Adults really can skate too!

It's a fantastic time of year for adult skating right now, with the ISU Adult Figure Skating Competition kicking off in Oberstdorf, Germany, yesterday, plus the British Adult Championships coming up in Sheffield in just a few weeks.

And Oberstdorf has really got off to a brilliant start, with Team GB securing some podium places on day one of the competition.

For team GB, Jenny Kasoumpi took the silver medal in the bronze ladies free skating category (class I), while Rachael Richards - a fellow north-east girl - placed third in the gold ladies artistic (class II). Well done ladies! Also notable was Roberta Wheeler who placed fourth in the bronze ladies artistic (class III).

For anyone who doesn't compete (like me!) and is wondering what the classes and bronze, silver, gold categories are all about, let me briefly explain, to the
best of my knowledge....I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm mistaken on any of this.

The classes simply relate to age categories. For Oberstdorf this year, they're as follows:

Class I skaters born between July 1st, 1975 and June 30th, 1985 
Class II skaters born between July 1st, 1965 and June 30th, 1975 
Class III skaters born between July 1st, 1955 and June 30th, 1965 
Class IV skaters born between July 1st, 1945 and June 30th, 1955 
Class V skaters born between July 1st, 1935 and June 30th, 1945

Skaters are then separated into "skill" levels (bronze, silver, gold - note, this is in no way related to SkateUK bronze, silver, gold levels!), based on their test/competition scores or NISA levels passed, and this dictates the elements they need to have (and those that aren't allowed) in their program in order to gain points.

It's worth noting though that skaters choose which category to place themselves into.

The results available from day one of the competition are as follows: (Note: WD = withdrawn)

Gold Men I + II Free Skating

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Alain FRANCEZE	FRA	45.21	1
2	Andrea TARELLI	FRA	43.47	2
3	Przemyslaw FAJER	POL	39.28	3
4	Remy ZAMPONI	FRA	38.96	4
5	Konstantin IABLOTCKII	RUS	36.00	5
6	Takashi IKENO	CAN	34.39	6
7	Theo FISCHER	GER	33.16	7
8	Kris FIDLER-BALLARD	USA	32.27	8

Silver Men I Free Skating

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Marcello CAZZANIGA	ITA	36.32	1
2	Christopher SHIPLEY	USA	36.16	2
3	Mehdi MASSET	FRA	30.04	3
4	Makoto YAMAGUCHI	GER	27.69	4
5	Rainer JOUAUX	GER	27.61	5
6	Takahiro NAGANO	JPN	26.81	6
7	David THAO KHAMSAY	SUI	24.69	7
8	Julien LEVACHER	ESP	22.35	8

Bronze Ladies I Free Skating

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Lenka SEMBEROVA	CZE	29.12	1
2	Jenny KASOUMPI	GBR	27.02	2
3	Olga MOSHKOVA	RUS	25.26	3
4	Talitha LICAUCO	AUS	24.75	4
5	Pavla CADILOVA	CZE	24.67	5
6	Kate MACINNIS	CAN	24.60	6
7	Kamila OCENASKOVA	CZE	24.54	7
8	Elena SUKHOVNINA	RUS	23.83	8
9	Anna KUTYASHEVA	RUS	23.33	9
10	May Linn JAKOBSEN	NOR	23.23	10
11	Jean TENG	USA	22.97	11
12	Michela FANUCCHI	ITA	22.76	12
13	Anna MARCHESI	ITA	22.45	13
14	Ekaterina SAMSONOVA	RUS	21.86	14
15	Briony RYLES	GBR	21.40	15
16	Julia WIES	GER	21.40	16
17	Elena KUTVITSKAIA	RUS	21.14	17
18	Daria VETROVA	RUS	20.95	18
19	Agnes LINDINGER	FIN	20.48	19
20	Ekaterina ANISIMOVA	RUS	20.41	20
21	Katrin FRANK	GER	20.37	21
22	Sina SALOMO	GER	20.08	22
23	Barbara STELE	ITA	18.82	23
24	Manuela LEHMANN	GER	18.74	24
25	Bettina BIRLE	GBR	17.93	25
26	Yuliya BORISOVA	RUS	17.79	26
27	Marcela RUEDA	GBR	17.76	27
28	Tuire MUONA	FIN	17.48	28
29	Christelle FLOQUARD	FRA	16.15	29
30	Sini KEINÄNEN	FIN	15.17	30
31	Nuna TOGNONI	ITA	13.38	31
WD	Irina IAKUSHEVA	RUS

