2024 World Synchronized Skating Championships

[Willin]

@ice coverage It's a weird situation where there is a head coach for the program, but there's a rotating cast of assistant coaches. It's almost every season that they have new coaches on board in some capacity or other coaches leaving.

The program used to have something like 5 teams - Senior, Junior, Adult, Collegiate, and Open Collegiate (non-varsity) all overseen by the head coach with assistant coaches doing a lot of the work. Now they just have 3 teams: Senior, Collegiate, and Open Collegiate. I would assume this means the head coach is doing more actual coaching, but sometimes the assistants make more of a difference given they're not spread as thin.

 

[myhoneyhoney]

Catching up with the replay and oh my gosh, this is fun to watch. I don’t think I’ve ever watched a competition before. Ya’ll got up and did the Macarena during that break too, right?

 

[skatfan]

Loved watching this. I also watched the jr synchro worlds a couple of weeks back and really enjoyed that too!

 

[skatingguy]

Free Skate - Live Stream

Wedgie Data

Synchronized Skating - Free Skating​

Starting Order​

tN.	Name	Nation	Rank	Points
1	Team Zagreb Snowflakes	CRO	20	40.76
2	Team Icicles Senior	?? GBR	19	41.61
3	Team Unity	AUS	18	45.06
4	Team Cosmos	TUR	21	22.00
5	Team Ice United	NED	17	49.35
6	Team Zoulous	FRA	15	53.71
7	Team Starlight Elite	SUI	16	50.73
8	Team United Angels	GER	14	54.89
9	Team Jingu Ice Messengers	JPN	11	59.90
10	Team Ice Fire Senior	POL	13	54.99
11	Team Olympia	CZE	12	56.04
12	Team Ice on Fire	ITA	10	59.96
13	Team Inspire	SWE	9	60.58
14	Team Berlin 1	GER	8	63.91
15	Team Skyliners	USA	6	69.28
16	Team Passion	HUN	7	65.72
17	Team Unique	FIN	4	76.50
18	Team Nova Senior	CAN	5	72.09
19	Team Haydenettes	USA	3	76.74
20	Team Helsinki Rockettes	FIN	2	78.00
21	Team Les Supremes	CAN	1	78.89

 

[kosjenka]

I watched the last practice of Rockettes and Les Supremes and i think the Canadians have the edge in how polished they are.
But its so close.

I sense there will be falls.

 

[skatingguy]

Synchronized Skating - Free Skating​

Panel of Judges​

​ ​ Function Name Nation Referee Mr. Christopher BUCHANAN ISU Technical Controller Mr. Dann KRUEGER ISU Technical Specialist Ms. Romy JASTER ISU Technical Specialist Ms. Henriikka LATVA ISU Judge No.1 Ms. Mami MAEDA ISU Judge No.2 Ms. Cynthia ALEPIN ISU Judge No.3 Ms. Anna NYLEN ISU Judge No.4 Ms. Marketa HORKLOVA ISU Judge No.5 Ms. Christine MUELLER ISU Judge No.6 Mr. Christophe JAILLET ISU Judge No.7 Mr. Ludwig CZOCZEK ISU Judge No.8 Ms. Elizabeth ALEXANDRE ISU Judge No.9 Ms. Sanna KOHI ISU Data Operator Ms. Julia DEGENHARDT ISU Replay Operator Mr. Christopher Richard STOKES ISU

 

[kosjenka]

And here we go!

Anyone watching the live stream?

 

[skatingguy]

Team Zagreb Snowflakes ??
Coach: Natasa Bahat
Music: Daughter of the Sea by Sharm
Up is Down by The City of Prague Philharmonic Choir
The Medallion Calls (Pirates of the Caribbean soundtrack)
My Jolly Sailor Bold by Ashley Serena
Pirates of the Caribbean by 2 Cellos

 

[kosjenka]

It is almost always the same that Croatia skates first in long program lol

 

[kosjenka]

Its the screaming that prevents me to like this sport

 

[Karen-W]

I wasn't sure if the Zagreb Snowflakes were doing a milkmaid program or what but I just saw their music and, clearly, I was wrong... What's one more POTC to finish off the season?

 

[Karen-W]

Hmmm... That was a program that's just on the cusp of being really good and interesting. I'd love to see what a stronger team with more speed and power in their skating skills could do with it.

 

[kosjenka]

Snowflakes were hoping for seasons best. They barely have ice to train on so this was a realistic goal.

 

[skatingguy]

Team Zagreb Snowflakes ??
Rank after SP:20
Coach: Natasa Bahat
Music: Daughter of the Sea, Up is Down

Pivoting Block 1
Intersection 3 + pi4
Group Lifts 3
Intersection 4 + piB
Pair Element 3
Synchronized Spin 3
Move Element 2
No Hold Element 4 + sB
Traveling Element 3
Creative Element 1

@kosjenka I think you said yesterday that the team was having trouble with availability of ice to train on, and I think that that really showed today. Unfortunately there were a number of glaring errors, and the formations got really sloppy as the program went along.

