With the first two Junior Grand Prix events of the 2010-11 season in the books, here's a quick recap of what went down on the ice:
Event #1: Courchevel, France
The American men opened the series with a strong showing in France, claiming both the silver and bronze medals behind Canadian Andrei Rogozine. Max Aaron of Colorado Springs was second after the short program, but fell to third in the free skate and third overall. Reigning U.S. junior champion Jason Brown, in third place after the short program, laid down a 7-triple free skate to win that portion and climb to second overall. Both American men have been assigned to a second event, the JGP in Japan next weekend, and both look poised to qualify for the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Russia continued it's dominance in junior ice dance with the team of Alexandra Stepanova & Andrei Bukin winning the gold medal by nearly 10 points over Americans Anastasia Cannuscio & Colin McManus. Another Russian team, Evgenia Kosigina & Nikolai Moroshkin, took bronze in their international debut. Cannuscio/McManus have been assigned a second JGP event in Japan, along with U.S. teammates Joylyn Yang & Jean-Luc Baker.
There was a lot of movement between the short and long programs in the ladies event. Reigning Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist Polina Shelepen of Russia came from behind to win the gold medal by nearly 11 points over American junior silver medalist Yasmin Siraj. Shelepen's jumps are solid as a rock, but the rest of her skating leaves much to be desired. Siraj climbed from sixth to second with a strong, expressive, 5-triple free skate. Roza Sheveleva of Russia was third, France's Yretha Silete was fourth and 13-year old American Nina Jiang rounded out the top five. Siraj will compete at the JGP event in Great Britain in hopes of medalling again and qualifying for the Final for the first time in her career.
Shelepen's free skate:
Siraj's free skate:
Event #2: Brasov, Romania
The U.S. men saw continued success at the second event in Romania last weekend. Keegan Messing fell on a quadruple toe loop attempt in his free skate, but his strong jumps and fast spins were more than enough to give him the victory over teammate Joshua Farris. Farris hit a beautiful triple Axel in his short program to win that segment of the competition, but three falls in the free skate relegated him to second overall. Japan's Keiji Tanaka was third.
In ice dance, Russians Ksenia Monko & Kiril Khaliavin posted the highest score of the season thus far en route to the gold medal. Ukraine's Anastasia Galyeta & Alexei Shumski were second, and Americans Lauri Bonacorsi & Travis Mager won their second career JGP bronze medal, rebounding nicely after a 5th place finish in the short dance.
The U.S. ladies were up against a strong threat in Russia's triple Axel-wielding Elizaveta Tuktamysheva. Tuktamysheva was expected to win by a huge margin, but numerous mistakes in both programs only gave her a 2.22 point victory over American Kristiene Gong. Japan's Shion Kokubun was third, and Samantha Cesario, the other U.S. entry, was fourth. Both American girls got hammered by the technical panel with downgraded triples, but Gong has been assigned a second event, the JGP in Great Britain at the end of September.
The series continues this week in Graz, Austria.
Showing posts with label Kristiene Gong. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kristiene Gong. Show all posts
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Friday, May 7, 2010
Frank Carroll's new crop of students
Last month, it was announced that Kazakhstan's Denis Ten, who skated to a top 10 finish at Worlds in 2009, was moving to El Segundo, Calif., to train with the renowned coach.
Earlier this week, Jonathan Cassar announced he was leaving coach Julie Berlin and the Detroit Skating Club to move west and be guided by Frank, too.
Today, three young, promising U.S. ladies also announced that they are to be coached under the tutelage of Mr. Carroll. Leah Keiser, the 12-year old reigning U.S. novice national champion, will be joining Carroll's stable of students along with Ellie Kawamura and Kristiene Gong, second and fourth, respectively, at the 2009 U.S. junior ladies event.
Carroll is the master at bringing out the best in his students. His work with Mirai Nagasu in less than a year took her from 5th in the United States to 4th at the Olympic Games.
