Local blades have cutting edge on ice
Hong Kong's young figure skaters grabbed a total of twenty-four metals, including eight gold, at the 2007Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge last weekend.
It is the best result the Hong Kong team has ever achieved.
The Challenge, held at the Festival Walk Glacier, attracted 59 young competitors from Hong Kong, China, India and Thailand. Participants, including 31 Hong Kong youngsters, ranged in age from six to 18.
The competition consisted of 16 events, with competitors divided into eight categories according to age and gender.
Each event consisted of a short programme and a free skating exercise. Competitors demonstrated specific movements in the short programme while they performed their own combination of elements during the longer free skating competition.
Eighteen-year-old Chan Philemon and 14-year-old To Hon Lam grabbed gold medals in men's single Junior A and B respectively for Hong Kong. Six other local students won gold medals in the boys' single Novice A and Pre-Novice, and in the girls' single Junior A, Novice B, Juvenile A and B.
In addition, the Hong Kong team won eight silver and eight bronze medals.
Ladies' single Junior A gold medal winner Ono Tamami, a 17-year-old student who has been skating for more than 10 years, was overwhelmed.
'I'm so happy! But, actually, I was not satisfied with my performance, especially in the short programme event,' she said.
The Asian Junior Figure Skating Challenge aims to provide opportunity for amateur figure skaters to participate in international competition.
It is sanctioned by the Asian Skating Union and co-organised by the Chinese Skating Association, the Figure and Speed Association of Thailand and the Hong Kong Skating Union (HKSU). Another two events are scheduled to take place in Nanjing and Beijing during August and January next year.
