2012 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS JUNIOR - MEN
CHEN RALLIES TO GRAB THIRD U.S. TITLE by JOSH ELLIS
F
or the third straight year, Nathan Chen (Oval FSC) is a U.S. champion, but this time he had to come from behind to reach the top of the podium. Chen, the two-time reigning novice champion, was in second after
the short program by .05 points to Timothy Dolensky (Atlanta FSC), but skated his way to the junior crown in San Jose. “I had to have the skate of my life,” Chen said. “I wanted to go out
there and show everything I had. I had the time of my life, it was really great.”
Chen, 12, sat in second place after his WALL-E short program with 63.15 points before posting a score of 130.75 points in his free skate, which he performed to music from the movie Te Godfather. Chen began his free skate with a triple Lutz-triple toe combina- tion, which earned him 11.10 points, the top scoring element in the competition. He completed his skate with five more triple jumps, and each of his elements received a positive grade of execution. “I felt like I needed to get to first place,” Chen said. “I am planning
on moving to Lake Arrowhead (Calif.) and thought that boost would help make the move easier.” Chen will move to Lake Arrowhead to train, which he feels will
advance his career and believes the atmosphere will provide motivation for the future. “At Lake Arrowhead, the training facilities are really nice,” Chen
said. “It’s way high up so it’s really good for stamina, and everybody there is very seriously into training. I see people doing triples and quads all the time so it motivates me.” Dolensky, who earned the silver medal, took great pride in his fin-
ish in San Jose after a fifth-place effort at the 2011 Eastern Sectional Championships, which kept him home for the U.S. Championships in Greensboro, N.C., last year. “I’m so proud of myself,” Dolensky said. “I have been waiting a
whole year for this, and I was just so happy that I made it here and I was able to do my best.” Dolensky took the lead after the short program, skating to music he composed himself. He began working on the music last season with
Nathan Chen
the hope of using the music in San Jose after missing out on the 2011 U.S. Championships. He earned 124.64 points for his “Gypsy Kings” free skate for a total score of 187.84 points. Dolensky’s performance featured seven triple jumps, including a triple Lutz-double toe-double loop that earned 9.56 points. Despite finishing fifth in the short program, Philip Warren (All
Year FSC), who calls California home, delivered one of the most crowd- pleasing performances of the competition and earned the second-best total in the free skate to take home the bronze medal. Warren posted a score of 57.42 points in his short program, but rolled up 124.64 points for his “Ragtime” free skate.
Warren put on a display that engaged
the crowd, and that’s exactly how he likes to skate.
Timothy Dolensky 36 MARCH 2012 Philip Warren
“I skate for the audience. I skate for the judges, too, but I think I do it mostly for the fans,” he said. “My first coach, Adam Dooley, inspired me to actually love the sport and love what I do and have a great time doing it.” Harrison Choate (SC of Boston) jumped six places from 10th after the short program to finish fourth. Te winner of a pewter medal in 2008 at the intermediate level, Choate finished fourth in the free skate, but more than 21 points better than the fifth-best free skate score, to land on the podium. Af- ter changing back into his free skate cos- tume for the award ceremony, Choate ran and jumped with joy into the arms of his fellow medalists.
PHOTOS BY JAY ADEFF
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