Preview - 2008 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships


22 Feb 2008,

The 2008 ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships
will open in Sofia, Bulgaria, on February 26. The World
Junior Figure Skating Championships exist since 1978. In
1976 and 1977, the ISU held "Junior Figure Skating
Championships". Sofia has hosted the ISU World Junior
Figure Skating Championships once before in 2001. 209
skaters/couples from 50 ISU members have been entered for
the Championships.

Overview over the top contenders
Reigning World junior silver medallist Mirai Nagasu (USA)
dominated the ISU Junior Grand Prix Series and won the
ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in
December. The 14-year-old U.S. Champion comes to Germany
with a seasonal best of 162.09 points (achieved at the
JGP Final). The challenge should come from her teammates
Caroline Zhang and Rachel Flatt. Zhang comes back to
Junior Worlds to defend her title. The 14-year-old
competed on the senior Grand Prix circuit this season,
qualified for the senior Final and posted her seasonal
best of 176.48 points there. Flatt finished second to
Nagasu at the Junior Grand Prix Final and at U.S.
Nationals (seasons best 159.66 points). Junior Final
bronze medallist Yuki Nishino (JPN) debuts at the event
and is looking to continue the tradition of the strong
Japanese Ladies and to step on to the podium (seasons
best 149.42 points). Jenni Vähämaa (FIN), who was ranked
fourth at Junior Worlds last year, wants to break into
the top three this time (seasons best 142.40 points).
Others to watch include Elena Glebova (EST/seasons best
145.69), Sarah Hecken (GER/134.05), Alena Leonova
(RUS/126.50), Rumi Suizu (JPN/129.32).

ISU Junior Grand Prix Final Champion Adam Rippon (USA) is
entering his first World Junior Championships as one of
the top contenders. The 18-year-old scored a season?s
best of 203.20 points at the Junior Final. Teammate
Brandon Mroz, who was fourth at Junior Worlds in 2007 and
finished second at the Junior Final with a seasons best
of 187.34 points, is looking to challenge Rippon for the
gold. But skaters from Canada, China, Russia and Japan
are aiming at the podium as well: Kevin Reynolds (CAN)
was ranked fifth one year ago in Oberstdorf and comes
with a seasons best of 186.69 to Bulgaria, Takahito Mura
(JPN) would like to medal on his third trip to Junior
Worlds (seasons best 171.27), Artem Borodulin (RUS) is
recovered from a broken ankle that kept him out of the
Junior Final (seasons best 190.67 points) and Jinlin Guan
(CHN) hopes to medal on his fourth and final Junior
Worlds after finishing sixth last year (seasonal best
184.81). Other contenders are Michal Brezina
(CZE/176.43), Russian Junior Champion Ivan Bariev
(sesaons best 172.00), Jeremy Ten (CAN/170.38) Chao Yang
(CHN/166.60), Florent Amodio (FRA/146.66) and Adrian
Schultheiss (SWE/184.94). Kevin Alves will be the first
skater to represent Brasilia at the ISU World Junior
Figure Skating Championships.

In the Pairs event, Russia dominated the Junior Final and
now hopes to win the title. Two-time and reigning World
Junior bronze medallists Ksenia Krasilnikova/Konstantin
Bezmaternykh are the top Russian team in Sofia. They come
with a season?s best of 149.44 points to Sofia. Ekaterina
Sheremetieva/Mikhail Kuznetsov were ranked third at the
Junior Final (seasons best 134.02). The new team of
Liubov Ilushechkina/Nodari Maisuradze, who enter their
first international competition, might be good for a
surprise as well. Jessica Rose Paetsch/Jon Nuss (USA) are
ready to challenge the Russian teams (seasons best 139.40
points). Amanda Velenosi/Mark Fernandez (CAN/seasons best
125.71 points), Yue Zhang/Lei Wang (CHN/127.83) and
Marina Sergejeva/Ilja Glebov (EST/130.21) are other
contenders.

The ice dance event focuses on an American-Russian battle
between Russia?s Maria Monko/Ilia Tkachenko, Kristina
Gorshkova/Vitali Butikov and Emily Samuelson/Evan Bates
(USA). Monko/Tkachenko won the Junior Final ahead of
Samuelson/Bates and Gorshkova/Butikov. They achieved a
seasons best of 175.72 while Samuelson/Bates got 171.85
and Gorshkova/Butikov 168.84 points. Gorshkova/Butikov
were ranked fourth at the 2007 World Junior
Championships, Monko/Tkachenko were fifth, and
Samuelson/Bates, who stood in second place after the
Original Dance last year, were forced to withdraw during
the Free Dance due to her suffering an injury. Vanessa
Crone/Paul Poirier (CAN) want to break into the
Russian-American phalanx. They finished fourth at the
Junior Final and earned a seasons best of 169.04 on the
Junior Grand Prix circuit. Madison Hubbell/Keiffer
Hubbell (USA) won the Junior Grand Prix Final in Sofia in
December 2006 and were sixth at Junior Worlds 2007, but
haven?t yet competed internationally this season. They
are looking to make a comeback in Bulgaria. Other top
Junior teams are Isabella Pajardi/Stefano Caruso
(ITA/seasons best 155.36 points), Alissa Agofonova/Dmitri
Dun (UKR/151.56), Lucie Mysliveckova/Matej Novak
(CZE/148.08).

Please note that for the seasonal best total scores only
the ISU Grand Prix competitions (senior and junior) as
well as ISU Championships have been taken into
consideration, not other international competitions or
National Championships.

Prize money and World standing bonus
The ISU awards a global prize money of US$ 200,000 at the
World Junior Championships to skaters/ couples placed 1st
to 12th. The prize money is awarded to winners and placed
skaters/couples as follows:

Men and Ladies
Pairs and Dance (per couple)
1st place US$ 10,000
1st place US$ 15,000
2nd place US$ 7,000
2nd place US$ 10,500
3rd place US$ 5,000
3rd place US$ 7,500
4th place US$ 3,500
4th place US$ 4,500
5th place US$ 2,750
5th place US$ 4,000
6th place US$ 2,500
6th place US$ 3,750
7th place US$ 2,250
7th place US$ 3,500
8th place US$ 2,000
8th place US$ 3,000
9th place US$ 1,750
9th place US$ 2,750
10th place US$ 1,500
10th place US$ 2,250
11th place US$ 1,250
11th place US$ 1,750
12th place US$ 1,000
12th place US$ 1,500

By competing in the ISU World Junior Figure Skating
Championships the athletes earn points towards the World
Standings as well. The three skaters/couples per
discipline having earned most World Standing points
during the 2007/2008 season will be awarded with the
World Standing Bonus. The following amounts will be
awarded to the concerned skaters/couples:

Ladies & Men
Pairs & Dance (per couple)
1st: US$ 45,000
1st: US$ 67,500
2nd: US$ 27,000
2nd: US$ 40,500
3rd: US$ 18,000
3rd: US$ 27,000

http://www.isu.org/vsite/vcontent/content/transnews/0,10869,4844-128590-19728-18885-282763-3787-4771-layout160-129898-news-item,00.html
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