The Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2023, held at the Broadmoor World Arena in Colorado Springs, Colorado, saw both triumph and disappointment for Filipino-Canadian skater Edrian Paul Celestino and American-born Filipino skater Sofia Frank in the men’s and women’s short program, respectively, on Friday (Philippine time).
Edrian Paul Celestino, who placed 20th in the 2020 Four Continents Figure Skating Championships, made his triumphant return with a strong performance in the men’s short program.
Skating to the tune of “In This Shirt” by The Irrepressibles, Celestino’s impressive running edges and solid jumps, including a triple lutz-triple toe loop combination, earned him 66.83 points and the 16th spot after the segment.
Celestino’s technical score of 34.98 was particularly impressive, putting him in second place after the first five skaters. His spins were also solid, earning him additional points, and his program components received low 6.0s, with his skating skills receiving a 6.46 for 31.85 points.
Celestino is poised to continue his strong performance in the free skate, scheduled for Sunday morning (Philippine time).
Sofia Frank, on the other hand, faced some setbacks in the women’s short program, despite her energetic performance to “Jump” by The Pointer Sisters, which delighted the hometown crowd. Born and raised in Colorado Springs, Frank is a beloved local figure, but her two solo jumps cost her points, putting her in 19th place with 43.82.
Frank under-rotated her triple loop and was unable to hold onto her double axle, which resulted in negative GOEs in these elements. Despite these setbacks, Frank started strong with a solid triple lutz-double toe loop series and maintained her energy throughout the program, earning 22.20 in the TEs and 21.62 on her PCs.
Frank will aim to bounce back in the free skate, which is scheduled for Saturday, 9:13 a.m. (Philippine time), after the pairs short program featuring Isabella Gamez and Aleksandr Korovin, who are making their first-ever appearance at an ISU-level competition, begins at 2:40 a.m.
Despite the challenges she faced in the short program, Frank is determined to put on a strong performance in the free skate and show her fans and the figure skating world what she’s capable of.
With Edrian Paul Celestino and Sofia Frank representing the Philippines, the eyes of the nation are on them as they strive to put on their best performances and make their mark on the international figure skating scene.
