreiro will be looking to build on , and , respective successes last season, Russia’s the success of last season and are strong with Ito reigning supreme. and contenders to capture the silver medal. his year, Japan’s is and Canada’s Kirsten Moore-Towers and Other challengers include Canada’s the leading lady. She will have to be on will be in the hunt for and and top of her game if she hopes to capture a gold in Hiroshima and a possible berth at Rachel Parsons and Michael Parsons of the second title on home soil. Her teammate the Grand Prix Final. U.S. and Jean-Luc Baker, Mai Mihara and Russia’s Elizavta hree teams will likely battle it out for are slated to compete at this event, but he Tuktamysheva will also chasing gold. the third spot on the podium: ’s is reportedly recovering from a concussion. Shoma Uno headlines a field that Cheng Peng and Yang Jin, and the two hree ice dance teams will make their includes four men making their senior American teams, Alexa Scimeca Knierim senior Grand Prix debuts in Hiroshima: Grand Prix debuts: Matteo Rizzo of Italy, and Chris Knierim and and Great Britain’s and Lewis South Korea’s June Hyoung Lee, Yaroslav Danny O’Shea. Gibson; and Tim Paniot of and Alexander Johnson Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Koleto of Japan; and Russia’s Anastasia of the U.S. Uno’s main challenger is likely Cizeron of France open their Grand Prix Skoptcova and .

32 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 NHK TROPHY – November 9-11 – Hiroshima, Japan

LADIES MEN PAIRS ICE DANCE Kirsten MOORE-TOWERS/ Carolane SOUCISSE/ Gabrielle DALEMAN CAN Kevin REYNOLDS CAN Michael MARINARO CAN Shane FIRUS CAN Cheng PENG/ Shiyue WANG/ Maé Bérénice MÉITÉ FRA Matteo RIZZO ITA Yang JIN CHN Xinyu LIU CHN / Gabriella PAPADAKIS/ JPN Hiroaki SATO JPN GER Guillaume CIZERON FRA Miu SUZAKI/ Lilah FEAR/ Mai MIHARA JPN Shoma UNO JPN JPN Lewis GIBSON GBR Natalia ZABIIAKO/ Misato KOMATSUBARA Satoko MIYAHARA JPN JPN Alexander ENBERT RUS JPN Tarah K AYNE/ Anastasia SKOPTCOVA/ Eunsoo LIM KOR Deniss VASILJEVS LAT Danny O’SHEA USA Kirill ALESHIN RUS / Tiffani ZAGORSKI/ RUS June Hyoung LEE KOR USA RUS Alexa SCIMECA KNIERIM/ Alexandra NAZAROVA/ RUS Dmitri ALIEV RUS Chris KNIERIM USA UKR Elizaveta Kaitlin HAWAYEK/ TUKTAMYSHEVA RUS Sergei VORONOV RUS Jean-Luc BAKER USA Rachel PARSONS/ USA Yaroslav PANIOT UKR Michael PARSONS USA USA Alexander JOHNSON USA

Angela WANG USA Vincent ZHOU USA

Satoko Deniss Vasiljevs Miyahara

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 33 her comeback at this event. It will be 34 of the most exciting of the Series. Series. of the exciting most of the he ladies event in Moscow could be one bring their A games to this competition. tothis Agames their bring to need all will hey contenders. medal solid all are Messing Keegan Canada’s and Dmitriev, Jr., Kazuki Tomono of Japan Cup title. Rostelecom consecutive second his capture years. for two loop out of the being after edge competitive her maintained shehas if tosee interesting Classic. U.S. 2018 atthe second placed and ranks senior Trophy Open the herdebut in in Asian 2018 wonthe who Lim Korea’s Eunsoo of skaters. oneof anumber any to go could bronze and but silver favorite Moscow  .9(5+790? IFSMAGAZINE.COM IFSMAGAZINE.COM of Japan is a shoo-in to to ashoo-in is of Japan Hanyu Yuzuru Russia’s Mikhail Kolyada and Artur Artur and Kolyada Russia’s Mikhail Gracie Gold is scheduled to make South is topcontenders ofOne the medal gold the is Zagitova Russia’s Alina DECEMBER 2018

