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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2023 17:44:39 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2023 19:39:41 GMT
The last time Isabeau Levito missed finishing on a podium at a skating event was all the way back in 2016, when she finished in 11th place as a juvenile at the 2017 Eastern Sectional Championships.
On Friday, the 15-year-old continued that streak and captured her first senior women's title at the 2023 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships in San Jose, California. Levito held off a strong challenge by two-time U.S. champion Bradie Tennell, who finished with the silver medal, the fifth podium finish at the senior level for the 24-year-old. Amber Glenn moved up from fourth place after the short program to win the bronze medal, while 21-year-old Starr Andrews finished with the pewter medal, making history in the process as the first Black skater to finish on the podium in the women's senior event at a U.S. Championships since Debi Thomas in 1988.
Looking for his first U.S. title, Ilia Malinin leads the men's competition after skating the best short program of his career and earning a new personal best score. Two-time Olympian Jason Brown made his return to competition after finishing in sixth place at the 2022 Olympic Winter Games and stands in second place. Tomoki Hiwatashi, the 2019 World Junior champion who missed last year's Championships due to a COVID-19 diagnosis, finished in third.
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Post by Admin on Jan 28, 2023 21:35:39 GMT
SAN JOSE, Calif. -- Graceful, gutsy and seemingly unfazed by the bright lights, 15-year-old Isabeau Levito decided to go for it in her free skate while reminding herself once more to just stay calm. The teen star needed a near-flawless free skate to capture gold at the U.S. Figure Skating Championships after Bradie Tennell's beautiful performance minutes earlier. Levito accomplished just that, delivering a dazzling 149.55 score for a 223.33 total to win her first women's national title Friday night. "I was just very proud of myself for having collected myself and done the program that I needed to do," Levito said. "Going into this event, my entire goal truly for almost even both programs was to stay composed and really try to suppress my nerves as much as possible, to really not let little, minor, silly mistakes happen."  Isabeau Levito delivered a 149.55 score in Friday night's free skate for a 223.33 total and her first women's national championship. AP Photo/Josie Lepe The New Jersey skater drew a rousing standing ovation from an audience wowed by her poise under pressure on the national stage. Afterward, she clasped the medal in her gloved right hand and made the rounds of congratulatory hellos, hugs and photos. "I actually can't even find the word to describe it right now," Levito said. Then she smiled, scratched her chin and requested, "just give me a minute." Two-time U.S. champion Tennell scored a 139.36 in the free skate and finished second with a 213.12 total. She missed the entire 2021-22 season with foot and ankle injuries, so the comeback meant a lot to her. "I didn't think I was going to be able to do this again," Tennell said, calling this her most special nationals yet and noting that she absolutely plans to go for it this next Olympic cycle. "Skating at nationals again, I was giving myself a pep talk earlier in the mirror 'cause that's what I do," she said. "I said to myself, 'You dreamed of this for an entire year, and now you're here,' and I told myself I wanted to go out there and I wanted to soak up every moment and be present, and I did that." Levito elegantly landed her triple lutz half loop-triple salchow sequence and other most difficult jumps while captivating the crowd as the final skater of the evening. She came into the free skate leading Tennell by just two-hundredths of a point following Thursday's short program. |
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2023 17:04:21 GMT
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Post by Admin on Jan 29, 2023 19:05:29 GMT
:max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(999x238:1001x240):format(webp)/Isabeau-Levit-012823-01-2000-6ae59b2c52ed40318af8d43941e77490.jpg) There's a new figure skater to watch out for: Isabeau Levito. The 15-year-old dazzled with a near-flawless freeskate, surpassing 2018 Olympic figure skating team bronze medalist Bradie Tennell, 24, to secure her first national title during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships held in San Jose, Calif., per NBC Sports. Levito led the pack of competitors from the start, according to the outlet. She narrowly beat out Tennell by 0.2 points in the short program before she put out all the stops — including seven triple jumps — to widen her lead over the Olympic medalist by at least 10 points during her freeskate. Levito ultimately completed the competition with a score of 223.33, with Tennell — a two-time U.S. champion — accumulating 213.12 points to win the silver medal. The 2022 Skate America bronze medalist Amber Glenn, 23, came in third, with 207.44 points. Kamila Valieva Recreates Viral Wednesday Dance in Figure Skating Routine Inspired by Netflix Hit "I was just very proud of myself for having collected myself and done the program that I needed to do," Levito said, per the Associated Press. "Going into this event, my entire goal truly for almost even both programs was to stay composed...to really not let little minor, silly mistakes happen." :max_bytes(150000):strip_icc():focal(979x318:981x320):format(webp)/Isabeau-Levit-012823-02-2000-0593974176354c2888deac31a5aae9bc.jpg) She also noted after the short program, per NBC, that she has "gotten very good at suppressing nerves" and tries to find her own way "mentally to handle it." New Jersey native Levito was favored to win her first U.S. title on Friday as the reigning junior world champion. She also made a stunning debut during the senior nationals last year that saw her place in third, and she earned a silver medal at the Grand Prix Final last month, according to AP. Never miss a story — sign up for PEOPLE's free daily newsletter to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from juicy celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. As for Tennell, she told the press that this Women's Figure Skating Championship "probably means the most" as she has had to overcome multiple injuries involving her feet over the past year. "I didn't think I was going to be able to do this again," Tennell said. "To be here and to have achieved it, especially after the [poor] start of my season and the bumps that I had to overcome, I'm very proud of what I accomplished." Levito, Tennell and Glenn will now move on to compete on the international stage in the World Championships in Japan in March — though Levito may also have her sights on the 2026 Winter Olympics in Italy. |
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