(no subject)
Did you think our Adam posts for today were over?
You were wrong!
For starters, an article:
Next man up: Who will follow Lysacek?
Amy Rosewater November 10, 2010
Entering the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the United States had been hoping to end a long-running drought in men’s figure skating. Not since 1988, when Brian Boitano won the Olympic gold medal had a U.S. man captured figure skating’s top prize.
So along comes Evan Lysacek, who pulls off an upset and beats the heavily favored Evgeny Plushenko of Russia.
And now what?
Lysacek went on from Vancouver to “Dancing With the Stars’’ stardom, and although he hasn’t retired from competitive skating, he is sitting out this season. His biggest American rival, Johnny Weir, also is not competing this season. It’s possible but unlikely that Lysacek and Weir will compete in the next Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.
So where does men’s skating in the United States stand?
There are two big hopes for the future. One is Jeremy Abbott, who won the national title in 2010 but had a disappointing ninth-place showing in Vancouver. The other is Adam Rippon, who placed fifth at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
There are others in the mix. Brandon Mroz, the 2009 U.S. silver medalist who struggled last season but earned his first Grand Prix medal, a silver, this past weekend in China, is one. Longtime national competitor Ryan Bradley, is another, but he has been contemplating his competitive future. And there are some others from the junior ranks.
But many eyes are on Rippon and his emergence in the senior-level scene.
Rippon, who earned a bronze medal at his first competition of the season, Skate Canada, last month, literally will mature a year at Skate America this weekend in Portland, Ore. He will celebrate his 21st birthday in Portland.
“It might put more pressure on the U.S. guys,’’ Rippon said of Lysacek’s gold-medal victory. “But I’m proud to be a part of the next generation.’’
What makes Rippon an Olympic hopeful? For a young skater, he has an incredible sense of style. He might not have the power that some of his male counterparts possess - he is practicing a quadruple toe loop but has yet to unleash one in competition.
- but he has differentiated himself by how he performs his jumps. His signature move, for example, is when he does a triple lutz with both of his arms lifted above his head.
Boitano did a similar move back in his day putting one arm up and it is called the ‘Tano triple. Rippon took the move one step … err, one arm … farther.
Rippon’s skating has a classical, flowy feel, and this season he has chosen to skate to Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet,’’ and Rachminov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. But he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of doing adding a quad to his repertoire. This season, the International Skating Union adjusted its points system to urge more skaters to try quads and the results of that change are already being seen. Rippon knows he has to keep pace.
“I think the pressure is always there for skaters and athletes to continue to push the envelope technically,’’ he said. “I'll be training the quad, and I hope to add it if not in Portland, then at nationals.’’
“For me personally, ’’ Rippon added, “it's important that a jump be stable before (trying it in) competition. It's important for me to skate clean, solid programs, with a quad or not. I'm not sure about Portland; we'll see how I'm feeling.’’
Interestingly, that is the strategy that Lysacek took leading up to Vancouver. In the end, he didn’t need a quad to win the Olympic gold medal. His top rival, Evgeny Plushenko, meanwhile, had a quad and wound up runner-up.
The other big reason the skating community is abuzz about Rippon is because of his coach. Brian Orser is a two-time Olympic silver medalist (he was runner-up behind Boitano in 1988) and he guided Korean sensation Yu-Na Kim to the gold medal in Vancouver. Rippon had a chance to train alongside “Queen Yu-Na’’ for a while in Toronto but she relocated this summer to Southern California to train with Peter Oppegard, a U.S. pairs Olympic pairs medalist from the 1988 Games.
When Rippon first came to practice with Orser, he was a little embarrassed to show off his triple lutz because he had patterned his after Boitano - Orser’s on-ice rival. At the time, he was doing the maneuver with one arm up instead of wrapped around his torso. A choreographer at the rink suggested he try it with two arms. Not only did Orser like it, he put the move in Rippon’s program.
Now it’s a part of his routine.
“It’s kind of cool to follow in his footsteps,’’ Rippon said of Boitano.
Rippon might be following his footsteps, but he realizes his foray into the big time will be no cake walk. The competition at Skate America will be fierce, with Japan’s Olympic bronze medalist and reigning world champion Daisuke Takahashi the heavy favorite in a field filled with veterans and quad jumpers on the international circuit.
Rippon got his start in skating when he was 10. His mother would go skating, and he would tag along. Now he’s the skater, and his family - he’s the oldest of six children - often travels to see him. The 5-7 skater who was born in Scranton, Pa. (and yes, he is a fan of the TV hit, “The Office,’’ which is set in his hometown) now lives and trains in Toronto.
