2022 Philadelphia Summer International & club competition, August 3-7, Aston, PA

[TanithandBenFan]

Gracie rocked it! Huge 3Lz-3T (nearly ran into boards, no idea how she saved it), doubled lutz and sal near the end but all other jumps clean. Music is Rachmaninoff....not sure about first part but second half is "....Paganini".

You could tell it's a new program but by mid-season, it could be stunning.

Just watched the video and Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini is used for the whole program

 

[Rukia]

Oh I looooooove Gracie's program! Really interesting choreography. I think it could really grow throughout this season. Give this woman some challengers if she wants them!

 

[Karen-W]

Watched the top 3 women's programs. Really nice - excellent pieces for all of them. Lindsay and Gracie both have room for more growth and improvement, but I think I like their programs better than Isabeau's. I hope the USFS sends Gracie out to an early Challenger - she has the potential to win and get herself on the GP Alternates list, I think.

 

[Wyliefan]

TSL has uploaded 2 fan cam videos:

Isabeau Levito's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a0pOtuNNdO4

Ava Ziegler's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x6iI-NaUUv0

ETA link to sk8maven's podium pic in the IceWorks rink lobby: https://twitter.com/sk8maven/status/1556046565269192704

Does Isabeau have a brace on her ankle, or did she only have time to put on one sock?

 

[sk9tingfan]

Watched the top 3 women's programs. Really nice - excellent pieces for all of them. Lindsay and Gracie both have room for more growth and improvement, but I think I like their programs better than Isabeau's. I hope the USFS sends Gracie out to an early Challenger - she has the potential to win and get herself on the GP Alternates list, I think.

Especially loved Lindsay's program with what is for me, new music.

 

[Coco]

I shall try to ration my excitement, but choreo sequence into edge triple (which in the past has been her 3 jump combo) into closing spins ...yes, this could be quite good

Gracie is looking very strong at this point in the season.

 

[Debbie S]

Does Isabeau have a brace on her ankle, or did she only have time to put on one sock?

I couldn't see/didn't notice what you mean, but if it's a bandage-like sleeve around her ankle, sticking out of her skate, it's called a bunga pad and is used to prevent rubbing/pressure from the skate. Lots of skaters wear them at different times. She's probably fine.

 

[Wyliefan]

I couldn't see/didn't notice what you mean, but if it's a bandage-like sleeve around her ankle, sticking out of her skate, it's called a bunga pad and is used to prevent rubbing/pressure from the skate. Lots of skaters wear them at different times. She's probably fine.

It's in that podium pic that Sylvia linked to, where she has her shoes on.

 

[Debbie S]

It's in that podium pic that Sylvia linked to, where she has her shoes on.

Ah. Hmmm, I don't know what that is...it doesn't look like a sock. Perhaps it's some PT-related thing....support? It's her left ankle, so not her landing leg. No idea...

 

[jenny12]

Watched the top 3 women's programs. Really nice - excellent pieces for all of them. Lindsay and Gracie both have room for more growth and improvement, but I think I like their programs better than Isabeau's. I hope the USFS sends Gracie out to an early Challenger - she has the potential to win and get herself on the GP Alternates list, I think.

Agreed. Lindsay and Gracie’s kept my interest more. Isabeau is totally lovely but I’m always worried about her back when she jumps.

 

[Deleted member 221]

I’m a bit disappointed that neither Thorngren nor Levito seems farther along with a triple axel or quad. Now is the time to be trying them. I presume the Russians will be back before 2026, and it will be too late to catch up then.

Gold keeps running out of gas. Is she still smoking? (It was public knowledge - she was lighting up openly at competitions.) Her jumps look good, other than the MIA flip - maybe she’s working on the edge? Her stamina remains a question, and the program content seems light. Not sure if the double lutz was intentional, but she would’ve repeated three triples (lutz, sal, toe) otherwise.

 

[Jarrett]

Another strong skate from Gracie. Isabeau's music isn't great in the long. The vocals are rather bad and don't add to the program IMO. Thinking back to Sasha's SP to the same music and it was glorious with no vocals.

 

[Jarrett]

I couldn't see/didn't notice what you mean, but if it's a bandage-like sleeve around her ankle, sticking out of her skate, it's called a bunga pad and is used to prevent rubbing/pressure from the skate. Lots of skaters wear them at different times. She's probably fine.

She is wearing it on the podium pic posted if you want to check it out. It is rather colorful green one if that is a bunga pad.

 

[honey]

Isabeau looks like she’s wearing a compression brace/sock of some kind on her ankle. I wore one in my skates for about a year after an ankle injury as a child. It helped with residual swelling.

