A team of thirty athletes have been selected to become Australia’s first event competitors at an Asian Winter Games when they hit the ice and snow in Sapporo in February.

The team, which features some of the nation’s brightest winter prospects, was selected to compete in snowboard, freestyle skiing, alpine skiing, cross country skiing, biathlon, short track speed skating and figure skating.

The event will give a host of young athletes the opportunity to compete against the continent’s finest as many look to build towards the PyeongChang 2018 Winter Olympic Games.

“Our team we have selected for Sapporo 2017 features plenty of athletes on the rise that highlight the continued strengthening of winter sports in Australia,” Chef de Mission Geoff Lipshut said.

“Australia’s first foray into the Asian Winter Games will be a great test for our athletes against some strong competition and will potentially be a stepping stone towards Olympic competition.”

Among the athletes competing are three-time Olympian Holly Crawford (snowboard – halfpipe), Vancouver 2010 Olympian Ben Sim (cross country skiing), and Brendan Kerry (figure skating), Pierre Boda (short track speed skating) and Deanna Lockett (short track speed skating) who all competed in their first Games at Sochi.

“It's an honour to represent my country at an event like this,” Kerry said.

“It's a little unnerving when thinking about how big this event is and the added pressure, however it's also exciting and an incredible feeling knowing that you are the one chosen from your country to represent it as the best.

“There is always something new to learn and accomplish at every competition and Sapporo will be no different.”

Fresh off testing out the PyeongChang 2018 venue in last week’s World Cup Pierre Boda and Deanna Lockett will have arguably the most difficult test at the Games.

“Asia is very dominant in short track,” Lockett said.

“I think I will be able to grab a lot of experience being able to race with all Asian countries from the first round and I expect it to be very competitive right from the heats.”

Added Boda: “These Asian Games will definitely be a stepping stone to the Winter Olympics as it will most likely share the same format of racing so it will be a great eye opener as to what we can expect at the 2018 Winter Games.”

While the team features a number of athletes who regularly compete on the world circuit, the Games will also give the likes of young moguls stars Cooper Woods-Topalovic, Ben Matsumoto, Sophie Ash and Jakarra Anthony some major international event experience.

“I think this will be a great opportunity for me to experience a bigger event atmosphere,” Anthony said.

“The experience will help me manage myself when I achieve qualification to bigger events like World Championships and Olympic Games. I hope to be able to it to enhance my performances at the next Olympics in PyeongChang, if I qualify, and at the 2022 Olympics in Beijing.”

As Australia’s biathlon ranks continue to deepen, Sapporo will see four young guns in brother and sister duo Darcie and Damon Morton, Jill Colebourn and Jeremy Flanagan compete.

“As an Olympic sanctioned event, I think it will be a good experience into what an Olympics would be like,” Damon Morton said.

“It's also likely to be a really high level competition and so doing well there will be a good indication of how I'm doing at a world level.”

Darcie has had a massive 12 months having competed in the Lillehammer 2016 Youth Winter Olympic Games in February and is looking forward to competing alongside her brother in Japan.

“It will be awesome to travel to Japan and race with Damon,” Darcie Morton said.

“He's really supportive during competitions, kind of like a second coach, giving me tips before the race and calming me down when I'm stressed. It will be really great to have him there with me.”

The 8th Asian Winter Games will be held from February 19-26 and involve five sports, 11 disciplines and 64 events.
The Olympic Council of Asia invited the Oceania National Olympic Committees to compete in Sapporo as guests, following an approach by the Australian Olympic Committee.

The athletes from Oceania can enter individual sports only and will not be eligible to win medals.

Athletes:
Snowboard
Millie Bongiorno                       Snowboard – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Christian De Oliveira                Snowboard - Giant Slalom, Slalom
Nicholas Masjuk                       Snowboard – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Holly Crawford                          Snowboard Halfpipe

Moguls
Jakara Anthony                        Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Sophie Ash                                Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Ben Matsumoto                       Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls
Cooper Woods-Topalovic       Freestyle Mogul Skiing, Dual Moguls

Alpine        
Zanna Farrell                            Alpine – Giant Slalom, Slalom
Liam Michael                            Alpine – Giant Slalom, Slalom

Cross Country Skiing
Jackson Bursill                          Cross Country - 1.4km Sprint*, 10km Classic, 15km Free, 30km Free (Mass Start)
Ben Sim                                     Cross Country - 1.4km Sprint*, 10km Classic, 15km Free, 30km Free (Mass Start)
Casey Wright                            Cross Country – 1.4km Sprint*, 5km Classic, 10km Free, 15km Free (Mass Start)

