The Herb Brooks Arena was keeping it cool this week in Lake Placid for an annual summer ice dance event. The Ice Dance Championships welcomed some of the best figure skaters from various ages and skill level across the world in the village for three days of competition. The final day on Wednesday, Aug. 2, featured medals awarded to athletes competing in nearly 15 events ranging from novice all the way to senior competition level. The biggest event of the evening, the Senior International Dance, saw three American teams place top four. Oona and Gage Brown, a sister-brother duo from Long Island, New York, finished the highest of all the U.S. teams in second place. The Russian pair of Diana Davis and Gleb Smoklin placed first. Regardless of where the competitors finished, they were more focused on taking in all the history in the Village in hopes they could one day make their own Olympic dreams. “It means a lot,” said Pre-Gold Shadow Dance Gold Medalist Gloria Wang. “Especially since a lot of good Olympians skated here. Every time I look at the Olympic rings I just smile.”That history also stems from family ties for some of the competitors. Eliana and Ethan Peel earned the bronze medal in the Junior International Dance, crediting their father, Robert Peel’s experiences winning gold in a prior Lake Placid junior ice dance championship and coaching for their success. “Our father competed here many years ago,” Eliana Peel said about her dad. “Knowing that he has his own touch and bringing it to our skating and coaching us day in and day out has helped us to develop as skaters.”The Ice Dance championships will be back in Lake Placid next summer in 2024.
The Herb Brooks Arena was keeping it cool this week in Lake Placid for an annual summer ice dance event.
The Ice Dance Championships welcomed some of the best figure skaters from various ages and skill level across the world in the village for three days of competition.
Advertisement
The final day on Wednesday, Aug. 2, featured medals awarded to athletes competing in nearly 15 events ranging from novice all the way to senior competition level.
The biggest event of the evening, the Senior International Dance, saw three American teams place top four. Oona and Gage Brown, a sister-brother duo from Long Island, New York, finished the highest of all the U.S. teams in second place. The Russian pair of Diana Davis and Gleb Smoklin placed first.
Regardless of where the competitors finished, they were more focused on taking in all the history in the Village in hopes they could one day make their own Olympic dreams.
“It means a lot,” said Pre-Gold Shadow Dance Gold Medalist Gloria Wang. “Especially since a lot of good Olympians skated here. Every time I look at the Olympic rings I just smile.”
That history also stems from family ties for some of the competitors. Eliana and Ethan Peel earned the bronze medal in the Junior International Dance, crediting their father, Robert Peel’s experiences winning gold in a prior Lake Placid junior ice dance championship and coaching for their success.
“Our father competed here many years ago,” Eliana Peel said about her dad. “Knowing that he has his own touch and bringing it to our skating and coaching us day in and day out has helped us to develop as skaters.”
The Ice Dance championships will be back in Lake Placid next summer in 2024.
