SENIOR IC E DA NC E ‘On a good path’
Chock and Bates take baton, win first title; Shibs, Hubbell and Donohue show grit, improvement
by MIMI WHETSTONE Seventeen teams, an empty sheet of ice
and a vacant throne. Te stage was set for an epic ice dance showdown in Greensboro. Following the reign of six-time U.S.
champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White, America’s top spot was up for grabs. When the couples took the ice for the free dance, more than 7,000 spectators watched on the edge of their seats. After a fierce battle, the crown was
claimed by 22-year-old Madison Chock and 26-year-old Evan Bates, who won the event with 185.06 points in their fourth season together. “We’ve definitely come a long way
since we first started skating together,” Chock said. “Tat first year was tough. We just kind of threw everything together and it was such a whirlwind. I don’t even remember it. Even though we may not have as many years together as most teams, we’ve known each other so long, we have great coaches and we’re both really hard workers. We make it work.” Steadily climbing the ranks since a fifth-place finish at their first U.S. Cham- pionships in 2012, Chock and Bates, of the All Year and Ann Arbor Figure Skating Clubs, respectively, have already left their mark in the world rankings, winning both of their Grand Prix assignments and earn- ing silver at the Grand Prix Final earlier this season. Still, victory did not come easily in
Greensboro. Chock and Bates, and Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani were virtually tied after the short dance, when both teams skated near-flawless routines to paso doble and flamenco rhythms. “Tat’s no surprise, we know very well
that the Shibutanis are tough competitors and I think our rivalry is nothing new to anybody,” Bates said. Chock and Bates gave a com-
manding performance to Minkus’ Don Quixote, marked with flair and attack. But their footwork elements — including the two paso doble patterns and midline steps — earned Level 3. Tey brought 73.95 points into the free dance, and led by just .11.
Te couple’s coach, Igor Shpilband, 24 MARCH 2015
changed the partial pattern and midline steps after disappointing marks at the Grand Prix Final. He expects his skaters to perform the footwork elements even better as the season progresses.
“I want them to win, I want them to
be the best,” Shpilband said. “Tey want to be the best, they want to be World champi- ons. You just can never stop making things better.”
Te Shibutanis delivered an inspired
routine, highlighted by a stunning twizzle sequence that earned +3 grades of execution from eight of the nine judges. Te siblings gained three Level 4s and the higher tech- nical score, but their program components score was a point lower. Even so, they won the crowd, which leapt to its feet to deliver a sustained standing ovation. “Te highlight of that performance for
us was how the audience was responding,” Maia, 20, said. “Right away, we could feel their energy. Tey were with us every step of the way, and that really motivated us.” Chock and Bates rose to the challenge in the free dance, earning a U.S. personal-best 111.11 points for their fresh, modern take on George Gershwin’s An American in Paris, featuring complex and dramatic lifts. “We have some big goals and we want to be the best that we can possibly be,” Chock said. “Hopefully that will lead us to an Olympic medal and many World med- als. We have some great competitors keep- ing us on our toes, so we have to be working as hard as we can, as hard as we have been, and I think we’re on a good path right now.” Te Shibutanis delivered a superb rou- tine to a medley of Strauss waltzes, drawing oohs and aahs for their three-part twizzles and fast rotational lift. Tey finished less than four points behind the victors to claim their fifth U.S. medal and highest U.S. fin- ish since 2012. “We’re always trying to develop and
top our own achievements,” Alex, 23, said, reflecting on the team’s 2011 World bronze medal. “2011 was a historic year for ice dance and for us. I don’t think a team had ever gotten into podium position in their first year com- peting as a senior team. We’re still very proud of that accomplishment and we’ll always have
GOLD Madison Chock/ Evan Bates, 185.06
SILVER Maia Shibutani/ Alex Shibutani, 181.31
BRONZE Madison Hubbell/ Zachary Donohue, 164.74
PEWTER Kaitlin Hawayek/ Jean-Luc Baker, 162.45
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
ICE DANCE
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