(::0.54,5;: Monica and Nicole Della Italy’s bronze: and silver , Ashley highlight of this competition. of this highlight the be could place for third battle he Khaliavin. Kirill and Hurtado Sara Spain’s or U.S. ofthe Ponomarenko Anthony and Carreira Christina teams: coming second. and irst place should and ield the in strongest the are Bukin Ivan and Stepanova Russia’s Alexandra and U.S. teams. tosix down inishes podium for battle the narrows realistically which Moscow, in debuts Prix Grand senior Windsor. Harley and Alexandrovskaya Ekaterina ’s and U.S., of the LeDuc Timothy and Cain pairs. in win votefor the the get of Russia Morozov Vladimir and Tarasova the improvement he showed at the end of endof atthe heshowed improvement the gold. chasing Jin China’s Boyang Chen and of the quad kings with American Nathan medal hunt. be in the also KostnerCarolina will Italy’s Méité and of France Maé-Bérénice Grenoble? in feat that torepeat able be she Will Tennell battle. Classic) wonthe met(2018 Autumn Medvedeva Evgenia event. atthis amedal tocapture best their at be to have will Everyone podium. of the steps three forcontenders the possible six are here onetowatch. be Final. Prix Grand at the berths available the chasing biter for those anail- be will Series of the event inal he and Evan Bates of the of the Bates Evan and Chock Madison Bronze will go to one of two up-and- their make will teams Four dance ice for running the in are teams Three Evgenia medalists World silver Reigning If ’s Deniss Vasiljevs has continued ashowdown be men’s the itIn will event, Mihara, Mai and Kihira Japan’s Rika Tennell and Bradie time last The deinitely will competition ladies he GRAND PRIX OFFIGUREGRAND SKATING FINAL Vancouver, 5-9, Canada —December 2018

expect some showdowns in France. in showdowns some expect the U.S. of Parsons Michael and Parsons Rachel and Díaz Adriàn and Smart Olivia Spain’s it out for silver. battle likely will Katsalapov Nikita and Sinitsina Russia’s Victoria and third? and second into dance will Who title. dance ice the take easily will Cizeron up for grabs. realistically are bronze and silver a medal, shotatcapturing agood have Kim Ju Sik on homesoil. togold twirl certainly most will Ciprès for third. Aliev Dmitri toRussia’s athreat be hecould season, last Mikhail Kolyada With so much on the line for some, we we for some, line onthe much so With Poirier Paul and Gilles Piper Canada’s Also contending for the bronze will be be will bronze for the contending Also Guillaume and Papadakis Gabriella Korea’s Tae North OkRyom and While Morgan and Vanessa James pairs, In

PHOTO: SUSAN D. RUSSELL PHOTO: OLGA TIMOKHOVA – November 16-18 – Moscow, Russia

LADIES MEN PAIRS ICE DANCE Ekaterina GER Brendan KERRY AUS ALEXANDROVSKAYA/ / AUS Ádám LUKÁCS HUN / Misato KOMATSUBARA/ JPN Keegan MESSING CAN AUT Tim KOLETO JPN

Yura MATSUDA JPN GEO / / Matteo GUARISE ITA Saulius AMBRULEVIÎIUS LTU / / JPN Paul FENTZ GER RUS POL Elizabet TURSYNBAEVA / Soa EVDOKIMOVA/ KAZ Yuzuru HANYU JPN RUS RUS / Annabelle MOROZOV/ Eunsoo LIM KOR Kazuki TOMONO JPN Vladimir MOROZOV RUS RUS Ashley CAIN/ / Soa SAMODUROVA RUS Julian Zhi Jie YEE MAS Timothy LeDuc USA RUS / RUS Artur DMITRIEV, Jr. RUS / USA ESP /Anthony Alina ZAGITOVA RUS Alexey EROKHOV RUS PONOMARENKO USA Madison CHOCK/ Alexia PAGANINI SUI Mikhail KOLYADA RUS Evan BATES USA

