2016 PROGRESSIVE SKATE AMERICA


reer; it’s been really cool to get to train with her every day, and to get to come to this event with her is really awesome,” Bell said of the three-time U.S. champion. Bell, wearing a classic, crystal-studded


cream-colored dress, took those words of en- couragement to heart, delivering a soft, sharply paced and technically sound program to music from the “East of Eden” soundtrack. Her reac- tion following her program-ending combination spin was priceless, with a smile that lit up the arena.


Te audience and judges felt the moment


as well, giving the 20-year-old Colorado native a standing ovation and an event-best score. Sixth after the short program, she vaulted onto the po- dium with Wagner, the event champion. “It’s such a cool feeling to do this at a Grand


Prix in the U.S.; it definitely added to my own excitement,” Bell said. Bell’s emergence this season started with


her move in August from her training home in Colorado to Lakewood, California, where she joined Wagner and U.S. men’s champion Adam Rippon under the watchful eye of two-time and


Jason Brown


reigning Professional Skaters Association Coach of the Year Rafael Arutunian. Leading up to Skate America, Bell earned medals at two senior B events. She learned of her Grand Prix oppor- tunity just two weeks before the event, when An- gela Wang was forced to withdraw because of an ankle injury. “We haven’t had so long together, but we’ve


really been able to tackle some of my technical elements,” Bell said of Arutunian’s impact on her skating. “Just talking about staying calm and having flow in and out of the jumps has been something that I’ve been working on really hard with him. He’s been awesome and I’m excited for the rest of the season.” Being on the same practice ice each day


with Wagner and Rippon has also paid immedi- ate dividends, Bell said. “Adam and Ashley have been so great with


me; I really look up to them,” she said. “I want to be able to compete like them and skate like them and train like them.” For Wagner and Rippon, having Bell join their camp has benefited everyone, they said. “I usually train with guys, so bringing an-


other girl into the rink, I was a little bit wary,” Wagner admitted. “I didn’t really know her that well and I didn’t know what we were signing up for. She has turned out to be one of the kindest, most genuinely sweet people I’ve ever met. And beyond that, I think she’s awesome to have in the camp because she is pulling off these triple-tri- ples. She’s a really great athlete, so it’s pushing me; and the positive energy she brings into the rink is something I’m really happy about.” Rippon, who earned the bronze medal at


Skate America, is equally thrilled about what Bell has brought to the training environment in Lakewood. “She’s an incredibly hard worker and what


I really admire is that not everything is perfect in practice, but she keeps putting in the work and it pays off in competition,” Rippon said. “I think for someone like her to look up to someone like Ashley, who’s known for her skating quality and performance, it’s going to push Ashley to be bet- ter and push Mariah to be better as well.”


MEN


First quad helps lift Brown to silver; Rippon takes bronze


As a junior man, 2015 U.S. champion Ja-


son Brown was constantly asked about landing his triple Axel. As a senior, critics questioned his ability to land a quad. At Skate America, Brown put rumors to rest, opening his free skate with a quadruple toe loop — the first he had landed in competition. “It’s been a long, long journey to put out


a quad, so I’m pleased to stand up on it today and kind of just take it as another day,” Brown said. “Once I landed it, I just kept on going. It’s in its own department. I had an amazing time performing and I’m really excited to take this ex- perience and move forward this season.” Tird after the short program, Brown


performed an elegant free skate to music from Te Piano by Michael Nyman, moving up a spot


to take home silver with a personal-best 268.38 points. His career-best free skate featured eight triple jumps in addition to the quad, seven of which received a bonus for being performed in the second half of the program. He earned 182.63 points for the segment to finish nearly seven points ahead of bronze medalist and team- mate Adam Rippon. Rippon, who turned in the second-best


short program of the event, missed the quad toe that opened his free skate to finish third with 261.43 points. His “Let Me Tink About It” short program earned 87.32 points with a com- ponents’ score less than a point behind champi- on Shoma Uno of Japan. While the Americans flip-flopped for the


remaining podium spots, Uno earned top hon- ors throughout to win the event by more than 10 points. Te two-time and reigning Japanese silver medalist landed five quads between both segments to earn a total score of 279.34 and his


12 DECEMBER 2016


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