Coquitlam’s Larkyn Austman is second after Friday’s senior women’s short program at the Canadian Tire national skating championships in Saint John, N.B.
Austman scored 64.53 points, less than six points behind defending champion Gabrielle Daleman’s 70.18 points.
Austman’s second place standing going into Saturday’s free program is a marked improvement over last year’s championship in Vancouver, when she placed sixth in the short program. But she was able to rebound the next day. Her third-place free skate vaulted her up the standings into third overall, and a place on Canada’s Olympic team as well as world championships in Milan, Italy.
After Austman failed to qualify for the finals in each of those two events, she struggled with injury and illness in the off-season and decided to forego the international Grand Prix circuit to concentrate on rebuilding her program, and her confidence, at smaller regional meets. In November she won the Skate Canada Challenge in Edmonton, AB.
Austman told The Tri-City News prior to her departure for Saint John that she had every intention to win the national championship.
“It’s so much more relaxed,” she said of her renewed confidence. “I’m skating so much better.”
Austman will skate for her first Canadian senior women’s championship in Saturday’s third group, at 3 p.m. Atlantic time (11 a.m. PST).
