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(28 March 2017) These 2017 Championships are about more
than just personal achievement. They are doubly important for
each country because the majority of the Olympic country spots for Pyeongchang
in 2018 will be decided according to the Helsinki results; 24 ladies
spots, 24 spots for men, 19 for ice dancing and 16 for pairs will be
fixed. In addition, the number of entries a country may send
will be determined by their skater's results. The pressure is
on the U.S. team to come home next week with three permitted entries
in each discipline in 2018. To earn three, the combined
placement of the two best in an event must total no more than 13.
Ladies
The top three U.S. ladies, Karen Chen, Ashley
Wagner and Mariah Bell seem as ready as ever to bring out their A
game to the World Championships.
This talented trio of top
National athletes, all of who train in California, are prepped
and determined to knock out strong
performances to lock in three positions for the 2018 Olympic
Winter Games next year in Pyeongchang, Korea.
“This Worlds is very important [so that we] get
those three spots for the U.S. ladies team,” said Wagner, the
three-time U.S. ladies champion in 2012, 2013 and 2015, 2016 World
silver medalist and 2017 U.S. second-place finisher.
Leading this year’s U.S. ladies World team is
Karen Chen, 17, the reigning U.S. champion and 2015 U.S. bronze
medalist from Fremont, California, who catapulted into the sport’s
center spotlight after clinching the U.S. National title last
January in Kansas City, Missouri.
Chen, who is coached by Tammy Gambill in
Riverside, is known for her soaring triples, breathtaking spins and
engaging programs and certainly ought to do the U.S. proud as she
takes on the top skaters in the world.
“At Nationals, the biggest reason for my
success was [due to the fact] that I focused on myself, didn’t have
any expectations and went [into it] attacking,” Chen said in a
teleconference call with reporters last week. “I want to go into
Worlds with the same mindset.”
By all accounts, Chen ought to rack up high
scores with her riveting short program to the ‘On Golden Pond’ film
score by Dave Grusin and dynamic free skate to Jacob Gade’s
‘Jalousie Tango Tzigane,’ of both which were huge hits with the
crowd and officials in Kansas City.
Chen, who was 12th at the Four
Continents Championships in February, is as optimistic as ever going
into this event, especially based upon the fact that all areas seem
to be covered going into this competition.
During the Four Continents competition, Chen
had been dealing with broken-down boots that affected her efficiency
and performance quality, an issue that has since been remedied as
she will be competing with rebuilt boots this week.
“I have new boots and should be good [to go]
now,” said Chen. “Things are going really well.”
Chen also said she is also good after having
had a minor collision with another skater in a practice session
several few weeks ago in which she was kneed in the back of her leg.
“It was a bit of a scary moment for me, but I’m
just glad everything worked out okay,” said Chen. “We’re both doing
fine.”
Chen also got some inspiration from Kristi
Yamaguchi, the 1992 U.S. Olympic champion since Four Continents to
give her a boost as well.
Several weeks ago, the two met for coffee and
Yamaguchi gave her some wise and practical advice.
“She told me
your body knows what to do,” said Chen, adding, “it’s really great
to have her guide me in the right direction.”
Ashley Wagner, the electric 25-year old U.S.
ladies contender who trains in Lakewood, California with Rafael
Arutyunyan ought to put up some big numbers this week with her short
program to the Eurythmics 80s hit, “Sweet Dreams” and free skate to
“Exogenesis Symphony Part 3: Redemption.”
Going into this event, Wagner said she is
focused on putting out big jumps and showing clarity and movement in
all of her elements and connecting steps.
“I just [want to] tend
to my own job,” said Wagner, who lives in Aliso Viejo.
Mariah Bell, the effervescent 20 year-old
Westminster, Colorado native who claimed bronze at Nationals this
past January, will be another contender to watch.
Bell, whose programs to ‘Chicago’ and the ‘East
of Eden’ film score by Lee Holdridge at Nationals earlier this year,
has been training diligently ever since then to insure that she puts
out two more memorable performances.
“I’ve been pushing really hard,” said Bell,
who, like Wagner, also trains in Lakewood, California with Rafael
Arutyunyan. “I’m so excited to get out there and put out some good
performances.”
