I N S YN C H Memories made in Shanghai
Synchro, speedskaters share unique experience by HAYDENETTE JORDAN ALEXANDER Te inaugural ISU Shanghai Trophy held in
March featured both short track speedskating and synchronized skating, two sports that had not pre- viously shared the same event or the same venue. For the synchronized skating event, the top six teams in the world were invited to compete along with a team from the host country. Tey were Canada, Finland, Russia, Sweden, Unit- ed States (the Haydenettes) and Germany. Te speedskaters were invited in a similar manner, re- ceiving their invitations based on their placement at the 2015 World Cup.
After claiming our 24th U.S. title in Mich-
igan, we took a day to recharge before beginning our journey to Shanghai. It took an entire day of travel, but we arrived feeling eager to work. Te next morning, we went to the arena to see how the logistics behind each discipline would be combined into one event. Our trepidation was short-lived when we encountered a familiar set- ting.
Nevertheless, there were many exciting new
factors that we, as synchronized skaters, had nev- er experienced before. Te competition included a room specifically for skate sharpening, so the speedskaters had an area to sharpen their skates before each of their events. Tere was also a spe- cial warm-up area filled with stationary bikes and treadmills. Te most significant difference was the
protective padding, about one meter thick which lined the boards of the rink. Given the sheer speed of short track speedskating events, these pads are necessary to decrease the risk of injury if a speedskater were to crash. Te padding caused the rink to be a bit shorter, but with a couple of prac- tice sessions, we were able to adjust our elements and get comfortable with the rink’s size. Troughout the competition, we had a few
opportunities to converse with the short track speedskating athletes. Tey had never seen a ma- jor synchronized skating competition before, just as we had never witnessed a major speedskating event. It was inspiring to learn about the simi- larities and differences of our training and com- petition preparation. After sharing our first im- pressions of each other’s disciplines, we quickly realized that although there were many differences, the sports had more in common than we realized. Both sports require intense training and
athletic ability, countless hours of practice and an unparalleled passion to succeed. We discovered a mutual respect for each other’s training journeys and an admiration for the dedication it takes to represent our sports at the world level. With a greater understanding of speedskating, we looked forward to cheering on the U.S. athletes during the event.
Although the entire competition was filled
with good-natured interaction between the ath- letes, the last day of the event brought a new level of camaraderie and unity. Each team prepared an exhibition program to perform at the gala that provided an incredible opportunity to get to know the other athletes in a noncompetitive setting. Cheering on and supporting our fellow competitors from the sidelines was such a reward- ing experience. We all came together to support the beauty and difficulty of synchronized skating and simply enjoy the hard work the skaters and coaches put in.
Te biggest surprise came when we found
out we would be joining the other teams, as well as the speedskaters, for a finale performance at the end of the gala. During the finale, the true spirit of unity was displayed. We skated side by side, hand in hand, with other teams representing countries from around the world. To top it off, the speedskaters joined in a conga line with all of the teams at the end of the finale. Besides the memories we shared and the
medals we came home with, the friends we made and the culture we immersed ourselves in are un- paralleled. We are thankful for the opportunity to be a part of such a monumental event, and we hope to one day go back!
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