{"id":3339,"date":"2015-09-23T01:10:58","date_gmt":"2015-09-23T05:10:58","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/2015\/09\/23\/hubbell-donohue-strike-gold-in-salt-lake-city\/"},"modified":"2017-09-17T21:01:16","modified_gmt":"2017-09-18T01:01:16","slug":"hubbell-donohue-strike-gold-in-salt-lake-city","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ice-dance.com\/site\/hubbell-donohue-strike-gold-in-salt-lake-city\/","title":{"rendered":"Hubbell & Donohue strike gold in Salt Lake City"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"15USIC-HD-3665\"by Anne Calder | Photos by Robin Ritoss<\/em><\/p>\n

The U.S. International Figure Skating Classic kicked off the 2015 ISU Challenger Series September 16-20 in Salt Lake City, UT, USA. Each event will count for the required Minimum Total Element Score (TES) needed for eligibility in ISU Figure Skating Championships. <\/p>\n

SHORT DANCE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (USA) won the short dance by a ten-point margin.  The mesmerizing performance to K.D. Lang\u2019s emotional \u201cHallelujah\u201d had a brief interruption when the skaters suddenly fell in unison at the end of their partial step sequence.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are upset about the fall\u2026it\u2019s unfortunate, but we made the best of it, Hubbell said.  “We didn\u2019t miss any elements, and we really hustled to get that lift back.  We didn\u2019t lose any levels.\u201d<\/p>\n

The Montreal-based team analyzed their first international competition of the season. <\/p>\n

\u201cThis event is just for us to find ourselves \u2013 to find our programs \u2013 to get more feedback,” Hubbell commented.  “We are pleased; we were trying to push ourselves to skate like at home and do what we know.”<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were focused on the performance,\u201d Donohue added.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n

Elisabeth Paradis & Francois-Xavier Ouellette (CAN) danced into second place skating to the vocals \u201cLost\u201d and \u201cKill\u201d by the Dutch singer, Anouk. The stationary lift earned level 4, but the partial step sequence scored a level 2. Paradis voiced the team\u2019s disappointment. <\/p>\n

\u201cWe did some errors we don\u2019t usually do,” Paradis said.  “We are very unhappy that we didn\u2019t get the minimum technical score to qualify for Worlds. Now we need to do it at Skate Canada, so we will work hard on those levels.\u201d <\/p>\n

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sorensen (DEN) placed third skating to \u201cNever Tear Us Apart\u201d by INXS. The team had a stumble in the opening twizzle, but the rotational lift earned a level 4. The team commented on their performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe didn\u2019t skate that well,” Fournier Beaudry said.  “I made a pretty bad mistake at the beginning, and I had a hard time coming back.  We were a little bit ahead of the music everywhere.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cThe program is only two weeks old. We were a little bit nervous, and it\u2019s only September 18,\u201d added Sorensen.<\/p>\n

Danielle Thomas & Daniel Eaton (USA) chose selections from Rogers and Hammerstein\u2019s Cinderella for their short dance. Their technical score was the second highest of the nine teams. Unfortunately, they received a one-point deduction for the extended rotational lift. The new team is working on both the skating and building a partnership.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve really worked hard since Lake Placid,\u201d Eaton noted.<\/p>\n

FREE DANCE<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

\"15USIC-4538\"The medalists sported jackets from the United States, Denmark, and Canada, but all three teams call Montreal, Quebec Canada home, where they train under the watchful eyes of Marie-France Dubreuil, Patrice Lauzon, Roman Haguenauer and Pascal Denis.<\/p>\n

After the award ceremony Coach Lauzon commented, “They (the teams) have worked very hard, and we are very happy the way the season is starting and hope we can have an even better rest of the season.”<\/p>\n

Madison Hubbell & Zachary Donohue (USA) won the gold medal with a dramatic free skate to \u201cAdagio for TRON\u201d by the electronic duo Daft Punk. The couple used every choreographed element to unveil the intended mood of fear and apprehension. The spin, twizzles and two lifts earned level 4. The team has high expectations for the coming season, so there is much work ahead.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are super happy to have put our first international assignment under our belt,” Hubbell said.  “Obviously we had some mistakes and some technical points were missing.  We can\u2019t wait to go home and keep working.\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re really shooting for the Final,” Donohue added.  “We really want the spot.  We\u2019re working long goal this year.  We\u2019re taking a building approach to the season. Hopefully you\u2019re going to see us going up and up.”<\/p>\n

Laurence Fournier Beaudry & Nikolaj Sorensen (DEN) won the silver medal with a performance to \u201cWoman\u201d by Shawn Phillips. A bobble on the twizzle lowered it to level 2, but the spin, stationary and straight line lifts were level 4. For the second time in two days, the team drew the last spot to skate. <\/p>\n

\u201dWhen we train at home, Patch (Lauzon) always makes us go first,” Sorensen said.  “We are not used to this position.  It is 40 minutes from the five-minute warm up. That\u2019s a long time.\u201d<\/p>\n

World Ice Dance Champion, Guillaume Cizeron, (FRA) designed Fournier Beaudry\u2019s costume for the program that she explained is about humanity.<\/p>\n

\"15USIC-3081\"\u201cThe beginning of our program is the discovery of man and woman put on earth and their own unity,” Fournier Beaudry said.  “As the program goes (on) they discover what they bring to each other and in order to make a union and bring something to this world.\u201d <\/p>\n

The couple is in their second competitive season together and is focusing on being a team.<\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s still early in the season, and we didn\u2019t know what to expect,” Sorensen added.  “Even with small mistakes we are trying to keep our focus together and stay in the zone.”<\/p>\n

Elizabeth Paradis & Francois-Xavier Ouellette (CAN) won bronze with an emotional interpretation of \u201cBridge Over Troubled Water\u201d by Simon and Garfunkel. The straight-line lift as Ouellette moved steadily across the ice on one foot was spectacular. The curve lift, spin and twizzles also earned level 4, but the team struggled with the circular step sequence.  Afterwards, the couple reacted to their performance.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe have no excuses (for the footwork); we just must continue to work harder every day,\u201d Ouellette insisted.<\/p>\n

\u201cSome stuff we wanted to achieve and we did,” Paradis said.  “We wanted to be on the music \u2013 be together \u2013 connect with the audience.  I think that worked well.”<\/p>\n

Alexandra Nazarova & Maxim NIkitin (UKR) placed fourth with a dramatic presentation of Mozart\u2019s Fantasia No. 3 in D-minor. The reigning World Junior bronze medalists earned level 4 for their spin and lifts.  An unfortunate error reduced the twizzles to level 1. <\/p>\n

Danielle Thomas & Daniel Eaton (USA) slipped to fifth place with an energetic free skate to a dynamic composition that melded an original piece by violinist Sonia Lee with Vittorio Monti\u2019s Hungarian folk song, \u201cCsardas\u201d.  The Michigan-based team earned level 4 for the three lifts, but unfortunate mistakes in other elements reduced their scores.  The event was a definite learning experience for the new team.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve only been together for six months,” Eaton said.  “This competition was really great for us. Now we have to go back to the drawing board with some of our key points and some of our elements.”<\/p>\n

The next Challenger Series event is the Nebelhorn Trophy in Oberstdorf, Germany September 24 \u2013 26.<\/p>\n


<\/p>\n

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