Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov danced to the gold medal in what was a high-level ice dance competition at the 2010 World Junior Championships being held in The Hague, Nertherlands. They earned $15,000 (U.S.) for their victory. Canadians Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam took the silver medal and Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin of Russia captured the bronze. For all three couples, it was their debut at the World Junior Championships.

Meanwhile, Anna Ovcharova of Russia grabbed the lead in the ladies short program, closely followed by Japan’s Kanako Murakami. Polina Agafonova of Russia placed third.

ICE DANCE

Ilinykh and Katsalapov, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalists, scored 90.82 points (44.60 element score/46.22 program component score), a personal best for their free skate. Overall, they accumulated 188.28 points to win the title. “It is so exciting for us. I never thought that we would win Junior Worlds,” Ilinykh said.

The young Russian couple gave a spellbinding performance of their “Schindler’s List” program."The theme is the war, concentration camps and I am playing the role of (Oskar) Schindler and I’m saving Elena,” Katsalapov explained.

Ilinykh and Katsalapov‘s difficult step sequences and lifts looked effortless, and all their elements earned a level four and positive grades of execution. “The theme of our free dance is actually very serious.

Paul and Islam scored 83.15 points (41.50/41.65), improving their previous personal best significantly, and racked up a total of 172.37 points. “It’s been a really good week for Alex and I,” Islam said. “We’ve been training for this. We laid down three really good skates, three personal bests. We couldn’t be more proud of ourselves.”

The Canadian duo produced a fast paced Persian dance named “Sheherazade,” which that was highlighted by innovative lifts. The Canadians had a level four for the lifts and their spin and a level three for the footwork.

Monko and Khaliavin, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champions, ranked fifth in the free dance with 81.09 points, but they held on to earn the bronze medal with an overall score of 168.81. Monko and Khaliavin’s powerful Blues program to “It’s a Man’s World” featured strong twizzles and lifts. “Our performance today was far from ideal, the compulsory and original dance went better for us,” Khaliavin said. “Today we made some mistakes, but overall it was decent. It was a successful season for us.”

Americans Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, the 2009 World Junior silver medalists, turned in strong dance to “Tango Rhapsody” but missed the podium by less than one point (168.35 points).

Lorenza Alessandrini and Simone Vaturi (ITA) also were edged out of the podium by less than one point to finish fifth (167.84 points). They had skated a passionate Tango routine. Ekaterina Pushkash and Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) came sixth with a romantic “Romeo and Juliet” program (162.18).

THE LADIES

Skating to jazzy music from the Russian movie “The Hipster,” Ovcharova scored a personal best 59.80 points (36.20 element score/23.60 program component score). “I felt very nervous today and I didn’t believe my eyes, when my score was so high,” Ovcharova said. “I’m really glad about this.”

Ovcharova. (who will turn 14 on March 16), hit a triple flip out of footwork, a triple Lutz-double loop combination, a double Axel and earned a level four for her difficult spins. “I wanted to do everything in this competition for my short program and I did,” she said.

Murakami, 15, scored 59.00 points (34.60/24.40). She went for a triple toe-triple toe combination in her expressive Flamenco program, but the second jump was downgraded. She went on to nail a triple flip, a double Axel and also earned level four for her three spins and a level three for the footwork.

The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champion was disappointed with her jump combination. “However, the other elements were better than in practice,” Murakami said. “This competition was my target for the season, and it’s still like a dream to be here.”

Agafanova, a tiny 14-year old, earned a personal best 56.28 points (34.28/22.00). “I changed my short program (after the Junior Grand Prix series), because both my programs turned out to be rather serious and I wanted to show a different style,” she said.

Mission accomplished as Agafanov gave a terrific performance. The highlight of her program was her spins, especially with her beautiful layback . She also landed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination and a double Axel. “I didn’t expect at all such a high placement, after all I’m for the first time at this competition,” she said. “Basically I skated a good program and I did everything I can do

Kate Charbonneau (CAN) finished fourth in the short program with 53.80 points. She gave a solid performance. Kiri Baga (USA) placed fifth place after stumbling on both the triple flip and the double Axel (52.28 points). Joshi Helgesson (SWE) completes the top six (52.10 points).

The ISU is awarding a global prize pot of $200,000 (U.S.) at the competition with skaters/couples placing between first and 12th receiving cash rewards. The ladies and men's winners will pocket $10,00 each with the top pairs and ice dances receiving $15,000, respectively, to split.


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Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan topped off a terrific season by claiming the men’s gold medal in the 2010 World Junior Championships in The Hauge, Netherlands. China’s Nan Song rallied from fifth place after the short program to take the silver medal. Artur Gachinski of Russia moved up from sixth place to earn the bronze.

Meanwhile with two portions of the ici dance event completed, Elena Ilynikh and Nikita Katsalapov of Russia strengthened their lead. Canadians Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam moved up from fifth to second and Russia’s Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin pulled up from fourth to third place.

