Australian & New Zealand figure skating news

[Sylvia]

I think the Australian figure skating news thread (created in July 2016 and now at #1730 posts) deserves a fresh start now that the Ice Skating Australia website recently re-launched:

Ice Skating Australia | Official Website – Ice Skating Australia Incorporated

www.isa.org.au

Feedback is welcomed:

It is still a work in progress so please forgive me if stuff is not working on it. Gradually getting it sorted out.

ISA's National Squad 2023-2024 document is linked from the High Performance section: https://isa.org.au/general-info/high-performance/

SENIOR
Pair: Anastasiia Golubeva/Hektor Giotopoulos Moore [2024 Worlds]
Ice Dance: Holly Harris/Jason Chan [2024 Worlds], Romy Malcolm/Kobi Chant, India Nette/Eron Westwood
Women: Vlada Vasiliev, Maria Chernyshova, Victoria Alcantara [*Hana Bath not ISU Senior age eligible (17) until 2027-28 season]
Men: Darian Kaptich, Charlton Doherty, Douglas Gerber (switched from NZL last year)

JUNIOR
Women: Hana Bath [debuting at 2024 Junior Worlds later today], Sienna Kaczmarczyk, Andrea Guo
Men: Vinceman Chong, Kryshtof Pradeaux, Julio Potapenko
Ice Dance: Renee Yuen/Oliver Ma, Dominik Mautner/Regina Ng, Amy Avtarovski/Charlie Wilcox
Pair: Peyton Bellamy-Martin/Kryshtof Pradeaux

 

[Aussie Willy]

@Sylvia Thanks for starting the new thread

 

[Sylvia]

I'm including New Zealand in this thread because Yanhao (Dwayne) LI, 15, has had a breakout season in winning historic bronze medals at the JGP in Bangkok in late August 2023 (ISU PBs of 210.08 total & 72.28 in the SP - watch here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZksC3ZoiIw0) and at the 2024 Youth Olympic Games in Gangwon KOR (ISU PB of 140.83) - link to watch his YOG free skate (4th place; he had a decent opening 3A attempt with a step out): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHHJFzd4PtM

Here's a good local article (Oct. 14, 2023) that includes a video of him talking around the time of NZL Nationals: https://www.stuff.co.nz/sport/other...ights-on-creating-new-zealand-olympic-history

 

[Hedwig]

Big Yanhao Li fan here

 

[Hedwig]

Amazing to read that he trains only 12 hours a week

What he accomplished with that and a relatively inexperienced coach is astonishing

 

[Aussie Willy]

Deleted

 

[Sylvia]

I was hoping this could be a thread for skating news.

ETA that I've created a separate thread - title can be modified if needed: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ian-figure-skating-and-related-issues.111808/

 

[Karen-W]

Douglas Gerber is slated to make his debut representing Australia at Lombardia Trophy.

Yanhao Li had a great season debut in winning the junior men's competition at Cranberry Cup International.

Fancam vids -
SP - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zM0S9xCoswg&pp=ygUXeWFuaGFvIGxpIGNyYW5iZXJyeSBjdXA=
FS - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lZ5LqB5DtZA&pp=ygUXeWFuaGFvIGxpIGNyYW5iZXJyeSBjdXA=

 

[Sylvia]

@clairecloutier's interview with Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore at their season debut at Skate Canada Int'l in Halifax (Oct. 25):

Golubeva/Giotopoulos Moore: "We're trying to mature our skating" - A divine sport

Australian pairs skaters Anastasia Golubeva and Hector Giotopolous Moore look to improve their connection on ice in their third year as senior pairs skaters.

adivinesport.com

They are training full-time in Montreal now (with Deanna/Max).

