Paris (AFP) – The long-running rivalry between South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na and Japan’s Mao Asada is set to spice up the women’s figure skating competition at the Olympic Winter Games. The fact that world champion Kim has dominated the season so far and Asada, the 2008 world champion, has struggled takes nothing away from the [...]
Sydney (AFP) – They may be world champion figure skaters, but Russia’s Oksana Domnina and Maxim Shabalin have “got it all wrong” when it comes to their “Aboriginal” dance routine, Australian experts said Friday. The Russian stars, favourites to win gold at next month’s Olympic Winter Games, wear dark skin-toned bodysuits complete with bright red [...]
PARIS (AFP) – Former world champion Brian Joubert’s preparations for the Winter Olympics were dealt a blow on Thursday when the French figure skater was forced to pull out of next month’s ISU Grand Prix final in Tokyo with a right foot injury. Joubert, who earlier this month won the NHK Trophy in Japan, suffered [...]
Paris (AFP) – Former world figure skating champion Brian Joubert is on the mend after undergoing foot surgery, his coach Laurent Depouilly said on Tuesday. Joubert, who last month won the NHK Trophy in Japan, suffered the injury in training a week ago and was forced out of the ISU Grand Prix final in Tokyo [...]
Tokyo (AFP) – Japan’s former world champion Mao Asada, returning to form with a fourth straight national title, is rekindling a hot rivalry with South Korea’s Kim Yu-Na ahead of their Olympic debut. Asada nailed her trademark triple axel in the free skate to triumph at the Japanese championships on Sunday, prompting a nationwide sigh [...]
London (AFP) – Five-time defending champion Joannie Rochette settled for second place behind Cynthia Phaneuf after the women’s short programme on Friday at the Canadian Figure Skating Championships. Phaneuf, skating just ahead of Rochette in the final two routines of the last group, received scores of 66.30 points from judges while Rochette scored 64.15 to [...]
Paris (AFP) – Defending champion Yevgeny Plushenko has been lured out of retirement by the dream of a second Olympic gold but the pretenders will be lining up to take the Russian’s crown in Vancouver. In Turin four years ago Plushenko blew away the opposition to claim his first Olympic title after winning silver in [...]
London (AFP) – World silver medallist Patrick Chan’s anticipated dream of an Olympic season, had not been exactly that ahead of the Canadian Figure Skating Championships held here this past week. He dealt with illness, injury, a disastrous competitive debut at Skate Canada and, just days before he headed to nationals last week, the resignation [...]
Spokane (AFP) – Jeremy Abbott defended his men’s title at the US Figure Skating Championships and clinched a berth in the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games by winning the free skate Sunday. The 24-year-old Abbott breezed to victory with a overall score of 263.66 points to finish well ahead of 2009 World Champion Evan [...]
Spokane (AFP) – Jeremy Abbott defended his men’s title at the US Figure Skating Championships and clinched a berth in the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympic Winter Games by winning the free skate Sunday. The 24-year-old Abbott breezed to victory with a overall score of 263.66 points to finish well ahead of 2009 World Champion Evan [...]
