The Russians dominated the Junior Grand Prix this season and swept the podium at the JGP Final. However, two of the Russian teams that stood on the podium at the Final will not be competing here and two other Russian teams will be trying to earn their spots on the podium.
Not qualifying for this event are Davankova and Deputat, who won the reigning Junior Worlds Bronze Medalists, won the silver medal at the JGPF and have the 2nd best total score of the season; Vigalova and Zakroev, JGPF silver medalists and who have the 3rd best total score of the season; Aaron and Settlage who have the 9th best total score of the season; and Purich and Arcieri who have the 10th best total score of the season.
Yu and Jin are the only medalists from last years Junior Worlds competition to return and have had an uneven season. They only medaled at one of their JGP assignments and finished 5th at the Final. They have several seasons of junior experience and have even competed on the senior Grand Prix. That should give them an advantage along with their throws and twists the Chinese are known for.
Fedorova and Miroshkin swept the junior circuit this year. They won the JGP Final by a 6 point margin and hold the highest scores of the season. They made significant improvements between their JGP assignments and the Final and if they have done the same since December they could put up a big score.
Purdy and Marinaro won two golds on the Junior Grand Prix but finished 4th at the Final. They finished 5th at Junior Worlds last season and have a good shot at the podium. They have good lines and a beautiful style on the ice. There is not a big height difference between the two which makes some of the elements more difficult and they do not attempt a triple twist.
Jones and Beharry are a new Canadian team this year and have done well in their first season together. They won two medals on the JGP and finished 6th at the Final. They both have experience with other partners and have gelled together quickly. Beharry competed at Junior Worlds last season but had a disappointing result. Since they are aging out of juniors after this season, this is their last chance to make it to the Junior Worlds podium.
Gainetdinova and Bich surprised at Russian nationals last year and qualified for Junior Worlds despite never competing on the Junior Grand Prix. While they didn't win a medal in their two assignments this season they showed huge improvements between Lake Placid and Croatia. They should easily be able to break into the top 10 this season.
Tarasova and Morozov finished 5th in their only JGP assignment but have the 2nd best short program score of the season. If they can replicate that short program performance and clean up their free skate they can make the podium.
Prolss and Blommaert have been tearing up the junior B circuit since their JGP assignments. She also competes internationally in singles and has done well, showing the quality of her jumps.
Two US teams are looking to make their mark. Simpson and Blackmer seemed to be hitting a bit of a sophomore slump after they failed to win a JGP medal after winning a medal at the Final last season. However, they put out solid programs at US nationals to win the junior title. Denney and Frazier finished 4th at last year's Junior Worlds and recently competed as seniors at US nationals. They only competed at JGP USA this season due to injuries and seem to be back to top form.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Fedorova/Miroshkin
Silver: Purdy/Marinaro
Bronze: Yu/Jin
Bios of the competitors:
Bell/Sylvester, CAN: They finished 12th at Junior Worlds last season. They finished 7th at JGP Austria and 6th at JGP Croatia. Their personal best is 128.74. She is 16 and he is 18.
Jones/Beharry, CAN: They won gold at JGP Austria and bronze at JGP Germany to qualify for the JGP Final where they placed 6th. Their personal best is 152.78. She is 17 and he is 21. They have the 4th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total scores.
Purdy/Marinaro, CAN: They finished 5th at Junior Worlds last season. They won gold at JGP USA and gold at JGP Croatia to qualify for the JGPF where they finished 4th. Their personal best is 149.94. She is 18 and he is 21. They have the 3rd best short program, 5th best free skate and 5th best total scores.
Li/Jiang, CHN: They placed 9th at Junior Worlds last season. They finished 8th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 138.92. She is 15 and he is 20.
Yu/Jin, CHN: They are the reigning World Junior Silver Medalists. They placed 4th at JGP Austria and won silver at JGP Croatia to qualify for the JGPF where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 167.48. She is 17 and he is 18. They have the 7th best short program, 6th best free skate and 6th best total scores.
Prolls/Blommaert, GER: They placed 6th at JGP USA and 4th at JGP Germany. Their personal best is 133.48. She is 13 and he is 20. They have the 9th best short program and 10th best total scores.
Foresti/Sforza, ITA: They placed 11th at JGP USA and 13th at JGP Germany. Their personal best is 105.19. She is 13 and he is 15.
Epstein/Epstein, NED: They placed 17th at Junior Worlds last season. Their personal best is 86.33. She is 19 and he is 19.
Lech/Tyc, POL: They placed 13th at JGP Croatia and 12th at JGP Germany. Their personal best is 98.22. She is 16 and he is 21.
Fedorova/Miroshkin, RUS: They won silver at JGP Austria and gold at JGP Germany to qualify for the JGPF where they won gold. Their personal best is 161.11. She is 15 and he is 18. They have the best short program, free skate and total scores.
