Can American pairs harness the talent? We saw at the World Championships
Jackie Wong’s top 5 takeaways from the 2016–17 season
The year before the Olympics is always one in which changes abound, and this one was no different. We are now just months away from the PyeongChang Olympics, and looking back at this past season, we learned a few things that will really shape how the Olympic season will unfold. Technical boundaries have been redrawn More than any Olympic quadrennium, this one has been filled with unprecedented technical progress for the men and pairs. U.S. champion Nathan Chen emerged this season as one of the primary forces in exploring the next frontier on the technical side of the sport. We went from an Olympic champion with no quads in 2010 to possibly an Olympic champion with six or more total quads next year. Expect the quad revolution to reach more of a plateau next season, but for more skaters to be ascending to that plateau. The promise of juniors about to become seniors There used to be such a chasm between the senior and junior ranks, particularly in basic skating. But this season has shown that there are plenty of junior skaters more than ready to compete on the big stage. Interna- tionally, names like Zagitova, Aliev and Honda are going to take the senior ranks by storm next season. For the U.S., ice dance depth will no doubt be greater than ever when the last two World Junior champions make the leap. Rachel Parsons/Michael Parsons (2017) and Lorraine McNamara/Quinn Carpenter (2016) may bring some unpredictability to the already deep U.S. ice dance field. Emergence of new names The season before the Olympics is
prime time for fresh faces to make a name for themselves and posture for Olympic season attention. The two singles U.S. champions, Nathan Chen and Karen Chen, had previously medaled at the U.S. Championships. But it was Vincent Zhou and Mariah Bell who really made their presence known with their first podium appearances. Zhou went on to win the World Juniors and Bell grabbed a top-12 finish at Worlds. Might there be more new names to emerge next season and deliver unforgettable performances?
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that pairs skating is at an unprecedented level right now. The American pairs have shown an abundance of promise with an equal abundance of inconsistency. Having only one spot at the Olympics up for grabs could very well be the impetus for them to capitalize on their talent. Getting those extra reps in for the Olympic season could make for a new perspective for American pairs. Three spots, so many skaters For the men, women, and dance
teams, there will be three spots each for the Olympics. And what we saw this season was brilliance and Olympic-spot-worthy perfor- mances from more skaters and teams than there are spots. Between skaters returning from injury (Adam Rippon), skaters returning to glory (Mirai Nagasu), skaters returning to competition (Joshua Farris) and the host of other storylines from this past season, the Olympic season promises to be unprecedent- ed, unpredictable and unforgettable. Jackie Wong is a figure skating analyst
at Rocker Skating and a frequent guest host of icenetwork’s podcast Ice Talk. He has been involved in figure skating for more than 20 years as a skater, coach, choreographer and judge. You can find him at
rockerskating.com and on Twitter and Instagram for comprehensive cover- age of figure skating events all season long.
Hamill gets ‘Chopped’ for charity Dorothy Hamill, the 1976 Olympic cham-
pion, traded the ice for the kitchen in April, appearing on Food Network’s hit TV show “Chopped.” Hamill appeared alongside other legendary athletes competing in the Sports Stars episode of the network’s Chopped Star Power tournament. Sixteen stars — Internet personalities,
sports stars, comedians and actors — cooked for a spot in the tournament’s finale, where the final four went head-to-head to win $50,000 for a charity of their choice. Hamill remained in the game through
the appetizer and entrée rounds, but was ulti- mately bested by MMA fighter Paige VanZant in the dessert round of the culinary competi- tion.
Flatt appears as ‘Significant Speaker’ Olympian and 2010 U.S. champion
Rachael Flatt was one of three distinguished athletes to participate in a panel discussion at the University of Colorado Colorado Springs’ seventh annual Significant Speaker event. Held April 25 at the university’s Gallo-
gly Events Center, Flatt appeared alongside Olympic gymnastics champion Gabby Douglas and Paralympic triathlete and 2015 paratriathlete world champion Allysa Seely. UCCS’ Office of Student Activities, in
partnership with Residence Life and Housing, hosted the panel, highlighted by inspiring stories and insights from some of the United States’ most notable elite female athletes. Local news anchor Lauren Ferrara mod-
erated the discussion.
Fernandez returns to Boston for Ice Chips Spain’s Javier Fernandez notched a major
career highlight in Boston in 2016, winning his second consecutive World title in the city. On April 8, 2017, just a week after relinquish- ing his World crown to Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu in Finland, he returned to Boston for The Skat- ing Club of Boston’s annual Ice Chips show, titled “The Lights Are Bright on Broadway.” Fernandez performed two numbers,
“Danny Boy” and a comic bullfighter routine to delirious shrieks from a sold-out crowd. Longtime club member Ross Miner, skat-
ing in the show for the 14th time, presented his “New York State of Mind” program while singer Jelani Remy performed on a stage at the end of the rink. Miner, 26, mentioned that next season will most likely be his last as a competitor. Remy is starring in The Lion King on
Broadway. Show producer Matt Lind made a connection to another Lion King cast member in 2013 and built the theme of the show around the idea of having a live singer. Remy sang “On Broadway” while skaters performed the opening number. The singer was thrilled to have the
chance to sing for figure skaters. “I have such an appreciation for skating;
it’s such a beautiful art and it’s hard,” Remy said. “My mom loved it, too.”
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