International Figure Skating April 1, 2015

This post-Olympic season has been one of the most interesting and eventful in memory. The results from a number of national championships that took place around the globe in late December and throughout January gave skating fans a lot to talk about. Some defended their titles, and a number of new faces graced the national podiums. The IFS team covered four of the top competitions, and we highlight those in this issue. It was disappointing to see so many empty seats at the 2015 European Championships that took place in Stockholm at the end of January. Given the strong lineup in all disciplines at this event, I expected that it would be well-attended. That was not the case, unfortunately. There were a few pleasant surprises at that event. The Russian…

Japanese men have been a dominant presence on the international scene for the past two seasons, but it was not until Daisuke Murakami captured the title at NHK Trophy in Osaka last November that he joined those elite ranks. It has been a bumpy road for the 24-year-old, who has been playing catch-up since he underwent surgery to repair a dislocated shoulder two seasons ago. “It was a mental struggle last season because I was coming back from the injury, while all of the other Japanese men were having really phenomenal results,” said Murakami, who hails from Kanagawa but calls Southern California home. “Then, when I saw this season’s Grand Prix roster and I didn’t get an event, I was pretty devastated.” Discouraged, he briefly considered retirement, but a discussion…

The announcement came out of the blue. One moment, Tatsuki Machida was on the World team, and the next moment he was not. At the end of the All-Japan Figure Skating Championships in late December, Machida, 24, glided onto the ice and announced his retirement from competitive skating. “I know it is sudden, but today I made the decision to retire from competitions,” he said. “I take this opportunity to make an official announcement. I decline the spot for Worlds in that regard. I am clearing the path to my second career.” Machida plans to attend Waseda University’s Graduate School of Sciences this April and earn a master’s degree in sports science. “I go on the new path. I’m determined to be a researcher in the future,” he explained. “Now…

WHEN KAITLYN WEAVER AND ANDREW POJE STOOD AT OP THE PODIUM on a December evening in Barcelona as the Grand Prix Final champions, they became the first Canadians to claim the title since Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz did so some 13 years earlier. But Weaver’s connection with Bourne has a flashback element that, in retrospect, could have been just another moment in time — the kind that an aspiring skater files away in a personal scrapbook for safekeeping. For the American-born Kaitlyn Weaver, in particular, the serendipity of what transpired on that magical night in Spain could not have been more perfect. Shae-Lynn Bourne is not only the couple’s former coach and the one who laid much of the foundation for who they are today, she is also the…

Evgenia Medvedeva A Dominant Force Every year, it seems, Russia produces a new crop of young ladies that dominate the international junior circuit. This season, Evgenia Medvedeva was the standout and is currently the top ranked junior in the world. In her second year on the circuit, she easily won both of her Grand Prix assignments and captured the title at the Junior Grand Prix Final. It was a vast improvement over her results from last season. Competing with an injury, she landed in third at the Final and at the subsequent World Junior Championships. Medvedeva, who turned 15 on Nov. 19, is not eligible to compete at senior level Championship events this season. As with many of the young Russian stars, her desire to skate took flight after watching…

Japan has a history of producing top-ranked female skaters, but in recent years the men have been stepping it up starting with Daisuke Takahashi who trailblazed his way onto the Olympic podium in 2010. He set the pace for all those who have followed in his wake. One of those young men is 17-year-old Shoma Uno, whose breakthrough came at the Junior Grand Prix Final last December. Uno finished fifth at the 2014 World Junior Championships in his third appearance, but he was not considered a top contender for the title in Barcelona. However, all that changed when he landed in third after the short program. His only miscue was a stumble on the triple Axel. In the free skate, Uno produced a personal best performance. Though he had struggled…