Olympic Figure Skating Preview: Ice Dance
SYWTW FS
Part 4 of my Olympics preview posts. This post covers the ice dance event. Intro and opinions after the cut!
First, some quick notes on ice dance for the uninitiated: Each dance team is composed of a man and a woman. There are no jumps in ice dance. Instead, teams must do lifts (these differ from pairs lifts in that the partner being lifted usually cannot go over the other partner’s head), twizzles (partners must spin in unison on one foot while traveling over the ice), and certain patterns of footwork. Since the 2010-2011 season, teams have competed a short dance and a free dance. Each team must do the same step sequence in the short dance, and the type of step sequence changes every season. This season, the SD is the Finnstep. The free dance is less rigidly structured and allows more freedom and creativity. Ice dance is also the only skating discipline that currently allows lyrics in music, though starting next season, lyrics will also be allowed for the other disciplines.
Ice dance for the last four years has been dominated by two teams: Virtue/Moir of Canada and Davis/White of the United States. Both teams are coached by Marina Zueva in Canton, Michigan. V/M are the reigning Olympic champions and D/W the reigning Olympic silver medalists. I might as well just say it now - unless the ice opens up and swallows someone, these two teams will take gold and silver again in Sochi. The order is up to debate. The rest of the teams will all fight for bronze. It will be a hell of a fight.
And I probably don’t need to say this anymore, but when I talk about PCS, I am referring to how judges tend to score skaters and not whether they actually deserve those scores.
MERYL DAVIS/CHARLIE WHITE
Representing: USA
Age: 27/26
Season’s best score: 191.35 (GPF ‘13)
Personal best score: 191.35 (GPF '13)
Notable titles: 2010 Olympic silver medalists, 2-time World champs, 5-time GPF champs, 3-time 4CC champs, 6-time National champs
Music: My Fair Lady (SD), Scheherazade (FD)
Meryl and Charlie have been skating together since 1997. Since their Olympic silver medal in Vancouver, they have established themselves as one of the top dance teams in the world and possibly the best to have come from the United States. With V/M’s absence from injury for most of the 2010-2011 season up until Worlds, Meryl and Charlie were undefeated and won the title at 2011 Worlds, a first for an American dance team. Their fierce rivalry with their training mates continued throughout the next two seasons; V/M won Worlds in 2012, and D/W recaptured their title in 2013 after another undefeated season. Heading into the Olympic season as the reigning World champions, Meryl and Charlie have again been undefeated so far, beating V/M at the Grand Prix Final in their first head-to-head this season. They go into the Olympics as the favorites. They are very strong technically and have rarely faltered in the last season and a half, but Sochi will be the ultimate test - if they make mistakes, V/M could overtake them for Olympic gold. Both teams regularly get the highest PCS from judges by far, but recently D/W have a small PCS advantage.
Known for their speed, precision, tendency towards dramatic programs, and Meryl’s hair.
TESSA VIRTUE/SCOTT MOIR
Representing: Canada
Age: 24/26
Season’s best score: 190.00 (GPF '13)
Personal best score: 190.00 (GPF '13)
Notable titles: 2010 Olympic champs, 2-time World champs, 2-time 4CC champs, 6-time National champs
Music: Louis Armstrong Medley (SD), Glazunov’s The Seasons/Scriabin’s Piano Concerto (FD)
Tessa and Scott are the reigning Olympic champions. They have been skating together since 1997. They won two World medals leading up to the 2010 Vancouver Olympics, and their gold medal in Vancouver was the first for a Canadian dance team. They also won their first World title in 2010. Tessa and Scott’s rivalry with Meryl Davis and Charlie White has been a focus of ice dance for the last four years. In the 2010-2011 season they withdrew from most of their competitions due to Tessa’s chronic leg injury and placed second to D/W at 2011 Worlds. In 2011-2012 they lost to D/W at the Grand Prix Final but went on to win 4CC and their second World title. In the last couple of seasons they were somewhat inconsistent and ultimately lost 2013 Worlds to D/W. This season they have struggled with getting high levels, but showed improvement at the Grand Prix Final, though they lost to D/W again. They tend to be stronger in the second half of the season and still have a definite chance for gold in Sochi. I wouldn’t dare make a prediction, to be honest - in the end it’s probably going to be really, really close.
NATHALIE PECHALAT/FABIAN BOURZAT
Representing: France
Age: 30/33
Season’s best score: 171.08 (TEB '13)
Personal best score: 173.18 (Worlds '12)
Notable titles: 2012 World bronze medalists, 2-time European champs, 5-time GPF medalists, 5-time National champs
Music: Chicago/Sing, Sing, Sing/Mein Herr (SD), Le petit prince et sa rose (FD)
Nathalie and Fabian teamed up in 2000. They slowly rose through the ranks over the years, placing 3rd at the 2009 GPF and seventh at the Vancouver Olympics. In the 2010-2011 season they won silver at GPF and their first European title. The following season they medaled again at GPF, defended their European title, and won the World bronze medal in 2012 even though Nathalie had broken her nose a few weeks before in practice. In 2012-2013 they continued to establish themselves as the top team after D/W and V/M, but Fabian had a serious injury that took them out of Euros. Still not fully recovered, they finished sixth at 2013 Worlds. This season they have been inconsistent in the short dance, but pulled off a strong free dance at the GPF, winning bronze again and beating their nearest rivals. They have announced that they will change part of their SD for the Olympics.
