As a brother-sister ice dancing pair, Michael and Rachel Parsons of Rockville are not hesitant to tell each other when they’ve done something wrong.
As siblings, they also have a trust in each other that makes them closer, they said, than they could be with any other partner.
“We have a stronger connection than other couples do because we’ve known each other our whole lives,” said Rachel, 14. “We’re definitely very honest with each other on the ice. When the other does something they’re not supposed to be doing, we definitely are sure to tell them. Sometimes, as siblings, it can be frustrating.”
Added Michael: “We argue, but I think it helps us.”
The 2011 Novice Ice Dance national champions last January after just a year competing together, it was announced last month that the pair was selected by the U.S. Olympic Committee and the U.S. Figure Skating Association to represent Team USA in ice dance at the first Winter Youth Olympic Games, starting Jan. 13 in Innsbruck, Austria.
It will mark the Parsons’ second international appearance; they finished ninth of 21 teams in the 2011 Baltic Cup in Poland last summer in their first international Junior Grand Prix Assignment.
They followed that with a silver medal at the 2012 Eastern Sectional Championships in November and plan to travel from Austria to California to compete at this year’s U.S. National Championships, starting Jan. 23.
“Our [ultimate] goal is definitely to compete at the Olympics someday and this is a big step forward for us,” Michael said.
Figure skaters compete in five levels: juvenile, intermediate, novice, junior and senior.
The Parsons, who represent the Wheaton Ice Skating Academy, are among the youngest competing at the junior level in the U.S. They hope to advance to the senior level in the next couple of years if they can manage some good results, they said.
The inaugural Winter Youth Olympics will feature more than 1,000 athletes from 70 nations spanning all five continents, according to the championship’s website.
Michael and Rachel are two of just five USFSA athletes among 57 Americans selected to represent Team USA, according to the organization’s website.
Hosted by the International Olympic Committee, the Youth Games will feature 63 total events in 15 disciplines. The competition is scheduled to be held every four years.
The Wheaton Academy had a strong showing at the 2012 Junior Figure Skating Championships last month — for juvenile and intermediate skaters.
Eliana Gropman and Ian Somerville won gold in the juvenile ice dance; Gwen Sletten and Elliot Verburg took silver.
Gigi and Luca Becker won the intermediate dance competition.
Michael and Rachel said they hope their trip to the Youth Olympics will help set a standard for some of the club’s younger athletes.
The Parsons each learned to skate shortly after they began walking, and have been competing in ice dance since they were 6.
The discipline involves a different set of skills than the more common freestyle skating, but requires just as much strength and athleticism, Michael said.
Unlike pair figure skating, there are no jumps or throws in ice dancing; lifts are done differently. The focus is on lines and the intricate use of edges. Interpretation of the music also is more important in ice dancing, Rachel said.
The Parsons said they spend between 25 and 35 hours per week training before and after school. They said they miss out on a lot of time with their friends, but opportunities like competing in this month’s Youth Olympics make it worth it.
“I think this being our second international competition, it will get rid of some of the nerves we had in Poland,” Michael said. “We know what we’re going to be doing. We miss out on a lot of time with family and friends, but I think it’s worth it when you have the opportunity to travel to Europe and compete for your country.”
jbeekman@gazette.net
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