ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2009: Day Three

Ice Dance, Free Dance

Today's competition opened with the Free Dance. Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) upset defending champions Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir of Canada to take the gold and their first title at an ISU Championship. The Canadians settled for the silver while Emily Samuelson/Evan Bates (USA) earned the bronze medal in what was their debut at the Four Continents Championships.

Davis/White had drawn to skate last and delivered a powerful performance to "Samson and Delilah" by Camille Saint-Saens. The Americans maintained great speed throughout the whole program and completed intricate footwork as well as beautiful lifts including a curve and a curve rotational lift. The U.S. Champions were awarded a level four for seven out of the eight elements; only the circular step sequence was graded a level three. Davis/White got a new seasons best of 96.74 points (49.90 element score/46.86 program component score) for their Free Dance and eclipsed overnight leaders Virtue/Moir by less than one point with a total of 129.39 points. "It (the program) felt powerful and emotional - those are the two things that have been really key this season for us. It felt like we could go out there and give it everything had", White said. "Things have been coming together for us this season. Last season and the year before we were working on different aspects of our skating, and I think that this season it all came together. We've been working pretty hard and we're happy with our performance", Davis added.

Virtue/Moir opened their program to "Great Gig in the Sky" and "Money" by Pink Floyd with a difficult combination spin, but Virtue wobbled during the change of foot. The reigning World silver medalists went on to produce innovative lift including a straight line lift with her standing unsupported on his leg and a serpentine lift with many changes of position. Their circular footwork was smooth, but they had another bobble in the diagonal steps at the end of the routine. The Canadians were awarded a level three for the spin and the two step sequences while the twizzles and all four lifts were a level four. They scored 94.51 points (47.20/47.31) and accumulated a total score of 191.81 points. They slipped to second place. "It is good for our confidence just to be here not matter what our placement is. It's important for us internationally", Moir told the press. "We are quite pleased with our skate today. In many areas it was better than Nationals, while in others it wasn't", Virtue commented. "It feels really good for us to get this under our belts and it's a confidence booster. We're heading home feeling really positive. We're really proud of Meryl and Charlie. They certainly deserve it", she continued.

Samuelson/Bates turned in a technically demanding and smooth performance to "Amazonic" that was highlighted by excellent lifts and steps. The 2008 World Junior Champions showed off their unison throughout the dance and were awarded a level four for all elements but for the step sequences that were a level three. They earned a new personal best of 89.90 points (48.10/41.80) and racked up a total score of 180.79 points. "We were able to execute all elements and give a good performance and it was a personal best. It went really good", Bates said. "Hopefully this is the first of many Four Continents for us. We're really happy to be on the podium with two of the best teams in the world. For the future, hopefully this means a lot of good things."

World Junior silver medalists Vanessa Crone/Paul Poirier (CAN) finished fourth with 176.82 points. They put out a romantic and technically difficult program to "Doce de Coco". Kaitlyn Weaver/Andrew Poje (CAN) came in fifth with a dramatic dance to "Dr. Zhivago" (168.76 points). 2008 Four Continents bronze medalists Kimberly Navarro/Brent Bommentre (USA) were ranked sixth (151.82 points).

Yu-Na Kim of Korea skated off with the gold medal in front of an enthusiastic crowd of 9873 spectators at the Pacific Coliseum. Canada's Joannie Rochette claimed the silver medal like she had last year and World Champion Mao Asada of Japan won the Free Skating to surge from sixth to third.

Kim skated last in the final flight. She retied the laces of her left skating boot while the marks of the previous skater were still announced, then she skated to loud cheers of the crowd a circle on the ice before taking her opening position. Skating to "Sheherazade", the two-time World bronze medalist nailed her rock-solid triple flip-triple toe combination but then crashed on the next jump, a loop. The triple Lutz-double toe-double loop combination was not fully rotated and downgraded, but after that Kim pulled herself together to reel off a double Axel-triple toe, a triple Lutz, triple Salchow and another double Axel as well as exquisite spins, steps and spirals. The Korean scored 116.83 points (56.95 element score/60.88 program component score) and was ranked third in the Free Skating but overall held on to first place at 189.07 points to claim her first ISU Championships title at the senior level. "I wanted to do the triple loop in this competition, but unfortunately I missed it. The rest of the program was great, although I was a little tired today. It is very good for me to have earned the first place here in Vancouver", a relieved and happy Yu-Na Kim said immediately after her performance.

Rochette landed a triple Lutz-double toe-double loop combination, a triple flip, loop, another Lutz and a triple Salchow in her sophisticated routine to "Concierto de Aranjuez". She only did one step too many in her triple toe-triple Salchow sequence so that the second jump didn't count and she singled the first jump in a double Axel-double Axel jump sequence. The Canadian was awarded a level four for her three spins as well as for the spiral sequence and got a level four for the footwork. Rochette collected 117.01 points (58.45/58.56) for this performance and claimed her second consecutive silver medal at Four Continents with 183.91 points. "I felt good today. I was a bit nervous, but when my music started, I got into my program and my training showed that I was in good condition. Of course there were some mistakes, but I'm happy. I can build on this before the World Championships", the 23-year-old told the post-event press conference. "When the triple toeloop wasn't landed good enough for doing the triple Salchow (for the sequence), I wasn't sure if the rules allowed to do a Salchow anywhere else, but I just wanted to do it for myself. Now I know that it doesn't count and I should just do a nice triple toeloop", she added, smiling.

Asada, who stood only in sixth place following a faulty Short Program skated first in the group and knew she had to risk everything. The World Champion had to overcome a shaky start into her powerful "Waltz Masquerade" program when she popped her first planned triple Axel, but she rallied back to hit a triple Axel just a few seconds later. A triple flip-double loop-double loop combination, a triple loop, triple flip-double loop as well as a double Axel followed, and she only doubled a toeloop. The 18-year-old also showed strong spins two of which were graded a level four. Asada scored 118.66 points (58.58/60.08) and was ranked first in the Free Skating. With 176.52 points, the defending Four Continents Champion moved up three spots to take the bronze medal this time. "I still had to overcome some problems, and I will try harder for the World Championships", the athlete commented. "I was determined to do at least one good triple Axel today. So when I singled the first one I was determined to do the next one better."

Caroline Zhang (USA) came in fourth in her debut at the senior Championships level. She landed six triples and showed impressive spins (171.22 points). Cynthia Phaneuf (CAN) slipped from third to fifth at 169.41 points. The National silver medalist produced five clean triples, but doubled a flip and stepped out of a triple Lutz. Fumie Suguri (JPN) was sixth with 167.74 points.