March 29, 2009
Article by Elvin Walker
The 2009 World Figure Skating Championships concluded with the Ladies Long Program.
It wasn't a competition. It was a coming out party, and all of the other skaters were invited as guests. Korea's Yu Na Kim did not give another skater even a whisper of hope in this competition, and she ran away with the gold medal with a new world record score as well as the largest margin of victory by a lady at the World Championships.
"This has been a dream come true for me," admitted the two-time bronze medalist turned champion. "I have been dreaming of this happening since I was a little girl, and now it came true."
Kim entered the freeskate with an eight-point cushion over Canada's Joannie Rochette, and she left the ice with a 16-point lead over the silver medalist. Her competition total of 207.71 points marks the first time any lady has surpassed the 200 point mark since adopting the code of points.
"I never focused on hitting 200 points," Kim said rather philosophically. "It was more important to take each element at a time, and make sure that I was giving the best performance that I could. I felt that if I could do that, then I might be able to become World Champion. I stayed focused on what I had to do, and won the gold medal."
Kim opened with her trademark triple flip-triple toe loop, and landed a total of five clean triple jumps in her "Sheherazade" program, but the program was not without mistakes. Kim doubled an intended triple salchow in the middle of her program, and had her final combination spin scored as an invalid element earning the champion zero points.
"We changed the spin after the Four Continents to get a level four," Kim explained. "It is my fault that I did not have it checked to make sure that it was correct before I came here."
The ISU rules state that a skater must do three spins in the freeskate; a flying spin, a spin with no change of position, and a combination spin. Kim completed a flying spin and two combination spins, therefore receiving no credit for her final element. Still, it was Kim's night, and the audience at the Staples Center was clearly on her side from the start.
"There were so many Korean fans in the audience tonight," Kim said proudly. "But the American fans also supported me. I felt like I was skating at home, and that made me confident to do my best."
Kim is the first Korean skater to win the World Championships, and now heads into the Olympic season as the clear-cut favorite.
"I have not started thinking about the Olympic season yet," Kim admitted. "I had to focus on doing my best here, and I can start thinking about the Olympics tomorrow."
Rochette skated a lovely program to "Concierto de Aranjuez", earning the silver medal, and becoming the first Canadian lady to stand on the podium since Liz Manley won the same color in 1988. Manley offered her congratulations to the Canadian champion once the results were made official.
"She said that silver is the best color," Rochette said of the conversation. "She congratulated me, and told me that she knew that I could do it. It was so nice to have her here to share this with because she has been so supportive of me in my career."
The silver medalist opened with a triple lutz-double toe-double loop, and almost came to a complete standstill on the final jump. However, she recovered to land a nice triple flip before doubling an intended triple loop.
"Even on a night when I wasn't feeling my best, I was able to get the silver," Rochette said. "Even if I didn't do it perfect, this is unbelievable. I was able to deliver."
Read full article here: 2009 World Figure Skating Championships
Friday, May 8, 2009
Monday, May 4, 2009
Empathy for Kiira
Last week, the European elite of figure skaters gathered in Helsinki. Annual championships of the continent brought about a number of top performances as well as dramatic events. In spite of different scandals, which seem to have become inseparable from professional skating, the championships gave a unique possibility for the Finnish public to enjoy and appreciate the performances of their own top-rated skaters.
My interest here is not to speak about the competitive side of the championships. Instead, I would like to discuss some of the aesthetic qualities of figure skating. Professional figure skating, similarly to gymnastics and dancing, is a sport discipline, where the performance of a competitor is not only rated on the basis of measurement (seconds, meters, kilos), but is also evaluated by judges, implementing the professional, but none the less partly subjective evaluation category. A particular performance of a skater is never judged on one sole criterion, but on the basis of different competitive as well as artistic, i.e. aesthetic, qualities.
