Kim back at No. 1; Davis, White move up too
Four Continents results affect this week's World Figure Skater Rankings
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| Yu-Na Kim's record-setting short program at Four C's helped her get back the No. 1 ranking. (Getty Images) |
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Yu-Na Kim, who was the week's only new No. 1, and Meryl Davis and Charlie White, who moved up three places to No. 3 overall in the dance standings, were the biggest beneficiaries from Four C's.
Ladies
Kim was the darling of the weekend in Vancouver. The 18-year-old is already welcomed in Canada because she trains in Toronto, but there were so many Korean fans at the Pacific Coliseum that you would have thought the event was in Seoul, where it was a year ago when she missed out because of injury.
The two-time world bronze medalist set the tone for the week early on. Her 72.24-point short program was not just a career-best, it set a new record as the highest score ever recorded by a lady under the International Judging System (IJS) in international competition. With a lead of more than five points over second place and a cushion of over 11 points over the rest of the field, Kim was in complete control. Even a third-place free skate earned her the gold medal.
The other ladies star was silver medalist Joannie Rochette, who skated very well in front of the home country fans.
1. Kim -- The Korean superstar is now the clear-cut favorite for gold at worlds. With IJS-record scores now in the short program and free skate, it is clear that when she is at her best, there is not another lady that can beat her.
2. Mao Asada -- The 18-year-old had a front row seat for Kim's brilliance in Vancouver. The two teens have been rivals for many years now, and the Japanese star knows what she's up against if she wants to re-claim the No. 1 ranking and defend her world title. What she cannot do is dig herself a hole in L.A. as she did in Vancouver with her sixth-place short program. Even her first-place free only brought her back to bronze-medal position.
3. Carolina Kostner
4. Rochette -- The five-time reigning Canadian champion had a lot of pressure skating in front of the home fans last week, and she came through beautifully. On a normal night, her 66.90-point short program would have put in her in solid position for gold (only Kim has posted higher scores than that this season). Based on recent results, the now 23-year-old is the clear frontrunner for the third medal spot at worlds behind Kim and Asada.
5. Laura Lepistö
6. Miki Ando
7. Yukari Nakano
8. Kimmie Meissner
9. Rachael Flatt -- The two-time reigning U.S. silver medalist finished only seventh last week at Four C's. Her programs were solid, but against such top competition she needed to provide something more memorable. Her finish was enough to hold her spot on this list.
10. Caroline Zhang -- The 15-year-old was the American star in Vancouver. Her 113.06-point free skate was the highest total in that segment by any American woman in international competition this year. It vaulted her up to a fourth-place finish and moved her up a place in these rankings. She will be the overwhelming favorite later this month at the 2009 World Junior Championships.
11. Sarah Meier
12. Fumie Suguri -- The Japanese veteran put herself in medal contention with a 60.18-point short program, but she dropped to sixth overall and stayed put in the rankings. Still, on account of her national silver medal, she's headed to worlds next month, where she is a threat to finish in the top five, if not higher.
13. Mirai Nagasu
14. Alissa Czisny -- The U.S. champion did not have the same magic in her skates in Vancouver as she did in Cleveland last month. However, her ninth-place finish still moved her up two places here, and it should give her valuable international experience heading into worlds, where she should get a boost performing in front of the home fans in L.A.
15. Susanna Pöykiö
16. Kiira Korpi
17. Akiko Suzuki -- The third Japanese skater at Four C's, she finished eighth overall and moved up two spots on this list. She was not at her best last week, and her performance there and her spot here do not accurately depict how well she's skated this season. Unfortunately, she will have a tough time moving higher on this list without a spot at worlds.
18. Ashley Wagner
19. Julia Sebestyen
20. Mira Leung
Men
What Kim was to the ladies event in Vancouver, Patrick Chan was to the men's competition. His 88.90-point short program was not an IJS record, but it was the highest score by any man this season (the only man to ever eclipse that number is Evgeni Plushenko, who earned 90.66 at the 2006 Olympics).
Chan embraced the opportunity to skate in front of fans in his home country, and he can only hope that he performs as well in the same rink next year, when he will try to become the first Canadian man to ever win Olympic gold.
