Russian teen Evgenia Medvedeva and American Max Aaron withstood strong challenges in Saturday’s free skates to walk away with their first Grand Prix gold medals at Skate America.
Medvedeva, the 15-year-old reigning junior world champion, finished second to Gracie Gold in the free skate, but her total of 206.01 points were enough to take the title in her first senior-level figure skating Grand Prix event ahead of her American rival, who settled for silver with 202.80 points.
The young Russian had led Gold by more than five points after Friday’s short programme and had nailed five triple jumps — including a triple flip-triple toe combination — before she fell on a double axel that was meant to be in combination with two jumps.
Undaunted, Medvedeva added double jumps to her next two jumping elements — the additional difficulty helping her secure the win.
“You always have to think of what you have to do in case something goes wrong,” Medvedeva said. “You have to be thinking a step ahead. My coaches and I, we are discussing this in case something doesn’t work. This happens many times and then you have to change. I know what to do and I do it.”
Gold delivered a bravura performance in her free skate to “Firebird,” but she doubled one planned triple jump.
“On the last jumping pass, the (salchow) takeoff was just a little slippy on the toe pick, and I just didn’t commit enough to really get in and try to save it,” said Gold, who had doubled a planned triple jump on the short programme the day before, costing herself a chance to take the lead into the final day.
World silver medallist Satoko Miyahara of Japan was third with a total of 188.07 points, skating a sophisticated free programme to Franz Liszt’s “Un Sospiro,” which was marred by a fall on a triple lutz.
Like Medvedeva, Aaron led the men’s competition after a short programme that included a quad combo and held on to claim the title even though he settled for second behind Japan’s Shoma Uno in the free skate.
Aaron’s win, with 258.95 points to silver medallist Uno’s 257.43, marks a resurgence for the 2013 US champion who failed to make the 2014 Olympic team.
He captured the biggest international victory of his career and claimed the first Grand Prix title for a US man since Jeremy Abbott won the Cup of China in 2011.
He was joined on the podium by compatriot Jason Brown, who finished third with 238.47 points.
Olympic bronze medallist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan, whose preparations were hampered by injuries, was sixth after the short programme and endured a disastrous free skate, finishing 11th to fall to ninth overall.
– Chinese pair rallies –
Reigning world pairs silver medallists Sui Wenjing and Han Cong of China won the free skate to capture the title with a total of 202.00 points.
Americans Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim, who were surprise leaders after the short programme, settled for second with 191.97 points after fading to fourth in the free skate.
Canada’s Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau were third on 189.49.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates retained their Skate America ice dance crown, capping their week with a vibrant performance to Rachmaninoff’s “Piano Concerto No. 2”.
The world silver medallists earned 102.66 points for the technically demanding free dance for a total score of 173.22.
Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov were second and Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier third.