News and updates à la Française, part trois

I don't know if this has been posted anywhere on the forum but Jacqueline Vaudecrane died a few weeks ago.
She was 104 yo.

She started skating at the Piscine Molitor on the winter rink (while there was no summer swimming pool).
She was french national champion between 1937 and 1939.

She started coaching after WWII, with students such as Jacques Favard, president of the ISU in the 60s, his wife Denise Gaudin and Jacqueline Du Bief, 1952 world gold medalist.
At a time when there was no permanent rinks in France, she had the rink in Boulogne-Billancourt built in 1955 and there, she coached generations of french skaters like Alain Giletti, 1960 world gold medalist, Christiane and Jean-Paul Guhel, 1962 world silver ice dance medalists, Alain Calmat, 1965 world gold medalist, Patrick Péra, twice olympic bronze medalist and world silver medalist in 1971, Robert Dureville.
She also coached Pélissier, Gailhaguet, Racle, Candeloro's coach André Brunet and some others who began coaching the next generations of french skaters (Jean-Christophe Simmond, Laurent Depouilly...) after their retirement. She was Laetitia Hubert's first coach.

There is a 20 minutes interview of Vaudecrane (in french) in the serie Memories of coaches made by the INSEP (National Institute for Sport) from 9 years ago. She talks about her, her career, her students, figure skating and several topics around sport.
 
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Thanks for sharing Jacqueline Vaudecrane's history, @Nmsis! May she R.I.P.

Romain Ponsart set 3 new ISU personal best scores in Milan! 16th overall (229.20), SP (79.55) and 14th place FS (149.65); his triple Axels looked very solid. Here's what he said after his SP (ISU Quick Quotes):
I loved it today. I messed up my short program at the Grand Prix in France and at Europeans. It's my really stressful program so I'm very happy I could deliver at the World Championships. (On changing his short program) Rafael (Arutunian his coach) wanted me to have music that was stronger, more powerful. Coming back on the plane from Europeans I watched the film King Arthur and loved the music. I played it to Rafael and he loved it so we started training a new program. (On his selection for the World Championships) After the Olympics it was between me and Kevin (Aymoz) for the World Championships. So over a week we both did three short and three long programs for the Federation who watched us on camera. They chose me and I'm very happy.
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And after his FS:
I am really really happy with my performance. I was a bit more nervous today than for the short. I came here and told myself I would give the maximum in the short hoping to make the cut for the free. And now that I skated like this made me just so happy. It was my first Europeans and first Worlds this season. In my first senior year, I had this bad foot injury and it took me almost four seasons to get back to the competitive level. This was indeed one of the most beautiful seasons in my career and also the longest, that’s for sure. Usually my season was over after French Nationals. It was maybe tiring but it was definitely what I had asked for. This was my last competition of the season. I’m now going to be in the „Tournée Équipe de France” and after that well start to put together the new programs and from May will start to work again with Rafael Arutyunyan.
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Ponsart skated well at Coupe du Printemps in Luxembourg the week before Worlds and won the bronze medal there.
ETA that this is what I posted after his FS:
Ponsart (Your Song/Moulin Rouge) 4T nice, 2T2T, 3A2T / 3A, 3Lz nice, 3Lo, 3S, 2A. Nice skate!! Hope he saved something for Milan ;) 151.10 FS (2nd), 224.54
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His 2nd place FS in Luxembourg: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9-CTGVoQZKc
 
