JGP Poland Dance Preview

The Russians dominated the dance event in the junior ranks last season, taking 6 out of the 8 spots in the Junior Grand Prix Final.  Despite winning silver at both their assignments and the Final, Sinitsina and Zhiganshin were left off the Junior Worlds team after their poor performance at nationals.  They'll be looking for redemption here and to position themselves as the top team in the junior ranks.  

One of only two non Russian teams in the Final was Galyeta/Shumski of Ukraine who also took home two medals from their assignments.  They'll be looking for a return to the Final and to move up the ranks at Junior Worlds.

Papadakis and Cizeron of France are another strong team in this field, winning a medal at one of their events last season and just missing the podium in the other.  They'll be hoping for two medals this season and the tough task of breaking into a pared down Final.  

Uzurova and Ali of Kazakhstan will likely not be making a run at the podium here, but they are a team to watch.  They are a fairly young team and have done very well in their assignments and made strides already this season. 

Two other young teams to watch are Parsons/Parsons and Mancini/Brooks from the United States.  They are the national novice gold and silver medalists and are making a jump to the junior ranks and international competition.  While the Russians dominated at the Junior level last season, North American teams at the senior level ran away from the competition.  These young teams are the next generation of American ice dance and will be hoping to find their place.   The Parsons paired up last season and looked remarkably polished for only having one season together and their young age (she is 13 and he is 15).  Mancini and Brooks had a height difference that made some of their holds look awkward, but this should be less of an issue outside of the compulsory dances and as she grows.

My podium predictions:

Gold: Sinitsina/Zhiganshin

Silver: Galyeta/Shumski

Bronze: Papadakis/Cizeron

Bios of the competitors:

Kavaliova/Bieliaiev, BLR: They placed 23rd at Junior Worlds.  They finished 9th at JGP Romania and 11th at JGP Czech Republic last season.  Their personal best is 91.94.  She is 17 and he is 18.

Bruser/Lum, CAN: This is their international debut.  She is 13 and he is 16.

Hasegawa/Hasegawa, CAN: They finished 10th at JGP Japan last season.  Their personal best is 95.14.  She is 17 and he is 19.

Konickova/Lang, CZE: They finished 13th at JGP Romania last season.  Their personal best is 59.59.  She is 15 and he is 16.

Baadsgaard Snider/Dubrovski, DEN: This is their first season competing together and their international debut.  She is 19 and he is 21.

Lohmus/Davodov, EST: This is their JGP debut.  She is 14 and he is 17.

Papadakis/Cizeron, FRA: They finished 12th at Junior Worlds.  They placed 4th at JGP France before winning bronze at JGP Austria last season.  Their personal best is 115.56.  She is 16 and he is 16.

Rudchenko/Reggiani, FRA: This is their JGP debut.  She is 16 and he is 20.

Jones/Sharpe, GBR: They finished 12th at JGP Romania and Great Britain last season.  Their personal best is 84.42.  She is 18 and he is 20.

Tessari/Colafato, ITA

Uzurova/Ali, KAZ: They finished 17th at Junior Worlds.  They placed 7th at JGP Latvia.  Their personal best is 101.98.  She is 14 and he is 16.

Pecherkina/Jakushin, LAT: They finished 17th in the preliminary round at Junior Worlds.  They placed 8th at JGP Latvia.  Their personal best is 97.64.  She is 18 and he is 20.

Birgelaite/Starvinskas, LTU

Carroll/Gerber, POL: They finished 22nd at Junior Worlds.  They placed 12th at JGP Latvia.  Their personal best is 90.74.  She is 17 and he is 19.

Kaliszek/Kaliszek, POL: She is 15 and he is 20.

Zajac/Binkowski, POL: They finished 16th at JGP Great Britain and 13th at JGP Czech Republic last season.  Their personal best is 83.25.  She is 15 and he is 15.

Sinitsina/Zhiganshin, RUS: They won silver at JGP Austria and Great Britain last season to qualify for the JGPF where they also won silver.  Their personal best is 134.62.  She is 16 and he is 18.

Yankovskaia/Mozgov, RUS

Galyeta/Shumski, UKR: They finished 13th at Junior Worlds.  They won silver at JGP Romania and bronze at JGP Czech Republic last season to qualify for the JGPF where they finished 7th.

Mancini/Brooks, USA: This is their international debut.  She is 15 and he is 17.

Parsons/Parsons, USA: This is their international debut.  She is 13 and he is 15.