Amber Glenn skates her free skate at NHK Trophy
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National Team: Figure Skating

Seventeen U.S. Athletes to Compete at Golden Spin of Zagreb

Seventeen Team USA athletes will travel to the Golden Spin of Zagreb this week in Croatia. Set for Dec. 9-11, Golden Spin is the final event of the 2021 Challenger Series.

Amber Glenn will headline the women's event for the United States in Zagreb. Earlier this season, the 2021 U.S. silver medalist finished sixth and seventh at Skate America® and NHK Trophy, respectively. Gabriella Izzo returns to Challenger Series ice after finishing 13th at Warsaw Cup. The Massachusetts native also earned the bronze medal at the 2021 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic at her home rink. Hanna Harrell will compete in her first international competition since 2019.

Jimmy Ma and Eric Sjoberg return to the Challenger Series after finishing 16th and 19th, respectively, at Warsaw Cup. Both U.S. men also competed at the 2021 U.S. International Classic, with Ma earning silver and Sjoberg grabbing bronze.

Team USA will send three pairs team to Golden Spin – Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson, and Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov. Knierim and Frazier are the 2021 U.S. champions and are fresh off a bronze-medal finish at Internationaux de France. Calalang and Johnson also medaled at their last appearance, earning silver at Warsaw Cup. Lu and Mitrofanov had top-five finishes at NHK Trophy and Rostelecom Cup earlier this season.

The U.S. will also have a full slate in the ice dance competition. Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker will make their second appearance of the season after finishing fifth at Rostelecom Cup. They are the 2021 U.S. bronze medalists. Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov finished ninth at Skate America® earlier this season and 13th at Lombardia Trophy. Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville will make their second international appearance as a team after placing eighth at Cup of Austria.

The ISU Challenger Series is a group of 10 senior-level international figure skating competitions held each year to help skaters prepare and qualify for ISU Championship events.
 
U.S. ENTRIES AT 2021 GOLDEN SPIN OF ZAGREB
Athlete(s) | Hometown | Training Town
Women
Amber Glenn | Plano, Texas | Euless, Texas
Hanna Harrell | Plano, Texas | Artesia, Calif.
Gabriella Izzo | Brighton, Mass. | Norwood, Mass.

Men
Jimmy Ma | Great Neck, N.Y. | Norwood, Mass.
Eric Sjoberg | Middletown, Md. | Irvine, Calif.

Pairs
Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson | Glenview, Ill.; Farmington Hills, Mich. | Irvine, Calif.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier | Addison, Illinois; Colorado Springs, Colo. | Irvine, Calif.
Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov | Frisco, Texas; Dallas | Norwood, Mass.

Ice Dance
Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville | McLean, Va.; Cabin John, Md. | Canton, Mich.
Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov | Warrenton, Va.; Kiev, Ukraine | Leesburg, Va.
Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker | East Aurora, N.Y.; Edmonds, Wash. | Montreal
 
 
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Players Mentioned

  Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier

#40   Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier

June 10, 1991 | Nov. 19, 1992
Senior/Pairs
Chicago | Phoenix
  Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov

#49   Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov

Aug. 30, 2002 | June 12, 1997
Senior/Pairs
Dallas | Madison, Wis.
Amber Glenn

#22 Amber Glenn

Oct. 28, 1999
Senior/Ladies
Plano, Texas
Hanna Harrell

#25 Hanna Harrell

Sept. 26, 2003
Senior/Ladies
Russellville, Ark.
Gabriella Izzo

#35 Gabriella Izzo

Aug. 5, 2001
Senior/Ladies
Greenbrae, Calif.
  Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson

#10   Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson

Feb. 24, 1995 | Nov. 5, 1995
Senior/Pairs
Elk Grove Village, Ill. | Royal Oak, Mich.
  Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

#27   Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

Nov. 4, 1996 | Oct. 7, 1993
Senior/Ice Dance
Buffalo, N.Y. | Burnley, England
Jimmy Ma

#50 Jimmy Ma

Oct. 11, 1995
Senior/Men
Queens, N.Y.
  Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov

#13   Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov

March 2, 2001 | Aug. 17, 1999
Senior/Ice Dance
Manassas, Va. | Brovary, Ukraine
Eric Sjoberg

#79 Eric Sjoberg

Aug. 22, 2001
Junior/Men
Baltimore
  Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville

#5   Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville

June 11, 2002 | Sept. 1, 2000
Senior/Ice Dance
Georgetown, D.C. | Washington D.C.

Players Mentioned

  Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier

#40   Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier

Senior/Pairs
Chicago | Phoenix
June 10, 1991 | Nov. 19, 1992
  Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov

#49   Audrey Lu and Misha Mitrofanov

Senior/Pairs
Dallas | Madison, Wis.
Aug. 30, 2002 | June 12, 1997
Amber Glenn

#22 Amber Glenn

Senior/Ladies
Plano, Texas
Oct. 28, 1999
Hanna Harrell

#25 Hanna Harrell

Senior/Ladies
Russellville, Ark.
Sept. 26, 2003
Gabriella Izzo

#35 Gabriella Izzo

Senior/Ladies
Greenbrae, Calif.
Aug. 5, 2001
  Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson

#10   Jessica Calalang and Brian Johnson

Senior/Pairs
Elk Grove Village, Ill. | Royal Oak, Mich.
Feb. 24, 1995 | Nov. 5, 1995
  Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

#27   Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker

Senior/Ice Dance
Buffalo, N.Y. | Burnley, England
Nov. 4, 1996 | Oct. 7, 1993
Jimmy Ma

#50 Jimmy Ma

Senior/Men
Queens, N.Y.
Oct. 11, 1995
  Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov

#13   Molly Cesanek and Yehor Yehorov

Senior/Ice Dance
Manassas, Va. | Brovary, Ukraine
March 2, 2001 | Aug. 17, 1999
Eric Sjoberg

#79 Eric Sjoberg

Junior/Men
Baltimore
Aug. 22, 2001
  Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville

#5   Emily Bratti and Ian Somerville

Senior/Ice Dance
Georgetown, D.C. | Washington D.C.
June 11, 2002 | Sept. 1, 2000