by Sal Zanca, Special to U.S. Figure Skating Online
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| Caroline Zhang Photo by Paul Harvath |
2007 World Junior Championships Results and Photos
(3/6/07) - With three victories, a ladies sweep and five medals, this year's U.S. Figure Skating Team at the 2007 World Junior Championships was the most successful in the history of the event.
Only some bad luck in the ice dancing event kept the United States from repeating the sweep of golds it had at the Junior Grand Prix Final.
Keauna McLaughlin & Rockne Brubaker, Stephen Carriere and Caroline Zhang won junior titles to match the 1988 victories of Kristi Yamaguchi and Rudy Galindo in pairs, Yamaguchi in ladies and Todd Eldredge in men.
But those were the only three medals in 1988.
This year's winners all had record scores for juniors under the new scoring system. Zhang's total score ranks 15th best in the world – that includes seniors.
Depth was also key to U.S. success. Mirai Nagasu and Ashley Wagner added silver and bronze in the ladies, and two other pairs and Brandon Mroz were also in the top five.
“It really helps that we all push each other,” Wagner said. “We are all very competitive. I think that is one reason why the U.S. ladies are dominating the junior circuit now.”
“It is an exciting time for American pairs skating because we are starting to show we are a force to be reckoned with again, and we are excited to be a part of it.” said John Coughlin, who partnered Bridget Namiotka to a fourth-place finish in the pairs.
Carriere foreshadowed the success last December when the U.S. men held the top five spots after the short program at the Junior Grand Prix Final.
“I think a lot of the other countries have to watch out,” he said. “We're coming."
Misfortune plagued the American ice dancers. Emily Samuelson had her hand cut when she fell and partner Evan Bates stepped on it during the free dance. Junior Grand Prix Final champions Madison Hubbell & Keiffer Hubbell had trouble from the start with a double fall in the compulsory dance, and then Keiffer fell ill.
Doom was predicted when Carriere, Mroz and Eliot Halverson all had trouble with their triple flips in the short program.
But they rebounded in the free skate – something fans have grown to expect from them, especially from Carriere and Mroz, who have rallied more than a few times this season.
“I have a reputation of not having so great a short and then coming up into the long,” Carriere said. “This year was the same. I knew I could put the short program aside, clear my head and do my program.”
He had eight triples including a huge triple Axel to win the free. Then he watched and waited while the short program leaders above him all faltered.
“After each skater went up and I saw I was still in first … it was really exciting. I was thinking maybe I could win.”
Even without a triple Axel, Mroz came in second in the free skate and moved to fourth overall.
There were no problems like that in the ladies event as the trio of Zhang, Nagasu and Wagner all went through the short and the free easily, with only a shaky landing by Nagasu on a jump combination being a noticeable mistake. Zhang won with a score of 169.25 points, which would win a number of countries' senior championships throughout the world.
It was a homecoming of sorts for Wagner, who was born in Germany (her father is in the military). She also said she is picking up some of the German language.
“It's really neat to come back here, but I have lived in the U.S. most of my life and that's where I want to stay,” she said.
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| Keauna McLaughlin and Rockne Brubaker Photo by Paul Harvath |
In pairs, McLaughlin and Brubaker speak one language - victory. They won every competition they entered this year - not bad for their first season together. McLaughlin has no fear of the high-flying tricks, as she said she has been tossed in the air by skaters since she was 3.
“I don't get scared at all,” she said.
Like Carriere and Zhang, they were flawless in the free skate.
Samuelson and Bates looked to be on their way to a good free dance and at least a silver medal. They were trailing the leaders by more than four points after Bates stumbled in the compulsory dance.
The couple's free dance accident left Samuelson with a severed tendon on the middle finger of her left hand, and the team had to withdraw. Samuelson underwent surgery, and U.S. team doctor Craig Westin said a complete recovery is likely.
“Emily's wrist is completely repaired,” Westin said. “It is not a severe injury if repaired properly.”
She made an appearance at the closing banquet Saturday night and won a consolation award given by the German Skating Federation. She wore a large bandage on her left hand, and her arm was in a sling to prevent movement. She spoke briefly with reporters and said that she would take about three weeks off before resuming practice as long as there were no complications.
With gold and silver at the Junior Grand Prix Final, the U.S. ice dancers beat Russians Ekaterina Bobrova and Dmitri Soloviev, who eventually won in Oberstdorf. Now it's back to the drawing board.
As Madison Hubbell said after their draining week: “We have a lot of work to do. We are exited to be preparing for next year and improve our skates ... especially here.”
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