by Anne Calder
The World College Winter Video games is the biggest multi-collegiate athletic occasion on this planet. The occasion is held each two years within the odd 12 months. The 2023 Video games have been held in Lake Placid, NY and a number of other surrounding cities. It was the second time the small Adirondack Mountain village hosted the Video games.
Over 1400 athletes from 595 universities and 43 nations participated in 86 competitions in 12 sports activities. The USA had the biggest delegation (150), adopted by JPN (139) and CAN (121). The determine skaters competed in males (31) and ladies (34) singles and ice dance (13 groups).
The determine skating competitors was held on the Olympic Middle 1980 Herb Brooks Area, web site of the “Miracle on Ice”. The constructing additionally homes the 1932 Jack Shea Area, the primary Winter Olympic indoor ice floor and the USA Follow rink.
ICE DANCE PODIUM
- FRA – Marie Dupayage & Thomas Nabais (176.04)
- USA – Lorraine McNamara & Anton Spiridonov (175.33)
- FRA – Natacha Lagouge & Arnaud Caffa (167.35)
Lake Placid has a 90-year historical past with ice dance. Each July, the Olympic Middle hosts the Ice Dance Championships, the oldest steady ice dance competitors on this planet. The primary occasion was held in 1933, the 12 months after the Village hosted the 1932 Olympics. In 2015, the Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide (LPIDI) was added to the ISU calendar.
The six ice dancers who represented the USA on the Video games additionally competed in July 2022 on the LPIDI or the Lake Placid Championships. After the Video games, they shared their ideas about their current distinctive expertise and likewise competing on the smaller summer time occasion.
IDC: What have been your general impressions of the Video games.
Lorraine: The power is gorgeous – magnificent. It was so memorable. It wasn’t simply the magical environment however due to the opposite athletes. You’re surrounded by such elite athleticism, so inspiring. Each competitors we go to is great with totally different skaters from different nations, however it was totally different there assembly athletes from totally different disciplines.
It was actually outstanding and so inspiring since you see the drive and the fireplace of each athlete differently than what we’re used to, and it simply fueled us all through our competitors.
We took it with us leaving the competitors. It stayed with us. We all know there’s the great aspect of the competitors, however Lake Placid in its personal proper is gorgeous and particularly for Crew USA such an Olympic spirit. It was only a effectively rounded journey.
IDC: Describe your Opening Ceremony expertise.
Anton: We felt that the Opening Ceremony and assembly all the opposite athletes was wonderful. There was an enormous crowd – very receptive, very heat. It’s going to go down as certainly one of my favourite competitions.
IDC: How was the Lake Placid expertise totally different from the summer time competitions?
Anton: It was a very totally different expertise. On the Lake Placid Ice Dance Worldwide all people is used to going. It’s nearly like coming dwelling each time, however this was such an enormous occasion. There have been so many various sports activities, nations and skaters and disciplines. We’ve by no means been to the Olympics but, however all people mentioned it was just like the Olympic expertise – the Collegiate Olympics.
Lorraine: Once we go as much as LP in the summertime, we don’t get to see the velocity skating exercise. The oval was proper there, so to see it getting used was so cool. We really met a couple of actually cool velocity skaters and received to know them. They got here to observe us, and we watched them. Lake Placid is gorgeous in the summertime, however it’s additionally made to be a winter city. To see it in its absolute ingredient was actually magical.
IDC: Did you get to go to different competitions?
Anton: We have been actually busy and centered on our personal competitions, however on the final day we went to observe ski leaping. There was this sense of camaraderie. You actually get to understand different athletes of their totally different sports activities.
IDC: What was your expertise like on the Opening Ceremony?
Caleb: Doing the March into the Area was one thing we’ve by no means accomplished earlier than, and that was very cool.
IDC: What have been the audiences like?
Caleb: The viewers there was totally different as a result of it wasn’t simply skating followers. You had different sports activities and households of different sports activities plus the locals, so their reactions have been a bit of totally different, so it was enjoyable. We didn’t fairly know what we have been going to get, however they have been tremendous pleasant. It was a special expertise, however actually good.
