In a pond full of 'Black Swan' wannabes, Cesario's portrayal stands out

She's baaaack.

Samantha Cesario has returned from a year full of injuries looking stronger and more determined than ever. The 18-year old from New Jersey took the bronze medal today at the third Junior Grand Prix event in Gdansk, Poland.



Her portrayal of Odile, the black swan from Tchaikovsky's famous ballet, is stunning as she uses every part of her body -- right down to her fingertips -- to tell the story. What's more, her jumps have never looked better. Yes, she still has an egregious "flutz," but her jumps are higher and stronger, and the triple loop is back in her arsenal.

Cesario looks poised for a breakthrough at Nationals in 2012. She missed the event last January due to her back injury, but that appears to be in the past. She is the highest scoring U.S. lady of the season to date, and after strong summer competition showings, one can see the momentum begin to build. The next step: a (preferably) top 2 finish at her next JGP event, and then (hopefully) a spot at the JGP Final in Quebec City in December.

If she can keep her focus and drive for the next few months, there's no reason to believe she can't be top 6 at Nationals in January, perhaps even flirting with a top 4 podium finish. In this ever-unpredictable world of U.S. ladies, anything is possible.

The new & improved Tom Z.-free Joshua Farris

After a disastrous Nationals last January, Joshua Farris hightailed it away from creepy Tom Zakrajsek and found a safe haven in Christy Krall. And for that, we thank God.

Farris showed his new and improved skating skills and jump technique yesterday during the men's short program at the Junior Grand Prix in Gdansk, Poland. He scored a whopping 75.69 points for this program -- a score that would have put him in the top 10 at last season's World Championships.



It's been a tough year for Zakrajsek (*tear*). From January-June, he lost five of his most prominent national and international competitors, including a trio of senior ladies in Rachael Flatt, Agnes Zawadzki and Alexe Gilles, as well as senior men Farris and Alexander Johnson. While we don't know how Flatt, Gilles or Johnson have looked lately, both Farris and Zawadzki seem to have improved leaps and bounds both technically and artistically since dumping Zakrajsek. Both now work with Krall, coach of the reigning men's world champion Patrick Chan of Canada (Zawadzki also works with David Santee on a part-time basis).

Farris is looking more confident, relaxed and mature. With Krall on his side, this is shaping up to be his breakout year.

Hicks, Shoji shine in season debuts

If there was ever any doubt about American Courtney Hicks' jumping ability or the competitive spirit of Japan's Risa Shoji, they've just been erased. Hicks laid down two stunning, jam-packed performances to take the ladies title at the second Junior Grand Prix event of the season in Brisbane, Australia. While not perfect, her high-flying jumps, innovative spins and performance flair gave her the gold medal by more than 4 points ahead of Shoji.

After a disappointing short program in which all three of her attempted triples received "<" under rotation calls, Shoji was brilliant in the free skate, nailing a triple Salchow-triple toe loop-double toe loop combination, a double Axel-triple toe loop and five other strong jumping passes. Her program, set to the score from "Legends of the Fall," is not a stylistic departure for her, but it does suit her perfectly. She moved up from a 4th place short program showing to score a 100+ point free skate and win the silver medal.

The night belonged to Hicks, though. She did suffer two falls -- one on the second half of a triple flip-triple loop combination and then again seconds later on a solo triple loop attempt -- but five other triple jumps, a plethora of transitions and her very cool "Hicks" spin allowed her to amass a free skate score of 101.72 and an overall score of 151.91, the second best ladies international score recorded so far this season.

The other American in the ladies field, Vanessa Lam, nabbed the bronze medal after a solid free skate. She appeared to be sailing along until her final jump, a planned triple Lutz that went scarily wrong. After rushing the take-off, she came down a half turn short, her body slamming into the ice sideways and drawing a gasp from the audience. While she did still win a medal with a very respectable 145.48, her jump technique and lack of height is something that needs to be addressed soon if she hopes to contend for senior National medals and a junior World medal sometime in the next few years.

The Junior Grand Prix series continues next week in Gdansk, Poland, with American Samantha Cesario one of the gold medal favorites in the ladies event.

Help support a local talent

Please consider checking out the Rocket Hub site for 13-year old Michelle Hedges, a young skater based out of Bloomington, Minnesota.

Michelle skates at the intermediate level and hopes to compete at the Upper Great Lakes Regional championships this October and, ultimately, qualify for the U.S. Junior Championships in December. In addition to being an excellent skater, Michelle is also a straight-A student.

Skating is an extremely expensive sport, and Michelle's family, like many others, have faced financial struggles related to the economic downturn. Michelle's mom, Kate, says her family can easily spend up to $20,000 every year on her daughter's skating costs.

Please visit their site (http://www.rockethub.com/projects/1183-help-michelle-skate-to-regionals-beyond) and consider making a donation to assist with Michelle's training costs. If a monetary gift is not possible for you to make right now, please spread the word to others who may be able to afford donating to her training fund.