{"id":13395,"date":"2017-09-11T18:08:24","date_gmt":"2017-09-11T22:08:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/?p=13395"},"modified":"2018-05-13T14:55:03","modified_gmt":"2018-05-13T18:55:03","slug":"ice-dance-observer-september-11-2017","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/ice-dance-observer-september-11-2017\/","title":{"rendered":"Ice Dance Observer: September 11, 2017"},"content":{"rendered":"

[et_pb_section bb_built=”1″][et_pb_row][et_pb_column type=”2_3″][et_pb_text admin_label=”JGP” _builder_version=”3.0.73″ background_layout=”light” text_orientation=”left” border_style=”solid”]<\/p>\n

JGP RIGA RECAP: THE PODIUM VIEW FROM THE BLACK SEA<\/strong><\/h3>\n

by Anne Calder\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n

The Russians and Americans shared the podium at the third JGP event of the season. Sofia Shevchenko & Igor Eremenko (RUS) took gold, followed by Anastasia Shpilevaya & Grigory Smirnov (RUS) with silver. Caroline Green & Gordon Green (USA) earned bronze.<\/p>\n

Short Dance: <\/strong>No team received two level 4 pattern marks \u2013 a first for the 2017 series. <\/strong>Several music and\/or choreography violations were noted in the protocols. None of the teams earned higher than level 2 on the not-touching step sequence.<\/p>\n

Russians Shpilevaya & Smirnov led their training mates, Shevchenko & Eremenko, by a slim 1.24 margin. The main difference was a higher first pattern mark earned by the leaders. Unfortunately, Americans Caroline & Gordon Green had a twizzle stumble that lost them base value and GOE points, but the personal best 52.82 score landed them in third place. Canada, Israel, and Ukraine rounded out the top six spots.<\/p>\n

Free Dance: <\/strong>Shevchenko & Eremenko vaulted into first place with an 82.04 dynamic dance to the instrumentals, \u201cHeart Cry\u201d by Drehz and \u201cLa Boulange\u201d by Yann Tiersen. The unique and innovative choreography was highlighted by a sit spin twizzle that traveled across the ice with amazing speed and scored 8.23. The lifts also earned level 4. The total was 140.91.<\/p>\n

Shpilevaya & Smirnov were unable to hold off their Russian teammates and slipped down to second place. The opening twizzle series was dropped to level 1, and an extended one-point lift deduction almost wiped out its 1.54 GOE score. Their Love Story<\/em> program scored 79.72 with beautiful balletic extensions that complemented the choreography. The total was 139.83.<\/p>\n

The Green siblings made their JGP debut with a bronze medal performance to \u201cPolovtsian Dances\u201d from the opera Prince Igor<\/em> and \u201cStrangers in Paradise\u201d performed by Sarah Brightman. The twizzles, lifts, and spin earned level 4. The segment (71.76) and total (124.58) were personal best scores.<\/p>\n

The Israelis, who skated back-to-back JGP events, surpassed their Austria Cup score by over six points and moved up to fourth place. Canada and Ukraine placed fifth and sixth.<\/p>\n

Featured JGP Riga Cup Video:<\/strong>\u00a0\u00a0<\/strong>Valerie Taillefer & Jason Chan<\/a>\u00a0<\/span>free dance (via ISU Youtube Channel)<\/p>\n

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NEW ON IDC<\/span><\/h4>\n

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