Through the summer, he will surely be working with each skater to make them stronger athletes and competitors. Ten needs a confidence boost, while Cassar has all the makings of a champion -- except for the more difficult jumps. Keiser is an incredible talent with great technique already, but Frank has the ability to take her to senior national champion by 2012. Kawamura and Gong will benefit from the same jump and confidence overhaul he gave Nagasu this year.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Notes from Nebelhorn & Musings from Minsk
The Nebelhorn Trophy wrapped up Saturday in Oberstdorf, Germany, and the Olympic field is set -- sort of.
Earning the remaining spots were:
Men: Switzerland, Austria, Germany, North Korea, Romania, Finland
Ladies: China, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Belgium
Pairs: Switzerland, Poland, Estonia, Italy
Ice Dance: China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary
Although it is still unknown as to which skaters will be representing these countries (along with the countries who qualified spots at the World Championships in March), the Olympic picture is slowly developing. One skater who will most likely be there is 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lambiel buried the competition here in Oberstdorf, and now only has to pass the requirements of the Swiss Olympic Committee (which he will surely do) in order to skate in Vancouver.
On the ladies' side, American Alissa Czisny won her second straight Nebelhorn title, but only on the strength of her short program. She was only credited with two clean triples in her free skate in what was a messy and error-prone event overall. China's Yan Liu won the free skate and placed third overall to qualify a spot for her country in Vancouver, while Hungary's Julia Sebestyen placed fourth but still earned a berth to her fourth consecutive Olympic Games.
In ice dancing, United States champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White performed their "Phantom of the Opera" free dance for the first time internationally this season, and accumulated over 100 points for it. Their total competition score of 200.46 points was more than 30 points higher than the second place finishers, Alexandra Zaretski and Roman Zaretski of Israel. Davis and White's total score at Nebelhorn was .10 points higher than what they received at the World Championshps last March, but would have been enough to earn them the bronze medal at that event. Clearly, they are already on the right track this season.
Over in Minsk, Belarus, the fourth Junior Grand Prix event of the season wrapped up. Russia's Polina Shelepen delivered another solid free skate to win her second JGP event of the season. Japan's Yuki Nishino was second, and Ksenia Makarova of Russia was third. Kristiene Gong was the top U.S. lady, finishing 4th.
In the men's event, Minnesota-native Eliot Halverson was the top American finisher, placing 5th. Russia's Artur Gachinski and China's Nan Song were in a class of their own, each finishing with over 178 points and winning gold and silver, respectively.
China went 1-2 in the pairs event, with Canadians Hole/Johnson winning the bronze medal after taking gold in Lake Placid last earlier this season. Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker won the silver medal in ice dancing - their first-ever JGP medal - behind Russians Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin.
Shelepen has mathematically qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, and it appears as though Makarova will qualify as well. Hole/Johnson have also qualified in the pairs event.
The Junior Grand Prix series continues this week in Dresden, Germany. Angela Maxwell (United States) and Isabelle Olsson (Sweden) are both medal winners already this season, and both will be in contention in Germany. Minnesota-native Kiri Baga makes her international debut, and with her strong spins, spirals and jumps, could definitely factor in for a medal.
Earning the remaining spots were:
Men: Switzerland, Austria, Germany, North Korea, Romania, Finland
Ladies: China, Hungary, Slovenia, Austria, Spain, Belgium
Pairs: Switzerland, Poland, Estonia, Italy
Ice Dance: China, Czech Republic, Estonia, Georgia, Hungary
Although it is still unknown as to which skaters will be representing these countries (along with the countries who qualified spots at the World Championships in March), the Olympic picture is slowly developing. One skater who will most likely be there is 2006 Olympic silver medalist Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland. Lambiel buried the competition here in Oberstdorf, and now only has to pass the requirements of the Swiss Olympic Committee (which he will surely do) in order to skate in Vancouver.