The ISU is awarding a global prize pot of $200,000 (U.S.) at the competition with skaters/couples placing between first and 12th receiving cash rewards. The ladies and men's winners will pocket $10,00 each with the top pairs and ice dances receiving $15,000, respectively, to split.

THE MEN

Hanyu, 15, earned a personal of 147.35 score (77.95 element score/69.40 program component score) for his free skate and racked up a total of 216.10 points to take his first medal at the World Junior Championships.

Hanyu had finished 12th in his debut at the event in 2009. He is the fourth Japanese man to win the World junior title. “Today, I am very happy to win this competition,” Hanyu said. “I am satisfied with today’s performance, including the jumps, steps and spins I did my best.”

Hanyu, who was ranked third in the short program, turned in a strong performance to “Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini” by Sergei Rachmaninov. His program featured two triple Axels, a triple Salchow-triple toe loop combination as well as three other triples. His spins were fast and well centered. The only bobble in his fluid routine was a wobbly triple flip. “I am very happy to win, but I am even happier with the performance itself,” he said.

Song made history in winning the silver medal. He is the first Chinese man to win a silver medal at the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships. Overall he compiled 205.25 points. “I am extremely pleased with my performance today. This was my last time to compete at the World Junior Championships and I didn’t want to have any regrets,” the 19-year-old said.

Song skated first in the final flight and his performance to Ennio Morricone soundtracks was top-notch. He earned a level four for two spins. He nailed a triple Axel, a big triple Axel-triple toe loop combination and three other triple jumps. Hi sonly miscue was a shaky triple Lutz. He scored 137.28 points (73.68/63.60), setting a personal best for the free skate. ”This medal gives me so much honor and when I look at it, it brings back pleasant memories,” he said.

Skating last to “Narcissus – Whispers from the Mirror,” Gachinski earned 133.99 points (69.79/64.20), a personal best score, and with 199.19 points snagged the bronze in his debut at Junior Worlds. The young Russian skater went for a quad toe to open his program, but he popped the jump into a double. He rallied to land two triple Axels, five more triple jumps and two level-four spins. The 16-year-old was pleased with his performance.

“The quad didn’t work out, but all the other elements were good and I am satisfied,” Gachinski said. “Maybe there wasn’t enough preparation for the quad as this was the first time for me to try it in competition. Maybe I wasn’t ready for it, but I felt confident. I’ll work on it for the future.”

Keegan Messing (USA), who was in second place after the short program, dropped to fourth. He landed seven triple jumps, but went down on a triple Axel (197.03). Overnight leader Grant Hochstein (USA) fell on a triple Axel as and struggled with three other jumps to drop to fifth (194.30 points). Andrei Rogozine (CAN) vaulted from 13th to sixth with a strong performance that included eight triples (179.81 points).

ICE DANCE

Skating last out of the 30 couples, Ilinykh and Katsalapov performed a fluid performance to South American folklore. Their dance was highlighted by their intricate footwork and straight line lift. Ilinykh and Katsalapov total score added up to 97.46 points. “Our program went well today. There was a nice support from the crowd and you really feel that in competition,” Katsalapov said.

Ilinykh and Katsalapov, the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalists, earned level fours for all four elements in the dance and received a personal best score of 59.94 points (32.10/27.84).

“There were a few minor errors in the programs, errors that probably only we and our coaches noticed and not the spectators and the judges, but we know what we have to work on for the future,” Ilinykh said.

Paul and Islam interpreted a soft Spanish Waltz and a passionate Flamenco. They scored 55.90 points (30.20/25.70) and improved significantly on their previous seasons best of 47.91 points. Overall they now have 89.22 points.

“We are very happy with tonight,” Islam said. “We wanted to come out and to basically skate our personal best and that’s exactly what we did. We were confident going into the OD this afternoon. We had a good skate two days ago (in the Compulsory Dance).”

Showing precision and speed throughout the program, the Canadians earned a level four for their twizzles, lift and the diagonal step sequence while the side by side footwork was graded a level three.

Performing a characteristic Ukrainian folk dance, Monko and Khaliavin earned 53.55 points (27.40/26.15) and accumulated 87.72 points so far. “Our performance was good, there were a few glitches, but overall it was clean and our coach was happy with it,” Khaliavin said.

The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champions completed difficult twizzles and a whirling rotational lift. The twizzles were marked a level four, but their circular steps garnered only a level two.

Reigning World Junior silver medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA) slipped from third to fourth. Their Japanese dance was solid, but their side-by-side footwork received only a level two. At 86.94 points, they are still close to the podium.

Lorenza Alessandrini and Simone Vaturi (ITA) moved up one spot to fifth with a lively Tarantella (84.97 points), while Ekaterina Pushkash and Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) dropped from third to sixth after the two-footed the twizzles (82.80 points).


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Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China skated to the gold in the pairs event at the 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in The Hague, Netherlands. Japan’s Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran claimed the silver medal and the bronze medal went to Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia. Meanwhile in the men's event, American Grant Hochstein won the short program.

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN) are on a roll. They won the title in their debut at the World Junior Championships and have claimed gold at every they entered this season. They earned $15,000 (U.S.) for the victory.

