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Tony Wheeler @tonywheeler.bsky.social · 24/03/2025

I’ll be sharing as much as I can from Worlds both here and on the new Instagram account I set up- please follow! www.instagram.com/theskatingse...

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Tony Wheeler @tonywheeler.bsky.social · 09/03/2025

I have rebranded my Youtube as 'The Skating Session'. I still have hundreds of DVDs to go through, cut, and upload but I lost a significant amount of historical videos with a failed external hard drive. If you have DVDs or skating clips - let me know! www.youtube.com/@TonyWheeler

Welcome to The Skating Session, a home for figure skating video archives.

The Skating Session

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Tony Wheeler @tonywheeler.bsky.social · 06/02/2025

I have put up nearly 200 new skating videos on Youtube in the last few days, into mid-2000s now. During holiday, I dropped my external hard drive and the literal 20,000+ videos I had stored there are sadly no more. If anyone has archives (DVDs, files) let me know! www.youtube.com/channel/UCDd...

A place for uploading historical figure skating videos. I've been a fan of the sport for over 30 years and am working as a historian on a massive skating project in my free time. I'm happy to share m...

Tony Wheeler

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Thought Malinin's 4A of all jumps looked the cleanest today, and thought the 4Lz fall was definitely a << so it probably all balances out. I hate the safe 'q' calls though, because it protects base value on jumps and GOE, too. And in no world is Malinin on the same PCS level as Aymoz. #GPFigure

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Telemaque & Coulon have the IT factor written all over them. Nice to see at the junior level, and nice to see them standing out so much within these rigid ISU rules we've come to. Shades of voidy 1990's and early 2000's French skating programs! #GPFigure

Amber Glenn wins first GPFinal title for US women since Alissa Czisny in 2010. Mone Chiba wins Japanese Nationals part 1, Kaori Sakamoto finds her way back to the podium. Good day of skating, and to the technical panel credit they seem to have.. somewhat but not completely.. woken up 😜 #GPFigure

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Top two Grand Prix Final competitors is big bullet point for Japan in determining World team. Since a minimum of two Japanese skaters will be on the podium here, lots on the line. Only skater guaranteed a spot is the winner of Nationals, but the mini-battle standings here mean a lot! #GPFigure

Grand Prix Final Schedule: Saturday, December 7 (All Times EST) 7:30 AM - Women’s Free 8:45 AM - Junior Mens Free 9:55 AM - Junior Free Dance 12:20 PM - Junior Pairs Free 1:40 PM - Free Dance 3:00 PM - Mens Free Skate #GPFigure #GPFinal

Hase & Volodin are going to make a strong argument for Olympic favorites I think. Miura & Kihara really off today, and I don't think their free skate works like their brilliant short. Special mention to Kam & O'Shea, who I thought should've quite possibly had highest composition PCS. #GPFigure

No major opinions otherwise based on today. I think Guignard & Fabbri have the foundations, but the program loses me this year. Gilles & Poirier have my favorite choreography but something is really off with them this season. #GPFigure

Ice dance judging makes me rage most, I think, as someone who has read the full rulebook and I have a pretty good idea of what to watch. Lajoie and Lagha having the 'worst' skating skills of the group based on PCS assigned is outlandish as hell. They shouldn't have to 'wait their turn'. #GPFigure

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Mao Shimada is just a dream. Not her best by any means, but she has such glorious carriage and use of her arms and hands. Wada and Nakai both wonderful and complete the 🇯🇵 🇯🇵 🇯🇵 sweep. Yihan Wang has such good jumping technique. So pure. All of the women should be proud of the skates today! #GPFigure

Wada wiped out when she hit the ice yesterday, and today she almost wiped out in the leading steps before the ice 😂

Fantastic junior mens short program. Vaclavik opened so well, think his change-foot sit didn't count because hop on the first half of it lost balance & made him shift, which then stops the element. Yanhao is just fantastic! Jacob Sanchez has such a charm, and Rio Nakata had so much flair! #GPFigure

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Grand Prix Final Schedule: Friday, December 6 (All Times EST) 10:15 AM - Junior Mens Short 11:20 AM - Junior Women’s Free 12:30 PM - Rhythm Dance 1:45 PM - Pairs Free 3:05 PM - Mens Short #GPFigure #GPFinal

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Not picking on Amber Glenn, especially as she seems full-aware that she got lucky today, but there were some awfully strange calls across the board (including others and their rotations and edges). But here’s a ‘clean’ 3Lo. Watch the ice fly up.

