JGP Romania Ladies Preview

There are several top ladies entering this event and it should be quite an exciting race for the podium.  Polina Shelepen of Russia should be the favorite.  She has the highest personal best score and has already won one gold medal this season.  She also won two JGP medals last season and qualified for the JGPF.  Her score at her first event was well below the mark set by her teammate Julia Lipnitskaia, so she will need to bring that score up if she wants to contend for a spot on the Russian Junior Worlds team.

While Shelepen has the best shot at winning, it will not be an easy event.  In the hunt are two Japanese ladies, Yukiko Fujisawa and and Yuki Nishino.  Nishino won a bronze on the JGP last season while Fujisawa is looking for her first medal.  Their scores were neck and neck last season and it is likely that only one of them will be making the podium here.

Other podium contenders are Polina Korobeynikova of Russia who finished 4th in her JGP debut, Ashley Cain of the United States who finished 6th in her JGP debut, and Hae-Jin Kim of Korea, who won the short program at JGP Australia but struggled in the long.  Kim is especially one to watch, as she increased her personal best by a whopping 51 points in Australia.  If she can deal with her nerves in the long program, she could easily medal here.

My podium predictions:
Gold: Polina Shelepen
Silver: Yuki Nishino
Bronze: Yukiko Fujisawa

Bios of the competitors:

Sabrina Schulz, AUT: Her personal best is 85.90.  She is 17 years old.

Amanda Sunyoto-Yang, TPE:

Pernille Sorensen, DEN:

Lenaelle Gilleron-Gorry, FRA: She finished 8th at JGP Latvia.  Her personal best is 120.78.  She is 16 years old. 

Angelika Dubinski, GER

Dimitra Korri, GRE

Margot Krisberg, ISR: She finished 26^th in the preliminary round at Junior Worlds.  She placed 23^rd at JGP Latvia.  Her personal best is 88.00.  She is 16 years old.

Micol Cristini, ITA: This is her JGP debut.  She is 14 years old.

Yukiko Fujisawa, JPN: She finished 8th at JGP Austria and 5th at JGP Germany last season.  Her personal best is 149.28.  She is 16 years old.

Yuki Nishino, JPN: She finished 12th at Junior Worlds.  She placed 7th at JGP Romania and won bronze at JGP Great Britain last season.  Her personal best is 149.42.  She is 18 years old.

Chelcie Jo Mahinay, PHI: This is her international debut.  She is 16 years old.

Alexandra Kamieniecki, POL: She finished 27^th at Junior Worlds.  She placed 15^th at JGP Latvia. Her personal best is 103.70.  She is 15 years old.

Hae-Jin Kim, KOR: She finished 5th at JGP Australia.  Her personal best is 131.02.  She is 14 years old.

Raisa Rjenovschi, ROU

Denisa Sandu, ROU

Polina Korobeynikova, RUS: She placed 4^th at her international debut in Australia.  Her personal best is 139.62.  She is 15 years old.

Polina Shelepen, RUS: She placed 7^th at Junior Worlds.  She won gold at JGP Latvia.  She won gold at JGP France and bronze at JGP Czech Republic to qualify for the JGPF last season where she placed 5^th.  Her personal best is 159.29.  She is 16 years old.

Sandra Ristivojevic, SRB: She finished 33^rd in the preliminary round at Junior Worlds.  She placed 22^nd at her JGP debut in Latvia.  Her personal best is 85.48.  She is 15 years old.

Erika Vitekova, SVK: This is her JGP debut.  She is 16 years old.

Nika Ceric, SLO: She finished 25th at JGP France last season.  Her personal best is 87.68.  She is 18 years old.

Marta Garcia, ESP: Her personal best is 97.78.  She is 17 years old.

Diana Zanta, SUI: This is her JGP debut.  She is 15 years old.

Melanie Swang, THA: She finished 23rd at Four Continents.  Her personal best is 82.08.  She is 16 years old.

Melisa Sema Atik, TUR:

Natalia Popova, UKR: Her personal best is 113.35.  She is 18 years old.

McKinzie Daniels, USA:

Ashley Cain, USA: She placed 6^th in her JGP debut in Latvia.  Her personal best is 132.95.  She also competes in pairs and finished 4th at Junior Worlds.  She is 16 years old.