World Skating Championships: Day 4: Virtue & Moir win Silver plus a photographers confession

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

 

Psst, I have a secret.

I think, no, I know that out of the four skating disiplines Men's, Women's, Pairs and Ice Dance, my favourite to photograph would have to be.......

Ice Dance!

It's strange, I never knew until this part week. But after a steady dose of figure skating, practices, short program and free skate, I can honestly say, Ice Dancing was my favourite to shoot.

I found a lot of the skating a little repetitious, especially the Men's and Women's programs. Outside of where on the ice the elements like jumps and spins occur, they all kind of look the same. Photographers love athletes that being a little variation to table.

While ice dance might lack those face distorting triples and quads and the insanely high launches of ladies into the rafters of arena, Ice dance does offer something that photographers crave.

Variety!

Like the other disiplines, there is a number of required elements, but it seems that most teams are able to put their own spin on many of the lifts. What the event lacks in explosive action it makes up for it in inventive ways to hoist a person into the air or glide across the ice.

I'm still not exactly 100 percent sure what a twizzle is, but I do know that I like shooting ice dance!

Spain's Sara Hurtado and Adria Diaz glide across the ice in a matrix like lift during the Ice Dance Free Skate  program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Budweiser Gardens  in London. 

 

World Skating Championships: Day 3: Chan wins Gold, Duhamel & Radford bronze

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

 

Friday was the longest of the Championships.

Although fewer skaters competed, their programs were double length of the short program.

Plus add a couple Canadian medals......

Canadian Patrick Chan wins gold despite three falls in the Men's Free Skate program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Budweiser Gardens  in London. 

World Skating Championships: Day 2: Women's and Ice Dance short programs

Steve Russell - Toronto Star - @RussellPhotos

 

Kexin Zhang of China spins during the women's short program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Budweiser Gardens  in London.  March 14, 2013.

 

Intense Danish coaches, Martin Johansson and Kalle Strid cheer Anita Madse's performance.

 

Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada had a strong skate to Mambo #8 during the women's short program.

 

Yuna Kim, the 2010 Olympic Gold medalist from Korea skates during the women's short program.

 

Yuna Kim from Korea was the top skater in the short program.

 

Sonia Lafuente of Spain spins to the Romeo and Juliet soundtrack.

 

Gracie Gold from the USA looks to the crowd.

 

Brian Orser's skater Georgian Elene Gedevanishvili reacts to a replay of her fall while in the kiss and cry.

 

Akiko Suzuki of Japan skates to Kill Bill.

 

Italy's Valentina Marchei falls after failing to land a triple.

 

Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia skates the short program.

 

China's Zijun Li spins showing off her flexibility.

 

Japan's Kanako Murakumi celebrates her third place finish in the short program with her coach Michiko Yamada.

 

Despite a fall, Italy's Carolina Kostner placed second with her vampire inspired short program.

 

Between the Women's program and the start of Ice Dance, Toller Cranston signs autographs in the concourse. Cranston is the official artist for Skate Canada and creator of the championships official poster, titled, "Warm Winter Romance"

 

Olesia Karmi and Maz Lindholm from Finland kick off the ice dance short program.

 

Canadian Pair Piper Gilles and Paul Portier do a rotational lift  during the ice dance short program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships.

 

Canadian Pair Piper Gilles and Paul Portier have some fun with the audience while awaiting results in the kiss and cry.

 

Siobhan Heekin-Canedy and Dmitri Dun of Ukraine spin.

 

Siobhan Heekin-Canedy and Dmitri Dun of Ukraine spin.

 

Irina Shtork and Taavi Rand of Estonia had a western theme.

 

Literallt in figuratively Viktoria Kavaliova and Yuril Bieliaiev of Belarus' world championship was turned upside down.....

 

  ..... the Belarussians had to borrow skates for the competition after their's were lost in transit.

 

Julia Zlobina and Alexei Sitnikov of Azerbaijan.

 

Nicholas Buckland of Great Britian shows some the the dangers of ice dance when he lifts his partner Penny Coomes.

 

Nelli Zhiganshina and Alexander Gazsi of Germany do a straight lift during the ice.

 

Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje do a lift in their ice dance program.

 

Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje celebrate their ice dance short program.

 

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir talk after finishing their short program.

 

Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir look at their scores after the ice dance short program.

 

Russian Elana Ilinykh definately had one of the most colourful ice dance costumes.

 

One of the dangers with the long flowing skirts that the ice dancer wear, Russian Dimitri Soloviev gets lost in Ekaterina Bobrova's skirt during the ice dance short program.

 

 Picture from day One, Pairs and Men's Short Programs

 

 

World Skating Championships: Pairs and Men's short programs

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

 

Meagan Duhamel and  Eric Radford glide past the hometown crowd on their way to a second in the pairs short program.

 

Best of February 2013

Edtor's Note - There is an image in this gallery that might be upsetting.

&nbps;

WINTER...

LUCAS OLENIUK - Racers navigate the slippery corners during the annual Icycle race at the Dufferin Grove rink.

Spring Training

Rick Madonik, Staff Photographer - @RMadonik

Brett Lawrie stretches after his stint in the batting cage.

 

Rudy Gay and the Raptors beat the Nuggets.

Steve Russell - Staff Photographer - @RussellPhotos

Another game in the books for Rudy Gay in Toronto and the fans are beginning to feel it.

Hitting a game winning shot with less than five seconds on the clock goes a long way too!

The Raptors gather around Jonas Valanciunas after introductions.

 

Rudy Gay helps ease the Jose pain.

Rene Johnston (@ReneJohnston1) & Steve Russell (@RussellPhotos)

While photographers no doubt still miss Jose Calderon's face, that wonderfully expressive face. Rudy Gay's performance on the court is no doubt easing the sting for Raptors' fans.

The Raptors 102 - 89 win over the New Orleans Hornets, soon to be the Pelicans was another look at how special he is.

RENE JOHNSTON - Toronto Raptors new star Rudy Gay goes up for the slam against New Orleans Hornets in first half action at  the ACC. This first quarter dunk was captured by a remote camera mounted underneath the basket trigged by a radio remote on a camera.

 

Our favourites from January 2013

 

TARA WALTON - Fireworks explode over Toronto City Hall as revellers gathered in a chilly Nathan Phillips Square ring in 2013.

Toronto Maple Leafs drop home opener.

The Leafs fresh off a road win drop their home opener to the Buffalo Sabres at the Air Canada Centre.

Allen Lepine makes his way across Nathan Phillips Square to get to the end of the line at a function at  Nathan Phillips Square. -RICHARD LAUTENS