Junior Grand Prix: Belarus

After a week off, the Junior Grand Prix picked up again. This time in Minsk, Belarus. By all accounts, it was a rough go for Team USA.

In Pairs, China reigned supreme with two of three Chinese teams competing taking the gold and silver medals. Sui and Han, who as far as I could tell were in their first major international competition, won by nearly twenty points. A future powerhouse? See the video below...I find them very accomplished at such a young age! Zhang and Wang, the team that finished 16th at the World Championships in L.A. took the silver. Canadians Hole and Johnson, who won gold in Lake Placid, had to settle for the bronze in Belarus after a comeback performance from 7th place in the short program. Americans Carmen and Reiss finished 10th.

Amongst the women, Polina Shelepen managed another win, her second on the Junior Grand Prix. Japan's Yuki Nishino pulled in for the silver medal and Ksenia Makarova of Russia again medaled on the Junior Grand Prix; this time a bronze. American Kristiene Gong slipped from third after the short program to finish fourth overall.

In the men's field, Russian Artur Gachinski got his season underway with a win in Minsk. China's Nan Song broke up a Russian party by taking the silver (almost the gold, he had the wiing free skate and it was very close) with Gachinski's teammate Stanislav Kovalev earning the bronze. American Eliot Halverson placed fifth in the field.

In Ice Dance, Russian's Monko and Khaliavin dominated the field and took the ice dance easily. The lone medal America was able to walk away with was Tibbetts and Brubaker's silver. A much better performance for them here than at Lake Placid where they had a tumble on their footwork. The bronze went to Agafonova and Dun of Ukraine.

Full results are here. This week the Junior Grand Prix stays in the region with a stop in Dresden, Germany.