NHK Trophy 2023: Surprises again as Ava Ziegler caps American one-two with Lindsay Thorngren
A couple of 17-year-olds from New Jersey take the final event of the ISU Grand Prix season by storm in Osaka, Japan. Nina Pinzarrone of Belgium wins bronze.
Figure Skating
It wasn't Lindsay Thorngren but another unheralded teenage American in Ava Ziegler who came out of the pack to win the NHK Trophy 2023 in Osaka, Japan, on Saturday (25 November) for her first career ISU Grand Prix Figure Skating title.
The 17-year-old Thorngren had led after the short program a day earlier against most expectations - including her own.
But as Thorngren finished third in the free skate on Saturday afternoon (129.80) and the early favourite Lee Hae-in further slipped to sixth (126.02), Ziegler, also 17, capitalized to jump from fifth to first (138.46).
“I feel super excited, relieved - and happy,” said Ziegler who, like her fellow New Jersey-based friend Thorngren, is only in her second senior campaign.
“It definitely helps with my confidence and honestly, just looking towards other competitions I will stay humble but use this to better myself next time and just keep building on this.”
Ziegler finished with a 200.50 total, two points ahead of Thorngren (198.73) as the Grand Prix series made it sixth and last stop, with only the Grand Prix Final (7-10 December) in Beijing remaining.
Belgium’s Nina Pinzarrone won bronze with a 194.66 - a result that clinched her one of six places in the Final in her maiden Grand Prix season.
Pinzarrone was the only qualifier from the NHK Trophy women's field as Lee, who wound up fourth on 188.95, needed to win secure a berth in the Final.
Ziegler said she was confident going into the free skate after her short program, certain she was capable of improving her performance.
“I really used my fifth-place result yesterday to motivate me, because I know that I can do better and I really used it to push me to be the best I can today,” she said.
“I did stick to my plan which was to execute everything I do in practice and just show everybody that I can do it.”
The Japanese team had an atypical outing in their home Grand Prix with Aoki Yuna’s fifth place (184.46) being the highest.
Mihara Mai struggled through her right-ankle injury to eighth (172.64). Beijing 2022 Olympian Higuchi Wakaba was ninth (165.69).
Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson takes ice dance title
Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson traded places at the top with Charlene Guignard/Marco Fabbri following the free skate to win the ice dance crown as both couples qualified for the Grand Prix Final.
Fear/Gibson's untarnished 130.26 for a season best vaulted them past Guignard/Fabbri (129.29) for a 215.19 total - less than a point over the Italian duo.
Allison Reed/Saulius Ambrulevicius finished third on 118.15 for a 196.86 over the two segments. The Lithuanian team are the first alternates for Beijing.