Tag Archive for: 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

How Judges Decide Who Takes Home Synchro Gold

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The four S’s – synchronization, spacing, speed and strength – were on championship display at the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships at FirstOntario Place in Hamilton, Ontario on Friday, April 10 and Saturday, April 11th. Relive the short and free program performances from the world’s premier synchronized skating teams, including the gold medal performances from Canada’s NEXXICE of Burlington, Ontario.

Read below to learn how the judges determined who deserved to take home the gold medal.

Synchronized Skating – The Secret Weapon

After slightly more than 30 years as an official discipline, synchronized skating is still relatively unknown outside the circle of skating. With the world’s best synchronized skating teams competing for the global title in Hamilton in April, the sport is quickly finding its place in the spotlight … and hopefully someday soon into the Olympic Games.

Skating fans have been so entrenched in the traditional disciplines of singles, pairs and ice dance that it has taken time for this fifth on-ice member of the skating family to gain recognition and credibility. Thanks in part to huge interest here at home, Canada has been a giant force in helping develop synchronized skating and bringing it to the international stage.

So what exactly is “synchro” and how does it differ from the other forms of skating we already know and love?

Think team skating.

With teams of eight to twenty skaters on the ice performing fast-paced and intricate moves side-by-side at the same time, the sport requires nerves of steel, adaptability, control, confidence and teamwork. Just like in other skating disciplines, speed, power, edge work, skating skills and choreography are important but so are additional technical elements like accuracy of formations (see below), transitions, and precision of movement within the team. Consider how difficult all those goals are to achieve with only two people on the ice in pairs and dance, then add in additional skaters and more hard stuff to do … and you’ll have a much clearer idea what the sport is all about, why it’s so difficult and why it’s growing in popularity around the world.

Many involved countries have their own version of a synchro program which starts with introducing young skaters to the experience and benefits of belonging to this specialized area of the sport. As part of a team, every skater can enjoy the thrill of competition and the success that comes from participating. But be warned! Like skating anywhere, once the synchro bug gets hold, what may start out simply as wanting to learn to skate for fun can become seriously competitive!

To attract members, Canada’s synchro program starts early through a gamut of stages of expertise, Beginner through various levels to Junior, Senior and Adult, each one based to some extent on age and ability. Teams may form merely for fun and recreation, like for an appearance in an ice show, or they may take a more serious route with competitive goals, auditions, fund-raising, long-range commitment and extensive training on and off the ice.

To align high level synchro competition with other skating events, junior and senior teams must compete in short and free programs, each with required elements to ensure a well-balanced program. Performances are judged using the International Judging System where the Technical Score is based on the difficulty of the element and the quality of its execution, and the Program Components score reflecting the quality of skating skills, performance, choreography, transitions and musical interpretation.

Sound familiar?

As similar as the structure of these events may be to traditional competition, you won’t see triple jumps or complicated spins during synchro … or at least not yet. Although these elements will likely come to the sport eventually, what you will see today is some of the most technically demanding skating and creative choreography on the planet.

In synchro, keeping in mind that every element should be skated in unison with speed, power and control and with maximum ice coverage, here are the basic formations to look for.

Line: one line, parallel lines or diagonal lines

Block: a rectangular formation with a minimum of three parallel lines covering the length of the ice with lines close together and skaters evenly spaced

Circle: a consistently round shape rotating for at least 360°, skaters evenly spaced with no pulling or tugging between individuals

Spin: solo spins performed in unison with a minimum of 3 revolutions

Intersection: one half of the team intersects individually with the other half

Wheel: formation must rotate at least 360° where all skaters rotate around a common point, like spokes of a wheel

Group Lift: two or more skaters will lift one or more skaters to any height and set them back down

Creative: innovative movements, free skating elements or moves that reflect the music, performed individually, as pairs or as groups

Moves: a flowing sequence of at least 3 different skating movements, e.g. spirals, Bauers, spread eagles, etc. skated with strong edges and linking steps

No Holds: similar to a block formation except the skaters are not connected – team must hold the block of 4 or 5 lines and maintain spacing while skating turns and linking steps in unison over the entire length/diagonal of the ice surface

The first step to enjoying synchro is being able to ID the above formations. Once you have a taste for those, next you’ll want to ask yourself the following questions to determine the quality and difficulty of the move.

