1997 Trophée Lalique - Report

November 14th to 16th in Paris, France

Ice in Paris proves to be slippery for World Champions

by Tatjana Flade and Christine Schwarz

The ice in the huge Palais Omnisports in Paris proved to be slippery indeed for reigning and former World Champions. In this fourth competition of the 1997 Champions Series competed three 1997 World Champions and also two former World Champions which made the event one of the most interesting of the Series. But three of them couldn't win the event, and the fourth had an unpleasant surprise as well.

Ladies

It was hard to believe that World Champion Tara Lipinski (USA) would loose her second Champions Series competition, because at first sight, no serious rival seemed to have come to the French capital. The 16-year-old is still clearly smaller than the other ladies, but according to coach Richard Callaghan she had grown almost two inches (almost five centimeters). She won the short effortless with her triple lutz- double loop combination and a triple flip. It was the most difficult program and skated well to "Anastasia" (animated movie soundtrack). However, her marks ranged only between 54-56 (A) and 55-58 (B) which surprised the American. "I had a great skate", she said later. But as a German coach observed, she has a bad and risky technique on her triple lutz. Her last practice before the free was not so good, and Lipinski left the ice almost in tears. In the free program, diseaster didn't struck, but the World Champion doubled her opening lutz (which was intended to be triple combined with triple loop) and also turned her second loop in the intended triple loop-triple loop combo into a single one. But she recovered at the end, doing a triple lutz and her new triple toe-euler-triple salchow combination.

But it was not enough to beat - Laetitia Hubert. The French has seen many ups and downs in her life, but even she was overwhelmed when she beat Lipinski. Hubert already skated a beautiful short to "The Piano" (movie soundtrack) and repeated a fine performance in the long, also if the landings of triple loop, salchow and double axel looked shaky. Only two weeks before, Hubert had fallen apart at the Nations Cup in Gelsenkirchen and fnished 11th.

The bronze medal went to her compatriot Vanessa Gusmeroli. The 19-year old French had left out her combination in the short and was only 5th there. She rehabilitated herself in the long, but fell on a triple loop.

Lu Chen's short to a Tango by Astor Piazzola looked beautiful and nearly was perfect (with lutz combo), when the 1995 World Champion suddenly singled the axel. "I think I tried it too hard", the Chinese explained afterwrds. But she is on her way back, and her jumps already improved since Vienna. Chen remained 4th because she doubled the flip, singled axel and salchow.

Men

The next Champion who suffered in Paris was Todd Eldredge. The 1997 World silver medalist won his short clearly - as did Lipinski. But he messed up his long. Eldredge had lost practice time because of his shoulder injury sustained at Skate America. He still skated in pain, now the pain had moved down to his ribs, because he was compensating too much. He singled his axel twice, the third axel was double and on two feet. In the end, there was a triple lutz-triple toe, triple salchow - double toe, and a triple loop left, and the American plummeted all the way down to rank four. "My legs didn't feel good out there", Eldgredge said later. "Normally, if I miss a jump, I don't miss anything else." Asked if this was the worst performance of his life, he answered: "I can't remember them all, but it is pretty close." Eldredge now wants "to go home, heal arm and shoulder and take it from there."

17-year-old Alexei Yagudin from Russia took the opportunity and won the competition. Second after a strong short, he skated well in the free and showed the only quadrouple toe of the evening. "This was the first time, I did a clean quad in competition", the Russian said. He only doubled his lutz and landed his first triple axel on two feet. His new program to classical music by modern Russian composer Alexander Sviridov looked better in choreography than last year's Carmen, but still doesn't reach the level of other skaters.

Frenchman Philippe Candeloro, as usual cheered on by an enthousiastic crowd, did six triples (including triple axel - triple toe). His steps and spins are still weak. However, he should finally reconsider his idea to put the second triple axel so late in the program. It didn't work, like it mostly doesn't. Candeloro kept his "Napoleon" program for this competition, but is working on a new one to "The three Musketeers". He'll present it at the French Nationals in December and in the exhibition of the NHK Trophy in Japan. He asked to be invited for the exhibition to show the Japanese his Olympic program.

Igor Pashkevitch, who represents Aserbaijan, was a strong third and qualified for the first time for the final of the Champions Series in Munich. Eldredge has 17 points now and should have qualified by now as well.

The German Michael Hopfes had to withdraw due to injury during his program. He injured his ankle in the last practice, tried to skate, but couldn't.

Pairs

Germany's World Champions Mandy Wötzel/Ingo Steuer met again Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikhuralidze from Russia - and lost to them for the first time. The Germans skated to clean programs, and Wötzel did even her dreaded double axel easily in the free. However, after a lot of problems with injuries and illness, the couple lacked a bit speed and power. There was also a unstable triple thrown toe. The Russians from St. Petersburg took their chance and skated two beautiful programs to win in Paris. They included triple twist, triple thrown salchow and triple thrown loop in their long. Wötzel/Steuer were not unhappy about their 2nd place. "This was an important competition", Steuer said. "The level was high, and we are happy that we qualified for the final."
The Chinese couple Xue Shen/Hongbo Zhao improved a lot since last season and deserved the bronze medal. Their elements are often already of top notch quality, but their choreography doesn't look professional. They keep their bodies too stiff. Kristy Sargeant/Kris Wirtz, married since this summer, came fourth with a strong free. Kyoko Ina/Jason Dungjen missed their chance for the final. They skated slowly, and Ina fell on the triple toe (also in the long). Dungjen was sick.

Ice Dance

Shock and disbelief crossed the faces of World and Olympic champions Oksana (Pasha) Griskuk/Evgeny Platov when their marks for the free dance came up (A: 55 to 58 and B: 56 to 59). Truly, Platov had caught Grishuk's blade with his and fell, but normally the ice dance judges don't punish them so hard. Grishuk/Platov's new free dance is very innovative and includes new and original moves. They claim that it is the most difficult program of their career. The music is by modern composer Michael Nyman, it is called "Memorial", and it was written as a tribute to the people of Saraievo. It is somber, mystic in a way (and the costumes are, too - they look like purple monk robes and have a symbol on them). "This program is for all the people who can't make it to the Olympics", Pasha explained. The music, a requiem, has a Bolero rhythm and is building through the four minutes. It ist amazing that the Russians never stop dancing. There is not a single stop for catching breath in this program. But some observers didn't like it. They said it is simple and it is not ice dancing. Wolfgang Kunz, president of the ISU ice dance comission critizised the program hard, as Russian sources said. The president of the Russian Figure Skating Federation, Mr. Valentin Piseev, emphasized that Mr. Laurence Demmy (ISU technical commission) saw the program in the USA and liked it very much.

Two judges put France's Anissina/Peizerat who skated their beautiful "Romeo and Juliett" (music by Sergei Prokofiev) without a mistake first. This made the young French happy. "They (Grishuk/Platov) were always so far ahead", Peizerat said. "Now we are getting nearer to them." Grishuk/Platov's Rock'n Roll was by the way a funny "Jail House Rock", very well interpreted and matched the character of the dance.

The Ukrainians Irina Romanova/Igor Yaroshenko were third. Their Rock'n Roll still looks exaggerated, but their free dance to music by Russian composer Dmitri Shostakovitch was lively and interesting to watch.

Copyright © November 26, 1997 by Tatjana Flade and Christine Schwarz

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