Last week I was extremely disappointed to learn the news of the split of 2010 U.S. Olympians in ice dance, Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates. Click HERE to read the official press release on Icenetwork.com. Emily and Evan skated together for 11 years and have achieved a number of accomplishments, including 2008 World Junior Champions, 2009 U.S. silver medalists, and 2010 U.S. National bronze medalist. They are two-time senior World competitors. The future for Emily and Evan has been unclear since Evan suffered a serious, season-ending injury to his achilles tendon last fall,but I never imagined they'd split. I thought it may take them awhile to make up the time that they lost on the ice, but after skating together for 11-years, I figured they partnership was secure. Unfortunately, I was wrong. Evan has now teamed with 2011 U.S. National bronze medalist Madison Chock, who recently split from her partner, Greg Zuerlein. Emily is searching for a partner.
(I'm starting to think that my blog is a curse. Every time I post about a team, they split up! First Yankowskas and Coughlin, then the Hubbells, then Chock/Zuerlein, and now Samuelson and Bates.)
Despite the loss of this truly lovely, classy pair, I celebrate the wonderful moments that they gave the skating world and the U.S. fans. I will never forget their senior national debut in 2008 when they skated to "Luna" by Allessandro Safina, and when I saw them skate live at the 2009 U.S. Championships in Cleveland. Emily and Evan's 2010 freeskate is also one that I will fondly remember as they skated joyously at both the Nationals and the Olympic Games.
In honor of Emily and Evan's partnership, I will share their 2010 freeskate to "Canto Della Terra" by Sarah Brightman:
Here's another Emily and Evan video from their gold-medal performance at the 2008 World Junior Championships to "Luna" by Allessandro Safina:
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