1993 Worlds Ice Dance OD (CBC) | Russian Sweep Looms in the Viennese Waltz

Summary: The 1993 World Championships ice dance original dance featured the elegant Viennese Waltz, with teams challenged to recreate the flowing character and regal atmosphere of a traditional ballroom while executing the discipline's demanding required elements. After the compulsory dances, Maya Usova (Майя Усова) and Alexander Zhulin (Александр Жулин) led the standings ahead of compatriots Oksana Grishuk (Оксана Грищук) and Evgeni Platov (Евгений Платов), while the anticipated battle for bronze centred on Finland's Susanna Rahkamo (Susanna Rahkamo) & Petri Kokko (Petri Kokko) and Russia's Angelika Krylova (Анжелика Крылова) & Vladimir Fedorov (Владимир Фёдоров). The CBC team also highlighted the continued influence of legendary coaches Natalia Dubova (Наталья Дубова) and Natalia Linichuk (Наталья Линичук), whose students dominated the field. The broadcast also featured an educational segment explaining the technical demands of the Viennese Waltz, from its face-to-face holds and pivot steps to the deep edges, flowing glide and upright carriage needed to capture the spirit of the dance. Canada's young champions Shae-Lynn Bourne and Victor Kraatz delivered a graceful performance that commentators believed exceeded their 15th-place standing after the compulsories, earning praise for their elegant lines and leaving the impression of a team on the rise. The anticipated bronze medal duel unfolded back-to-back. Rahkamo and Kokko attacked the ice with speed and power but were judged to have sacrificed some of the authentic waltz character in favour of coverage. Krylova and Fedorov responded with a softer, quieter performance that floated effortlessly across the ice, using refined knee action and smooth edges to move ahead of the Finns and into provisional third. Usova and Zhulin then reinforced their status as favourites with a performance described as the very embodiment of grace and elegance. Training in Lake Placid under difficult financial circumstances after leaving Russia, they spoke candidly about the challenges of daily life and the improved focus their American training base had provided. Their sublime interpretation earned unanimous first-place ordinals, strengthening their overall lead. Grishuk and Platov followed with another majestic display, carrying exceptional speed through complex transitions to retain second place. The Original Dance concluded with Russia occupying the top three positions—Usova & Zhulin first, Grishuk & Platov second, and Krylova & Fedorov third—setting up an intriguing Free Dance, where the world medals would ultimately be decided. --- VHS60fps (noisy picture), Canadian coverage (commentators: Chris Cuthbert, Paul Martini, Barb Underhill) The 1993 World Figure Skating Championships were held in Prague (Sportovní hala), Czech Republic in March 1993. Ice dance, original dance (OD) performances, shown here marked with (^) below: Rank Name Nation TFP CD1 CD2 OD^ FD 1 Maya Usova / Alexander Zhulin Russia 2.0 1 1 1^ 1 2 Oksana Grishuk / Evgeni Platov Russia 4.0 2 2 2^ 2 3 Anjelika Krylova / Vladimir Fedorov Russia 6.2 4 3 3^ 3 4 Susanna Rahkamo / Petri Kokko Finland 7.8 3 4 4^ 4 14 Shae-Lynn Bourne / Victor Kraatz Canada 28.6 15 15 16^ 13 --- Chapters: 00:00 Introduction & Medal Contenders 01:18 Shae-Lynn Bourne / Victor Kraatz (Canada) 05:07 Understanding the Viennese Waltz (with Jean Senft) 07:09 Susanna Rahkamo (Susanna Rahkamo) / Petri Kokko (Petri Kokko) (Finland) 10:52 Angelika Krylova (Анжелика Крылова) / Vladimir Fedorov (Владимир Фёдоров) (Russia) 14:48 Feature - Maya Usova / Alexander Zhulin (Russia) 16:30 Maya Usova (Майя Усова) / Alexander Zhulin (Александр Жулин) (Russia) 20:26 Oksana Grishuk (Оксана Грищук) / Evgeni Platov (Евгений Платов) (Russia) 24:13 Original Dance Results --- #figureskating #フィギュアスケート #eiskunstlauf #фигурноекатание #피겨스케이팅 #pattinaggioartistico #patinageartistique #patinaçãoartística #icedance