On the ladies' side, American Alissa Czisny won her second straight Nebelhorn title, but only on the strength of her short program. She was only credited with two clean triples in her free skate in what was a messy and error-prone event overall. China's Yan Liu won the free skate and placed third overall to qualify a spot for her country in Vancouver, while Hungary's Julia Sebestyen placed fourth but still earned a berth to her fourth consecutive Olympic Games.
In ice dancing, United States champions Meryl Davis and Charlie White performed their "Phantom of the Opera" free dance for the first time internationally this season, and accumulated over 100 points for it. Their total competition score of 200.46 points was more than 30 points higher than the second place finishers, Alexandra Zaretski and Roman Zaretski of Israel. Davis and White's total score at Nebelhorn was .10 points higher than what they received at the World Championshps last March, but would have been enough to earn them the bronze medal at that event. Clearly, they are already on the right track this season.
Over in Minsk, Belarus, the fourth Junior Grand Prix event of the season wrapped up. Russia's Polina Shelepen delivered another solid free skate to win her second JGP event of the season. Japan's Yuki Nishino was second, and Ksenia Makarova of Russia was third. Kristiene Gong was the top U.S. lady, finishing 4th.
In the men's event, Minnesota-native Eliot Halverson was the top American finisher, placing 5th. Russia's Artur Gachinski and China's Nan Song were in a class of their own, each finishing with over 178 points and winning gold and silver, respectively.
China went 1-2 in the pairs event, with Canadians Hole/Johnson winning the bronze medal after taking gold in Lake Placid last earlier this season. Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker won the silver medal in ice dancing - their first-ever JGP medal - behind Russians Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin.
Shelepen has mathematically qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, and it appears as though Makarova will qualify as well. Hole/Johnson have also qualified in the pairs event.
The Junior Grand Prix series continues this week in Dresden, Germany. Angela Maxwell (United States) and Isabelle Olsson (Sweden) are both medal winners already this season, and both will be in contention in Germany. Minnesota-native Kiri Baga makes her international debut, and with her strong spins, spirals and jumps, could definitely factor in for a medal.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Mid-competition thoughts from the Nebelhorn Trophy and the JGP - Belarus
The skating season has *officially* begun.
Senior-level skaters from across the globe have gathered in Oberstdorf, Germany, for the Nebelhorn Trophy, a.ka., the Olympic qualifying event. For nations that have already qualified spots for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the competition serves as a tune-up event for their skaters, allowing them the chance to get their programs in front of an international panel of judges early in the season (i.e., the American skaters competing here are simply competing for the experience, although they are not necessarily the skaters who will be representing the U.S. in Vancouver). For skaters from other countries, however, the event has a much more significant meaning.
Up for grabs are four Olympic spots in pairs, six in the mens and ladies events, and five in ice dancing. One skater hoping to nab a berth is Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist and a two-time World champion. Back for another season, Lambiel currently has the lead after the short program with 77.45 points. The Czech Republic's Michal Brezina sits in second place (73.23) and American Ryan Bradley nabbed the third spot (68.18) after landing a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination but falling on his circular step sequence.
In pairs, two-time and reigning World champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy accumulated 72.80 points for their short program, and have a commanding 13-point lead over the second place team of Volosozhar/Morozov (Ukraine). 2007 American champions Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski sit fourth with 51.70 points.
The United States' Meryl Davis and Charlie White displayed their consistency once again, winning both the compulsory (37.62) and original dances (62.08) in Oberstdorf. Apparently their original dance to Indian "Bollywood" music is full of difficult and unique choreography, and was well-received by the audience. I, for one, can't wait to see it! They will take a huge total of 99.70 points into the final segment - the free dance - on Saturday.
