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1998 Masters MikoMay 30-31, 1998, Paris/FRAby Tatjana FladeThe 8th Masters Miko took place on May 30th and 31st in Paris. As in
previous years, the organizers had set up a great show, and the huge stadium (which seats
about 20, 000 people) was sold out on Sunday. Team Europe drew to start the competition, and the Italians Gerencser/Camerlengo were first to skate. They had turned pro recently, and it was their first pro competition. They didn't create a new program yet and chose to skate to last season's free dance "Tsunami". However, the dance looked a bit slowly. The more experienced dancers Susanna Rahkamo/Petri Kokko from Finland showed their "Midnight Blues" in fancy costumes. The couple exactly expressed the character of a blues, and was rewarded with thunderous applause. The audience got even more enthousiastic when their all time favorite Philippe Candeloro took the ice. The Frenchman skated to his "D'Artagnan - Three Musketeers" free program, but because of his ankle injury, he had to hold back during his "fencing" step sequence. In order to rise the level of the competition, the men were required to do a triple axel, but Candeloro fell on it. But the Olympic Bronze medallist did a triple lutz and a triple toe. 1996 European Champion Viatcheslav Zagorodniuk also had trouble with his jumps. He two-footed the axel and doubled lutz and flip. His new routine "Christopher's dream" tells a story about a young man who has trouble to write a letter. It's a romantic, a bit melanchonic piece, and it suits the Ukrainian well. The next ones to take the ice were the pairs. Wötzel/Steuer from Germany as well had their professional debut - and a very sucessful one. The Olympic Bronze medallists skated to their new program "Oh Mandy" which contained a flawless triple thrown lutz. They singled the thrown axel, but the program looked overall very smooth and fast, so that the Germans got the highest individual score (109,6 points) and seven 10s. "I'm happy that our hard work paid off", a delighted Mandy said later. Ingo's shoulder injury now has healed completely. Anita Hartshorn/Frank Sweiding from the USA surprised the audience with their spectacular lifts and moves like a dangerous looking "detroiter". But because they didn't include required elements like a twist and a solo jump in their program to "Voices" by Vangelis, their marks were significantly lower than Woetzel/Steuer's. The audience didn't appreciate that and booed at the panel of judges. The judges were coaches, among them Martin Skotnicky, Stanislav Leonovitch and Danielle Marotel. Ari Zakarian, who used to skate with his former partner Akop
Manakurian, introduced a new category to the Masters Miko: ice acrobats. Vladimir
Besedin/Alexei Poliatchuk are real acrobats on skates and showed difficult and dangerous
looking tricks. The audience was really impressed and received the program
enthousiastically. Karelin/Filipov, the other acrobatic team, was less spectacular. Ari
Zakarian announced that he'll open a school for ice acrobats in New York. The ladies were
the last ones to compete. Five time European Champion Surya Bonaly performed to
"Question of honor" by Sarah Brightman. Right away, she did a solid double axel
and a triple toe - triple salchow combination. She also did two back flips and another
double axel, and she only messed up her triple loop. Her program was dynamic. 1995
European Vice Champion Olga Markova from Moscow also had trouble with the loop and fell on
it, but she did a triple salchow/double toe combo and a double axel. Her "Tango"
was as sophisticated as are all her programs. Olga said that she enjoys her life as a
professional skater. She already had an invitation to the American Open. The organizers had also invited some eligible skaters for the exhibition. 1994 Olympic Champion Alexei Urmanov presented his new Michael Jackson exhibition routine. Some Alexei fans will love it, others might need to get used to it. It is a typical Urmanov-style program, a bit melancholic, very interesting and unusual. He skates to various not so well known songs by Jackson. European Champion Maria Butyrskaya especially had made up a program to a French song (100, 000 mille chansons - 100, 000 thousand songs). She looked as she flew over the ice, her elegance is hard to match. Former European Bronze Medallist Eric Millot showed up as a soccer player to honor the Soccer World Championships in his home country. No wonder that he skated to the "official hymn" La Ola by Rick Martin and even kicked around a football - it was a hot show. European Bronze Medallists Sarah Abitbol/Stephane Bernadis presented their new program "Audiemus" to the audience. Marina Anissina, who had broken a bone in her foot only two weeks prior to the event, was back on the ice with Gwendal Peizerat. "Time to say Good Bye" was their choice, and it was hardly remarkable that Anissina had a problem with her foot. She is a tough girl! Philippe Candeloro was the last one to skate, and he had arranged a very special program. Candeloro started as "Conan", was the "Godfather", changed into "Lucky Luke" before becoming "Napoleon" and finally "D'Artagnan". This new routine consisted of his famous free programs of his international eligible career. While Philippe changed his costumes during the performance (not in front of the audience!) videoclips with his old programs where shown.
Copyright © June 4, 1998 by Tatjana Flade Detailed results
Team "Europe":
Surya Bonaly 109,4 points
Philippe Candeloro 109,1 points
Mandy Wötzel & Ingo Steuer 109,6 points
Diane Gerencser & Pasquale Camerlengo 108,2 points
Vladimir Besedin & Alexei Poliatchuk 219,0 points *)
Total: 655,3 points
Team "Rest of the World":
Olga Markova 108,6 points
Viatcheslav Zagorodniuk 107,4 points
Anita Hartshorn & Frank Sweiding 108,6 points
Susanna Rahkamo & Petri Kokko 218,4 points *)
Sergei Karelin & Boris Filipov 107,7 points
Total: 650,7 points
*) joker - score was doubled
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