Gainetdinova/Bich, RUS: They finished 11th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 7th at JGP USA and 4th at JGP Croatia. Their personal best is 142.26. She is 15 and he is 20. They have the 8th best short program, 7th best free skate and 7th best total scores.
Tarasova/Morozov, RUS: They finished 5th at JGP Croatia. Their personal best is 137.29. She is 18 and he is 20. They have the 2nd best short program and 9th best total score.
Lavrentieva/Rudyk, UKR: They finished 14th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 11th at Europeans. They finished 13th at JGP USA and 12th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 128.79. She is 15 and he is 21.
Calalang/Sidhu, USA: They finished 6th at JGP Austria and 8th at JGP Croatia. Their personal best is 139.32. She is 18 and he is 21.
Denney/Frazier, USA: They placed 4th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 4th at JGP USA. Their personal best is 150.55. She is 17 and he is 20.
Simpson/Blackmer, USA: They placed 10th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 5th at JGP Austria and 5th at JGP Germany. Their personal best is 146.35. She is 16 and he is 21. They have the 10th best short program and 8th best free skate.
Showing posts with label simpson. Show all posts
Showing posts with label simpson. Show all posts
Tuesday, February 26, 2013
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
US Nationals Junior Pairs Free Skate Results
Tuesday, January 22, 2013
US Nationals Junior Pairs Short Program
Group 1
Fujimoto/Barsi-Rhyne: 20.89 TES + 17.72 PCS = 38.61
- Nice ease into the back press lift with a good arched catch foot position from her
- Ok double twist but a crashy landing
- Not a lot of speed going into the throw double salchow but they pull it out
- good death spiral
- Double flips were nice and they rotate in opposite directions
- A little slow on their side by side spins but good distance and unison
Pfund/Reiss: 21.88 TES + 21.05 PCS -2.00 = 40.93 and into 1st place
- Nice double twist but she almost got away from him on the landing
- Big throw triple salchow with a nice landing
- She stepped out and then fell out of the side by side double axels
- Off on the timing in places in their side by side spins and traveling away from each other
- Nice unison in their step sequence but they seem a bit choppy in places
- She could pull up more in the lift since she seems to be slouching a bit
- She loses her edge on the death spiral and falls and they finish a few beats before their music ends
- They look really unhappy with that performance
Simpson/Blackmer: 26.73 TES + 23.52 PCS = 50.25 and into 1st place
- Big, clean throw double twist
- Nice speed and good landing on the throw triple salchow
- Nice air position in the lift with good stretch through the change of position but it looked like she got stuck for a second in the dismount
- Good side by side double axels, nicely timed
- She could have more arch in her back and stretch through her free leg in the death spiral
- This team is great but they are almost identical in height which could make tricks like the triple twist difficult to achieve
- Nice side by side spin positions; losing their unison a bit in places
Belt/Johnson: 19.86 TES + 18.16 PCS = 38.02 and into 4th place
- Nice double twist; not a lot of height but elegantly done
- Not a great air position in the lift; it looks like she's struggling to hold it and is a bit awkward looking
- Off in the unison of their side by side double flips
- Decent throw double salchow but not a lot of height or ice coverage
- Ok death spiral position and nice and low to the ice
- Lots of flexibility in their spin positions, good matching lines, good unison and nice speed
- I think they finished their music early as they had to keep repeating poses at the end before they got to the final pose
Group 2
Fields/Pacini: 24.41 TES + 19.38 PCS = 43.79 and into 2nd place
- Really nice side by side double axels
- Her hip is hiked up in the opening position of their lift but she hits two nice positions after the changes
- Good double twist with arms overhead and a clean catch
- She two foots the landing of the throw triple salchow
- They could be a tad closer on their side by side spins, but nice unison and flexibility
- Fun choreography in their step sequence but a bit choppy in places
- Nice spiral into a really good death spiral--probably the best one of the day so far
Liu/Perini: 26.35 TES + 20.85 PCS = 47.20 and into 2nd place
- This is their third season competing at nationals, 1st as juniors and htey're finally old enough to compete internationally last season
- Nice death spiral
- Good side by side double flips
- Good double twist with a nice easy catch
- She has great extension through these transition moves
- A little bit of hesitation into the throw triple salchow, but huge in the air, good toe point; she does put her hands down though
- They could use more stretch through the sit position in their side by side spins
- Fun choreography in the step sequence but he seems to be performing more than she is
- Nice entry to the back press lift but she could have both legs lifted equally; into a nice split position after the change of position
Shaughnessy/Morgan: 19.28 TES + 18.17 PCS = 37.45 and into 7th place
- She stepped out of the side by side double axels
- A little two footed on the landing of the throw triple salchow but otherwise well done
- She has really long legs so when she doesn't fully stretch through some of these spin positions, it's very noticeable
- Not a great first position in the lift and then an awkward transition where it looked like she was going to kick him in the head; at the end it looked like they were muscling through the lift
- Good double twist with a clean catch
- Nice arch in the death spiral
Oltmanns/Santillan: 17.11 TES + 19.08 PCS -1.00 = 35.19 and into 8th place
- Nice opening choreography really in time and character with the music and good twizzles too!
