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| 2000 International Figure Skating Challenge |
| Report From Binghamton, New York - April 11, 2000 | | By Mary Lally
(Scores and jumps identified by Diane, thanks!) | USA | Points | The World | Points | | Todd Eldredge | 1 | Viktor Petrenko | 2 | | Kristi Yamaguchi | 2 | Katarina Witt | 1 | | Tim Goebel | 1 | Evgeni Plushenko | 2 | | Sarah Hughes | 1 | Surya Bonaly | 2 | | Michael Weiss | 1 | Elvis Stojko | 2 | | Michelle Kwan | 2 | Irina Slutskaya | 1 | | Total Points | 8 | | 10 | | Finals | 2nd | | 1st | This was a very quick event with only twelve competitors and one exhibition. I guess they didn't invite pairs and dance teams since ABC never seems to want to air them. The event opened with the introduction of each head-to-head match up. Todd and Viktor were introduced separately and then skated toward each to shake hands but actually bumped chests like wrestlers. After the introductions, the first group of skaters warmed up. Todd warmed up all the jumps he would be using in his program (3 Axel, 3 Lutz, 3 Loop, 3 Flip, 2 Axel, 2 Toe). Following Viktor's program, the flower girls gathered the flowers and left the ice. An object remained on the ice at the opposite end of the rink from Kiss and Cry and where Todd was warming up. The audience called up to bring the object to someone's attention. The flower girls had left the ice, so Todd skated over to retrieve the object and remove it from the ice. The announcer proclaimed, "ladies and gentlemen, you have just witnessed the world's highest paid flower sweeper." Despite a bad cold he got when he was in Nice for Worlds, Todd skated another wonderful performance of The Glory. He had a bit of trouble landing the 3 Axel but hung on for a clean landing. He also landed a 3 Lutz, and a 2 Axel. He upped the technical content by adding a 3 Flip-2 Toe combination. His spins were awesome especially the closing spin combination which is capable of bringing an audience to its feet. The judging at this event was bizarre to say the least. While I enjoy Viktor's Mambo No. 5 program, I didn't think it would be much competition for Todd's The Glory program. Viktor landed only 2 jumps with only one being a triple, a toe, and a double axel yet he received all 5.7s for technical content. Todd landed 4 triples including an axel with one in combination with a double toe and a double axel yet two judges only gave him a 5.8 for technical. What's that about? As for presentation, Todd deserved nothing less than 5.8s, yet two judges gave him 5.7s. Since Todd was finished skating early in the evening, he spent the remainder of the time sitting in Kiss and Cry watching the skating himself. Other skaters joined him at various times. At the conclusion of the event, it was announced that the International Team won. All the skaters were introduced again and skated out to the applause of the audience for a final lap around the arena and then it was over. Most of the skaters hopped back on the Champions on Ice tour bus to head to their next show in Long Island on Thursday. Here are the scores with some comments. I didn't take notes, so it's based on my hazy recollection. If you're looking for expert commentary, you won't find it here. <G>
| Viktor Petrenko - UKR | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | | Total | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | | Ordinals | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | Music | Mambo No. 5 | | Costume | Vest/pants and a cloth doll | | Notes | erstklassige Hotels in Katowice3 Toe and a 2 Axel | | | Todd Eldredge - USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.8 | | Total | 11.7 | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 11.6 | | Ordinal | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Music | The Glory | | Costume | Cream shirt, blue vest and pants. No doll | | Notes | 3 Loop, 3 Axel (held on), 3 Lutz, 3 Toe-2 Toe, 2 Axel | | | Kristi Yamaguchi - USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Total | 11.6 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 11.6 | | Ordinals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Music | Bridge Over Trouble Water | | Costume | White, long sleeve | | Notes | 3 Lutz, 2 Axel, 2 Axel, 3 Loop, 3 Toe | | | Katarina Witt - GER | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.6 | 5.6 | 5.4 | 5.6 | 5.4 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.5 | | Total | 11.4 | 11.5 | 11.3 | 11.3 | 10.9 | | Ordinals | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | Music | | | Costume | Black pants and top | | Notes | 2 Axel, 2 Flip, 2 Axel | | | Evgeny Plushenko - RUS | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | | Artistic | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Total | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.8 | 11.7 | 11.7 | | Ordinals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Music | Russian Folk Music | | Costume | White with gold trim | | Notes | hoteles Verona3 Lutz, 3 Axel, 3 Loop, 3 Flip?-2 Toe | | | Tim Goebel - USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.7 | | Total | 11.6 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 11.6 | 11.5 | | Ordinals | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | Music | American Pie | | Costume | Blue shirt, black pants | | Notes | 3 Toe, 3 Loop, 3 Flip (fell out), 3 ? (missed last jump) | | | ERROR MSGSurya Bonaly - FRA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.7 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.9 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | | Total | 11.5 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | 11.6 | | Ordinals | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Music | | | Costume | Multi color with sequins | | Notes | 2 Axel, 3 Toe-2 Toe, 3 Salchow (out of back flip with one foot landing), 3 Toe | | | Sarah Hughes - USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.7 | 5.7 | 5.7 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.7 | 5.6 | | Total | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.5 | 11.4 | 11.3 | | Ordinals | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | Music | The Prayer | | Costume | Pink sequin | | Notes | 2 Axel, 3 Flip, 3 Toe, 3 Loop | | | Elvis Stojko - CAN | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Total | 11.7 | 11.9 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.7 | | Ordinals | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | | Music | Cirque de Soleil | | Costume | Bright blue and black | | Notes | 3 Axel-2 Toe, 4 Toe, 3 Lutz, 2 Axel | | | Michael Weiss - USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Artistic | 5.8 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | 5.8 | | Total | 11.6 | 11.7 | 11.7 | 11.6 | 11.6 | | Ordinals | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | | Music | The Mission/The Lord's Prayer | | Costume | Brown pants, cream shirt with brown cross pattern on front and back | | Notes | 3 Lutz, 3 Axel (weird landing), 3 Toe?, 3 Salchow, 2 Axel | | | Michelle Kwan- USA | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | | Artistic | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 6.0 | 5.9 | | Total | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.8 | 11.9 | 11.8 | | Ordinals | 2 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | | Music | The World is Not Enough | | Costume | Black unitard with illusion fabric | | Notes | 1 Axel, 3 Lutz, 3 Salchow, 3 Toe (weird landing on 2 jumps) | | | Irina Slutskaya - RUS | | Judges | GER | CAN | RUS | ITA | USA | | Technical | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.9 | 5.8 | | Artistic | 6.0 | 5.8 | 6.0 | 5.9 | 5.7 | | Total | 11.9 | 11.7 | 11.9 | 11.8 | 11.5 | | Ordinals | 1 | 2 | 1 | 2 | 2 | | Music | | | Costume | | | Notes | 3 Lutz?, 2 Axel, 3 Loop | | | | Panel of Officials
Referee Joan Gruber USA
Assistant Referee Igor Obraztsov RUS
Judge 1 Sissy Krick GER
Judge 2 Benoit Lavoie CAN
Judge 3 Alla Shekhovtseva RUS
Judge 4 Fabio Bianchetti ITA
luxury hotels in Leipzig Judge 5 Lori Dunn USA
Substitute Anne Cammett USA
Accountant Carolyn Marker USA | | |
