Team USA Collects Six Medals in Finland and Austria

Twenty-five athletes traveled to two competitions in Europe this weekend, where athletes earned six medals and several punched their ticket to the Junior Grand Prix Final.

Team USA had a busy weekend in Europe as 25 U.S. athletes traveled to Finland and Austria for the Challenger and Junior Grand Prix Series. The U.S. contingent collected a total six medals across the two events over the weekend, and several athletes earned a berth to the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

At the 2021 Finlandia Trophy, Jason Brown stood atop the podium in the men's competition with 262.52 total points. His Schindler's List free skate featured four Level 4 elements. He earned positive grades of execution on all but one element. He also earned the highest program components mark of the competition. 

Camden Pulkinen finished 14th with 204.24 total points. 

Russia took the silver and bronze medals in the men's event in Espoo, with Mikhail Kolyada second (256.98) and Dmitri Aliev third (249.25).

In the women's field, Karen Chen placed sixth overall with 202.49 points, and Amber Glenn finished 10th with 183.46 total points. Chen's free skate opened with a strong double Axel and featured four Level 4 elements. In her free skate to "Rain in Your Black Eyes (remake)," Glenn performed two Level 4 elements, a spin and a step sequence. She earned positive grades of execution on all but one element. 

Russia swept the women's podium in Espoo, with Kamila Valieva capturing the gold medal with 249.24 points. Elizaveta Tuktamysheva took silver with 233.30 points, and Alena Kostornaia earned the bronze medal with 218.83 points. 

In the pairs competition, Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc captured the bronze medal with 193.00 points. Their program featured five Level 4 elements. Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson followed closely behind with 191.89 points and a fourth-place finish.

Russia's Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov took the gold medal in Finland with 227.13 points. Also hailing from Russia, Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov captured silver with 213.72 points. 

In the ice dance competition at Finlandia Trophy, Madison Chock and Evan Bates took home the silver medal with 208.31 total points. They scored all positive grades of execution on their elements and earned Level 4 on six elements. 

Christina and Anthony Ponomarenko finished eighth overall with 178.27 points. They also earned all positive grades of execution and earned Level 4 on three elements. 

France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron captured the ice dance title in Finland with 217.54 points. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson of Great Britain took bronze with 190.39 points. 

The Challenger Series continues with the Cup of Austria, set to take place Nov. 11-14. 

At the final Junior Grand Prix Series in Linz, Austria, Team USA put out their best showing. Ilia Malinin won the men's event with a season's best 245.35 total points, earning his second gold medal in the Junior Grand Prix series. The 16-year-old Virginia native successfully landed a quad Salchow in his free skate and earned Level 4 on all his spins. Malinin's gold-medal finish at the JGP France qualified him for the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. 

Russia took the silver and bronze medal in the men's competition, with Artem Kovalev second (221.51) and Kirill Sarnovskiy third (216.70). 

In the women's event, Isabeau Levito came away with a silver medal following a lights-out free skate that earned 136.99 points and an overall season's best 208.31 points. She earned positive grades of execution on every element, including three Level 4 spins. Levito qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final after winning the womens' event at JGP France 2. 

Kate Wang finished sixth overall with 169.73 points. 

Russia's Sofia Muravieva took home gold (211.81) and Anastasia Zinina, also of Russia, captured bronze (190.66). 

In the pairs field, Anastasiia Smirnova and Danil Siianytsia had the highest placement of Team USA's contingent. The pair earned a season's best 156.40 total points to finish sixth overall. Isabelle Martins and Ryan Bedard finished eighth with 134.89 points. In their Junior Grand Prix Debut, Cate Fleming and Chase Finster earned 123.66 points to finish 10th. 

Russia took gold and silver in the pairs event, with Natalia Khabibullina and Ilya Knyazhuk first (188.84) and Anastasia Mukhortova and Dmitry Evgenyev second (183.64). Georgia's Karina Safina and Luka Berulava captured the bronze medal with 179.27 points. 

Oona Brown and Gage Brown put out an emotional free skate to earn 89.04 points and 152.74 overall to finish with the silver medal in Austria. Their free skate featured four Level 4 elements. The sibling tandem punched their ticket to the Junior Grand Prix Final after winning the gold medal at JGP France 2. 

Angela Ling and Caleb Wein finished fifth with 151.44 total points.  

Russia's Sofya Tyutyunina and Alexander Shustitskiy captured the title 162.28 points, and Canada's Nadiia Bashynska and Peter Beaumont earned the bronze medal with 152.06 points. 

The competition in Austria was the last event in the Junior Grand Prix Series. The winners of each JGP event qualified for the Junior Grand Prix Final, set to take place on Dec. 9-12 in Osaka, Japan. The remaining slots are determined by highest scores in the series. 

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