The Junior Grand Prix of Bratislava, held September 1-4, 2005, in the heart of the Slovak Republic, was the first ISU Event of the season. It was also the first of the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series this year, which is comprised of eight international events plus the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. As with all ISU sanctioned International Competitions this season, the event was conducted using the ISU Judging System.
Ladies (Friday and Saturday)
Yu-Na Kim (KOR) creamed the gold in the ladies' competition, with Aki Sawada (JPN) and Elene Gedevanishvili (GEO) taking the silver and bronze medal respectively. The competition was tight among the best group with most of the top ladies landing triple jumps as well as executing difficult spins and steps graded at level three or four. Overall the spins and steps in the ladies competition had a higher average level of difficulty than those of the men.
Yu-Na Kim, second at last season's World Junior Championships, took the lead at the outset with a very good short program which included a combination of triple flip and double toeloop, the required triple lutz out of connecting steps and a convincing interpretation of 'Tango de Roxane' soundtrack taken from the movie 'Moulin Rouge'. 'I was more nervous because I try to show more character this season and put more stress on my presentation than last season. But I am happy how it worked', she said with the help of her coach and interpreter Seyol Kim. Her average program components reached 6,25. The judges gave her plus points for all eight elements: 3 of her 72 element points from all nine judges were +2, 50 were +1 and 19 were 0. She did not receive any minus points on any elements.
In the free program, the 14 year-old Ya-Na Kim excelled. Skating to the music 'Papa, can you hear me?', she earned almost 17 more points than the second best free program. She started with an excellent combination of triple flip and triple toeloop, then performed a good combination of triple lutz, double toeloop and double loop. Her third combination was a smooth double axel with triple toeloop. The Triple loop and Salchow were clean as well, though she stepped out of her second triple lutz at the end. Her camel combination spin was level four. Her program components reached an average of 6.50, because she interpreted the music well, performed difficult linking steps and always hit the beat. As she will be celebrating her 15th birthday in October 2005, she will be too young to be allowed to compete either at ISU Senior Championships this season or at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games. She commented: 'Today I tried to show more smiling and presentation than last year. This was more difficult for me than the triple jumps. But it worked well, so I am happy.'
The silver medal winner Aki Sawada from Japan presented the same jumps almost as well in the short program as the winner and had a dynamic style. But she got no points for her required flying sit spin, because she turned it into a flying combination spin. The interpretation of the'Caravan' music was good. Six of her seven triple jumps and a sequence of two double axels in the free program were clean, including an excellent combination of triple flip and triple toeloop at the beginning. She only missed the triple loop which she did not land backwards. Her layback spin was impressive and even got level four. Bronze medallist Elene Gedevanishvili(GEO), who trains in Moscow, had been fifth at last season's Junior World Championships and was second in the short program in Bratislava. Her triple lutz and double axel in the short program were good, but the flip combination was a bit shaky. Two of her spins even got a level four, the third one and the two step sequences level three. In her free program to Armenian music she missed the triple toeloop at the beginning, but pulled together and added four other triple jumps, excellent spins (the layback spin again level four) and steps. Third in the free program with five triples and a good flow was American Katy Taylor. Unfortunately she turned her planned triple flip combination in the short program into a single flip. Therefore the distance to the top skaters was too big to get onto the podium. She was fourth overall.
Men (Friday and Sunday)
Alexander Uspenski of Russia won the men's event with Stephen Carriere (USA) scooping the silver and Philipp Tischendorf (GER) taking home the bronze medal.
Alexander Uspenski from Moscow set the pace and won the short program with a more than eight point lead. He was the only skater with a jump combination of triple axel and triple toeloop. The Russian stepped out of the required triple lutz, but got a level three for both of his well-skated step sequences. His interpretation of the 'Danse macabre' by Camille Saint-Saens was convincing. Later he said: ' My sit spin and the lutz were not good, but I got some stomach problems from the food in the plane. But I am optimistic for the free program.' This optimism was justified because he skated without any real mistakes, though he reduced the difficulty of some of the jump elements. He started with a combination of triple axle and double toeloop, followed by four other triples, but doubled three jumps which were planned triple. The whole program to music of 'Kitaro' had style, but could have been skated with more speed. Uspenski commented: 'I was well prepared for this competition, but still felt a bit weak. Therefore I left out the second triple axel, and I am disappointed that the program lacked a bit of power. But I am happy nevertheless to have won.'
