ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final: Day Two
The ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final continued
Saturday in Gdansk, Poland with the Free Dance, the Pairs,
Ladies and Men’s Free Skating. The top eight skaters/couples
from the eight events of the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure
Skating series have qualified for the Final from December
7 to 9. Gdansk hosted the Final once before in 1999.
Pairs, Free Skating
Vera Bazarova/Juri Larionov led a Russian sweep of the pairs
podium with Ksenia Krasilnikova/Konstantin Bezmaternykh and
Ekaterina Sheremetieva/Mikhail Kuznetsov coming in second
and third. It was the first clean sweep in the Pairs event
at the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Skating to the “Eragon” soundtrack, overnight
leaders Bazarova/Larionov landed a triple twist, throw triple
flip, double Axel-double Axel sequence and a double loop.
They showed difficult lifts including an Axel Lasso with variations
and a level-four pair combination spin. The only glitch came
when Bazarova two-footed the throw triple loop. The World
junior silver medalists earned 98.90 points (51.21 element
score/47.69 program component score) and took the told with
a total of 157.35 points. It was the first medal in the Junior
Final for the couple from Perm. “We skated well and
we are very happy. We did not expect to finish first in this
event as the competition was very tough”, Bazarova told
the post-event news conference.
Krasilnikova/Bezmaternykh risked a side by side triple toeloop
in their “Spartacus” routine, but she fell. The
World Junior bronze medalists recovered to complete a throw
triple flip, a triple twist, a double Axel-double Axel sequence,
a throw triple loop and lifts with interesting variations.
Krasilnikova/Bezmaternykh picked up 93.10 points (49.19/44.91)
and accumulated 146.25 overall to claim their second consecutive
silver medal in the Final.
Sheremetieva/Kuznetsov completed the success for the Russian
team with a solid performance to “Nostradamus”
by Maksim Mrvica that included a double twist, side by side
double flip-double loop sequence, a slightly two-footed throw
triple flip and a press lift with unusual positions for Sheremetieva.
However, she fell on the throw triple loop. The Muscovites
scored 83.77 points (41.41/43.36). They were ranked fourth
in the Free Skating but earned the bronze, their first medal
in what was their debut at the Junior Final, at 134.02 points.
Ladies, Free Skating
Mirai Nagasu and Rachael Flatt won the gold and the silver
for the USA in the Ladies’ event. The bronze medal went
to Japan’s Yuki Nishino.
Performing to “Coppelia”, Nagasu landed a double
Axel, a triple Lutz-double toe-double loop combination, a
second triple Lutz, a triple loop-double loop and produced
fine spins, earning a level four for both the layback and
combination spin. However, the World Junior silver medalist
struggled with her triple flip today. She stepped out of the
first one which was downgraded and the second one was shaky,
and she added only single toe. Her triple toe was cheated
as well and downgraded. Nagasu received 102.74 points (52.76
element score/49.98 program component score) and was ranked
second in the Free Skating. Overall she held on to first place
with 162.09 points.
“I was really scared going into the long program, but
after my music started I knew that even though I was scared
and nervous, I had to do what I had been doing in practice.
I really had to fight out there today”, the 14-year-old
told the press.
Flatt gave a very strong performance to “Romantic Rhapsody”
by Mathieu, hitting a triple Salchow and then a triple Lutz-triple
toeloop combination followed by a triple loop. The 15-year-old
went on to complete three more triples and a double Axel-double
toeloop as well as a level-three straight line step sequence
and a level-four spiral. The American scored 107.55 points
(62.18/45.37), setting a new personal best for herself. She
won the Free Skating and pulled up from second to third with
159.66 points.
Nishino started well into her routine to “Sleeping Beauty”
with a triple Lutz-double toeloop combination, but then stumbled
on an underrotated triple flip that was downgraded. She recovered
to land a triple loop, another triple Lutz and a triple toe-double
toe-double toe combination, but she stepped out of a cheated
triple Salchow. Nishino showed nice spins, getting a level
four for the layback and the combination spin, and her circular
step sequence was graded a level three. The Japanese earned
94.79 points (49.58/45.21) and slipped to third at 149.42
points.
