Taylor-Made Effort
Firth Finishes 13th Overall At U.S. Nationals

By Martha Kimball

Jamestown Skating Academy's Taylor Firth performs Saturday in the free skate.
Photo by George S. Rossano

01/25/2009 - CLEVELAND - While Alissa Czisny, Rachael Flatt and Caroline Zhang prepared to contend for the U.S. ladies figure skating title on Saturday night, it was simpler in a way for Taylor Firth.

The Jamestown Skating Club representative had already graduated, in two years, from competing in the first warm-up group - province of the bottom five finalists after the Short Program - to leading off the second group (based on a random draw within the flight).

A mere triple flip away from appearing on national television, she was left to skate for personal satisfaction, for the chance to improve over her 14th-place finish at her last Nationals outing, knowing that the real triumph was in making it to the premier U.S. skating event at all.

Improve she did.

The judges awarded marks of 51.30 for elements and 41.90 for program components, giving Firth a 93.20 score for the long program segment and 139.49 for the combined Short Program and Free Skating segments. That was about 15 points higher than her 2007 score, enough to put her in first place, if temporarily. She ended the evening in 13th place overall.

That put her ahead of the 2007 pewter medalist, Bebe Liang. Alissa Czisny is the new U.S. champion.

The 17-year old had an ambitious program planned: triple flip-double toe loop; double Axel-double toe loop; triple flip; change-foot combination spin; straight-line footwork; triple Salchow-double toe loop-double toe loop; triple loop; spiral sequence; triple Salchow; double Axel-double toe loop; sit-change-sit spin; and a final flying sit spin.

Firth appeared for the warm-up with her hair in a ponytail, white jacket over a brown dress with a sea of sparkly adornment that gave it a bright bronze cast that matched her hair. She got her sea legs and warmed up her jumps, including the three-jump combination. Then her competitors left the ice, and the announcer called her name.

The vivacious 5-foot-5 redhead performed to "Concierto de Aranjuez" by Rodrigo and "Casa de Pablo" by John Christian Bach, the latter a romantic piece of Spanish-flavored music that, according to Firth, the composer wrote to his love as he was going blind.

Firth completed almost all of her ambitious planned content, missing the three-jump combination but slipping an extra double toe loop onto a later triple Salchow. She executed an impressive triple loop and lovely spirals, growing in confidence as the program progressed.

The judges awarded marks of 51.30 for elements and 41.90 for program components, giving her a 93.20 score for the long program segment and 139.49 for the combined Short Program and Free Skating segments. That was about 15 points higher than her 2007 score, enough to put her in first place, if temporarily. At press time, neither the scoring details nor the final placement were available.

Firth's parents happened to be sitting right in front of me in the arena and went wild at the end of their daughter's performance. When asked for comment, Firth's father said exuberantly, "As soon as I can find words."

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Taylor-Made Effort Firth Finishes 13th Overall At U.S. Nationals

By Martha Kimball

Taylor-Made Effort
Firth Finishes 13th Overall At U.S. Nationals