This Week in Skating / February 27, 2024

This Week in Skating is hosted by Gina Capellazzi and Daphne Backman and is a cooperative project between Figure Skaters Online and Ice-dance.com. New episodes are available every Tuesday.

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Skating News 

• The Court of Arbitration for Sport published a media release stating that it has received four appeals against the re-ranking announced by the ISU in relation to the 2022 Olympic figure skating team event. 

Safe Sport Topics & Online Resources for Skaters, Parents & the Figure Skating Community

• Estonia: Coach Anna Levandi has been accused by several of her former skaters and/or their families of abusive coaching methods.
• Article in English (Feb. 21): https://news.err.ee/1609259637/former-students-accuse-figure-skating-coach-ann
• a-levandi-of-abuse
• Anna’s Facebook response to the accusations:
• https://www.facebook.com/story.php/?id=100001468411416&story_fbid=7636020079790197&paipv=0&eav=AfZfQTo3LbXpAIxZQhjza4wy4cMzV_MiW3igznH0VOzjhGwohj1uqe3OsPuzkCtXL4E&_rd

• U.S.: Attorney Randy Hood, who is representing four skaters and two parents who are suing Mark Cockerell and U.S. Figure Skating, was interviewed by the Skating Lesson. 
• Hood’s law firm has a contact page for potential victims of Mark Cockerell: https://www.mcgowanhood.com/figure-skating-coach/
• U.S. Figure Skating’s SkateSafe section: https://www.usfigureskating.org/skatesafe
• U.S. Figure Skating’s Grievances page:
• https://www.usfigureskating.org/grievances 
• U.S. Center for Safe Sport’s Centralized Disciplinary Database
• https://uscenterforsafesport.org/response-and-resolution/centralized-disciplinary-database/

• Canada: Individuals Suspended or Expelled from Skate Canada document (last updated Feb. 17, 2024): https://lamp.skatecanada.ca/suspended-en.pdf 
• Safe Sport section of Skate Canada’s website: https://skatecanada.ca/portfolio-item/safe-sport/
• Office of the Sport Integrity Commissioner (OSIC): https://sportintegritycommissioner.ca/

More Skating News

• Skate Canada announced some of the skaters that will be performing at the 2024 World Championships gala

• Anastasia Olson posted an update on her Instagram after she was injured in a fall during an Disney on Ice show. 

World Junior Championships Preview

• Entries/Results
• Livestream 

Event Results Recap

• Synchro: U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships 
• Challenge Cup
• Bellu Memorial 
• Merano Ice Trophy
• Canadian Novice Championships

Segment - Recent Interviews 

• Why Scott Hamilton is Choosing Not to Treat His Third Brain Tumor: ‘I’m at Peace with the Decision’, by Gillian Telling, People Magazine 
• Scott Hamilton is Sharing Why He is the ‘Luckiest Man Alive’, by Gillian Telling, People Magazine 
• Why Scott and Tracie Hamilton adopted siblings orphaned in the 2020 Haitian earthquake, by Gillian Telling, People Magazine
• ‘The Fight for Clean Sport is Not Over’: Vincent Zhou ‘26 on doping, skating, his olympic gold win, by Megan Chan, Brown Daily Herald
• Talking Toller with Phillippa Cranston Baran, by Ryan Stevens, Skate Guard Blog
• Competitors are not always rivals. Just ask the top American women’s figure skaters, Isabeau Levito and Amber Glenn, by Ellen Dunkel, The Philadelphia Inquirer 
• Olympic figure skater Mariah Bell is enjoying life on the ice after retirement, by Jessica Marshall, Albany Times Union
• Gracie Gold wrestles with path to Olympic dream, shares how ‘dark days’ shaped her in new memoir, by Nick McCarvel, Olympics.com
• Howard University's ice skating team is set to make history this weekend, by NPR
• Howard University is making history as the first HBCU to take part in a figure skating competition, by CBS News 
• Skyliners Turn Focus Inward as They Strive for a World Championship Berth, by Darci Miller, U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone
• Intentionality and Communication Spell Success for Lexettes, by Marissa Pederson, U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone
• Video: Loicia Demougeot and Theo Le Mercier: Scaling new heights, by Golden Skate
• Aleksandr Selevko and Mihhail Selevko: A competitive partnership, by Hiro Yoshida, Europe on Ice 

Segment - Social Media Updates

• Benjamin Mimar announced that he has a new partner. He is now training with Fiona Bombardier.
• Alysa Liu posted a video teaser of her announcement coming on Friday, March 1 at 9 am Eastern time.
• Vice President Kamala Harris congratulated the Howard University Figure Skating Team

Segment - Upcoming Events:

• World Junior Championships - February 26-March 3 in Taipei City

IDC and FSO spotlight 

• IDC: Challenge Cup photos
• IDC: Canadian Novice Championships photos
• IDC: Update on the Valieva doping case and its impact on the 2022 Olympic Team Event
• IDC: 2024 Solo Dance Camp by Bella Danic
• FSO: The force is with Flores and Wang in Taipei
• FSO: Recap: 2024 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships 
• FSO: Getting to know U.S. silver medalist Josephine Lee
• FSO: How Luke Wang and Jon Maravilla navigate elite competition in both singles and pairs