Team USA Wins Two Medals at Budapest Cup

Team USA clinched two medals at the second Challenger Series event of the season at 2024 Budapest Cup in Budapest, Hungary, with Teams Elite winning gold in the junior division and the Haydenettes bringing home silver in the senior competition.

With their win, Teams Elite claimed their fifth Challenger Series medal, the most of any U.S. junior team. The Haydenettes added a third Challenger Series podium finish to their name, tying their best-ever result in the series.

Teams Elite out of Northbrook, Illinois led the junior competition from start to finish with wins in both the short program and free skate.

Skating to "Moonlight Sonata" by Ludwig van Beethoven in the short program, Teams Elite earned Level 4s on four of their five elements, including a Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection, which was the only element in the entire competition to receive more than 10 points. They took a narrow lead going into the free skate, leading Dream Edges junior by less than a point, scoring 74.54 points.

The now two-time Challenger Series gold medalists once again narrowly won the free skate, tallying 127.68 points. They gave a captivating snake charmer-themed performance with their highest-scoring elements coming on both their intersections. In total, Teams Elite earned a score of 202.22.

The Lexettes also skated in the junior event, finishing fifth.

The 2023 World Junior team members ended the short program in fifth place with a score of 59.70. A Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection highlighted their "on golden pond"-themed performance.

In the free skate, they totaled 102.53 thanks to another strong intersection, and they concluded the competition with a two-day total of 162.23.

In the senior competition, the Haydenettes came out strong to win in the short program. Their skate to "Clair de Lune" by Imagine Music started and ended with their two highest scoring elements, a Level 4 move element and a Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection. Both elements earned over nine points, contributing to their score of 77.91.

In the free skate, the Haydenettes recorded Level 4 distinctions on eight of their 10 elements, highlighted by their group lift that scored more than 10 points. Their performance set to "Who Wants to Live Forever" by The Tenors featuring Lindsey Stirling received a score of 154.82 from the judges, placing them in second in the free skate. With a total score of 232.73, the 30-time U.S. champions earned the silver medal.  

Also competing in the senior competition was Miami University.

The 2023 U.S. silver medalists' short program was highlighted by a Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection worth 9.14 points. They scored a segment score of 70.40 for sixth place.

On the second day of competition, Miami University's mermaids and sailors-themed free skate tallied 133.07 points, receiving Level 4 designations on six elements.

They were able to maintain their position in the standings to finish sixth overall with a cumulative score of 203.47.

Visit the 2024 Challenger Series Competition Central on the U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone for full results and more information on the Challenger Series.