Evan Lysacek had a resurgence in Vancouver, skating as well as he has all year and showing that he still must be considered a threat at the world championships.
1. Brian Joubert
2. Chan -- The two-time reigning Canadian champ stayed put in the rankings, but he got much closer to Joubert. A gold medal at worlds will certainly put him on top of this list at the end of the season. He might even be the favorite at that event; his short program, free skate and total scores at Four Continents were the highest by any man all season.
3. Jeremy Abbott -- The U.S. champion did not skate nearly his best in Vancouver, and his fifth-place finish had to be a disappointment. He still moved up a spot in this list, though, and he can look forward to skating in front of a U.S. crowd at worlds, where he is a certain contender for a medal. Not counting Chan, he still has the highest total score of anyone in the 2008-09 season.
4. Daisuke Takahashi
5. Takahiko Kozuka -- The 19-year-old Japanese skater won the bronze at Four C's and moved up one spot on this list. Like Abbott, he did not skate his best in Vancouver, but he is poised to make a run at the podium at worlds.
6. Johnny Weir -- His scores from this year stack up with the other world-class skaters, and he deserves a spot at least this high in the rankings, but he is likely to keep dropping since he was left off the U.S. World Team.
7. Lysacek -- The 23-year-old bounced back in Vancouver after giving up his U.S. title just a couple weeks prior. His 237.15-point total score was the fourth-highest mark all season, and, after a two-year hiatus, he seems poised to return to the world podium in front of the hometown crowd in Los Angeles.
8. Tomas Verner
9. Kevin van der Perren
10. Alban Préaubert
11. Yannick Ponsero
12. Nobunari Oda -- The Japanese champion failed to reach the podium last week, but his fourth-place finish still moved him up three places on this list. He seems to have completed his return to form and should certainly be considered one the world's elite.
13. Sergei Voronov
14. Stephen Carriere
15. Adam Rippon
16. Brandon Mroz -- The young American, 18, skated well at Four Continents, considering the stage. His fifth-place short program kept him in contention for a medal. His free skate, however, was not of the same caliber, and he slipped to eighth overall, keeping him at this spot in the rankings.
17. Artem Borodulin
18. Samuel Contesti
19. Kristoffer Berntsson
20. Michal Brezina
Pairs
Qing Pang and Jian Tong of China were the best pair on the ice at Four Continents. They beat teammates Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang there and subsequently passed them on this list, moving into the No. 2 slot behind world champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy.
The other pair that thrived last week is Jessica Dubé and Bryce Davison of Canada. The reigning world bronze medalists had struggled at times this year, but they went head-to-head with the Chinese last week and came out fine, with a silver medal around their necks to boot.
1. Savchenko / Szolkowy
2. Pang / Tong -- The veteran Chinese duo defended its Four Continents title, moving up to a season-high in these rankings. The pair is now one of the favorites to reach the worlds podium, where they last stood in 2007.
3. Zhang / Zhang -- This Chinese couple, the younger of the two top national teams at 23 and 24, respectively, performed below their capabilities in Canada, dropping to the bronze medal. They are not far from their top form, which they showed in winning two Grand Prix gold medals last fall, but they have some work to do if they want to match their world silver medal from a year ago.
4. Yuko Kawaguchi / Alexander Smirnov
5. Dubé / Davison -- The Canadians were on their "A" game in Vancouver, and their scores certainly put them in a position where they should threaten to get on the worlds podium for the second year in a row.
6. Maria Mukhortova / Maxim Trankov
7. Keauna McLaughlin / Rockne Brubaker -- The two-time reigning U.S. champions were not at their best last week, finishing fifth overall with scores below their season highs. That said, they still moved up one spot and are looking forward to their first appearance at the senior world championships.
8. Tatiana Volosozhar / Stanislav Morozov
9. Lubov Iliushechkina / Nodari Maisuradze
10. Rena Inoue / John Baldwin -- After a solid short program, this American couple dropped to seventh overall after the free skate at Four Continents, their sixth appearance at the event. Unfortunately, barring injury, this was their last chance to gain significant points this season, since their national bronze medal put them outside the top two and thus kept them off the world team.