- Great unison on the entry into their side by side double axels but she falls
- Good timing on their side by side spins but she's really traveling
- Good double twist
- A little bobble on the entry to their lift but a really difficult position and nice stretch from her
- Great toe point and height on the throw triple salchow but she leans forward on the landing and never fully gets her free leg out
Group 3
Aaron/Settlage: 28.94 TES + 24.00 PCS = 52.94 and into 1st place
- Because he is born on July 1st, they get an extra year of Junior international eligibility next season.
- Nice double twist with her arms overhead and a good catch
- This is a great vehicle for them because her carriage and lines are showcased perfectly as a swan
- Nice side by side double axels
- Huge throw triple salchow; she was a little forward on the landing but hung on with a good landing position
- Good lift position with a nice one arm exit
- Some of their spins they don't have the same flexibility on so it ruins the unison look
- Nice step sequence with good flow across the ice
- Spiral into a death spiral with a good arch and a change of hold from him
Calalang/Sidhu: 27.60 TES + 20.72 PCS = 48.32 and into 3rd place
- She turns out of the side by side double axels but keeps her free leg up
- Good height on the double twist with her arms over head but a bit of a crashy landing
- Nice throw triple salchow and she really had to fight for that landing since she came down awkwardly but she made it look easy
- Off on the unison on their side by side spins but some nice positions
- A little bit of difficiulty getting into the lift but nice position once she was up there
- Nice timing with the music on their step sequence and very in character with the program
- Interesting lead in to the death spiral but she could use a bit more arch
De la Mora/Wilson: 23.11 TES + 19.20 PCS = 42.31 and into 6th place
- Really nice double twist with good height and a clean catch
- She turned out of the side by side double axels but kept her free leg up
- Interesting toss entry into the lift with a one hand hold
- Nice throw triple salchow
- Good arch in the death spiral
- Good unison on their step sequence
- Nice camel position to open their side by side spins; they could be closer together and they've lost their unison by the end
- Finished before their music and hit their ending pose several beats early
Doherty/Norris: 11.83 TES + 15.57 PCS -1.00 = 26.40 and into 12th place
- She singled the side by side double axels
- Vertical double twist and she threw her head back at an awkward angle
- She opened up on the throw salchow and had a two foot landing
- She needs more stretch through her legs and arch in her back on the lift position
- She loses her death spiral edge and falls
- He's a little wild on the camel spin but they have good unison on their side by side spins
Sunday, January 13, 2013
US Nationals: Junior Pairs Preview
Simpson and Blackmer are in their second season as a team and seem to be hitting a bit of a sophomore slump. After qualifying for the Junior Grand Prix Final and medaling at that event last season, they failed to medal at either of their Junior Grand Prix assignments this season. Still, they had the best international scores of any US junior pairs team this season. They have a throw triple loop and salchow planned in their free skate but have only been executing a double twist. They have a great look and elegance on the ice and that should help make up for any technical deficits. They won the silver medal at nationals last season and are in a good position to claim the top spot on the podium.
Trying to catch them will be their training mates Aaron and Settlage who won a bronze medal on the Junior Grand Prix this season. They have a Level 4 lift, spin and step sequence planned in their short and executed two Level 4 lifts and a Level 4 combination spin in their free skate at sectionals. They have a throw triple loop and triple salchow as well along with a triple twist. After winning the novice title in 2011, they finished just off the podium last season.
Calalang and Sidhu bounced back from a poor short program at sectionals to claim the Pacific Coast Sectionals title. They received a Level 4 on their spin and lift in the short program and a Level 4 on their side by side spins in their free skate. They have a triple twist and are planning a throw triple salchow and throw triple lutz in their free skate which gives them a huge technical advantage if they hit the elements cleanly. They just missed out on the Junior Worlds team last season and will be looking for redemption this year.
Liu and Perini are making their junior debut after winning two medals as novices. She is not old enough to compete internationally but they seem to be growing together well and adjusting to her growth spurts. They received a Level 3 death spiral, Level 4 steps, Level 4 lift and Level 4 spin in their short program at sectionals. They also had Level 4 spins, a Level 3 death spiral and a triple twist in their free skate. These levels help them make up for the fact that they only have a throw triple salchow and throw double flip planned in their free skate.