They Chinese duo scored a personal best 109.77 points (60.73 element score/49.04 program component score) for their free skate and overall compiled a competition mark of 170.71 points.

Sui and Han are the second Chinese pair to win the ISU World Junior Championships. Dan Zhang and Hao Zhang won the title in 2001 and 2003.

Sui and Han put down a dynamic performance to the “City Lights” Charlie Chaplin movie soundtrack. “We are pleased with our performance and especially happy that we were able to show the quadruple throw, which is a very difficult element,” Han said. “There were a few little mistakes, but overall we think it was good. The quad throw is hard to do and we’ve worked together with our coach (Bo Luan) step by step in practice to be able to put it out in competition."

They opened with a side-by-side double Axel-double Axel sequence and a big throw quadruple Salchow, but she two-footed the landing. The ISU Junior Final Grand Prix champions also hit a triple twist, a throw triple flip and were awarded a level four for the spins, the death spiral and the two lifts.

Takahashi and Tran earned a total of 157.23 points. “We’re happy with our performance. It’s a lot better than the other two World Juniors [Championships] we have done. It wasn’t clean-clean, but basically clean, so we are happy about that. It’s great to finish the season like this,” Tran told the post-event press conference.

Takahashi and Tran’s routine to “Butterfly Lovers” was highlighted by a double Axel, a high double twist. A throw triple Salchow and difficult spins and lifts. The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalists earned 97.69 points and added another silver medal to their collection.

Takahashi and Tran are the second pair team from Japan to win a medal at World Juniors Championships. (Yuko Kavaguti and Alexander Markuntsov earned the silver medal in 2001).

“It was not the best performance tonight, but I’m happy, because there was no big mistake,” Takahashi added.

Skating to oriental music, Stolbov and Klimov earned 91.09 points, establishing a personal best and remained in third place at 145.35 points. They landed a double twist, a throw triple toe and throw triple Salchow in the free skate. Stolbov fell on the second jump in the triple toe loop-double Axel sequence.

“Today not all our elements worked out, and so we were not able to fight for the highest spots on the podium, but we are happy to have held on to third place. This is basically our biggest success so far, our first international success,” Klimov said.

Tatiana Novik and Mikhail Kuznetsov (RUS) moved up from fifth to fourth at 139.63 points. They completed a rarely seen side by side triple loop. Britney Simpson and Nathan Miller (USA) slipped from fourth to fifth with several costly miscues.



Hochstein took first place in the short program ahead of his teammate Keegan Messing and Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu.

Performing to “Sleeping Beauty,” Hochstein delivered a flawless program. He nailed a double Axel, a triple Lutz-triple toe loop, a triple flip and three level-four spins. The American posted a personal best of 71.35 points (41.40 element score/29.95 program component score) to take the lead.

“I didn’t have expectations for where I wanted to place. My big goal for this event was just to focus on myself and on my love of skating. That’s what I went out and did, and I’m surely very happy with the result,” Hochstein said. “Competing at the Junior Grand Prix series has built my confidence a lot. I wanted to skate with my heart, and I skated with my heart, and I think you always skate better when you love to skate."

Messing, who like Hochstein, competes in his first Junior World Championships, compilid 68.90 points (40.90/28.00), a personal best, for his routine set to the classical “Four Billion Years” from “The Soloist” soundtrack. “I felt pretty good about how I skated. I went out there, expecting to have some fun, and I had a blast out there,” Messing said.

The 18-year-old nailed a triple Axel, a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple flip and earned a level four for his combination spin. “I was coming into this competition as first alternate. When I got the call, I felt sorry for him (Ross Miner) that he couldn’t compete, but I couldn’t help to be excited for myself to actually be here, competing at Junior Worlds and to place second in the short program is pretty awesome.”

Hanyu scored 68.75 points (37.90/30.85). “Today’s performance was not very good, but I am satisfied to be in third place,” Hanyu said. “I missed my triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, but I am especially disappointed with my spins and footwork. I lost a few levels there.”

Hanyu opened his dynamic program to “Mission Impossible 2” with a triple Axel, followed by a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination and a triple flip. The ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champion earned a level three for two spins and the circular steps.

Denis Ten (KAZ) came fourth after missing completely the flying sit spin and wobbly landings on the triple Axel as well as the triple Lutz-triple toe combination (68.40 points).

Nan Song (CHN) is currently ranked sixth and still close to the podium with 67.97 points. He turned in a solid performance that included a triple Axel, but he received a deduction for the wrong edge take-off on his triple flip.


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Just weeks after China won two of the three Olympic medals in the discipline (including gold for Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao), the country's young upstarts are making their play for the top spot on the podium at the 2010 World Junior Championships being held in the Netherlands. The ISU is awarding a global prize pot of $200,000 (U.S.) at the competition with couples placing between first and 12th receiving cash rewards. The top pairs and ice dances will receive $15,000, respectively, to split.

