Competition, Ice Dance, Lists, Pairs, Uncategorized

Preview: 2014 Grand Prix by the Numbers

Skate America

Dance

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA) — Ondrej Nepela Trophy (first; 162.98).
Grand Prix average = 150.01 | Grand Prix high = 160.55 (2011 Grand Prix Final) | Grand Prix low = 136.93 (2010 NHK Trophy)

Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA) — Nebelhorn Trophy (second; 163.73).
GP average = 143.9 | GP high = 153.37 (2013 Rostelecom Cup) | GP low = 130.94 (2011 Trophee Eric Bompard)

Nicole Orford & Thomas Williams (CAN) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (second; 141.02); Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (sixth; 125.10).
GP average = 124.89 | GP high = 130.10 (2012 NHK Trophy) | GP low = 119.60 (2013 Trophee Eric Bompard)

Anastasia Cannuscio & Colin McManus (USA) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (third; 126.44); Finlandia Trophy (third; 131.76)
GP average = 122.37 (only event, 2012 Skate America)

Elisabeth Paradis & Francois Xavier Ouellette (CAN) — Nebelhorn Trophy (fifth; 128.05)

  • This marks the Grand Prix debut for Paradis & Ouellette, who compete one week later at Skate Canada International.
  • This is the first time Chock & Bates and the Shibutanis — both two-time national silver medalists–will face off at a Grand Prix event.
  • With Meryl Davis & Charlie White off the circuit, this marks the first time since 2009 that the event will be won by another team; the victors that year were Tanith Belbin & Benjamin Agosto.
  • In the last decade, Skate America has only been won twice by a non-American couple: Bulgaria’s Albena Denkova & Maxim Staviski in 2006, and France’s Isabelle Delobel & Olivier Schoenfelder in 2008.

Pairs

Alexa Scimeca & Chris Knierim (USA) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (first; 163.24); Nebelhorn Trophy (third; 166.10)
GP average = 166.17 | GP high = 173.70 (Rostelecom Cup) | GP low = 161.72 (2013 Cup of China)

Haven Denney & Brandon Frazier (USA) — Lombardia Trophy (first; 157.80); Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (second; 167.28)
GP average = 163.34 | GP high = 167.85 (2013 NHK Trophy) | GP low = 158.83 (2013 Skate Canada)

Vanessa Grenier & Maxime Deschamps (CAN) — Nebelhorn Trophy (fifth; 157.06); Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (fifth; 145.00)

Madeline Aaron & Max Settlage (USA) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (third; 138.52); Nebelhorn Trophy (sixth; 143.85)

  • Only Denney & Frazier and Scimeca & Knierim enter with prior Grand Prix experience, with Scimeca & Knierim the most seasoned — having competed in three events starting with 2012’s NHK Trophy.
  • An American pair last won Skate America in 2006, with Rena Inoue & John Baldwin victors at that event. In the competition’s history dating to 1979, five total wins have gone to an American team. (Canadians have also picked up five.)
  • Though Aaron & Settlage and Denney & Frazier have been paired since 2010 and 2011 respectively, the teams have faced off only twice to date, at the 2011 U.S. Nationals junior event and 2012’s JGP USA in Lake Placid.
  • 2014 Canadian junior champions in their first season together, Grenier & Deschamps are now the first since Natasha Purich & Raymond Schultz (2011)–and first among medalists overall in that span–to compete in the senior international ranks.

Skate Canada International

Dance

Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN) — Nebelhorn Trophy (first; 165.32).
GP average since 2010 = 156.25 | GP high = 175.23 (2013 Skate Canada) | GP low = 136.34 (2010 Grand Prix Final)

Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (USA) — season debut.
GP average = 143.52 | GP high = 153.20 (2013 Skate Canada) | GP low = 131.04 (2011 Skate America)

Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (CAN) — Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (second; 142.52).
GP average = 137.83 | GP high = 144.07 (2013 NHK Trophy) | GP low = 134.66 (2013 Rostelecom Cup)

Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton (USA) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (first; 141.70)
GP average = 132.06 (only event, 2013 Cup of China)

Elisabeth Paradis & Francois Xavier Ouellette (CAN)

  • Since 2005, all but one Skate Canada dance champ has been Canadian — the exceptions being Davis & White in 2008, with 5-time victors Virtue & Moir withdrawn. That span included victories for three separate couples (Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon and Vanessa Crone & Paul Poirier in addition).
  • Weaver & Poje make their fifth career appearance at Skate Canada, and for the first time in consecutive years: their prior appearances have come in 2007, 2009, 2011 and 2013.
  • The event marks the fourth match-up since 2012 between Gilles & Poirier and Hubbell & Donohue, and first of two scheduled this Grand Prix series. Gilles and Donohue skated together from 2008 to 2010, while Poirier with partner Vanessa Crone and Hubbell with partner Keiffer Hubbell faced off only twice internationally, at Junior Worlds in 2007 and 2008. Hubbell & Hubbell and Gilles & Donohue also finished one-two at the 2008 JGP South Africa.
  • Canadian couples have medaled at 34 of 40 events, though Americans can lay claim to their own impressive statistic: six different duos have captured gold in the event’s history.