  • Is every skater doing exactly the same thing during formations?
  • Are skaters close together and equidistant from one another? (Closer is much harder!)
  • Do elements appear easy and comfortable without pushing or pulling (tension) between skaters?
  • Are the formations clear and accurate?
  • Are they held for the required amount of time or ice coverage?
  • Are the transitions between moves seamless?
  • Are lines straight?
  • Is the performance skated smoothly and with confidence?
  • Has any element been made more difficult by the addition of footwork, changes of direction, pivoting or by choreography that makes the element harder to skate well or the formation harder to hold?

There you go … now you have the basics.

While the athletes test their skills … with these guidelines … now you can test yours too.

Synchro’s 2018 Olympic Dream

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Although it’s generally recognized that Synchronized Skating got its start in the United States, it wasn’t long before Canada hopped on board too. Now the sport is promoted around the world with 20 countries represented at this year’s ISU World Championships hosted by Canada this month in Hamilton, Ontario.

Making history has always been a significant part of the sport’s motivation. And now, after more than 20 years of work by the ISU Synchronized Skating Technical Committees (SySTC) and participants in the sport, there’s a glow around Synchro (SyS) that is definitely of Olympic proportion.

Canada’s Cathy Dalton, an internationally acclaimed Synchro coach and expert, has been involved in the sport from its beginning.

“Being in the Olympic Games was a dream at first,” admits Cathy, “but with all the chairmen of the SyS Technical Committee working tirelessly towards this Olympic goal, Marie Lundmark (Finland), Leon Lurje (Sweden), Uli Linder (Switzerland) and Chris Buchanan (Great Britain), we all became huge believers that Synchro had a place in the Olympic Games.”

Finland’s Marie Lundmark is the current Chair of the SySTC. “I was on the SySTC from the beginning in 1994 when our first goal was to build the sport to hold the Synchronized Skating World Championships which we did in 2000 in Minneapolis. Of course, with that success, it opened the door to talk about the possibility of Synchro becoming an Olympic discipline.”

In the Committee’s initial 4-year plan, a strategy was developed that would prepare the sport for its ultimate event. One step along that path to the Olympics was to have SyS included in the FISU Winter Universiade, a milestone accomplished in 2007. As the sport‘s popularity surged around the world, work continued in collaboration with the ISU to establish standards, requirements, ages of skaters, composition for SyS teams, event structure … all the details that would help the sport align with other Olympic events.

There was much work to do on and off the ice. Behind the scenes and deep into the synchro community, the prime directive was to build credibility for the discipline by promoting quality skating skills.

As a coach, Cathy was front-line. “Decisions were made that would improve the athleticism of the skaters, improve their skating quality, increase the difficulty of the elements and also further coaching development.”

Then in April 2011, another major step was taken.

“There was a Synchronized Skating Working Group meeting,” reflects Marie, “where together with the Council figure skating members, the SySTC, Peter Krick, Chair Sports Directorate and Krisztina Regöczy, Figure Skating Sports Director, we discussed making a formal application to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) by creating a proposal outlining the logistics of having SyS teams in the Games.“

It took three years of painstaking work when finally at the 2014 ISU Congress in Dublin, Ireland, the proposal was presented to the ISU and accepted by Congress. The next step undertaken by the ISU was to send an application to the IOC to have SyS recognized as an Olympic discipline with the goal to have it included in the 2018 Olympic Winter Games.

In July of 2014, in response, the ISU received an official acknowledgement from the IOC … with an accompanying application requesting detailed information about SyS, including questions about things like participant and event information, team composition, number of athletes, ticket sales, TV ratings and social media statistics.

Cathy was part of the application team. “It was hard work to find accurate statistics … but we did it! A brochure was developed for the IOC that summarized SyS and included wonderful photos, facts and videos.”

But the IOC’s investigation into SyS didn’t stop there.

In the summer of 2014, the IOC sent a team of observers to a top-notch SyS event, the French Cup, to report and make recommendations on the sport’s activities, the noisy and enthusiastic environment and the public’s response.

“The French Cup was a wonderful event for them to witness,” says Cathy. “The three people from the IOC were very astute and observant. They seemed to enjoy the event and liked many of the different teams and their routines. They took photos and video of the competition that would hopefully accompany their report to the IOC … and they certainly saw how the team sport of figure skating could bring a fresh new dynamic and new fans to the Olympic movement.”

Marie is optimistic that SyS fits beautifully into the Olympic model.

“The growth in popularity of this discipline among younger age groups with fans following their favorite teams has fuelled the rapid rise in popularity and participation among young people in the ISU Member federations spread over all five Continents. This sport showcases fast and dynamic, physically and technically demanding programs that have a very different appearance from the difficult performances shown in skating’s traditional disciplines.”