Pairs Short Program

Wenjing Sui and Cong Han have already made for themselves by claiming the gold in the pairs discipline at the 2009-10 Junior Grand Prix Final. The young Chinese pairs team took the lead in The Hague yesterday. Japan’s Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran placed a close second in the short program and Russia’s Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov ranked third.

Sui and Han train under coach Bo Luan at the Harbin Training Center. They gave an energetic performance to the Russian folk music “Barynia” and scored a season best 60.94 points (36.46/24.48). “Overall we’re quite satisfied with our performance,” Han said, “although in some places it wasn’t our best.”

Sui and Han hit solid side-by-side double Axels and a high double twist. They earned level fours for their death spiral and the pair combination spins. Their only miscue came when Sui put her hand down on the landing of the couple’s throw triple Salchow.

Takahashi and Tran’s expressive Flamenco program earned a season best 59.54 points (36.46/23.08). Their routine was highlighted by a throw triple Salchow and a one-armed lift. They hit double Axels and performed a nice double twist. Their spins were excellent; both sets were graded level fours. The duo placed second at the JGP Final.

“Today was really good,” Tran said. “We had a few wobbles here and there, but we were together in the side-by-side spin, which is better than usual.”

Stolbova and Klimov earned a season best 54.26 points (32.12/22.12), despite their straight line footwork being awarded just a level one. They landed a superb throw triple Salchow, a double twist and double Axels in their routine to Russian folklore.

“We executed all our elements. We did [the] minimum and we didn’t outdo ourselves,” Klimov said. “We are pleased that it was a clean performance and that we got our best score of the season.”

Americans Britney Simpson and Nathan Miller turned in a solid performance to rank fourth in the short program with 52.20 points. Tatiana Novik and Mikhail Kuznetsov (RUS) are currently in fifth place (she fell on a double Axel) with 49.38 points.

Compulsory Dance

Russia’s Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov took the lead in the Westminster Waltz Compulsory Dance followed by Americans Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani ) and Russians Ekaterina Pushkashand Jonathan Guerreiro who are in second and third places, respectively.

Ilinykh and Katsalapov delivered a flowing, confident performance of the Waltz to score a seasons best 37.52 points (20.24 element score/17.28 program component score).

“It is a little unexpected for us to be in the lead, after all, we are not the top-ranked Russian team,” Ilinykh said, referring to the fact that they placed second to Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final and Russian nationals at the junior level. “We’ve worked very hard since the final in December. We worked especially on our technique and physical strength. We did many run-throughs of our programs. We are pleased that we were able to improve the technical side of our skating.”

Shibutani and Shibutani put out a solid Westminster Waltz to score 34.27 points (18.48/15.79). “We’re very happy with our dance, and we really enjoy skating the Westminster. It’s very joyful. We just want to put out strong performances,” Maia Shibutani said. “We think this is a great start to the week and we’re just going to focus on the skating.”

Alex Shibutani said they skated well and had a lot of fun. “We were relaxed,” he added. “The placement is the placement. We still have our goals, how we want to skate, and we’re going to stick to that.”

Pushkash and Guerreiro produced a strong Waltz, showing off their elegant lines. The Russians earned 34.20 points (18.38/15.82). “We showed everything as we can do it in practice, and so we are happy and our coach was pleased as well. We like the Waltz. The flow of the Waltz suits us probably better than sharp movements in other dances,” Pushkash said. “We skated last and we were a bit nervous, but we actually like to skate last. We won’t relax now, as the difference in points between the couples is very small.”

“We are in our first season,” Guerreir added. “We are still gelling as a team, but the Waltz works well for us as we have matching body lines. A quickstep probably would have been a little harder for us.”

ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champions Maria Monko and Kirill Khaliavin (RUS) ranked fourth in this segment of the competition with 34.17 points and Canadians Alexandra Paul and Mitchell Islam were fifth with 33.32 points. Lorenza Alessandrini and Simone Vaturi (ITA) had the sixth-best score of the evening (32.35 points).

The 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships continue Wednesday with the men’s short program and the pairs free skating.


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Johnny Weir has pulled out of the 2010 World Championships, which will be held in Torino, Italy, from March 22-28. Weir placed third at the U.S. Championships and was named to the United States's teams for 2010 Olympic Winter Games and 2010 World Championships. He placed sixth in Vancouver.

Weir will be replaced by two-time (2008-09) World junior champion Adam Rippon.

Weir’s 2009-10 season included a fourth-place finish at the 2009 Rostelecom Cup, a silver medal at the 2009 NHK Trophy and a bronze medals at the 2009-10 ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

"I want to thank everyone for the outpouring of love and support during the recent Olympic Games," Weir said in a writtne statement. "The 2010 Olympics will be a memory that I will cherish for the rest of my life. I feel that I skated two of the best performances of my career, making my coaches, my family and above all myself very proud. But I would not have been able to skate the way I did without the encouragement of my fans worldwide."

Weir said he was embracing his Olympic memories and has the momentum to move forward. He has decided it is "not advantageous" to compete at the World Championships. "After my sixth-place finish in Vancouver, I believe that I must take time to reassess my strategies and goals," Weir said. "While I understand the importance of competition, I feel that a short break at this time would be personally beneficial to me.

