Starlights to represent USA at Junior World Championships
Starlights Synchronized Skating Teams is humbled and honored to announce that our Junior Team will be representing the United States of America at the Junior World Synchronized Skating Championships in Neuchâtel, Switzerland this March.
Named to Team USA for the 2018-2019 competitive season, Starlights Junior earned a bronze medal on the Leon Lurje Trophy in Gothenburg, Sweden on January 26-27, 2019, and a silver medal at the Zagreb Snowflakes Trophy in Zagreb, Croatia on February 8-9, 2019.
Representing the United States at the Junior World Championships is the highest honor that our skaters can achieve as elite athletes. In the past 20 years, this is only the second time that a Chicagoland team has been selected to attend the junior world championship, the last team having been named nine years ago.
Starlights' home ice is at Twin Rinks in Buffalo Grove, IL; Glacier Ice Arena in Vernon Hills, IL and the RecPlex in Pleasant Prairie, WI.
U.S. Figure Skating defines Team USA as "those synchronized skating teams who are selected to represent the United States at International Skating Union events including International Synchronized Skating Competitions, the World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships and the World Synchronized Skating Championships. While attending international assignments, team members are recognized as ambassadors of U.S. Figure Skating and for the United States of America. Not only is it an honor to be selected, but it is also an opportunity for team members to gain valuable experiences on an international stage."
Synchronized skating is a team sport in which 8-20 skaters perform a program together. It uses the same judging system as singles, pairs and ice dance and is characterized by teamwork, speed, intricate formations and challenging step sequences. There are approximately 600 synchronized teams at various levels registered with US Figure Skating and nearly 5000 athletes nationwide. In recent years, it has become the fastest growing discipline of figure skating.
The 2019 World Junior Synchronized Skating Championships are set for April 12-14 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland.