Vick444~No Spam~@aei.ca
06-10-2008, 04:07 AM
Sunday, June 08, 2008
People chilled out Sunday while watching young ice
skaters display smooth-flowing skills during the final
day of the 2008 Quad-City Championships and Basic Skills
Competition.
The event took place at the Quad-City Sports Center,
Davenport.
Some moves ended less smoothly than planned, but
determined skaters kept going, finishing to warm applause
from family and supporters.
"You get nervous, Sallie Doak, 13, of Rock Island, said.
"My coaches did a pretty good job of keeping the nerves
down," she said after skating in the championship
intermediate freeskate for girls younger than 18. She
began skating at 6 and also runs. She plans to keep
perfecting her double axle and the landings on her
triples.
The event kicked off Friday with beginner and artistic
events and the adult bronze and silver exhibitions and
continued Saturday with compulsories and basic elements,
free skate and championship programs.
The competition is offered by the Figure Skating Club of
the Quad-Cities with participants from 23 clubs and is
included on the U.S. Figure Skating roster of events.
The first competition together is the toughest as skaters
Elizabeth Harb and Patryk Szalasny, who comes from
Poland, discovered during the senior pair short program.
The two began skating together about six months ago.
"I like pairs. I did singles before, but pairs are more
fun," Harb, 16, of LeClaire, Iowa, said.
Szalasny, 24, began figure skating 14 years ago and has
competed in ice skating competitions in his native
country and Europe.
"I like the rush, the adrenaline of these competitions. I
did this all of my life, basically," he said.
Over the next few years, they plan to work on harder
elements, such as the triple salchow jumps and throws and
strive to compete in the world championship, he said.
They practice about three and a half hours a day and are
taking ballet classes to help them prepare for
higher-level competitions.
Coach Elena Kvitchenko Cockerell, a native of St.
Petersburg, Russia, arrived in the Quad-Cities in
October. Her 25 years of skating and teaching credits
include 1987 World Universiade Pairs Champion, 1987-89
USSR National Bronze Medalist, USSR World Team, World
Professional Bronze Medalist and Dorothy Hamill’s Ice
Capades.
Learning to skate at advanced levels is similar to having
a job to go to after attending school all day, Cockerell
said.
"It’s not easy because they have to do homework and come
here. They have to watch what they eat," she said. "I
talk to the parents and (say) make sure you watch what
she eats and eat healthy."
For young women, the sport is even more difficult because
they are growing so fast in their teen years. They have
to eat properly while making sure they keep their jumps
consistent.
"You need to have drive, too, you have to want to win."
she said. "The more high level, the more time on the
ice."
"Today, my double axle worked, and I stayed on top of my
jumps," said Lauren Gifford, 13, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
and the Eastern Iowa Figure Skating Club, after the
Intermediate Freeskate performance. Eventually, she hopes
to compete in the Olympics with her pairs partner.
Mitzi Reveter, 14, of Naples, Fla., and the Florida
Everblades Figure Skating Club, competed in the weekend
championships as a prelude to upcoming regional
championships in October. Each event gives her more
practice and develops more confidence.
"I like skating because it’s fun, and it gives you a
chance to compete against other girls," she said.
RESULTS:
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/06/08/news/local/doc484c78be0e6bf617588715.txt?sPos=2
People chilled out Sunday while watching young ice
skaters display smooth-flowing skills during the final
day of the 2008 Quad-City Championships and Basic Skills
Competition.
The event took place at the Quad-City Sports Center,
Davenport.
Some moves ended less smoothly than planned, but
determined skaters kept going, finishing to warm applause
from family and supporters.
"You get nervous, Sallie Doak, 13, of Rock Island, said.
"My coaches did a pretty good job of keeping the nerves
down," she said after skating in the championship
intermediate freeskate for girls younger than 18. She
began skating at 6 and also runs. She plans to keep
perfecting her double axle and the landings on her
triples.
The event kicked off Friday with beginner and artistic
events and the adult bronze and silver exhibitions and
continued Saturday with compulsories and basic elements,
free skate and championship programs.
The competition is offered by the Figure Skating Club of
the Quad-Cities with participants from 23 clubs and is
included on the U.S. Figure Skating roster of events.
The first competition together is the toughest as skaters
Elizabeth Harb and Patryk Szalasny, who comes from
Poland, discovered during the senior pair short program.
The two began skating together about six months ago.
"I like pairs. I did singles before, but pairs are more
fun," Harb, 16, of LeClaire, Iowa, said.
Szalasny, 24, began figure skating 14 years ago and has
competed in ice skating competitions in his native
country and Europe.
"I like the rush, the adrenaline of these competitions. I
did this all of my life, basically," he said.
Over the next few years, they plan to work on harder
elements, such as the triple salchow jumps and throws and
strive to compete in the world championship, he said.
They practice about three and a half hours a day and are
taking ballet classes to help them prepare for
higher-level competitions.
Coach Elena Kvitchenko Cockerell, a native of St.
Petersburg, Russia, arrived in the Quad-Cities in
October. Her 25 years of skating and teaching credits
include 1987 World Universiade Pairs Champion, 1987-89
USSR National Bronze Medalist, USSR World Team, World
Professional Bronze Medalist and Dorothy Hamill’s Ice
Capades.
Learning to skate at advanced levels is similar to having
a job to go to after attending school all day, Cockerell
said.
"It’s not easy because they have to do homework and come
here. They have to watch what they eat," she said. "I
talk to the parents and (say) make sure you watch what
she eats and eat healthy."
For young women, the sport is even more difficult because
they are growing so fast in their teen years. They have
to eat properly while making sure they keep their jumps
consistent.
"You need to have drive, too, you have to want to win."
she said. "The more high level, the more time on the
ice."
"Today, my double axle worked, and I stayed on top of my
jumps," said Lauren Gifford, 13, of Cedar Rapids, Iowa,
and the Eastern Iowa Figure Skating Club, after the
Intermediate Freeskate performance. Eventually, she hopes
to compete in the Olympics with her pairs partner.
Mitzi Reveter, 14, of Naples, Fla., and the Florida
Everblades Figure Skating Club, competed in the weekend
championships as a prelude to upcoming regional
championships in October. Each event gives her more
practice and develops more confidence.
"I like skating because it’s fun, and it gives you a
chance to compete against other girls," she said.
RESULTS:
http://www.qctimes.com/articles/2008/06/08/news/local/doc484c78be0e6bf617588715.txt?sPos=2