The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2012 continued in Minsk, Belarus, on February 27 with the Preliminary Round for Ladies.

Kaetlyn Osmond (CAN) wins Ladies Preliminary Round
Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada placed first in the Junior Ladies Preliminary Round followed by China's Ziquan Zhao and Hae-Jin Kim of Korea.

Performing to Introduction and Rondo Capriccioso, Osmond completed four triples including a triple Lutz and two level-four spins. The Canadian scored 97.36 points. It felt best. It was one of my best skates ever. It was the first time I tried it (the triple Lutz in competition) and it worked really well. I landed it the first time right after sectionals in November, and then I didn't really get it consistent until after Nationals which was a month ago. I thought I try it, see how it goes, Osmond said.

Zhao produced a double Axel-triple toe and five more triple jumps to score a seasons best of 94.53 points. This was a really good program for me, and it is a personal best score, the 14-year-old commented. My goal for this competition is to show everything I can do and to have no regrets, she added.

Kim's program to Mendelssohn's Concerto for Violin and Orchestra included a triple toe-triple toe combination and four other triples but she fell on a triple flip. The Korean earned 93.97 points. I was a little nervous at the beginning. I am competing in my first Junior Worlds. I felt a little shaky, but I wanted to give my best and I think it was ok. I didn't have enough speed on my triple flip and my combination spin was a level one and it should be a level four next time, the 14-year-old shared.

36 Junior Ladies competed in the Preliminary Round. The top 12 and Kristina Zakharanka (BLR) as the host country's entry qualified for the Short Program.

The ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships open officially Wednesday with the Short Dance and the Pairs Short Program. For more information, full entry lists and results please see: www.isu.org.