Karen CHEN USA Alexander MAJOROV SWE

Gracie GOLD USA USA

INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE – November 23-26 - Grenoble

LADIES MEN PAIRS ICE DANCE Camille RUEST/ Piper GILLES/ Laurine LECAVELIER FRA CAN Andrew WOLFE CAN CAN Tae Ok RYOM/ Adelina GALAYAVIEVA/ Maé Bérénice MÉITÉ FRA Boyang JIN CHN Ju-sik KIM PRK FRA Vanessa JAMES/ Marie-Jade LAURIAULT/ Lea SERNA FRA Kevin AYMOZ FRA Morgan CIPRÈS FRA FRA Minerva Fabienne HASE/ Gabriella PAPADAKIS/ ITA Chak BESSEGHIER FRA Nolan SEEGERT GER Guillaume CIZERON FRA Aleksandra BOIKOVA/ Allison REED/ JPN Romain PONSART FRA Dmitrii KOZLOVSKII RUS Saulius AMBRULEVICIUS LTU / / Rika KIHIRA JPN ISR Brandon FRAZIER USA RUS Tarah K AYNE/ / Mai MIHARA JPN JPN Danny O’SHEA USA RUS Stanislava Audrey LU/ / KONSTANTINOVA RUS Deniss VASILJEVS LAT Misha MITROFANOV USA Adriàn DÍAZ ESP Kaitlin HAWAYEK/ Evgenia MEDVEDEVA RUS Dmitri ALIEV RUS Jean-Luc BAKER USA Rachel PARSONS/ Maria SOTSKOVA RUS RUS Michael PARSONS USA Matilda ALGOTSSON SWE Jason BROWN USA USA USA

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 35 and wed in a romantic Four bridesmaids accompanied Zhang. Her sister Yang ceremony on Aug. 20. Yang Zhang was the maid of honor. Jason Brown was The couple tied the knot in front of 80 family members and Hochstein’s best man and his good friend, Danny O’Shea, close friends in a traditional ceremony held at St. Brendan’s a U.S. pairs skater, was one of the four groomsmen. Catholic Church in Los Angeles. The nuptuils were followed by a reception at The Peninsula

36 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 and the church was breathtaking on the day,” the on said. Hochstein breathtaking was church the and done beautifully so were details to. it ofthe All wewanted as Hills. Beverly in Hotel The couple has postponed their honeymoon until later in exactly went Everything beautiful. day was “Our wedding earlier this year and are now coaching in Los Angeles. Los in coaching are now yearand this earlier be going to London, Florence and Rome in November.” in Rome and Florence toLondon, going be will “We explained. season,” the Hochstein for sectionals with aredone kids our year. after the until “We arewaiting Zhang retired and Hochstein DECEMBER 2018 from the competitive arena IFSMAGAZINE.COM IFSMAGAZINE.COM 37

PHOTO: JOYTHEORYCO BACKSTAGE PASS OPPOSITE PAGE:

„Canada’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier danced away with the 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy title, their rst victory of the season. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Elizaveta Tuktamysheva and her boyfriend, , opened the season with podium nishes at . Tuktamysheva captured gold in ladies, while Lazukin won the bronze in the men’s event. Photo: Tatjana Flade

THIS PAGE:

„Eliška BĖezinová and her brother, Michal BĖezina, competed in the singles events at the 2018 U.S. International Classic. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Japan’s Satoko Miyahara (center) scored a decisive victory over South Korea’s Eunsoo Lim (left) and Yelim Kim (right) at the 2018 U.S. International Classic in Salt Lake City. Photo: Robin Ritoss

OPPOSITE PAGE CLOCKWISE:

„2018 Autumn Classic ice dance medalists: Olivia Smart and Adriàn Díaz (Spain — silver), and (Canada — gold), and Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Canada — bronze) Photo: Susan D. Russell

„Sweden’s Matilda Algotsson made the move to Switzerland at the end of last season to train with Stéphane Lambiel. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Former U.S ice dance champion Peter Tchernyshev choreographed two new programs for Elena Radionova this season. Photo: Tatjana Flade

