Former U.S. champion Gracie Gold popped an Axel and skated into the boards in her second-place short program at the Four Continents Championships in Seoul on Friday.
Gold scored 62.67 points, well off her season’s best 68.16 set at NHK Trophy in Japan in November, before she took time off due to a small stress fracture in her foot.
She trails Japan’s Satoko Miyahara by 2.17 points heading into Sunday’s free skate at the top international event before the World Championships in March. Four Continents does not include the Worlds medal favorites from Russia.
“I can do a lot better,” Gold said, according to U.S. Figure Skating. “I’ve been skating very well, but it’s OK. I was still able to skate an OK program and will still be in the running for a medal, if not first place. The triple Lutz-triple toe was completed, although I was too close to the barrier. The mistake on the Axel was silly. I know I can do a double Axel.”
Polina Edmunds was in fourth place with 61.03. Samantha Cesario was in ninth with 54.95.
Earlier, U.S. ice dancers Madison Chock and Evan Bates and Maia and Alex Shibutani fell from first and second after the short dance to finish in second and third, passed by Canadians Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje.
The Four Continents Championships continues with the men’s free skate, including U.S. champion Jason Brown, on Saturday.
Video: Jason Brown attempts quadruple jump in Four Continents short program
