Figure Skating Blog

This week in Nice, France, the best skaters on the planet will compete in the 2012 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. With only two years until the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics, both the skaters competing and the countries they represent are lining up their top skaters to establish pre-Olympic dominance. For Team USA, the stakes are high, having qualified only two athletes in the Men, Women, and Pairs events. The skaters must finish high enough in the competition to qualify a full roster of three skaters for next years critical pre-Olympic year Worlds in 2013.

With the 2014 Sochi Russia Olympics nearing, the Russian figure skaters are lined up in the Junior division and set to make their Senior debuts in 2013. The "wunderkids" as they are referred to include World Junior Champion Julia Lipnitskaia, who isn't competing in Nice because she isn't age eligible. Next year she, along with several other top Russian teens including Elizaveta Tuktamisheva, are set to take the international skating world by storm with their incredible flexibility and triple-triple jump combinations.

For skaters like US National Champion Ashley Wagner and former US Champion Alissa Czisny, both in their 20's, this presents a possible "now or never" approach to this year's Worlds. Neither have consistent triple-triples and each are nearing the end of long careers in the senior division. The same can be said for Italy's Carolina Kostner, now 25 and competing in her 10th Senior Worlds. If Wagner and Czisny can earn a total placement of 13, Team USA will get to send 3 athletes to London, Ontario for next years 2013 World Figure Skating Championships. However, if they don't, next years Worlds could be filled with so many top Russian contenders that making the podium could be next to impossible. Additionally, with US Junior Champion Gracie Gold set to enter the Seniors next year, either Czisny or Wagner could get shut out of competing on the US World team without a third spot available.
Picks: 1st: Asada, 2nd: Wagner, 3rd: Kostner (wild card: Akiko Suzuki)

The 2009 World Figure Skating Championships in Los Angeles was a thrilling experience for me last week. It was my first trip to see this championship and it did not disappoint. This competition was the qualifying round for various athletes and countries looking to compete at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Games.

The United States had a team of 15 skaters lead by Chicago native Evan Lysacek - who went on to win the Men's Event with one of the most extraordinary long programs I have ever seen him skate. Featuring two solid triple axels (one in combination), Evan didn't need a quad to pull off his first World Title against the best male skaters in the world. Other highlights for the US team were the silver medal rebound of ice dancing team Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto and the fantastic 9th place performance of Caydee Denney and Jeremy Barrett that brought the crowd to their feet. The final night was headlined by the ladies battle of the Asia with Yu-Na Kim of Korea and last years champion Mao

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I am a former competitive figure skater and coach and still am an avid fan. I skated for nearly 25 years training all over the USA first as a singles skater in figures (back in the day) and freestyle and later in ice dancing. I can tell you that watching ice skating on TV is fun, but nothing compares to being at the event and taking in the practice sessions leading up to the competitions.

When I was at the US Nationals in 2006, in St. Louis, it was also the competition that determined the US Olympic Team. Watching the Mens and Ladies Final Free Programs was some of the best skating I've ever seen of our US skaters. Sasha Cohen hung in through a dramatic free skate with Kimmie Meissner getting to the last double axel and