Ice Dancing, Free Dance
Maria Monko/Ilia Tkachenko of Russia danced to victory in
the Free Dance. Like last year, Emily Samuelson/Evan Bates
(USA) took the silver medal. Russia’s Kristina Gorshkova/Vitali
Butikov captured the bronze.
Monko/Tkachenko delivered a powerful performance to “Waltz
of the Spirits” by Karl Jenkins, completing difficult
yet smooth steps, a curve lift with changes of position for
her, a rotational lift and a dance spin. The Russians had
good flow throughout the dance and were awarded a level four
for all seven elements to earn a new personal best score of
85.49 points. Overall they racked up 175.72 points and took
the gold the first time they participated in the Final. “It
was a very hard competition with two dances in one day”,
Tkachenko said, referring to yesterday’s competition.
“But we managed to keep our concentration. Our coach
and choreographer suggested this music to us, but we didn’t
like it at first, because it wasn’t the style we wanted.
We know that Oksana Domnina/Maxim Shabalin skated to it before,
and that was also a reason why we didn’t want this music,
but now we like it”, he explained.
Samuelson/Bates’ romantic dance to “Luna”
by Alessandra Safina featured precise footwork, a curve lift
in low position and well synchronized twizzles. The team showed
excellent unison and like Monko/Tkachenko, got a level four
for all their elements. The U.S. Junior Champions scored 84.49
points (45.03/39.46) and moved up from third to second at
171.85 points total.
Gorshkova/Butikov executed a dance combination spin with many
positions, a curve-rotational lift and showed off strong,
clean edges in their footwork. The Russians earned a level
three for their circular steps and a level four for their
side by side midline step sequence. They collected 80.30 points
(41.64/38.66) and accumulated 168.63 points. They slipped
from second to third but won their first medal in the Junior
Final.
Men, Free Skating
Adam Rippon led a podium sweep for the U.S. men. Brandon Mroz
took the silver medal and Armin Mahbanoozadeh captured the
bronze. Both Rippon and Mahbanoozadeh competed for the first
time in the Final while Mroz was the silver medalist last
year. It was the first clean sweep of the Men’s podium
in the history of the Junior Final.
Rippon’s lyrical performance to “Moonlight Sonata”
included a triple flip-triple toeloop combination, a triple
Lutz, triple loop, double Axel, triple Lutz-double toe-double
loop as well as a triple flip and a double Axel-triple Salchow
sequence. His spins were graded a level three and four. The
18-year-old collected 134.77 points (71.33 element score/63.44
program component score) and significantly improved his previous
personal best of 123.26 points. He accumulated 203.20 points
overall. “I think that the biggest thing that has helped
me to skate so much better this year is my coach Nikolai Morozov.
I’ve been training a lot better, I’ve been working
a lot harder and I feel that it’s really paying off.
I think I brought my skating to a different level this year”,
Rippon commented.
Mroz had to overcome a little shock at the beginning, when
not his, but Rippon’s music was switched on. He opened
his program to “The King of the Forest” by Edvin
Marton with a triple Axel, but he put down his hand on the
ice. The 16-year-old continued with at triple loop, a triple
flip-double toe-double loop and three more clean triples.
However, he stepped out of the back end of his triple Lutz-triple
toeloop combination. Mroz was awarded a level four for his
combination spin and a level three for his other two sins
as well as for the circular step sequence. The American scored
124.21 points (66.39/57.82) and remained in second place with
187.34 points.
Mahbanoozadeh’s program to lesser know pieces from “Spartacus”
contained seven clean triple jumps including a triple Lutz-triple
toeloop combination as well as fast and well centered spins.
He got a level four for the two combination spins and the
flying sit spin and a level three for both step sequences.
The 16-year-old posted a new personal best of 122.97 points
(69.77/53.20) and moved up from fourth to third at 182.04
points.
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