Starr Andrews put up the top free skate of her international career, moving from fifth place to take runner-up at Skate Canada, matching the best full-fledged Grand Prix finish for an American woman in six years.
Andrews, 21, landed six triple jumps in the free skate in Mississauga, Ontario, to finish 6.33 points behind winner Rinka Watanabe of Japan.
It’s Andrews’ best result in seven career senior Grand Prix starts, displacing a fifth place from 2019. It’s one of, if not the best Grand Prix result for a Black singles skater. France’s Surya Bonaly won several events that became Grand Prixs before the Grand Prix Series began in 1995, then placed third in two Grand Prix Series events late in her career.
“It is a huge deal for me,” Andrews said, according to the International Skating Union. “I am one of the few people of color in the sport, and to bring home a medal is even more special.”
Andrews made a splash at 9 years old when a video of her skating to “Whip My Hair” went viral. She had another moment at the 2018 U.S. Championships, earning a standing ovation to her free skate to her own cover of “One Moment in Time” and finishing sixth overall.
SKATE CANADA: Results | Broadcast Schedule
Starr Andrews’ reaction to her score at @SkateCanada is priceless. 💜
📺: #SCI22 on @peacock pic.twitter.com/IGhT2YCIX4
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) October 29, 2022
Andrews made it back-to-back Grand Prix runner-up finishes for U.S. women after Isabeau Levito‘s senior Grand Prix debut at Skate America last week. Andrews’ total ranks her third among U.S. women on the early season behind Levito and Amber Glenn, who was third at Skate America.
The U.S. is in the midst of its longest women’s victory drought in a full-fledged Grand Prix — figure skating’s top international circuit — not counting Mariah Bell‘s win at a 2020 Skate America that was largely a domestic field due to COVID-19. Ashley Wagner claimed the last international Grand Prix title for an American woman in 2016.
Andrews will likely qualify for December’s six-skater Grand Prix Final with a podium finish in her later Grand Prix in Japan in three weeks.
The U.S. has three women’s spots for March’s world championships, to be doled out after January’s national championships. None of the three Olympians from last season are competing, with Alysa Liu and Bell both retired.
Watanabe landed a triple Axel in her free skate, improving from sixth place after the short and totaling 197.59 points. Watanabe, a 20-year-old who was sixth at last season’s Japan Nationals, won her senior Grand Prix debut.
Later Saturday, world champion Shoma Uno improved from second after the short program to win the men’s event. He had five quadruple jumps — one under-rotated and three others with negative grades of execution — en route to 273.15 total points. Uno beat fellow Japanese skater Kao Miura by 7.86. Miura dropped from first after the short to second overall for a second consecutive week.
American Ilia Malinin, who won Skate America over Miura last week, has the world’s best total score this season of 280.37. Malinin and Uno could face off for the first time this season at December’s Grand Prix Final, which takes the top six per discipline over the six-event Grand Prix Series.
World silver medalists Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara earned the biggest title for a Japanese pairs’ team in history, distancing Americans Emily Chan and Spencer Howe by 25.54 points. Miura and Kihara’s total score — 212.02 — ranks them first in the world this season, 10.63 points ahead of world champions Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier of the U.S.
Canadians Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier, the 2021 World bronze medalists, earned their third consecutive Skate Canada ice dance title. Their total score — 215.70 — ranks them first in the world this season. It’s 12.9 points better than 2022 World bronze medalists Madison Chock and Evan Bates‘ total to win Skate America last week.
The figure skating season continues with Grand Prix France next week, featuring world silver medalist Loena Hendrickx of Belgium, live on Peacock.
