Fred's, (Used to be Barb's), Board

With the Olympics of 2018 now history and several seasons ahead in which to build for those of 2022, there are not only retirements being announced but coaching changes happening. Yesterday we had the confirmation of Medvedeva's move to Toronto. There are more international changes afoot.

Although it has not yet been officially announced, multiple sources are confirming that Chock & Bates of the US are moving from their long-time coach, Igor Shpilband, to train with "Team Gadbois" - Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon. They had previously been with the coaching team of Igor and Marina Zueva but followed Igor when that split happened

It was announced earlier that another US dance team was moving to Gadbois - Hawayek & Baker - joining Hubbell & Donahue who have been there for several years.

Long-time coaching/choreography partners (and one-time spouses) Angelika Krylova & Pasquale Camerlengo have split with Angelika returning to Russia. There have been several announcements of Russian teams moving to her new location there. In the meantime, it appears that Pasquale will be teaming up with Igor Shpilband in the Detroit area.

There are also apparently some changes happening within China as they prepare to try to "dominate" the Olympics they will host in 2022. It appears that Boyang Jin may be joining Brian Orser's group and that some pairs and dance teams may be re-forming.

Teenager Marin Honda from Japan is moving to the US to train with Rafael Arutunian.

Stay tuned....

Wow, a lot of revolving doors... it looks like most promising skaters, dancers and teams will be coached in Canada by either Dubreuil/Luzon or Brian Orser. I hope our Canadian skaters will be able to keep up with all these changes.

It looks like it'll be a busy 4 years for Brian Orser. When you're the best, everybody wants you.

Another announcement came today - this one out of the USA. Beginning this summer the US pairs team (& married couple) Alexa Simeca-Knierem & Chris Knierim will be training in Oberstdorf, Germany, coached by Aljona Savchenko and her coaching team (Alexander König and Jean-Francois Ballester) while spending part of their time in the greater Chicago area.

http://www.usfigureskating.org/story?id ... type=media

According to a tweet directly from Alexa and Chris, Aljona will travel to the US to be with them when they are training in Chicago.

Today's coaching news, from Russian media - world silver medalists Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov have left Nina Mozer and will be coached by 2014 Olympic gold medalist Maxim Trankov.

good move I think.

More on the Tarasova-Morosov coaching situation as well as for other pairs in Nina Mozer's camp: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/trankov-app ... zov-coach/

I posted above

Although it has not yet been officially announced, multiple sources are confirming that Chock & Bates of the US are moving from their long-time coach, Igor Shpilband, to train with "Team Gadbois" - Marie-France Dubreuil & Patrice Lauzon. They had previously been with the coaching team of Igor and Marina Zueva but followed Igor when that split happened

Well, it is now official: http://www.usfigureskating.org/story?id ... type=media

Chock and Bates will join the American duos of Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue and Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker in Montreal.

It is rather interesting that, with the Shibutanis taking at least a year off, the top 3 US teams will all be training in the same place

It's nice that they respect Marie-France & Patrice so much. I'm sure they won't regret it.

Confirmation of a rumour about another international skater moving to Toronto, this time from China.

From International Figure Skating magazine on Facebook:

China's Boyang Jin will join Brian Orser and Tracy Wilson's team at the Toronto Cricket Club in mid-June. Orser said this will be a permanent arrangement.

"Technically he is very sound, so we will be giving him the direction and the guidance that we gave to Javi. We want to go through the same kind of process with him," Orser said. "I think he is mature enough to handle it. Also with the Olympics being in Beijing, it is important to get him prepared to medal at the Olympics."

Jin is already in Toronto working with choreographer Lori Nicholl on new programs for the upcoming season.

My goodness, Brian will be coaching everyone in the world soon. Good thing he has a great team around him.

Brian and Marie-France and Patrice

And today, another announcement and another "international" skater move to Toronto and to Brian and Tracy! Jason Brown from the USA began training at "the Cricket" today.

Announcement from USFS: http://www.usfsa.org/story?id=91523&type=media

From: https://www.ifsmagazine.com/jason-brown-heads-north/

Jason Brown has made a strategic coaching change, moving north of the border to train with Brian Orser, Tracy Wilson and their team at the Toronto Cricket, Skating and Curling Club. His first day of training at the private club was May 29.

In an interview on May 28, Orser told International Figure Skating that Brown’s former coach, Kori Ade, supports this change. “I am good friends with Kori and she has given this arrangement her blessing,” Orser said. “She did a lot of good things with Jason and I told her we are going to keep this relationship open. There may be times when I need to call her to get some advice. Kori is a very good teacher and Jason was with her from the beginning of his skating career (18 years).”

In a statement released by U.S. Figure Skating on May 29, Brown said: “Words can’t ever fully capture the love and appreciation that I feel towards Kori and her team and all that we accomplished together,. Kori has and will continue to be a major influence on me as a skater and a person. When I left Chicago in 2013, I took a major step toward independence, but now it’s time for me to take the next step.

“I’m excited about my future with Brian, Tracy and their incredible team of coaches. I’m eager to continue growing in the sport that I love.”

Oh Good grief. They'll have to expand the cricket if this keeps up.

Yes Heini, Marie France & Patrice as well. Goodness, Canadian coaches are finally popular.

fred wrote: ↑Tue May 29, 2018 7:24 pm Yes Heini, Marie France & Patrice as well. Goodness, Canadian coaches are finally popular.

Some proven success at the Olympics and Worlds goes a long way in establishing coaches' reputations!

By the way, apparently Jason has an ankle injury (from slipping on confetti on the US SOI tour) and won't be doing any serious jumping until July.

A little humour about Brian's expanding choice of team jackets ...



And the super team training at "the Cricket"

Love it!!! Also very happy that Jason Brown is moving to train with Brian and Tracy. He is one of my favourite skaters.

It appears that there has been a coaching "switcheroo" - Evgenia Medvedeva of RUS left Eteri Tutberidze and came to Brian Orser; it was announced today that Elisabet Tursynbaeva of KAZ has left Brian and gone to Eteri.

I wonder if she felt that she wouldn't be getting enough attention from the top coaches. It's a pretty heavy work load that Team Brian has taken on. (?)

Apparently Elisabet has gone to Russia to train every summer - it's not clear if she's planning to stay for the season this year or not. If so, we might not see her joyful mother in the kiss 'n cry any more

And yet another coaching change - this one announced via Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/p/BjyN2HoDSEP ... 3yfdhxtquy

The very successful young Australian pairs team of Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya & Harley Windsor are moving from Moscow to Montreal, to train with Richard Gauthier. Julie Marcotte will be choreographing their SP and Massimo Scali their FS.

And Trump in a 3am tweet blasted Brian for stealing all the best skaters and stated "..this has to stop, I'm imposing a 80% tariff on everything".

Couldn't resist.

To which Brian could say, "Do you want to win Gold Medals for the U.S.A., or not?" If this were a real, that is. It's nice that the skating community doesn't get all caught up in this politics, although we all want to win, but nobody's cruel or manipulative, Tonya Harding notwithstanding.

Although we all like to win, in the end it's the people that matter, and the loving/caring relationships that we can build, that last.

The new kids in town, Toronto that is...


Jason has been in Toronto for a couple of weeks but Evgenia has now arrived and he warmly welcomed her.

And a welcome from Lubov on her first day of training at the Cricket - from Facebook:

Now we have her!!! I hope that @jmedvedevaj will find her second home at the Cricket club just like i did 4 years ago. Wish her to achieve all her goals, follow her dreams, good luck with training and welcome to our family !!!