2013 WOR LD F IGU RE S K AT I N G CHA MPION S H IPS
Japan’s resurgent Mao Asada includ- ed triple Axels in both of her pro- grams to win bronze. Wagner’s quest began with a solid outing of her short program, choreographed by Phillip Mills to music from Te Red Violin. While she performed all seven required elements well, a decision to trim a triple flip-triple toe combination to a triple-double limited her score’s upside, and she placed fifth. Gold, meanwhile, made a
last-minute decision of her own, changing the combination in her “Hernando’s Hideaway” short to a triple Lutz-triple toe. Te technical panel called the toe loop under-ro- tated and also cited Gold for an im- proper take-off edge on a triple flip. Tose deductions put the U.S. sil- ver medalist ninth entering the free skate.
Since Wagner and Gold’s placements needed to total 13 or less to qualify three U.S. spots, it was nail-biting time. Gold’s season’s-best free skate
to the Life is Beautiful soundtrack, featuring triple Lutz-triple toe and double Axel-triple toe combina- tions, took some of the pressure off, but it had a scary moment. After landing a double Axel, the 17-year- old hit the boards. She regrouped quickly, landing a triple Lutz fol- lowed by a triple flip combination. “It was a little bit of a shock,
but it kind of brought me back into the zone and the focus,” the Chi- cago-based teen said. “I reminded myself that there were three big jumping passes left.” Gold’s score, 125.40 points, was 14 points above her previous in- ternational high and ranked fourth among all free skates in London. She earned 184.25 points overall. “I think we’re really good for
getting three spots, although that wasn’t my main goal coming here,” she said. “For my first Worlds my main goal was having two strong skates and I’m glad I accomplished that today.” Skating in the final warm-up
group, Wagner was well on her way to a solid outing of her Samson and Delilah free when she took a hard tumble on her step sequence. She rebounded with a perfect triple flip and closed her program strong, end- ing the event with 187.34 points. “I made a silly mistake on the twizzle [one-foot turn], and I went down and got back up,” she said. “I
knew that flip had to be there and it was.”
Her fifth-place finish sealed the deal, and both ladies went home happy.
“Tis was a great competition for me because I was able to see what everyone is going to be like in their prime so I am really able to plan for next year,” Wagner said. “As I’ve always said, I don’t want to just go to the Olympics, I want to be competitive at the Olympics.” To do so, she acknowledged
she would have to up her technical game.
“I think that the triple-triple is
going to have to be in every single program next year,” she said. “I have my work cut out for me but I defi- nitely think that it’s doable.” As for Gold, competing against one of her idols has inspired her to take greater belief in her talent. “Watching Yu-Na, that confi- dence, she looks like she knows she is going to hit everything,” she said. “I train my programs all the time, I’m a hard worker, and I just really have to let my body go on the ice. I think this was a really big step for me at a really big competition. I’m glad I was able to execute both pro- grams well.”
Aaron overcomes hard knocks to place seventh; Miner finishes 14th By Amy Rosewater
Max Aaron began his first
World Championships by giving his coach Tom Zakrajsek quite a scare, but ended the week in his coach’s good graces and in good position as he prepares for Sochi. Aaron, who was crowned the
U.S. champion in January, crashed his head into the boards during the warm-up for the short program in London, Ontario. Te accident, which came following a fall on a quadruple Salchow, caused concern among those in the crowd — not to mention Zakrajsek — but Aaron, a former hockey player, shrugged it off and wound up landing a qua- druple Salchow-double toe in his Worlds debut. “It was kind of a shock,” he
said. “It was a little like a hockey hit, but it made me focus, really narrow in.”
Aaron had a second meeting with the boards during the free
SKATING 25
Gracie Gold rallies from ninth place after the short program to finish sixth overall in her World Championships debut.
Ashley Wagner led the charge in helping the United States gain a third spot at next year’s
Olympic Games and World Championships. She placed fifth overall.
PHOTOS COURTESY OF MICHAEL KASS
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