"I know all may not share my stance, but I can assure everyone that I will be re-energized after I’ve had time to rework my technique. I want to be a better competitor and win medals for my country and I hope everyone can respect my decision to take this time off.

"Once again, I want to thank everyone who supported me this season. Specifically, I would like to thank my coaches Galina Zmievskaya, Viktor Petrenko, Nina Petrenko, Priscilla Hill and (choreographer) David Wilson for helping me make my Olympic dreams a reality. I would also like to thank my family and friends for their never-ending support. Finally, I want my fans to know that I love them and I work every day to make them proud. I will continue to work hard and I hope my work for next season will be the most exciting of my career."

Weir is a three-time U.S. champion. He claimed the bronze medal at the 2008 World Championships. During the 2008-09 season, he placed fifth at nationals and did not make the U.S. World team in 2009.

Rippon won bronze at the 2009 Trophée Eric Bompard and finished sixth at the 2009 NHK Trophy. Following his fifth-place finish at the 2010 U.S. Championships, he took home gold from the 2010 ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships in Jeonju City, Republic of Korea.

“I'm very excited and grateful for this opportunity,” Rippon said. “Since competing at Four Continents, I have been training well, and I will be ready to do my best in Torino.”

To our two photo shoots with Johnny Weir (one with Evgeni Plushenko), check out our OUR 2006 PHOTO SHOOT and see our AUGUST 2008 ALBUM.

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World Junior Championships Open Today in the Netherlands

The 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships open today in The Hague, Netherlands. All four fields look dynamic with the 2009-10 Junior Grand Prix Final champion in each discipline headlining their respective disciplines. The ISU is awarding a global prize pot of $200,000 (U.S.) at the competition with skaters/couples placing between first and 12th receiving cash rewards. The ladies and men's winners will pocket $10,00 each with the top pairs and ice dances receiving $15,000, respectively, to split.

THE MEN

A new champion will be crowned in the men’s event. Two-time and defending champion Adam Rippon is not age-eligible to compete at the World Junior Championships this season but the list of contenders is still quite strong. The men's field features Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan and Denis Ten of Kazakhsta.

Hanyu (season best 206.77 points) won the JGP Final. A two-time Japanese junior champion Hanyu, 15, placed 12th in his debut at the ISU World Junior Championships in 2009, now has his eyes set on the podium.

Tough competition will come in the form of the 16-year-old Ten. His season best score is 211.25 and he has Olympic experience under his belt. He skated into 11th place in Vancouver at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games. Ten is hoping to improve on his fourth-place finish at last year’s World Junior Championships.

Ten is the first skater from Kazakhstan to medal at an ISU competition (gold at 2008 ISU Junior Grand Prix in Gomel/BLR).

The 2009-10 Junior Grand Prix Final runner-up Nan Song of China (season best 209.68), also debuted successfully at the senior level by ranking sixth at the 2010 Four Continents Championships at end of January. Song finished seventh at this event last year. This season, he won silver at JGP Belarus and gold at the JGP Germany, advancing to the JGP Final, where he captured silver. Hanyu squeezed out the win in Tokyo at the Junior Grand Prix Final. His margin of victory over Song was 1.78.

Russian junior champion Artur Gachinski finished had a gold and silver from his two JGP events this season; he came in sixth at the JGP Final.

Other contenders in the men's field include Armin Mahbanoozadeh (USA), who competed at the senior Grand Prix circuit this season. Mahbanoozadeh was the 2008 JGP Final runner-up and the bronze medalist at the 2007 event. He came in eighth at the senior level at the U.S. Championships.

Also in the mix will be Junior Grand Prix events medalists Grant Hochstein who made his senior debut at this year’s U.S. Championships, finishing seventh, as well as Keegan Messing , the 2009 U.S. junior silver medalist.

THE LADIES

In the ladies’ event, expect a battle to the very end. The three 2009-10 Junior Grand Prix Final medalists will meet again in The Hague.

The champion, Kanako Murakami of Japan, comes with a season best of 160.85. Murakami has won every event she’s entered this season. She is Japan's reigning junior champion.

JGP Final silver medalist Polina Shelepen (RUS) has a season high score of 159.29 points. She won her two won her first two JGP assignments this season.

Meanwhile, Christina Gao (USA) scored a season best of 151.47 points at the JGP Final where she claimed the bronze medal. In her senior debut, Gao finished fifth in a very strong field at the 2010 U.S. Championships.

All three skaters are making their World Junior Championships debut so nerves could play a role in the outcome.

Anna Ovcharova of Russia, who placed fifth in the Junior Grand Prix Final, is also in the field as is reigning U.S. junior champion Agnes Zawadzki and 2009 U.S. novice champion Kiri Baga.

Zawadzki's 171.87-point score at the 2010 U.S. Championships is the highest to date by a junior lady at a U.S. qualifying competition. Baga replaced 2010 U.S. bronze medalist and two-time World Junior bronze medalist Ashley Wagner. Earlier this season, Baga won her Junior Grand Prix assignments in Germany and Turkey, and finished fourth as a junior at the 2010 U.S. Championships.