Referring to the theories of the phenomenological philosopher Edith Stein, Finnish dance researcher Jaana Parviainen has written about bodily empathy. According to her, a human being is able to understand the other not only on cognitive and emotional level, but on the somatic level as well. Empathy – literally the “feeling into” – of the body is our non-verbal awareness and tacit ability to perceive other beings. Seeing and perceiving the other person acting, performing, running, jumping, walking, skating or doing any other kind of movement gives us one possible way to feel connected to the others. Bodily empathy is therefore present not only in arts, but also in sports, entertainment, work, as well as in other activities of our everyday life.
Figure skating is one of the most popular sport disciplines in the world. Every year hundreds of millions of people all over the world enjoy skating competitions via the television. In addition to the glamorous world of the star-skaters, one of the reasons for the popularity of skating is bodily empathy. In addition to the strict evaluation of compulsory elements (i.e. the measuring), the skater is always expressing his/her artistic talent. The joy and drama of figure skating is often more connected to the personal (bodily) expression of a particular skater than to the quality of performing the compulsory elements. Simultaneously there is always the accompanying psychological aspect of success versus failure – a tension which is perceived differently as a skater and as a spectator.
A spectator who sees an athlete falling or getting injured during the performance is always a shock of a kind. The spectator spontaneously grasps his head or leg, arm or stomach when an athlete fails not only on the basis of rational analyses, but due to the bodily felt empathy. Kiira Korpi’s fall in the decisive ladies’ free program was a sad disappointment to all Finnish people. The tension and expectations were present in the skater as well as in the crowd. Sitting in the crowd and seeing Korpi falling made most of the spectators “jump from their chairs”. The spectators (as well as I) literally felt Korpi’s fall in their own body.
Bodily empathy is “at work” in the reality of seeing other people as well as through different media. Television is an intricate technological tool which is able to transmit the moves and activities of other people. Seeing a figure skater from a television screen is attractive because one can get a feeling of seeing the performance with a full detail and precision. Yet, even if bodily empathy works also with television, the quality and essence of it is clearly different from the direct experience.
Having had the possibility to compare the actual presence of a skater on the ice and simultaneously on the huge screens under the roof of the Hartwall Arena made me realize that television cameras flatten the impression of movement. Technologically transmitted movement gains a totally different quality – flattening the movement brings about the impression of movement as more dynamic, powerful, concrete and stronger than it really is. In case of a top performance the optics of the cameras partly seems to lose the fragility and imperfection of the human body.
Similarly, the cameras make the failures look more dramatic than they really are. Watching television, people often ask – how can they do that, meaning for example the performances of the figure skaters. Television lessens our bodily empathy and leaves us with a condensed, somehow inhuman experience of movement. Watching the ladies’ final competition from the arena, gave me the possibility to become to understand the importance of direct bodily perception and bodily empathy as the basis for the aesthetic appreciation of movement.
Source article: Empathy for Kiira
My interest here is not to speak about the competitive side of the championships. Instead, I would like to discuss some of the aesthetic qualities of figure skating. Professional figure skating, similarly to gymnastics and dancing, is a sport discipline, where the performance of a competitor is not only rated on the basis of measurement (seconds, meters, kilos), but is also evaluated by judges, implementing the professional, but none the less partly subjective evaluation category. A particular performance of a skater is never judged on one sole criterion, but on the basis of different competitive as well as artistic, i.e. aesthetic, qualities.
Referring to the theories of the phenomenological philosopher Edith Stein, Finnish dance researcher Jaana Parviainen has written about bodily empathy. According to her, a human being is able to understand the other not only on cognitive and emotional level, but on the somatic level as well. Empathy – literally the “feeling into” – of the body is our non-verbal awareness and tacit ability to perceive other beings. Seeing and perceiving the other person acting, performing, running, jumping, walking, skating or doing any other kind of movement gives us one possible way to feel connected to the others. Bodily empathy is therefore present not only in arts, but also in sports, entertainment, work, as well as in other activities of our everyday life.