Nathalie and Fabian have a shot at bronze in Sochi, but they’re up against tough competition, especially since some of their closest rivals are Russian and will be skating at home. They will likely need to be perfect in Sochi in order to medal, and even then, it may come down to how the other teams do. Though they have high scoring potential when clean, they will be at a political disadvantage in Russia, and they are not always consistent. Then again, the other teams aren’t either.
Known for their interesting, creative programs and for being great performers. Their free dance this season is my favorite. Sochi will be their third Olympics and they are retiring after this season.
EKATERINA BOBROVA/DMITRI SOLOVIEV
Representing: Russia
Age: 23/24
Season’s best score: 168.32 (COR '13)
Personal best score: 169.25 (Euros '13)
Notable titles: 2013 World bronze medalists, 2013 European champs, 4-time National champs
Music: Diamonds Are a Girl’s Best Friend/I Will Wait For You/Swing, Swing, Swing My Baby (SD), Tosca (FD)
B/S teamed up in 2000. They had a breakthrough in the 2012-2013 season when they won the European Championships in the absence of Pechalat/Bourzat. They then won the bronze medal at 2013 Worlds. This season they have generally been sloppy, especially in the free dance, but they have announced that they are going back to their Tosca FD for the Olympics. The Olympics being in Russia, they will probably get very high PCS. They are not the most consistent or watchable team but with home field advantage, they certainly have a chance for the Olympic bronze. Sochi will be their second Olympics.
ELENA ILINYKH/NIKITA KATSALAPOV
Representing: Russia
Age: 19/22
Season’s best score: 171.89 (TEB '13)
Personal best score: 171.89 (TEB '13)
Notable titles: 3-time European medalists, 3-time National silver medalists, 2010 Jr. World champs
Music: Bei Mir Bistu Shein/Sixteen Tons/Sing, Sing, Sing (SD), Swan Lake (FD)
A very talented young team, Elena and Nikita have shown a lot of promise in the last four years, though they also have problems with consistency and, uh, questionable music choices. This season they have great programs, though, and a very possible chance at Olympic bronze. They have technically difficult programs and home field advantage on their side, but their bombing potential is not insignificant, either. They beat P/B at TEB this season with personal best scores, but lost to Cappellini/Lanotte at Europeans after a fall in the free dance. With how inconsistent everyone is, though, it’s really impossible to say what could happen in Sochi.
Known for Nikita usually messing up their twizzles, Elena’s lovely carriage on the ice, and generally being an attractive team. Their free dance is one of my favorites this season. Sochi will be their first Olympics.
ANNA CAPPELLINI/LUCA LANOTTE
Representing: Italy
Age: 26/28
Season’s best score: 171.61 (Euros '14)
Personal best score: 171.61 (Euros '14)
Notable titles: 2014 European champs, 2013 European bronze medalists, 3-time National champs
Music: 4nd Street (SD), The Barber of Seville (FD)
Anna and Luca started skating together in 2005. They have steadily improved over the years, really hitting their stride in the last four years. They finished 6th at 2012 Worlds, 3rd at 2013 Euros, and 4th at 2013 Worlds. This season they won the European Championships for the first time. They are capable of high scores, but also of mistakes. If they skate clean in Sochi they have a shot at the bronze medal, depending on how the other teams do. Sochi is their second Olympics.
Known for charming programs, great acting, and generally being adorable. I really like both of their programs this season.
KAITLYN WEAVER/ANDREW POJE
Representing: Canada
Age: 24/26
Season’s best score: 175.23 (SC '13)
Personal best score: 175.23 (SC '13)
Notable titles: 2010 4CC champs, 4-time National silver medalists
Music: 4nd Street (SD), Maria de Buenos Aires (FD)
Kaitlyn and Andrew teamed up in 2006. Kaitlyn skated for the US before switching over to Canada. They have worked their way up in the last four years, finishing in the top 5 at the last three World Championships despite Kaitlyn’s injury last season. They have done pretty well so far this season and have a shot at Olympic bronze if they are clean and other teams do badly. Sochi will be their first Olympics.
Everyone past this point isn’t really a medal contender, so I’m just going to write short blurbs about them and why you should pay attention to them anyway.
MAIA SHIBUTANI/ALEX SHIBUTANI (USA): Surprise 2011 World bronze medalists, but their tech has gone down since then. Still cute and fun to watch though. They post videos starring themselves and various other skaters on their Youtube channel.
PENNY COOMES/NICHOLAS BUCKLAND (GREAT BRITAIN): Current European bronze medalists. Quite pleasant to watch.
JULIA ZLOBINA/ALEXEI SITNIKOV (AZERBAIJAN): They’ve been a bit messy this season but they’re pretty entertaining.
NELLI ZHIGANSHINA/ALEXANDER GAZSI (GERMANY): Last season they did a zombie-themed free dance. Watch that video, do it now. They are batshit crazy and I love them for it.
SARA HURTADO/ADRIA DIAZ (SPAIN): First Spanish ice dance team to exist, pretty much. They’re cute and they’re good performers.