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„A trio of U.S. pairs teams contested the 2018 Nebelhorn Trophy (L to R): Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov, Deanna Stellato and Nathan Bartholomay, and Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Polina Tsurskaya and Maria Sotskova took a time out during the Russian Test Skates in September. Photo: Tatjana Flade

OPPOSITE PAGE:

„Australia’s Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor opened their rst full season in the senior ranks with a bronze-medal nish at 2018 U.S. International Classic. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„2018 Finlandia Trophy medalists: (L to R): Morisi Kvitelashvili (Georgia), Kirsten-Moore Towers and Michael Marinaro (Canada), Vladimir Morozov and Evgenia Tarasova, Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii, and Mikhail Kolyada (Russia) Photo: Tatjana Flade

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„Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue danced to the top of the podium at the 2018 U.S. International Classic. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Ivan Bukin and Alexandra Stepanova relaxed during a break in the action at the Russian Test Skates. They have been assigned to the Grand Prix of Helsinki and Rostelecom Cup. Photo: Tatjana Flade

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 43

OPPOSITE PAGE: „Alexei Krasnozhon and Timothy Dolensky of the U.S. and Israel’s Daniel Samohin opened their respective sea- sons at Nebelhorn Trophy. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Ladies podium at 2018 Autumn Classic in Canada: Evgenia Medvedeva (Russia — silver), Bradie Tennell (USA — gold), and Maé-Bérénice Méité (France — bronze) Photo: Susan D. Russell

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„U.S. ice dancers and Christina Carreira were jumping for joy at their second-place nish at the 2018 U.S. International Classic. Photo: Robin Ritoss

„Russia’s rising star Dmitri Aliev kicked off his season with a second-place nish at Lombardia Trophy in September. Photo: Tatjana Flade

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 45 Transitions Quicksteps

XOVER AND OUT...cont. with Holiday on Ice for a , is a XSINGLE AGAIN  ve-month tour throughout director at the rink where he Germany and France. now coaches. There is no update on Hotárek’s future plans. XSECRET WEDDING The two-year pairs part- Irina Lobacheva, the 2002 nership of China’s Xiaoyu World ice dance champion Yu and Hao Zhang has also with Ilya Averbukh, recently Japanese news sources come to an end. revealed she had remarried report that former national Yu is currently looking for in a civil ceremony on Aug. champion and Russian pairs skater Fedor a new partner. No word on 4, 2017. her husband of 19 months Klimov announced his what Zhang — who is not The 45-year-old Russian have divorced. retirement on Sept. 8, listed on any of the three said she and her husband, a week after his former national team rosters — Ivan Tretyakov, 29, are XONE STEP CLOSER partner plans to do. planning a formal wedding won con rmed she and Klimov and hope to start a family in the short program and had parted ways. the near future. placed third overall at a Klimov, 28, said the Lobacheva and Averbukh regional competition in decision to end their married in 2003 and early October. His top-three eight-year partnership divorced in 2007. They have  nish earned him a place was mutual. He is a son, Martin, 13. at the qualifying event for now coaching. Japanese nationals. Stolbova has teamed up XIT’S A BOY! The 32-year-old needs with Russian-born Andrei Bruno Massot and his  ancé a top three  nish at that Novoselev who previously Sophie Levaufre welcomed competition to earn a place represented France with Only one Chinese pairs their son Louka Massot into at nationals in December. Lola Esbrat. team — Cheng Peng and the world on Oct. 1. Italian pairs skater Yang Jin — is competing XWOW FACTOR on the Grand Prix circuit was the announced on Sept. 13 that this season: A second star of the show at the her three-year partnership team, Xiangning and 2018 Japan Open in early with OndĖej Hotárek had Zhong Xie, was removed October. Four years after he come to an end. from the Grand Prix roster retired from competition, “OndĖej and I have in early October. Li, who Oda, 31, landed a quad toe- decided to take two also competes as a singles triple toe combination and a different paths for our skater, was crossed off the triple Axel in his fun routine future. I would like to NHK Trophy ladies entry list set to “YMCA.” chase another Olympiad,” at the same time. He placed second overall said Marchei. “Life is perfect now,” Massot with a 19.09-point margin Two weeks later, she XFRESH START wrote in an Instagram post. over Javier Fernández announced she had signed After working alongside and 31.99 points ahead of in Novi, XBIG SURPRISE Nathan Chen. Michigan the past four Sweden’s most decorated years, synchronized skating team XNEW CAREER returned to his French is no more. Skate Sweden After retiring at the end homeland following announced on Oct. 2 of last season and taking 2018 Worlds. that after 35 years it was the summer off to decide He recently announced disbanding Team Surprise his next move, Daisuke he has opened his own and will now focus on Murakami has accepted skating school in . developing skaters and a coaching position in His former on-ice partner, coaches in all disciplines. Sherwood, Oregon.

