Brezina shocks Verner to win Three Nationals championships

Michal Brezina (CZE) upset countryman
Tomas Verner (CZE) to win the Three
Nationals and take his first Czech title.
Photo: AP/Koji Sashara

The Three Nationals Figure Skating Championships took place this weekend in Cieszyn, Poland. The competition combined the Czech Nationals, Polish Nationals, and Slovak Nationals into one event. It was the second year that the Three Nationals has taken place. The highest placing skaters in each discipline for each country were declared the national champions.

The Czech Republic will have two men and one dance team at the Olympics.  Poland will be represented by one entry each in the men's, ladies', and pairs' events.  Slovakia will enter one skater in the ladies' competition.

Related: German National Championships
Related: Swedish National Championships

By far, the biggest event was the men’s competition, which featured the budding rivalry between 2008 European champion Tomas Verner and World junior silver medalist Michal Brezina, both from the Czech Republic. Brezina continued his breakthrough season by beating Verner this weekend to win the competition. He put together two solid programs and took advantage of Verner’s struggles with his quad toe to win his first Czech title. Verner has not looked the same since his bout with the flu at Skate America. 

Brezina, who surprise many by winning the bronze at NHK Trophy earlier this season, has now established himself as one to watch at Europeans and the Olympics with his win over Verner.

Maciej Cieplucha won his first Polish championships with the bronze medal behind Brezina and Verner. Slovakia’s Peter Reitmayer was crowned the Slovak national champion with his fifth place finish.

In the ladies’ event, Reitmayer’s sister, Ivana Reitmayerova, won her second consecutive Slovak title with a narrow win over Martina Bocek, who captured her first Czech title. Aneta Michalek was the Polish champion with her fifth place finish. Three-time Polish champion Anna Jurkiewicz finished in eighth.

In pairs, Poland’s Joanna Sulej and Mateusz Chruscinski repeated as Polish champions with their win, while Gabriela Cermanova and Martin Hanulak won their second Slovak title. Five-time British champions Stacey Kemp and David King and three-time Estonian champions Maria Sergiejeva and Ilja Glebov were guest participants in the competition.

In dance, Kamila Hajkova and David Vincour won the gold and the Czech title.  Anastasia Vykhodtseva and Jan Moscicki took the silver and the Polish title. Nikola Visnova and Lukas Csolley finished with the bronze and the Slovak title.

MEN (final standings)
1. Michal Brezina CZE – 223.53
2. Tomas Verner CZE – 203.21
3. Maciej Cieplucha POL – 174.16
4. Pavel Kaska CZE – 147.04
5. Peter Reitmayer SVK – 136.72
6. Kamil Bialas POL – 133.05
7. Sebastian Iwasaki POL – 125.93
8. Sebastian Lofek POL – 93.68

LADIES (final top 10 standings)
1. Ivana Reitmayerova SVK – 122.70
2. Martina Bocek CZE – 122.36
3. Ivana Buzkova CZE – 120.27
4. Alexandra Kunova SVK – 105.91
5. Aneta Michalek POL – 104.80
6. Karolina Sykorova SVK – 103.99
7. Nela Simaova CZE – 103.76
8. Anna Jurkiewicz POL – 101.41
9. Barbora Svedova CZE – 101.26
10. Hana Charyparova CZE – 90.92

PAIRS (final standings)
1. Joanna Sulej and Mateusz Chruscinski POL – 136.38
2. Elizabeth Harb and Patryk Szalasny POL – 124.50
3. Magdalena Klatka and Radoslaw Chruscinski POL – 107.55
4. Natalia Kaliszek and Michal Kaliszek POL – 105.15
5. Gabriela Cermanova and Martin Hanulak SVK – 100.52
6. Magdalena Jaskolka and Piotr Snopek POL – 89.14
Guest participants:
Stacey Kemp and David King GBR – 148.81
Maria Sergiejeva and Ilja Glebov EST – 130.07

DANCE (final standings)
1. Kamila Hajkova and David Vincour CZE – 142.37
2. Anastasia Vykhodtseva and Jan Moscicki POL – 129.20
3. Nikola Visnova and Lukas Csolley SVK – 121.56