ETA:

SBS Sport on Instagram: "Aussies Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos-Moore dazzle on season debut with a personal best in the short program and they sit 3rd heading into the free skate tomorrow! They just missed the GP finals last year in thei

246 likes, 17 comments - sbssportau on October 25, 2024: "Aussies Anastasia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos-Moore dazzle on season debut with a personal best in the short program and they sit 3rd heading into the free skate tomorrow! They just missed the GP finals last year in their 1st season...

www.instagram.com

 

[Sylvia]

Belatedly... Yanhao Li has qualified for his first JGP Final and last week won the Junior Men's title (228.39 total, 149.69 in FS) again at New Zealand Nationals - results page: https://www.nzifsa.org.nz/competitions/2024comps/2024/

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Golubeva & Giotopoulos Moore make history by becoming the first Australian athletes to win a medal on the ISU Grand Prix Series. The pair took bronze at Skate Canada earlier today.

 

[Sylvia]

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Re-posting this from the SCI24 Pairs FS play-by-play thread:

So happy for them! Nobody had an Aussie flag so the small one was my friend's and they came back and signed it for them, and chatted with us. Hector had to borrow my Sharpie haha

Here’s a clip @Lanie! Hektor as he skates by: “I’ll bring your flag back!”

https://twitter.com/x/status/1850353127746142534

 

[Lanie]

@Sylvia Aww, that's so cute! Haha!

 

[Aussie Willy]

Hektor is such a nice guy. Judged him when he was in the younger divisions. He has developed so much as a skater and performer.

Well done to Anastasia and Hektor. Great to see them performing so well and getting on the podium.

Now if they could just get that twist lift working.

 

[Sylvia]

Australian figure skaters Anastasiia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore have made history by claiming a bronze medal at the Skate Canada International in Halifax, Canada.

Australian figure skaters Anastasiia Golubeva and Hektor Giotopoulos Moore win ISU World Cup bronze - ABC News

amp.abc.net.au

It is Australia's first medal at a senior International Skating Union (ISU) Grand Prix event.
Three-time Australian Winter Olympians Danielle McGrath née Carr and Stephen Carr had won bronze at the hugely prestigious event in 1992, prior to the ISU Grand Prix Series being inaugurated in 1995.

"It's been really, really fun," Giotopoulos Moore told ABC News Breakfast on Monday.
"We had a really, really great time. It was a tough competition. It was quite a challenging one for us, but we came out with a pretty decent result.
"We're quite happy with it."

Golubeva settled into Sydney though, describing Giotopoulos Moore's mother as "like a second mum" to her.
"We have been almost living together for the last four years," Giotopoulos Moore said.
"So we have become very close."
The pair spent time training in Australia but are now based in Montreal, Canada.

 

[Aussie Willy]

Thanks for the link to the article @Sylvia

 

[Aussie Willy]

Website for Australian Figure Skating Championships is live

Australian Figure Skating Championships 2024 - AFSC2024

www.afsc2024.com.au

 

[Sylvia]

Screenshot of Golubeva's Instagram story - she and Hektor have WD from next week's Finlandia Trophy GP:

https://twitter.com/x/status/1854566463572488488

 

[Wyliefan]

Yuen/Ma must have split, as Oliver Ma is on Ice Partner Search.

Biography Removed - Ice Partner Search

I have removed my biography from Ice Partner Search.

icepartnersearch.com

 

[Sylvia]

^^^ Thanks @Wyliefan - saw that recently and forgot to post here. Link to Yuen/Ma's ISU bio: https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00117704.htm

 

[Foolhardy Ham Lint]

Yuen/Ma must have split, as Oliver Ma is on Ice Partner Search.

Biography Removed - Ice Partner Search

I have removed my biography from Ice Partner Search.

icepartnersearch.com

It must be hard when a team's results seem to flatten and devolve. Skating is hard.

 

[Sylvia]

Nov. 7:

Yuen/Ma must have split, as Oliver Ma is on Ice Partner Search.

Oliver Ma's IPS profile has since been removed and he and Renee Yuen are included in the drawn skating order list at Australian Nationals - maybe they have decided to stay together? Guess we shall see next week.