From the business side of the equation, Marie is quick to add, “Given the strong youth appeal of this sport and the strong social media following, we can see a tremendous upside in the development of branded content that has a strong base for sponsorship and for generating increased fan support.”

“The sport is ready!” boasts Cathy. “Many of the organizational details have been worked out for an Olympic event: schedule, location, doping, mix zone, accommodation and transportation. The teams are ready to go!”

For Marie Lundmark and many other SyS leaders and supporters, to receive IOC approval would be the final dramatic step in the sport’s evolution. “I think that from the beginning all who have been involved in Synchronized Skating (skaters, coaches, officials, and parents) have contributed to the development of this beautiful sport. We hope that our work and dreams will be appreciated.”

The IOC’s decision is pending.

Canada’s Nexxice crowned world champion in synchronized skating

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HAMILTON – Nexxice from Burlington, Ont., won the gold medal for Canada on Saturday at the 20-country ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships held before an impressive and patriotic crowd of 7,600 at the FirstOntario Centre.

It is Canada’s first world crown since 2009 when Nexxice also took gold.

The top-seeded Canadian team finished with 214.73 points performing to Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue. Finland won the free skate but added to their short program score Friday it wasn’t enough to catch the Canadians as they totalled 214.06. Russia won the bronze medal at 203.48.

Skating for Nexxice were Shannon Aikman-Jones, Maria Albanese, Ellicia Beaudoin, Emma Bonafiglia, Kelly Britten, Courtney Broadhurst, Lee Chandler, Alessia Chiovitti, Carla Coveart, Samantha Defino, Courtney Gray, Yu Hanamoto, Renata Khuzina, Victoria Kwan, Kristen Loritz, Nichole Manahan, Kerrin Caitlin McKinnon, Victoria Smith, Kiersten Tietz and Gillian Tyler.

‘’I don’t think it has sunk in that we are world champions,’’ said Lee Chandler. ‘’It was just a surreal experience with the crowd. In the end they really lifted us. This is a program we have been practicing since September and the girls came together today and performed it better than ever.’’

The second Canadian entry, les Suprêmes, from St-Léonard, Que., produced the fourth best free program to climb from seventh to sixth overall.

Skating for Les Suprêmes were: Elodie Marie Acheron, Audrey Bédard, Jessica Bernardo, Lou-Ann Bezeau-Tremblay, Joannie Brazeau, Sara Irma Corona, Alexandra Del Vecchio, Laurie Désilets, Jacqueline Hampshire, Maria-Victoria Langon, Clémence Léa Marduel, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, An-Kim Nguyen, Minh-Thu Tina Nguyen, Anne-Louise Normand, Geneviève Rougeau, Marina Rousseau, Laurra Olivia Sena, Claudia Sforzin and Yasuko Uchida.

‘’It was incredible, the crowd showed us so much love,’’ said Laura Désilets. ‘’We didn’t feel any added pressure being in Canada. We were really pleased with both our programs and we achieved our goals for this season.’’

This was the third time Canada has hosted the event in its 16 year history. Canada has now reached the podium in 11 of those 16 years.

Full results: 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

Burlington’s Nexxice first after short program at ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

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HAMILTON – Crowd favorites Nexxice from nearby Burlington, Ont., brought the house down Friday night at the FirstOntario Centre producing the top short program at the 20-country ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships.

Approximately 6,700 fans attended the event.

Nexxice, Canada’s top-ranked entry at the event, earned 71.06 points and are ahead of Finland in second at 70.39 and Sweden in third at 69.94. Skating to “MUD” by The Road Hammers Nexxice earned two level fours and three level threes in their performance..

Skating for Nexxice are Shannon Aikman-Jones, Maria Albanese, Ellicia Beaudoin, Emma Bonafiglia, Kelly Britten, Courtney Broadhurst, Lee Chandler, Alessia Chiovitti, Carla Coveart, Samantha Defino, Courtney Gray, Yu Hanamoto, Renata Khuzina, Victoria Kwan, Kristen Loritz, Nichole Manahan, Kerrin Caitlin McKinnon, Victoria Smith, Kiersten Tietz and Gillian Tyler.

‘’It was just electric out there, the crowd was fantastic,’’ said team member Kristen Loritz. We felt the energy as we stepped on the ice and carried with us until the finishing pass. We practice with simulated crowd noise all week and that helped the girls relax.’’

Nexxice are the nine-time consecutive Canadian champions and the only North American team to win the world championships (2009). They’ve won silver at the last three worlds.

