Taylor and Meissner Shine in Ladies Short Program at World Juniors

Katy Taylor Photo by Paul Harvath

(3/5/2004) - Katy Taylor and Kimmie Meissner were again inseparable, but this time it was Taylor ahead as the two skaters were in second and third after the ladies short program Friday at the World Junior Championships. Japan's Miki Ando is in the lead.

Meissner and Taylor have gone 1-2 in the last two U.S. Championships: novice in 2003 and junior in 2004. They both delivered what they called their best programs of the season and were in medal contention heading into Saturday's free skate.

"This is probably my best performance of the season," Taylor said. "It was the most solid that everything has been."

"I am very excited because it was my first clean one of the whole year," Meissner said. "I would usually land my jumps and miss my flying sit."

Ando,  the Junior Grand Prix Final champion and favorite, was the winner. She hit a triple Lutz-double loop and had marks from 5.1 to 5.8 in required elements and 5.3 to 5.8 in presentation.

Taylor had 5.0 to 5.5 in required elements while Meissner had 4.9 to 5.5. For presentation it was a toss-up with both getting 5.0 to 5.7. With Meissner skating right after Taylor it was easy to get a comparison between them.

Meissner had four first-place votes out of the nine judges at that point, meaning Taylor edged her out with a 5-4 decision. Later Ando followed them and then took seven firsts.

Both Americans had triple Lutzes into double toe loops.

"I felt really confident when I went out there," Taylor said. "I just trusted in my training and had a lot of fun."

Meissner couldn't do the triple-triple she used in the qualifying round because in the junior short program triple-triples are not allowed as combinations. But she concentrated on doing the flying sit spin right.

"(I thought) not to jump real small. Just jump real big and then I could do it," Meissner said. "Just jump big."

For someone who has landed a quadruple Salchow, Ando was satisfied with landing a lesser jump in the short program.

"This was the first time I landed the double Axel at junior worlds, and I was very happy about it," Ando said.

Ando has finished third and second in this event the past two years. Japanese skaters Aki Sawada and Mai Asada are currently fourth and fifth with Hungary's Viktoria Pavuk sixth.

American Danielle Kahle dropped to 12th overall after falling twice and receiving marks between 3.6 to 4.6 for required elements. She got up to 5.0 in presentation.

"When you miss the jumps, you have to work on the presentation," Kahle said.