2016 WORLD FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS
Russian juggernaut: Olympic champions Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov, who married last August, and Olympic silver medalists Ksenia Stol- bova and Fedor Klimov. Volosozhar and Trankov, who took last sea-
son off , won their fourth European Champion- ships in January by nearly 22 points. Powered by Trankov’s fi ery temperament and anchored by Volosozhar’s calm under pressure, they arrive in Boston with two strong programs, including a dramatic free skate to music from the soundtrack of Bram Stoker’s Dracula by Wojciech Kilar. T e 2013 World champions’ soaring triple twist, in- teresting lifts and dependable side-by-side triple jumps make them the favorites. After a slow start at Skate America, Stolbo-
va and Klimov won the Grand Prix Final in De- cember in Barcelona with a near-World-record free skate score. A shoulder injury to Klimov prevented them from competing at the European Championships, but their avant-garde style and consistent elements make them medal contenders in Boston. Five World titles and two Olympic medals
were not enough for Germany’s Aliona Savchen- ko. When former partner Robin Szolkowy re- tired after the 2014 World Championships, she teamed with Bruno Massot. In their fi rst interna- tional season, Savchenko and Massot are enjoying instant success, winning the silver medal at the European Championships. China’s Wenjing Sui and Cong Han, the
2015 World silver medalists, have a quadruple twist and quadruple throw in their arsenal, but have struggled with injuries this season. Still, they fi gure to be in the medal chase. Into this competitive maelstrom step two
improving U.S. teams. Tarah Kayne and Dan- ny O’Shea, who train in Ellenton, Florida, per- formed two outstanding programs to win the 2016 U.S. Championships with a record score. Together since 2012, they blend sound technique with an appealing, audience-friendly style. “I’d like to be part of earning three U.S. pairs slots for the 2017 Worlds,” O’Shea said. “It’s go- ing to be tough, because the fi eld is very stacked. We are going to keep pushing; it’s not a time to rest on your laurels.” T is season, 2015 U.S. champions Alexa Scimeca and Christopher Knierim earned the fi rst U.S. pairs entry to the Grand Prix Final since 2007. Watch for the Colorado Springs, Colorado, team’s edgy short program to Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters,” as well as the huge quadruple twist in their free skate. Kyoko Ina and John Zimmerman earned the
last Worlds medal for the U.S., claiming bronze in 2002 in Nagano, Japan.
Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron
ICE DANCE Twenty years ago, most fans could accurately
anticipate World ice dance podiums. In the years leading up to the 2014 Olympics, Americans Meryl Davis and Charlie White, and Canadians Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir dominated the ranks. T ose days of predictability are gone. In Boston, six or seven couples will fi ght for
the top three spots, including two U.S. teams: newly crowned U.S. champions Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, and defending World silver medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates, who placed a close second to their long-time rivals in Saint Paul. With their free dance to Coldplay’s “Fix
You,” the Shibutani siblings have shown a more emotional and personal side of themselves this season, and audiences — and judges — have re- sponded. Boston will be a homecoming of sorts: Alex was born in the city, and he and Maia spent many of their formative years in New England. “Growing up, many things that inspired me as an athlete were Boston-related,” Alex said. “Having Worlds in Boston in the middle of this Olympic cycle has me feeling like we’re gathering momentum. Obviously, we’re looking ahead to the 2018 Olympics.” Chock and Bates won a silver medal at the
Grand Prix Final, where the Shibutanis placed fourth. After changing their short dance early in the season and making numerous tweaks to their free dance to Rachmaninoff ’s “Piano Concerto No. 2,” the skaters arrive in Boston with great confi dence in their material. “I don’t think there is anything to recover
from,” Chock said after their loss in Saint Paul. “T is has been the best by far that we have com- peted this season. We defi nitely have room to im- prove, and we defi nitely will improve before going to Worlds.” U.S. bronze medalists Madison Hubbell and
Zachary Donohue, 10th in the world in 2015, plan to move up the ranks. T e tall, charismatic couple moved from the Detroit Skating Club this
Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani Madison Chock and Evan Bates
summer to a new coaching center in Montreal, Quebec, reinventing their training regimen in the process. None of the U.S. teams are considered favor-
ites. T at title goes to World champions Gabriel- la Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France, who rebounded from Papadakis’ concussion in September to handily win the European title. T e couple’s liquid skating has mesmerized fans and judges alike. In the French team’s absence, Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje won the Grand Prix Final, and their short dance has gained the highest marks of the season. T ey, too, are a signifi cant threat for gold. 2014 World champions Anna Cappellini
and Luca Lanotte of Italy, second to the French at Europeans, have returned to the lighthearted, romantic style that worked so well for them in the past. Russia is traditionally strong in ice dance, and Ekaterina Bobrova and Dimitri Soloviev, third in Europe, carry the banner in Boston.
62 MARCH 2016
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
TORU YAMANAKA/AFP/GETTY IMAGES
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