Pairs

Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN) — Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (first; 203.16)
GP average = 181.96 | GP high = 193.38 (2013 Grand Prix Final) | GP low = 158.53 (2010 Skate Canada)

Brittany Jones & Joshua Reagan (CAN) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (fourth; 134.84); Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (seventh; 127.24)

Madeline Aaron & Max Settlage (USA)

Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro (CAN) — season debut

  • Duhamel & Radford have competed at Skate Canada every year of their partnership, dating to 2010. Previously, Duhamel only competed the event once (2007) with partner Craig Buntin, while Radford tackled it in 2008 with then-partner Rachel Kirkland.
  • At least one Canadian pair has medaled at every Skate Canada since 2005, and at 26 of 30 events all-time dating to 1984. (Americans have made the podium at six events.)
  • Moore-Towers enters with 12 Grand Prix events under her belt to two for new partner Marinaro. While Marinaro competed at last year’s Skate Canada with Margaret Purdy, Moore-Towers was last assigned in 2010, with Dylan Moscovitch.
  • Though making their Grand Prix debut together, Jones and Reagan have met on the circuit once before — Jones and Kurtis Gaskell finished seventh at 2011 Rostelecom Cup to Reagan and Ashley Cain’s sixth.

Cup of China

Dance

Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam (CAN) — Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (fourth; 130.70).
GP average = 131.21 | GP high = 143.77 (2013 Skate Canada) | GP low = 111.70 (2011 Skate America)

Maia Shibutani & Alex Shibutani (USA)

  • The two World Junior silver medalist teams (2009 and 2010) have competed together at only one previous Grand Prix: 2011 NHK Trophy, from which Paul & Islam withdrew prior to the free dance after an accident for Paul.
  • Cup of China is of mixed popularity among North American couples: since its inception in 2003, Americans have made 15 prior appearances, while Canadians nine; Americans (led by Belbin & Agosto) picked up seven medals to only three for Canadian couples.
  • This event marks the second of three scheduled autumn meetings between Paul & Islam and France’s Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron. Before this season, the teams had met only twice, at 2010 Junior Worlds and 2014 Worlds.
  • The Shibutanis have seen their scores at second Grand Prix events improve over the first by an average of 7.02 points.

Pairs

Jessica Calalang & Zack Sidhu (USA) — U.S. International Figure Skating Classic (second; 156.18); Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (third; 156.46)

Natasha Purich & Drew Wolfe (CAN) — Skate Canada Autumn Classic International (fourth; 147.95)

  • Both pairs of Calalang & Sidhu and Purich & Wolfe are first-timers to the Grand Prix, though Purich competed at 2013 Trophee Eric Bompard with Mervin Tran and 2011 NHK Trophy with Raymond Schultz.
  • The two pairs also enter this event from the alternates list, with Americans Tarah Kayne & Daniel O’Shea–Grand Prix newbies themselves–among other pairs withdrawn, due to surgery for Kayne. This event also marks the only field not to include a world medalist team, with Tatiana Volosozhar & Maxim Trankov withdrawn
  • American pairs have medaled only twice at this event (most recently Caitlin Yankowskas & John Coughlin in 2010), Canadians three times (including Moore-Towers & Dylan Moscovitch in 2012); the last Cup of China pair to medal in their first year on the circuit were Sui Wenjing & Han Cong in 2010.
  • Calalang & Sidhu’s history against Purich extends well prior to Autumn Classic: the Americans placed tenth to Purich & Schultz’s third at 2010 JGP Czech Skate (a competition also including fellow Grand Prix competitors Reagan and Marinaro).

Rostelecom Cup

Dance

Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker (USA) — Nebelhorn Trophy (fourth; 142.31)

Alexandra Aldridge & Daniel Eaton (USA)

Madison Chock & Evan Bates (USA)

  • Every ice dancer listed here has medaled at Junior Worlds: Hawayek & Baker captured 2014’s title, Aldridge & Eaton back-to-back bronze in 2012 and 2013, Chock gold with partner Greg Zuerlein in 2009, and Bates the 2008 victory with partner Emily Samuelson.
  • Hawayek & Baker are the first reigning World Junior champions to compete at Rostelecom Cup since Elena Ilinykh & Nikita Katsalapov in 2010, who won bronze at that event.
  • Despite Russia’s strong ice dance tradition, American couples have obtained seven medals since the event’s beginning in 1996, which itself included bronze for USA’s Elizabeth Punsalan & Jerod Swallow. Chock & Bates count among this number with their own bronze at 2013’s event.
  • This year’s event marks the first time no Canadian dance team or pair has been entered.