Pfund and Reiss are still a relatively new team but have been gaining recognition both nationally and internationally. They received a Level 4 on their lift in the short program at sectionals but only had a basic death spiral.
De la Mora and Wilson competed on the Junior Grand Prix this season for the first time but will not be able to compete internationally next season. He will age out of juniors and she is too young to compete in seniors until 2014-2015. This may give them an advantage as they will not be vying for international placements next season and can just worry about their performance at nationals. They had a Level 4 step sequence in their short program at sectionals and Level 4 spins and a Level 4 lift in the free skate. They also have a triple twist and a triple lutz in their arsenal, but they did not execute the lutz at sectionals.
Oltmanns and Santillan have the whole package but have trouble putting together two clean programs when the pressure is on. They also struggle with their solo jumps. If they can put everything together and skate cleanly they can medal. They had a Level 4 step sequence in their short program and Level 4 spins and a Level 4 lift in the free skate at sectionals. Their programs are smartly structured with 4 elements in the bonus section of the free skate but those extra points were lost at sectionals when they had two falls.
Historically, the top three age eligible junior pairs are sent to junior worlds, however this season Denney and Frazier will be competing nationally as seniors. They didn't have a stellar international season and the committee will have to determine how they rank with the other junior teams. Placing in the top two should be a guaranteed trip to junior worlds.
My podium predictions:
Gold: SimpsonBlackmer
Silver: Aaron/Settlage
Bronze: Calalang/Sidhu
Pewter: Liu/Perini
Bios of the competitors:
Aaron/Settlage: She is 18 and he is 20. She represents the Coyotes Skating Club of Arizona and he represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. They won bronze at JGP USA and placed 7th at JGP Croatia. They are 2011 Novice Pairs Champions and finished 6th in Junior Pairs in 2012. They won gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best free skate internationally. The have the best short program, free skate and total scores nationally.
Belt/Johnson: They represent the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club. They won pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best free skate and 9th best total scores nationally.
Calalang/Sidhu: She is 16 and he is 20. She represents the DuPage Figure Skating Club and he represents the Las Vegas Figure Skating Club. They placed 6th at JGP Austria and 8th at JGP Croatia. They finished 8th in Juniors in 2011 and are the reigning Junior Pairs pewter medalists. They won gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 6th best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total scores nationally.
De la Mora/Wilson: She is 13 and he is 21. They represent the Texas Gulf Coast Figure Skating Club. They placed 11th at JGP Austria. They are the 2010 Intermediate Pairs Champions, finished 6th in Novice in 2011 and 8th in Juniors in 2012. They won silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 4th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total scores nationally.
Doherty/Norris: She represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club and he represents the St. Moritz Ice Skating Club. They placed 5th at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 8th best free skate and 11th best total scores nationally.
Fields/Pacini: She is 17 and he is 22. She represents the Coyote Skating Club of Arizona and he represents the Fort Collins Figure Skating Club. They are the 2011 Novice Pewter Medalists and 2012 Novice Silver Medalists. They won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 5th best short program and 10th best total scores nationally.
Fujimoto/Barsi-Rhyne: She is 21 and he is 21. She represents the Peninsula Skating Club and he represents the Skating Club of Lake Placid. They finished 11th in Juvenile in 2004, 7th in Juvenile in 2005, are the 2006 Juvenile pewter medalists, finished 5th in Intermediate in 2007, 12th in Novice in 2008, 7th in Novice in 2009 and 11th in Juniors in 2012. They won bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best short program, 10th best free skate and 8th best total scores nationally.
Liu/Perini: She is 13 and he is 19. She represents the St. Paul Figure Skating Club and he represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. They are the 2011 Novice Silver Medalists and reigning Novice Champions. They won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 3rd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score nationally.
Oltmanns/Santillan: She is 15 and he is 20. She represents the Yarmouth Ice Club and he represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. They placed 12th at JGP USA. They finished 6th in Novice in 2010, 11th in Juniors in 2011 and 9th in Juniors in 2012. They won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 7th best short program, 5th best free skate and 6th best total score nationally.
Pfund/Reiss: She represents the Broadmoor Skating Club and he represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. They placed 5th at JGP USA and 7th at JGP Germany. She is 15 and he is 20. They finished 5th as Juniors in 2012. They won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 2nd best short program, 6th best free skate and 4th best total score nationally.
Shaughnessy/Morgan: She is 20 and he is 21. They represent the Skating Club of Boston. They finished 5th in Novice in 2011 and are the reigning Novice Pairs bronze medalists. They won silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 8th best short program, 7th best free skate and 7th best total score nationally.
Simpson/Blackmer: She is 16 and he is 21. She represents the Broadmoor Skating Club and he represents the Detroit Skating Club. They placed 5th at JGP Austria and 5th at JGP Germany. They are the reigning Junior Pairs silver medalists. They have the 10th best short program and 8th best free skate internationally.
