BREAKING NEWS

Unexpected second place for Anissina Peizerat

After finishing second in the Original Dance, at press conference, Gwendal took the microphone. He said that they weren't happy with their performance. He said that their OD had started well, but at the end they had some little errors, and that also affected the presentation. He said that their OD had very good choreography, very difficult steps all interleaved. He said this was still the beginning of the season, and they had to work for hours and hours. Upon a question he said that they did not intend to make major changes in the programme, because their choreography was very good, and they had had very good feedback for it. He added that because of their touring in France and in the USA, they had started working two months later than the other couples. He didn't say anything about the progress Irina&Ilya have made, as is the tradition in such cases. He seemed to attribute their win only to his little mistake.

Report from gelsenkirchen

Read the complete report by Stefan HERE

Elvis and Brian working on Gladiator in spite of injury

Elvis Stojko had to sign out from Grand Prix because of an injury but he is still working on his new free program together with Brian Orser. Elvis said the collaboration with Brian had nationalistic significance for him. "It was meaningful having ambassadors for Canada and for the sport itself be able to come together and work together as a team — without any egos, without any competition, just strictly as two friends and two good skaters — to bring out some great ideas," he noted. For his part, Stojko is nonplussed that Alexei Yagudin and Alexander Abt will also be skating to music from Gladiator this season. "I've gone about it from a little bit different angle, cut-wise with the music," he explained. "I love the music because the story fits my life. I feel what I've gone through to fight and battle and push up. There's more than just the music and the movie. There's the spiritual side that I'm very connected to."

Canadians and Italians in the same squad

Shae-Lynn Bourne & Victor Kraatz (CAN) have teamed up with Russian coach-choreographer Tatiana Tarasova to produce a new program skated to the Olympic Anthem. Tarasova is also the coach of Barbara Fusar Poli and Maurizio Margaglio (ITA) who don't seem to fear the presence of the Canadians in their Ice Rink "We're happy to train with such strong skaters, competition will only improve our skating" stated Margaglio during the press conference of Sparkassen Cup. Anyway, at least for this season, the goals of the two teams are different: Bourne and Kraatz hope their new free-dance will have them marching back toward the medal podium at Worlds while Fusar Poli and Margaglio are trying hard to beat the french team in order to reach the gold in the same competition.

The goal of Plushenko

Evgeni Plushenko has very simple goals for this season. "I want to win everything I enter. But first and foremost I want to be World Champion," he stated. That goal is particularly important to Plushenko in light of his failure to medal at the 2000 World Championships, in Nice. "I think I simply wanted to win too badly," he reflected. "I tried too hard, and I burned out." In spite of his disappointment in 2000, Plushenko is making no plans to change his preparation. He confided: "I will train for next season the way I've always trained, only harder. Whoever is the best prepared, physically and mentally, that's who will always win."

A new mixed pair for Moskina

The 1998 Nagano Olympics inspired many young skaters to reach for their dreams. Yuko Kawaguchi, who with her partner, Sasha Markuntsov, represented Japan in their recent victory at the Junior Grand Prix of Mexico, was one of them. Through her persistence and determination, Kawaguchi has turned her dreams into reality. Kawaguchi got hold of legendary Russian pairs coach Tamara Moskvina's fax number and sent a letter. “She was very persistent,” recalls Moskvina. “At first I tried to discourage her, but it was not possible,” Moskvina remembers with a smile. Kawaguchi made her way to the U.S. “She would not give up. She wore me down,” admits Moskvina. “Finally, I gave her some time. One day, she said to me she wanted to skate pairs, but I told her that I had no partner for her.” Then, Moskvina had an idea -- Markuntsov, a student of her husband Igor Moskvin. Markuntsov, 18, skated pairs in Russia with his previous partner for several years, but had never competed internationally. Kawaguchi and Markuntsov have now skated together for 14 months and train at the Ice House in Hackensack, New Jersey with Igor Moskvin serving as their main coach. They are the current Japanese Junior Champions. Kawaguchi and Markuntsov are looking forward to the Japanese Nationals and hope to compete at both the major junior and senior events this season, including the 2001 World Championships in Vancouver.

Weiss injured

Two-time U.S. National Champion and World Bronze Medalist Michael Weiss was diagnosed with a stress fracture on the third metacarpal of his left foot yesterday. The injury will keep Weiss off the ice for two-to-six weeks. "My foot has been bothering me for a few weeks, so I went to my doctor. The x-rays showed that continuous pounding on my foot has caused a stress fracture," said Weiss.