Figure skating is one of the most popular sport disciplines in the world. Every year hundreds of millions of people all over the world enjoy skating competitions via the television. In addition to the glamorous world of the star-skaters, one of the reasons for the popularity of skating is bodily empathy. In addition to the strict evaluation of compulsory elements (i.e. the measuring), the skater is always expressing his/her artistic talent. The joy and drama of figure skating is often more connected to the personal (bodily) expression of a particular skater than to the quality of performing the compulsory elements. Simultaneously there is always the accompanying psychological aspect of success versus failure – a tension which is perceived differently as a skater and as a spectator.
A spectator who sees an athlete falling or getting injured during the performance is always a shock of a kind. The spectator spontaneously grasps his head or leg, arm or stomach when an athlete fails not only on the basis of rational analyses, but due to the bodily felt empathy. Kiira Korpi’s fall in the decisive ladies’ free program was a sad disappointment to all Finnish people. The tension and expectations were present in the skater as well as in the crowd. Sitting in the crowd and seeing Korpi falling made most of the spectators “jump from their chairs”. The spectators (as well as I) literally felt Korpi’s fall in their own body.
Bodily empathy is “at work” in the reality of seeing other people as well as through different media. Television is an intricate technological tool which is able to transmit the moves and activities of other people. Seeing a figure skater from a television screen is attractive because one can get a feeling of seeing the performance with a full detail and precision. Yet, even if bodily empathy works also with television, the quality and essence of it is clearly different from the direct experience.
Having had the possibility to compare the actual presence of a skater on the ice and simultaneously on the huge screens under the roof of the Hartwall Arena made me realize that television cameras flatten the impression of movement. Technologically transmitted movement gains a totally different quality – flattening the movement brings about the impression of movement as more dynamic, powerful, concrete and stronger than it really is. In case of a top performance the optics of the cameras partly seems to lose the fragility and imperfection of the human body.
Similarly, the cameras make the failures look more dramatic than they really are. Watching television, people often ask – how can they do that, meaning for example the performances of the figure skaters. Television lessens our bodily empathy and leaves us with a condensed, somehow inhuman experience of movement. Watching the ladies’ final competition from the arena, gave me the possibility to become to understand the importance of direct bodily perception and bodily empathy as the basis for the aesthetic appreciation of movement.
Source article: Empathy for Kiira
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Breakout year for men's U.S. Champion
April 26, 2009
Article by J. Barry Mittan
The 2008-09 season was a good one for USA's Jeremy Abbott, who scored his first major national and international wins this year.
The talented 23-year-old won an ISU Grand Prix event for the first time when he took gold at the Cup of China to start his season. With a fourth place at the Cup of Russia, he qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final in Goyang, Korea - another career first - where he took the title and earned new personal best scores in all phases of the competition.
"My goal was just to make the Final and skate my best," said Abbott. "I had no expectations for the outcome. I felt horribly nervous for the free, but I had a good warm up. I was able to contain myself and keep composed and I felt that was more exciting than winning."
"I've been working with a sports psychologist, Gayle Davis, and she's given me techniques to keep myself focused and controlled," he continued.
His dream season continued as Abbott won his first gold medal at the senior level at the 2009 U. S. Figure Skating Championships after finishing fourth the last two years. "I felt a lot of pressure after the Grand Prix Final to win the title, so it was a big weight off of my shoulders when I won."
In his last tune up before Worlds, Abbott placed fifth for a second straight year at the 2009 Four Continents Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I used Four Continents as a platform for Worlds," he said. "Nationals was physically and emotionally draining, and having such a short time period between Nationals and Four Continents was really difficult."
At Worlds, Abbott again finished 11th, the same as in 2008. "I didn't expect myself to be in this position," he said. "I gave my full heart. I really didn't feel that the mistakes that I made were great enough to justify my scores."