Drawn skating orders (singles & ice dance, no pairs are listed) as of Nov. 25: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1cR9ci5502RmZA4jpAJIRdUGYaLFn4bja/view

Senior Men (5)
Callum Bradshaw NSW
Julio Potapenko NSW
Charlton Doherty QLD
Darian Kaptich QLD
Douglas Gerber SA

Senior Women (9)
Maria Chernyshova NSW
Simona Bhasin QLD
Sienna Kaczmarczyk QLD
Emily-Jean Kelly QLD
Luna Shimogaki QLD
Ashley Colliver SA
Victoria Alcantara VIC
Tia Hochmann VIC
Hana Bath WA (also Junior again)

Senior Ice Dance (3)
Romy Malcolm QLD / Kobi Chant QLD
Holly Harris VIC / Jason Chan VIC
Samantha Udell VIC / Zachary Churton VIC (new)

Junior Women (19)
Pauline Gorelik NSW
Tamara Guindi NSW
Andrea Guo NSW
Ann Kyle NSW
Angela Yan Ying Ong NSW
Angelina Sanfilippo NSW
Trisha Tong NSW
Ava Zamprogno NSW
Mia Zeng QLD
Kalyn Shimogaki QLD
Ava Burns SA
Hope Rowe SA
Sophie Storey SA
Kate Ying Thomson SA
Isabella Wang SA
Iyla Wilson SA
Celine Zhang VIC
Hana Bath WA
Isabela Fernandes WA

Junior Men (6)
Maxwell Chen NSW
Rahul Ravindran NSW
James Lin SA
Vinceman Chong VIC
Billy Cornwell VIC
Daniel De Freitas WA

Junior Ice Dance (2)
Renee Yuen VIC / Oliver Ma VIC
Chanelle Chum WA / Osckar Chum WA

Singles & ice dance events will take place Monday, Dec. 2-Friday, Dec. 6, 2024. I can start a competition thread in the National Championships 2024-2025 subforum in Kiss & Cry in the next few days.

 

[Sylvia]

India Nette/Eron Westwood (https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00105950.htm) posted about why they are not competing this season:

I N D I A N E T T É on Instagram: "Hi Everyone 🤍 With Aussie Nationals underway, we felt it was time for us to make this video and give you an update. Many already know, but for financial reasons, we have made the decision to step back from compet

india_nette on December 2, 2024: "Hi Everyone 🤍 With Aussie Nationals underway, we felt it was time for us to make this video and give you an update. Many already know, but for financial reasons, we have made the decision to step back from competing for now. We’re looking forward to new and...

www.instagram.com

With Aussie Nationals underway, we felt it was time for us to make this video and give you an update.
Many already know, but for financial reasons, we have made the decision to step back from competing for now.
We’re looking forward to new and different opportunities professionally and are keeping the door open to competing in the future. This video is to say thank you to everyone who has supported us, particularly through our last season when we reached out for help.
We wouldn’t be ‘us’ without you.

Competition thread for Australian Nationals in the Kiss & Cry section: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ampionships-30-november-to-6-december.112341/

 

[Sylvia]

Best wishes to New Zealand's Yanhao (Dwayne) Li who's competing in his first JGP Final! Here's an article by Phil Taylor in East Auckland's Times Online (Dec. 3):

Aiming to be world’s No. 1 figure skater

Dwayne Li, at age 16, is already New Zealand’s highest-achieving figure skater in international competitions. He was the first New Zealand ice-skater to compete at the Winter Youth Olympic Games and significantly won a bronze medal at the global event in Gangwon, Korea, earlier this year. Li is...

www.times.co.nz

Excerpts:

“As I continue this journey, my primary focus is on refining the quality of my skating and mastering the quad toe loop and lutz, with four rotations in the air.
“These skills are essential as I prepare for upcoming competitions.
“My immediate goal is to win the ISU JGP final in Grenoble. Looking further ahead, I aim to achieve victory at the 2025 World Junior Figure Skating Championships in Hungary.
“I’m dedicated to pushing my limits and proudly representing New Zealand on the international stage.”