Barbara got married with her longtime boyfriend Diego Cattani (24 Giugno 2000)

Barbara Fusar Poli got married with her boyfriend Diego Cattani Saturday 24 Giugno in Sesto San Giovanni (Milan). The marriage has been followed by a banquet lasted for more then 7 hours. At the marriage partecipate friends and skaters who trains with Barbara, but also fans came even from Japan. At the exit of the church was also the President of ISU Ottavio Cinquanta who, togheter with other Italian dance judges, showed a 6.0 for the new couple! Read the complete report.

More problems for Yagudin

It seems impossible for the young World Cahmpion to spend a quiet summer, after last turbolent summer, he has now new problems with his federation: Tatiana Tarasova, his coach, accused the Russian Federation of trying to sabotage Aleksei's summer training. It seems that Aleksei can't find free training hours in the russian skating rink where he is supposed to train some weeks this summer. Pyseiev, president of russian federation, answered to Tarasova: "The fact is that Tarasova is in America and she let us now her needs at the last minute so we are not able to arrange anything". Let's see what else can happen now, not forgetting that Aleksei said some months ago that he could deecide to ask for USA citizenship!

Battle of Gladiators...

After Elvis Stojko also Aleksander Abt and Aleksei Yagudin siad that their new free program will be skated to the soundtrack of "Gladiator".

Obertas and Palamarchuk split

The Ukrain couple announced the end of their partnership. Yulia Obertas said she will skate for Russia.

Kostomarov and Navka: new ice dance couple for Russia

Tatiana Navka, girlfriend of Sasha Zhulin, will restart skating with her former partner Roman Kostomarov . The new couple will be trained by Zhulin.

Marriage for Drobiazko/Vanagas

The Lituan dance couple (bronze medal at European and World Championships) got married with an intimate marriage this month. Congratulations!

Anissina and Peizerat working again with Dean

Christopher Dean, olympic champion, is working on the new free program of the French couple.

Krylova and Ovsiannikov maybe pro

It seems likely that the russian couple will start a pro carreer in the next months.

Fusar Poli and Margaglio already at work with Tatiana Tarasova

The Italian couple doesn't want to lose any time. Though the competitive season is just ended Barbara and Maurizio are already training with their coach Tatiana Tarasova who came to Italy the last week of May, in order to develope the new free program of the couple in collaboration with the italian coaches Roberto Pellizzola and Paola Mezzadri. The two skaters from Milan show with this new and powerful program their determination and desire to fight their battle with the French couple, recently crowned World Champions, in order to conquer the crown next season.

Elvis "the Gladiator" will stay amatour

Elvis Stojko will compet as amatour for the next two season in order to partecipate to Olympic Games of 2002. Rumors suggest that his music for next season could be "The Galdiator" by Ridley Scott.

Senior Grand Prix 2000 Unofficial Competitor Listing

Click here to discover who will skate where! (list is subject to changes).

Proposed ISU changes

International Skating Union Congress holds its biennial meeting in Quebec, Canada in June, member federations will be considering an agenda of more than 600 proposed changes to the rules governing figure and speed skating. Here some of them:

KRYLOVA'S BACK AND FORTH

Only few days ago Anjelica Krylova said to America Press she was going to retire (read full article here) . Today Russian Press published an unexpected news: not only Krylova will remain elegible next here but she has also left her long time coach. Krylova said, "True, while we were in America, Oleg and I issued a press release about our retirement caused by my injury. The situation changed after we came back to Russia. We are staying." Last several months, Krylova was undergoing treatment in Russia and admitted that she felt better. Anjelica assumed "Maybe it's because while I stayed in the Moscow suburbs hospital, I did not a big training load for a really long time. The pain left me, so Oleg and I decided to start training again soon. We will still skate eligibly. It's not the time to turn pro yet." Now, Krylova is in Moscow. She is being consulted by doctors who will help her to recover fully and by coaches who agreeing to work with her and Ovsiannikov. That's a real sensation: best Russian dancers left Natalia Linichuk. Angelica confirmed that in the phone conversation:"This is our well thought final decision. I don't know yet who will manage a continuation of our career. This will become clear in two weeks."

RUDY GALINDO HIV POSITIVE

Rudy Galindo, 30, the 1996 U.S. National figure skating champion and World bronze medalist announced he was HIV-positive in an interview with USA Today earlier this week. Galindo said he was diagnosed with HIV on March 2, while being treated for pneumonia. He tried to compete at the Goodwill Games but withdrew midway through the competition. "People always think that it can't happen to them, but it can," he said. "I didn't want to hide this illness. I didn't want to live a lie. I've always wanted to be truthful." Galindo, who is openly gay, lost his brother George and two coaches [Jim Hulick & Rick Inglesi] to AIDS. Currently he is taking three medications to combat the HIV and is expected to appear on the John Hancock's Champions On Ice tour, which opened Thursday in Baltimore.

