Canada’s Vanessa James and Eric Radford have ended their season — and perhaps their career together — on a high note, earning bronze in pairs figure skating at the world championships in Montpellier, France.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the United States won gold on Thursday with a score of 221.09. Japan’s Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara took silver with 199.55.
Radford, from Balmertown, Ont., and the Toronto-born James earned their medal with 197.22 points, a season’s best for the pair. The Canadians came out of retirement to team up last April after decorated careers with other partners.
“It was amazing to have that skate,” said Radford, who at 37 is the oldest skater competing at the event. “It was an incredible and unforgettable experience for us even as experienced competitors that we are.
“The technical aspects were there today but we really got to release and feel that skate from the heart and that’s the best feeling.”‘
WATCH | James, Radford glide to world championship bronze:
Canada’s James and Radford skate to world championship bronze medal
5 hours ago
Duration 7:50
Vanessa James and Eric Radford of Canada captured world championship bronze Thursday after scoring 130.78 in the free program in the pairs competition. 7:50
Five of the top pairs from last month’s Beijing Olympics were absent, including the Russian silver and bronze medallists in Beijing after the Russian team was banned from the event due to the country’s invasion of Ukraine. Olympic champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong and Chinese teammates Peng Cheng and Jin Yang are also absent from worlds.
James and Radford were fifth after the short program on Wednesday. They gained a spot when Americans Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc, second after the short, withdrew. Cain-Gribble was injured when she fell on a jump halfway through the program.
WATCH | American Ashley Cain-Gribble taken to hospital after hard fall at worlds:
American Ashley Cain-Gribble taken to hospital after hard fall at world championships
4 hours ago
Duration 3:58
Ashley Cain-Gribble of USA fell hard during her pairs free program Thursday at the world championships and was taken to hospital for evaluation. 3:58
The Canadians also passed Georgian couple Karina Safina and Luka Berulava, who ultimately finished fourth, in the standings.
“Everything came together just as we needed to,” said James, who competed for France before teaming up with Radford. “We didn’t just fight, we didn’t just skate and think about the elements we really performed it and felt comfortable on the ice.”
James and Radford haven’t said whether they’re retiring after the worlds.
“It would just be so exciting to explore what we’re capable of, to be able to just work and really explore new programs and maybe some different styles and then start from where we are now, it would be so exciting and it would be really fulfilling,” Radford said last week. “But as you can imagine, I’m 37, you have to feel very, very motivated.”
WATCH | Knierim, Frazier claim gold in pairs free skate:
Americans Knierim and Frazier capture world figure skating championship pairs gold
4 hours ago
Duration 8:21
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of USA claimed gold at the world figure skating championships scoring 144.21 in the free program. 8:21
Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., climbed from eighth to sixth with 176.02 points.
“We had to fight for some elements, it wasn’t easy,” said Walsh. “We were really trying to enjoy this performance which is the last one of the year and not feel too tense.”
In men’s competition, Japanese skaters were 1-2-3 after the short program. Shoma Uno leads with 109.63, Yuma Kagiyama is second at 105.69 and Kazuki Tomono third at 101.12.
Canadian champion Keegan Messing was ninth and Roman Sadovsky of Vaughan, Ont., was 18th.
Messing, 11th at the Olympics, produced a clean program and is still in contention to equal or better his career best sixth from last year’s worlds.
“I hit all my levels today which I didn’t do at the Olympics,” said Messing. “I was a little bummed about the technical side of things but honestly, I stayed on my feet and kept space for bigger and better things.”
Competition continues Friday with the women’s free skate and the rhythm dance. The men’s free skate is Saturday.
TORONTO – Reigning PWHL MVP and scoring champ Natalie Spooner will miss the start of the regular season for the Toronto Sceptres, general manager Gina Kingsbury announced Tuesday on the first day of training camp.
The 33-year-old Spooner had knee surgery on her left anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) after she was checked into the boards by Minnesota’s Grace Zumwinkle in Game 3 of their best-of-five semifinal series on May 13.
She had a goal and an assist in three playoff games but did not finish the series. Toronto was up 2-1 in the semifinal at that time and eventually fell 3-2 in the series.
Spooner led the PWHL with 27 points in 24 games. Her 20 goals, including five game-winners, were nine more than the closest skater.
Kingsbury said there is no timeline, as the team wants the Toronto native at 100 per cent, but added that “she is doing really well” in her recovery.
The Sceptres open the PWHL season on Nov. 30 when they host the Boston Fleet.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 12, 2024.
LAHORE, Pakistan (AP) — A top official of the Pakistan Cricket Board declined Friday to confirm media reports that India has decided against playing any games in host Pakistan during next year’s Champions Trophy.
“My view is if there’s any problems, they (India) should tell us in writing,” PCB chairman Mohsin Naqvi told reporters in Lahore. “I’ll share that with the media as well as with the government as soon as I get such a letter.”
Indian media reported Friday that the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) has communicated its concerns to all the Champions Trophy stakeholders, including the PCB, over the Feb. 19-March 9 tournament and would not play in arch-rival Pakistan.
The Times of India said that “Dubai is a strong candidate to host the fixtures involving the Men in Blue” for the 50-over tournament.
Such a solution would see Pakistan having to travel to a neutral venue to play India in a group match, with another potential meeting later in the tournament if both teams advanced from their group. The final is scheduled for March 9 in Pakistan with the specific venue not yet decided.
“Our stance is clear,” Naqvi said. “They need to give us in writing any objections they may have. Until now, no discussion of the hybrid model has happened, nor are we prepared to accept one.”
Political tensions have stopped bilateral cricket between the two nations since 2008 and they have competed in only multi-nation tournaments, including ICC World Cups.
“Cricket should be free of politics,” Naqvi said. “Any sport should not be entangled with politics. Our preparations for the Champions Trophy will continue unabated, and this will be a successful event.”
The PCB has already spent millions of dollars on the upgrade of stadiums in Karachi, Lahore and Rawalpindi which are due to host 15 Champions Trophy games. Naqvi hoped all the three stadiums will be ready over the next two months.
“Almost every country wants the Champions Trophy to be played here (in Pakistan),” Naqvi said. “I don’t think anyone should make this a political matter, and I don’t expect they will. I expect the tournament will be held at the home of the official hosts.”
Eight countries – Pakistan, India, Bangladesh, England, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand and Afghanistan – are due to compete in the tournament, the schedule of which is yet to be announced by the International Cricket Council.
“Normally the ICC announces the schedule of any major tournament 100 days before the event, and I hope they will announce it very soon,” Naqvi said.
RIYADH, Saudi Arabia – Ottawa‘s Gabriela Dabrowski and Erin Routliffe of New Zealand are through to the doubles final at the WTA Finals after a 7-6 (7), 6-1 victory over Nicole Melichar-Martinez of the United States and Australia’s Ellen Perez in semifinal action Friday.
Dabrowski and Routliffe won a hard-fought first set against serve when Routliffe’s quick reaction at the net to defend a Perez shot gave the duo set point, causing Perez to throw down her racket in frustration.
The second seeds then cruised through the second set, winning match point on serve when Melichar-Martinez couldn’t handle Routliffe’s shot.
The showdown was a rematch of last year’s semifinal, which Melichar-Martinez and Perez won in a super tiebreak.
Dabrowski and Routliffe will face the winner of a match between Katerina Siniakova and Taylor Townsend, and Hao-Ching Chan and Veronika Kudermetova in the final on Saturday.
Dabrowski is aiming to become the first Canadian to win a WTA Finals title.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Nov. 8, 2024.
