by LYNN RUTHERFORD AND TROY SCHWINDT As in 2011 in Greensboro, North Caro-
lina, the 2015 Prudential U.S. Figure Skating Championships will serve as the start of the next Olympic quadrennium, with the best figure skaters in the land laying the ground- work for their 2018 Olympic dreams. Future Olympians Jason Brown, Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani created a buzz at the venerable Greensboro Colise- um in 2011 with their dynamic performanc- es. This year’s edition of the U.S. Champion- ships at the newly renovated Coliseum will be no different, as the next generation of skating greats emerges. The weeklong competition, which en-
compasses all five of U.S. Figure Skating’s competitive classes — senior, junior, nov- ice, intermediate and juvenile — promises to be an exciting and drama-filled event.
Here’s a look at senior-level competi-
tion: Battle of the ladies champions It’s shaping up to be a duel between
reigning champion Gracie Gold and two- time champion (2012, 2013) Ashley Wag- ner, but if Polina Edmunds skates a clean short program, she might join the party. Fresh off her third consecutive med-
al at the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final in Barcelona last month, Wagner is determined to redeem herself after a dis- appointing fourth-place U.S. finish last sea- son. She won silver and bronze medals on the Grand Prix Series this fall to become the first U.S. lady since Michelle Kwan to qualify for three consecutive Grand Prix Finals, and after a disappointing short program, nailed a triple flip-triple toe loop combination to
Jeremy Abbott
grab the bronze medal. At age 23, the feisty “Army brat” aims to prove she can compete technically with the likes of Gold and Ed- munds. “Anybody who looks down on some
old gal going after her dream, I have many things to say to them, but I will just say: ‘Watch me do it,’” she said, and added, “My triple flip-triple toe combination will be there. I know I need it; it’s as simple as that.” The 19-year-old Gold won her first-ev-
er Grand Prix gold at NHK Trophy this fall and also took home bronze from Hilton HHonors Skate America. She has power- ful jumps, including a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, and posted a higher total score than Wagner this season. But a stress fracture in her left foot forced the California-based skater to withdraw from Barcelona and cost her several weeks’ time training her jumps. “I am still able to do run-throughs and
2015 PRUDENTIAL U.S. FIGURE SKATING CHAMPIONSHIPS WHEN: January 17–25 WHERE: Greensboro (N.C.) Coliseum TICKETS:
www.northcarolina2015.com TV: NBC will air 8 hours of live coverage
Gracie Gold 16 JANUARY 2015
ICENETWORK: Live and on-demand coverage for Season Pass subscribers
step sequences,” the Chicago-reared Gold said last month. “I’m looking forward to working on them while jumping is still lim- ited. Hopefully this will help me have more polished programs at nationals, from a cho- reography side.” At just 16 years of age, Edmunds placed
fourth and eighth in her Grand Prix events, limited by disappointing short programs. The U.S. silver medalist has arguably the event’s most difficult free skate — includ-
JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING
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