In the short, Abbott touched down at the end of his opening triple flip-triple toe and stepped out of a triple Axel, which was downgraded by the judging panel. However, he recovered with a great triple Lutz and earned positive Grades of Execution on all of his non-jumping elements.
In the long, Abbott struggled again with his Axels, but landed a good triple Lutz, triple flip, triple Salchow, and triple loop.
This season, Abbott decided not to focus much on the quad in order to improve his artistry, choreography, and transitions.
"I'm confident in my ability to do the quad and I feel comfortable with it," Abbott said. "I've been able to do a quad Salchow. In fact, I did it first but I prefer the quad toe. I may do the quad again in the short program like I did last year. We'll evaluate during the summer to see what I need for next season."
"I've done a quad-triple-triple and even tried a quad-quad for fun," he added. "I landed the second quad, but it was about three and a half."
Abbott, however, did perform a very nice quadruple toeloop in his long program at last week's 2009 ISU World Team Trophy Championships. He finished fifth overall.
Tom Zakrajsek and Becky Calvin coach Abbott, who trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He usually trains for 2-3 hours a day, six days a week. "I don't change my schedule in the summer except to increase my off ice work a little bit," he said.
"I've changed a lot of little things in my day to day routine," Abbott said. "How I think about training matters a lot. I've changed the way I use my time and I've added an off ice dance class to improve my presentation."
"Working with Jeremy is like being a master painter and painting a masterpiece," Zakrajsek said. "It is a challenge because we work on so much detail in all of his movements. I think when people watch his skating they can see that."
"I've tried to focus on the consistency of the whole program," said Abbott. "I want to produce a solid reliable program each time I compete."
Both of Abbott's programs were new for the 2008-09 season. Catarina Lindgren choreographed his short program to Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni.
"Before Worlds last year, I was working on a kind of Greek god imagery with Tom," Abbott stated. "Catarina wanted to use the same imagery and it kind of went from there. She even designed the costume for me. Then Tania Bass agreed to sponsor me and did the costume for free."
Tom Dickson choreographed Abbott's free skate using Eight Seasons by Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. "Tom brought that music to me," Abbott said. "I wanted to play with movements, and that music fit me very well. I felt very comfortable with it."
Abbott used Treat by Santana for his show program. "Since Nationals was in Cleveland, we wanted something to go along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he stated.
"Working with Tom and Catarina gets the most out of you," Abbott said. "They work naturally to put out the best programs. I don't even have to think about it because they do the fine tuning and polishing and tweaking."
"I'll change at least one of my programs for next season, Abbott said, "but I haven't decided on anything yet."
Off ice, Abbott said, "I like very low stress mindless things. I hang out with my friends. I read books that can draw me in – fiction, humor and mysteries. I love to rock climb, both indoors and outdoors.
Abbott has put off further studies until after the 2010 Olympics. "I admire kids who can do both school and skating," he said, "but I have to put myself completely into one thing."
"I'd like to do a few shows this summer, but not tour," he noted. "I need time to develop my Olympic programs."
Before the shows, however, Abbott will be taking a vacation in Spain.
Source article: Jeremy Abbott
Article by J. Barry Mittan
The 2008-09 season was a good one for USA's Jeremy Abbott, who scored his first major national and international wins this year.
The talented 23-year-old won an ISU Grand Prix event for the first time when he took gold at the Cup of China to start his season. With a fourth place at the Cup of Russia, he qualified for the ISU Grand Prix Final in Goyang, Korea - another career first - where he took the title and earned new personal best scores in all phases of the competition.
"My goal was just to make the Final and skate my best," said Abbott. "I had no expectations for the outcome. I felt horribly nervous for the free, but I had a good warm up. I was able to contain myself and keep composed and I felt that was more exciting than winning."
"I've been working with a sports psychologist, Gayle Davis, and she's given me techniques to keep myself focused and controlled," he continued.
