JGP heads to Romania

The second stop on this season's Junior Grand Prix will be coming to you from Brasov, Romania.

The Romanians are high up there in the world of gymnastics, lets see if they can host a good skating competition. They will have plenty of international talent to contend with.

Skaters to look out for include:

Ladies

Russia's leading junior Elizaveta Tuktamysheva, finally old enough to compete on the international stage- she already has a triple axel and 2 medals from senior Russian nationals in her back pocket.

Fellow russian Rosa Sheveleva, who won the bronze last week in Courchevel will be hoping to pick up another medal early in the series.

Ameicans Kristeine Gong and Samantha Cesario are both strong medal contenders. Gong finished 4th at a JGP series event last year and Cesario won the Gardenga spring trophy earlier this summer.

Also not to be counted out are Alexandra Najarro (Canada), Yuki Nishino (Japan) and Isabelle Olsson (Sweden). Korea sends its first entry of the series in the form of unknown Ho-Jung Lee.

Mens

The highly competetive Joshua Farris of the USA will face off against Russians Artur Dimitriev (another Mishin student) and Stanlisav Kovalev. Keegan Messing of the USA could also come away with a medal here. More outside chances include Canada's junior champ Lium Firus and Japan's Keiji Tanaka

Ice Dance

Last years JGP final champions Ksenia Monko & Kirill Khaliavin lead the field here.

Possible contenders for a medal include:

Anastasia Galeta & Alexei Shumski (Ukraine) - 8th at the World Junior champs

Lori Monacorsi & Travis Mager (USA) bronze medallists at last years JGP Lake Placid

Abby Carswell & Andrew Doleman (Canada)

Skating stuff

This week has been a busy one for gymnastics- hard to find much going on in the skating world.
However - I felt it deserved a mention.

Some more skaters have revealed their music choices for the upcoming season

Mao Asada JPN (I think I already posted this one - but hey)
SP Tango by Alfred Schnittke
LP Liebesträume by Franz Liszt

Yu-Na Kim - new exhibition - La Roux's Bulletproof (now THAT's a bit different to Meditation by Thais!)

Kate Charbonneau CAN
SP Malaguena
LP Hymn to Love

Amanda Dobbs USA
SP Breakfast at Tiffany's
LP Aranjuez

Christina Gao USA
SP Violin Concerto by Mendelssohn.
LP Yellow River Concerto

Tamar Katz ISR
SP Layenda, by Vanessa Mae
LP Scheherazade, by Rimsky-Korsakov

Brian Joubert FRA
SP or LP Malaguena

Shawn Sawyer CAN
LP Alice in Wonderland soundtrack

Daisuke Takahashi JPN
LP Amelie, choreo by Lambiel

Jessica Dube & Bryce Davison CAN
SP Mask of Zorro -choreography by David Wilson

Caydee Denney & Jeremy Barrett USA
LP Rhapsody in Blue by Gershwin

View all those announced on the Goldenskate forum here.

Also Liza Tukatmysheva, one of Alexei Mishin's group of young, talented skaters is training what looks like an easy triple axel. Liza is 13 now I believe- is she finally old enough to compete internationally this year? Watch a video here.

Turkish skater Tugba Karademir had retired from skating to focus on university.