Trying to catch them will be their training mates Aaron and Settlage who won a bronze medal on the Junior Grand Prix this season. They have a Level 4 lift, spin and step sequence planned in their short and executed two Level 4 lifts and a Level 4 combination spin in their free skate at sectionals. They have a throw triple loop and triple salchow as well along with a triple twist. After winning the novice title in 2011, they finished just off the podium last season.
Calalang and Sidhu bounced back from a poor short program at sectionals to claim the Pacific Coast Sectionals title. They received a Level 4 on their spin and lift in the short program and a Level 4 on their side by side spins in their free skate. They have a triple twist and are planning a throw triple salchow and throw triple lutz in their free skate which gives them a huge technical advantage if they hit the elements cleanly. They just missed out on the Junior Worlds team last season and will be looking for redemption this year.
Liu and Perini are making their junior debut after winning two medals as novices. She is not old enough to compete internationally but they seem to be growing together well and adjusting to her growth spurts. They received a Level 3 death spiral, Level 4 steps, Level 4 lift and Level 4 spin in their short program at sectionals. They also had Level 4 spins, a Level 3 death spiral and a triple twist in their free skate. These levels help them make up for the fact that they only have a throw triple salchow and throw double flip planned in their free skate.
Pfund and Reiss are still a relatively new team but have been gaining recognition both nationally and internationally. They received a Level 4 on their lift in the short program at sectionals but only had a basic death spiral.
De la Mora and Wilson competed on the Junior Grand Prix this season for the first time but will not be able to compete internationally next season. He will age out of juniors and she is too young to compete in seniors until 2014-2015. This may give them an advantage as they will not be vying for international placements next season and can just worry about their performance at nationals. They had a Level 4 step sequence in their short program at sectionals and Level 4 spins and a Level 4 lift in the free skate. They also have a triple twist and a triple lutz in their arsenal, but they did not execute the lutz at sectionals.
Oltmanns and Santillan have the whole package but have trouble putting together two clean programs when the pressure is on. They also struggle with their solo jumps. If they can put everything together and skate cleanly they can medal. They had a Level 4 step sequence in their short program and Level 4 spins and a Level 4 lift in the free skate at sectionals. Their programs are smartly structured with 4 elements in the bonus section of the free skate but those extra points were lost at sectionals when they had two falls.
Historically, the top three age eligible junior pairs are sent to junior worlds, however this season Denney and Frazier will be competing nationally as seniors. They didn't have a stellar international season and the committee will have to determine how they rank with the other junior teams. Placing in the top two should be a guaranteed trip to junior worlds.
My podium predictions:
Gold: SimpsonBlackmer
Silver: Aaron/Settlage
Bronze: Calalang/Sidhu
Pewter: Liu/Perini
Bios of the competitors:
Aaron/Settlage: She is 18 and he is 20. She represents the Coyotes Skating Club of Arizona and he represents the Broadmoor Skating Club. They won bronze at JGP USA and placed 7th at JGP Croatia. They are 2011 Novice Pairs Champions and finished 6th in Junior Pairs in 2012. They won gold at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best free skate internationally. The have the best short program, free skate and total scores nationally.
Belt/Johnson: They represent the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club. They won pewter at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best free skate and 9th best total scores nationally.
Calalang/Sidhu: She is 16 and he is 20. She represents the DuPage Figure Skating Club and he represents the Las Vegas Figure Skating Club. They placed 6th at JGP Austria and 8th at JGP Croatia. They finished 8th in Juniors in 2011 and are the reigning Junior Pairs pewter medalists. They won gold at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 6th best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total scores nationally.
De la Mora/Wilson: She is 13 and he is 21. They represent the Texas Gulf Coast Figure Skating Club. They placed 11th at JGP Austria. They are the 2010 Intermediate Pairs Champions, finished 6th in Novice in 2011 and 8th in Juniors in 2012. They won silver at Midwestern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 4th best short program, 4th best free skate and 4th best total scores nationally.
Doherty/Norris: She represents the University of Delaware Figure Skating Club and he represents the St. Moritz Ice Skating Club. They placed 5th at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 8th best free skate and 11th best total scores nationally.
Fields/Pacini: She is 17 and he is 22. She represents the Coyote Skating Club of Arizona and he represents the Fort Collins Figure Skating Club. They are the 2011 Novice Pewter Medalists and 2012 Novice Silver Medalists. They won pewter at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 5th best short program and 10th best total scores nationally.
Fujimoto/Barsi-Rhyne: She is 21 and he is 21. She represents the Peninsula Skating Club and he represents the Skating Club of Lake Placid. They finished 11th in Juvenile in 2004, 7th in Juvenile in 2005, are the 2006 Juvenile pewter medalists, finished 5th in Intermediate in 2007, 12th in Novice in 2008, 7th in Novice in 2009 and 11th in Juniors in 2012. They won bronze at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 9th best short program, 10th best free skate and 8th best total scores nationally.