[Coach Bess] Cao says the achievements of the coach and athlete combination are also more remarkable because of a number of factors, including New Zealand’s geographic isolation.
It costs a considerable amount of money for Li and her to travel overseas and compete at elite-level events, where they face competitors from countries with more of an established history in ice-figure-skating and are better resourced and supported.
Despite the difficulties – “it’s a tough road to get qualifications” – Cao says, and the many “hoops to jump through”, coach and athlete have an excellent understanding and belief in each other’s abilities and roles.
They’d also welcome any sponsorship ideas or offers. [...]
“It’s about connecting with the audiences and judges,” Cao says, who comes up with the choreography ideas and they both work on improving them.

 

[Sylvia]

Yanhao/Dwayne Li’s coach, Bess Cao, shared this 2+ minute NZL news story on her student last month: https://www.instagram.com/reel/DCTaqHvyKfW/

View this content on Instagram

View this content on Instagram

Li recalls that watching Tom & Jerry’s “Mice Follies” episode may have gotten him 1st interested in skating!

 

[Sylvia]

Dwayne Yanhao Li posted an Instagram message in English and Chinese on Dec. 20 (he placed 5th in the JGP Final in Grenoble):

YanhaoLi—Dwayne on Instagram: "Hi everyone, Thank you all for your support and encouragement. JGPF definitely didn’t deliver the outcomes that I hoped for, but it highlighted the areas I need to work on. I feel fortunate to have gained this underst

132 likes, 4 comments - dwayne_yanhao on December 20, 2024: "Hi everyone, Thank you all for your support and encouragement. JGPF definitely didn’t deliver the outcomes that I hoped for, but it highlighted the areas I need to work on. I feel fortunate to have gained this understanding, and I...

www.instagram.com

Thank you all for your support and encouragement.

JGPF definitely didn’t deliver the outcomes that I hoped for, but it highlighted the areas I need to work on. I feel fortunate to have gained this understanding, and I will cherish this valuable experience and come back stronger. See you all in Junior Worlds.

Yanhao (Dwayne) Li

 

[Sylvia]

(Re-posting from the Dance Hall thread) Australian Junior ice dancer Oliver Ma, 16, has split (again) from Renee Yuen (https://www.isuresults.com/bios/isufs00117704.htm) and has relocated to the Ice Academy of Montreal: https://www.icepartnersearch.com/showbio.php?i=7759
I assume he was persuaded to compete at Australian Nationals in early December (they placed 1st of the 2 Junior teams) before making a final decision.

Australian Nationals competition thread in Kiss & Cry with results/event replay links: https://www.fsuniverse.net/forum/th...ampionships-30-november-to-6-december.112341/

Ice Skating Australia's post on Dec. 4th congratulating Hana Bath:

Ice Skating Australia on Instagram: "Congrats to Hana Bath 👏 First 3A for a woman in the history of an Australian Championships Highest combined score for any junior woman in the history of Australian skating"

498 likes, 10 comments - iceskatingaustralia on December 4, 2024: "Congrats to Hana Bath 👏 First 3A for a woman in the history of an Australian Championships Highest combined score for any junior woman in the history of Australian skating".

www.instagram.com

Fan cam video clip of her 3A in her Junior FS: https://x.com/0liverloves0mar/status/1864657491604197383

Copying over some of my (and others') posts from the Kiss & Cry thread - Junior singles results:

Junior Women [top 3]
Result
FPl. Name Nation Points SP FS
1 Hana BATH WA 189.49 1 1 (FS 7 of 8 triples clean: 3Lo, 3A (8.00 bv -1.76 = 6.24), 3Lz+3T (+1.06), 3F (+1.06), 3Lz+2A+2A (+1.18), 3F+2T, 3S)
2 Mia Zixuan ZENG (J) QLD 168.85 2 2 (5 clean triples: 2A, 3F+3T, 3Lz+2A (+1.06), 3F+2T+2Lo, 3Lz fall, 3Loq, 3S)
3 Kalyn SHIMOGAKI QLD 134.69 3 3
[...]
Junior Women FS protocols: https://results.iceskatingvictoria....OR----FNL-000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	CO	PR	SK	Ded. -	StN.
1​	Hana BATH	WA	128.82​	75.42​		53.40​	6.50​	6.60​	6.90​	0.00​	#18​
2​	Mia Zixuan ZENG (J)	QLD	113.05​	64.65​		49.40​	6.25​	6.15​	6.10​	1.00​	#17​

