Team USA Sweeps Junior Podium at Mozart Cup

Team USA went 1-2-3 to take all three medals in the junior event at the Mozart Cup 2022 in Salzburg, Austria.

Taking place Jan. 28-30, Skyliners junior won the gold and was joined on the podium by the Hockettes and Fond du Lac Blades, which earned silver and bronze, respectively.

Skyliners junior have now won a medal at its last two appearances at the Mozart Cup after they took silver in 2019.

Skating at their first competition since securing gold at the 2020 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, Skyliners junior claimed first in both the short program and the free skate, totaling 175.66 over the course of the two-day competition.

The two-time World Junior medalists and six-time U.S. junior champions clinched the lead early with a 62.96-point short program set to "Hallelujah" by Cinematic Pop, which included a Level 3 intersection with a Level 3 point of intersection as their highest scoring element.

Their "Two Faces of Gemini" themed free skate then scored 112.70 points thanks to five Level 4 elements – all of which earned a positive grade of execution – including a Level 4 no-hold element with Level 4 steps and a Level 4 intersection.

Standing next to Skyliners junior on the podium with silver was the Hockettes.

The two-time U.S. junior champions used a Level 3 no-hold element with Level 4 steps to earn the second-highest short program score at 57.47 points.

After a high-tempo short program to "The Greatest Show" by Panic! at the Disco, the Hockettes performed a free skate titled, "Ghostly Shadows Come to Light." The performance, which included a Level 3 no-hold element with Level 4 steps and a Level 3 intersection with a Level 3 point of intersection, secured 105.90 points, which would be enough to hold onto second place and give the Hockettes a total of 163.37 total points.

The third U.S. team on the podium, Fond du Lac Blades, earned a total of 159.13 points, taking third in the short program with 50.27 points before a 108.86-point free skate that was second-best in the competition.

The two-time U.S. junior pewter medalists had a Level 3 intersection with a Level 3 point of intersection for their highest-scoring mark in the short, which was performed to "Man in the Mirror (Epic Trailer Version)" by J2.

In its Beyonce medley free skate, Fond du Lac Blades clinched the bronze by earning positive grades of execution on every element in the routine. Their highest scoring element was a Level 4 move element with Level 3 moves in the field.