46 IFSMAGAZINE.COM DECEMBER 2018 CHINA’S 2022 GAME PLAN ajor changes are afoot in Chinese  gure skat- ing circles. M In September, it was announced that former World champions Qing Pang and Jian Tong would host a national training camp. Later that month, a Chinese UPDATE news report con rmed 1995 World champion Lu Chen is also working with a national team. ews sources report Both of these entities are independent of the one that the suspects overseen by Hongbo Zhao, the head coach of the Nin the Denis Ten Chinese skating federation. murder case have con- In a bid to repeat Russia’s success at the 2014 Olympic fessed to the crime. Winter Games, China is recruiting skaters from all parts The two men admit- of the world to join its national teams in the run-up to ted they were in need of the 2022 Olympics in Beijing. money to pay their rent Beverly Zhu, 16, the 2018 U.S. novice champion, is and decided to steal the one such athlete. Born in America to a Chinese father, side mirrors from Ten’s Zhu will now represent China. She is splitting her expensive car and sell training time between her hometown of Los Angeles them at a local market. (where she works with Derrick Delmore and Ivan Dinev) Ten arrived on the and Beijing. scene as the theft was “There are other athletes in the process of signing a taking place and got into a physical altercation with contract. The list cannot be disclosed now,” said Chen, one of the men. adding that  ve foreign coaches will be joining the The second suspect initially ran from the scene Chinese coaching squad. but returned and stabbed Ten in the thigh. In an interview with the Beijing News, Tong said the The reports indicate both men have previous three national teams will compete against each other criminal convictions and that one had stabbed domestically, but will eventually combine to form one other victims in the past in the course of commit- team for the 2022 Olympic Winter Games. ting crimes. FASHIONABLE STATEMENT

ichal BĖezina and his wife, Danielle Montalbano, recently debuted their own fashion line +FIVE Apparel. The brand caters to children and adults of Mboth sexes. Currently, the line features bomber jackets, vests, T-shirts and hoodies, as well as accessories such as hats and key chains. “Michal and I have always wanted to make a clothing line for boys and men specii cally for skating because they don’t have much,” said Montalbano. “Right now we have men’s joggers and women’s leggings in production, which will be available later this year.” BĖezina, who hails from the Czech Republic and Montalbano, a former representative of Israel, chose +FIVE as the name for their brand, to echo the new Grade of Execution scale (which ranges from minus i ve to plus i ve). The couple hopes to expand their brand and make +FIVE a global synonym for perfection. “We believe that +FIVE equals perfection and that perfection is an attitude not a destination. So we are encouraging everyone to live by their own dei nition, and not compare themselves with others,” Montalbano explained. Their ultimate goal is to make enough money so they can give back to the skating community. One of their objectives would be to start an after-school skating program for underprivileged children. You can check out their brand at plusi veapparel.com or on Instagram at @plusi veapparel.