In his first trip to the national championships, interestingly enough, they were held in Portland where Skate America is being held this week, he placed second in the novice level. Three years later, he was the U.S. junior champion. In 2008 and 2009, he won the World Junior Championships. Now he’s in his second full season competing at the senior level.
Rippon realized he had reached the big time at the 2010 U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash. There, several skaters were gunning for one of three coveted spots to compete in Vancouver. After a pressure-packed competition, the team was chosen: Lysacek, Weir and Abbott.
Rippon watched the Winter Games on TV but his Rippon’s season didn’t end in Spokane. He went on to win the Four Continents Championships. He vaulted from seventh place in the short program to the top of the podium after the free skate. Then, after Weir withdrew from the world championships, Rippon was selected to take his spot. He wound up placing sixth in his worlds debut, one spot behind Abbott.
“Last year was a big eye opener,’’ Rippon said. “I saw how well Jeremy Abbott skated and how Evan paced himself.
“I feel more prepared and more mature,’’ he added about entering this season.
He started out this season with a medal, but also left Skate Canada with a black eye. During a practice session, he and Canadian skater Patrick Chan collided, sending Rippon flipping over Chan. Rippon smacked his face but said the injury will be of “no issue’’ at Skate America.
In fact, the injury probably helped him. He was feeling sick when he arrived at Skate Canada and was sort of going through the motions at practices. The accident, he said, “helped me focus.’’
Hopefully, for his sake, he won’t need another injury to kick him into high gear.
His mind is on this season but on the journey - hopefully - to Sochi less than three and a half years from now.
“It’s three and a half years away but I think for the younger guys, including myself, each year is going to be incredibly important,’’ Rippon said. “Hopefully, I will be in peak condition in Sochi.’’
Who knows? The good news for Rippon is that he’s already succeeded in following Boitano. Can he do it again with Lysacek?
Amy Rosewater is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.
source
And the last part of our picspam - the exhibitions.
2007/2008, I Pagliacci:
2008/2009, Desperado:
2009/2010, I'm Yours:
2010/2011, Are You Gonna Be My Girl:
Cinema Paradiso:
Various group numbers:
The Ice 2009:
Ice All Stars 2009:
Festa On Ice 2009:
Medalists On Ice 2010:
Bonus:
You were wrong!
For starters, an article:
Next man up: Who will follow Lysacek?
Amy Rosewater November 10, 2010
Entering the Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games, the United States had been hoping to end a long-running drought in men’s figure skating. Not since 1988, when Brian Boitano won the Olympic gold medal had a U.S. man captured figure skating’s top prize.
So along comes Evan Lysacek, who pulls off an upset and beats the heavily favored Evgeny Plushenko of Russia.
And now what?
Lysacek went on from Vancouver to “Dancing With the Stars’’ stardom, and although he hasn’t retired from competitive skating, he is sitting out this season. His biggest American rival, Johnny Weir, also is not competing this season. It’s possible but unlikely that Lysacek and Weir will compete in the next Winter Games in Sochi in 2014.
So where does men’s skating in the United States stand?
There are two big hopes for the future. One is Jeremy Abbott, who won the national title in 2010 but had a disappointing ninth-place showing in Vancouver. The other is Adam Rippon, who placed fifth at the 2010 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.
There are others in the mix. Brandon Mroz, the 2009 U.S. silver medalist who struggled last season but earned his first Grand Prix medal, a silver, this past weekend in China, is one. Longtime national competitor Ryan Bradley, is another, but he has been contemplating his competitive future. And there are some others from the junior ranks.
But many eyes are on Rippon and his emergence in the senior-level scene.
Rippon, who earned a bronze medal at his first competition of the season, Skate Canada, last month, literally will mature a year at Skate America this weekend in Portland, Ore. He will celebrate his 21st birthday in Portland.
“It might put more pressure on the U.S. guys,’’ Rippon said of Lysacek’s gold-medal victory. “But I’m proud to be a part of the next generation.’’
What makes Rippon an Olympic hopeful? For a young skater, he has an incredible sense of style. He might not have the power that some of his male counterparts possess - he is practicing a quadruple toe loop but has yet to unleash one in competition.
- but he has differentiated himself by how he performs his jumps. His signature move, for example, is when he does a triple lutz with both of his arms lifted above his head.
Boitano did a similar move back in his day putting one arm up and it is called the ‘Tano triple. Rippon took the move one step … err, one arm … farther.
Rippon’s skating has a classical, flowy feel, and this season he has chosen to skate to Tchaikovsky’s “Romeo and Juliet,’’ and Rachminov’s Piano Concerto No. 2. But he hasn’t ruled out the possibility of doing adding a quad to his repertoire. This season, the International Skating Union adjusted its points system to urge more skaters to try quads and the results of that change are already being seen. Rippon knows he has to keep pace.
