Is it the same little Maia?

[billob]

During the 2003 Worlds broadcasts, A USFSA ad featured a young Asian girl we later learned (hrough a MKF post) was named Maia. I don't recall ever hearing her last name.

Later, when Michelle was on the podium, the camera also picked up little Maia in the audiance as the anthem was playing. She just happened to be sitting in the right spot for the camera that was focused on Michelle to pick her up.

Now...on page 4 of the photos for the 2005 Lake Placid Dance Championships on the USFSA site is a photo of Maia Shibutani and her partner.

Is it the same girl?

[belladella]

Yes it's the same little girl. I was sitting across the aisle from Maia and her family at 2003 Worlds. Her partner is her brother Alex who was a junior reporter for USFSA at Nationals 2005. They won the gold in both phases of Intermediate Dance at Lake Placid.

[skatingfan5]

Here's a picture of the Shibutani's (http://www.usfsa.org/content/events/200506/lakeplaciddance/ShibutaniShibutani-1st.jpg) from Lake Placid -- they are both completely adorable! (He probably would hate my saying that, but they are!) :D

Omigosh, I just found another picture of Maia and Alex (http://www.ice-dance.com/events-results/reports/lakeplacid05/intermediate/Shibutani.jpg) from Lake Placid -- and I repeat -- completely adorable! What expression they both have.

[Krista]

Wow, they ARE adorable. They look like naturals :)

[tongueincheek]

Do you think their parents would let me adopt them? ;)

[skatingfan5]

Here's the story (http://www.usfigureskating.org/Magazine.asp?id=57&issue=29808) that 13 year old Alex Shibutani wrote about 2005 Nationals in April (from the picture it appears that he may have grown a bit in the 4 months since then). So it appears that in addition to being a talented skater, he also is a more than fair writer.

edited to fix link (I wasn't logged on before so I couldn't do that) -- and thanks for fixing it, Skatephile!

[Skatephile]

Here's the working link without the "that" at the end:
www.usfigureskating.org/M...ssue=29808 (http://www.usfigureskating.org/Magazine.asp?id=57&issue=29808)

Thanks for posting this -- I missed seeing this earlier in the year! I was on the same plane as the Shibutani family on the way back from Portland Nationals and saw Alex working on his Nationals report on his laptop! :) He's very mature for his age and seemed surprised when I mentioned I knew who he and his sister were -- the 2005 U.S. Juvenile Dance silver medalists!

--Sylvia

[skatesindreams]

Those ARE cute pictures! That article is wonderful, also. I hope that we will be hearing more from them in the future.

[billob]

I remember reading the story that Alex did for the 2005 Nationals but I did not make the connection between him & Maia.

I wonder if the family was made aware of Maia appearing in that podium shot with Michelle.