Injury Update- Gabriella Papadakis and Josh Farris

At the end of August, Gabriella Papadakis suffered a concussion (it's not clear exactly how she did), and even though she is recovering, recovery from concussions can be a long process. She has apparently suffered focus, balance, and memory issues, as well as panic attacks and dyslexia, according to an article on AFP.com.

Papadakis is undergoing treatment for the traumatic brain injury developed by the US military. The process is supposed to occur over six weeks. Until she has recovered they will not be able to train as seriously or compete.

Papadakis and Cizeron have withdrawn from their competitions before Trophee Eric Bompard. As long as her recovery goes as planned, their season will be back on track during the Grand Prix season. They are concerned about the challenge of starting a season at a Grand Prix event, but with an injury like this one, they don't have the option to return before then.


Josh Farris has also apparently suffered a concussion. He has withdrawn from both of his Grand Prix events this season. He apparently missed Champs Camp this season, but is expected to make a full recovery.

There are not as many details about his concussion as Papadakis' in part because it seems to be a newer injury.

However, he has withdrawn very early from NHK, which suggests the concussion is pretty serious.

Here's hoping they both get well soon, and take the time they need to get back on the ice to make sure they've healed completely before risking another injury.

European Championships- Ice Dance

Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron seem to have come out of nowhere this season, after a less than stellar record last season. This season they have been on a spectacular streak. Their programs are a great mix of classic and innovative, and the choreography by Marie-France Dubreuil's team is some of the most interesting on the ice this season. Their freedance is a fantastic balance of classic styles with modern movements, and has great technical content. These two are on the up and up, and it seems like this fantastic streak is going to continue. I wouldn't put it past them to land on the podium at this year's worlds.

World champions, Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte have not had a strong season. After a disastrous start to the season and this second place finish it seems that the coaching switch to Marina Zoueva has not worked in their favour. There really isn't anything all that special about their programs, and it seems that Zoueva has too many teams and is spread too thin to give all of her teams enough time and energy to ensure she will continue to have the top ice dance teams skating with her. Overall, their programs are fine, but compared to some others, there really isn't anything that helps them to stand out, unlike last year. These programs also aren't as polished as they could be, though they've come a long way since the beginning of the season.

Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin finished in third place after a lower finish, but with a significant mistake from their teammates, Ilinykh and Ziganshin, Stepanova and Bukin were able to step through the door left open for them onto the podium. This is a strong finish for the new senior level team. This being their first year as seniors, this was a spectacular finish for them.

Elena Ilinykh and Ruslan Ziganshin may become a stronger team over time, but at the moment, they are not one of the stronger teams. People seem to be partial to them simply because of Elena Ilinykh's name and past accomplishments with her former partner. However their free dance, in particular, is rough and not as technically difficult as many others. It's also not particularly interesting. Their programs are fine, but not really anything special. Maybe in the future they will get better, but at the moment, these two are not my favourites.