Biathlon
Jillian Colebourn                        7.5km Sprint, Mixed Relay
Jeremy Flanagan                        10km Sprint, Mixed Relay
Damon Morton                          12.5km Pursuit, Mixed Relay
Darcie Morton                            10km Pursuit

Short Track Speed Skating
Pierre Boda                                 Short Track (events TBC by mid-Jan)
Denali Blunden
Keanu Blunden
Alex Bryant
Joshua Capponi
Andy Jung
Deanna Lockett

Figure Skating
Kailani Crane                                         Figure Skating – Ladies
Brendan Kerry                                       Figure Skating – Men
Matthew Dodds & Paris Stephens     Figure Skating – Pair
William Badaoui & Matilda Friend      Figure Skating – Ice Dance

A narrow podium miss has frustrated Brendan Kerry at the Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia at the conclusion of the ten-event ISU Challenger series.

Kerry tried to hang onto his slim bronze medal position from the previous day, landing two triple axels in the free program and posting a PB for his components scores in another incremental step forward but missing the opening quad and having two spins called at Level 3 kept him off the podium by less than two points.

Finishing with 221.94 and 5th overall garnered valuable ISU World Standing ranking points, which determine the start groups at the World Championships in Helsinki next March.   

Added to the frustration of coming within a whisker of his 222.40 PB set in Salt Lake earlier in the season was also just missing out on the overall Challenger Series podium that would have required  222.47 points.

The up-and-down event saw Israeli skaters Alexei Bychenko, win the gold with fellow countryman Daniel Samohin slipping to 2nd after placing 7th in the free. Bronze went to Keegan Messing with 223.30 points and a leap by 11th placed Alexander Petrov from Russia was 4th on 222.92 points.

The Ladies overall result remains somewhat of a mystery almost two days after the event concluded early on Saturday morning (AEDT).

In a very strong field, which included highly ranked competitors, Kailani Craine was sitting in 7th after the short program, having landed her first clean triple/triple jump combination, with fellow Australian Brooklee Han in 9th.

Leading the field was the returning Sochi bronze medallist Caroline Kostner, who has made a brilliant comeback.  

Craine’s free program was a step up from her nationals win the week prior, landing five triples and two double axels in a more measured, emotionally connected performance.

Like many others in the field, any questionable jump rotations were penalised across the event, leaving Kailani with a free program score of just over 100 points, placing 8th - however the overall scores and final result for the entire event are yet to be published.  
 
What is less clear is the treatment of apparent error by the Technical Panel in the calling of Kailani’s triple loop to triple salchow jump sequence, which initially showed on the competition protocol as a triple/double sequence and has since been amended to reflect the triple salchow, but with a downgrade.

For Kailani, who has already won a silver and bronze internationally this season, the overall placement in Zagreb is of lesser importance. She had other goals on her to do list.

“My one major goal coming into this competition was to go for the triple/triple in the short program. Therefore, it was never about the placings for me,” she said.

“It was what I was able to take from this competition. The free skate went pretty well. Of course I need to increase my speed, which will come as I gain more confidence with these high level jumps.”

“This competition was successful because I was able to take away a lot of experience and overall I am proud of myself.  It’s given me more confidence to achieve more in the future, such as the qualification to the 2018 Winter Olympics.”

Coach Galina Pachin agreed.

 “I think Kailani started to show more consistent skating at this competition. There where errors, but I know we can fix them. She looked very confident on the ice and this comp had a lot of big names. I am happy with her Free Program,” Pachin said.

From Sydney to Moscow, to Poland and back to Sydney and Melbourne, then Marseille France for the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final has been Harley Windsor's travel travel schedule in just four weeks and his 16-year-old partner, Katia has done almost the same.

Last night wrapped up the first competitive year for the indigenous figure skater and his Russian-born partner when they secured 5th of the top six pairs in the world in the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final.

The relentless schedule and pressure showed in the free program last night for the young pair who have defied all expectations in making it  this far in less than one year together.

The reliable opening Split Triple Twist failed to take off, upsetting the pair's natural rythym, yet they fought throughout the program despite Katia falling on both throw jumps (lutz and salchow).

Their lifts and side by side triple toe jump racked up enough points to kee them ahead of Russian pair Atakhanova and Spirdonov in an event dominated by the winners - also from Russia - Anastasia Mishina and Vladislav Mirzoev who scored 180.63, almost 13 points clear of the Czech silver medallists.