Men
Nathan Chen, the 2017 U.S. Champion,
2016 U.S. bronze medalist and 2017 Four Continents winner, along
with Jason Brown, the 2015 U.S. titlist, 2017 U.S. bronze medalist
and 2014 U.S. silver medalist, are gung ho to get
in the ring at Worlds in Helsinki.
Chen, the accomplished and driven 17 year-old
Salt Lake City native who has taken the skating world by storm this
year with his astonishing arsenal of quads, seems to be in optimal
position to face off against some of the sport’s top international
skaters, including Javier Fernandez, the 2016 Spanish World champion
and Yuzuru Hanyu, the 2014 Japanese Olympic gold medalist.
No doubt, this competition ought to be a main
event since Chen, who trailed Hanyu at the 2016/17 International
Skating Union Grand Prix Finals by a narrow margin where he wound up
second, is considered to be a lead contender who potentially has a
shot at clinching the World title.
For Chen, however, his focus is just to do his
best and put out two strong programs.
“I want to skate the very best programs that I
can,” said Chen in a teleconference with reporters last week. “This
is my first Worlds and it’s pitting everyone together at one event.”
Chen, who trains with Rafael Arutyunyan in
Lakewood, California and Marina Zoueva and Oleg Epstein in Canton,
Michigan, has been on an amazing upward trajectory this season,
which is remarkable considering he had to sit out of last year’s
Worlds in Boston due to a hip injury he sustained in January during
the Nationals exhibition.
This season, however, the driven and determined
Chen made up his mind to come back bigger, better and stronger than
ever and has emerged as perhaps one of the greatest comeback stories
in the history of figure skating.
In addition to getting his game back up to its
incredible speed, Chen has also gone on to set new records in the
sport, including being the first skater to ever perform seven quads
in competition (at the 2017 U.S. Championships.)
For Chen, though, it’s just a matter of being
his best and raising his own bar.
“To technically put myself out there, that’ll
make it happen,” said Chen, who started competing at age four. “I
have my own goals and like to eliminate any distractions.”
Rounding out this year’s U.S. men’s World
contingent is Jason Brown, the electric and talented Chicago-area
native who trains in Monument, Colorado with Kori Ade.
Said to be one of the sport’s purist skaters,
Brown, 22, brought the crowd to their feet at Nationals in Kansas
City, Missouri last January with his short program to Sam Smith’s
‘Writing’s on the Wall’ and ‘Apassionata’ from the Secret Garden
film soundtrack and free skate to ‘The Scent of Love’ by Michael
Nyman.
Last year, Brown had withdrawn from Nationals
due to a back injury, but like Chen, seems to be back and better
than ever.
At competitions this year, Brown racked up big
points with his lightning-quick triples, beautifully formed spins
and arresting programs, designed by the talented former U.S. men’s
contender, Rohene Ward. Moreover, he has also added a quad to his
jump arsenal.
Known to be one of the most candid, funniest
and friendliest members of the U.S. World team, Brown is also a
fierce competitor who is consistently steps up to the plate under
pressure, which will ought to make this event a most
memorable one.
Pairs
Haven Denney & Brandon Frazier, the 2017 U.S.
Champions and 2015 U.S. silver medalists and Alexa Scimeca Knierim
& Chris Knierim, the 2015 U.S. titlists and two-time U.S.
second-place finishers in 2013 and 2016, are looking to do the U.S.
proud at Worlds this week.
These two teams, known for their astounding
energy and attack, should be good for putting out strong
performances as they go up against the top teams from all around the
globe representing countries such as Canada, China and Russia.
Denney, 21, and Frazier, 24, are geared up to
get in the ring, especially in considering they are still said to
reeling from their resounding victory at the U.S. Nationals in
Kansas City, Missouri last January.
The duo, who trains in Geneva, Illinois with
Rockne Brubaker, the two-time U.S. pair titlist with Keauna
McLaughlin and Stefania Burton are skating to ‘Don Juan’ for their
short program and the ‘Somewhere in Time’ film score by John Barry
for their free skate.