The other big skating event going on this week is the Junior Grand Prix in Minsk, Belarus. After today's competition, the results are as follows:
Ice Dance (Compulsory Dance):
1. Monko/Khaliavin, RUS, 33.74
2. Routhier/Saucke-Lacelle, CAN, 31.91
3. Agafonova/Dun, UKR, 30.22
4. Tibbetts/Brubaker, USA, 30.16
Ladies (Short Program):
1. Polina Shelepen, RUS, 49.65
2. Ksenia Makarova, RUS, 49.08
3. Kristiene Gong, USA, 47.42
4. Jasmine Alexandra Costa, EST, 46.93
Pairs (Short Program):
1. Sui/Han, CHN, 50.67
2. Stolbova/Klimov, RUS, 49.52
3. Zhang/Wang, CHN, 49.33
4. Cheng/Gao, CHN, 46.47
The men's short program is tomorrow, along with the original dance and the ladies free skate. Look for the ladies final result to be the same (Shelepen/Makarova/Gong), but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of movement in pairs. Canadians Kaleigh Hole and Adam Johnson (gold medalists at the JGP Lake Placid) are currently 7th but most definitely within striking distance (only about four points out of third).
Senior-level skaters from across the globe have gathered in Oberstdorf, Germany, for the Nebelhorn Trophy, a.ka., the Olympic qualifying event. For nations that have already qualified spots for the 2010 Olympic Winter Games in Vancouver, the competition serves as a tune-up event for their skaters, allowing them the chance to get their programs in front of an international panel of judges early in the season (i.e., the American skaters competing here are simply competing for the experience, although they are not necessarily the skaters who will be representing the U.S. in Vancouver). For skaters from other countries, however, the event has a much more significant meaning.
Up for grabs are four Olympic spots in pairs, six in the mens and ladies events, and five in ice dancing. One skater hoping to nab a berth is Stephane Lambiel of Switzerland, the 2006 Olympic silver medalist and a two-time World champion. Back for another season, Lambiel currently has the lead after the short program with 77.45 points. The Czech Republic's Michal Brezina sits in second place (73.23) and American Ryan Bradley nabbed the third spot (68.18) after landing a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination but falling on his circular step sequence.
In pairs, two-time and reigning World champs Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy accumulated 72.80 points for their short program, and have a commanding 13-point lead over the second place team of Volosozhar/Morozov (Ukraine). 2007 American champions Brooke Castile and Ben Okolski sit fourth with 51.70 points.
The United States' Meryl Davis and Charlie White displayed their consistency once again, winning both the compulsory (37.62) and original dances (62.08) in Oberstdorf. Apparently their original dance to Indian "Bollywood" music is full of difficult and unique choreography, and was well-received by the audience. I, for one, can't wait to see it! They will take a huge total of 99.70 points into the final segment - the free dance - on Saturday.
The other big skating event going on this week is the Junior Grand Prix in Minsk, Belarus. After today's competition, the results are as follows:
Ice Dance (Compulsory Dance):
1. Monko/Khaliavin, RUS, 33.74
2. Routhier/Saucke-Lacelle, CAN, 31.91
3. Agafonova/Dun, UKR, 30.22
4. Tibbetts/Brubaker, USA, 30.16
Ladies (Short Program):
1. Polina Shelepen, RUS, 49.65
2. Ksenia Makarova, RUS, 49.08
3. Kristiene Gong, USA, 47.42
4. Jasmine Alexandra Costa, EST, 46.93
Pairs (Short Program):
1. Sui/Han, CHN, 50.67
2. Stolbova/Klimov, RUS, 49.52
3. Zhang/Wang, CHN, 49.33
4. Cheng/Gao, CHN, 46.47
The men's short program is tomorrow, along with the original dance and the ladies free skate. Look for the ladies final result to be the same (Shelepen/Makarova/Gong), but I wouldn't be surprised if there was a lot of movement in pairs. Canadians Kaleigh Hole and Adam Johnson (gold medalists at the JGP Lake Placid) are currently 7th but most definitely within striking distance (only about four points out of third).
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