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Preview of the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2018 in Oberstdorf
Team Shadows from Finland will take part in the competition. /Credits: Roy Ng Photography
After the World Championships, Adult synchro skaters will take centre stage for Adult Competition this May in Germany. Read more to learn more about the Competition and the participants.
While most synchro competitions in season 2017-18 have ended, adult synchro scene is still active. The ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition 2018 is a flagship international adult figure skating competition of the season to be held on 14-19 May 2018. The first ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition was held in 2005 and became an annual affair. Since 2007 synchro event was added to the Competition. Furthermore, starting from 2016 the Competition is held in both the picturesque town of Oberstdorf, Germany, and Vancouver, Canada each year.
This year the Oberstdorf edition of the Competition will have nine synchro teams from Canada, Finland, Germany, Hong Kong, P.R.C., Switzerland, and Sweden. This is the second largest squad of teams attending the synchro game in the history of the Adult Competition. In 2014 there were a total of 12 teams from nine countries.
The nine teams this year include Canadian Team Force returning to ISU Adult Competition in Oberstdorf after their participation in 2016 Vancouver edition of the game where they defeated another Canadian team and landed on the top spot of the podium. The other Canadian team flying across the pond to Germany is Team Scotian Waves from St. Margaret’s Bay Skating Club which is based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. They were found in 2011 and participated in the Oberstdorf Adult Competition twice in 2014 and 2016. The 16 skaters this year will perform their program “Mutiny on the Atlantic”.
Finland will send three teams to Oberstdorf. From the skating club ‘Helsingfors Skridskoklubb ’ (the same club as Team Unique and Team Mystique) is Team Chaotique. Team Chaotique this season took part in the fierce Finnish national competition series in the Masters category and scored 43.34 points in the final round earning them the silver medal. Their program this season is called “Country Girl”.
Coming also from the same Helsinki skating club is the second Finnish team Team Antique. Actually, Team Chaotique inherited the heritage of previous Team Antique as the club started another adult team in Spring 2017. The new adult team of that club adopts the old name Team Antique. Team Antique will present their program “Copacabana”.
The third Finnish team Team Shadows have a track record in winning an Oberstdorf bronze medal in 2010 and they also have recent international competition experience from last year’s participation in Adult Competition.
Indeed all three Finnish teams are seasoned skaters with rich competition experience from Finnish nationals. Team Shadows edged out Team Antique in mid-March this year during the final series of Finnish nationals. We will see whether history will repeat itself, or if Team Antique will catch up after two months.
Another veteran of the Adult Competition is Team Berlin Adult of Germany. They participated in 2007, 2010 and 2013-2016 of the game and won a bronze in 2007 and a silver in 2016. They are active on social media and we can see they have been enjoying themselves throughout the season.
Team Bauhinia of Hong Kong is returning to Oberstdorf for the second time. With the experience gained last year, they look forward to a successful delivery of the program “King and I”. You can read more from earlier interview to learn about Team Bauhinia.
Swiss team Starlight Diamonds first joined the Adult Competition in 2008. This year they continue their long streak of uninterrupted participation starting from 2012. They are a well-decorated team with two golds in 2008 and 2016 and three bronzes in 2012, 2013 and 2017 from Adult Competitions. From 2013 to 2016, Starlight Diamonds met Team Berlin Adult head-on four times and won three times. As the two teams’ scores were close in the past we are eager to see which side the tide will turn.?
The Adult Competition is not complete without the group of fun-loving people Team Dizharmony of Sweden. The team was formed in 1996 and they participated in the Competition four times since 2011. This year their theme is “Alcazar”.
Last year’s champion and silver medalist are not returning to Oberstdorf and so participating teams have their eyes on podium spots eagerly. This season adult teams of 12 - 16 skaters are required to perform an intersection, a linear block, a pivoting line, a wheel, a traveling circle and a creative/combined element. Skating time is at most 3 minutes and 10 seconds but may be less than that.
The Adult Competition will commence on 14 May with other figure skating disciplines skating first. The Competition attracts so many adult skaters of various age groups and skill levels that practices start at 6 am and competition will not end until about 10 pm almost every day. (Salute to all officials working long days the whole week.) The nine synchro teams will have official practice on 19 May (Sat) morning and compete for the medals on the same day afternoon. Following that is a closing banquet with a lively atmosphere.
Stay tuned for event coverage by Jura Synchro!