Junior Men [top 2]
1 Vinceman CHONG VIC 160.66 1 1
2 James LIN SA 119.18 2 2

In addition to winning the Junior silver medal, Mia Zeng won the Adv. Novice Girls title:

A young skater that caught my eye last season, Mia Zixuan ZENG, leads in the Advanced Novice Girls SP by 12.5 points! She scored 45.83 [28.77 TES/17.06 PCS] and landed 3Fb+2T, 2Ab & 3Lz - SP protocols: https://results.iceskatingvictoria....OV----QUAL000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf
Here's a timestamped link to watch Mia's Adv. Novice SP performance to Tchaikovsky's "Pas de Deux" from The Nutcracker: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gaFFKxfbWjY&t=2710s
She will also compete in the Junior Women SP later today.

Mia Zeng is adorable, and the jumps were pretty good if small. But she's got to be tiny at 11 years old. She won the free skate earlier today with a score over 90, then placed second in the junior women's short program with a 55. Definitely one to watch!

Senior Women top 4:
1 Hana BATH (S) WA 181.10 1 1
2 Maria CHERNYSHOVA NSW 130.34 2 4
3 Sienna KACZMARCZYK QLD 125.09 3 3
4 Victoria ALCANTARA VIC 121.81 4 2

Hana Bath's jumps: 3Lo, 3A step out - very good attempt! high 3Lz+3T, 3F / 3Lz good spring to 2A+2A, 3F+2T, final jump looked like a 2S to me. She did a clockwise single Axel in her choreo. sequence. ETA link to FS protocols: https://results.iceskatingvictoria....------FNL-000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf
Hana Bath's [Senior] FS jumps: 3Lo, 3A (8.00 bv -1.92 = 6.08), 3Lz+3T<, 3F, 3Lz+2A+2A+SEQ, 3F+2T, 3Sq (called a triple Salchow).

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	CO	PR	SK	Ded. -	StN.
1​	Hana BATH (S)	WA	120.80​	70.07​		50.73​	6.25​	6.30​	6.45​	0.00​	#9​

Senior Men
Result
FPl. Name Nation Points SP FS
1 Darian KAPTICH QLD 187.05 1 1 (FS jumps: 3T, 3Lz+2T-, 3Lz-, 2Lz, 3S, 3T+2A+2A+SEQ, 2Lz+2T)
2 Julio POTAPENKO NSW 166.31 2 2
3 Douglas GERBER SA 155.19 3 3
4 Charlton DOHERTY QLD 131.30 4 5
5 Callum BRADSHAW NSW 121.29 5 4

FS protocols: https://results.iceskatingvictoria....------FNL-000100--_JudgesDetailsperSkater.pdf

Pl.	Name	Nation	TSS =	TES +		PCS +	CO	PR	SK	Ded. -	StN.
1​	Darian KAPTICH	QLD	125.67​	59.73​		65.94​	6.45​	6.75​	6.60​	0.00​	#5​
2​	Julio POTAPENKO	NSW	110.04​	53.60​		56.44​	5.65​	5.40​	5.90​	0.00​	#4​
3​	Douglas GERBER	SA	100.90​	50.62​		51.28​	5.05​	4.95​	5.40​	1.00​	#3​
4​	Callum BRADSHAW	NSW	80.15​	28.87​		52.28​	5.30​	5.55​	4.85​	1.00​	#1​

2025 4CC CTES:
Men 86
Women 75

Douglas GERBER AUS 93.70 - confirmed on Dec. 7 that he is going to 4CC: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDTRuidy8Z9/
Darian KAPTICH AUS 87.33 - his post-Nationals message: https://www.instagram.com/p/DDTQyW1xF3R/
Maria CHERNYSHOVA AUS 76.39

Senior Dance
Result
FPl. Name Nation Points RD FD
1 Holly HARRIS / Jason CHAN VIC 184.57 1 1
2 Romy MALCOLM / Kobi CHANT QLD 139.56 2 2
3 Samantha UDELL / Zach CHURTON VIC 83.43 3 3

Dec. 7, 2024 by @Aussie Willy ("Just my comments about what I watched at AFSC this week."):

Hana has improved immensely on her components. You can see the hard work pay off. Mia Zeng is an amazing little skater. Apart from the technical she has an intuitive ability to interpret the music. Darian as usual is very entertaining. He gave us a bit of Raygun during the banquet.

