Russian skaters dominated a brilliant three days of skating at the ISU Junior Grand Prix at Minoru Arenas by winning eight of the 12 medals on the line.
Anna Shcherbakova claimed her second gold medal on the circuit in the junior ladies competition.
The 14-year-old took the lead in the short program on Thursday even though she fell on her triple Lutz-triple loop combination. The Muscovite risked a quad Lutz in her free skate Friday to “Introduction et Rondo Capriccioso”, but she under rotated and fell. Unfazed, she went on to complete the remainingĚýseven jumps, including two triple-triple combinations and level-four spins to win with 195.56 points.Ěý
“I tried to approach the second (Junior Grand Prix) event the same way like the first one. But I made a serious mistake in the short program as I fell on the jump combination,” Shcherbakova said. “After the first Grand Prix we’ve worked a lot on the quad Lutz and it became much more consistent so that we included it into the program. I don’t have time to relax now, because there is still a lot of work left to do,” she added.
Teammate Anastasia Tarakanova came second while a big free skate that included six clean triplesmoved Japan’s Rion Sumiyoshi from seventh to third. Canadians Sarah-Maude Blanchard and Hannah Dawson placed ninth and 10th respectively while Alison Schumacher was 12th.
In Junior Men’s, a clean free skate to Romeo and Juliet, which featured a rare triple Axel-triple loop combination and a triple Lutz-triple toe combination, earned Russia’s Petr Gummenik gold on Saturday afternoon.
“I didn’t do a good Axel in the short program, but in the long it was good,” said the 16-year-old who climbed to the top of the podium from fourth place after Thursday’s short program. “It is very nice (to have won my first medal) and I am happy. I plan to include the quad Salchow into the program and to go to the (Junior) Grand Prix in Slovenia.”
American Tomoki Hiwatashi earned silver after leading through the short program. France’s Adam Siao Him Fa took bronze. Top Canadian was pre-event favourite Stephen Gogolev who was fifth after winning the previous Junior Grand Prix stop.
It was a golden weekend on home ice for Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha who captured the Ice Dance competition.
The team from Montreal danced to a confident lead in the Rhythm Dance set to three different Tango pieces and collecting a level four for the twizzles and the rotational lift as well as a level three for the Argentine Tango pattern and the midline step sequence. Lajoie/Lagha’s Free Dance to “Warsaw Concerto” featured four level-four elements as well as two level-three elements and the Canadians won with 17 points to spare at 166.52 points. A pair of Russian teams rounded out the podium.
Ěý“We enjoy every moment and move of it. It’s really nice to do,” Lajoie said about their Free Dance.
Rounding out the competition was Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Galliamov winning the Junior Pairs as Russian teams swept the podium.
Overall, 92 skaters and couples from 24 countries competed in Richmond 2018. The ISU Junior Grand Prix Series continues in two weeks in the Czech Republic and concludes with the Grand Prix Final back in Â鶹´«Ă˝Ół»at UBC’s Doug Mitchell Arena in early December.Ěý
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