Sixteen-year-old Elyce Lin-Gracey's return to the ISU Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series started with a bang after a fourth-place finish at the Junior Grand Prix in Turkey that secured personal bests along the way.
As she heads into her second Junior Grand Prix in Armenia this week, Lin-Gracey is eager to beat those personal bests and fight for a spot on what would be her first international podium.
Last season, Lin-Gracey's Junior Grand Prix debut ended with an eighth-place finish in the Czech Republic and a ninth-place finish in Poland. With a full circuit behind her, Lin-Gracey is excited to use her experience to her advantage as she continues to make a name for herself as an up-and-coming U.S. competitor.
"It was really exciting getting to be on the Junior Grand Prix circuit last season," Lin-Gracey said. "I didn't have the outcomes I would have liked to have last year, but I'm happy that this year, so far, it's gone well."
Lin-Gracey spent her offseason working hard and focusing on creating two strong programs that both suit and challenge her skating. Working with her choreographers Drew Meekins and Jamie Isley, Lin-Gracey chose "Someone Like You" by Linda Eder for her short program music and Joshua Bell's "Anna's Theme" along with "Not About Angels" by Birdy for her free skate.
"It's one of my favorite pieces of music that I've skated to so far in my career and I'm really happy with it," Lin-Gracey said of her short program.
As for her free skate, Lin-Gracey is excited to showcase the lyrical side of her skating, as she pursues her season goal of consistently improving her component marks.
"I'm really happy that I chose it because I love the lyrics and it's so pretty," Lin-Gracey said. "I like skating to lyrical, which I feel is one of my stronger aspects."
The judges in Istanbul agreed and awarded Lin-Gracey with two international personal bests and a third-place finish in her lyrical free skate. It was her first time in Istanbul, and Lin-Gracey loved her time both on and off the ice there.
An animal lover at heart with 10 pet birds at home with her family in Arcadia, Calif., she was excited to see all of the animals roaming around the town and surprisingly, inside the arena too. Although the animals might not have been as loud or musical as her birds at home, Lin-Gracey was excited to be surrounded by animals again, as she misses her pets (and siblings too) while she is training in Colorado Springs, Colorado.
"Turkey was a really fun country to go visit," Lin-Gracey said. "I really liked that there were cats and dogs all over the place. There were cats in the rink, just running around the rink in our locker rooms."
As she looks ahead to her second Junior Grand Prix this coming week in Armenia, Lin-Gracey aims to finish on her first international podium, improve her component marks and score a new personal best. Achieving those goals would solidify her as a skater on the rise and certainly give her 10 pet birds something to sing about.
To follow Lin-Gracey at the final Junior Grand Prix of the season in Armenia, visit the Junior Grand Prix Competition Central.