Liu/Perini: She is 13 and he is 19. She represents the St. Paul Figure Skating Club and he represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. They are the 2011 Novice Silver Medalists and reigning Novice Champions. They won silver at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 3rd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score nationally.
Oltmanns/Santillan: She is 15 and he is 20. She represents the Yarmouth Ice Club and he represents the All Year Figure Skating Club. They placed 12th at JGP USA. They finished 6th in Novice in 2010, 11th in Juniors in 2011 and 9th in Juniors in 2012. They won gold at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 7th best short program, 5th best free skate and 6th best total score nationally.
Pfund/Reiss: She represents the Broadmoor Skating Club and he represents the Los Angeles Figure Skating Club. They placed 5th at JGP USA and 7th at JGP Germany. She is 15 and he is 20. They finished 5th as Juniors in 2012. They won bronze at Pacific Coast Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 2nd best short program, 6th best free skate and 4th best total score nationally.
Shaughnessy/Morgan: She is 20 and he is 21. They represent the Skating Club of Boston. They finished 5th in Novice in 2011 and are the reigning Novice Pairs bronze medalists. They won silver at Eastern Sectionals to qualify for nationals. They have the 8th best short program, 7th best free skate and 7th best total score nationally.
Simpson/Blackmer: She is 16 and he is 21. She represents the Broadmoor Skating Club and he represents the Detroit Skating Club. They placed 5th at JGP Austria and 5th at JGP Germany. They are the reigning Junior Pairs silver medalists. They have the 10th best short program and 8th best free skate internationally.
Saturday, September 8, 2012
JGP Austria Pairs Preview
Yu and Jin of China are by far the favorites of this event. They won two silver medals on the JGP last season and are the reigning World Junior Silver Medalists. With Sui and Han moving up to seniors, they are the top Chinese team on the junior circuit and have the ability to pull up and claim their first gold medals.
Simpson and Blackmer impressed in their JGP debut last season and became the first U.S. pairs team to win gold on the JGP in several years. They medaled at their 2nd assignment and then the Final but fell to 2nd at U.S. nationals and did not make the podium at Junior Worlds. They'll be looking to put the 2nd half of their season behind them and reclaim their place as the top U.S. junior pairs team.
Calalang and Sidhu earned their first JGP medal last season and a trip to the Final but had to withdraw due to injury. At U.S. nationals they finished a heartbreaking 4th after some mistakes in their free skate and did not qualify for the Junior Worlds team.
Fedorova and Miroshkin did not land on the medal stand at their sole event last season but their scores are good enough to keep them in medal contention. Their teammates Tudvaseva and Lisiev replaced Calalang and Sidhu at the JGPF but were inconsistent in their results all season.
The three Canadian teams are all making their JGP debuts but pose a medal threat here. Bell and Sylvester are the reigning Canadian novice champions and their performance at nationals was impressive enough to earn them a spot on the Junior Worlds team where they finished 12th. Jones and Beharry and Purich and Arcieri are new teams this season. Beharry won silver at the JGP Final with his former partner last season while Jones competed on the Senior Grand Prix.
My podium predictions:
Gold: Yu/Jin
Silver: Simpson/Blackmer
Bronze: Jones/Beharry
Bios of the competitors:
Smyth/Dodds, AUS: They placed 14th at JGP USA. Their personal best is 64.93. She is 14 and he is 18.
Ilieva/Savinov, BUL: The finished 15th in the preliminary round at Junior Worlds. This is their JGP debut. She is 16 and he is 20.
Bell/Sylvester, CAN: They finished 12th at Junior Worlds. This is their JGP debut. She is 16 and he is 17.
Jones/Beharry, CAN: This is their JGP debut. She is 16 and he is 20.
Purich/Arcieri, CAN: This is their JGP debut. She is 17 and he is 18.
Li/Jiang, CHN: They placed 9th at Junior Worlds. They finished 10th at JGP Latvia and 4th at JGP Austria last season. Their personal best is 138.92. She is 14 and he is 20.
Yu/Jin, CHN: They are the reigning World Junior Silver Medalists. They finished 7th at Skate Canada and 6th at Cup of China last season. They won silver at JGP Latvia and JGP Austria last season to qualify for the JGP Final where they placed 5th. Their personal best is 167.48. She is 16 and he is 18.
Cernuschi/Ambrosini, ITA: They placed 20th at Junior Worlds. This is their JGP debut. She is 15 and he is 19.
Fedorova/Miroshkin, RUS: They placed 5th at JGP Austria last season. Their personal best is 134.88. She is 14 and he is 18.
