2016 U.S. J U NIOR L ADIE S C HAMPION


by KAMA KORVELA Baking a cake is a lot like creating a skating


champion. You start by gathering the right ingre- dients. From there, you have to create a solid base to build the various layers upon. Next come the el- ements that hold it all together, with the final step adding the finishing touches to make the creation the most visually appealing it can possibly be. Emily Chan, the winner of the 2016 U.S.


junior ladies title, knows a thing or two about be- coming a champion … and a baker (but more on that later). In Saint Paul this past January, Chan sur-


prised many people, including herself, when she won the junior crown. “She was not expected to win,” said Olga


Ganicheva, who coaches Chan, as does her hus- band Aleksey Letov. “But she went out there and did what she does every day.” For Chan, it was about relying on her train-


ing and putting it all together when it counted most.


“Going into this competition, I trusted my-


self and my coaches,” she said. “I didn’t put pres- sure on myself and just focused on what I needed to do.”


What separates Chan from her competitors


is her artistry and style, according to Ganicheva, who also serves as her choreographer. “Emily’s programs always tell a story,” Gan-


icheva said. “She really feels the music. Her skat- ing is expansive and she has charisma — you can’t stop watching her. Te audience really gets into the story she is trying to tell.” But a sophisticated style just isn’t enough — a skater needs the athletic goods to compete on


the highest level. Chan’s ability to combine her maturity and polish with solid athleticism results in an appealing package. “She has nice flow out of her jumps, and her


speed is very fast; in fact, she is able to increase her speed as she goes,” Ganicheva said. Chan is also adding signature elements


to her repertoire to help her stand out from the crowd, Emily’s mother, Mary Chan, said. “She created the ‘chopstick spin’ when she


was 8 years old,” Mary said. “She pulls her leg 180 degrees straight back over her head. It’s different than the Biellmann spin.” For several years, Chan also skated pairs.


At the juvenile level, she skated with Daniel Vallecilla. After a break from pairs, she took it back up again, this time partnering with Misha Mitrofanov. Tough Chan loved competing in both disciplines, she ultimately decided to focus entirely on singles. “I was training singles in the first half of the


day and pairs in the second half, and while I enjoy challenges, it was difficult to fit in school,” Chan said. “Pairs definitely changed my life by showing me the extremes that I could push myself to.” Like a multitiered cake, Chan has many lay-


ers. She has an ear for music, which undoubtedly has helped her to better connect with her pro- grams. But Chan’s instrument of choice is a little out of the ordinary. “I play the guzheng, which is a traditional


Chinese plucked string instrument that has been played for thousands of years,” she said. Outside of her skating, Chan is most known for her culinary skills. Her Instagram account (@


Skating an emotional performance to Whitney Houston’s “I Will Always Love You,” Chan left the audience breathless after her flawless short program at the U.S. Championships.


It takes a village! Chan shows off her hardware with her team, choreographer Olga Ganisheva and coach Aleksey Letov.


chopstickspin) is full of mouthwatering baked goods.


“Baking is my absolute favorite way to de-


stress,” she said. “My favorite things to bake are always anything my friends at the rink, family and coaches enjoying eating most. Tere’s something about seeing others happy that makes me happy, too.”


Science is another passion of Chan’s. She hopes to become a pharmacist one day. “It seems a little similar to baking in terms


of mixing ingredients,” she said. “I want to be a compound pharmacist and hopefully open my own practice.” Chan is a master of saving money too, ac-


cording to her mother. “She is an extreme couponer,” Mary said. “In


her spare time, Emily saves an average of 60 to 90 percent on household items and groceries. She also coupons for local animal shelters. Last year she donated $600 worth of dog and cat food for only $60.” While she has enjoyed her success of the past


season, Chan is already looking ahead. She recent- ly revealed that her short program next season will be to Lara Fabian’s “Je Suis Malade.” “It’s an emotional French piece, and I’m ex-


cited to express this deep and relatable story,” she said.


She will move into the senior division for the


2016–17 season, and Ganicheva feels with a little fine-tuning, Chan will be ready. “She just needs to be consistent and solid


with her jumps,” Ganicheva said. “She has every- thing else she needs to be competitive.” Like a touch of edible glitter on top of a


beautifully decorated cake, Chan’s positive out- look will make her shine even more, she said. “She never says ‘I can’t’ or ‘I won’t,’” Gan-


icheva said. “Everything Emily does is with a lot of joy and happiness.”


SKATING 41


JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68