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Laurine Lecavelier had season best scores in her 13th place FS (113.44) and Total (173.23) for her 14th place finish at Worlds. Here's what she said after her programs (via ISU Quick Quotes):
It’s my first clean short program, without any mistakes at a World Championship. I have to admit I was a little stressed. We took out some of the difficulties in order for me to get over the disappointment mentally, and it worked out well.
(On coming back after not being selected for the Olympics) I went back to training like a sportsman. It was disappointment of course, but that’s life, I had a few other disappointing moments already. It would have been cool to participate in the Olympic Games of course. So yes, I was disappointed because I thought I was better and I thought I should have been selected, but I didn’t do well in the beginning of the season with all the stress. So I’ll take this as an experience. I competed last week ([4th place] at Coupe de Printemps), this was kind of a dress rehearsal for me. I will try to follow up on the performance I had there, where I only had one fall and a step out and the rest was clean. I hope I‘ll do just a little better than in Luxembourg.
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I am happy with my performance. There were so many emotions, the audience was just incredible. I didn’t have a great start but the audience was indeed so responsive and it suddenly all became so easy with all the support. I felt that they just loved the program despite the errors and that is something I really missed all season. I really wanted to finish the season in a good way to know for myself that I didn’t do all the work for nothing.
(On changing her coach before the Olympic season) I had a very complicated Olympic cycle, I changed coaches after every season, but now I feel that with Kori (Ade) I have finally found someone with whom it everything really works out. Four years ago I was not ready to do an Olympic cycle and I was not mature enough, I was still a junior skater and thought that the Olympics were reserved for the seniors. Now I am ready for this, the Olympics in four years are my goal.
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Next up for many of the French team skaters is La Tournée des Stars Olympiques (29 Mars - 18 Avril 2018): https://ffsg.org/evenement/la-tournee-des-stars-olympiques-du-27-mars-au-18-avril/
 
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Sylvia said:
Next up for many of the French team skaters is La Tournée des Stars Olympiques (29 Mars - 18 Avril 2018): https://ffsg.org/evenement/la-tournee-des-stars-olympiques-du-27-mars-au-18-avril/
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Starts tonight :) List of participants:
  • Gabriella PAPADAKIS & Guillaume CIZERON
  • Marie-Jade LAURIAULT & Romain LE GAC
  • Vanessa JAMES & Morgan CIPRES
  • Lola ESBRAT & Andrei NOVOSELOV
  • Anette DYTRT & Yannick BONHEUR
  • Maé Bérénice MEITE
  • Laurine LECAVELIER
  • Marie-Pierre LERAY
  • Candice DIDIER
  • Romain PONSART
  • Kévin AYMOZ
I believe Joubert is doing Holiday on Ice, while Amodio is sitting out this year's tour due to personal/family reasons (he shared this update last month).
 
Oh, Aymoz instead of Besseghier! That means Aymoz is still skating. Has Besseghier retired or is he injured?
 
Thanks to @Anyasnake and @synian for these links:
Anyasnake said:
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1739051866152445&id=100001429457375
Bits from the Gala !
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^^^ 6 mins. from the March 30 show in Champagne.
synian said:
photos from the french tour at the town of tours http://www.info-tours.fr/articles/tours/2018/03/30/8462/les-stars-olympiques-etaient-a-tours/
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2.5 minutes from Papadakis/Cizeron's "To Build A Home" (first half only) at the Metz stop today: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RyOIKf4xg2c
 
laviemn said:
Wow, she really asked Souquet? Unless she and Thauron secretly hated each other, this choice is :huh:.
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She didn't ask. French fed offered her to make a try with him, she did, and unsurprisingly, it didn't work.

Sylvia said:
Is it publicly known why Chafik B. not touring with his Olympic teammates?
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Because they are no longer his teammates. Besseghier is (for now but it could be final) no longer part of the team.
 
He's more or less retired. He wasn't shy in voicing his lack of motivation, which led (among other problems that can't be discussed here) the federation to chose Romain Ponsart for Worlds over him. I doubt he'll come back but well, you never know. What's certain is that FFSG isn't going to help him coming back. French fed is known not to support very motivated people so saying you've had enough equates to career suicide. That being said, as far as I know, he hasn't "officially" retired.
 
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cholla said:
He's more or less retired. He wasn't shy in voicing his lack of motivation
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I'm sorry to hear this, as I've always enjoyed his skating and thought his SP this season was fantastic. But skating on when you're not motivated - and especially when you've been sick too, as he was early in the season - must be incredibly difficult, so I hope he's able to either retire without problems now or get a decent break and make up his mind when he feels rested.
 
Here is my review of the Courchevel gala (French Spring tour) to which I was invited by a friend last week-end.

The rink was packed and that was a pleasant surprise since it hadn't always been the case on the dates prior to this week-end. Courchevel is a posh and very expensive ski resort and a lot of people in the audience were Russians. This explains that since FS is much more popular in Russia than in France. Lots of Brits and a few Americans in attendance too.

