Isabeau Levito delivers for her psyche, U.S. figure skating with world champs silver medal
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
4d ago
Isabeau Levito’s stunned disbelief after her silver medal-winning free skate at the World Championships. (NBC photo) MONTREAL — Isabeau Levito’s first world championships medal could not have come at a better time for herself and for U.S. figure skating. When she took the ice Friday night, Levito needed to win a medal to give the U.S. women a third spot at the 2025 World Championships in Boston. And, after getting second in Wednesday’s short program, a medal would be the perfect way to rebuild Levito’s recently shaken confidence. “I had two goals for this world championships, getting on the p ..read more
Visit website
Madison Chock, Evan Bates lead ice dance at worlds with brilliance years in the making
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
4d ago
Madison Chock and Evsn Bates winning the ryhthm dance at the World Championships MONTREAL – There is a moment late in their rhythm dance when a moving Madison Chock leaps into Evan Bates’ arms, and he immediately spins her up into a rotational lift at his shoulder level. It happens so smoothly and in less time than it will take you to read this paragraph, so you go back and watch over and over again to see how they can look so effortless and secure in a potentially dicey few seconds. “Evan is very good with his coordination,” Chock said. “He’s good at catching things, throwing things. I’m in ..read more
Visit website
Deanna Stellato-Dudek with a victory, and journey, for the ages (and aged) at figure skating worlds
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
4d ago
Maxime Deschamps , pairs partner Deanna Stellato-Dudek and their coaching team exult in the free skate scores that brought them gold. MONTREAL – Deanna Stellato-Dudek is now one for the ages. And for the aged — at least by the actuarial tables for figure skating careers. And maybe even for a film script. After all, she has already written two acts, one as a U.S. singles skater from suburban Chicago, the other who returned to the sport after a 16-year absence as a pairs’ skater now representing Canada. “It’s a dream come true,” Stellato-Dudek said in English after opening by speaking French to ..read more
Visit website
Ilia Malinin, Jason Brown overcome doubts to get to figure skate worlds, finish 3-4 in short program
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
6d ago
Ilia Malinin performing his short program earlier in the season. MONTREAL – Ilia Malinin may already be the greatest jumper of all time in figure skating, but judges still think he has a way to go in mastering the art of the sport before being considered one of the great skaters of all time. Or even the greatest of this time. In Thursday’s short program at the world championships, Malinin executed all his jumps with grace, power and apparent ease. But that wasn’t enough to compensate for the deficiencies on the program components (PCS) side that left him third to sparkling overall performance ..read more
Visit website
Women’s short program at figure skating worlds produces tears, thrills, spills
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
6d ago
Isabeau Levito unleashes her joy after a personal best short program MONTREAL - Isabeau Levito, the 2023 U.S. champion, was deservedly thrilled by finishing second with a near flawless performance and a personal best score. Her compatriot, new U.S. champion Amber Glenn, was shocked by an error that left her ninth. Belgium’s Leona Hendrickx was teary despite a dominant skate. And two-time defending world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan burst into a bemusedly goofy smile after two mistakes left her fourth, a whisker behind second. Such were the highs and lows of the world championships women’s ..read more
Visit website
A dazzling skate by Deanna Stellato-Dudek. a lady of a certain age. . .(and her partner, Maxime Deschamps)
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
6d ago
Deanna Stellato-Dudek and Maxime Deschamps erupt with joy after seeing their scores in the short program at the World Championships. (NBC photo) MONTREAL – Pairs’ skater Deanna Stellato-Dudek is the grande dame of competitive figure skating, trying to become, at age 40, the oldest skater to win a world title in any discipline in decades. “You know,” she said, “there’s no points in figure skating for being older.” She and her 32-year-old partner, Maxime Deschamps, got plenty of them Wednesday with the best short program performance of their three international competition seasons together. The ..read more
Visit website
Chock and Bates talk past, present future. Will it include 2026 Olympics?
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
6d ago
Madison Chock and Evsn Bates while winning fifth U.S. title. (U.S. Figure Skating photo) Theirs is a career noteworthy for its longevity and its achievements. Ice dancers Madison Chock, 31, and her soon-to-be husband, Evan Bates, 35, have filled their résumé with just about every medal possible during a skating partnership that began 13 seasons ago. Chock and Bates are the defending champions going into this week’s World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, where another medal of any color would be their fifth, making them the most decorated U.S. ice dance team ever at the world meet. Th ..read more
Visit website
Gracie Gold faces her traumatic past in stunningly candid memoir
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
1M ago
Gracie Gold in 2023 at her final U.S. Championships (Getty) It is tempting to see Gracie Gold’s story mainly as a compelling cautionary tale about the mental health risks of a sport in which the pursuit of excellence must start when athletes still are children. It is also tempting to see Gold’s story as sui generis, the result of a childhood, adolescence and young adulthood spent in a family whose dysfunction she describes with raw detail in the memoir, “OUTOFSHAPEWORTHLESSLOSER,’’ published Tuesday. Seeing it as only one or the other would be a simplistic reaction to a story so complex it re ..read more
Visit website
Chock and Bates skate through sickness to title in what may be last nationals dance
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
1M ago
Madison Chock and Evan Bates strike a pose while winning 5th U.s. title. (U.S. Figure Skating) COLUMBUS, Ohio — There is no more haunting question in life than, “What if?” The desire not to let it go unanswered played a significant part in why ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates competed in the free dance Saturday afternoon at the Prevagen U.S. Championships. Both had been sick for at least a day. Chock said it had felt like a 24-hour flu. How Bates felt was evident by the pallor of his face. They already have enough baubles to fill several trophy cases. Yet they were determined to try f ..read more
Visit website
Amber Glenn makes personal and social history despite flawed performance
Globetrotting by Philip Hersh
by Philip Hersh
1M ago
Amber Glenn acknowledges history she made by holding Progress Pride flag. (Courtesy Matthew Stockman) COLUMBUS, Ohio — When eventual winner Amber Glenn finished her free skate, she was crestfallen, her head bowed, her eyes downcast as she kneeled on the ice. When defending champion Isabeau Levito finished her free skate a few minutes later, she was despondent, her hands covering her face as she kneeled on the ice. Rarely has a national championship had such a deflating ending, even if Glenn’s triumph after years of struggles deserves to be celebrated. “It wasn’t exactly how I wanted to get my ..read more
Visit website

Follow Globetrotting by Philip Hersh on FeedSpot

Continue with Google
Continue with Apple
OR