Evgenia Medvedeva of Russia performs during the ladies’ singles short program at the Skate America figure skating competition in Milwaukee. (Reuters)

AFP/Milwaukee


Evgenia Medvedeva made an impressive entrance to the senior Grand Prix circuit on Friday, seizing the lead after the ladies’ short programme at Skate America.
The 15-year-old Russian, last season’s world junior champion, earned 70.92 points with a demanding programme designed to maximise scoring.
All three of her jump elements—triple flip-triple toe combination, double axel and triple loop—came in the second half of the routine to earn 10 percent bonuses.
Two of her jumps were executed with a hand over her head, further boosting the points for her programme to the romantic “Melodies of the White Night” soundtrack.
“This is the second season I’ve been using this layout,” said Medvedeva, who led American Gracie Gold and Japan’s world silver medallist Satoko Miyahara going into Saturday’s free skate.
“At first, it was harder. Now I am used to it. Obviously, I’m doing it to make the programme more (difficult) and get more points.”
For Gold it was a frustrating start to a season aimed at the World Championships in her native Boston next March.
The American opened her sophisticated tango with a soaring combination but doubled an intended triple flip to earn no points for the element—a flub that likely cost her the lead.
“I’ve just been working a lot on the timing of the three turns, trying to get an inside edge, and I lost a bit of my attention,” said Gold, whose 65.39 points gave her just a slim advantage over Miyahara (65.12.).
“I still feel really solid in the start of the Grand Prix season and I want to do a killer long tomorrow.”
Miyahara delivered a flamenco that included an impressive layback, but she under-rotated her triple flip.
“I think this performance was better than last time,” she said, adding that she’d improved her presentation since the US International Classic last month. “I’ve been working on my facial (expressions) and also my speed. I am happy with my program today.”

Aaron surprise men’s leader
A home hope was in control in the men’s competition after 2013 US champion Max Aaron—who just missed out on a 2014 Sochi Olympics berth—landed all of his jumps, including a quadruple toe loop in combination, to lead after the short programme.
“I’ve been waiting for it to happen,” Aaron said after posting a personal best score of 86.67 points to lead China’s Yan Han (86.53) and Russian Konstantin Menshov (86.15).
Japan’s world junior champion Shoma Uno and world bronze medallist Denis Ten of Kazakhstan both fell on quadruple attempts, Uno settling for fourth place and Ten for sixth going into the decisive free skate.
Reigning US champions Alexa Scimeca and Chris Knierim were the surprise leaders after the pairs short programme.
No US pair has won a Grand Prix event since 2006, but the duo’s intense programme to Metallica’s “Nothing Else Matters” gave them a personal best 69.69 points and a 1.41-point lead over China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong (68.28).
China’s Wang Xuehan and Wang Lei were third on 64.95.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates led after the short dance, ahead of Russians Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov with Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier in third.