FILIPINO-AMERICAN Sofia Frank is back in action in the International Skating Union (ISU) Four Continents Championships where she will be vying against several Beijing Winter Olympics-bound athletes starting on Thursday at the Tondiraba Ice hall in Tallinn, Estonia.
Philippine Skating Union President Nikki Cheng said on Wednesday that the 16-year-old figure skater from Colorado Springs will be competing on Thursday in the women’s short program and on Saturday in the free skate program.
“We’re not expecting a very high ranking because this is her first senior championship event in the ISU,” Cheng said. “But our goal is for her to have a clean program and a good performance, and hopefully achieve the minimum technical scores for the senior world championships this coming March.”
Frank will be coached by Eddie Shipstad.
“She will be with Team USA’s assigned coach. Unfortunately it will just be her and the coach because there are unforeseen circumstances that arose with the delegation due to the pandemic,” Cheng said.
Frank failed to qualify for the Beijing Winter Olympics that starts on February 4 after placing 24th in free skate and 22nd in short program—both outside the quota—in the Nebelhorn Trophy Olympic qualifier last September in Oberstdorf, Germany.
Only the top six figure skaters in the Oberstdorf qualifier advanced to the Olympics.