Canada’s second entry, les Suprêmes from St-Léonard, Que., are in seventh spot. Skating for Les Suprêmes are: Elodie Marie Acheron, Audrey Bédard, Jessica Bernardo, Lou-Ann Bezeau-Tremblay, Joannie Brazeau, Sara Irma Corona, Alexandra Del Vecchio, Laurie Désilets, Jacqueline Hampshire, Maria-Victoria Langon, Clémence Léa Marduel, Agathe Sigrid Merlier, An-Kim Nguyen, Minh-Thu Tina Nguyen, Anne-Louise Normand, Geneviève Rougeau, Marina Rousseau, Laurra Olivia Sena, Claudia Sforzin and Yasuko Uchida.

Les Suprêmes have been runners-up at the past five nationals and were sixth at worlds in 2014.

This is the third time Canada has hosted the event in its 16 year history, with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events.

Full results: 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

World’s best teams in Hamilton for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: The top synchronized skating teams in the world will meet in Hamilton, Ont., this week for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships from April 10-11, at the FirstOntario Centre. Twenty-five teams from 20 ISU member nations will be competing for the world title.

Canada will send two teams; Nexxice, from the Burlington Skating Centre, and Les Suprêmes, from the CPA Saint-Léonard, who earned their entries to the world championships winning gold and silver respectively at 2015 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships earlier this season.

Representing the Burlington Skating Centre, Nexxice senior is the first Canadian entry. The nine-time consecutive Canadian champions are the only North American team to win the world championships, having done so in 2009. The three-time consecutive world silver medallists are coached by Shelley Simonton Barnett and Anne Schelter.

Canadian silver medallists Les Suprêmes, will be the second Canadian entry. Representing CPA Saint-Léonard, they are five-time consecutive Canadian silver medallists. Last year, Les Suprêmes placed sixth at this event. They are coached by Marilyn Langlois and Pascal Denis.

This will mark the third time Canada has hosted the event in its 16 year history, with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events.

Tickets are available and can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000, or in person at the FirstOntario Centre box office.

For results and full entries, please visit 2015synchroworlds.com or isu.org.

Jennifer Beauchamp-Crichton named as Athlete Ambassador for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

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Jennifer-Beauchamp-Crichton-2OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada has announced that Jennifer Beauchamp-Crichton, 33, of Burlington, Ont., will be the athlete ambassador for the upcoming 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Hamilton, Ont., from April 10-11 at the FirstOntario Centre.

Beauchamp-Crichton was the captain of the NEXXICE team that won gold at the 2009 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Croatia. She was captain of the NEXXICE senior team from 2000-2011, winning five Canadian championships (2007-2011) and three world medals (bronze 2007, 2008; gold 2009).

“We are thrilled to have Jennifer as our athlete ambassador in Hamilton. She is a true example of a champion and also what it is to skate for life. Her experience at this event as an athlete will certainly provide some insight on the rigorous demands of the sport and the dedication it takes to compete at this elite level,” said Dan Thompson, CEO, Skate Canada. “Canada is proud to be seen as a leader in synchronized skating, and as the sport continues to grow around the world our ambassadors like Jennifer will be there to push it forward.”

Since retiring from competitive skating after the 2010-2011 season, Beauchamp-Crichton has continued to be involved in the sport coaching the Nexxice novice and intermediate teams, and has recently become a mother.

“Representing the Canadian athletes as the athlete ambassador at the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships is an incredible honour. Having competed at six world championships I understand the determination, dedication and teamwork it takes to compete at this elite level,” said Beauchamp-Crichton. “Skating at the World Championships in London, Ontario, was one of my favourite moments as a skater and I am so thrilled that our amazing Canadian athletes will be able create these lasting memories in Hamilton. This is sure to be an exciting and memorable event for both the spectators and the athletes. I am truly looking forward to cheering on all the teams from near and far.”

As the athlete ambassador, Beauchamp-Crichton will be handling speaking engagements, media interviews, making appearances on behalf of the competing athletes, and making time for fans.

MEDIA AVAILABILITY

Beauchamp-Crichton will be available for in-person interviews on Thursday, March 26 at the

Appleby Ice Centre on rink four in Burlington, Ont., from 1:00 p.m. – 2:00 p.m. (ET). She will be joined by members of the Nexxice novice, intermediate, and junior teams.

Media are asked to RSVP to Emma Bowie, Communications Manager, at [email protected] or 613.747.1007 ext. 2547 (office) or 613.914.2607 (cell).