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Great pairs competition at the #GPFinal. Miura and Kihara's program is 1000x better than anything else they've done. She was short on the 3T for sure, but it's pushing 80 points if clean. Hase and Volodin continue to deliver. She's always been so solid in SPs! As close as it can get! #GPFigure

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Biggest takeaway from junior rhythm dance is that seniors need to get the second pattern back. I love that each partner has to take lead once. You can see the difference in skating skills much more evidently than throwing a choreo sequence in where top skaters get ++++ GOE. #GPFigure #GPFinal

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Junior Rhythm Dance Required Elements: Two paso doble pattern sequences. One in which man performs man's steps, and other reversed - the woman performs the man's steps of the pattern Dance lift, up to 8 seconds in length Midline or diagonal no-touch step sequence Twizzle sequence (at least 2)

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Mao Shimada is so fantastic. The charisma, the command of the skating and the presentation is off the charts for this level. Dare I say Kaori Sakamoto is probably happy she's still stuck in juniors? 😀 #GPFigure #GPFinal

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New fan of Kaoruko Wada, that's for sure 😂 #GPFigure #GPFinal

Required Elements - Junior Women's Short Program: Double or triple flip Jump combo: minimum of double+double jump, no quad allowed Double Axel (no triple allowed here) Flying camel spin Spin in one position: sideways/layback spin or sit spin Spin combination w/ 1 change of foot Step sequence

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Oh, and we get LED board rotating test-out here as well. Kudos to Ted Barton for clarifying that the boards would not be changing mid-performance 😂 #GPFigure #GPFinal

I see they've gone the gymnastics/swimming route of introductions for this event! #GPFigure #GPFinal

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Noteworthy at the #GPFinal: Mikhail Shaidorov is landing 3A+Eu+4S in practice. He could attempt both 3A+4T and this new combination in the free skate! #GPFigure

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Required Elements - Junior Pairs Short: 1) Side-by-side double flip or double Axel 2) Throw double or triple Salchow 3) Double or triple twist lift 4) Solo spin combination, one change of foot 5) Step Sequence 6) Group four (hand-to-hand press) lift 7) Back outside death spiral #GPFigure #GPFinal

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Grand Prix Final Schedule Thursday December 5 (all times EST) 10:30 AM - Junior Pairs Short 11:40 AM - Junior Women’s Short 12:45 PM - Junior Rhythm Dance 1:55 PM - Pairs Short 3:05 PM - Women’s Short #GPFinal #GPFigure

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2005 Boitano's Skating Spectacular- Elena Leonova & Andrei Khvalko Performance 2 (with Richard Marx)

Continuing to upload oldies to my YouTube page. Nearly 5,000 videos now! How’s this for a thumbnail? The great adagio pairs team of Elena Leonova & Andrei Khvalko! youtu.be/vxygm0XmMbU?...

youtu.be

YouTube video by Tony Wheeler

Former Skate Canada President Leanna Caron is the technical controller for the dance events at the Grand Prix Final. #GPFigure #GPFinal

Former World bronze medalist Vanessa Gusmeroli is on the women’s technical panel at the Grand Prix Final. For now, enjoy her beautiful skate from 2000 Euros- one that she repeated at Worlds two months later! www.youtube.com/watch?v=khge...