Others to watch for include Joshi Helgesson (SWE), who finished fourth in this event in 2009, as well as Canada’s medalists Kate Charbonneau (CAN) and Russia’s Polina Agafonova. Charbonnea won Canada’s junior title in 2009 and placed seventh at the senior level at the 2010 Canadian Championships (she earned a silver in Croatia in the fall on the Junior Grand Prix circuit). Agafonova is Russia’s reigning junior ladies champion (she claimed a bonze in one of her two JGP assignments in the fall ).

THE PAIRS

The pairs competition features the top junior teams of this season. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (CHN) are on a roll. They have every event entered this season and would like to continue the golden streak in their debut in The Hague. Their season best score is 164.84 points.

Both Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran (JPN) and Yue Zhang and Lei Wang (CHN) are competing in their third ISU World Junior Championships and are eyeing the podium after taking the silver and bronze medals, respectively, at the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in December. The Chinese couple has a scored 147.89 as their top score this season while the Japanese team scored 151.83 points.

After faltering in the Junior Grand Pirx Final, three Russian couples are looking for some redemption in The Hague. Tatiana Novik and Mikhail Kuznetsov, Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov, and Anna Silaeva and Artur Minchuk are hoping to skate onto he podium here.

Other contenders are Kaleigh Hole and Adam Johnson (CAN) and Jessica Simpson and Nathan Miller (USA).

ICE DANCE

It looks like the ice dance competition will be a battle between the best young teams from Russia and the USA. ISU Junior Grand Prix Final champions Ksenia Monko and Kirill Khaliavin (RUS) will face Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalists Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov (RUS) and reigning World Junior silver medalists Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (USA), who came third at the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Ilinykh and Katsalapov's season best score was 171.61 points (the 2009 JGP event in Poland) and Shibutani and Shibutani have a 175.95 point score (the 2009 JGP event in Lake Placid, NY) to their credit. Meanwhile, Monko and Khaliavin's season best score is 173.15 points (the 2009 JGP event in Istanbul, Turkey).


The two Russian teams will debut at the ISU World Junior Championships, while Shibutani and Shibutani come back after taking the silver last year. The Shibutanis are the reigning U.S. junior champions and 2009-10 JGP Final bronze medalists. Earlier this season, the Shibutanis won their JGP events in Lake Placid and Croatia.

Ekaterina Pushkash and Jonathan Guerreiro (RUS) will challenge the leaders. Both competed at the 2009 World Junior Championships, but with different partners. Guerreiro is the 2009 World junior bronze medalist with former partner Ekaterina Riazanova.

Piper Gilles and Zachary Donohue (USA), Lorenzo Alessandrini and Simone Vaturi (ITA), Stefanie Frohberg and Tim Giesen (GER) and Rachel Tibbetts and Collin Brubaker (USA) are the other teams to making a name for themselves at the competition.

CASH REWARDS

The ISU global prize pot of $200,000 (U.S.) will be awarded as follows:

Men and Ladies

1st place US $10,000
2nd place US $7,000
3rd place US $5,000
4th place US $3,000
5th place US $2,750
6th place US$ 2,500
7th place US$ 2,250
8th place US$ 2,000
9th place US$ 1,750
10th place US$ 1,500
11th place US$ 1,250
12th place US$ 1,000

Pairs and Ice Dance (Per Couple)

1st place US $15,000
2nd place US $10,500
3rd place US $7,500
4th place US $4,500
5th place US $4,000
6th place US $3,750
7th place US $3,500
8th place US $3,000
9th place US $2,750
10th place US $2,250
11th place US $1,750
12th place US $1,500

The event has drawn skaters/couples from 53 ISU members. All skaters/couples will compete in the short program and the top 24 men and ladies and the top 16 pairs will proceed to the free skating.
In ice dance, all couples will compete in the compulsory dance, the top 30 couples will advance to the original dance and the top 20 dance teams will compete in the free dance.

THE SCHEDULE

Tuesday, March 9: Compulsory Dance, Pairs Short Program
Wednesday, March 10: Men Short Program, Pairs Free Skating
Thursday, March 11: Original Dance, Men Free Skating
Friday, March 12: Ladies Short Program, Free Dance
Saturday, March 13: Ladies Free Skating and Exhibition Gala


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Craig Buntin's newest venture is taking off almost as quickly as one of the throw jumps he and his pairs partner land on the ice.

Buntin is the owner of Teabean Coffee Co., a new Montreal company. It manufactures and distributes Teabean White Espresso to cafes, restaurants and bakeries. The drink is a sweet, tea-like, warm beverage made using white coffee beans.

"Warm and caffeinated without the harsh coffee flavor, it is ideal for those who enjoy sweeter coffees like vanilla lattes or caramel macchiatos," Buntin said. "Teabean White Espresso has a taste that is so unique, most people don't even believe it's coffee."

