2012 HILTON HHONORS SKATE AMERICA
in February at the 2012 Four Continents Champi- onships in Colorado Springs, Colo. Rachael Flatt, the 2010 U.S. champion and
2010 Olympian, will make her fourth appearance at Skate America. She earned the silver medal at the event in 2009 and 2010. Flatt trains in California under Justin Dillon
and Lynn Smith and attends Stanford University, where she’s pursuing a degree in the medical fi eld. Christina Gao fi nished fi fth at the last three U.S. Championships. A student at Harvard Univer- sity, she trains in Boston under Mark Mitchell and Peter Johansson.
MEN No question about it, the men’s division will be
the most hotly contested of the competition, with champions aplenty. Lysacek, the Olympic titlist, leads this stellar
fi eld. He announced his return to competition in August at the London Games, with the intent of de- fending his crown in Sochi. He’s back training under legendary coach
Frank Carroll in California. Lysacek owns one Skate America title from 2009, the same year he won the World title. He has also earned three silver medals and one bronze med- al at Skate America. He’ll be challenged by three-time and reign- ing U.S. champion Jeremy Abbott. Abbott fi nished ninth at the 2010 Olympics. He trains in Detroit under Yuka Sato and Jason Dungjen. T e Czech Republic’s Michal Brezina is back
to defend his Skate America title. He placed sixth at the 2012 World Championships. Japan’s Takahiko Kozuka, the 2008 Skate America titlist, is also in the elite fi eld, along with country mates 2012 World bronze medalist Yuzuru Hanyu and Tatsuki Machida. Douglas Razzano returns for his second Skate America, having placed seventh in 2011. Razzano trains under Doug and Lara Ladret and Grant Ror- vick in Arizona.
Evan Lysacek Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff
ASSIGNMENTS (Lineups subject to change)
U.S. GRAND PRIX
SKATE AMERICA OCT. 19–21, SEATTLE/KENT, WASH. Rachael Flatt Christina Gao Ashley Wagner Jeremy Abbott Evan Lysacek Douglas Razzano Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir Caydee Denney/John Coughlin Gretchen Donlan/Andrew Speroff Anastasia Cannuscio/Colin McManus Meryl Davis/Charlie White Lynn Kriengkrairut/ Logan Giulietti-Schmitt
Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff
PAIRS Powerhouse teams from Russia and China ar-
rive as the teams to beat. Russia’s Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Tran-
kov, silver medalists at the last two World Champi- onships, won both of their Grand Prix Series events in 2011 and fi nished second at the Grand Prix Final. Both skaters have competed at the Olympics with other partners. China’s Qing Pang and Jian Tong are the 2010
Olympic silver medalists and two-time World champions (2006, 2010). T ey have skated together since 1999. T is will mark the fourth time that Pang and
Tong have competed at Skate America. T ey earned a medal in their previous three appearances, includ- ing gold in 2003. T ey became engaged in June 2011.
Trying to knock off these two juggernauts are six teams, including a strong U.S. contingent led by U.S. champions Caydee Denney and John Cough- lin.
Denney and Coughlin, who train in Colorado
Springs, Colo., united last year and enjoyed imme- diate success. T ey fi nished fourth at Skate America and captured the silver medal at the Four Conti- nents Championships. Before their partnership, Denney won the U.S.
title with Jeremy Barrett in 2010. Coughlin and for- mer partner Caitlin Yankowskas claimed the U.S. crown in 2011. Gretchen Donlan and Andrew Speroff have
made steady gains as they enter their third season together. Fourth at the 2012 U.S. Championships, Donlan and Speroff will be competing at their fi rst Grand Prix Series competition. T eir Boston-area teammates, Marissa Castelli
and Simon Shnapir, will attempt to secure a medal in their fi fth Grand Prix Series event of their careers. T ey narrowly missed winning some hardware at 2010 Skate Canada, where they placed fourth.
SKATE CANADA OCT. 26–28, WINDSOR, ONTARIO Gracie Gold Caroline Zhang Ross Miner Lindsay Davis/Mark Ladwig Tiff any Vise/Don Baldwin Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue
CUP OF CHINA NOV. 2–4, SHANGHAI, CHINA Mirai Nagasu Adam Rippon Caitlin Yankowskas/Joshua Reagan Madison Chock/Evan Bates
ROSTELECOM CUP NOV. 9–11, MOSCOW, RUSSIA Gracie Gold Agnes Zawadzki Caroline Zhang Richard Dornbush Johnny Weir Caydee Denney/John Coughlin Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani
TROPHÉE BOMPARD NOV. 16–18, PARIS, FRANCE Christina Gao Ashley Wagner Jeremy Abbott Johnny Weir Madison Hubbell/Zachary Donohue
NHK TROPHY NOV. 23–25, SENDAI, JAPAN Alissa Czisny Agnes Zawadzki Richard Dornbush Ross Miner Adam Rippon Marissa Castelli/Simon Shnapir Lindsay Davis/Mark Ladwig Caitlin Yankowskas/Joshua Reagan Meryl Davis/Charlie White Maia Shibutani/Alex Shibutani
The complete list of skater selections for the 2012 Grand Prix Series is avail- able at
www.icenetwork.com.
SKATING 31
MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES
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