Pairs

Jessica Calalang & Zack Sidhu (USA)

Haven Denney & Brandon Frazier (USA)

DeeDee Leng & Simon Shnapir (USA) — season debut

  • The pairs field has been rougher for American competitors, with only four medals–all bronze–all-time, the last going to Denney & Coughlin in 2012.
  • Shnapir enters as by far the most seasoned Grand Prix competitor among the teams, with eight previous appearances since 2009 with partner Marissa Castelli. For Leng, this marks her first Grand Prix. The Moscow-born Shnapir is also the only competitor listed here with previous experience competing in Russia, at the 2014 Sochi Olympics.
  • Denney & Frazier, U.S. junior champions in 2012, are the first junior national pairs victors since Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker (2007) to compete a second consecutive year on the Grand Prix circuit.
  • With Calalang & Sidhu’s invitation as substitutes for Kayne & O’Shea, this year’s Rostelecom Cup has before and still will mark the first time that three American pairs have been assigned to the event.

Trophee Eric Bompard

Dance

Piper Gilles & Paul Poirier (CAN)

Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (USA)

Alexandra Paul & Mitchell Islam (CAN)

  • All three North American couples entered have had a substantially entangled history dating back to 2011: in addition to the Gilles & Poirier and Hubbell & Donohue match-ups cited earlier, Paul & Islam have competed against their American training mates on three previous occasions, while facing off against Gilles & Poirier three times internationally and at three National Championships.
  • With this assignment in addition to Cup of China, Paul & Islam will become one of only three active dance couples to compete at every Grand Prix event; Weaver & Poje and Italy’s Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte are the others.
  • Trophee Eric Bompard has a tradition for creating deja vu: while the 2012 event featured six of eight teams who’d appeared weeks earlier at Skate Canada, this year’s roster of eight includes four teams who competed at Skate Canada’s Autumn Classic International. (Familiarity also comes in the form of Cappellini & Lanotte, making their fifth career appearance at the event.)
  • The last American victory at the French Grand Prix came in its second year, with a win for Susie Wynne & Joseph Druar in 1988. Americans have captured nine medals overall, while Canadians, despite repeat attendees and three-time champions Virtue & Moir, have earned only five.

Pairs

Kirsten Moore-Towers & Michael Marinaro (CAN)

Alexa Scimeca & Chris Knierim (USA)

  • All four skaters will be making their first appearance at Trophee Eric Bompard, though it’s a return trip to France for one pair: Scimeca & Knierim’s first victory as a couple came at 2012’s Cup of Nice.
  • No Canadian pair has won the French Grand Prix, and only one American: Natalie & Wayne Seybold at the event’s 1987 debut. Both nations are on relatively equal ground in the medal race, with 10 all-time for Canada (including 2012 and 2013 silver for Duhamel & Radford) and 12 for the U.S. (including 2013 bronze for Denney & Coughlin).
  • While Scimeca & Knierim and Moore-Towers, with Moscovitch, competed at two Grand Prix events together (2012 NHK Trophy and 2013 Rostelecom Cup), Moore-Towers and Knierim also crossed paths early: she with Andrew Evans finished tenth at 2008’s JGP Mexico, where he finished ninth with Brynn Carman.
  • Though Moore-Towers & Marinaro are the only new team to receive an assignment to Bompard, the longest-tenured pairs in the field are Sui & Han and Stolbova & Klimov, who each teamd in 2009. The average tenure of the five other pairs is 2.2 years.

NHK Trophy

Dance

Kaitlin Hawayek & Jean-Luc Baker (USA)

Kaitlyn Weaver & Andrew Poje (CAN)

  • Americans have won the day at Japan’s last five Grand Prix events and eight medals overall in that period — all to Davis & White and the Shibutanis. Back-to-back silver medals for Weaver & Poje in 2010 and 2011, however, were among six captured by four different Canadian couples since 2005.
  • For the fifth time in their eight seasons on the circuit, Weaver & Poje will be competing at the final event of the series (most recently in 2013 at Rostelecom Cup).
  • Hawayek & Baker will be competing against four other recent World Junior champions: Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khaliavin (2011), Victoria Sinitsina (2012) and Nikita Katsalapov (2010).
  • A fourth trip to NHK Trophy makes it the second-most visited for Weaver & Poje, behind only Skate Canada International.

Pairs

Meagan Duhamel & Eric Radford (CAN)

DeeDee Leng & Simon Shnapir (USA)

  • This marks the first year since 2010 (when Skate Canada stood as the team’s only assignment) that Duhamel & Radford are not competing at Trophee Eric Bompard as a second event.
  • Canada last picked up NHK pairs gold in 1993, with Isabelle Brasseur & Lloyd Eisler that event’s victor; America’s last victory came for Jenni Meno & Todd Sand in 1996. More success has come at the lower rungs of the podium, with Moore-Towers & Moscovitch and Castelli & Shnapir going two-three in 2012.
  • Shnapir is the only skater from this list to have competed at NHK Trophy and continues a streak here–he and Castelli appeared every year from 2011 to 2013.
  • While Duhamel & Radford’s scores have improved over the course of a Grand Prix series only once (2013-14), their marks in themselves have steadily progressed over the years by an average of 11 points per Grand Prix season.