The favorite in this event is Russian national champion Adelina Sotnikova. At just 14, she won't be eligible for senior worlds until 2013 so look for her to try for the first of two world titles here. She has an impressive arsenal which features a triple+triple and has posted the highest international junior score of the season. She also had an impressive victory at the Junior Grand Prix Final, besting the field by 9 points.
Elizaveta Tuktamisheva took home the silver medal from the JGPF but her scores have been all over the place this season. She also has a triple+triple in her arsenal and posted an impressive 193.56 score at Russian junior nationals.
Polina Shelepen is the final entry for Russia and also is a medal threat here. Her scores have been fairly consistent throughout the season, but have been consistently lower than her countrymates. She finished 20 points behind Tuktamisheva at Russian junior nationals.
Christina Gao leads the United States entries. She had good scores early in the season but had problems in the JGPF and was only able to finish 6th. She has had a major growth spurt this season and that has effected some of her technique as she adjusts to her new proportions. She seemed to have settled a little at nationals and nailed her triple+triple combination and two clean skates. She is beginning to look more and more like Yuna Kim on the ice, and I expect it won't be long before she's putting up similar scores.
Agnes Zawadzki is the reigning silver medalist at this event and the only medalist from last year to return. She competed on the senior Grand Prix and had one of the best scoring short programs of the season but seemed to struggle with her long at both her events. She skated a clean long at nationals including her triple+triple and put up an impressive score. She is reworking her current free skate to meet the junior time and element requirements. She is a determined young lady and is returning to this event with the intention to medal.
Courtney Hicks is entering Junior Worlds as her first ever international competition. She had the highest junior score ever posted at U.S. Nationals under code of points, edging out Agnes Zawadzki for that honor. She has already been compared to Sasha Cohen due to her look and skills on the ice, but it seems like she has one important difference: she can land her jumps. She demolished the field at U.S. Nationals with a triple+triple combination and a unique spin she invented called the Tw-Hicks. It will be interesting to see how she fares under the pressure against a very tough field.
Risa Shoji was edged out for the bronze medal at the Junior Grand Prix Final due to a tiebreaker. Her scores have been fairly consistent all season, but don't match up to the scores of the top Russian and American ladies. Her consistency is a plus though, as she can sneak in for a medal if other ladies make a mistake.
Zijun Li is in much the same boat as Shoji, whom she defeated to take the bronze medal at the JGPF. Her scores are good enough to put her in the top 10 and consistent enough to earn a medal if others make mistakes.
Ira Vannut of Belgium had a decent JGP season but her scores didn't match up with the top of this field. She then went on to place 7th at Europeans, with a score that would make her competitive here. If she continues this improvement she could be a big dark horse at this event, but will definitely improve on her 22nd place finish here last season.
Yasmin Siraj and Kristiene Gong qualified for the JGPF but won't be at this competition due to a deep field in the United States.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Adelina Sotnikova
Silver: Elizaveta Tuktamisheva
Bronze: Agnes Zawadzki
The competitors:
Marta Grigoryan, ARM: She placed 3rd as a junior at the Nestle Cup.
Brooklee Han, AUS: She placed 10th at JGP Great Britain and 17th at JGP Germany.
Victoria Huebler, AUT: She finished 13th at JGP Austria and 12th at JGP Czech Republic. She placed 42nd at the World Junior Championships last season.
Nastassia Hrybko, BLR: She finished 26th and 29th at her two JGP assignments last season. She finished 12 in the preliminary round at Europeans.
Ira Vannut, BEL: She placed 7th at Europeans with personal best scores across the board. She finished 4th at JGP Austria and won bronze at JGP Germany. She finished 22nd at the World Junior Championships last season.
Daniela Stoeva, BUL: She finished 26th at JGP Romania and 29th at JGP Czech Republic. She placed 32nd at Junior Worlds last year.
Vanessa Greiner, CAN: She placed 12th at JGP France.
Alexandra Najarro, CAN (D): She finished 10th at JGP Romania and 7th at JGP Great Britain.
Zijun Li, CHN: She won bronze at Cup of Austria and placed 4th at Czech Skate to qualify for the JGPF where she won bronze.
Chaochih Liu, TPE: She finished 24th at Four Continents. She finished 19th at JGP Japan.
Anita Madsen, DEN (D): She finished 14th at JGP Japan and 24th at JGP Czech Republic.
Gerli Liinamae, EST (D): She placed 13th at Europeans with personal best scores across the board. She finished 9th and 10th at her two JGP assignments this season.
Juulia Turkkila, FIN (D): She placed 15th at the European Championships with personal best scores across the board. She finished 10th at her JGP assignment this season.
Yretha Silete, FRA (D): She finished 4th at JGP France and 6th at JGP Germany.
