A Divine Sport blog

[clairecloutier]

I have a new story up about the Taschlers, their return from injury, and their coach Matteo Zanni:

The Taschlers Return from Career-Threatening Injury

Two-time Czech ice dance champions Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler were excited to start their season this fall. The brother/sister team earned medals at two Challenger Series events and pla…

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Also, I have a really great set of pairs & dance photos from the Grand Prix Final, all from Robin Ritoss. If you have a few free minutes, check them out:

Grand Prix Final 2023 Photos - A divine sport

All photographs by Robin Ritoss Photography. Pairs Short Program Pairs Free Skate Rhythm Dance Free Dance

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[clairecloutier]

I have a new story up about Alisa Efimova & Misha Mitrofanov:

Efimova/Mitrofanov: Finding the Right Fit - A divine sport

What happens when you’re an elite pairs skater, you’ve just achieved your biggest success at an ISU championship … and your partnership ends right afterward? It’s a scenario that Alisa Efimova, 24, and Misha Mitrofanov, 26, both faced over the past two years. In 2022, Mitrofanov won the ISU...

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And I'll have a couple more stories soon from U.S. Nationals.

If interested, follow on my Instagram too, because I'll have a few little things coming there as well:

A Divine Sport (@adivinesport) • Instagram photos and videos

80 Followers, 254 Following, 21 Posts - See Instagram photos and videos from A Divine Sport (@adivinesport)

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[clairecloutier]

I have a new interview with Adam Siao Him Fa on my web site:

Adam Siao Him Fa: "I want to skate in a way that no one did before" - A divine sport

Adam Siao Him Fa of France talks about his history-making performance at the World Championships in Montreal, where he jumped from 19th place after the short program all the way to a World bronze medal.

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I will hopefully have a bunch more stories coming soon from Worlds (and one or two still left from U.S. Nationals--cough, cough ).

 

[clairecloutier]

I spoke with Bruno Marcotte at Worlds to get some updates on Miura/Kihara, Bombardier/Mimar, and Kam/O'Shea:

Bruno Marcotte: "It's going to be important for Miura/Kihara to push the envelope" - A divine sport

Coach Bruno Marcotte talks about his students Riku Miura/Ryuichi Kihara, the 2023 World champions from Japan

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[clairecloutier]

I spoke with Flores/Desyatov at Nationals about their season:

Flores/Desyatov: A happy end to a challenging season - A divine sport

Isabella Flores and Ivan Desyatov made their international debut this season after overcoming obstacles.

adivinesport.com

 

[clairecloutier]

I have a new interview up with Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson!

Fear/Gibson: "The crowd is part of our team" - A divine sport

Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson have risen from an improbable start to challenge for the podium at the World Championship level. Their unique rapport with audiences is key to both their success and their creative process.

bit.ly

Also, a couple weeks ago, I posted an article about Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman:

McBeath/Parkman: "We learned a lot this season" - A divine sport

New American pairs skating team Katie McBeath & Daniil Parkman talk about competing at the 2024 U.S. Figure Skating Championships.

adivinesport.com

 

[clairecloutier]

Some updates from the top U.S. skaters prior to the Summer Sizzler show:

Summer Sizzler: Season Preview for U.S. Skaters - A divine sport

Top U.S. skaters preview their season at Summer Sizzler show in Boston, MA

bit.ly

With quotes from Chock/Bates, Ilia Malinin, Jason Brown, Amber Glenn, Isabeau Levito

 

[clairecloutier]

Here is a short interview with Milania Vaananen/Filippo Clerici of Italy, who start their season this week at John Nicks in NYC.

Vaananen/Clerici: "We know we can win and compete at higher levels" - A divine sport

Milania Vaananen and Filippo Clerici, a young pairs skating team from Finland, had success in their first full season together--with more to come.

bit.ly

 

[wouldacoulda]

Here is a short interview with Milania Vaananen/Filippo Clerici of Italy, who start their season this week at John Nicks in NYC.

