2011 Skate America

Davis, who was born on New Year’s Day 1987, said the last section is the most exciting piece of music and she feels sure anyone who hears it, will feel like getting up and dancing alongside them. Dressed in an orange creation, she was definitely undulating her body in a more mature, outgoing, definitely adult but fun way. White, who turns 24 the day after Skate America, is in a light black, sophisticated outfit, which promoted his muscular body. He said he was sending out his "character’s properties". And what are they? "I’m showing her I’ve got all the moves," he said afterwards.

In their opening twizzles, they had a slight schronization delay but earned 6.64 points. They got the maximum Level 4 but received their lowest GoEs, which comprised two zeros, three +1s and the rest +2s. The nine judges included American Shawn Rettstatt, Canadian Elizabeth Clark, David Molina of France and Kerstin Kimminus of Germany, along with representatives from Hungary, Russia, the Czech Republic, China and Georgia. Alia Shekhovtseva was the Technical Controller and former US champion Judy Blumberg the Technical Specialist with Maria Tumanovskaya her assistant.

Their only other Level 4 was their concluding curve lift which begins with her placing her blade carefully on the top of his leg while he's in a cantilever position. For this they received three of the maximum +3 GoEs, four +2s and two +1s. Both rhumba sequences got Level 3s. The initial one called the "2" sequence because it's done on the opposite side of the rink to the judges, and the "1" sequence done on the side where the judges are. got Level 3s. The only difference between the two sequences, Charlie Cyr explained, was that different key points are judged.

Davis and White received +2s GoEs from all but one judge who gave +1 for the opposite side, Sequence 2 Rhumba. For the near-the-judges Sequence 1, they got seven +2s with two +1s . The Technical Special gave a No on the middle of the three key points on both sequences, which prevented them from getting Level 4.

The Level 3 non-touching circular steps were given unanimous +2s.

Davis admitted, "We’re pretty pleased with how our Short Dance went tonight. It’s still really fresh, still really early in the season, so we were out there to have fun and get it started." White said, "I think we can look forward to attacking the program a little bit more. We definitely try to go with the flow. Like Meryl said, we haven’t had a ton of time with the program yet, so we just want to go out there and do the program like we know how, so I think with training more we’ll be able to feel a bit more comfortable and get into character more, show off deeper edges - just little things everywhere."

Davis said, their 10.26 point lead, "doesn’t affect how we (will) approach the (Free) program. It’s a program that’s really new for us but we’re having really fun with it." They had initially planned to perform to Fellini’s poignant La Strada but, after Champs' Camp, that was trashed in favor of the more upbeat, Die Fledermaus.

2. Nathalie Pechalat and Fabian Bourzat, 60.07 (29.15+31.56 -1.0) from France are the European champions. They began training with Pasquale Camerlengo and Anjelika Krylova at the Detroit Figure Skating Club this summer. They had previously left their base in Lyon, to train with Alexander Zhulin in Moscow for several years.

Pechalat, who will turn 28 on December 22, and Bourzat, who will be 31 on December 19, were in light green outfits. The green was reflected in his haggard face. He was really sick. "I had a cold and then it went to bronchitis," he revealed before the event. By the time of the press conference he looked in danger of imminent collapse. "I couldn’t take any rest because of this event. I had to practice for Skate America. It’s tough but we have to come here. I’m trying to do my best because we have a job to do."

They made their debut in the world championship in 2004 placing 20^th and worked their way up to fifth and twice fourth in the past three world championships. In Moscow in April, they seemed certain to win the bronze but he had a disastrous fall pulling her down also and it cost them the bronze medal, which was claimed by Maia and Alex Shibutani. He also fell in this event just after the completion of their non-touching steps.

They began with a Level 4 +0.86 curve lift and they went into their Level 3+0.93 first Rhumba Sequence. Then came the Level 3 non-touching +0.29 steps followed by the fall. Their second Rhumba sequence was also Level 3 with +0.29. However, their Level 3 twizzles got -0.36 removed from the base level.

They performed to three sambas: Mas Que Nada by Ben Jorge; Batacuda by Abacaxi; and Real in Rio by S. Mendes, J. Powell and C. Brown. This is a particularly imporant season for them since Worlds are in Nice, in their home country..

Pechalat said, somewhat unbelievably, "Well, we’re not too happy about tonight because of the mistake, but we all enjoyed it. Before going onto the ice, we said, ‘Ok. We have time until the European and World Championships. So, what will happen will happen.’ The rest of the program was enough clean."

3. Nelli Zhiganshina, 24, and Alexander Gazsi, who just turned 27, earned 55.66 (29.14+26.52), a significant distance behind the French. The German champions were 11^th in Worlds and 7^th in Europe. Former US champion Judy Blumberg is a tough Technical Specialist. At the Nebelhorn Trophy, the Germans' Rhumba sequences were 4 and 3. Here, their Rhumba, set to Desparados from Once Upon a Time in Mexico (with a later Samba), got only Level 2s. However, they earned all` positive overall GoEs and got Level 4 for their twizzles and rotational lift, and these Germans weren't complaining. Zhiganshina said, "Sitting in third right now is amazing for us." Gazsi added, "We want to defend this placement and try to attack again in the Free Dance", Gazsi said.

4. Kharis Ralph, 19, and Asher Hill, 20, from Canada,who earned 52.68 (27.79+24.89) are coming off a bronze medal win in the recent Nebelhorn Trophy in Germany where they finished behind Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue and Zhiganshina and Gazsi). It was their first international medal and they are riding a high. Coach Carol Lane said they were over the moon with their placing. "They are just so pleased they are in the same warm-up group with the world champions. They are absolutely thrilled to be on the same ice as them."