Former Olympian Philippe Candeloro played host to the show (on the whole tour) and I was happily surprised to see him in such a good shape and spirit. At 46 he still lands clean and solid triple jumps. Luckily he spared us the sexist and rude comments he's (in)famous for as a TV commentator. Except of course when it came to Papadakis' SD outfit. He made a great show lamenting it didn't fall off again. Since he must make the same "joke" every night, Papadakis was gracious enough to go with the flow and apologize for "disappointing" him.

First on the ice was Kevin Aymoz who we haven't seen often this season. Word has it French fed didn't send him to competitions because he wasn't working enough. Don't know if it's true but I have a hard time picturing team Zimmerman allowing anyone to be lazy. Kevin was in pretty good shape to "Fix It" by Coldplay. He landed 2 perfect triple Axels and 3S/3T when Candeloro called him back for an encore.

Next was Laurine Lecavelier skating her "Grease" FD. The outfit change mid program was a huge hit with the crowd. She didn't feel that good because she had a nasty cold but you wouldn't have guessed seeing her on the ice. She is the friend who invited me to the show and I spent the next day feeding her hot drinks and vitamins while her team mates were off testing luge and snowmobile, something Vanessa James and Maé Bérénice Meité skipped too in order to get some rest. So did Gabriella whose mother was visiting.

Lauriault/Le Gac : their SD minus Marie-Jade bogus long poney tail :D

Romain Ponsart did his Moulin Rouge FD and granted us with a splendid 4T. Then another during his encore.

Esbrat/Novoselov were totally on with a nice exhibition to "Hotel Sayre" by Craig Armstrong & Lana del Rey + "Crazy in Love" by Emelin Sandé. Huge difference of beat and style between these 2 pieces but it's cleverly built and interpreted.

MB Méité : a longer version of her SD to "Halo" by Jasmine Thompson + "Revolution" by Delante + "Run the World" by Beyoncé. Here too big difference of rhythm between the different pieces and Maé didn't look really at ease. Slow with small jumps, maybe badly bothered by altitude and I wondered if she is still having trouble with her knee. Encore : 3L with woobly landing.

James/Ciprès : toned downed version of their FD to Disturbed's Sound of Silence. Very few jumps and only doubles, they were still good but looked totally exhausted. Candeloro asked them to try again the throw 3F Vanessa had missed and she fell again. I thought it was a bad idea to ask her to try again but maybe that's just me.

Papadakis/Cizeron : "That Home" + "To build a Home" by Cinematic orchestra with the rotational lift as an encore. They were, by far (with Ponsart) the ones who looked the freshest and in real top shape when they must actually have been half dead since they were also the ones who had no time at all to rest after Worlds because of media promotion tour.

During intermission, I went out of the rink to get some fresh (actually quite cold) air and Aymoz, the Le Gacs and former skater now acrobat Marie Pierre Leray, were having a try at slack-lining between their bus and a truck on the parking lot. Be careful with your ankles people ;)

The second part of the show is built with numbers coming one after another, skaters taking part in the last seconds of their predecessors' exhibs, the music never stops and there is no introduction made by the host. It's fast, vivid, catchy and very entertaining. Kudos to Olivia Candeloro, Philippe's wife, who choreographed all the transitions as well as the finale.

Kevin Aymoz came back with "The Show must go on", Moulin Rouge version, followed by Candice Didier (former National champion) skating to Chicago ST "All that Jazz" by Bebe Neuwirth. She hasn't lost her elegance and deep edges but her triple jumps and her speed are history.

The Le Gacs skated to a cool and soft version of "Can't take my eyes off of you" by John Lloyd Young in a very beautiful dark gray outfit. They were a bit slow but again, Courchevel is at 1850m (6070 ft) and all skaters were quickly out of breath.

For the exception of Laurine who lives and trains at 2000m/6560 ft). She has had to ditch her number to "Ne me quitte pas" by Jacques Brel on the tour since Marie-Pierre Leray's own nr is to Celine Dion's cover of the song. I wish she'd been able to do "Frozen" by Madonna, a song I love, and a nr I haven't yet seen live, but she was asked to perform to La La Land so the music would blend with the others. I hate the theme and the movie which are definitely not my cup if tea but at least she picked up "Another day of sun" which suits her, solar as she is, and not the tune we heard all winter long at every single competition.

Esbrat/Novoselov performed a nice "I just want to make love to you" by Etta James and this time Lola looked a bit tired and out of it when Andreï seemed to have more fun.

Romain Ponsart's second number is to "Who wants to live forever", original Queen version and oh my is he good ! He should make this a SP or LP.