A BABY BORN IN NICE

Philippe Candeloro became a proud papa when his wife, Olivia, delivered a baby girl, Luna-Nizza on March 29, 2000 in Nice, France. Candeloro is expected to join the John Hancock's Champions On Ice tour soon. Also expecting a little bundle of joy in early fall are skaters Jill Trenary, Susie Wynne and Isabelle Brasseur.

BEREZHNAYA LOOSE TITLE

Elena Berezhnaya of Russia (Figure Skating, Pairs) tested positive for prohibited substances (in the category of stimulants) at recent ISU Championships. The samples were respectively taken from the Skaters at the 2000 European Figure Skating Championships in Vienna, and at the 2000 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Osaka. The skater confirmed in writing that the positive test was related to medications they had taken inadvertently. In addition the Federation withdrew the pairs Elena Berezhnaya/Anton Sikharulidze (RUS) from the 2000 World Figure Skating Championships. At its meeting in Nice, France on April 3, 2000, the council of the International Skating Union (ISU) took into consideration the cooperation of the skater and of her national federation, and decided upon the following sanctions: Elena Berezhnaya (RUS) suspended from February 9, 2000 to May 8, 2000. The couple is excluded from the results of the Championships and their placements, prize money as well as the European title and medal are withdrawn. The official protocols of the 2000 European Figure Skating Championships, and of the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships will be updated by moving up one position all competitors ranked below the sanctioned Skaters. The Council also decided that, in these cases, the ISU suspension will not apply to ice shows or exhibitions.

BAIUL SOON IN TOP FORM

It's a time of rebuilding for 1994 Olympic Women's gold medalist Oksana Baiul as she fights to get herself back into top form. She strives to combine intense training with a positive mental outlook while preparing for the fans who await her. "I like to perform; It's my personality," Baiul stated. "I like to give." She said her perspective has been slowly evolving since she got clean and sober (following a stint in rehab for alcoholism), in 1998. "Even a year ago, I was so burned out. I didn't even begin to see a clear picture around me," she explained. "It took a lot of work, a lot of days. But I like to fight." Baiul said she began to regain her momentum during the 1999 Champions on Ice winter tour. "I realized how much I loved skating," she recounted. To enhance her performance, she does her best to take good care of herself. "I eat normally; I try to stay more with protein," she said about her diet. "I like to stay away from white sugar, and I eat fruits. If I do drink some juices, I try to stay away from chemicals. I avoid diet sodas and those types of things. And I do try to stay away from chocolate - I love it, but I have to stay away from it." The skater also attends to her skin, by sleeping eight hours a night, drinking a lot of water, and maintaining a good skin-care regime. And after her daily run, it's off to the ice, for practice. "I find it easier now to stay in shape," Baiul said. "Maybe it's because I'm a crazy person who likes to work on herself all the time. At this point, I have so much experience. Everything that I had years ago, it's just helping right now."

A NEW KIND OF PARTNERSHIP

Former World Ice Dance Champion Alexander "Sasha" Zhulin (who skated with Maya Usova) and his longtime girlfriend, Tatiana Navka, have formed an on-ice partnership ­ but not as skaters. Following Navka's decision to end her competitive career (she last skated to a 12th-place finish at 1999 Worlds, with Roman Kostomarov), the couple moved to New Jersey, where they have begun their new collaboration. "Now it's time to change," said Zhulin. "The skating chapter is over for both of us. Now we try to create another chapter in our lives: It is the coaching and choreography chapter." They have already created the Latin original dance for 1999 U.S. Ice Dance pewter medalists Beata Handra & Charles Sinek. "We create like partners. It was so nice, so interesting, and so fast," Zhulin marveled. "It's very easy to work together," related Navka. "Sasha makes something, and I look at this from the other side." As time goes on, Zhulin, 36, and Navka, 25, hope to develop an ice-dance school. "Sasha knows so much about skating," said Navka. "It's our dream to make a dance school in the future." "Of course, we understand it takes time," Zhulin acknowledged. "We feel really positive about the future, and we really want to work together. We will create something together.". The couple also have another collaboration in progress: Navka is expecting their first child, in April.

ROBBIE WILLIAMS ON ICE

Ice skating has entered the pop music scene with the help one of the UK's hottest pop stars, Robbie Williams. The singer will be taking to the ice, for the video of his recent hit song "She's the One." The video depicts Williams as a skating coach, but when his pupil (played by senior ice dancer Jonathon O'Dougherty) gets injured before a championship, Williams decides to team with his pupil's partner, the Holly Hambrook (played by O'Dougherty's real life partner, Pamela O'Connor), himself. The couple go on to win the event, receiving a 6.1 from the British judge, with commentary by the BBC's Barry Davies. The routine ­ that combines ice dance with a double axel and a back flip ­ incorporates elements that skating enthusiasts can identify and others will be entertained by.

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