News
March 24, 2008
Stephen Carriere takes Worlds by the numbers
Years from now, when Stephen Carriere remembers his first trip to the World Championships he's likely to recall the lessons of math as much as those of skating. For sure, his top 10 finish among the world's best is a fabulous and fitting conclusion to his break-out year on the world stage. But the sub-text of mathematical intrigue that now follows international figure skating can be as suspenseful as the skating itself. And for Carriere, the numbers that stung a magic moment in Gothenburg, Sweden may play to his advantage in the long run.
Despite a string of personal best performances this season, nothing quite prepares a young man for the shock and awe of his first appearance at the World Championships. Although his superior training and work ethic were evident and served him well, the magnitude of the moment brought a little extra baggage, causing Carriere to be a little tighter perhaps than he would have liked. His technically clean Stairway to Heaven short program was subjected to minor GOE reductions for the triple Axel and triple flip-triple toe, while he was awarded level 3s and 4s for all his step sequences and spins. A total segment score of 68.20 left him in 11th place.
For most people's first trip to Worlds no one would question such a respectable placement, but with US Champion Evan Lysacek absent and US silver-medallist Johnny Weir sitting in 2nd after the short program, the focus shifted to next year. The placements of the top two US skaters must total 13 in order to earn three spots for US skaters in next year's World Championships. So before he'd even completed this championship, Carriere became a factor in determining eligibility - perhaps even for himself - in next year's competition.
If there's one thing Carriere has learned it's that you don't worry about the things you can't control. "The only thing you have any control over in this sport is your own skating," a realistic Carriere says. "Do your best at all times and everything else takes care of itself."
Carriere headed into Saturday's freeskate with his usual determination and attack, receiving positive GOEs for all his opening elements, including a great triple Axel-double toe, his iconic triple toe-double toe-double toe with arm positions, triple Lutz, triple flip and a second triple Axel. An uncharacteristic fall on his second triple Lutz - planned in combination - left Carriere with a deficit. So after a shaky triple loop he added a double toe to his final triple Salchow, not realizing that this move would be considered an illegal element (since the second Lutz must be counted as the third of three allowable combinations or sequences). This "in the moment" decision resulted in no score for the well-skated Salchow, shaving approximately 6 points from his score. The final segment score of 133.49 was ninth in the freeskate, and the total of 201.69 - well off his personal best - placed Carriere 10th overall.
While skaters are not required to skate their elements as planned, the restrictions of the IJS can make it difficult for a skater to think fast about how to recoup points that are lost in a failed element. Carriere was not the only skater to be penalized for an illegal element while trying to complete a third combination. Japan's Daisuke Takahashi received a similar deduction after falls on his second quad toe and second triple Axel were each counted as combinations, rendering him pointless for the completion of a triple Lutz-double toe late in his program.
To complete the saga of the numbers on a positive note, Carriere's finish was just enough when combined with Weir's bronze medal to ensure the maximum of three US men at next year's World Championships, to be held in Los Angeles.
Stephen, we hope to see you there!
