Four U.S. athletes to compete in Italy
The 2008 Gardena Spring Trophy in Selva Val Gardena kicks off this weekend
 |
| Ross Miner during his novice free skate at U.S. championships. (Paul Harvath) |
Tools
(03/27/2008) - Four U.S. skaters will compete in the junior division at this week's 2008 Gardena Spring Trophy in Selva Val Gardena, Italy. The event, which includes junior-and-novice-level competition, begins Saturday, March 29, with the short program and concludes Sunday, March 30, with the free skate.
The events features 70 competitors from 16 countries: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Czech Republic, Finland, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, the Republic of South Africa, Russia, Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland and the United States.
The U.S. skaters competing in this year's event are Karen Zhou, Victoria Rackohn, Grant Hochstein and Ross Miner. All these skaters will be making their international debuts.
Ladies
Rackohn earned a sixth-place finish in the junior division at the 2008 U.S. Figure Skating Championships in Saint Paul, Minn. Making her U.S. championships debut in Saint Paul, Zhou came in 16th.
Men
Hochstein finished 11th as a junior at the 2008 U.S. championships. His career is also highlighted by a fourth-place finish as an intermediate at the 2004 U.S. Junior Championships. Miner is the 2008 U.S. novice silver medalist and the 2006 U.S. intermediate champion.