DECEMBER 2018 IFSMAGAZINE.COM 47 ` 4,+0(.<0+, CBC GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE DATE NHK TROPHY TIME Sat. Nov. 10 Men’s/Ladies Free 3:00 p.m. Sun. Nov. 11 Free Dance 3:00 p.m. DATE ROSTELECOM CUP TIME Sat. Nov. 17 Ladies/Pairs Free/Free Dance 3:00 p.m. Sun. Nov. 18 Men’s Free 3:00 p.m. DATE TIME Sat. Nov. 24 Free Dance/Pairs/Men’s Free 3:00 p.m. Sun. Nov. 25 Ladies Free 2:00 p.m. DATE GRAND PRIX FINAL TIME Sat. Dec. 8 Men’s/Ladies Free 4:00 p.m. Sun. Dec. 9 Free Dance/Pairs Free 11:30 a.m. Sat. Dec. 22 Gala Exhibition 3:00 p.m.

NBC GRAND PRIX SCHEDULE DATE NHK TROPHY TIME Sun. Nov. 11 Recap 12:00 p.m. DATE ROSTELECOM CUP TIME Sun. Nov. 18 Recap 12:00 p.m. DATE INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE TIME Sun. Nov. 25 Recap 4:00 p.m. DATE GRAND PRIX FINAL TIME Fri. Dec. 7 Recap 11:30 p.m. (NBCSN) Sat. Dec. 8 Recap 8:00 p.m. (NBCSN) Sun. Dec. 9 Recap 4:00 p.m. (NBC)

CBC TV — 2019 SCHEDULE DATE FOUR CONTINENTS TIME Sat. Feb. 23 NO EVENTS LISTED 12:00 p.m. DATE WORLD JUNIOR CHAMPIONSHIPS TIME Sat. Mar. 16 NO EVENTS LISTED 3:30 p.m. DATE WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS TIME Wed. Mar. 20 Ladies/Pairs Short 2:30 p.m. Thu. Mar. 21 Men’s Short 2:30 p.m. Pairs Free 6:00 p.m. Fri. Mar. 22 Rhythm Dance 2:30 p.m. Ladies Free 6:00 p.m. Sat. Mar. 23 Men’s Free 3:00 p.m. Sun. Mar. 24 Free Dance 11:30 a.m. Sat. Mar. 30 Exhibition Gala 4:00 p.m. (All times EST. Airdates subject to change. Check your local listings). ` MEDIA GUIDE

CBC.ca ONLINE SCHEDULE

DATE NHK TROPHY TIME

Fri. Nov. 9 Pairs Short 12:20 a.m. Ladies Short 2:10 a.m. Men’s Short 5:00 a.m. Rhythm Dance 10:45 p.m. Sat. Nov. 10 Pairs Free 12:35 a.m. Ladies Free 2:40 a.m. Men’s Free 5:30 a.m. Sun. Nov. 11 Exhibition Gala 1:00 a.m. Free Dance 9:45 p.m. DATE ROSTELECOM CUP TIME

Fri. Nov. 16 Men’s Short 6:00 a.m. Rhythm Dance 8:00 a.m. Pairs Short 10:30 a.m. Ladies Short 12:00 p.m. Sat. Nov. 17 Men’s Free 5:30 a.m. Free Dance 7:40 a.m. Pairs Free 9:30 a.m. Ladies Free 11:10 a.m. Sun. Nov. 18 Exhibition Gala 7:00 a.m. DATE INTERNATIONAUX DE FRANCE TIME Fri. Nov. 23 Men’s Short 9:00 a.m. Rhythm Dance 10:55 a.m. Ladies Short 12:30 p.m. Pairs Short 2:30 p.m. Sat. Nov. 24 Men’s Free 7:50 a.m. Free Dance 10:05 a.m. Ladies Free 1:00 p.m. Pairs Free 3:10 p.m. Sun. Nov. 25 Exhibition Gala 8:30 a.m. DATE GRAND PRIX FINAL TIME Thu. Dec. 6 Men’s/Ladies Short 10:45 p.m. Fri. Dec. 7 Rhythm Dance/Pairs Short 10:00 p.m. Sat. Dec. 8 Men’s Free 12:30 a.m. Free Dance/Pairs Free 10:00 p.m. Sun. Dec. 9 Gala Exhibition 5:00 p.m.

(All times EST. Airdates are subject to change. Check your local listings)