Isabel Drescher, GER (D): She finished 11th at JGP Great Britain and 16th at JGP Germany. She placed 18th at World Juniors last season.
Katie Powell, GBR: She placed 18th at JGP Great Britain and 14th at JGP Germany.
Georgia Glastris, GRE: She finished 44th at Worlds last season. She finished 17th in the preliminary round at Europeans. She finished 21st and 18th at her two JGP assignments this season. She placed 28th at Junior Worlds last year.
Sumika Yamada, HKG:
Chelsea Rose Chiappa, HUN: She placed 17th at JGP Great Britain.
Margot Krisberg, ISR:
Alice Garlisi, ITA: She placed 21st at Europeans with personal best scores across the board. She finished 19th and 7th at her two JGP assignments this season.
Yuki Nishino, JPN (D): She placed 7th at JGP Romania and won bronze at JGP Great Britain.
Miyabi Oba, JPN: She placed 7th at Coupe de Nice.
Risa Shoji, JPN: Shoji won gold at SBC Cup and silver at Czech Skate to qualify for the JGPF where she placed 4th (she actually tied for bronze but lost the tiebreaker).
Kristina Prilepko, KAZ: She finished 13th at JGP Romania and 22nd at JGP Japan. She placed 43rd at World Juniors last season.
Alina Fjodorova, LAT: She finished 15th at JGP France and 12th at JGP Germany. She placed 24th at Junior Worlds last season.
Rimgaile Meskaite, LTU: She finished 27th at JGP Great Britain and 19th at JGP Czech Republic. She placed 34th at World Juniors last season.
Siau Chian Ching, MAS:
Reyna Hamui, MEX: She placed 28th at Four Continents. She finished 20th at JGP Austria.
Maral-Erdene Gansukh, MGL:
Joyce den Hollander, NED: She finished 24th at JGP Austria.
Madelaine Parker, NZL:
Anne Line Gjersem, NOR: She placed 25th at Europeans with a personal best short program and total score. She finished 14th and 15th at her two JGP assignments earlier this season. She finished 26th at the World Junior Championships last season.
Zhaira Costiniano, PHI: She finished 36th at World Juniors last season.
Alexandra Kamieniecki, POL:
Ho Jung Lee, KOR: She finished 9th at JGP Romania and 6th at JGP Japan.
Polina Shelepen, RUS (D): She won gold at JGP Courcheval and bronze at Czech Skate to qualify for the JGPF where she placed 5th. She placed 4th at the World Junior Championships last year.
Adelina Sotnikova, RUS (D): Sotnikova won gold at JGP Cup of Austria and J. Curry Memorial to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where she won gold.
Elizaveta Tuktamisheva, RUS (D): She won gold at JGP Brasov Cup and Pokal der Blauen to qualify for the JGPF where she won silver.
Sandra Ristivojevic, SRB:
Brittany Lau, SIN: She placed 26th at Four Continents. She finished 18th at JGP Japan. She finished 46th at World Juniors last season.
Monika Simancikova, SVK: She finished 5th at JGP Austria and 6th at JGP Czech Republic.
Patricia Glescic, SLO: She finished 6th at JGP Austria and 17th at JGP Czech Republic.
Nadia Geldenhuys, RSA: She finished 30th at JGP Austria. She placed 49th at Junior Worlds last season.
Celia Robledo, ESP: She finished 23rd at JGP France. She placed 48th at Junior Worlds last season.
Rebecka Emmanuelson, SWE (D): She placed 16th at JGP Austria.
Isabelle Olsson, SWE (D): She placed 5th at JGP Romania and 6th at JGP Great Britain.
Romy Buhler, SUI (D): She placed 16th at Europeans with personal best scores across the board. She finished 10th at her JGP assignment this season. She placed 13th at the World Junior Championships last season.
Mimi Tanasorn Chindasook, THA: She placed 19th at Four Continents. She finished 12th at JGP Japan and 21st at JGP Austria. Chindasook placed 29th at World Juniors last season.
Sila Saygi, TUR (D): She placed 13th at JGP France and 12th at JGP Romania. She finished 14th at World Juniors last season.
Alina Milevskaia, UKR: She finished 11th at JGP Romania and 9th at JGP Austria. She placed 21st at World Juniors last season.
Christina Gao, USA (D): She won silver at JGP Cup of Austria and silver at Pokal der Blauen to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final where she finished 6th. Gao finished 8th at the World Junior Championships last season.
Courtney Hicks, USA (D): She is the reigning national junior champion.
Agnes Zawadzki, USA (D): Zawadzki is the reigning World Junior Silver Medalist. She finished 6th at her Grand Prix debut in Canada with personal best scores across the board and 4th at Cup of Russia with a personal best short program.
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