Zhang Medals for Team USA at Trophee Eric Bompard

November, 16, 2008 

By Jamie M. Blanchard

(Paris, France) - At the fourth competition in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series, Team USA claimed one bronze medal, from the stellar performance of California teenager Caroline Zhang.

Team USA now has 13 total medals from the 2008 Grand Prix of Figure Skating circuit with two events, the Cup of Russia in Moscow, Russia, and the NHK Trophy in Tokyo, Japan remaining. Ice dancers Meryl Davis and Charlie White won gold at Skate Canada while Jeremy Abbott added gold at Cup of China.

Men, Free Skating

Ryan Bradley could not duplicate his Skate Canada silver medal performance in Paris. The natural showman had no problem charming the crowd but did have difficulty on several jumps throughout the competition.

Bradley's total score of 175.62 at Trophee Eric Bompard was well off the 212.75 he scored two weeks ago in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. He finished fifth in the short program and 10th in the free skate for seventh place overall.

He received two deductions in his free skate for falls on his triple Axels, one which also was downgraded to a double, and the second jump in his triple flip-double toe combination received zero points. Bradley also received no points because it was the third double toe of the program - he previously performed a triple lutz-double toe-double loop and a triple lutz-double toe.

Brandon Mroz (189.46) finished fifth behind World Champion Brian Joubert of France. The young American fell on his opening quadruple toe attempt but quickly recovered for a triple axel-double toe and triple flip-double toe-double loop combinations.

Mroz also landed a triple loop before having his second triple axel downgraded. He went on to perform a triple lutz-triple toe, triple Salchow and triple lutz.

All of his non-jumping elements received a Level 3 or Level 4.

Skate Canada Champion Patrick Chan (238.09) of Canada easily took his second gold medal of the Grand Prix season. Skate America Champion Takahiko Kozuka of Japan finished second with 230.78. France's Alban Preaubert (222.44) took bronze.

Pairs, Free Skating

Tiffany Vise and Derek Trent did not perform their throw quadruple Salchow at Trophee Eric Bompard, the same competition where they achieved history with the move last season. But they did land a throw triple Salchow en route to a fourth place free skate.

Vise and Trent placed fifth overall with 140.00 points, well off the personal best 165.76 the couple set in Paris last year. They were sixth in the short program on Friday.

Among the elements in their free skate were a double twist, side-by-side double toes and a throw triple loop. All of their lifts, spins and footwork sequences except one were marked as a Level 3 or 4.

German World Champions Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy won their second gold medal of the Grand Prix season with 188.50. Second and third place went to Russians Maria Mukhortova and Maxim Trankov (170.87) and Canadians Meagan Duhamel and Craig Buntin (166.63).

Ladies, Free Skating

Caroline Zhang (156.54 points) won her first Grand Prix medal of the season with third place performances in the short program and free skate at Trophee Eric Bompard. Gold and silver went to Skate Canada Champion Joannie Rochette (180.73) of Canada and World Champion Mao Asada (167.59) of Japan.

Zhang had trouble in the opening moments of her free skate. Both jumps in her triple flip-triple toe combination were downgraded to double. The triple lutz in her next combination, the triple lutz-double toe, also received an edge deduction.

But Zhang rebounded to land a double axel, triple flip, triple loop, triple Salchow and a triple loop-double toe-double loop combination. With the exception of one Level 2 straight line step sequence, all of her non-jumping elements were scored as a Level 4.

Beatrisa Liang finished in fifth place with 134.29. In her fifth place free skate, she fell on her triple flip and double axel. She also received two edge deductions, one her opening triple lutz-double toe combination and another for her double lutz.

Liang did have all but her straight line footwork marked as a Level 4.

It was a rough outing for 2006 Olympian Emily Hughes, who is currently attending Harvard fulltime. She placed ninth out of 10 skaters with 115.48 points, following an eighth place short program and ninth place free skate.

Hughes' free skate included a fall on her triple flip-double toe combination, which had both jumps downgraded, her triple toe and the other triple toe at the end of her program, which was also downgraded.

She performed a triple lutz-double toe-double loop combination as well as a double axel and a triple Salchow. But her other problems included a single lutz and a Level 1 footwork sequence.

Ice Dance, Free Dance

The top three remained unchanged after the free dance.

World Champions Isabelle Delobel and Olivier Schoenfelder of France easily won the competition with 184.81 points. Second and third place went to Italy's Federica Faiella and Massimo Scali (179.58) and Great Britain's Sinead Kerr and John Kerr (176.96).

America's only ice dancing team at Trophee Eric Bompard finished eighth of 10 couples. Jennifer Wester and Daniil Barantsev finished eighth in the compulsory dance, the original dance and the free dance to finish with 142.95.

Trophee Eric Bompard is the fourth event in the six-event Grand Prix series that concludes with the Grand Prix Final in Goyang City, Korea, Dec. 10-14. The other events are Skate America in Everett, Wash., Oct. 24-26; Skate Canada in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada, Oct. 31-Nov. 2; Cup of China in Beijing, China, Nov. 6-9; Cup of Russia in Moscow, Russia, Nov. 20-23; and NHK Trophy in Tokyo, Japan, Nov. 27-30.

The Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, now in its 14th season, consists of six international events in a cumulative, point-scoring format. The top six scoring athletes in each discipline move onto the Grand Prix Final, which will be combined with the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final.

Jamie M. Blanchard is a freelance contributor for teamusa.org. This feature was not subject to the approval of the United States Olympic Committee or any National Governing Bodies.