Brendan Kerry was always on the hunt for a strong result in the final ISU Challenger event in Zagreb, Croatia.

The 22-year-old figure skater and five-time Australian Champion finds himself in medal contention in a hot field after placing 3rd in the short program overnight with a PB of 76.36 – an increase of almost three points.

In a display of increasing mental strength, Kerry found the quad toe jump when he needed it in competition, even though the difficult element had eluded him in practice.

“I’m happy I did the quad, because I haven’t done any since being here (in Zagreb),” he said.

Not only did he land a text book quad, Kerry achieved all Level 4 spins with positive Grade of Execution points and that is definitely a step in the right and smart direction.  The only hiccup was an over-rotated triple axel.

Kerry wants more.

“I felt as though I did everything but it was all sloppy so that’s a bit of a downer.”

Finding perfection is the ultimate quest for all top athletes. Overcoming injury is also part and parcel of the elite sportsperson’s life. Brendan Kerry is no exception, having struggled with Achillies tendonitis since March and during his two Grand Prix events. 

“It feels good to come off a really bad GP season and get it all together headed into Championship season,” Kerry said.

The race for the medals in Zagreb will be very tight.

Currently leading the pack is the talented but often inconsistent Israeli Daniel Samohin on 82.35. Bunched up within just three points after Samohin are all top flight competitors in Messing (Canada), Kerry, Boychenko (Israel), Dolensky (USA) and world medallist Denis Ten (Kazakhstan).

The medallists will be the smart and brave in equal measure.

The free program at the ISU Zagreb Challenger begins at 1am Sunday (AEDT)
 

A Sochi Olympic bronze medallist, a former World Champion and runner up, plus a current US Champion showed up for the final and tenth ISU Challenger Figure Skating competition in Zagreb, Croatia this morning.

One of the most elegant skaters to ever grace the ice,  Carolina Kostner, at 29-years-of-age, made a comeback to the competitive ranks skating to a contemporary drum-only short program, which is a major departure from her previous lyrical, almost luminescent, style.

But oh, what a magnificently executed piece of choreography it was. Kostner landed a relatively easy triple toe/triple toe combo and stumbled on the triple loop landing, yet it mattered not as she demonstrated how and why her performances have stood tall above other more gifted technical skaters.
 
Competing in the strong field is three-time Australian Champion Kailani Craine and Sochi Olympian Brooklee Han who both recorded personal bests.

Craine delivered her first triple flip/triple loop jump combination at her first try this season in a character-laden and mature short program that also included steps into the more difficult triple lutz instead of her safer triple loop, earning 54.05 points and 7th place.

"Today was a good day because I finally landed my triple triple first time in comp," Kailani said from Zagreb.

"Galina and I had the plan to go for it and I'm glad that I stuck to the plan. Of course I had a few errors, but they were minor and fixable, most importantly I moved forward with my goal this evening. I hope tomorrow I can beat my personal best in the free program again, this is the plan."
 
It was also a clean program for Brooklee Han, scoring 53.65 with a triple lutz/double toe combination and triple salchow, finishing the day in 9th place.  

US Champion Gracie Gold had a horror day, falling on the lutz and missing the take-off for the double axel, but still managed to stay in the top ten.

Carolina Kostner is easily in the lead with 69.95 points followed by Amber Glenn from USA who had a magnificent skate and currently in 3rd place is Russian Alena Leonova, who also delivered a high quality short program.  

The final free program will be skated from 5am (AEDT) Saturday morning.

Despite the throw triple lutz not going to plan, Ekaterina Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor find themselves in 5th place after the short program in the ISU Junior Grand Prix Final in Marseille, France overnight and with a best-ever score of 57.08.

The amazing journey of the young man from Rooty Hill and the girl from Moscow has taken them to France to compete with the best of the best – not a position either of them could have predicted a year ago.

With coach Andrei Pachin at the barrier, Harley and Katia began their short program strongly with an easy split triple twist followed by well-matched double axels and a high level, complex lift.

The planned throw triple lutz, which they successfully completed  at the national championships last week, was called by the technical panel as a flip and not well in Marseille resulting in a fall by Katia and a one-point penalty.  

The overall performance was more assured, with both smiling and looking comfortable in a big-time event.

“It was not too bad,” Harley said immediately after the program. “I feel much more relaxed at bigger comps now and it hasn’t really hit me yet that it’s a final event. So far, it feels like every other comp.”

Olympic Gold Medal coach Nina Mozer, who suggested the pairing late last year, was also rink-side for the Aussie pair.

