Riding The Orient Express

Figure skating's new world order has officially arrived.
With the 2007 Tokyo worlds now in the books, what has been predicted for a few years now has become very apparent — the power base in the sport has shifted to the Far East.
Consider that only two countries won multiple medals at these worlds: Japan and China. Asian skaters swept the podium in the women's event, and took two of three pairs medals. Japan's Daisuke Takahashi nearly snared the men's gold with a stunning free skate.
On the flip side, look what's happened to some of figure skating's 'traditional' powers. For the first time in 47 years, no skater from Russia or the former Soviet Union won a medal. It wasn't that long ago that the Russians were sweeping all the golds.
The U.S. was limited to one medal, and in the discipline that probably gets the least attention in that country. And half of that ice dance bronze was earned by a skater who was born in Canada (Tanith Belbin of Kingston, Ont.). In the event that matters most to Americans — the women — U.S. skaters were shut out of the medals at worlds. The last time that happened? Try 1994.
Canada, meanwhile, brought home one medal from worlds for the second straight year. It was the same colour (silver) in the same event (ice dance) earned by the same skaters (Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon) as in 2006 in Calgary.
An interesting point was raised in a Canadian Press story over the weekend. Only one Canadian in singles or pairs — Joannie Rochette — improved her position from the short program to the free skate. That has to be a little disconcerting to officials from Skate Canada, because it's the free skate which determines who lands on the podium and who doesn't.
In Rochette's case, she was simply too far behind after the short to join the medal hunt, but the moxie she showed in battling back is a positive sign for the future.
Going forward, Canada kept three ice dance and three pair spots for next year's worlds in Sweden. Thanks to Rochette, we'll send two women to Goteborg in 2008 (and she's owed a bunch of thank-you cards for that from senior women across the country).
Our men's complement is down to two, meaning the dogfight for the world team will be even fiercer at Canadians in Vancouver next January.
When the fight moves across the pond to Sweden, the battle figures to be on a higher plane there, too. With Asian skaters clearly raising the bar once more, and daring everyone else to keep up.