Skyliners Skate to 5th at World Meet

The Skyliners Junior Synchronized Skating team finished fifth at the Junior World Challenge on Saturday in Neuchatel, Switzerland. The Skyliners team includes girls from New Canaan, Darien and Greenwich.

The Skyliners took sixth 162.96 points, just 0.06 behind the fourth place team from Canada. Team Braemar of Minnesota, which finished second to the Skyliners in the U.S. championships, took third. Teams from Finland grabbed the first two spots.

Members of the Skyliners include New Canaan’s Ashley Mulhern, Ashley and Lauren Snow of Darien, and Cos Cob’s Mairead Brock and Brooke Abbott. It represents the Skating Club of New York.

The Skyliners were sixth after the short program. The team soared to fourth with a strong free skate program. A total of 19 teams competed in the event, including skaters from Russia, Germany, England, Italy and France.

In synchronized skating, 16 girls as a team perform a routine set to music. Teams are judged on such details as skating skills, choreography and interpretation. Synchronized skating is one of the nation's fastest-growing segments of figure skating, and organizers are hopeful it will be included in the Winter Olympics someday.

Have you seen synchronized skating? What are your thoughts? Start the discussion below!

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