No progress for Estonia's figure skaters at junior world champs in Tallinn
Estonian skaters Ilya Nesterov and Vladislav Churakov failed to make it past Wednesday's short program before a home crowd at the ongoing Junior World Figure Skating Championships in Tallinn. Churakov placed 31st and Nesterov 40th.
U.S. star and Milano Cortina Winter Olympics gold medalist Ilia Malinin's meteoric rise began in 2022 in Tallinn, where he became the junior world champion. Now new young talent has been taking to the ice in Tondiraba, with the leading contenders the top skaters from the U.S., South Korea, Japan, Belgium, and the host nation.
A total of 43 young skaters took part in the short program Wednesday, with 24 to advance to the free skate round.
14-year-old Nesterov is coached by Jekaterina Nekrassova and was making his debut at the junior championships, skating first. He was joined by Churakov, 16, coached by Anna Levandi, who finished 26th at last year's Junior World Championships and was the last skater up in his group, tenth overall.
Churakov scored 54.47 points in the short program and Nesterov 47.90, both slightly below their season's best and insufficient to advance.
Both competitors were philosophical about their performances. "It was a very good experience. But not everything I planned worked out. That's the summary, I can't really add anything," Churakov told ERR. "I think what I'll take away is that I need to pull myself together before the program, not after making a mistake," he added.
Nesterov noted it was not his best short program and his first competition at this level. "There are many years in the future when I can improve it. For the first time, I think it's pretty okay, but I can do better," the 14-year-old told ERR.
Taking the lead was Japan's Rio Nakata (89.51), 3.18 points ahead of South Korea's Seo Mink-yu in second place.
Canadians topped pairs short program
No Estonians competed in the pairs event, whose short program also took place Wednesday. Eighteen pairs started, divided into five cohorts, with favorites China's Guo Rui and Zhang Yiwen, winners of the Junior Grand Prix Final in December. Their personal bests are 64.85 points in the short program and 177.05 overall.
Other medal contenders included Canada's Ava Kemp and Yohnatan Elizarov (short program 63.94; total 179.43) and the American pair Olivia Flores and Luke Wang (short program 62.33; total 166.89). Sixteen pairs will advance to the free skate on Thursday evening.
While Kemp and Elizarov performed as expected, they were trumped by compatriots Jazmine Desrochers and Kieran Thrasher, who finished first with 62.84 points, 0.62 ahead of Kemp and Elizarov. Rui and Yiwen were third with 58.34 points. Thrasher said he was most satisfied with the step sequence.
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Editor: Andrew Whyte
Source: ERR Sport