Tusvaseva/Lisiev, RUS: They placed 5th at JGP Latvia and won bronze at JGP Poland last season to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 6th. Their personal best is 133.79. She is 15 and he is 19.
Vigalova/Zakroev, RUS: This is their international debut.
Lavrentieva/Rudik, UKR: They finished 14th at Junior Worlds. They placed 13th at JGP France. Their personal best is 110.03. She is 15 and he is 20.
Calalang/Sidhu, USA: They placed 4th at JGP Poland and won bronze at JGP Estonia last season to qualify for the JGP Final but had to withdraw due to injury. Their personal best is 139.32. She is 17 and he is 20.
De la Mora/Wilson, USA: This is their international debut. She is 13 and he is 20.
Simpson/Blackmer, USA: They placed 10th at Junior Worlds. They won gold at JGP Poland and silver at JGP Estonia last season to qualify for the JGP Final where they won bronze. Their personal best is 146.35. She is 16 and he is 20.
Wednesday, February 22, 2012
Junior Worlds: Pairs Preview
Sui and Han are the two-time reigning Champions of this event and the only medalist returning from last season. They also just won the Four Continents title at the senior level. They won two gold medals on the JGP and the JGP Final this season as well as a silver medal on the Senior Grand Prix. They have a quad twist and a throw quad in their free skate which gives them a technical content unmatched in the world. Their size difference also allows from some interesting and difficult lift entrances and exits. This is their title to lose, but they've shown that big elements can be costly as a mistake on the throw quad at Cup of China cost them a medal and a trip to the Grand Prix Final. They have the best short program, free skate and total score of the season. They have the 4th best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total senior scores of the season.
Bobak/Beharry won a gold and silver medal on the JGP to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their silver medal came in their first competition together and they improved by 15 points to take the gold in Estonia. They have been known to come from behind after a poor short program, but have really cleaned this segment up to keep them in contention the whole competition. They have the 2nd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Yu/Jin won two silver medals on the JGP to qualify for the Final and took home gold from the Youth Olympic Games. They increased their score by 15 points from Latvia to Austria. However, they dropped to a disappointing 5th place at the Final, even though they were only 2 points from the podium. They have the 3rd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score of the season.
Simpson/Blackmer won a gold and silver medal on the JGP and qualified for the Final where they won bronze. Their gold medal came in their first event together as a team and they were the first U.S. team to win JGP gold since 2007. Their free skate is especially breathtaking set to the music from Titanic and is wonderfully emoted. They have the 4th best short program, 5th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Petaikina/Kurdyukov won bronze at JGP Austria and qualified for the JGP Final. They showed significant improvement between Latvia and Austria with a 17 point improvement in their score. They just missed the podium at the JGP Final, finishing .18 behind Simpson and Blackmer. They have the 7th best short program, 4th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Li/Jiang: While they didn't win a medal on the JGP, their scores are some of the best in this field and they showed significant improvement during the season with a 38 point bump in their scores between Latvia and Austria. They have the 8th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score of the season.
Purdy/Marinaro won bronze at JGP Latvia showing a big improvement over their previous placements but dropped to 10th place with a score 17 points lower in Austria. They have the 7th best free skate and 9th best total score of the season.
Other teams in the mix include Davankova/Deputat who won the Russian Junior National title and Denney/Frazier who won the US Junior National title.
Teams who won a medal on the JGP but are not at this event include Russians Tudvaseva/Lisiev (alternates) and Americans Calalang/Sidhu (alternates).
My podium predictions:
Gold: Sui/Han
Silver: Yu/Jin
Bronze: Bobak/Beharry
Bios of the competitors:
Kestila/Bullard, AUS: They finished 20th at their international debut in Austria and 14th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 75.84. She is 13 and he is 18.
Bobak/Beharry won a gold and silver medal on the JGP to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their silver medal came in their first competition together and they improved by 15 points to take the gold in Estonia. They have been known to come from behind after a poor short program, but have really cleaned this segment up to keep them in contention the whole competition. They have the 2nd best short program, 3rd best free skate and 3rd best total score of the season.
Yu/Jin won two silver medals on the JGP to qualify for the Final and took home gold from the Youth Olympic Games. They increased their score by 15 points from Latvia to Austria. However, they dropped to a disappointing 5th place at the Final, even though they were only 2 points from the podium. They have the 3rd best short program, 2nd best free skate and 2nd best total score of the season.
Simpson/Blackmer won a gold and silver medal on the JGP and qualified for the Final where they won bronze. Their gold medal came in their first event together as a team and they were the first U.S. team to win JGP gold since 2007. Their free skate is especially breathtaking set to the music from Titanic and is wonderfully emoted. They have the 4th best short program, 5th best free skate and 4th best total score of the season.