White coffee beans are baked rather than roasted. "They are all natural with no additives, preservatives or additional processing," Buntin said. "Our world class roastmasters take 100 percent pure premium grade coffee beans and bake them with meticulous care, ensuring that each batch is held to the highest standards of quality."

Indigo Books in Montreal has just signed on as a customer and is holding a launch party on Saturday. The event will be held at Indigo Livres Musique & Café, 1500 Avenue McGill College, Montreal, QC. (tel. 514-281-5549) on Saturday, March 6, 2010 from 9 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Buntin and pairs partner Meagan Duhamel claimed the bronze medal at the 2010 Canadian Championships; it was their third straight national medal. They earned the silver medal in 2009 and bronze in 2008. Buntin and former partner Valerie Marcoux were three-time Canadian pairs champions (2004-06) and represented Canada at the 2006 Olympic Winter Games, where they placed 11th.

Teabean White Espresso (www.teabeancoffee.com) is also available at:

Café Grand
6202 Sherbrooke O.
Montreal, QC H4B 1M2
Phone: 514.303.6425

Cho'cola
5601 avenue de Monkland
Montreal, QC H4A 1E2
Phone: 514.485.2652

Wild Coffee & Bistro
632 Yates Street
Victoria, BC V8W 1L3
Phone: 250.590.8585


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Olympic bronze medalist and six-time Canadian champion Joannie Rochette will pay tribute to her late mother, Thérèse Rochette, by performing a special piece at the MGM Grand at Foxwoods's Premier Ballroom in Mashantucket, Conn. on March 19. The performance will be part of the made-for-TV reality competition "Thin Ice."

Thérèse Rochette died suddenly in a Vancouver hospital on Feb. 21. She was just 55 years old and had traveled to British Columbia to see her daughter compete at the 2010 Olympic Winter Games.

Just days later Rochette skated in honor of her mother and earned Canada's first ladies medal in figure skating since Elizabeth Manley mined silver in 1988.

Rochette said she was uplifted by the support she received from around the world. "I am just happy to be on the podium; that was my goal coming here," she said after the long program. "It's been a lifetime project with my mom, and we achieved that."

Rochette will perform on the third day of the competition which will feature the following skaters:



Judges for the show include skating legends Katarina Witt, Kristi Yamaguchi, and Dick Button. Co-hosts are four-time World champion Kurt Browning and Elisabeth Hasselbeck, Emmy Award-winning host of ABC's “The View.”

"Thin Ice” will originate from the Premier Ballroom of the MGM Grand at Foxwoods March 18 through 21, and will air in prime time on ABC on March 19 (8-9 p.m. ET) and March 21 (7-8 p.m. ET).

Tickets to be in the auidence for a live taping of the show may be purchased on theSHOW'S WEB SITE by calling the MGM Grand Box Office at 1-866-646-0609 by calling Ticketmaster, or in person at the MGM Grand Box Office.


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With what competition does a gold-medal winner follow up the Olympic Winter Games? In Evan Lysacek’s case, it will be the ABC hit show “Dancing With the Stars.”

With an Olympic gold medal under his belt, Lysacek will now go after the much-coveted Mirror Ball trophy. The cast was announced last night during the season finale of “The Bachelor.” Lysacek will dance with pro Anna Trebunskaya (who will be in her fifth season with the show). She was the runner-up with partner and football player Jerry Rice in the show’s second season.

"I’m really excited to take on this new challenge,” Lysacek said. “The Olympics was my only focus the last four years, so it’s great to step outside my comfort zone and try something new while feeding my competitive fire.”

Joining Lysacek as contestants on the show will be Buzz Aldrin, Pamela Anderson, Erin Andrews, Shannen Doherty, Kate Gosselin, Niecy Nash, Chad Ochocinco, Jake Pavelka, Nicole Scherzinger and Aiden Turner.

The two-hour season premiere of "Dancing With the Stars" will air Monday, March 22 at 8 p.m. ET. The last figure skater to hit the ballroom was 1992 Olympic gold medalist Kristi Yamaguchi who pretty much ran away with the Mirror Ball trophy in Season 6.

This season celebrity pairings were announced on “Good Morning America” today.

There had been much speculation that Lysacek would join the cast, especially after he announced his withdrawal from the 2010 World Figure Skating Championships being held in Torino, Italy in late March.

That announcement came in the form of a press release from U.S. Figure Skating on Feb. 27. In the release, Lysacek said that although his 2009-10 competitive season will also end with the 2010 Olympic Winter Games, he will continue to compete. “I’m not afraid to lose,” Lysacek noted. “Regardless of medals, I still have so much to thrive on in the sport. I’m not ready to say good-bye.”

Lysacek will be one of the headliners on the Stars on Ice tour, which begins its run in April.

In the same release, Tanith Belbin and Ben Agosto, 2006 Olympic silver medalists who finished fourth at the 2010 Games, also announced they will not at the 2010 Worlds Championships,

"After much consideration following the conclusion of our event in Vancouver, Ben and I have decided to end our season with these Olympic Games,” Belbin said.

