News

Day 2 of the Budapest Cup: Les Suprêmes is Crowned Champion


Image

Les Suprêmes climbed to the top of podium. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)

On the second day of the Budapest Cup, top-level junior and senior teams battled it out for medals. The Basic Novices teams also had the opportunity to impress spectators during this sunny Hungarian weekend.

Basic Novice
Six teams from the Czech Republic, Hungary, Poland and Serbia took the ice first on Day 2.

Polish Team Le Soleil Basic Novice (51.96) presented an exciting boxing sports theme program with music based on "Eye of the Tiger" and "Rocky". They edged out the runner-up Hungarian Team UTE Synchro Basic Novice (51.59), whose Addams Family program was a good match between skating skills, music and choreography. The other Polish Team Ice Fire Basic Novice (48.58) unfortunately had a fall and so had to settle for the bronze medal.


Image
Team Le Soleil Basic Novice became winner in and out of the boxing ring. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
Team UTE Synchro Basic Novice entering a block.  (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
Bronze medalist Team Ice Fire Basic Novice executing spirals. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)

Junior Short Program
15 Junior teams skated their Short Programs on the second day.

The American Teams Elite Junior took the lead with 74.54 points, followed closely by Finnish Dream Edges Junior (73.97) and Fintastic (73.06). As expected, all three teams set the bar high with intricate programs and complex choreography, so spectators will have high expectations of them on the coming day. Canadian Team Nova Junior (62.88) skated to expressive and emotional piano music, but the falls during the pivoting block were too costly.

Nothing is set in stone so far, and the podium top is pretty much still open for all to land on.  Whether Team USA Junior can follow their Senior team's example and take home a medal is an open possibility. To be continued on Monday.


Image
Teams Elite Junior (USA) is a stronger contender for gold. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
Fintastic is currently at the second place after Short Program. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
Dream Edges eyeing on gold medals (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)

Senior Free Skate
The climax of the day was definitely the ISU Senior category Free Skate when medals were fought for really hard. The difference between top teams was less than a point after the Short Program, meaning stakes were high, and any small mistake could cost a medal. As teams successively skated clean, pressure was mounting on the remaining teams.

While silver medalist Haydenettes (SP: 77.91, FS: 154.82, total: 232.73) performed "Who Wants to Live Forever" impeccably, the defending world champion Les Suprêmes (SP: 77.72, FS: 156.88, total: 234.60), who recently won the Canadian national title, impressed judges with their skills and action-packed program “Mount Everest” and so secured their gold medals.

Helsinki Rockettes (SP: 77.30, FS: 151.73, total: 229.03) and Team Unique (SP: 76.31, FS: 151.59, total: 227.90) performed almost equally well for Free Skate but could not make up the difference in total scores and so had to settle for the third and fourth positions respectively.


Image
While Les Suprêmes have steady and powerful group lifts to showcase their stregnths... (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
...Haydenettes have strikingly low death spirals to response. (Credits: Roy Ng - 2024)


Image
Helsinki Rockettes have impressive straight lines for pivoting block.  (Credits: Roy Ng)

Upcoming events in Budapest
While North American Senior teams were able to take gold and silver medals back home, we will see whether the same will happen for Junior teams on Day 3 of the Budapest Cup. We will also watch Juvenile and Mixed Age teams skating.

Full details of ISU scores
Click here