2017 Bavarian Open Preview
This week, 60 teams will head to Obertsdorf, Germany for the the 2017 Bavarian Open. Held annually since 2008, Bavarian Open will award medals at the novice, junior and senior levels in singles, pairs and ice dance. Obertsdorf is more well known for hosting Nebelhorn Trophy each season, including the upcoming Olympic Qualifying competition in September 2017. The event rosters have been active with last minute additions and withdrawals.
Nineteen teams will compete at the senior level. Italy’s Anna Cappellini & Luca Lanotte, a late addition to the roster, are fresh off winning the silver medal at the European Championships and are overwhelming favorites for gold.
The fight for the silver and bronze medals is likely a fourway battle between Olivia Smart & Adria Diaz of Spain, Kavita Lorenz & Joti Polizoakis of Germany, Cecilia Torn & Jussiville Partanen of Finland, and Lilah Fear & Lewis Gibson of Great Britain.
Obertsdorf is also the debut for Hungary’s Adam Lukacs and new partner Anna Yanovskaya, a former world junior champion for Russia.
The junior ice dance competition features one of the largest ice dance rosters this season – 26 teams. For the first time ever, Canada is sending teams to Bavarian Open including both couples that will represent them at the 2017 World Junior Championships next month, Marjorie Lajoie & Zachary Lagha and Ashlynne Stairs & Lee Royer. Lajoie & Lagha finished just off the podium at both of their Junior Grand Prix events last Autumn, and are favorites for gold.
In addition to both Canadian teams, other medal threats include Russia’s Pankova & Pozdniakov competed at this event in 2016 with different partners at the advanced novice level. Their teammates, Ekaterina Kuznetsova & Dmitrii Parkhomenko finished fourth at Tallinn Trophy this season. Great Britain’s Sasha Fear & Elliot Verburg, the newly crowned British junior champions, joined forces mid-season and have had solid international results.
For the second consecutive year, the U.S. is including ice dancers in its Spring international assignments. Alina Efimova & Sasha Petrov, a new team this season, received the assignment after a seventh place finish at the U.S. Championships last month. Obertsdorf will mark their international debut.
Fifteen teams will compete in the advanced novice competition, which includes Caroline Green & Gordon Green of the United States, who won the silver at this event in 2016. Though the Greens competed at the junior level domestically, they are not able to compete as juniors internationally due to Caroline’s age.
The Greens are joined on Team USA, by Katarina DelCamp & Maxwell Gart and Sophia Elder & Christopher Elder. DelCamp & Gart and the Elders won the silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the U.S. Championships last month and are making their international debuts.
Natalie D’Alessandro & Bruce Waddell, the 2017 Canadian novice champions, are competing internationally for the first time. They are also the 2016 Canadian pre-novice champions and are undefeated domestically.
Russia’s Sofiia Aleksova & Maksemilian Dubov are also in the medal hunt.
Schedule:
Friday, February 17th
8:00 AM – Advanced Novice pattern dances
Saturday, February 19th
7:00 AM – Advance Novice free dance
8:30 AM – Junior short dance
8:45 PM – Senior short dance
Sunday, February 19th
9:30 AM – Junior free dance
4:00 PM – Senior free dance
Results can be followed online at: http://eiskunstlauf.bev-eissport.de/BO2017/