The competition at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2007 concluded Saturday in Oberstdorf, Germany with the Ladies Free Skating.
Ladies, Free Skating
The Ladies were the last to determine their Champions. Team USA swept the podium with Caroline Zhang, Mirai Nagasu and Ashley Wagner. It was only the second time that one country took all three medals in the Ladies event. Russia had swept the Ladies podium in 1996 and 1998. It was an exciting competition with a high standard.
Zhang had drawn first to skate first in the final flight. The 13-year-old took the ice calmly and had the crowd on her side after a few second when she hit a solid triple Lutz-double toeloop-double loop combination in her lyrical program to “Meditation” by Jules Massenet. She just slightly hesitated when going into the next jump, a double Axel, but had no problem on it. The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champion went on to reel off a triple flip-double toe, a triple loop, Lutz, another triple flip and a triple toe-double toe combination. The crowd appreciated her beautiful spins. The spiral sequence and the combination spin were graded a level four and the layback spin a level three. Zhang got 110.08 points (61.63/48.45) for this program, beating her previous personal best of 106.40 points. Her total score added up to 169.25 points.
Ashley Wagner was next. She heard Zhang’s score and knew that her competitor had done very well, and she didn’t hold back. Skating to “Summertime”, the 15-year-old landed a triple Lutz-double loop, a triple Salchow, double Axel, triple loop, a triple flip-double loop-double loop, and a triple toe-triple toe sequence as well as a triple Lutz late into her routine. Wagner received a level four for her flying sit spin and a level three for the combination spin and the flying change foot sit spin to earn 105.48 points (59.32/46.16), improving her previous personal best significantly by 12.12 points. She remained in third place at 157.15 points.
Nagasu’s dynamic program to “American Quartet” by Anton Dvorak featured a double Axel, triple Salchow, triple flip, triple toe-double toe-double loop, but she was off-balance on the loop. The 13-year-old also hit a triple Lutz-double toe, triple loop-double loop, a beautiful layback spin (level four) and another triple Lutz. Nagasu scored 106.62 points (59.92/46.70), racking up a total score of 163.84 points. She captured the silver medal. All three medallists competed for the first time at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships.
Jenni Vähämaa (FIN) moved up from sixth to fourth at 138.61 points. She landed a double Axel, triple Salchow-double toe-double loop, a triple flip and two more triples but singled the loop. Rumi Suizu (JPN) came in fifth with five triple jumps (134.95 points).
“I’m really happy with my performance but the (second) Lutz was little off, but I’m happy with the result, obviously”, Zhang commented. “I learned from Nationals. I was thinking I better don’t fall on my double Axel. I try to ignore nervousness”, she added.
“Today I was satisfied with my performance. I was really nervous in the beginning with this being my first international. When I got on the ice I felt better. I wanted to do what I did a million times in practice. I was backstage, and all these doubts were starting coming to me, but my coach helped to push them away by putting reassuring thoughts in my head”, Nagasu said.
“That probably is my best (performance) in competition”, Wagner commented. “It was great that I had this performance here at Junior Worlds. It was the strongest, and I had the most fun out there that I’ve ever had in a competition. It really helps that we (the U.S. Ladies) are pushing each other.”
Ice Dancer Emily Samuelson (USA), who was injured Friday during the Free Dance, successfully underwent hand surgery on Saturday in Ravensburg. “She suffered a laceration of the middle finger tendon of the left hand. It was repaired completely today by Professor Hermann Krimmer. We expect a complete recovery”, U.S. Team Doctor Dr. Craig Westin said. The surgery was done Saturday afternoon and Samuelson was expected to return to the hotel in the evening.
The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2007 conclude Sunday with the Exhibition Gala.
