ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating: Skate America Day Three
Skate America concluded Sunday in Everett, Washington with the Free Dance, the Ladies Free Skating and the Exhibition Gala. Skate America was the first of six events in the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series.
Ice Dancing, Free Dance
The Ice Dancing event concluded with the Free Dance. Isabelle Delobel/Olivier Schoenfelder danced to victory, edging out Tanith Belbin/Benjamin Agosto (USA) by just 1.11 points. Sinead Kerr/John Kerr (GBR) claimed the bronze medal.
Overnight leaders Delobel/Schoenfelder put out a lyrical dance to “The Great Gig in the Sky” by Pink Floyd, that was highlighted by their beautiful lifts including a curve lift in a low position and a rotational lift with him holding his partner first up than lowering her while turning. The steps were smooth, and the midline step sequence was graded a level three, whereas the circular footwork got a level two. The reigning World Champions earned 90.89 points (44.96 element score/46.9 program component score) and were ranked second in the Free Dance. Overall they held on to first place at 187.64 points. “We skated the best program so far this season.
The levels weren’t yet very good, we still have to improve the technique, but we knew when we came here that some steps and lifts aren’t yet ready”, Schoenfelder said. “But I think the feeling of the program is good and we felt pleasure skating it and we tried to give emotion to the audience. We first chose the way we want to skate our program this year, then after Marie France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon who worked with us for this program proposed maybe five different pieces of music. Then we tried to skate on the ice and this one was the best. We felt very good with it. It is a little more modern that what we have skated before”, he answered when asked about their music choice.