EVENT INFO

This will be the 16th edition of the championships with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events. Most recently, NEXXICE from the Burlington Skating Centre won the world silver medal at the 2014 championships held in Courmayeur, Italy.

Twenty-five teams from 20 different countries will participate in the event, with Canada having two entries, NEXXICE from the Burlington Skating Centre, and Les Suprêmes from CPA Saint-Léonard.

TICKETS

Tickets are available and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000, or in person at the FirstOntario Centre box office.

Skate Canada names teams for 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Hamilton, Ontario

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OTTAWA, ON: Skate Canada has selected two synchronized skating teams for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Hamilton, Ont., from April 10-11, 2015 at the FirstOntario Centre.

Nexxice, from the Burlington Skating Club, and Les Suprêmes, from the CPA Saint-Léonard, earned their entries to the world championships winning gold and silver respectively at 2015 Skate Canada Synchronized Skating Championships this past weekend in Quebec City, Que.

Representing the Burlington Skating Club, Nexxice senior earned the first Canadian entry to the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships winning their ninth consecutive Canadian title on Sunday. Nexxice is the only North American team to win the world championships, having won in 2009. The three-time consecutive world silver medallists are coached by Shelley Simonton Barnett and Anne Schelter.

Canadian silver medallists Les Suprêmes, will be the second entry. Representing CPA Saint-Léonard, they earned their fifth consecutive Canadian silver medal this past weekend in Quebec City. Les Suprêmes placed sixth at the 2014 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships. They are coached by Marilyn Langlois, assisted by Pascal Denis, Amélie Brochu, and Amanda Gaiotti.

This will be the 16th edition of the ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events. Twenty-five teams from 20 different countries are expected to participate in the event in Hamilton.

Tickets are available and can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000, or in person at the FirstOntario Centre box office.

Earlier this season, entries for the 2015 ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships in Zagreb, Croatia, from March 13-14, 2015, were determined at Skate Canada Central Ontario’s annual Winterfest competition. The 2015 Canadian gold medallists Les Suprêmes (junior) from CPA Saint-Léonard and 2015 Canadian silver medallists, Nexxice (junior), of the Burlington Skating Club earned the two entries for Canada.

All-event tickets: 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships

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OTTAWA, ON: All-event tickets for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships are now on sale Wednesday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The world championships will see the best synchronized skating teams in the world compete at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario from April 10-11, 2015.

All-event ticket packages for the two-day event will cost $100 for lower bowl seating and $75 for upper bowl seating, plus applicable surcharges. Tickets can be purchased online at www.ticketmaster.ca, by phone at 1-855-985-5000, or in person at the FirstOntario Centre box office.

This will be the 16th edition of the championships with Canada having won medals at 10 of those previous events. Most recently, NEXXICE from Burlington Skating Club won the world silver medal at the 2014 championships held in Courmayeur, Italy.

Twenty-five teams from 20 different countries are expected to participate in the event, with Canada having two entries.

Group ticket sales are still available, for anyone wishing to purchase a minimum of 15 group tickets. Contact Madeleine Wendland directly by email at [email protected] or by telephone at 905-546-4095 for details.

ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships in Hamilton Tickets to go on sale December 10th

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OTTAWA, ON:  All-event tickets for the 2015 ISU World Synchronized Skating Championships® will go on sale Wednesday, December 10 at 10:00 a.m. (ET). The event, which draws the best teams of skaters from around the world, will take place at the FirstOntario Centre in Hamilton, Ontario from April 10-11, 2015.

“This is like no other skating event in the world.  The athleticism and skill of 16 athletes skating together, combined with the most energetic and enthusiastic fans you will ever see, promises to raise the noise level to new heights at FirstOntario Centre,” said Dan Thompson, Chief Executive Officer, Skate Canada.

Twenty-five teams from 20 different countries are expected to participate in the event. Canada’s NEXXICE are the defending silver medalists and Les Suprêmes finished in sixth place at last year’s championships held in Courmayeur, Italy.

All-event ticket packages for the two-day event will cost $100 for lower bowl seating and $75 for upper bowl seating, plus applicable surcharges. Tickets can be purchased online at ticketmaster.ca,  by phone at 1.855.985.5000, or in person at the FirstOntario Centre box office.

Group Sales began November 12th, for anyone wishing to purchase a minimum of 15 group tickets. Contact Madeleine Wendland directly by email to [email protected] or by telephone at 905-546-4095 for group tickets.