Ralph and Hill, who are ranked fourth in Canada, performed a Rhumba to Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ by Michael Jackson Harlem Nocturne and Do You Want to Dance? They received Level 2 for their opening element, the non-touching steps, Level 4 for their lift anf twizzles, and 3 and 2 for their Rhumba sequences.

5. Isabella Tobias and Deividas Stagniunas, 51.83 (28.14+23.69) were 14th representing Lithuania in their first Worlds together in April. The 26-year-old Stagniunas, who was born in Kaunas, has had several previous partners. They train alongside White and Davis in Canton. Tobias is a 20-year old from New York. They presented a Samba and Merengue medley by the singer, Shakia. They earned Level 4 for their twizzles and rotational lift, Level 3 for both Rhumba sequences but had a slight negative (-0.14) for their non touching circular steps.

6. Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue, 49.71 (24.65+25.06) tried to put a good light on their low marks, which were a blow after they son the Nebelhorn Trophy ahead of the Germans who currently lie third. "We didn't do a good Short in Oberstdorf (where Donohue had a slight problem although he didn't fall) but we still got marks way about those we got today. We were second to the Germans and we did overtake them. The experience, competition-wise, in this venue has been great. It’s very comfortable. It feels like we’re at nationals. It's my first time at Skate America so it’s nice to stay inside the country.

"The actual performance today, it was an improvement than what we did in Oberstdorf. I think the short dance, unfortunately, is our weakness right now compared to our free dance. You know, we have a lot of questions for the technical panel and everything - for Judges and technical panel. The score in general wasn’t what we were hoping for obviously. It was a significant step down from our performance in Oberstorf, so that’s disappointing of course, but all we can do is look forward to tomorrow and prove our strengths in the free dance.

"The rhumba has unfortunately been a struggle for us. I think we tried to get out as many times as we could in the early season and really get feedback from the technical panels and what they were looking for and I think we have to reevaluate a lot because what we were advised would guarantee the level, it turns that I don’t think they are really looking at it as much as they said they would. What we need to work on is getting the outside edge and not really pay attention to the things we were focusing on."

The new two-some, who are both 20, are training alongside Pechalat & Borzat, received Level 4 for their twizzles and lift, the other three elements were Level 2.

They were asked by the cheeky press corp her about their being a "sexy"couple. Donohue said, laughing, "Well, I’ve had a few partners in the past, and I’ve never really had a relationship with them, and Maddy doesn't have to worry about the brother-sister relationship anymore." She countered, "They were always telling me I was too sexy, even when I was dressed up in a polka outfit trying to look German."

7. Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello 42.05 (21.43+21.62 -1) had a disappointing outing with Lorello falling. His mistake meant they got no marks for their twizzle sequence. The 21-year-old explained, "It’s one of those fluke things that kind of happens and you can’t really control that stuff. You just have to be prepared that if it does happen, you can get the best recovery you can and keep going in the program so it doesn’t affect your other elements and your performance."

His partner said, "I thought it went really well. We had decent levels (a 4 for the lift, 3s for both Rhumba sequences and a 2 for the non-touching steps.) The circular steps were only 2, but we know to work on that."

8. 37.50 (19.57+20.93 -3) Alexandra Paul, 20, and Mitchell Islam, 22, who are ranked third in Canada had a terrible outing. She has been off the ice due to an injury to her knee which was misdiagnosed and obviously came back onto the ice too soon. This duo astonished the world by winning silver medals in the 2010 world junior championships only a year after they teamed up. This is only their second Grand Prix event. They were fourth in their debut in last year’s Skate Canada.

Bourzat, whose bronchitis seemed a bit better from yesterday, said, "It was a nighmare for me today, but I made it through with no major mistakes. It was pretty smooth, I think – not as strong as we could skate it. It’s still a raw program from the beginning of the season. We are quite happy. It was a nice performance, not great, but nice.

"It was less difficult than yesterday because I didn’t go through the program with the same intensity as yesterday when I tried to go 100% from the beginning. We talked to our coach and he told me to focus on the elements and go through to the end, not to push too hard, go like an exhibition. It was good advice because we made it. But it was pretty hard." They had a deduction for a lift which ran overtime and they were more than ten points behind Davis and White, but they got Level 4 for six elements with the diagonal steps earning Level 3 and the circular steps Level 2.

6.Overall 131.04; 3 FD 80.75 (41.99+38.76) Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue showed off their very blue-sy number to Joe Crocker singing I Put a Spell on You, which won them gold in the Lake Placid Championships back in the summer, and an international gold recently in Germany in the Nebelhorn. Although they were third in this section, it didn’t advance them from sixth, although third through sixth overall were only 1.54 apart.

Hubbell said, "We felt good. Our goal after yesterday’s performance was not to let our scores and the whole event overtake us. We stayed strong and confident in what we could do. It wasn’t our perfect performance but we fought for it and stayed aggressive." They earned six Level 4s. Their circular steps were Level 2 and the diagonal steps Level 3.

7.Overall 115.22; 8 FD 73.17 (38.36+34.81) Isabella Canuscio and Ian Lorello presented a lively and emotional showing to Les Miserables. They maintained seventh place, but were eighth in the Free Dance. Speaking about that routine, Cannuscio said, "We felt a little shaky at first, but that’s kind of how our Free Dance goes. We settle into it as the program goes on, but we felt good." Lorello said, "After we got through those twizzles, I wasn’t worried about anything after that." Four of their required elements received the maximum Level 4. Their twizzles and the rotational lift were Level 3 and both step sequences Level 2.