Ashley Wagner competes in the women's short program at the 2017 U.S. Figure Skating Championships on Jan. 19, 2017 in Kansas City, Mo.
Ashley Wagner may have launched her senior international skating career 10 years ago at Skate Canada, but proved on Saturday she still holds a fierce level of competition after earning the bronze medal at the same event in Regina, Saskatchewan.
Wagner, the 2016 world silver medalist, rose from seventh place in the short program to place fourth in the free skate and earn the bronze medal for her fourth career podium finish at Skate Canada and her 17th grand prix medal in her 11th season on the circuit.
Skate Canada marked Wagner’s first competition of the season. She earned a score of 61.57 for her short program to “Hip Hip Chin Chin” and 122.37 for her free skate to a variety of selections from the “Moulin Rouge!” soundtrack, both of which she revived from her 2015-16 season.
Three-time Canadian national champion Kaetlyn Osmond, who led the completion after the short program, overcame a fall in her free skate to win the event with 212.91 points, followed by Russia’s Maria Sotskova with 192.52. Wagner totaled 183.94.
Russia’s Anna Pogorilaya, who was second after the short program, finished ninth.
Courtney Hicks, who was fourth after the short program and fifth in the free skate, finished fourth with 182.57 points, and reigning U.S. champion Karen Chen finished seventh with a score of 170.40.
Gary R. Blockus is a journalist from Allentown, Pennsylvania who has covered multiple Olympic Games. He is a freelance contributor to TeamUSA.org on behalf of Red Line Editorial, Inc.
