International Figure Skating December 2021

For the first time in 21 months, the skating world feels almost “normal” again. We are so happy to finally have an Inner Loop photo spread to share with you all once again, along with full details of two weddings that took place in the summer. With all but two competitions taking place as scheduled — from the very first Challenger Series event, through the Junior Grand Prix Series and the senior B competitions — there has been a lot of skating to watch. That has made for some exciting moments and unexpected results. Nebelhorn Trophy was one of those competitions. With so few places open at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and so many skaters vying for them, there was bound to be a lopsided mix of those who…

Roman Sadovsky needs little time to recall the moment when Olympic dreams first began forming in his head and his heart. The 22-year-old’s memory quickly flashes back to 2006 and the Olympic Winter Games in Torino, Italy, when he witnessed a fellow Canadian figure skater land on the podium. Sadovsky was only 6 years old at the time, just beginning to find his way in the sport, but that Olympic moment provided him with plenty of inspiration. “They were the first Olympics I remember. That’s when Jeff (Buttle) was third. That stood out to me the most because he was Canadian. I also remember Evgeni Plushenko winning that year,” said Sadovsky. “I was just getting into skating back then, and it was a big boost to me to want to…

The most anticipated competition of the preseason, 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy — which took place in Oberstdorf, Germany in late September — offered one last opportunity for nations to book a spot at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games in Beijing, China. With a greater number of entries than in years past, and with the level of skating at a high standard, earning one of the coveted Olympic berths proved a lot tougher for some than it was four years earlier. With no country exempt from the new Olympic qualification rules, skaters from five of the top six skating nations had to compete in Oberstdorf to earn the remaining berths their respective countries were eligible for, following the 2021 World Championships. Under the old rules, skaters would qualify spots for their nations…

WOMEN USA: Alysa Liu (1st) Poland: Ekaterina Kurakova (2nd) Belarus: Viktoriia Safonova (3rd) Switzerland: Alexia Paganini (4th) Ukraine: Anastasiia Shabatova (5th) Australia: Kailani Craine (7th) MEN: USA: Vincent Zhou (1st) France: Adam Siao Him Fa (2nd) Russia: Mark Kondratiuk (3rd) South Korea: Sihyeong Lee (5th) Azerbaijan: Vladimir Litvintsev (6th) Australia: Brendan Kerry (7th) Canada: Roman Sadovsky (8th) PAIRS: Spain: Laura Barquero/Marco Zandron (2nd) Georgia: Karina Safina/Luka Berulava (3rd) Israel: Hailey Kops/Evgeni Krasnopolski (5th) ICE DANCE Finland: Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis (1st) Georgia: Maria Kazakova/Georgy Reviya (3rd) Armenia: Tina Garabedian/Simon Proulx-Sénécal (4th) Czech Republic: Natálie Taschlerová/Filip Taschler (5th)…

From the moment the flamboyant Frenchman Florent Amodio began competing on the international circuit, his expressive style and outgoing personality made him a fan favorite. Following his retirement in 2016, Amodio found his calling as a coach, and in 2018 opened his own skating academy in Vaujany, France. Amodio enjoyed a long career, winning four national titles, the 2008 Junior Grand Prix Final crown and a complete set of medals from the European Championships: Gold in his debut in 2011, bronze in 2012 and silver in 2013. He competed at five World Championships, with his best result coming in Nice, France, in 2012, where he finished fifth. His two Olympic Winter Games appearances did not yield the results he had hoped for. Amodio finished 12th in his debut in Vancouver…

With all competitions canceled in the 2020-2021 season, there was an increased interest in how a new generation of skaters would perform on the Junior Grand Prix circuit this year. Every season, this Series becomes more and more competitive, and this year some of the top juniors are at a standard that would rival and/or overtake many of their senior counterparts. The 2021 Junior Grand Prix Series did not get off to an auspicious start when Canada was forced to cancel the second event. With its international border closed, it was virtually impossible for non-Canadian residents to enter the country. France, the host of the first event, agreed to take on a second and the first two competitions were held in the mountain village of Courchevel. But a problem arose…