During the first day of the 2021 U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, 31-year-old Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic took the lead of the men’s competition after a clean short program performance.
Brezina began his routine with a quad Salchow and later completed a triple flip-double toe loop combination. He then landed a triple axel. The 2013 European bronze medalist received a score of 87.48 points for his short program presentation.
25-year-old U.S. representative Jimmy Ma landed a quad toe loop-triple toe loop combination, a triple Lutz, and a triple axel – receiving a higher total element score (47.74 points) compared to Brezina (45.99 points) – but lost out to the leader due to the total component score (36.33 points) compared to Brezina (41.49 points). The total component score includes marks for skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and interpretation of music. Ma earned a total performance score of 84.07 points and finished the day in second place.
Another American, 20-year-old Eric Sjoberg, was third in the short program event. He landed a triple axel, a triple Lutz, and a triple flip-triple toe loop combination – earning a total short program score of 78.11 points.
Results after short program:
- Michal BREZINA (CZE) – 87.48
- Jimmy MA (USA) – 84.07
- Eric SJOBERG (USA) – 78.11
- Donovan CARRILLO (MEX) – 77.48
- Maxim NAUMOV (USA) – 69.99
- Camden PULKINEN (USA) – 66.84
- Daniel SAMOHIN (ISR) – 66.54
- Dinh TRAN (USA) – 65.77
- Mark GORODNITSKY (ISR) – 64.24
- Christopher CALUZA (PHI) – 62.03
