Haydenettes in the free skate. (Credits: Synchro Skating Moments - 2024)

The 4th and penultimate leg of the Challenger Series took place this weekend in Gdansk, Poland, at the Hevelius Cup. Two US teams took the gold. Teams Elite won the competition in the Junior category, while the Haydenettes (USA) scored another victory in the Senior category.

The penultimate round of the 2023-2024 Challenger Series took place this weekend in the beautiful city of Gdansk, Poland.

In excellent condition since the start of the season, the Haydenettes (USA) easily won gold in the Seniors category with a score of 234.66. Already in the lead after the short programs, the Boston team won after two perfect programs, enabling them to collect very high GOEs. The Finnish team, Marigold IceUnity, ended up with the silver medal and a very nice lead over the Canadian competitors, totalling 228.81. In 5th place after the short programs, Nova Senior (CAN) climbed back up the rankings thanks to the free program. The Quebec team finished 3rd with 216.04.

Nexxice (CAN), Lumineers (FIN) and Miami University (USA) all broke the 200-point barrier, finishing 4th, 5th and 6th respectively. The Senior competition was very interesting, with a total of 16 teams taking part. 

The USA also shone in the Junior category, with the two American teams finishing 1st and 2nd place! 

Teams Elite showed its full potential in Poland. Skating their "Moonlight Sonata" in the short program and transforming themselves into "Snake Charmers" in the free program, the team claimed victory with a total of 205.54. Even with a higher score in the free program, their compatriots, Skyliners Junior, finished 2nd with 202.07. Les Suprêmes Junior (CAN) took a well-deserved 3rd place after very good programs on "Hide and Seek" (short) and "Albert Einstein" (free). This week, the Canadian team will head to Finland to participate in the Marie Lundmark Trophy. 

As with the Seniors, an excellent competition was held in the Juniors with 15 teams from Italy, Sweden, Finland, Poland, Switzerland, the Czech Republic and Germany. 

A 3rd ISU category in Gdansk this weekend stood out: Advanced Novice teams. With five teams participating, victory went to Team Kometa (CZE) with a total score of 69.94, followed by a perfect tie between Dream Steps (FIN) and Swiss team Starlight Novice, who scored 65.06. 

The Hevelius Cup also welcomed teams from the Interclub categories. Here are the winning teams in these divisions: 

- Team Illuminettes (NED) - Junior B (2 participating teams)
- Team Butterfl'ice (GER) - Mixed Age (9 participating teams)
- Team Melodia (CZE) - Basic Novice (7 participating teams) 
- Team Kometa (CZE) - Juvenile (7 participating teams) 
- Team Le Soleil A (POL) - Pre-Juvenile (8 participating teams) 
- Team Ice Fire A (POL) - Adult (3 participating teams)