Ice Skating: Israeli skaters gear up for World Championships in LA

Israeli team to be represented in all four categories.

By JERUSALEM POST SPORTS STAFF
ice skating 88 (photo credit: )
ice skating 88
(photo credit: )
The 2008/09 ice skating season culminates with the World Championships in Los Angeles this week, and the Israeli team will be represented in all four categories. Israel's best hopes at the event, which begins on March 24, are in the Ice Dance where brother-sister duo Alexandra and Roman Zaretsky will take to the ice. The Zaretskys have made their mark this season, most recently winning the ice dance event at the 24th Winter Universiade last month. In the ladies event Tamar Katz will skate for Israel, while another sibling team, Ekaterina and Fedor Sokolov will compete in the pairs event. Israel's final representative will be Maxim Shipov who will skate in the men's competition. Half of the Israeli team train in the USA, so they shouldn't be feeling the jet lag troubles. The competition kicks off with the compulsory dance (Paso Doble), followed by the pairs' short programme. The Zaretskys have said their goal is to at least finish in the top 10, whle the other Israelis will be vying to get through to the finals. Injuries have hit the chances of some of the team. Katz has been recovering from tendonitis which kept her off the ice of major competitions earlier in the season. Meanwhile Ekaterina Sokolova was injured during the free programme at the Europeans in Helsinki in late January.