2007 JGP Sofia Cup Preview

Sofia, Bulgaria

Sofia Cup is the sixth event of the 2007 Junior Grand Prix series. Emily Samuelson and Evan Bates of the US and Vanessa Crone and Paul Poirier of Canada have clinched spots in the Junior Grand Prix Final based on their gold medal results in each of their respective events, earning the maximum of 30 points. For the past several seasons, teams have needed to finish with at least 24 points to make the Final.

As we’re now well into the second half of the JGP series, many of the teams have already competed at one event. Isabella Pajardi and Stefano Caruso of Italy have already won a bronze medal at the JGP in Austria and will look to equal or better that result to possibly earn a spot at the Junior Grand Prix Final. Pajardi and Caruso scored 143.45 in Vienna, which is the highest score of the teams competing in Sofia.

Scarlett Rouzet and Lionel Rumi will have their international season debut at Sofia Cup. An injury to Rouzet in August forced the duo to withdraw from the Junior Grand Prix in Lake Placid. They were later assigned to this event and the John Curry Memorial, the eighth and final event of the JGP series. Rouzet and Rumi recently competed at the French Masters competition, scoring 140.48 and winning the gold medal.

Ukraine’s Anastasia Vykhodtseva and Alexei Shumski are competing in their second JGP event of the season. The team finished fourth at Vienna Cup, scoring 141.02.

The US teams could be competitive in Sofia. Shannon Wingle and Ryan Devereaux of the US (pictured, left), who finished 5th in Estonia, are still working back from Wingle’s injury this past summer. They scored 139.50 in Tallinn and hope to improve their score and placement in Bulgaria. Isabella Cannuscio and Ian Lorello scored 136.27 en route to their 4th place finish in Romania. This is Cannuscio and Lorello’s debut JGP season.