This page contains a Flash digital edition of a book.
2017 WORLD SYNCHRONIZED SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS


this season. “For me, cancer was something to get


through,” Peterson, who has been cancer-free for nine months, said. “But the blessing was that I found out how blessed I was. Tis is a program that just shows how blessed you are if you have someone to rely on. And synchro- nized skaters have a whole team.” Te Crystallettes finished with 55.23


points and were in eighth place entering the free skate. Heading into the free skate, the Hayden-


The Crystallettes perform their emotional “Lean on Me” short program.


the mistake. Te crowd’s energy was unbe- lievable and it really fired us up to show those emotions that we’ve been working on.” “We made improvements and got calls


that we wanted,” Krantz said. “Unfortunately, mistakes happen and two falls are two falls and it takes away a lot from the second mark. Te execution wasn’t what we were looking for, but the commitment was there and the technical score was there. Tey kept fighting for it; they didn’t give it away.” Te Crystallettes, who feature five veterans


and 15 rookies in terms of Worlds experience, suffered a disruptive fall in their block element, while performing their “Lean on Me” short program. Te program holds deep meaning for the team, as their co-coach Shannon Peterson battled breast cancer all last season. “It’s definitely emotional for those of us


who have been with Shannon and are close with Shannon,” third-year Crystallette Emily Fitzgerald said. “[During her battle] she still came to a lot of practices and you would have never known. She was hard, tough and you would not have known for a second that she was battling anything. She was amazing. We also have people who are new this year, who have their own stories that they are living through while they skate this short program.” Peterson called the fall “a bummer,” but praised the team for not letting the mistake impact the rest of the program. “I was really proud of what they did, but if I could take their official practice program and put it out there, I would have.” It was emotional for her, Peterson said, each time the team skated its short program


ettes trailed short program leader Paradise by 8.72 points and the third-place RCKT of Finland by 5.28 points. With the nearly packed house rocking the rafters, the Haydenettes took the ice and transformed into character for their Prince tribute free skate. Teir purple costumes and performance to a medley of music by the late musical genius sent the crowd into a frenzy. All members of the team showed off their personalities in the program, which moved quickly and seamlessly from one element to the next. Te only negative mark came late in the program. While performing their move element, one skater fell during their spirals but quickly recovered. Tey finished with the third-best free skate score, 130.53, and jumped one spot to place fourth overall with 194.43 points. “It was unbelievable,” Devin Wang, a


five-year veteran of the team, said. “To see the arena filled with all these fans cheering for us every step of the way was amazing. We felt the energy from the audience and it carried us through the entire program.” Te Prince program, Wang said, was an instant hit with the team when Krantz unveiled it during training camp in August. “We just fell in love with it,” she said.


“It’s so relatable. It feeds off our personali- ties so well. It completely complements this team. Te audience can also get into it. It’s a program that was absolutely perfect for us.” In sharp contrast to their short program,


the Crystallettes performed their free skate to the powerful, attacking music from Te Sor- cerer’s Apprentice. Te skaters act as sorcerers, casting a spell on the audience. Te program is dramatic, with sharp arm and head move- ments.


Te team endured falls in the intersection when two skaters collided, and finished ninth in the segment with a score of 107.77 and ninth overall with 163.00 points. “I thought it was a good performance,”


Peterson said. “I could have done without the clip in the intersection, but that’s a dangerous element. I think they didn’t let it shake them. Tey got right up in those lifts. One of the girls was in the split and one of the girls was


SKATING 17


the base and they got right in and attacked the rest of the program. I’m proud of them.”


PARADISE ROLLS DICE, WINS WITH 15 Russia’s Paradise held off Finland’s


Marigold IceUnity to repeat as champion at the 2017 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. Paradise won the short program with 72.62 points, 1.74 more than Marigold IceUnity. Marigold IceUnity, a four-time World champion, captured the free skate with 137.70 points, edging Paradise by 1.62 points. Te .12 point difference earned Paradise the title 208.70 to 208.58. Paradise competed with 15 skaters after one member suffered an injury earlier in the week in practice. Because the injury happened while at the World Championships, the team did not receive any deductions or reductions for their elements, with the exception of the group lift. Te team only received credit for the number of correctly executed lifts, which resulted in them receiving Level 3s. “It’s incredible and unbelievable because


we only skated with 15,” team member Elvira Matveeva said. “We did a great job and I think we deserve it. We’re a strong team, and because we are a strong team, we did it. We won today.” Marigold IceUnity, a crowd favorite,


brought the audience to its feet with an emo- tional free skate honoring Finland’s 100th year of independence. “I have to thank the audience,” team


member Marika Leutola said. “It was an amazing feeling to skate in front of that kind of crowd. In this free skate, we left our hearts out on the ice and it was a very special mo- ment for us.” Canada’s NEXXICE pulled up from


fourth after the short program to claim the bronze medal with 197.54 points. — Troy Schwindt


Russia’s Paradise


MATTHEW STOCKMAN/GETTY IMAGES


PHOTOS BY GIANNI MAROSTICA


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68