His dream season continued as Abbott won his first gold medal at the senior level at the 2009 U. S. Figure Skating Championships after finishing fourth the last two years. "I felt a lot of pressure after the Grand Prix Final to win the title, so it was a big weight off of my shoulders when I won."
In his last tune up before Worlds, Abbott placed fifth for a second straight year at the 2009 Four Continents Championships in Vancouver, British Columbia. "I used Four Continents as a platform for Worlds," he said. "Nationals was physically and emotionally draining, and having such a short time period between Nationals and Four Continents was really difficult."
At Worlds, Abbott again finished 11th, the same as in 2008. "I didn't expect myself to be in this position," he said. "I gave my full heart. I really didn't feel that the mistakes that I made were great enough to justify my scores."
In the short, Abbott touched down at the end of his opening triple flip-triple toe and stepped out of a triple Axel, which was downgraded by the judging panel. However, he recovered with a great triple Lutz and earned positive Grades of Execution on all of his non-jumping elements.
In the long, Abbott struggled again with his Axels, but landed a good triple Lutz, triple flip, triple Salchow, and triple loop.
This season, Abbott decided not to focus much on the quad in order to improve his artistry, choreography, and transitions.
"I'm confident in my ability to do the quad and I feel comfortable with it," Abbott said. "I've been able to do a quad Salchow. In fact, I did it first but I prefer the quad toe. I may do the quad again in the short program like I did last year. We'll evaluate during the summer to see what I need for next season."
"I've done a quad-triple-triple and even tried a quad-quad for fun," he added. "I landed the second quad, but it was about three and a half."
Abbott, however, did perform a very nice quadruple toeloop in his long program at last week's 2009 ISU World Team Trophy Championships. He finished fifth overall.
Tom Zakrajsek and Becky Calvin coach Abbott, who trains in Colorado Springs, Colorado. He usually trains for 2-3 hours a day, six days a week. "I don't change my schedule in the summer except to increase my off ice work a little bit," he said.
"I've changed a lot of little things in my day to day routine," Abbott said. "How I think about training matters a lot. I've changed the way I use my time and I've added an off ice dance class to improve my presentation."
"Working with Jeremy is like being a master painter and painting a masterpiece," Zakrajsek said. "It is a challenge because we work on so much detail in all of his movements. I think when people watch his skating they can see that."
"I've tried to focus on the consistency of the whole program," said Abbott. "I want to produce a solid reliable program each time I compete."
Both of Abbott's programs were new for the 2008-09 season. Catarina Lindgren choreographed his short program to Adagio by Tomaso Albinoni.
"Before Worlds last year, I was working on a kind of Greek god imagery with Tom," Abbott stated. "Catarina wanted to use the same imagery and it kind of went from there. She even designed the costume for me. Then Tania Bass agreed to sponsor me and did the costume for free."
Tom Dickson choreographed Abbott's free skate using Eight Seasons by Gidon Kremer and Kremerata Baltica. "Tom brought that music to me," Abbott said. "I wanted to play with movements, and that music fit me very well. I felt very comfortable with it."
Abbott used Treat by Santana for his show program. "Since Nationals was in Cleveland, we wanted something to go along with the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame," he stated.
"Working with Tom and Catarina gets the most out of you," Abbott said. "They work naturally to put out the best programs. I don't even have to think about it because they do the fine tuning and polishing and tweaking."
"I'll change at least one of my programs for next season, Abbott said, "but I haven't decided on anything yet."
Off ice, Abbott said, "I like very low stress mindless things. I hang out with my friends. I read books that can draw me in – fiction, humor and mysteries. I love to rock climb, both indoors and outdoors.
Abbott has put off further studies until after the 2010 Olympics. "I admire kids who can do both school and skating," he said, "but I have to put myself completely into one thing."
"I'd like to do a few shows this summer, but not tour," he noted. "I need time to develop my Olympic programs."
Before the shows, however, Abbott will be taking a vacation in Spain.
Source article: Jeremy Abbott
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