Dolensky edges Chen by 0.05 to win short
By Lynn Rutherford, special to icenetwork.com
(01/23/2012) - After subpar performances at his sectional competition cost Timothy Dolensky a spot at the 2011 U.S. Figure Skating Championships, he decided to make his own kind of music. Literally. "Last year I was home watching nationals on icenetwork," the 19-year-old from Kennesaw, Ga., said. "I didn't make it, so I decided to write something that would help me move forward. It turned out so well, we decided to use it." Dolensky, a talented musician who has studied piano since he was 6, came up with "Windfall," a New Age-type piece with dramatic passages and a soft melody. His choreographer, Catarina Lindgren, asked him to re-work a few sections, and after a few tussles, Dolensky complied. The result: a short program good enough to earn 63.20 points and a slim .05-point lead over two-time U.S. novice champion Nathan Chen. "Skating to my own music is a big advantage," said Dolensky, a part-time student at Keneesaw State University. "It's a lot easier to get inspired by something you created." Technically, too, Dolensky broke new ground, hitting a triple loop-triple toe combination in the short for the first time. "I'm happy with the elements. I did a triple-triple for the first time and my spins were good," he said. "I knew when I did my very best, I could be a top guy. I had to believe in myself and use last year's disappointment as motivation." Next on Dolensky's agenda: a triple Axel. "I've landed triple Axel before, but it's not in the programs here," he said. "I haven't felt I needed it. Obviously, next season [as a senior], I will." The 12-year-old Chen was hot on Dolensky's heels after landing a triple flip-triple toe combination and triple Lutz in his short to music from Thomas Newman's WALL-E soundtrack. "I felt a little nervous before I skated," the Salt Lake City native said. "I did a couple of good shorts in practice here, which was pretty good. "The program is a lot of fun; I selected the music and worked on it with [choreographer] Stephanee Grosscup." Chen, who began working with Rafael Arutunian in Lake Arrowhead in mid-December, said he plans to move there to train full time. He and Arutunian will continue work on the triple Axel, a jump Chen put aside for this competition. "It was getting close, but I stopped working on it, to [focus] on my programs for nationals," he said. "Next season should be very exciting. I've been waiting quite a while to hit 13, so I could compete internationally [in the Junior Grand Prix]."
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