Cat's Lair 2001 Skate America Diary

Oct. 25 - 28, 2001

Cover Page

25-Oct-2001

Day 1

• Pairs Short
• Ladies Short

26-Oct-2001

Day 2

• Mens Short

27-Oct-2001

Day 3

• Pairs Free

28-Oct-2001

Ladies Free

Ladies Short Program

I didn't take any notes for the first flight. Michelle is going through a crisis, how can you expect me to possibly take notes at a time like this? So I am working from memory for the first flight.

Julia Sebesteyn

She skated a very nice, clean program. Her lutz had great height, wow. And she was just thrilled after she skated with a big ol grin on her face. I think she was underscored, but skating first will do that to a girl.

Sarah Hughes

Sarah popped the loop of her lutz/loop combo. She also wobbled a bit on the back spiral that ends her spiral sequence. She looked much more nervous than she usually does. This Olympic year madness must be getting to everyone. She has a new program to Ave Maria, very nice program, I like both her new programs this year.

Michelle Kwan

What can I say? It's Michelle, it's East of Eden, the perfect skater the perfect program, but not the perfect performance. She landed two great triple flips in warm up. But her toe went in sideways when she picked in for the flip and she had to pop it. The rest of the program was fine.

Shizuka Arakawa

Well she skated very well. Her jumps were clean, her spins were very pretty with lovely line. She has much better extension than I have seen from her previously and was much more graceful. All in all a lovely elegant program I enjoyed very much.

Elena Sokolova

She made several mistakes that I didn't write down and have forgotten.

Vanessa Guinichi

I assume this is the girl that Silvia Fontana has earned a trip to Salt Lake City for. How nice. Her jump out of steps was fine, but she popped whatever the combo was supposed to be. She had fast spins with pretty positions. Lots of graceful arm movements and expressive. Her straight line footwork was slow.

Viktoria Volchkova

Skated to Moonlight Sonata. She needs more connecting steps between her elements. Her lutz combo was wobbly she might have put her hand down I couldn't tell. Other elements were fine.

Sasha Cohen

She two footed the triple lutz and then popped the toe in the combo. The flip and axel were fine, but her flying sit spin wobbled and almost toppled. She is a lovely, graceful skater but she is being held up here for no apparent reason.

Mikkeline Kierkrgaard

Sigh when good songs happen to skaters I just love. She is the most musical, graceful and expressive skater not named Kwan on the ice, but this short to "Light My Fire" is terrible. The music is just that one refrain, over and over again. Very sad, because I love her skating (I saw her free skate it is wonderful.) Anyway she put her hand down on a triple loop and didn't manage to turn it into a combo. Triple out of steps was fine and so was her axel. Stunningly beautiful back. Her camel spin is gorgeous so straight you could use it as a ruler.

Utako Wakamatsu

She is very graceful and has very pretty positions in her spins. Alas the jumps were not there. Popped the sal out of steps and did a pop lutz/double toe combo.

Jennifer Robinson

She skated beautifully. A fun, flirty, very expressive program. She skated clean as far as I could tell, I think she may have two footed the flip, but I am not sure. Still I think she was seriously robbed, she should at least have been in the top three. I saw her practicing her free skate, which is a beautiful, classical program. She told me that she is getting married in September, and her free skate is about her wedding. Congratulations Jennifer! I hope the judges are fairer to you in the rest of the season.