Gold for Hinzmann/Parchem and Bronze for Toland At Nebelhorn
by Ljuba Kabzan, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online |
| Marcy Hinzmann and Aaron Parchem File photo by Paul Harvath |
Event Results and Backstage Photos
(9/3/04) - The great start for Team USA at the 2004 Nebelhorn Trophy continued Friday in Oberstdorf, Germany. Marcy Hinzmann & Aaron Parchem won the pairs gold medal, Christopher Toland won bronze in men's, Louann Donovan won the ladies short program, and Lydia Manon & Ryan O'Meara won the original dance.
Pairs Free Skate
Hinzmann and Parchem won their first international gold medal by continuing their good showing at the Nebelhorn Trophy. The pair, in only their second year together, collected 146.44 points overall. One of their program highlights was a very creative entrance to the death spiral.
"It's something we just kind of messed around with," Hinzmann said. "Aaron is so flexible; we figured if he lifts his leg up I could get underneath it."
On choosing the flamenco music for the free skate, Parchem said: "It's a collaboration between me and Marcy and our coaches."
"We thought this music would play off our presentation and style very well," Hinzmann said.
The U.S. team of Amanda Evora and Mark Ladwig, third after the short program, risked a lot in the free skate but had some mistakes. They came in fifth overall with 128.50 points.
"For our next competition - the U.S. sectionals - we've got to work on our jumps and concentrate on continuing to improve on our good points like our death spirals and the side-by-side spins," Ladwig said.
Pascale Bergeron and Robert Davison of Canada finished second with 136.87 points, and third were Aliona Savchenko and Robin Davison from Germany with 135.40 points.
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| Christopher Toland File photo by Paul Harvath |
Skating for the first time as a senior in a major competition, American Christopher Toland showed solid jumps and fast spins to win the bronze in the men's event with 162.01 points. He jumped up from fifth after the short. In fact, other than the first position which remained the same after the short, the standings in the men's free skate showed that the new judging system makes it anyone's game. Toland was pleased with his senior international debut.
"It was the first time I've done a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination in a competition," he said. "I'm happy to skate with all these guys that I've seen before so many times."
Short program leader Marc-Andre Craig of Canada won with 187.37 points followed by Russian Alexander Kondakov with 167.82 points. Kondakov was actually ninth after the short program, but the new judging system allowed him to move up with a good free skate.
Derrick Delmore, third after the short program, did not have as much luck.
"Since I didn't get off to the start I wanted to, I think that made me think a little too much about things I needed to do, especially with the new judging system," he said. "I need to get used to the new judging system."
Delmore finished sixth with 157.84 points.
Braden Overett, meanwhile, had problems with his triple Axel. Everybody could see that he normally can land this jump very well because he completed the rotation and jumped very high.
"It was a little swinging," he said. "I stepped out of it."
He finished seventh overall with 156.33 points but had the fifth-best free skate.
Ladies Short ProgramIt was Louann Donovan of Team USA who had the cleanest program in the first segment of the ladies event, collecting 50.95 points to win the short program. That was enough to stay ahead of Finland's Alisa Drei, who scored 49.65. Drei, who fell on the triple Lutz, was seventh at the 2004 European Championships.
Donovan's technically demanding jumps were terrific, especially the triple Lutz-double toe combination.
"I just attacked my jumps and that paid off," she said. "I had really nice and solid landings. Since last year I've improved a lot of my overall skating."
American Alissa Czisny, the winner of last month's U.S. Collegiate Championships, is fourth after the short program with 44.64 points.
Her sideways leaning spin and the spiral step sequence fascinated the audience.
"It was a pretty good program for me," she said.
In third place is Lesley Hawker from Canada with 46.36 points.
Original DanceAmericans Lydia Manon and Ryan O'Meara moved up to first place overall after the original dance with 50.77 points in the segment. They had deep edges in their difficult steps to “Ain't No Sunshine” and “Sing Sing Sing." It was enough to move ahead of Poland's Alexandra Kauc and Michal Zych. Kauc and Zych scored 47.37.
Last year, Manon and O'Meara were the first couple to skate under the new judging system (at Nebelhorn) and didn't know how to handle the new system.
"We understand it more now," Manon said. "But it's still not totally clear."
"I think we understand now more about the rules, what the levels are and how to get extra points," O'Meara said..
Canadians Martine Patinaude and Pascal Denis are in third after scoring 43.62 points in the original dance.
