Hayden Select earned their first international gold medal in the senior elite 12 division, standing on top of the podium at 2024 French Cup in Rouen, France, over the weekend.
The Hockettes and DC EDGE also competed in the junior event, finishing fourth and sixth, respectively.
In their short program skate to “Take Five” by Quincy Jones, Hayden Select bookended their performance with their highest scoring elements, a Level 4 twizzle element and a Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection. Both elements contributed over eight points toward their short program score of 65.42, securing their position in first place going into the free skate.
Their free skate performance set to “Palladio: 1 Allegretto” by Karl Jenkins featured a Level 4 group lift followed by a Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection toward the end of the skate. Both elements were awarded nearly 10 points and with a total of eight Level 4 elements, Hayden Select maintained their spot at the top of the overall rankings, winning the free skate by over 19 points with a score of 132.15.
Overall, the team clinched the gold by nearly 24 points with a total score of 197.57. The team has medaled in every competition they have competed in up to this point.
In the junior competition, the Hockettes finished just off the podium in fourth place.
Competing internationally for the first time this season, their short program to “Song for the Little Sparrow” by Patricia Kaas started off strong with a Level 4 pivoting block followed by a Level 4 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection. They ended the segment with 64.22 points.
The 2022 Mozart Cup silver medalists’ galaxy-themed free skate secured Level 4 distinctions for its line, move element, traveling element, synchronized spin and second intersection to tally a score of 109.11.
The team finished the free skate in third place but ended in fourth overall with a total score of 173.33.
Also competing in the junior division was DC EDGE.
The team out of Ann Arbor, Michigan tallied 50.84 points in their short program. Despite three falls, they ended with their highest scoring element, a Level 4 twizzle element.
Going into the free skate in sixth place, DC EDGE collected a score of 106.79 for their illusionists-themed free skate performance. Their program was highlighted by a Level 3 intersection with a Level 4 point of intersection in the second half of their program.
DC EDGE ended the competition in sixth place overall with a total score of 157.63.
Click here to view the full results.