Bronze Ladies IV + V Free Skating

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Tuula HOVI	FIN	21.91	1
2	Raye RYAN	CAN	20.64	2
3	Maxine Joy GRAY	AUS	20.04	3
4	Rosa Maria GERVASONI	ITA	18.89	4
5	Helena VÄÄNÄNEN	FIN	18.55	5
6	Christine PASCOE	GBR	18.39	6
7	Linda BARNS	GBR	17.98	7
8	Eleanor STANBURY	NZL	17.91	8

Gold Men III + IV Artistic

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Ross LUXTON	USA	17.19	1
2	Jorge DE LIMA	BRA	13.63	2
3	Francesco VENTURA	CAN	12.51	3
4	Dennis GLORIOSO	USA	9.19	4

Silver Men V Artistic

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Keith DICKSON	AUS	6.88	1

Gold Ladies II Artistic

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Elena MOGILNIKOVA	RUS	21.50	1
2	Hisayo SHIBATA	CAN	19.57	2
3	Rachael RICHARDS	GBR	19.51	3
4	Irina KOELTZSCH	GER	19.25	4
5	Irina BARSKAYA	RUS	18.89	5
6	Joan CHENG	CAN	18.45	6
7	Sarah SCHNORF-ANTONIAZZI	SUI	17.95	7
8	Melissa STAPLES	AUS	17.19	8
9	Ester HUIS IN'T VELD	NED	17.00	9
10	Elena RICKMANN	GER	16.75	10
11	Valeriya BARINOVA	RUS	16.45	11
12	Maria Fabiana PAZOS DELGADO	MEX	15.20	12
WD	Elizabeth PARKES	GBR

Silver Ladies III Artistic

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Annette NYMEYER	CAN	14.51	1
2	Rita PETER VISCHER	SUI	13.58	2
3	Annette KONSTANZER	GER	12.31	3
4	Stephanie HUOT	AUS	12.27	4
5	Karen DALLEY	GBR	11.70	5
6	Raija LINDEN	FIN	10.94	6
6	Carol TAVERNER	GBR	10.94	6
8	Philippa COOPER-LEWIS	GBR	10.01	8
9	Barbara FREUDENBERGER	GER	9.93	9
10	Alla OREKHOVA	RUS	8.50	10
11	Beatrice SAINT-SALVI	FRA	7.75	11
12	Irina MALININA	RUS	7.56	12

Bronze Ladies III Artistic

FPl.	Name	Nation	Points	FS
1	Janette WOOD	CAN	14.51	1
2	Diane GILDERS	CAN	12.57	2
3	Joan MCGRATH	CAN	11.32	3
4	Roberta WHEELER	GBR	11.12	4
5	Christine CROWE	USA	10.13	5
6	Ana GONZALES MIER	GER	9.94	6
6	Alessandra TAGLIABUE	ITA	9.94	6
8	Susan P. EDWARDS	CAN	9.37	8
9	Gail TUDOR	GBR	9.32	9
10	Lilias DUTZ	GER	9.12	10
11	Barbro PETTERSSON	SWE	8.89	11
12	Deborah HOWARD	AUS	8.88	12
12	Nicola WONG	GBR	8.88	12
14	Sharon STRAUB	AUS	8.57	14
15	Ulrike WALTER	GER	8.07	15
16	Karen HOSIE	GBR	8.02	16
17	Cristina CHIASSAI	ITA	8.01	17
18	Boel JANSSON	SWE	7.82	18
19	Lesley BRENIKOV	GBR	7.45	19
20	Susanne MELLGREN	SWE	7.39	20
21	Sabine PROKSCHE	GER	7.25	21
22	Barbara HAUGHTON	GBR	7.13	22
23	Fiona BROWN	GBR	6.44	23
24	Florika DEVINE	RSA	5.07	24
WD	Dusica JOVANOVIC-PALIC	AUS