11. Meagan Duhamel / Craig Buntin -- This Canadian duo continues to rise up the rankings, gaining three spots this week after their fourth-place finish in Vancouver. Their free skate was not excellent, but their 62.08-point short program was pretty good. That kind of score certainly puts them in position to repeat their sixth-place result at worlds, if not improve on it.
12. Ksenia Krasilnikova / Konstantin Bezmaternikh
13. Adeline Canac / Maximin Coia
14. Stacey Kemp / David King
15. Yue Zhang / Lei Wang
16. Huibo Dong / Yiming Wu -- The Chinese champions were over-matched in Vancouver, but their ninth-place finish still advanced them four places on this list, showing the narrow gap among the pairs at this level.
17. Mylène Brodeur / John Mattatall -- This Canadian pair finished eighth at Four Continents, more than six points ahead of Dong and Wu, entering them on this list here, but perhaps showing that they should be higher.
18. Maria Sergejeva / Ilja Glebov
19. Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent
20. Anabelle Langlois / Cody Hay -- The 2008 Canadian champs have not competed in a year, and their status for worlds next month is still uncertain. If they cannot skate, Brodeur and Mattatall will be Canada's third team in L.A.
Ice Dancing
The dance competition at Four Continents ended up being a duel among friends. Davis and White won the free dance to take the gold just ahead of their training mates in Canton, Mich., Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir. The Canadian reigning world silver medalists won the compulsory and original dances but tired in the final program.
For Davis and White, it continued their breakout season and moved them up to a career-high No. 3 in the rankings. With Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto's health uncertain, the young team could be the United States' best chance at a dance medal in L.A.
In another tight race in Vancouver, Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates beat out their junior rivals from Canada, Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier, for the bronze medal. A year ago, these two teams finished 1-2 at the world junior championships -- Samuelson and Bates won then too -- and they are each now having very successful debut years at the senior level internationally.
1. Isabelle Delobel / Olivier Schoenfelder
2. Oksana Domnina / Maxim Shabalin
3. Davis / White -- At Four Continents, the young Americans posted the second-best free skate and total scores of the season, making it known that they plan on challenging for the podium at the world championships. Their gold medal last week raised them three places in the rankings.
4. Jana Khokhlova / Sergei Novitski
5. Belbin / Agosto
6. Federica Faiella / Massimo Scali
7. Virtue / Moir -- The Canadians skated very well in Vancouver. Their total score (191.81) was the third-best mark of the whole season; it just so happened that one of the better scores was posted the same week by Davis and White. Virtue seems to be recovering nicely from her shin surgery last October, and the couple should be fully rehabilitated by the world championships in March.
8. Nathalie Pechalat / Fabian Bourzat
9. Samuelson / Bates -- The U.S. silver medalists had a great week at Four C's, earning the bronze medal and moving up one spot on this list. The young couple -- 18 and 19, respectively -- have had a great first season at the senior level internationally and hope to continue it with a good showing at worlds.
10. Sinead Kerr / John Kerr
11. Crone / Poirier -- The Canadians lost a tough battle for bronze at Four Continents with Samuelson and Bates. Their fourth-place finish moved them up one place on this list. They can now prepare for their first appearance at senior worlds.
12. Anna Cappellini / Luca Lanotte
13. Pernelle Carron / Mathieu Jost
14. Kimberly Navarro / Brent Bommentre -- The third American team in Canada finished sixth. That result bumped them up three spots in the rankings, showing just how close the teams at this level are. Unless Belbin and Agosto withdraw, this duo will not make it back to the world championships after their debut appearance a year ago.
15. Madison Chock / Greg Zuerlein
16. Kristina Gorshkova / Vitali Butikov
17. Alexandra Zaretski / Roman Zaretski
18. Kaitlyn Weaver / Andrew Poje -- The Canadian couple placed fifth at Four Continents, nearly 17 points ahead of Navarro and Bommentre, and that result entered them into the rankings here and showed that they probably deserve to be a little higher.
19. Ekaterina Rubleva / Ivan Shefer
20. Anna Zadorozhniuk / Sergei Verbillo