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Qualifying results from the 2022 World Gymnastics Championships in Liverpool, England (full results are here) …
Women’s Team (top eight make Tuesday’s team final)
1. USA — 167.263
2. Great Britain — 164.595
3. Brazil — 163.563
4. Italy — 162.798
5. Japan — 164.564
6. China — 162.064
7. France — 161.428
8. Canada — 159.661
Women’s All-Around (top 24, max. two per country, make Thursday’s final)
1. Rebeca Andrade (BRA) — 57.332
2. Shilese Jones (USA) — 55.766
3. Jade Carey (USA) — 55.132
4. Martina Maggio (ITA) — 54.800
5. Jessica Gadirova (GBR) — 54.599
6. Ou Yushan (CHN) — 54.466
7. Alice D’Amato (ITA) — 54.366
8. Shoko Miyata (JPN) — 54.166
9. Naomi Visser (NED) — 54.165
10. Flavia Saraiva (BRA) — 54.133
11. Ellie Black (CAN) — 54.131
12. Jordan Chiles (USA) — 53.998 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
12. Melanie de Jesus dos Santos (FRA) — 53.865
13. Alice Kinsella (GBR) — 53.798
14. Ondine Achampong (GBR) — 53.598 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
14. Georgia Godwin (AUS) — 52.866
15. Tang Xijing (CHN) — 52.865
16. Carolann Heduit (FRA) — 52.698
17. Chiharu Yamada (JPN) — 52.465
18. Lisa Vaelen (BEL) — 52.432
19. Tisha Volleman (NED) — 52.333
20. Aline Friess (FRA) — 52.265 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
20. Ana Barbosu (ROU) — 52.233
21. Laura Casabuena (ESP) — 52.032
22. Lee Yunseo (KOR) — 51.833
23. Manila Esposito (ITA) — 51.798 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
23. Eythora Throsdottir (NED) — 51.765 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
23. Romi Brown (AUS) — 51.731
24. Maisa Kuusikko (FIN) — 51.231
Uneven Bars (top eight, max. two per country, make Saturday’s final)
1. Luo Rui (CHN) — 14.900
2. Nina Derwael (BEL) — 14.700
3. Rebeca Andrade (BRA) — 14.666
4. Wei Xiaoyuan (CHN) — 14.600
5. Shilese Jones (USA) — 14.566
6. Sanna Veerman (NED) — 14.533
7. Naomi Visser (NED) — 14.400
8. Elisabeth Seitz (GER) — 14.400
Vault (top eight, max. two per country, make Saturday’s final)
1. Jade Carey (USA) — 14.483
2. Jordan Chiles (USA) — 14.316
3. Coline Devillard (FRA) — 14.299
4. Yeo Seojeong (KOR) — 14.249
5. Jessica Gadirova (GBR) — 14.200
6. Ellie Black (CAN) — 13.749
7. Shoko Miyata (JPN) — 13.666
8. Lisa Vaelen (BEL) — 13.499
Balance Beam (top eight, max. two per country, make Sunday’s final)
1. Ou Yushan (CHN) — 13.900
2. Skye Blakely (USA) — 13.733
3. Shoko Miyata (JPN) — 13.700
4. Marine Boyer (FRA) — 13.666
5. Hazuki Watanabe (JPN) — 13.600
6. Zsofia Kovacs (HUN) — 13.533
7. Ayaka Sagacuhi (JPN) — 13.466 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
7. Rebeca Andrade (BRA) — 13.400
8. Ellie Black (CAN) — 13.266
Floor Exercise (top eight, max. two per country, make Sunday’s final)
1. Flavia Saraiva (BRA) — 14.200
2. Rebeca Andrade (BRA) — 14.200
3. Jessica Gadirova (GBR) — 14.100
4. Jordan Chiles (USA) — 14.100
5. Jade Carey (USA) — 14.066
6. Shilese Jones (USA) — 13.800 (can’t qualify for final due to 2 per country rule)
6. Naomi Visser (NED) — 13.666
7. Jennifer Gadirova (GBR) — 13.600
8. Alice D’Amato (ITA) — 13.600
Men’s Team (though three of six subdivisions; top eight overall make Wednesday’s team final)
1. Japan — 260.695
2. Great Britain — 252.793
3. USA — 252.295
4. China — 249.929
5. Spain — 245.594
6. South Korea — 244.093
Men’s All-Around (through three of six subdivisions; top 24, max. two per country, make Friday’s final)
1. Wataru Tanigawa (JPN) — 84.731
2. Daiki Hashimoto (JPN) — 84.665
3. Joe Fraser (GBR) — 83.964
4. Zhang Boheng (CHN) — 83.766
5. Asher Hong (USA) — 83.299
6. Joel Plata (ESP) — 82.799
7. Brody Malone (USA) — 82.631
8. Jake Jarman (GBR) — 82.365
9. Ryu Sung-Hyun (KOR) — 81.930
10. Illia Kovtun (UKR) — 81.732
11. Gabriel Burtanete (ROU) — 79.798
12. Nestor Abad (ESP) — 79.698
13. Abdulla Azimov (UZB) — 79.298
14. Lee Jun-Ho (KOR) — 78.898