“I think the pressure is always there for skaters and athletes to continue to push the envelope technically,’’ he said. “I'll be training the quad, and I hope to add it if not in Portland, then at nationals.’’
“For me personally, ’’ Rippon added, “it's important that a jump be stable before (trying it in) competition. It's important for me to skate clean, solid programs, with a quad or not. I'm not sure about Portland; we'll see how I'm feeling.’’
Interestingly, that is the strategy that Lysacek took leading up to Vancouver. In the end, he didn’t need a quad to win the Olympic gold medal. His top rival, Evgeny Plushenko, meanwhile, had a quad and wound up runner-up.
The other big reason the skating community is abuzz about Rippon is because of his coach. Brian Orser is a two-time Olympic silver medalist (he was runner-up behind Boitano in 1988) and he guided Korean sensation Yu-Na Kim to the gold medal in Vancouver. Rippon had a chance to train alongside “Queen Yu-Na’’ for a while in Toronto but she relocated this summer to Southern California to train with Peter Oppegard, a U.S. pairs Olympic pairs medalist from the 1988 Games.
When Rippon first came to practice with Orser, he was a little embarrassed to show off his triple lutz because he had patterned his after Boitano - Orser’s on-ice rival. At the time, he was doing the maneuver with one arm up instead of wrapped around his torso. A choreographer at the rink suggested he try it with two arms. Not only did Orser like it, he put the move in Rippon’s program.
Now it’s a part of his routine.
“It’s kind of cool to follow in his footsteps,’’ Rippon said of Boitano.
Rippon might be following his footsteps, but he realizes his foray into the big time will be no cake walk. The competition at Skate America will be fierce, with Japan’s Olympic bronze medalist and reigning world champion Daisuke Takahashi the heavy favorite in a field filled with veterans and quad jumpers on the international circuit.
Rippon got his start in skating when he was 10. His mother would go skating, and he would tag along. Now he’s the skater, and his family - he’s the oldest of six children - often travels to see him. The 5-7 skater who was born in Scranton, Pa. (and yes, he is a fan of the TV hit, “The Office,’’ which is set in his hometown) now lives and trains in Toronto.
In his first trip to the national championships, interestingly enough, they were held in Portland where Skate America is being held this week, he placed second in the novice level. Three years later, he was the U.S. junior champion. In 2008 and 2009, he won the World Junior Championships. Now he’s in his second full season competing at the senior level.
Rippon realized he had reached the big time at the 2010 U.S. Championships in Spokane, Wash. There, several skaters were gunning for one of three coveted spots to compete in Vancouver. After a pressure-packed competition, the team was chosen: Lysacek, Weir and Abbott.
Rippon watched the Winter Games on TV but his Rippon’s season didn’t end in Spokane. He went on to win the Four Continents Championships. He vaulted from seventh place in the short program to the top of the podium after the free skate. Then, after Weir withdrew from the world championships, Rippon was selected to take his spot. He wound up placing sixth in his worlds debut, one spot behind Abbott.
“Last year was a big eye opener,’’ Rippon said. “I saw how well Jeremy Abbott skated and how Evan paced himself.
“I feel more prepared and more mature,’’ he added about entering this season.
He started out this season with a medal, but also left Skate Canada with a black eye. During a practice session, he and Canadian skater Patrick Chan collided, sending Rippon flipping over Chan. Rippon smacked his face but said the injury will be of “no issue’’ at Skate America.
In fact, the injury probably helped him. He was feeling sick when he arrived at Skate Canada and was sort of going through the motions at practices. The accident, he said, “helped me focus.’’
Hopefully, for his sake, he won’t need another injury to kick him into high gear.
His mind is on this season but on the journey - hopefully - to Sochi less than three and a half years from now.
“It’s three and a half years away but I think for the younger guys, including myself, each year is going to be incredibly important,’’ Rippon said. “Hopefully, I will be in peak condition in Sochi.’’
Who knows? The good news for Rippon is that he’s already succeeded in following Boitano. Can he do it again with Lysacek?
Amy Rosewater is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This story was not subject to the approval of any National Governing Bodies.
source
And the last part of our picspam - the exhibitions.
2007/2008, I Pagliacci:
2008/2009, Desperado:
2009/2010, I'm Yours:
2010/2011, Are You Gonna Be My Girl:
Cinema Paradiso:
Various group numbers:
The Ice 2009:
Ice All Stars 2009:
Festa On Ice 2009:
Medalists On Ice 2010:
Bonus: