Junior Grand Prix Begins in France
The International Skating Union’s 16th annual Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating kicks off this week in Courchevel, France. Over the next eight weeks, the series will move around the globe to seven locations. France, the United States, Austria, Turkey, Slovenia, Croatia, and Germany will each host a JGP event. The top three countries at the 2012 World Junior Championships (Russia, United States, and France) were invited to enter two dance teams in each event. Countries four through six (Canada, Ukraine, and Germany) were given one spot in each event. Other countries earn between two and six spots over the course of the series, based on how high they finished at the World Junior Championships. At all events and in all disciplines, the host nation may enter up to three teams. Unused spots can often be “picked up” by countries who wish to send additional entries.
The series will culminate with the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final, held in conjunction with the Senior Grand Prix Final. Athletes will earn points based on their results in the Series, and the top competitors will earn the chance to compete at the Final in Sochi, Russia, from December 6-9. Additionally, this will serve as the official test event for figure skating for the 2014 Olympic Winter Games.
JGP COURCHEVEL, FRANCE: PREVIEW This is the sixth time since 2002 that Courchevel has hosted the first JGP event of the season. Courchevel is known among the skaters as a lovely place for a competition, but its altitude of 5,732 feet presents a challenge for this early-season outing. This year, 15 teams representing 10 countries will compete for medals and qualifying points. The competition should feature an exciting mix of veterans, as well as young up-and-comers.
As the host country, France will have three teams competing in Courchevel, led by Gabriella Papadakis & Guillaume Cizeron, who finished fifth at the 2012 World Junior Championships. Papadakis & Cizeron, in their fourth year on the JGP, have the second-highest world ranking (25) of all of the teams returning to the junior circuit. Last year, they picked up a pair of fourth-place finishes and would love to reach the next level this year. With the support of the crowd behind them, they are among the favorites for the top step of the podium. Estelle Elizabeth & Romain Le Gac and Valentina Rudchenko & Artur Reggiani will also represent France in Courchevel.
This is the fourth and final season on the JGP for Valeria Zenkova & Valerie Sinitsin. The Russian duo has been competing on the circuit since 2008. Last year was their best year yet, winning silver and bronze medals and being named alternates to the Junior Grand Prix Final. Zenkova & Sinitsin will look to either repeat or improve on those finishes in 2012. Coached by Alexander Zhulin, the team will skate to music from Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats in the free dance. Sofia Evdokimova & Egor Bazin are also on the Russian team in Courchevel. They placed seventh at the JGP in Austria last year.
Italy’s Sofia Sforza & Francesco Fioretti have made huge strides over the past three seasons on the junior level, going from 31st to 20th to 10th at the World Junior Championships. Back in 2009 at the JGP in Lake Placid, Sforza & Fioretti competed against Papadakis & Cizeron and Zenkova & Sinitsin; the Italians had placed 11th behind the Russians’ 6th and ahead of the French’s 15th. Three years later, it will be interesting to see how things play out among the European teams.
A pair of teams will represent Canada. Madeline Edwards & ZhaoKai Pang finished fifth at the closely-contested event in Austria last year. The 2012 Canadian junior silver medalists’ free dance to music from The Artist suits their skating style and personality remarkably well. It scored 70.19 at the recent Lake Placid Ice Dance Championships, the highest score for junior free dances at the entire event. After missing out on the chance to skate twice in the Series last year, Edwards & Pang are happy to kick off their season a bit earlier this year.
“We’d like to place well [in Courchevel] so we can get a second Grand Prix,” Edwards said. “We have been doing a lot of run-throughs and spending time in the gym to be ready for the altitude.”
Edwards & Pang are joined by Victoria Hasegawa & Connor Hasegawa. This is the sibling’s third and final year on the JGP. They had two fifth-place finishes last year, earning exactly the same point total at both events. The Hasegawas are known for their neat feet that usually earn them strong scores in the short dance. They are hoping to make an impact with a dramatic free dance that reflects their Japanese heritage.
“It’s a lot of run-throughs to prepare for altitude,” Connor said, “but we’re excited about the competition.”
“It’s France,” Victoria added. “How can you not be excited about it?”
Representing the United States are two teams new to the JGP series. Though Lorraine McNamara & Quinn Carpenter (pictured, right) are competing in their first JGP event, they have competed at the junior level at the last two U.S. Championships, most recently winning the bronze medal in 2012. McNamara became age-eligible to compete this season, so the team is making its international debut in Courchevel. Their short dance to “Ramalama (Bang Bang)” and free dance to a French version of Romeo & Juliet should go over well with the audience.
Joining McNamara & Carpenter are 2012 U.S. novice champions, Holly Moore & Daniel Klaber. This summer, Moore & Klaber moved to train full-time at the Detroit Skating Club with Pasquale Camerlengo, Anjelika Krylova, and their team of coaches. The duo boasts an eight-year partnership and their excellent relationship is always evident on the ice.
“It’s almost like Christmas morning,” Moore said about receiving the assignment. “Daniel and I have been skating together for so many years. Getting a JGP seemed like something we only dreamed about, and suddenly, here it is!”
The event gets underway with the short dance on Friday, with the free dance on Saturday.