Cup of China continued after the ice dance event crowned its champions with the ladies’ free skate. 2007 World champion Miki Ando won the gold today at the third Grand Prix event of the season, overtaking 2008 U.S. champion Mirai Nagasu, who could not hold onto a medal after a disappointing free skate.
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Ando skated a solid five-triple free skate to claim her fourth career Grand Prix title, moving from third to win the event by almost ten points. After a competitive short program, there was no one to challenge Ando as she was the only skater to skate cleanly in the free skate.
Four Continents silver medalist Akiko Suzuki could not replicate her gold medal from last year, but she took home her third career Grand Prix medal with a silver. Russian silver medalist Alena Leonova landed three clean triples, including a triple toe-triple salchow sequence, to grab the bronze medal with a total of 148.61.
Nagasu, the overnight leader, looked to be less prepared for her free skate than she was for the short, likely the result of the injury that sidelined her during the off-season. After opening with a strong triple lutz combination, her program unraveled, with three triples downgraded to doubles and a fall on her second flip. With her final combination invalidated, she could not hold onto a spot on the podium. Her final total of 146.23 left her in fourth, just over two points behind Leonova.
Chinamay be seeing a future star in young Bingwa Geng, who finished a strong fifth in her second appearance in the Grand Prix. Another youngster, American Amanda Dobbs, finished sixth. The third American entry in the event, Kristine Musademba, was eighth in her debut on the senior circuit.
LADIES (final standings)
1. Miki Ando JPN – 172.21
2. Akiko Suzuki JPN – 162.86
3. Alena Leonova RUS – 148.61
4. Mirai Nagasu USA – 146.23
5. Bingwa Geng CHN – 142.48
6. Amanda Dobbs USA – 132.45
7. Joshi Helgesson SWE – 131.40
8. Kristine Musademba USA – 119.45
9. Min-Jung Kwak KOR – 113.98
10. Diane Szmiett CAN – 95.43
WD Qiuying Zhu CHN
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Comments
Poor mirai!! I can't believe what happened!!
Hate to say it but Mirai doesn't seem to have the mental toughness to be a champion. All she had to do was stay on her feet and not be sloppy and she at least had a medal. It was a weak field and she still didn't medal.
yeah i agree i really like mirai but shes been way too inconsistent. i wont count her out yet maybe she will surprise us when she gets more training time in. heres to hoping
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