The NOW COQUITLAM, PORT COQUITLAM, PORT MOODY, ANMORE AND BELCARRA
Friday, January 25, 2013
Sports
A31
sports@thenownews.com
Skaters overcome obstacles for podium spot Dan Olson sports@thenownews.com
I
n their finest moment, Coquitlam novice dance team Brianna Delmaestro and Graeme Gordon’s performance spotlighted their synchronized movements and precision. Considering how one of the two had spent nearly seven weeks in the dark and avoiding movement due to a concussion, the turnaround was amazing. The pair captured second place at last week’s Canadian Tire national figure skating championship, unleashing a near-perfect performance that didn’t seem plausible just two months earlier. “I think we did really well for the first nationals together,” remarked Delmaestro, 17. “We got Level 4 for our spins and that has been a big struggle for us entering the [nationals]. “Everything just seemed to come together.” They posted a score of 88.48, just six points back of B.C.’s Danielle Wu and Spencer Soo. Like a large puzzle, the idea of meeting such a rigorous program, never mind the second-best marks in Canada, was a distant dream last autumn. A concussion suffered in a noncompetitive event kept Delmaestro sidelined for six weeks. It also derailed the course the pair had begun just a few months earlier Melanie Hoyt/Ice-Dance.com when they initially teamed up. Firing on all cylinders, the Coquitlam Skating Club novice dance team of Brianna Delmaestro and Graeme Gordon perform during last week’s “I basically sat in the dark for a Canadian Tire national skating championships in Mississauga. The pair captured the silver medal. month,” recalled Delmaestro. “My The pair have only been dancing together watched on TV, being at the rink with the best in on the ice dancing routine while also mencoaches told me to do visualization, since April, and prior to that Gordon had the Canada and some of the best in the world. tally preparing to compete in his first senior and we walked through things when I was able only dance experience as a teen in Penticton. “The night of the short skate I was warming men’s national competition, against the likes of to, and I think that helped.” But their extensive resumes as singles skaters — Coquitlam’s Kevin Reynolds and six-time nation- up and watching people come in to the arena,” Her partner patiently waited for the day they and sharing the same coaches at the Coquitlam he said. “There were very few people at the noval champion Patrick Chan. could return to the ice. Skating Club, gave them a good foundation to ice dance, but here was a huge crowd. Justing “Going in (to the senior men’s rehearsal) I “Brianna’s one of the hardest workers I know, build upon. Even more so now. seeing all those people show up and seated made had just come off the ice from getting the silver she spent almost two months almost sitting in “For dance, Brianna and I now know what me nervous, but being out there I don’t think in dance,” recalled Gordon, “so I was pretty the dark, avoiding stimulus and movement,” to expect based on the four competitions we’ve I’ve ever had so much fun on the ice.” excited. My main goal was to skate a personal noted Gordon, 19. “When she was given clearbeen to,” added Gordon. “I think we’ll continue Gordon would finish in 16th place out of 18 ance to skate again, she worked incredibly hard.” best and I just missed… It was exciting to be to grow and learn together as a team.” skaters. skating with [Chan] and the others who I’ve Their window for qualifying for the nationals was abbreviated due to the injury. Their skills needed to be polished up, but their desire and competitive spirit were razor-sharp. “The time they had was very short but the relationship they have was strong — they were Milan, Italy. and Garrett MacKeen of Eastern Canadian juvenile, pre-novice Tom Berridge extremely focused,” recalled Centre of Excellence “Our goal was just to make the Ontario. and novice titles, and entered last sports@burnabynow.com coach Aaron Lowe. “To pull it together and even junior world team. We haven’t “They had the skate of their week’s event with a lot of confiimprove on their compulsories was amazing.” set our goals yet,” said Pang. “We lives,” said B.C. Centre of dence on the heels of last month’s In December they finished sixth at the Skate want to skate faster and have Excellence ice dance co-coach Skate Canada Challenge win. There’s nothing routine with Canada Challenge, setting the stage for their more of a presence on the ice. We Aaron Lowe. “Maddie and Zhao They were also looking to the ice dance team of Madeline national debut in novice dance. While nerves really want to look like we belong Kai’s free dance was just at a improve on last year’s junior Edwards and Zhao Kai Pang came into play last week, Delmaestro said it was on a world stage.” much higher level.” national debut, where they finwhen it comes to succeeding at nerves of the positive kind. Senior men’s skater Kevin It was the second time in a ished second. the Canadian Tire national figure “I was a bit nervous before we started but I month that Edwards and Pang had Reynolds placed second behind Trailing after the short proskating championships. was excited to compete at my second nationPatrick Chan. edged Bent and MacKeen. gram, the duo dazzled the judges The pair tallied their fourth als,” the teen said. “I just like performing before Reynolds, 22, was extremely The gold medal also earned the national title, capturing the junior with their four-minute free dance people so while I was a little nervous, it was a close in the free skate, where he pair a spot on Canada’s national ice dance title in Mississauga, Ont. to catapult into first place with good nervous.” posted 175.94 points to Chan’s team to the junior world chama score of 145.25 — less than a Edwards, of Port Moody, and Gordon, meanwhile, maintained his focus 179.12. pionships, Feb. 25 to March 3 in point more than Mackenzie Bent Pang, of Burnaby, have won the
Port Moody’s Edwards, Pang take junior top step
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