Now that the juniors’ season is officially over, we’re bringing you some glimpses from Barcelona, last December. As you see for yourselves, this is not about the rankings or statistics of the 2015 Junior Grand Prix Final – but mostly about smiles, focus, reward, creating memories. It’s not an exhaustive photo-story either, but a mosaic, if you will, of this and that. Small pieces glued together, with the passion, enthusiasm for skating as the binder. Coincidentally (or not), most of the pictures are from the junior ladies’ event.
Japan’s Marin Honda (in the foreground) and Russia’s Polina Tsurkaya (in the background) during the 6-minute warm-up prior to the short program
Russia’s Maria Sotskova during the 6-minute warm-up before SP; this season, Maria skated to “Black Magic Woman” by Carlos Santana
Marin Honda, in her dress resembling a flower: the 14-year-old Japanese skated this season to the wonderful “Violin Sonata no. 5” by Ludwig van Beethoven, also known as the “Frühlingssonate” (Spring Sonata)
Top 3 ladies after the short program, posing for the photographers in the mixed zone: Marin Honda (third), Polina Tsurkaya (first), Alisa Fedichkina (second)
Top 3 pairs after the short program in Barcelona: Amina Atakhanova and Ilia Spiridonov (second), Ekaterina Borisova and Dmitry Sopot (first), Anna Dušková and Martin Bidař (third)
Who said mixed zone wasn’t funny?
A focused Dmitri Aliev during the 6-minute warm-up prior to the short program’ segment of the competition; this season, Dmitri skated to “Nothing the Same” by Gary Moore
Top 3 men after SP in the mixed zone: Russia’s Dmitri Aliev (second), USA’s Nathan Chen (first), Japan’s Sota Yamamoto (third)
Lorraine McNamara and Quinn Carpenter – and their wonderful edges during their free dance to “Carmen”; the Americans were crowned 2015 Junior Grand Prix Final champions
Power, confidence, attitude: Lorraine and Quinn skating to “Carmen”
…and a great set of twizzles in the warm-up
Alla Loboda and Pavel Drozd – and their free dance telling the story of the famous violinist Niccolò Paganini. The Russians finished the event in Barcelona on the second place – and Inside Skating talked to them on the last day of 2015 JGPF.
Dmitri Aliev finished the overall competition in Barcelona on the second place: for his long program, he chose to skate to music from “Notre-Dame de Paris” by Riccardo Cocciante
A beautiful, serene Maria Sotskova during the press conference after the free skate; Maria won the silver medal in Barcelona, in the third Junior Grand Prix Final of her career
The medalists of the ladies’ event in Barcelona, all smiles and laughter during the press conference; from left to right: Maria Sotskova (silver), Polina Tsurkaya (gold), Marin Honda (bronze)
The 14-year-old bronze medalist, Marin Honda, listening to the journalists’ questions
Marin, like a tiny, precious porcelain doll
Ladies and gentlemen, these are your medalists: Maria, Polina, Marin
Marin Honda during the medals ceremony, as if she were embracing the audience and the red dot flags in the arena
The ladies, showing off their shiny medals
A smiling girl in the heart of the Japanese flag – what a season this has been for Marin Honda. Three months after this particular snapshot in Barcelona, she’ll be crowned the 2016 World Junior champion in Debrecen (Hungary)
FURTHER READING
Yes, he can. His Majesty Yuzuru Hanyu
PHOTO GALLERY Yuzuru Hanyu at the 2015 Grand Prix Final in Barcelona
Edges, lines, emotions: my week at 2015 Grand Prix Final
2015 Grand Prix Final: “Bellissima, bravissima Mao!”
The ice dancing event at 2015 GPF: a journey through emotions
In the spotlight: Shoma Uno takes GPF bronze in his first season in seniors