Stephen Carriere from Boston began his short program with an excellent double axel, but had some problems with his flip combination. In the free program to music of the soundtrack 'Once upon a Time in Mexico' he showed two triple lutzes plus a flip, a Salchow, a loop and a toeloop. Two of his three spins got level three, the flying camel combination spin was easier, but very well executed. Philipp Tischendorf from Berlin showed a faultless short program with a clean combination of triple flip and double toeloop, a safe triple lutz and good steps Spanish floor dancer. Therefore he got points for performance and interpretation. The 17-year-old fulltime pupil included four triple jumps (two of them not clean) and difficult steps, before going on to add two more triples and an excellent combination spin. Douglas Razzano from Scottsdale/Arizona had been second in a dynamic short program with a combination of two triple toeloops. But in the free the American fell on two triple jumps, which were downgraded, and ended up sixth. The Japanese skater Tagemochi Ogami landed two clean triple axels in the free program, the first one in combination with two double toeloops. But due to his less powerful style and slower performance, he got lower program components and was only seventh overall.
Pairs (Friday and Saturday)
Mariel Miller and Rockne Brubaker from the USA won the pairs' event, with Valeria Simakova and Anton Tokarev from Russia coming second.Theresa Mailling and Dominique Welsh from Canada took third position. All pairs made mistakes, which is quite normal for the junior level.
Miller and Brubaker, a very experienced junior pair from Colorado Springs, had taken the lead in a good short program to music of the opera 'Tosca'.Their lift, twist, pair spin and sidelong step sequence received level three, the required side by side double lutz was good as well. They only missed the triple throw loop. Brubaker was not completely content afterwards: 'Usually we skate more powerfully, but at the beginning of the season it did not flow as usual, therefore we had to struggle a bit.' In their free program to music of the 'Addams Family' they began with a shaky triple twist (which was downgraded), a touch down of his hand at the side by side Salchow and a fall of her on the triple thrown Salchow. But the rest of the program was better with three good lifts, a safe thrown triple toeloop and a clean double axel-double toeloop sequence. Their style was dynamic, the program - choreographed by Christopher Den - quite well interpreted. 'Today it was better than yesterday', Brubaker said. 'We will go home now and work on our elements until our second Grand Prix in four weeks. We worked more on presentation and harmony this summer. It is not easy to combine my and my partner's full time school and skating.'
Simakova and Tokarev from Moscow peformed the required throw loop only double in the short program, but it was of good quality. Their double twist was excellent, but the lady fell on the double lutz. In the free program, they started with an excellent and very high double twist. Most of their other elements were good as well, but Simakova had problems with her side by side jumps which were downgraded. But it was enough to win silver with a small margin over Mailling/Welsh. The Canadians' short program highlight was a very difficult required forward inward death spiral with level four. But Mailling missed the double lutz. A good triple throw Salchow was their most difficult element in the free program. Two of their lifts were a bit shaky, but most other elements good.
Ice Dancing (Friday, Saturday and Sunday)
Russian ice dancers Natalia Mikhailova and Arkadi Sergeev, fifth at last season's Junior Worlds, won the dance event ahead of Italians Anna Capellini and Luca Lanotte. The American team of Trina Pratt and Todd Gilles came in third. Anna Cappellini and Luca Lanotte from Milan have the same coaches as former World Champions Fusar Poli/Margaglio. They won the compulsory Westminster Waltz with ease, a good flow and waltzy interpretation. They have only been skating together for four months, but have gained experience with other partners. In the original dance the Italians chose Rhumba and Samba as rhythms of their Latin combination and hung on to the top position. Their 'Not touching Midline Step Sequence in Combination with a Forward Set of Twizzles' as well as their curve and their rotational lift (both with level four) earned them extra points. They were the only couple with more than 7.0 for program components. Their free dance to James Brown's song 'It's a Man's, Man's World' was well interpreted and had many difficult elements. A small slip and weaker presentation than the Russians cost them the first place, they took second place overall.
Natalia Mikhailova and Arkadi Sergeev from Moscow were almost as good in the Westminster Waltz as the Italians. However in their original dance with Chacha, Rhumba and Samba rhythms, Sergeev slipped twice during their midline step sequence in an otherwise well interpreted program. Therefore they were only third in this part of the competition. But their free dance to a vocal modern version of Albinoni's famous Adagio enabled them to reveal their excellent skating skills. Most of their elements got level four, were mistake-free and were attributed plus points. Therefore they averaged more than 7.0 in program components. The bronze medal winners Trina Pratt and Todd Gilles from Ann Arbor in the US State of Michigan got more points for their elements in the original dance than all other teams, they had the best spin and excellent lifts. Their program components were slightly lower. In the free dance, they interpreted modern Chinese soundtracks with high speed and good elements.
The next competition in ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating series will be held in Canillo (AND), September 8-11, 2005.
Results
