Soucisse And Firus 20th At World Championships
Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus have finished 20th in the ice dance event at ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montreal, Canada.
Soucisse and Firus skated 21st of the 36 couples in the ice dance event with only the top 20 teams advancing to the free. Performing to a medley of Rick James songs for the 1980s themed rhythm dance, they opened with a Midline Step Sequence and followed that with a Level 4 Synchronised Twizzle Sequence. They next nailed a Pattern Type Step Sequence and a Choreographic Rhythm Sequence. They closed out strongly with a difficult Level 4 Rotational Lift. They earned 68.04 points, a new season best, for 19th place in the rhythm and qualified for the following day’s free dance.
In the free, the Irish national champions skated third out of all the competitors in the event. Performing to “Hier Encore” by Charles Aznavour and an instrumental version of “La Bohème”, they opened with a Choreographic Character Step Sequence to set the tone for the routine. They followed that with a lift combination comprising a Straight Line Lift and a Rotational Lift and a Diagonal Step Sequence and One Foot Turns Sequence. Their Synchronised Twizzle Sequence was graded a Level 4 by the technical panel, the highest possible, as was their Dance Spin. They closed with a Choreographic Slide, a Choreographic Spin and a Level 4 Stationary Lift earning 103.63 points, a new Season Best and 18th place for their free. Their combined total score of 171.67 points was also a new Season Best.
“The rhythm dance was pretty stressful because the field is really strong and large and we knew there was no room for mistakes,” Soucisse said. “Being able to present our free dance was truly a gift for us and we took it as such and made the most of it.”
“We wanted to be very patient and calm and enjoy the experience,” Firus said. “It was great to skate here in Montreal.”