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Irish Figure Skaters Show Their Best At Denkova-Staviski Cup

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A total of five figure skaters represented Ireland at this weekend’s Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria competing in three different categories.

Dillon Judge (Co. Down) made his season debut at the event. In the short programme, he began with a pristine triple Lutz. He had to step out on the landing of a triple Salchow and lost points by not being able to turn into a combination. He executed a Level 3 change foot camel spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin before landing a double Axel. He closed with a Level 4 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence to score 52.66 points, the highest score he has ever posted for a short. He was in tenth place overnight.

Judge opened his free skating with a double Axel-double Axel sequence. He then reeled off a solo triple Lutz and a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination in succession before nailing a Level 4 flying sit spin. There followed a triple Salchow-double toe loop. He missed required features in change foot camel spin which resulted in the element receiving only a base level and had a hard fall on a second triple Salchow. Nevertheless he finished his routine with another career best score of 99.07 points which gave him a total of 151.73 points and 11th place overall.

Carolane Soucisse and Shane Firus (Co. Wexford) had to withdraw midway through their previous competition last month due to illness and were on the comeback trail in Sofia. They commenced their James Brown routine with a choreographic rhythm sequence and a Level 1 midline step sequence. Level 4 sequential twizzles for Soucisse and Level 3 for Firus ensued with their pattern type step sequence receiving a base level. They closed out with a strong Level 4 rotational lift and sat in seventh place on 60.10 points after the segment.

The two-time Irish champions launched into their “When Harry Met Sally” free dance with intent. They produced an excellent stationary and rotational lift combination to get proceedings under way and continued with Level 3 foot turns for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus. They next inserted a choreographic step sequence and a Level 4 dance spin. Their serpentine steps were Level 1 for Soucisse and Level 2 for Firus, while they both achieved Level 4 for their synchronised twizzles. They wrapped up with a choreographic hydroblading movement, a Level 4 straight line lift and a choreographic dance lift. A season best score of 104.02 was good enough for third in the free and fourth overall on a total of 164.12.

Two Irish skaters competed in the Junior Women’s event. Saoirse O’Sullivan (Co. Tipperary) was first up and she started positively her short programme with a good double flip. She came undone on a double Axel attempt, but rallied with a Level 4 sit spin. She eked out a double Lutz-double toe loop combination and Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She had an unfortunate fall in her Level 2 step sequence and ended with a Level 2 change foot combination spin. Despite the technical issues, she still managed to wind up with a career best score of 29.99 points for her short and placed 33rd. Due to a cut after the short, she did not advance to the free skating.

Sophia Tkacheva (Co. Wexford) was another Irish team member making her season debut. In her short programme, she stepped out on the landing of a double Axel and put a hand down on the first part of a double Lutz-double toe loop jump combination. She was awarded a Level 4 for a layback spin and got Level 1 for a flying camel spin. She landed a double flip and earned Level 2 for her step sequence. She had an untimely ending to the routine when she fell out of a Level 3 change foot combination spin. Nevertheless, her score of 34.82 points was enough for 29th and a place in the free skating.

Tkacheva was second to skate in the free and fell on her opening double Axel and also had difficulties with her triple Salchow attempt. She settled down with a double Lutz-double toe loop combination before performing a Level 4 flying change foot sit spin, a double loop and a double loop-Euler-double Salchow. She had another fall on a double flip-double toe loop combination and rounded out her programme with a Level 3 layback spin and a Level 2 change foot combination spin. With a score of 57.73 points she took 27th place in the free and moved up to 28th with a total of 92.55 points.

Judge 10th At Denkova Staviski Cup

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Dillon Judge has finished in 10th place overall at this weekend’s Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria.

It was a tough start for Judge in the short programme as he fell on an opening triple Salchow. However, he came back to tack on a double toe loop to his originally planned solo triple toe loop jump. He continued with a Level 2 change foot camel spin and a Level 4 change foot combination spin before stepping out on the landing of a double Axel. He concluded with a Level 3 flying sit spin and a Level 2 step sequence to earn a score of 42.85 points and putting him in 11th place overnight.

In contrast to the short, Judge got his free skating off to a flying start by landing a triple toe loop and then nailing a triple Lutz cleanly for the first time in his competitive career. A subsequent double Axel had a step out, but he settled down to execute a Level 4 flying sit spin. He just about pulled off a triple Salchow-double Axel sequence and followed that with a Level 1 change foot camel spin and a choreographic step sequence. His final jumping passes were a triple Salchow, a double Lutz-Euler-double Salchow and a double loop. He ended with a change foot combination spin and was awarded a free score of 95.58 points for ninth place in the segment and a total of 138.43.

Stakelum 10th, McAllister 13th At Denkova-Staviski Cup

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Irish figure skaters Sam McAllister and Conor Stakelum have completed their participation in the Senior Men’s event at the Denkova-Staviski Cup in Sofia, Bulgaria earlier today (14 November).

The first of the Irish entries to take to the ice for the short programme was Stakelum. He rotated a triple loop and went on to land a triple toe loop-triple toe loop combination and a double Axel. He also executed three Level 4 spins and scored 59.44 points to place seventh at the interim stage.

In the following warm-up group, McAllister skated his short. He singled a triple Lutz and attempted a triple flip combination, while later on in his routine he landed a double Axel and had two of his spins graded Level 4. He received 47.89 points for the segment to place 14th.

In the free skating, McAllister was the first of the Irish competitors to perform. He opened with a triple Lutz-double toe loop combination and went on to attempt three more triples. He also landed two double Axels and was awarded Level 4 for two of his spins. With a free score of 92.51 and a total of 140.40, the Irish senior champion finished in 13th place overall.

Stakelum began his free by doubling a planned triple loop and included four other triple jumps, two double Axels and three Level 4 spins in his programme. The five-time Irish senior champion scored 104.58 points for his free giving him a total of 164.02 for 10th place in the final standings.

Full detailed results for the Denkova-Staviski Cup can be viewed here.