Vaananen/Clerici: "We know we can win and compete at higher levels" - A divine sport

Milania Vaananen and Filippo Clerici, a young pairs skating team from Finland, had success in their first full season together--with more to come.

bit.ly

Oooh! I didn’t realize it was this week! I live in CT, and am tempted to go!

 

[clairecloutier]

Ahead of Canadian Nationals this week, I have a new article about Alicia Fabbri & Paul Ayer:

Fabbri/Ayer: "We plan to turn everyone's heads" - A divine sport

Competitive ice dance is all about female and male partners creating beautiful shapes and stories together on the ice. Behind the scenes, however, the sport has struggled with issues of gendered power imbalances, and Olympic champion Gabriella Papadakis recently wrote about how female partners...

adivinesport.com

This is the first piece in what I'm hoping will be a 4-part ice dance series keyed to Canadian/U.S. Nationals!

 

[clairecloutier]

Here is #2 in my series of pre-Nationals ice dance articles!

Zingas and Kolesnik: "We're here for the long run" - A divine sport

U.S. ice dancers Emilea Zingas and Vadym Kolesnik talk about his move from Ukraine, how the war affects him, and their partnership and programs.

adivinesport.com

 

[clairecloutier]

This is #3 in my pre-Nationals ice dance series:

Bratti/Somerville Talk About Their Rollercoaster Year - A divine sport

U.S. ice dancers Emily Bratti & Ian Somerville talk about their career highlights and challenging moments in 2024.

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Hopefully I'll have one more story coming tomorrow or Thursday!

 

[clairecloutier]

And here is the last story in my pre-Natls ice dance series--it's on the Browns:

Oona & Gage Brown: "We try to find joy in whatever we're doing" - A divine sport

Oona & Gage Brown open up about how they're staying motivated to compete at the 2025 Prevagen U.S. Figure Skating Championships, despite ongoing financial challenges.

adivinesport.com

 

[Wyliefan]

Great job!

 

[clairecloutier]

A chat with Alysa Liu:

Alysa Liu: On & Off the Ice - A divine sport

Alysa Liu, two-time U.S. National champion, recently returned to competitive figure skating after a two-year break. We chat with Alysa about her life since the Beijing Olympics, her interests and passions, and how her skating is going this season.

adivinesport.com

 

[overedge]

A chat with Alysa Liu:

Alysa Liu: On & Off the Ice - A divine sport

Alysa Liu, two-time U.S. National champion, recently returned to competitive figure skating after a two-year break. We chat with Alysa about her life since the Beijing Olympics, her interests and passions, and how her skating is going this season.

adivinesport.com

This is excellent, Claire! Thanks for posting it. It makes me very happy to read about her sounding so self-assured and in control of her skating.

 

[clairecloutier]

This is just a short interview, but Hannah Lim & Ye Quan talk here about their decision to represent South Korea and what it meant for Ye in terms of seeking citizenship:

Lim/Quan Talk About Citizenship Journey - A divine sport

Ice dancers Hannah Lim and Ye Quan have represented South Korea for three seasons now, and Lim has South Korean citizenship through her parents. But this week’s ISU Four Continents marks the first time Quan will compete internationally as a citizen of South Korea. It seems particularly fitting...

adivinesport.com

 

[clairecloutier]

Here's an article about Smart/Dieck and their experience at Worlds:

"The goal was top 10. A small medal in the free dance? No, we didn't expect that."

Smart/Dieck Surprise with Breakout Season - A divine sport

“We learned a big lesson this year: Material matters,” Olivia Smart said in the mixed zone at the 2025 ISU World Championships in Boston, MA. “No matter the skate, no matter what you do on that day, the material and the program you present have got to be strong. It truly makes such a difference...

adivinesport.com

 

[Lanie]

As always love your articles @clairecloutier !