Reaching For New Heights

There's growing up. And there's growing up.
If it seemed like Rachel Kirkland was standing taller than ever on the opening day of the 2008 HomeSense Skate Canada International at Scotiabank Place ... well, you weren't seeing things. The 16-year-old pairs partner of Toronto's Eric Radford guesses she's grown "three or four inches" since the end of last season — one which saw the fourth-year duo finish fifth at the BMO Canadian championships for a second straight year.
So when Kirkland says she spent her off-season "just really growing," she means it — literally.
"Not just physically, but as a skater and as a team," Kirkland quickly added after she and Radford completed their short program today (they finished seventh out of eight couples with a 50.08-point score). "Our skating has really matured with my maturity ... or growth."
Needless to say, Kirkland's growth spurt has required some extra time to adapt on the part of both skaters.
"We did a lot of revamping of technique," said Radford, 23. "The jumps and the throws and the spins. Things haves changed."
"A little bit," added Kirkland. "But that's normal. I think it actually made our skating better and we've improved a lot."
Also new in the past year or so is the couple's training situation: They've spent two months this season working with former world champion Ingo Steuer in Chemnitz, Germany, and are headed back there at the beginning of November. There, they train alongside current worlds champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy (the gold medallists at this event a year ago in Quebec City, we should add). Another world champion, Brian Orser, works with Kirkland and Radford when they're home in Toronto.
"He's so multi-faceted as a coach, and really covers all areas of our skating," Radford said of Steuer, who won his world crown in 1997 with Mandy Wotzel.
Added Kirkland: "He has really good vision about where we are now and where we need to go and how to get there."
In other words, everything is looking up. And in more ways than one.