With national championships in the US and Canada concluded, the usual tradition reigns as a number of skaters and teams prepare to move on from the skating world or with new partners. While some retirements and partnership splits have been alluded to via skaters’ social media accounts but remain otherwise unconfirmed, other athletes have taken…
Category: TFTI Blog
Analysis, News, TFTI Blog
Snapshot Stats: The Spanish Inquiry
by Jacquelyn Thayer After publishing in August a procedure for selection of the team to represent the nation in ice dance at the 2017 World Championships — giving the slot to the team with the highest short dance technical score at an international event — the Spanish winter sports federation yesterday courted controversy by declaring…
Competition, Ice Dance, News, Pairs, TFTI Blog
Top Canadian Couples Gearing Up for 2016 Skate Canada International
by Jacquelyn Thayer Victory at Autumn Classic International served as a successful first step of a two-year comeback plan for Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. And shortly after, the team were back to work with free dance choreographer David Wilson. “It was always part of the plan — you kind of create, try to make…
News, TFTI Blog
Introducing Ask the Expert!
READERS: Next week we’ll be launching a new recurring column called Ask the Expert, in which some elite and developmental ice dance and pairs coaches and choreographers will answer technical questions you submit. Wondered how a team most efficiently trains an advanced element? What the physical limits of a certain lift might be? What PCS…
News, Pairs, TFTI Blog
Road to Nationals: Duhamel and Radford
Defense of a Canadian title is nothing new for four-time national champions Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford, who in past seasons had to battle through a tight rivalry with Kirsten Moore-Towers and Dylan Moscovitch. This time around, the Canadian Tire National Skating Championships present a chance for the pair to regroup after the stresses of…
Ice Dance, News, TFTI Blog
Road to Nationals: Weaver and Poje, Chock and Bates
For reigning Canadian dance champions Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje, next week’s Canadian Tire National Skating Championships in Halifax marks a full circle moment — the couple made their national, and senior, debut together there at 2007’s event, capturing a surprise bronze medal alongside Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon and Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir.…
News, TFTI Blog
Seeking Support for Skaters
TFTI is compiling a list of skater fundraising pages to help connect donors with skaters. Training costs in the U.S. and Canada, especially for skaters at the junior and senior level, can be steep — even outside coaching and ice time fees, costs can range from boots and blades from the mid-hundreds to over $1000,…
Competition, Lists, News, TFTI Blog
2015 in Summer Competition: Part 1
While complete rosters for all of this summer’s major events in dance and pairs are still in progress, here’s what to watch for so far: Philadelphia Summer International Competition (formerly Liberty) – July 16-19, IceWorks Skating Complex, Aston, PADance and pairs?: Pairs Livestream?: No Entries Of note: * New to senior: Camille Ruest and Samuel…
Ice Dance, News, TFTI Blog
News for Wednesday, April 15
The ISU has now issued Communication No. 1937, addressing level requirements for the 2015-16 season in ice dance. While many changes of varying significance appear in the document, some are of particular interest. Lift requirements, for example, now include the option of an Exit Feature, including “significant transitional movement” by the lifted partner or a…
News, TFTI Blog
News for Monday, April 13
Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue‘s move from the Detroit Skating Club to train in Montreal under Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon was made official in press releases published by USFSA and icenetwork. Under coaches Angelika Krylova and Pasquale Camerlengo, the couple achieved bronze at 2012 and 2015 U.S. Nationals and made the U.S. Worlds team…