87.55 = 1st Place
128.31 = 1st Place

 

[kosjenka]

Hmmm... That was a program that's just on the cusp of being really good and interesting. I'd love to see what a stronger team with more speed and power in their skating skills could do with it.

Pascal Denis does their programs but they are just not getting enough training anf thus no progress in past few seasons.

 

[skatingguy]

Team Icicles Senior ??
Coach: Lauren Kelly, Esther Morris
Music: Chasing Cars by Fleurie, Tommee Profitt
Describing the Car Crash (from "Dance Moms") by John Balcom
Car Crash - sound effect by Beats by Talent
Action Strike by Severn-in-Music
Police Siren Sound Effect by Beats by Talent
Countdown by Freshman Sound
Chasing Cars by Tommee Profitt

 

[skatingguy]

Team Icicles Senior ??
Rank after SP 19
Coach: Lauren Kelly, Esther Morris
Music: Chasing Cars, Action Strike

No Hold Element 4 +sB
Intersection 4 + piB (3 + piB after review)
Group Lifts 4
Pivoting Block 1
Pair Element 4
Traveling Element 3 (4 after review)
Synchronized Spin 3 (4 after review)
Intersection 3 + pi3
Move Element 2
Creative Element 1

Some nice moments in the choreography, but just a bit sloppy in places.

89.89 = 1st Place
131.50 = 1st Place

 

[Karen-W]

Never ever in my life through all the "Chasing Cars" programs that I've suffered through did I think it needed to have a police siren sound effect added to it. And I still don't. That's a choice that requires either going full-on dark and dramatique or embracing the campiness of it all instead of just staying in the same, bland, emo lane of the song.

 

[skatingguy]

Team Unity ??
Coach: Madonna Randall, Georgina Williams
Music: Fall, Cleaning Apartment by Clint Mansell, Kronos Quartet
In This Shirt by The Irreressibles, James Gerard McDermott
Lord and Master by Apashe, Frederic Begin, John D Buck

 

[kosjenka]

@kosjenka I think you said yesterday that the team was having trouble with availability of ice to train on, and I think that that really showed today. Unfortunately there were a number of glaring errors, and the formations got really sloppy as the program went along.

yeah. I had low expectations but with what i was told about their situation, its okay result.
Also in Croatia we experienced very high drop out rate from the sport bc of the ice issue. More so in figure skating. No skaters transitioning to novice and junior.

 

[Karen-W]

Sigh. I need billowy, Junhwan-style shirts in a variety of colors if a synchro team wants me to be on board with "In This Shirt."

 

[kosjenka]

Australia needs a medal for flying in from Down under!

 

[Karen-W]

How many falls now for the Aussie team? Maybe they're as disturbed by this music mash-up as the rest of us.

 

[skatingguy]

Team Unity ??
Rank after SP 18
Coach: Madonna Randall, Georgina Williams
Music: Fall, Cleaning Apartment, In This Shirt

Move Element 2 - fall
Creative Element 1
Pivoting Block 1 - fall
Pair Element 3
Intersection 4 + piB
Group Lifts 4
Synchronized Spin 4
No Hold Element 4 + sB (3 + sB after review)
Intersection 4 + pi4 (4 +pi3 after review) - fall
Traveling Element 4

-4.00 = Falls (4)

Just a few too many errors from the Australians today.

75.93 = 3rd Place
120.99 = 3rd Place

 

[skatingguy]

Team Cosmos ??
Coach: Alena Mayorova
Music: Totem from Cirque du Soleil by Guy Dubuc, Marc Lessard

 

[kosjenka]

Australia made Snowflakes happy.

 

[Karen-W]

This camera work... Yes, it does look like they had a lift come down prematurely - not that we SAW it thanks to this terrible camera work.

I'll restrict my snarky comments to that sort of thing and be merciful on the Turkish team since they're clearly here just for the experience and to keep all the other teams from the ignominy of finishing last.

 

[skatingguy]

Team Cosmos ??
Rank after SP 21
Coach: Alena Mayorova
Music: Totem from Cirque du Soleil

Group Lifts B
No Hold Element 3 + sB
Pair Element 1
Intersection 2 + piB
Move Element 2<
Synchronized Spin 1
Pivoting Block B
Intersection 3 + pi2
Traveling Element B
Creative Element 1 - fall

-2.00 = Falls (2)

This is clearly a team in development, and these championships are learning experience for the skaters, and the program.

33.36 = 4th Place
55.36 = 4th Place

 

[kosjenka]

Last year it was another Turkish team at the bottom of the roster.

Btw the lack of security at the rinkside is a bit scary. Fans just roll down to the exit gate for the skaters.

 

[Karen-W]

Well, the only interesting program in this first group was Snowflakes' POTC. I hope the next group brings some more entertaining programs.