SLAM! Sports
SLAM! Skating
SLAM! Stojko
COLUMNS
REVIEW
INTERACTIVE
ALSO ON SLAM!
Skate America is a key event for Robinson
The pivotal season in Jennifer Robinson's figure skating career got off to a great start at a summer meet in Germany, where she finished fourth, and now it's on to Detroit for Skate America, Oct. 29-31.
"I'm hoping this will set me up to regain the national title," Robinson said from Barrie after her Wednesday workout. "Training has been going well and I'm looking forward to a good competition."
Robinson, 21, showed by winning the Canadian title two years ago that she has considerable talent. But she slipped to third in Canada in 1997 and was third again in 1998. That's why 1998-99 is so important.
"It's really pivotal," she said. "I've put in the sweat and the tears and I believe I belong there" atop the national podium.
Her performances in Germany were among the best of her career.
"I got amazing feedback from the judges," she said. "It was the best feeling ever.
"My confidence is so high now. It's not a question of doing it in competition anymore. I just know it will be there."
She must retake the national title in Ottawa in January to get back to a world meet because Canada will be allowed only one women's singles entry for Helsinki in March.
Robinson was 19th at the 1995 worlds and 21 at the 1996 worlds, but had to stay behind while wishing friends good luck the last two years.
"It was devastating not to be going with them," she said of sendoffs for Mariposa clubmates such as Elvis Stojko and Jeff Langdon.
At the suggestion of coaches Doug and Michelle Leigh, Robinson has been taking lessons from Richard Callaghan, who coached Tara Lipinski to Olympic gold last winter. She'll train at Mariposa in Barrie one week and in Bloomfield Hills, Mich., the next.
"They said I needed a change," said Robinson, who left her Windsor home at the age of 13 to train in Barrie with the Leighs. "Of they hadn't suggested it, I wouldn't have done it.
"I'm glad I did. It has been amazing. I've lived at home with my parents and trained with Mr. Callaghan. It's really helped my skating a lot.
"It's one thing to have Elvis and Jeff at the club, watching them do their incredible jumps, but in Detroit there were all these girls working out.
"My consistency has skyrocketed. It's really helped every aspect of my skating."
Callaghan will coach her before and during Skate America, too.
After Skate America, Robinson will compete in a second Grand Prix event in Gelsenkirchen, Germany, Nov. 12-15.
"I'm coming off such a high, skating so well in Germany and things are going so well in training, that I'm really looking forward to seeing how I handle myself against the experienced skaters."