“It was good having Nina there,” Katia and Harley said. “She was my coach and has helped us when we train in Moscow,” Katia explained.

Unison trouble on the side by side spin impacted their score but the overall power and improvement in the Sydney-based pair during their first season together garnered a PB and leaves them sitting in a tight race with four Russian and one Czech pair for a possible podium finish in the free program early Sunday morning, AEDT time.

Leading the event are Russians Anastasia Mishina and Vladislav Mirzoev  on 64.73, followed by Anna Duksova Martin Bidar (CZE) 61.38 and in third after the short are Alina Ustmkina and Nikita Volodin (RUS) on 59.05.
lick here to edit.

The 2016 Australian Figure Skating Championships have concluded at the O’Brien Group Arena in Melbourne’s Docklands, with reigning champions Kailani Craine and Brendan Kerry holding onto their national titles.

In the Senior Ladies, Craine finished with an overall score of 157.66 points ahead of Brooklee Han on 150.72.   
     
Following on from her short program score of 59.35, Craine opened her free program with a strong triple flip, double toe jump combination and presented a mature performance to ‘Hallelujah’, which included her signature triple loop, half loop, triple salchow and high level spins.

In defending her title and coming from behind, Kailani missed one triple flip and didn’t hold the landing of the opening triple lutz but it mattered for little as she scored 98.31 points to secure her third crown.

After leading the short program with 59.45 points, an improved Brooklee Han began impressively with a triple loop but also struggled on the opening lutz, taking a costly fall. Her spins have always been a trademark and she was also able to include some impressive jumps.

It wasn’t enough to hold onto the slim lead, but it was an effort the 2014 Olympian could be proud of.​

​In the Senior Men, Brendan Kerry continued his dominance, following up his outstanding short program score of 81.01, with yet another brilliant skate, finishing with 225.84 points overall.

Australia’s quad king, Kerry landed another quad in his free program tonight along with a slew of further triples including two triple axels.

Skating to ‘Pirates of the Carribean’, tonight’s competition was a good tune up ahead of the ISU Challenger Series in Zagreb, Croatia, which Kailani Crane will also be attending.

Junior men’s champion James Min backed up from yesterday to take the Silver medal in the Seniors category, after a passionate and entertaining program where he did not stop jumping for four and a half minutes.
​
He poured his heart and soul into his debut National Senior program, finishing with a score of 170.14 and a few macaroons with his family as a celebratory treat.

“I definitely haven’t peaked yet.”

If coming up against Brendan Kerry this week at this week's Australian Figure Skating Championships wasn’t a daunting proposal, the 2014 Olympian has sent a strong message to the rest of the field with an outstanding performance in his short program, securing a score of 81.01 points.

Being based in LA for nearly four years has lightened his travel load, but Kerry is glad to be back in Australia.

“It’s fantastic in LA and it’s good for my training but being home with my family and friends is always nice,” he said.

Brendan is aiming for his fifth national title and while he’s far from complacent, he’s focusing fully on his own preparation and routine.

“I try not to worry about the external factors. I’ll have a 6-minute warm up, try and do this jump or this spin and get my mental preparation right,” he explained.

“I’m not concerned about other skaters - sometimes it happens naturally but I’m coming off a big injury so my priority is about bouncing back strongly.”

At 22-years-of-age, Kerry is by no means old. But for the sport of figure skating, he’s an experienced athlete whose body has taken its fair share of knocks.

“I would’ve liked my fitness levels higher at this point of the season,” Brendan said.

“But at the same time, it means I can work on my mental strength to push myself through if I struggle with a few things towards the end of a program.”

Consistency is at the top of his Christmas wish list heading into the new year and Kerry will be using this week to showcase the work he’s done on his impressive quad jumps.

“At the moment I can do two, close to a third and I want to start hitting my fourth one soon,” he said.

 “I’ve worked a lot on the component side of my skating, as well as my spins and steps. It’s headed in the right direction.”
​
Don’t get in Kerry’s way, because the only direction is up, as he aims to secure another national crown with his free program this afternoon at 3pm. Catch it on the livestream below.

https://livestream.com/iceskatingvictoria

Western Sydney’s indigenous figure skater Harley Windsor and his 16-year-old partner Ekaterina (Katia) Alexandrovskaya have been invited into the prestigious International Skating Union (ISU) Junior Grand Final to be held in Marseille, France from December 8 – 11.​

The young Moscow-born Katia, who has a penchant for Vegemite, has been skating for Australia since July 1st and is seeking to be a permanent resident along with her mother.

