TEAM USA JGP FINALISTS: In their own words

CHRISSY HUGHES
"Going to Romania was so exciting. It was only the second time I have ever been out of the United States (except for Canada). My first time was in March [2007] when I went to The Hague, The Netherlands for a smaller international competition. I am not used to the long travel days. I had heard the Romania JGP is one of the worst because of the long bus ride that follows the long plane rides! The bus ride was almost five hours long." [more of our October feature with Chrissy Hughes]

ADAM RIPPON
"My goal for the JGP Final is to skate 2 solid programs. I hope that if I can do this I will place well. I'm sorry I don't have anything more exciting to say, haha. We (everyone in the group) do all the same triples, with the exception of 2 or 3 that have the triple Axel planned, so it really depends on how everyone skates. Going into an event like this, it's hard to focus on the other skaters because everyone in the group is so strong, so for me, it's best to think about what I have to do to skate well." [more]

DOUGLAS RAZZANO
"The only thing that is changing is now the triple Axel in the beginning of the long will have a triple toe on the end. The short is staying the same. My personal goals for the JGP Final are: of course to skate two clean programs, land my triple Axel-triple toe in the freeskate, and to skate calmly and confidently." [more]

ARMIN MAHBANOOZADEH
"... my goals for the Final don’t go much further than to skate as well as possible, achieve a new personal IJS score and to have a good time. When I got my first assignment in Lake Placid earlier in the year, it became my personal goal to make it to the Final. Now that I have made it, I can go to Poland with no expectations other than to skate my best." [more]

BIANCA BUTLER & JOSEPH JACOBSEN
"We are entering the competition as underdogs and would like to turn some heads. We've added some more difficult content, such as new footwork and more difficult connecting steps. We hope to improve our artistry. Our coach Angela [Nikodinov], has helped us to improve our overall performance." [more]

JESSICA ROSE PAETSCH & JON NUSS
"Our main goal is to skate with as much expression as possible. We are also working on relating to one another on the ice. We have been working hard on the lifts. Sometimes the lifts can be difficult while in the program. We would like to skate clean and have the best time ever." [more]

MIRAI NAGASU
"I want to really have FUN when I skate because my best performances have been when I get really nervous but have fun anyway."

" I always bring schoolwork because I LOVE SCHOOL!!!! It keeps me happy to have friends at school. I do get a lot of work and I brought some with me but I am not allowed to do homework at the rink anymore, only at the hotel and on the plane."

" Favorite off ice moments... let's see... I just like hanging with my friends, especially after I skate well."

" Lori [Nichol], Charlene and I made some changes in the long [program to Coppelia]. I am taking each competition as it comes."

COACH QUOTES:

Dalilah Sappenfield (Jessica Rose Paetsch & Jon Nuss):
"For all my teams it's always our goal to improve in our personal best score. For this competition I also want them to control the pressure of expectations from others and themselves, and just go out and skate how we train, if not maybe even better."

Charlene Wong (Mirai Nagasu):
"All I can say is I am wanting for Mirai to do the best she can for this point in time. I am always encouraging her to continue to learn and grow from the preparation for each event as well as the event itself. Preparing for, participating in and learning from these competitions is part of the process of developing the foundation for the career she is envisioning for herself."

Tom Zakrajsek (Rachael Flatt, Alexe Gilles, Brandon Mroz):
"The specific goals for all three are to skate their personal best short and long programs of the season. This involves maximizing their levels, grades of execution and component scores. In terms of outcome, we are obviously hoping that their effort puts them somewhere on the podium."

Darin Hosier (Chrissy Hughes):
"I'm hoping Chrissy can perform to the best of her abilities and enjoy herself. This will be an amazing experience and honor for her to be part of the Junior Grand Prix Final."