2000 European Championships (ABC) - Ladies Free Skate - Vanessa Gusmeroli FRA

YouTube video by Tony Wheeler

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Just an appreciation post of the men’s technical specialist at the Grand Prix Final this weekend, former Swedish 🇸🇪 Champion Filip Stiller.

🥟 @bingdwendwen.bsky.social · 30/11/2024

Reposted by Tony Wheeler

hannah's wig snatched for real

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Top moment this season is, by far, Kevin Aymoz's free skate at Skate America. I was there watching practices all week and he was barely jumping. His SP was surprising, but the free skate was in another world. One of the best performances of all-time IMO and I've seen *a lot* of skating.

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Peeping the Warsaw Cup men’s free skate while I should be sleeping to see Marsak land 4Lz, 4S, 3A+2A+2A, and 3A to start the program. A few smaller mistakes to end but job well done! 🇺🇦

#CupofChina This finale is fun! A lot of the men in particular seem to be really getting into the choreography 😂 #GPFigure

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Laurent Tobel program I referenced with Conti & Macii here: www.youtube.com/watch?v=IZ-_...

1998 Champions on Ice (Summer) - Laurent Tobel

YouTube video by Tony Wheeler

#CupofChina Oh my my Niccolo Macii What in the Laurent Tobel gala world is this? 😂 #GPFigure

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#CupofChina Haven't seen Shaidorov's exhibition prior to this and someone can correct me if wrong, but the 3T attempt and nearly splits fall he had looked like it was unintentional and probably really hurt. No real words for the program itself. 😂 #GPFigure

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#CupofChina Rion Sumiyoshi was somewhat labeled the 'jumper' for her 4T attempts in the past, but she's so elegant. I think both competitive programs this season are interesting and this exhibition was lovely! Sorry to see her miss the #GPFinal, but we all know the depth in Japan.. #GPFigure

#CupofChina PLEASE Nika Egadze, bring some of this personality and creativity into your competitive programs. The joy of the sport is so evident with the Deadpool routine! #GPFigure

#CupofChina Deniss Vasiljevs' exhibition is a masterclass of figure skating. The edges, the shapes, the twizzling movements directly into a centered upright spin. So wonderful. 😍 This is what I wish skating would be. #GPFigure

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#CupofChina Anastasiia Gubanova looked deflated throughout both programs here IMO, but she's really having fun and selling this exhibition skate. More of this energy, please! #GPFigure

#CupofChina Isn't this the exact version of Fools Rush In that played at the start of each competition segment here? Nice of Carreira & Ponomarenko to keep it going. #GPFigure

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#CupofChina One of my highlights of the competition was Daiwei Dai. Fantastic skating. He uses his entire body to perform and his technique is so strong. Han Yan comparisons totally justified-- I hope for big things from him! #GPFigure

#CupofChina Watching Chaeyeon Kim's gala, she ended with a creative multiple change-foot combination spin with unique positions. I wish the ISU would consider moving free skate elements in this direction rather than seeing a redux of SP spins and step sequence taking up time. #GPFigure

#CupofChina Semi-watching the exhibition. Some great programs coming up (Vasiljevs, Egadze) I saw at Skate America. I wish the on-ice camera trend during competitions/competition galas would go away. I don't know why, but it annoys me. And the overhead camera should not exist. Period. #GPFigure

Tony Wheeler @tonywheeler.bsky.social · 23/11/2024

#CupofChina Something to keep an eye on: Adam Siao Him Fa has withdrawn from the gala skate today, citing an injury acquired during the free skate. #GPFinal is just two weeks away. #GPFigure

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#GPFinal by the numbers - Women: Combined total 1/ Sakamoto 433.09 2/ Glenn 425.98 3/ Chiba 424.45 4/ Higuchi 403.01 5/ Matsuike 391.36 6/ Yoshida 390.83 Combined LP 1/Chiba 2/Sakamoto 3/Glenn 4/Matsuike 5/Higuchi 6/Yoshida High LP 1/Sakamoto 2/Glenn 3/Chiba 4/Matsuike 5/Higuchi 6/Yoshida