The invitation to the Australian pair comes at the cost of Russian skaters Ekaterina Borisova and Dmitry Sopot who unfortunately had to withdraw from the Junior Grand Prix Final due to injury. Only the world’s six highest ranked skaters in Pairs, Dance, Ladies and Men in Seniors and Juniors are invited to the Grand Prix Final.

Australia’s fairy-tale couple have risen to 7th place in the junior world rankings in their first season after winning a Junior Grand Prix Gold medal at the Tallinn Cup in Estonia ahead of three Russian pairs.

The International Skating Union (ISU) contacted Ice Skating Australia overnight to advise that, “as first substitute, your Pair Alexandrovskaya/Windsor are now invited to attend the Junior Final.”

Harley and Ekaterina’s Gold medal in Estonia was an historic first for Australia at a Junior Grand Prix event and they are the first Australians to ever compete in a Grand Prix Final.

The impact their rise to the top has had on the Australian skating community is profound.

"This great pair skating duo are a perfect example of the talent that is here in Australia. With careful guidance and nurturing this talent can blossom. Ice Skating Australia is extremely proud of Ekaterina and Harley," Ice Skating Australia President Peter Lynch said from Melbourne where the Australian Figure Skating Championships are still underway.

Harley and Katia continue to create history at almost every event in which they compete, winning their first national title in Melbourne on Wednesday night landing the very difficult Throw Triple Lutz in both the short and free programs.

No-one would have believed this outcome 12 months ago.

“It’s been an amazing time,” said Harley. “This time last year we hadn’t met – let alone skated together.”

Windsor is a laid back kind of guy, who laughed when asked if he could believe the success their hard work was delivering.

“I wouldn’t have believed it a year ago. No way. I think I would have quit skating if it wasn’t for pairs.”

“But I can believe it now. It’s very exciting. Makes it more exciting when you see it in official writing.”

Whilst the pair began with a language barrier – almost 11 months together makes a big difference.

“I think it will be OK,” said Katia with a maturity that belies her years but a determination as fierce as her 20-year-old partner. 

​Sydney-based coaches Andrei and Galina Pachin shake their heads in wonder.

“Sometimes we can’t believe it, but we knew as soon as they took their first steps together that it was right,” the Pachins said.

“We’re excited, nervous – all of that - but they had great training yesterday and will train again today in Melbourne before heading home to Sydney on the weekend.”

Australia’s latest sport sensations head to the Junior Grand Prix Final next Tuesday and will compete in the ISU Four Continents Championships next February in the Olympic venue in PyeongChang, Korea before heading to the World Championships in Helsinki, Finland.

There wasn’t a person in the O’Brien Group Arena last night who wasn’t amazed at James Min’s 60.76 point short program at the 2016 Australian Figure Skating Championships.

It hasn’t all been easy going for the 16-year-old, whose parents, Narvy and Mony, are Cambodian refugees.

Despite their struggles, they have offered endless support to their son and his lifelong dream to be an Olympian, something that James is grateful for every opportunity.

“I’m really thankful for the chance every day. Without my parents, I wouldn’t be where I am today,” said Min.

His coach Richard Laidlaw echoes those words.

“The Min’s had to work very hard for everything that they’ve got and are wonderful people who are very proud of their talented young son,” Richard said.

That upbringing has made Min one of the most humble and hard-working prodigies on the circuit despite his intense schedule.

It’s one he has to commit to, as Min competes this year in the Junior and Senior competitions this week.

“Richard’s a great coach, very good at planning, his technique is very good and I trust him,” Min said.

“Most of the time,” Laidlaw stirs.

“Well nobody is perfect,” quips Min.

It’s that jovial relationship, where coach and athlete share casual banter as well as solid feedback, which has allowed James to break out this year.

A crowd favorite all week, James is often seen having photos with fans, something coach Laidlaw says he has taken in his stride.

“He’s looking towards the older skaters, but James is actually a mentor to the young kids already and you don’t often realize that along the journey.”

That recognition has grown beyond Australia, with the Cambodian Figure Skating Association inviting him to do an ice show next month.

 “He is a star in Cambodia and it’s a big deal that he’s going back to his parent’s country. It’s made them incredibly proud,” Laidlaw said.

For now, James is keen to shine locally.

“I’m not as nervous this week as I normally am. I just have to rely on the training I’ve done and stay confident to get every element right.”

His junior program continues this afternoon before he starts his first attempt in the Senior field at 6:20pm. You can catch it all on the livestream below.
​
​https://livestream.com/iceskatingvictoria 

Joshua Dawe