Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva wins Skate America

Russian world junior champion Evgenia Medvedeva won Skate America on Saturday, edging U.S. Olympian Gracie Gold in her first Grand Prix Series event.

The 15-year-old Medvedeva had a fall on a double Axel combination, but she rallied, adding double toe loops to the end of two jump elements. She finished with 206.01 points.

“You always have to think of what you have to do in case something goes wrong,” Medvedeva said. “You have to think a step ahead. My coaches and I, we discuss this in case something doesn’t work. I know what to do and I do it.”

Gold doubled an intended triple Salchow late, but that was the only blemish in an otherwise brilliant performance by the 20-year-old. She won the free skate and finished with 202.80 points.

“On the last jumping pass, the takeoff was just a little slippy on the toepick and I just didn’t commit enough to really get in and try to save it, Gold said. “It felt like the double flip yesterday. I just need to start putting out solid performances and building on them so that no matter what the takeoff is, I’ll feel confident enough to land it.”

World silver medalist Satoko Miyahara of Japan was third with 188.07 points.

China’s Sui Wenjing and Han Cong rallied to win the pairs, topping U.S. champions Alexa Scimeca and Christopher Knierim. The Chinese duo finished at 202.00.

“This is our first time to win this event,” Han said. “America is very lucky for us.”

They also won the Four Continents Championships in 2012 in Colorado Springs, Colorado.

Scimeca and Knierim followed at 191.97.

“Our jumping passes have become more consistent,” Scimeca said. “Unfortunately, today, when it mattered, we both went down. But for us it was one of the very first times we have not had to come from behind in the short. It’s a different kind of energy going in and hopefully this will be a trend that we’ll be ahead and skate a great long, too.”

Canada’s Julianne Seguin and Charlie Bilodeau were third, followed by Olympic silver medalists Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov of Russia.