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Post by Admin on Feb 10, 2016 1:17:57 GMT
The siblings have stood on the podium together every year that they've competed at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships. After 12 years of skating together and competing in multiple national and world events, the ice dance duo stood on Saturday as gold medalists for the first time, winning their first U.S. championship. Their free skate performance to Coldplay's "Fix You" helped catapult the siblings to first place, past defending champions Madison Chock and Evan Bates. But there won't be time for resting on laurels for the Shibutanis, who are known as the "Shib Sibs" by skating fans. Saturday's National Championships marked a halfway point for the 2015-2016 season. In February, the Shibutanis will compete at the Four Continents Championships in Taipei, and then in March at the World Championships in Boston. "Obviously being national champions is the culmination of a lot of work," Alex Shibutani, 24, told NBC News, "but there's a lot ahead of us on our schedule. So as much as we want to enjoy the moment, we're really looking forward to continuing with that momentum forward."
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Post by Admin on Feb 19, 2016 5:08:49 GMT
Fremont teen Karen Chen finished 12th out of 22 skaters Thursday in the short program at the prestigious Four Continents competition in Taiwan. Japanese skaters dominated the women's program, placing first, second and fourth. U.S. Olympian Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia was third while American champion Gracie Gold was a disappointing ninth. Chen, 16, replaced Polina Edmunds of San Jose, who withdrew Friday because of issues with new skates. The Archbishop Mitty senior is reigning Four Continents champion. Chen told reporters that the late switch didn't give her adequate training time. "It would have been nice to even get a week so I could have run my programs a bit more," she said. "Instead, I got two days, so it was a bit rushed and way more rushed than I was used to." The teen who trains in Riverside was disappointed with her performance, but happy with how she handled her nerves in a senior international competition. Chen told reporters that "I doubted myself a little bit" in flubbing a triple loop jump. "I got a little worried and rushed, and I just didn't have that spring that I usually have on a loop," she said. "I've been having way better practices than what I've shown and I know I can do so much better." Satoko Miyahara of Japan leads heading into the free skate Saturday with a personal-best 72.48 points. Kanako Murakami is second with 68.51 points while Nagasu has 66.06. points. Gold fell on an opening triple lutz and a triple flip to end with 57.26 points.
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Post by Admin on Feb 20, 2016 5:09:05 GMT
Since 1999 non-European skaters have had the chance to square off against one another in a final ditch international pre-worlds tune-up. The Four Continents championships have come to be as important an event on the figure skating calendar as the 125-year old European Championships it was modeled after. Skating heavy hitters Canada, Japan, China and the United States have all taken their fair share of the hardware. The following is a slice of skating history with a look at the skating that put these Canadians on the top of the Four Continents podium. Men Titles: Canada 6, Japan 6, USA 3, China 1, Kazakhstan 1 Canadian medal count: 6 gold, 4 silver, 2 bronze Three-time world champion Elvis Stojko earned a bronze medal at the inaugural Four Continents and followed it up the following year with the title in Osaka, Japan in 2000. Stojko's win was the start of a medal streak in which Canadian men have earned 11 medals in the 17-year history of the Four Continents. Winning the Four Continents title in 2002 in Jeonju, Korea was what really put Jeffrey Buttle on the map. His artistry and musicality was a sign of things to come from this talented skater who is now a choreographer. Buttle would eventually take an Olympic bronze in 2006 and world title in 2008. Ladies Titles: Japan 9, USA 6, South Korea 1, Uzbekistan 1 Canadian medal count: 3 silver, 2 bronze Canadian women have yet to earn a title against the powerful Japanese and Americans. Of the five medals, six- time national champion Joannie Rochette took two of the silver medals and one bronze for the Canadians.
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Post by Admin on Feb 21, 2016 5:06:30 GMT
Japanese skater Satoko Miyahara, 2015 World silver medalist, took the ladies' single title at the Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Taipei Saturday. Miyahara led the field after the short programme and took 142.43 points in the free skating category, bringing her total to 214.91. "I'm really pleased to finally win the Four Continents Championship. This was my third (time at the) Four Continents Championship," the 17-year-old told reporters through an interpreter.
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Post by Admin on Feb 22, 2016 5:17:36 GMT
Three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada produced a personal-best score to win the Four Continents figure-skating championship, edging China’s Jin Boyang who became the first skater to complete four quadruple jumps in one free skating program in international competition. Chan, fifth after the short program, received 203.99 points in Sunday’s free skate to finish with a total of 290.21, less than one point ahead of short-program leader Jin. Chinese skater Han Yan was third with 271.55. “I didn’t panic,” Chan said. “I took my time and kept focused on the things that make me successful in practice and competition and today is a result of that.” Skating last in the group, Chan opened his routine with a quad toeloop, triple toeloop combination and nailed two triple axels as well as another quad toeloop. It was Chan’s third win at the Four Continents, adding to titles in 2009 and 2012. His win here will be a boost for his confidence heading to the March 28-April 3 world championships in Boston.
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