Indianapolis to Host future Olympic Pairs Figure Skate Teams
Indy Challenge Competition Key Event for International World Selection Committees
INDIANAPOLIS--Many of America’s top Olympic hopefuls in figure skating will be in Indianapolis for the Indy Challenge Pairs Competition August 3rd – 5th, 2012. Indiana/World Figure Skating Academy Figure Skate Club is host of the 22nd Annual International event at Pan Am Plaza, 201 S. Capitol Avenue, Indianapolis, Indiana.
The marquee event of Indy Challenge is the Senior Pairs. The short program will be held Friday, August 3, starting at 1:00pm. This year we have an exciting line up with a few of Team USA in attendance. We are watching up and coming Marissa Castelli and Simon Schnapir. Tiffany Vise and Don Baldwin, placed 3rd last year at Indy Challenge, as well as the new partnership of Mark Ladwig and Lindsay Davis.
Indy Challenge is the largest pairs skating competition in the United States, with 49 couples competing in Juvenile through Senior levels. Judges provide critiques to help skaters maximize their scores.
Four teams who train in Indianapolis with Coach Serguei Zaitsev are entered. Ernie Stevens and Christina Zaitsev will be competing Junior Level, they placed 1st in 2011 at the Novice level at Indy Challenge, at USFSA Jr. Nationals they placed 4th in Novice. Renewing their former partnership Nicholas Anderson and Cassie Andrews the former 2009 Novice National Champions will be competing Senior Level. The new team of Timothy LeDuc and Dee Dee Leng will compete Senior Level. The brother sister team of John Crafoord and Greta Crafoord will be competing Juvenile Pairs.
Tickets are $12 for a one day pass, $5.00 for a single-event pass ($3.00 for children 12 and younger and Senior Citizens). 3-Day All Event pass is $24.00. The schedule and additional information can be viewed at www.iwsafsc.org or follow us on Twitter at @IWSAFSC
FREE for skating fans: There is no charge to watch the competitors practice, Thursday, August 2nd (1:00pm – 5:00pm) and Friday August 3rd (8:30am- 12:45pm also 6:15pm – 8:00pm)
Photo and interview opportunities for media.
First practices for Senior Pairs are Thursday, August 2, 2012.