Holly and Jason were beautiful in the FD. Seeing it live you picked up all the nuances in the music which they expressed beautifully. However I enjoyed the whole dance event. Romy and Kobi performed incredibly well too. They are very strong and expressive. And Samantha and Zac have only been together 3 months so will be interested to see how they develop over the next 12 months because they have the potential. And the two Junior teams are developing nicely. Renee and Oliver have improved greatly during the year and Chantelle and Oscar have only just moved into Junior so they will work hard over the next 12 months to develop their skills.

 

[Sylvia]

Link to the High Performance section of Ice Skating Australia's website: https://isa.org.au/general-info/high-performance/

The "ISA International Assignments Calendar 2024-2025" spreadsheet currently lists the skaters ("Approved by ISA Board=Blue") up until mid-February with 4CC TBA.

 

[Sylvia]

Dec. 12th in the CTES thread pinned at the top of GSD:

Renee Tsai NZL has earned the CTES min for Jr Worlds at Edusport Trophy! Her SP TES rose 5 pts from it's previous high and pushes her CTES to 75.93 with the FS still to go!

Renee TSAI

NZL

78.89

Edusport Trophy 2024

12/12/2024

31.39

J

Edusport Trophy 2024

13/12/2024

47.50

J

Interestingly, New Zealand Ice Skating Association's November 2024 Newsletter, published on Dec. 2, lists Yanhao Dwayne Li and Petra Lahti "(subject to ISU clearance)" for 2025 Junior Worlds: https://www.nzifsa.org.nz/news/November 2024 Newsletter.pdf

NZIFSA Selection Policy (July 2024): https://www.nzifsa.org.nz/rules/Selection Policy V19.pdf

Lahti won the Senior Women's event (141.04) at NZL Nationals, October 17-20 - her post-Nationals photos:

petra lahti on Instagram: "nz photodumpp!! nationals done✔️🥇had a great time competing, making new friends and travelling around💗 big thanks to @skateshophelsinki @tslihashuolto @fysiominja @besst_cao and everyone else involved🙏🏼💗 @edeaskates @jac

petralahtii on October 30, 2024: "nz photodumpp!! nationals done✔️🥇had a great time competing, making new friends and travelling around💗 big thanks to @skateshophelsinki @tslihashuolto @fysiominja @besst_cao and everyone else involved🙏🏼💗 @edeaskates @jackson.ultima #edeafamily #edeapiano...

www.instagram.com

Belatedly... Yanhao Li [...] last week won the Junior Men's title (228.39 total, 149.69 in FS) again at New Zealand Nationals - results page: https://www.nzifsa.org.nz/competitions/2024comps/2024/

Petra LAHTI

FIN

77.98

ISU JGP Osaka 2023

15/09/2023

29.20

J

Tallinn Trophy 2023

23/11/2023

48.78

J

IF she receives her ISU Clearance Certificate in time, can Lahti use her CTES from when she competed for Finland?

 

[Karen-W]

Petra LAHTI

FIN

77.98

ISU JGP Osaka 2023

15/09/2023

29.20

J

Tallinn Trophy 2023

23/11/2023

48.78

J

IF she receives her ISU Clearance Certificate in time, can she use her CTES from when she competed for Finland?

Based on past precedent of FBSoer and Les Gacs being allowed to use their TES mins earned representing DEN & FRA when they were entered at 4CCs after sitting out their waiting periods, I would say, yes, Lahti would be able to use the CTES earned representing FIN.