The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2006 continued Tuesday in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with the Compulsory Dance and the Ladies Short Program.

Ice Dancing, Compulsory Dance
Today’s competition opened with the Compulsory Dance, the Austrian Waltz. The Austrian Waltz consists of two sequences. It was invented by Austrian ice dancers Susi and Peter Handschmann. It’s first performance took place in 1979 in Vienna, Austria. Tessa Virtue/Scott Moir of Canada danced to the lead with Natalia Mikhailova/Arkadi Sergeev (RUS) and Meryl Davis/Charlie White (USA) coming in second and third. The leading couples are seperated by fewer than two points.

Virtue/Moir delivered a solid Austrian Waltz, showing off strong edges and precise steps. The reigning World Junior silver medallists earned 34.88 points (17.62 technical score/17.26 program component score). “We felt really strong. We’re excited to have the first part under our belt. We felt pretty confident out there on the ice. It is hard to do well, it is a sophisticated dance”, Moir commented. “It was a really relaxed feeling from the warm up. We knew what to do so we just went out, trying to enjoy it. We really like it (the Austrian Waltz). It’s a challenge for us”, his partner added. “We’ve been trying to build the programs and going back to our junior Free Dance”, Virtue continued when asked what they did since taking the bronze medal at the ISU Four Continents Championships in January.
Mikhailova/Sergeev were edged by just 0.23 points. The Russian Junior Champions turned in a light and flowing Waltz to pick up 34.65 points (17.79/16.86). “We have worked very hard on this dance. The past three weeks, we mostly worked on the (Austrian) Waltz”, Mikhailova explained. “We’re very pleased with this performance. In Zagreb (at the Junior Grand Prix event Croatia Cup last fall) we even fell in the Waltz. Before, I didn’t like the Waltz at all, but then we sort of got used to it. It was very hard in the beginning. We came here in a fighting mood, and we’re a hundred percent ready. This is our last junior year, so we have to give it all.”
Davis/White produced a confident Austrian Waltz as well. The Junior Grand Prix Final silver medallists scored 33.31 points (16.98/16.33). “It’s the most difficult junior dance this year”, White said. “It’s difficult, but it got a lot of interesting things in it. It does have some positives. There are a lot of changes of position, and when you don’t feel so comfortable with your partner, sometimes the holds get a little uncomfortable or look uncomfortable. This is what we have been trying to work on, to make it look (good), even if it’s really hard, it has to look easy. It’s a tough dance, and I don’t think we competed it better than that. We’re really pleased to do that at Junior Worlds.”
Junior Grand Prix Final bronze medallists Anna Cappellini/Luca Lanotte (ITA) came in fourth at 32.24 points. Reigning World Junior bronze medallists Anastasia Gorshkova/Ilia Tkachenko (RUS) are currently standing in fifth place with 31.70 points.

Ladies, Short Program
The day concluded with the Ladies Short Program. Yu-Na Kim of Korea upset defending World Junior Champion Mao Asada (JPN) to take the lead in the Short Program. Christine Zukowski (USA) finished third.
Kim and Asada skated next to last and last in the evening. Kim hit a high triple flip-double toeloop combination, a triple Lutz and double Axel and produced strong spins including a level-four layback spin in her characteristic performance to “Tango de Roxane”. The triple or double Lutz is the required solo jump in the Junior Short Program this season. The current World Junior Champion was awarded 60.86 points (35.54 element score /25.32 program component score), improving her previous personal best by almost two points. “I’m very pleased to have achieved a new personal best for my Short Program”, Kim said. “I wanted to get a level four for my spins and I worked on my facial expression and on my Free Program to have higher (level) jumps such as a triple flip-triple toeloop combinations”, she explained when asked about changes she made since last year.
Skating to a modern version of “Carmen” by Georges Bizet, Asada went for a triple Axel-double loop combination but singled the loop. It was a mistake as the required jump combination in the Ladies Short Program must consist of two double jumps or one double and one triple jump. It still was the first triple Axel performed by a Lady in the Short Program at an ISU Championship. The 15-year-old went on to nail a triple Lutz, and difficult spins including a layback into a one-hand-held Biellmann spin. The Grand Prix Champion earned 56.10 points (30.89/25.21). “I’m happy to have done the triple Axel in the Short Program, but I did only a single loop (with it), and I’m a little disappointed about that”, the Japanese commented. “For the Free Skating, I have to skate clean and I want to do two triple Axels.”
Zukowski saved a triple Lutz that had a lean in the air and also landed a triple loop-double toeloop combination and a double Axel to score 51.37 points (30.26/21.11) for her routine to “Firebird” by Igor Stravinski. The American improved her previous personal best by 4.10 points. “I’m very happy that I got my personal best at my first Junior Worlds and that I went out there and skated a clean program”, the 16-year-old said. “I think that this (judging) system is a lot better than the old system. All skaters have to be more well rounded. I think they should try to limit the Biellmann position and give more credit to the people that do triple-triples, for the second triple (in the combination) than just counting it as two triples”, Zukowski answered when asked what she would like to change in the judging system.

Alissa Czisny (USA) is currently standing in fourth place. She completed a triple Lutz and two level-four spins and a level-four spiral, but her flip in combination with a double toe was cheated and downgraded to a double (50.36 points).  Arina Martynova (RUS) produced a triple flip-double toeloop combination but did only a double Lutz to come in fifth at 49.96 points.
Junior Grand Prix Final silver medallist Aki Sawada (JPN) finished sixth. She showed strong spins, but both her triple Lutz and triple flip (in combination with a double toeloop) were wobbly.

The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2006 continue Wednesday with the Men’s Qualifying Round and the Pairs Free Skating.