SUCCESS AT WORLDS BOOSTS GERMAN PROGRAM
Burchstead, Marcia A
The German skating federation DEU (Deutsche Eislauf-Union) has seen a renewed interest in figure skating and an infusion of funds into its program after the unexpected successes of German skaters at the 2004 World Figure Skating Championships. At Worlds, Stefan Lindemann, who was fifth at Europeans, was the men’s bronze medalist. The ice dance team of Kati Winkler and Rene Lohse, unable to compete at Europeans due to injury, also medaled at Worlds, taking the bronze.
The pairs program continues to benefit from the attention of two world-class coaches. For the third year in a row, renowned pairs coach Tamara Moskvina, along with her husband coach Igor Moskvin, conducted a four-week coaching seminar for six pairs at the German national training center in Oberstdorf.
In ice dance, several German teams have also been under the tutelage of the world’s best. Two-time world ice dance champion Anjelika Krylova, along with former World competitor Pasquale Camerlengo of Italy, have been doing the choreography for several of the German ice dance teams and the duo accompanied these teams to the JGP in Long Beach, Calif.
Meanwhile, Lindemann has turned to a famed U.S. choreographer this season. He worked with Lea Ann Miller for the choreography of his free skate to music from the American film The Big Bounce by George S. Clinton.
Lindemann recently won the Ondrej Nepela Memorial in Bratislava, Slovakia. He was ill with a fever the evening before the short program and missed the practice. While he lost the short program to Kevin van der Perren, Lindemann had a strong free skate, in which he landed a quad toe, to win the event. – MARCIA A. BURCHSTEAD
Copyright Ashton International Media, Inc. Dec 2004
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