Belbin and Agosto plan to continue skating as well but have not decided if they will do so competitively or just in shows.

“We’re going to take some time while on tour with Stars on Ice this spring to consider our competitive plans for the future,” Belbin said.

Lysacek will be replaced by 2009 Skate America silver medalist Ryan Bradley (who was fourth at the 2010 U.S. Championships) , while Belbin and Agosto's spot will be filled by two-time U.S. bronze medalists Kim Navarro and Brent Bommentre (who were the fourth-place ice dance team at the 2010 nationals).

Ashley Wagner has announced she has withdrawn from the 2010 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in The Hague, Netherlands, and will be replaced by 2009 U.S. novice champion Kiri Baga.

In other U.S. Figure Skating news (this one coming in early February), 2009 U.S. champion Alissa Czisny announced was parting ways with long-time Julianne (Julie) Berlin. The two had worked together for 12 years.

"I have so much respect and appreciation for Julie, and I am extremely grateful for everything she has done for me during our time together,” Czisny said. “Julie has always believed in me and has provided me with every opportunity to grow and improve in my skating career. I will always be thankful for the experiences we shared and the memories we created together."

“For 12 years I have enjoyed developing Alissa into a national champion,” Berlin said. “It was great to see her reach her goals throughout the years and see her have success in international and national competition, and I wish her continued success as she pursues her skating career.”

Czisny, who has not yet announced a new coach, has been mentored the last couple of years by Olympic champion Brian Boitano and his former coach, Linda Leaver.

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By Susan Wessling * Photos by Susan D. Russell

It was another record-breaking performance for South Korea’s Yu-Na Kim who won the gold medal with a commanding performance in Vancouver tonight at the 2010 Olympic Games. It was an historical moment as she won not only her country’s first Olympic figure skating gold medal, but she also captured the first medal of any hue in her sport at an Olympic Games for the Republic of Korea.

"I've been dreaming about this moment," Kim said. 'I can't believe this is not a dream anymore."



Mao Asada of Japan took the silver medal and Canada's Joannie Rochette claimed the bronze.

Not only did Kim capture the gold, she did so in record-setting fashion. Kim, 19, obliterated her own world record score by compiling 228.56 points, more than 18 points higher than her previous best. She scored another world record -- 150.06 -- for her free skate. “I still can’t believe the score that I received.I’m really surprised," Kim said. "It’s almost as close as the men’s score.”

She flew across the ice and nailed element after element. Her program was highlighted by stellar jumps, including a triple Lutz-triple toe loop to open the program and a double Axel-triple toe loop later in her skate. Her spiral sequence was exquisite and her spins were both technically solid and beautiful to watch.

She also took control with her artistic presentation in her program set to "Concerto in F" by G. Gershwin. Right from her opening pose, she sold her program, one of the most dominating in Olympic history. She displayed a hit of sexuality and connected with audience like few before her have ever done.

"Oh my goodness, this is glorious," said Sandra Bezic, an NBC analyst for the Games, about Kim. "This is one of the greatest Olympic performances I have ever seen."

Asada, 19, had several bobbled in her program to the music "Bells of Moscow" by S. Rachmaninov and finished 23 points behind Kim. It was also a historical outing for Asada though, who landed two triple Axels in her program (one in combination). She also landed one in Tuesday short program, becoming the only woman to land three triple Axels in an Olympic Games. In most other years, she would have been golden but she was no match for Kim.

While Asada said she some rergrets, she also noted, "All I can say is that I am proud to have completed three triple Axels at these Olympics."


Rochette, 24, was a pillar of strength and picture of grace. She had a few small errors in her program to "Samson and Delilah" by C. St. Saens, but it was an emotional performance that clearly touched the audience and judges alike. Skating just four days after her mother's sudden death, she earned Canada's first ladies figure skating medal since Liz Manley mined silver in 1988.

“I’ve never seen such a superhuman amount of courage and determination," said NBC analyst Scott Hamilton. "What an inspiration.”

Rochette said she was uplifted by the support she received from around the world.

"I felt so much love in so little time. ... All of your comments and all of your letters really helped me in one way or another get on the ice and skate here for myself, for my country and for my mother," she said.

Depite feeling proud, Rochette said the result didn't matter (although this one Canadian who truly "owned" the podium in her own way). "I am just happy to be on the podium; that was my goal coming here," she added. "It's been a lifetime project with my mom, and we achieved that."

American Mirai Nagasu, 16, finished fourth with a score of 190.15 and an energetic and delightful program to "Carmen."

Miki Ando of Japan was fourth (she was 15th in 2006) with a score of 188.886. Skating in the second-to-last flight Finland's Laura Lepisto was sixth (187.97) and American Rachael Flatt (who had several jumps downgraded) was seventh (182.49).

EDITOR'S NOTE: We have been asked where letters of sympathy can be sent to Joannie Rochette. We contacted her agent and the info is below:

JOANNIE ROCHETTE
c/o David Baden
IMG
304 Park Avenue South, 5th Floor
New York, NY 10010


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