Marie-Pierre Leray's acrobatics trapeze exhibition is breathtakingly beautiful. And risky. She is performing without net nor security device and she's 4 to 5 meters above the ice. Knowing that her husband is the one operating the trapeze machinery in the rafters is a bit comforting. Except he walks around the ceiling metallic beams without harness either !

First and only number by cute Annette Dytrt and handsome Yannick Bonheur : Crazy in love by Cinematic Orchestra + same song by Sofia Karlsson + original song by Beyoncé and husband. I like the concept of a same song in different versions. Dytrt/Bonheur's lifts are scarily spectacular. The cry of surprise and delight from the audience was quite eloquent !

MB Méité was again in trouble with her jumps on "Dirty Diana" by M. Jackson, then "The way you make me feel" with James/Ciprès joining her to skate to the same song + "Black'or White", with a throw 3F this time completed (but 2footed).

It was then Candeloro who joined J/C on the ice for a special number on Black or White, asking the audience to first rehearse then perform some basic choreo. A local couple in their late 60s/early 70s sitting next to me had the time of their life. To thank the crowd for its enthousiastic participation, Candeloro performed 2 perfectly neat backflips. He's definitely in super shape.

Last to skate before the finale were Papadakis/Cizeron in their SD. They were fast, and joyful and lively, the audience loved it and asked for more. Candeloro asked them for a crash course in lopsided posture. He wasn't very good at it, but Gabriella and Guillaume's bodies undulating, unisson and speed drove the audience wild !

The finale seemed a bit tame after that, with skaters skating in turns playing with a frame painted in gold + a giant one on wheels they could all fit in. I loved the music, unfortunately Shazam couldn't identify the first part but the 2nd one was "This is me" first by Sapphire then by Keala Settle.

After the show, the skaters had to stay in the rink and sign autographs for so long I had time to have dinner and write an article about the show for a magazine before they were finally free !

The day after was a day off for them and a lot complained that "days off" were actually more work with photo sessions, skating with kids and promotional stuff for the city they were in instead of plain real and much needed rest.

The tour is over in 2 days and I hope they'll be able to take true muchly deserved holidays !

Sorry for eventual typos, I'm using my phone typing with only one finger :lol:
 
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Sylvia said:
Is it publicly known why Chafik B. not touring with his Olympic teammates?
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I sent Chafik a message two weeks ago and asked why he is not taking part. He answered that the contract they offered didn't suit him. He also said he needed time to recover after the Olympic Games and could not get ready for Worlds. He wasn't at a 100 percent anyway after his illness. You might remember that he was very sick in the fall (pneumo thorax). He sounded undecided about his future, he wanted to do some other shows and then make plans.
 
cholla said:
Here is my review of the Courchevel gala (French Spring tour) to which I was invited by a friend last week-end.
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Thanks so much for the writeup, cholla, it's almost as good as being there! Glad to hear that they had a good audience and Laurine's costume change is as much of a hit as ever. :) Sorry to hear about the altitude causing problems for the skaters though. That can't have been fun for any of them.

I remember seeing some ads/clips on YouTube of Mae-Berenice and Vanessa skating a program together in addition to some of the things you've described, which looked pretty good - do you remember where that came in the program? From the music (Greatest Showman soundtrack, I think) I'm wondering if it was part of the finale. Anyway, I hope all the skaters get a decent rest very soon.

And now I'm wondering if 'not working enough' re Kevin Aymoz was Fed code for 'doesn't have a reliable quad yet', because he was definitely working hard over the course of the season to get that happening, even with relatively few events!
 
Orm Irian said:
I remember seeing some ads/clips on YouTube of Mae-Berenice and Vanessa skating a program together in addition to some of the things you've described, which looked pretty good - do you remember where that came in the program? From the music (Greatest Showman soundtrack, I think) I'm wondering if it was part of the finale.
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I don't remember James and Meité skating together at any time but maybe I forgot and if they did it was indeed part of the finale since it's when I stopped taking notes ;)

And now I'm wondering if 'not working enough' re Kevin Aymoz was Fed code for 'doesn't have a reliable quad yet', because he was definitely working hard over the course of the season to get that happening, even with relatively few events!
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Ponsart had no reliable quad until Worlds so I don't think that's what the FFSG meant.
 
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