I’m sure you’ll love these photos – if for no other reason than the fact you haven’t seen them elsewhere, since the practice for the Gala was not open to the public. We’re in Shanghai, on March 29th, and that’s how the exhibition performances are made: a couple of hours later, the skaters will shine, literally and figuratively, saying their good-byes to the public and to the 2015 World Figure Skating Championships, hosted by China for the first time in history. It’s early in the morning in Shanghai – and the skaters are chatting, laughing, having fun; the tension of the competition has already entered the little box of memories…
by Florentina Tone
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje as they enter the mood for their touching exhibition program, to Donny Hathaway’s “A Song for You”
America’s Gracie Gold
The delicate Zijun Li
A focused Jason Brown, with Yuzuru Hanyu in the background
A little chit-chat with Misha, Nam, Yuzuru – and a diligent, attentive Javier Fernandez
Well, Evan Bates is not here yet – so why don’t I ask this beautiful lady to dance? Madison Chock and Luca Lanotte in Shanghai Oriental Sports Center
Teammates: Yuzuru Hanyu and Javier Fernandez
Fun, fun, fun: Anna Cappellini, Guillaume Cizeron and Luca Lanotte
A smiling Elena Ilinykh
Gabriella Papadakis, Anna Cappellini, Luca Lanotte, Guillaume Cizeron
Jason Brown – and his green cap
Kaitlyn, Madison, Anna, Luca
Smiling at the camera: Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Zhiganshin
Misha, Elena and a rose
A thoughtful Yuzuru
The rose again
One of these days these skates are gonna walk all over you…
Javier Fernandez – and a hat
Like a porcelain doll: Satoko Miyahara
Yuzuru Hanyu, practicing his exhibition routine, to “The Final Time Traveler”
Javier Fernandez – and his unusual yet so interesting exhibition program to Henry Mancini’s “Touch of Evil”
Togetherness: Qing Pang and Jian Tong
Misha and the rose
Satoko and Elizaveta, silver and gold in Shanghai
Denis Ten, the bronze medalist in Shanghai, with Yuzuru in the background
Group photos – and loads of smiles
PHOTO-GALLERIES from 2015 WORLDS:
2015 Worlds: shall we dance? Glimpses from the dancers’ practice in Shanghai
The ice dancing event at 2015 Worlds: utter joy
2015 Worlds: glimpses from the men’s practice in Shanghai
The men’s event at 2015 Worlds: when stars collide