Floor Exercise (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Saturday’s final)
1. Ryosuke Doi (JPN) — 14.766
2. Milad Karimi (KAZ) — 14.733
3. Giarnni Regini-Moran (GBR) — 14.533
4. Zhang Boheng (CHN) — 14.500
5. Ryu Sung-Hyun (KOR) — 14.466
6. Daiki Hashimoto (JPN) — 14.466
Pommel Horse (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Saturday’s final)
1. Stephen Nedoroscik (USA) — 15.233
2. Nariman Kurbanov (KAZ) — 15.033
3. Ryosuke Doi (JPN) — 14.466
4. Abdulla Azimov (UZB) — 14.300
5. Kakeru Tanigawa (JPN) — 14.266
6. Zachary Clay (CAN) — 14.200
Still Rings (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Saturday’s final)
1. Courtney Tulloch (GBR) — 14.666
2. Zou Jingyuan (CHN) — 14.666
3. You Hao (CHN) — 14.633
4. Yuya Kamoto (JPN) — 14.500
5. Donnell Whittenburg (USA) — 14.333
6. Daiki Hashimoto (JPN) — 14.000
High Bar (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Sunday’s final)
1. Daiki Hashimoto (JPN) — 15.100
2. Sun Wei (CHN) — 14.833
3. Zhang Boheng (CHN) — 14.733
4. Brody Malone (USA) — 14.433
5. Yuya Kamoto (JPN) — 14.400
6. Joe Fraser (GBR) — 14.266
Parallel Bars (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Sunday’s final)
1. Zou Jingyuan (CHN) — 15.700
2. Yuya Kamoto (JPN) — 15.433
3. Joe Fraser (GBR) — 15.066
4. Giarnni Regini-Moran (GBR) — 14.966
5. Illia Kovtun (UKR) — 14.966
6. Kakeru Tanigawa (JPN) — 14.933
7. Zhang Boheng (CHN) — 14.900
8. Colt Walker (USA) — 14.866
Vault (through three of six subdivsions; top eight overall, max. two per country, make Sunday’s final)
1. Gabriel Burtanete (ROU) — 14.633
2. Igor Radivilov (UKR) — 14.566
3. Lee Jun-Ho (KOR) — 14.450
4. Wataru Tanigawa (JPN) — 14.450
5. Kim Han-Sol (KOR) — 14.433
6. Courtney Tulloch (GBR) — 14.200
7. Jake Jarman (GBR) — 14.133
8. Asher Hong (USA) — 13.999
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Japan distanced the other medal favorites in men’s qualifying at the world gymnastics championships in Liverpool, England, on Monday.
Wataru Tanigawa and Olympic all-around champion Daiki Hashimoto posted the top two all-around scores with half of the qualifying subdivisions complete.
Japan totaled 260.695 points, 7.902 points ahead of Great Britain. For perspective, that’s greater than the margin separating Great Britain from sixth place South Korea, with more teams still to compete Monday.
The U.S. was in third place and China in fourth with all of the medal favorite teams having competed in the first half of qualifying. The top eight advance to Wednesday’s final. In all team and individual finals, scores are reset from qualifying.
GYMNASTICS WORLDS: Broadcast Schedule | Results
In a surprise, 18-year-old Asher Hong was the top American in all-around qualifying in fifth place through the first half of subdivisions. Hong, the youngest U.S. male gymnast at a worlds since 2009, outscored two-time reigning U.S. all-around champion Brody Malone by .668.
Malone, considered an all-around medal threat, fell and went out of bounds on floor exercise. Both Hong and Malone will be in Friday’s all-around final.
“Qualification is just getting the kinks out,” Malone told GymCastic. “Just getting the nerves out. I feel pretty confident going into team finals that we got the kinks out this time.”
Stephen Nedoroscik, who last year became the first American to win a world title on pommel horse, had the top score on that apparatus through the first half of qualifying.
He will be in Saturday’s final, which will lack two-time Olympic champion Max Whitlock of Great Britain, who is on a break from competition.
Donnell Whittenburg could make Saturday’s eight-man still rings final (fifth place halfway through qualifying). Malone could make Sunday’s high bar final (fourth place halfway through qualifying).
Russian gymnasts, who won last year’s Olympic team title, are banned from worlds due to the war in Ukraine.
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