Alexa Scimeca Knierim & Chris Knierim, the
electric U.S. duo who missed this year’s U.S. Nationals due to the
fact that Alexa had been recovering from a series of surgeries to
fix abdominal injuries, also seem poised to put out first-rate
programs this week.
This husband-wife team, who placed sixth at the
2017 Four Continents Championships making them the highest-finishing
American pair at that event, petitioned for a spot on the U.S. World
team and were granted a position largely based upon their placement
there.
Scimeca Knierim, 25, an Addison, Illinois
native, said in a teleconference call with reporters last week that
she has a renewed faith and appreciation for her life and skating
since her surgeries and that training the past few months “has been
going great.”
“We’re excited to go, we’re prepared and there
are only good things to come,” said Scimeca-Knierim, an Addison,
Illinois native. “We are incredibly grateful to be at the World
Championships and I think after what we’ve been through, our
priority is to remain humble and grateful.”
Scimeca-Knierim, who trains with her husband,
Chris, 29, a Tucson, Arizona native, in Colorado Springs with
Delilah Sappenfield and Larry Ibarra, said she had to relearn
everything after the surgeries, but then “things started to get
better.”
“I’ve shifted my focus on my faith and not
myself,” she said. “There’s a bit more joy in our skating.”
This season, the Knierims, who also placed
ninth at the 2016 Worlds, are skating to ‘Come What May’ from the
Moulin Rouge film soundtrack for their short and ‘Ghost: The
Musical’ for their long program.
Dance
Maia and Alex Shibutani, the 2016 World silver
medalists and 2017 and 2016 U.S. Champions, and Madison Chock
& Evan Bates, the 2015 World silver and 2016 World bronze medalists
and 2015 U.S. first-place finishers, seem primed, eager and proud to
represent the American dance contingent at the World Championships
this week.
These top U.S. teams will be be joined by
Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, the third American dance duo
who are four-time U.S. bronze medalists.
Leading this formidable contingent are Maia and
Alex Shibutani, who are the 2011 World bronze medalists and 2017
International Skating Union Grand Prix Final third-place finishers.
(They placed behind Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, the Canadian 2010
Olympic champions and 2014 Olympic silver medalists and Gabriella
Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron, the 2016 French World victors at
that event.)
This brother and sister duo, who grew up in
Greenwich, Connecticut and have been training in Canton, Michigan
with Marina Zoueva for more than 10 years, seem to be in optimal
position going into this event, as they have been experiencing a
terrific upward trajectory with their results over the past few
years that has locked in their reputation as a premiere world dance
team.
For Maia, 22, and Alex, 25, it’s just all about
being their best.
“The goal for us to compete is to always show
growth,” said Maia.
Alex agreed. “We’re always paying attention to the big
picture, [particurlarly] from an emotional standpoint,” he said. “We
want to engage our audience.”
This year, they have engaged audiences in the
U.S. and around the globe and have also earned some big results with
their short dance to the classic hit, ‘That’s Life,’ covered by the
iconic Frank Sinatra that features a hip-hop version of the song and
for their riveting free dance titled ‘Evolution.’
This week, they should be a big audience hit
and also generate some high scores yet again.
Chock, 24, and Bates, 28, should also be good
for putting out some top-level programs.
This talented and accomplished team, who trains
in Novi, Michigan with Igor Shpilband, are skating to George
Thorogood’s ‘Bad to the Bone’ and Mark Ronson’s ‘Uptown Funk’ for
their short and David Bowie’s ‘Under Pressure’ for their free dance.
Madison Hubbell, 26, & Zachary Donohue, 26,
who train with Marie France Dubriel and Patrice Lauzon in Montreal,
are skating to ‘The Addams Family’ film score for their short and
‘Ocean Club,’ ‘Jungle Bill’ and ‘Moments in Love’ for their free
dance.
This duo, who placed sixth at the 2016 World
Championships, said their primary goal is to just be in the moment
when they’re skating.
“I think we want to allow ourselves to be in
the moment and to just let it happen,” said Hubbell, a Michigan
native. “We found a new confidence in ourselves and our abilities
and we want that confidence to really show through as to who we are
and add a new spark and layer to our skating.”
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