She’s probably not actively injured right now, but the brace/sock might be there as support with an older injury.

 

[Sylvia]

Senior International Men's FS is underway: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/leaderboard/results/2022/30902/SEG002.htm

ETA: Kaptich scored 122.49 in FS, 182.61 total! (got the 4CC FS minimum he needed & 4 points away from the Worlds TES!)

"Darian landed his 3A... he skated the whole program really well" (text from rink)

He skated to Frank Sinatra's "The Way You Look Tonight" & Nat King Cole's "L-O-V-E" at Hollins Trophy.

 

[Sylvia]

Senior International Men's final standings:

GOLD Liam KAPEIKIS USA 209.56 1 1
SILVER Dinh TRAN USA 198.65 2 2
BRONZE Gabriel BLUMENTHAL CAN 188.15 3 5
4 Samuel MINDRA USA 183.38 4 4
5 Darian KAPTICH AUS 182.61 6 3
6 Goku ENDO USA 163.45 7 6
7 Paul YEUNG USA 153.34 5 7
WD Ken FITTERER GBR

Segment Result Details
1 Liam KAPEIKIS USA 136.65 64.39 73.26 7.55 7.20 7.25 1.00 #7
2 Dinh TRAN USA 127.11 65.50 61.61 6.25 5.90 6.35 0.00 #6
3 Darian KAPTICH AUS 122.49 60.06 62.43 6.40 6.40 5.95 0.00 #2
4 Samuel MINDRA USA 120.08 55.65 65.43 6.65 6.45 6.55 1.00 #4
5 Gabriel BLUMENTHAL CAN 120.03 53.26 66.77 6.85 6.60 6.60 0.00 #5
6 Goku ENDO USA 104.32 48.70 57.62 5.90 5.50 5.90 2.00 #1
7 Paul YEUNG USA 90.67 41.39 53.28 5.55 4.90 5.55 4.00 #3

FS protocols: https://ijs.usfigureskating.org/lea...------FNL-000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf

ETA a note I received: "Dinh Tran's FS is to The Matrix. Looks like he's still new to the choreography, but it will be very cool later on. It builds really well. The choreo sequence can become a unique thing."

Last I heard, Kapeikis kept his Moulin Rouge FS that I liked last season. The opening 3S today is a placeholder for the 4S he's wotking on.

 

[Debbie S]

Not sure if the double lutz was intentional, but she would’ve repeated three triples (lutz, sal, toe) otherwise.

I'm thinking the 3T in the middle of the program is supposed to be a 3F. Maybe she's been struggling with it and/or wanted to do an easier jump for the program's first time out.

 

[Sylvia]

I think it's great that Gracie competed in Philly after having spent her time coaching & speaking to kids & parents at her seminar in Vail, CO the weekend before. Her FS is new and I assume the jump layout (and the doubling of the final 2 jumps) was to ensure that she would get through the program.

Link to sk8maven's Senior Men's podium pic, taken in the IceWorks rink lobby: https://twitter.com/sk8maven/status/1556286500194717697

sk8maven also tweeted "Gabriel Blumenthal (CAN) has a lovely lyrical quality to his skating" and I definitely agree.
I saw and enjoyed his programs that were streamed from the Victoria Day comp. in BC and was impressed with his progress on the 3A since he moved to Keegan Murphy's group. I heard that Blumenthal chose his FS music - by Harmonium (1970s Quebec progressive rock band) - and I was able to find out that his program, choreographed by Joey Russell, opens and ends with "Histoires Sans Paroles" (Stories Without Words).

 

[euterpe]

Will the top 5 men receive World standing points? There were only 7 men in the Senior International after the withdrawal of Fitterer. I believe there had to be 8 men from 3 countries. There were still 3 countries, but only 7 men.

 

[Sylvia]

Will the top 5 men receive World standing points?

I was informally told yes when I asked, but we will find out...

 

[Sylvia]

I just came across a fan cam of Gracie's "East of Eden" SP that was filmed from the stands: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pq5ERcsWCtc

Same person has uploaded a few more videos - here's Gracie's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5WmJUI4Pmj4
Apparently this program was only completed about 2 weeks ago!

Tara Prasad's FS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S2TPXEvRIE0

Darian Kaptich's entertaining Aladdin SP on Saturday: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vI9XjwOWv08

ETA - re-posting from the Australian news thread in GSD (viewable via VPN in U.S.):

Here's Darian's FS from Philadelphia International from the same fancam poster: https://youtu.be/lMniU_9wipE

Shame about that very last spin going wonky, but he did an excellent job on both programs!