Mississauga / Canada

The ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships opened in Mississauga (CAN) Friday with the Short Program. A total of 19 teams representing 14 ISU members have been entered for the Championships. This is the third edition of the ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships that was a biennal event, but will become annual beginning in 2017.

Russian teams skate to narrow lead

Team Crystal Ice Junior (Russia 1) edged out Team Junost (Russia 2) for a narrow lead in the Short Program. Team Fintastic (Finland 1) is currently ranked third.

Skating to “Prayer in the Night”, Crystal Ice Junior picked up a level four for the circle and the no hold element and a level three for the move element and the block to earn 62.55 points.
Junost collected a level four for the circle as well while the no hold element was a level four and three. The 2013 World Junior bronze medalists scored 62.34 points for their routine to “Oh Darling” by the Beatles.
Fintastic, who performed to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, had the same levels for their elements as Junost, but got a little less in the Grade of Execution for them. The defending World Junior silver medalists scored 61.55 points.

Defending World Junior Champions Team Musketeers (Team Finland 2) came fourth at 57.72 points followed by Lexettes (Team USA 2) at 57.34 points. The 2016 ISU Junior World Challenge Cup Champions Les Supremes (Team Canada 2) had two falls and are currently sitting in sixth place (55.53 points).

Originally called Precision Skating, Synchronized Skating was introduced in the 1950s. It is a highly technical form of Figure Skating characterized by speed, precisions, unison, intricate formations, synchro elements, difficult footwork, spectacular lifts and exciting transitions. A synchronized team consists of 16 skaters (plus up to four alternates).

The ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2017 will conclude Saturday with the Free Skating.

The ISU World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships 2017 will be streamed live on the ISU skating channel: https://www.youtube.com/SkatingISU .