Angela: The viewers received enthusiastic about issues a typical skating viewers wouldn’t. They didn’t care in regards to the twizzles, however thought all of the sliding was so cool.
IDC: Did you get to mingle with athletes apart from determine skaters?
Angela: It was actually cool. We’ve by no means accomplished a contest with different sports activities. Within the eating space we received to see totally different athletes from totally different sports activities. We received to observe them do the lengthy monitor. They have been warming up and training, however it was cool as a result of we go in the summertime and by no means get to see the oval in use.
Raffaella Koncius (Pennsylvania State College) and Alexey Shchepetov (Temple College) (154.03) are the 2022 Lake Placid Championships bronze medalists.
IDC: What was the general impression you took dwelling from the College Video games?
Raffaella & Alexey: It was completely unbelievable taking part in such an unlimited worldwide occasion and seeing so many athletes from different nations taking part in the identical competitors you’re…it was surreal. It was additionally actually cool experiencing ice dance on a world stage like this, and seeing the great help every nation (and followers) had for his or her athletes.
Raffaella & Alexey: The opening ceremony won’t ever be forgotten. We felt like we have been marching within the opening ceremony on the Olympics. It was actually surreal. We felt a lot pleasure and honor with the ability to partake in one thing so huge, and it was so cool seeing USA march out final and getting the largest cheer. It was superior being backstage with all of the athletes from different nations and seeing how genuinely joyful and excited everybody was to be there.
It didn’t really feel like this was a contest between nations and athletes, however fairly a as soon as in a lifetime expertise that all of us received to share with one another.
IDC: Did you get to see different disciplines compete?
Raffaella & Alexey: We didn’t since determine skating was one of many first sports activities to compete. We needed to depart as quickly because the competitors was over so as to get again to Florida and practice for Nationals. We did get to see among the velocity skaters training on their out of doors monitor.
Raffaella: I actually wished to see the skiers! I used to be unhappy to have missed that.
IDC: Did you make some new pals?
Raffaella: Sure, We each made pals.
Raffaella: I undoubtedly received to know and grew nearer to the opposite skaters representing Crew USA. It was good assembly dancers from different nations!
How was this Lake Placid expertise totally different from competing in July?
Raffaella & Alexey: It was a lot totally different. This competitors felt MUCH greater, like a mini Olympics. Your entire Lake Placid village was reworked. There was a Crew USA sales space, free S’extra stations down the road, flags for each the USA and different nations in every single place, an enormous out of doors TV displaying reside determine skating occasions as they have been taking place. There have been folks on stilts, music, and a lot extra. I
It felt so heat and welcoming, together with creating an thrilling atmosphere. It was a winter wonderland – it was snowing, the lakes have been frozen over, fairly a special really feel than the summer time heat throughout LPIDI, however simply as lovely. And a LOT extra folks!
IDC: What’s going to you keep in mind probably the most in regards to the Video games?
Raffaella & Alexey: We’ll all the time keep in mind the insane quantity of help for Crew USA on the video games. We might be strolling down the road in our Crew USA gear and folks would consistently shout “Go group USA!!” and begin cheering. It was actually cool.
Raffaella: One of many issues I’ll always remember is listening to ‘representing america of America…’ after which our names, adopted by the largest cheers we now have ever heard.
Raffaella: This was by far the best competitors expertise ever. I’m so grateful to have been representing Crew USA. I felt like I used to be a part of an enormous household whereas I used to be there. It was actually surreal. I wouldn’t have traded this expertise for the world. The quantity of pleasure felt by the athletes and followers displaying their help for Crew USA was unbelievable.
Oona Brown & Gage Brown carried out within the exhibition-only. The New York siblings are the 2022 World Junior Ice Dance Champions.
IDC: What was it like skating your Free Dance within the College Video games Exhibition the final evening of determine skating?
Gage: That was enjoyable! There was crowd. It was good coaching follow earlier than the US Nationals two weeks later. It was a fantastic expertise – our first time skating on the 1980 rink in a very long time (2019 LPIDI).