Petaikina/Kurdyukov won bronze at JGP Austria and qualified for the JGP Final. They showed significant improvement between Latvia and Austria with a 17 point improvement in their score. They just missed the podium at the JGP Final, finishing .18 behind Simpson and Blackmer. They have the 7th best short program, 4th best free skate and 5th best total score of the season.
Li/Jiang: While they didn't win a medal on the JGP, their scores are some of the best in this field and they showed significant improvement during the season with a 38 point bump in their scores between Latvia and Austria. They have the 8th best short program, 6th best free skate and 7th best total score of the season.
Purdy/Marinaro won bronze at JGP Latvia showing a big improvement over their previous placements but dropped to 10th place with a score 17 points lower in Austria. They have the 7th best free skate and 9th best total score of the season.
Other teams in the mix include Davankova/Deputat who won the Russian Junior National title and Denney/Frazier who won the US Junior National title.
Teams who won a medal on the JGP but are not at this event include Russians Tudvaseva/Lisiev (alternates) and Americans Calalang/Sidhu (alternates).
My podium predictions:
Gold: Sui/Han
Silver: Yu/Jin
Bronze: Bobak/Beharry
Bios of the competitors:
Kestila/Bullard, AUS: They finished 20th at their international debut in Austria and 14th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 75.84. She is 13 and he is 18.
Martini/Kiefer, AUT: They finished 16th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 21st at Worlds. They finished 15th at Europeans. They finished 16th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 112.10. She is 19 and he is 21.
Paliakova/Fomichev, BLR: They finished 18th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 18th at Europeans. They placed 8th at their JGP debut in Poland and 9th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 109.01. She is 19 and he is 21.
Ilieva/Savinov, BUL: She is 15 and he is 20.
Bell/Sylvester, CAN: She is 15 and he is 17.
Bobak/Beharry, CAN (D): They won silver at their JGP debut in Poland and gold at JGP Estonia to qualify for the JGP Final where they won silver. Their personal best is 152.65. She is 17 and he is 20.
Purdy/Marinaro, CAN (D): They won bronze at JGP Latvia and finished 10th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 134.46. She is 17 and he is 20.
Li/Jiang, CHN: They finished 10th at their JGP debut in Latvia and 4th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 138.92. She is 14 and he is 19.
Sui/Han, CHN (D): They are the reigning Junior World Champions. They are the reigning Four Continents Champions. They won silver at Skate Canada and finished 5th at Cup of China. They won gold at JGP Latvia and Austria to qualify for the JGP Final and won gold. They are the 2010 World Junior Champions. Their personal best is 201.83. She is 16 and he is 19.
Yu/Jin, CHN: They won gold at the Youth Olympic Games. They finished 7th in their Grand Prix debut, Skate Canada and 6th at Cup of China. They took home the silver from JGP Latvia and Austria to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 5th. Their personal best is 162.96. She is 16 and he is 17.
Mendozza/Boyadji, FRA: They finished 10th at their international debut in Estonia. Their personal best is 103.36. She is 17 and he is 21.
Wenzig/Landgraf, GER: She is 14 and he is 19.
Cernuschi/Ambrosini, ITA (D): She is 15 and he is 18.
Manacorda/Macii, ITA: She is 14 and he is 16.
Epstein/Epstein, NED: They finished 17th at Junior Worlds last season. They finished 18th at their JGP debut in Austria and 12th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 86.33. She is 18 and he is 18 (they are twins).
Klatka/Chruscinski, POL: They finished 14th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 7th at JGP Poland and 7th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 115.07. She is 14 and he is 20.
Davankova/Deputat, RUS (D): She is 13 and he is 19.
Gainetdinova/Bich, RUS (D): She is 14 and he is 19.
Petaikina/Kurduykov, RUS: They finished 4th at JGP Latvia and won bronze at JGP Austria to qualify for the JGP Final where they finished 4th. Their personal best is 146.17. She is 17 and he is 21.
Rodriguez/Maestu, ESP: They finished 17th at their international debut in Austria and 11th at JGP Estonia. Their personal best is 91.30. She is 15 and he is 21.
Lavrentieva/Rudik, UKR: They finished 15th at Junior Worlds last season. They placed 9th at JGP Poland and 12th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 107.77. She is 14 and he is 20.
Denney/Frazier, USA: They placed 8th at their JGP debut in Latvia and 7th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 125.50. She is 16 and he is 19.
Duarte/Grafton, USA (D): They placed 9th at JGP Latvia and 6th at JGP Austria. Their personal best is 127.54. She is 18 and he is 20.
Simpson/Blackmer, USA (D): They won gold at their international debut at JGP Poland and silver at JGP Estonia to qualify for the JGP Final where they won bronze. Their personal best is 146.35. She is 15 and he is 20.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)