Nebelhorn Trophy 2024: Elyce Lin-Gracey clinches breakout win in Oberstdorf
The 17-year-old achieved another big personal best in the free skate to lead a USA one-two with world silver medallist Isabeau Levito second ahead of Yoshida Hana.
Figure Skating
For the second weekend in a row, American women finished one and two in ISU Challenger Series figure skating competitions.
At the Nebelhorn Trophy on Saturday (21 September), it was the turn of Elyce Lin-Gracey to stand atop the podium after another outstanding skate in Oberstdorf, Germany.
The 17-year-old led the field after a personal best short program on Thursday, and she did the same in the free skate to score a comprehensive victory ahead of world silver medallist Isabeau Levito.
Skating to 'Wadjet' and 'Cleopatra's Death' by Claude-Michel Schoenberg, Lin-Gracey showed no sign of nerves as she secured by far the biggest win of her career having finished second to Sarah Everhardt at last month's Cranberry Cup.
The California native landed six triple jumps in a clean skate routine which earned her a score of 142.17, an improvement of 16 points on her previous best. That gave her a winning total of 213.33, less than half a point higher than Amber Glenn's total at last weekend's Lombardia Trophy.
After her fifth place in the short program, Levito put together a much-improved jumping display in her skate to Liszt's 'Liebestraum' to move up to second.
Yoshida Hana almost certainly would have displaced Levito from second had she not popped a triple Lutz near the end of her routine. Having landed a fine triple Axel at the start, the Japanese finished just one-hundredth of a point behind Levito on the free skate - and 1.67 points behind overall - as she took third place.
Lying second after the short program, reigning Four Continents champion Chiba Mone struggled on her free skate with five of her jumping elements attracting negative grades of execution. She was fifth on the day to finish fourth overall.
Swiss skater Livia Kaiser was fourth on the day but just failed to overhaul Chiba in the total standings. Her compatriot, former European silver medallist Kimmy Repond was sixth after moving up four spots from the short program.
On Friday in Oberstdorf, Yamamoto Sota took the men's singles title for Japan.
Final women's singles results at the ISU Challenger Series Nebelhorn Trophy 2024 (top 10):
- Elyce Lin-Gracey (USA) 213.33 (71.16; 142.17)
- Isabeau Levito (USA) 198.13 (61.30; 136.83)
- Yoshida Hana (JPN) 196.47 (59.65; 136.82)
- Chiba Mone (JPN) 193.37 (67.95; 125.42)
- Livia Kaiser (SUI) 191.24 (62.87; 128.37)
- Kimmy Repond (SUI) 172.32 (53.45; 118.87)
- Madeline Schizas (CAN) (60.61; 111.61)
- Janna Jyrkinen (FIN) 168.82 (57.24; 111.58)
- Sara-Maude Dupuis (CAN) 166.31 (62.20; 104.11)
- Olga Mikutina (AUT) 160.84 (56.47; 104.37)