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Katarina Wolfkostin

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Katarina Wolfkostin
Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
Full nameKatarina Patricia Wolfkostin
Born (2004-10-09) October 9, 2004 (age 20)
Ann Arbor, Michigan
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
Country United States
DisciplineIce dance
PartnerDimitry Tsarevski (since 2023)
Jeffrey Chen (2019–23)
Howard Zhao (2016–19)
CoachCharlie White
Tanith White
Greg Zuerlein
Skating clubPeninsula Skating Club
Began skating2009
Medal record
"" Winter Youth Olympics ""
Bronze medal – third place 2020 Lausanne Ice dance

Katarina Wolfkostin (born October 9, 2004) is an American ice dancer. Together with her partner Dimitry Tsarevski, she is the 2024 JGP Poland champion, the 2024 JGP Czech Republic silver medalist, and the champion of the 2024 U.S. senior ice dance finals.

With her former partner Jeffrey Chen, Wolfkostin was the 2022 CS Budapest Trophy bronze medalist, the 2021 U.S. junior national champion, the 2021 French JGP champion, the 2021 JGP Slovenia silver medalist, and the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics bronze medalist. Prior to this, Wolfkostin was the national champion at both the 2018 U.S. Novice Championship and the 2017 U.S. Intermediate Championship, with Howard Zhao.

Personal life

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Katarina Wolfkostin was born on October 9, 2004, in Ann Arbor, Michigan. She likes art, music, and drawing animals and fantasy creatures. She has three cats, a corn snake, and two pet cockatiels named Chika and Shirley.[1]

Career

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Early career

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Wolfkostin began ice skating in 2009 when she was five.[2] She started ice dancing with a partner when she was nine, training in Canton, Michigan, with Marina Zoueva. Wolfkostin and her first partner, John Carlson, placed eighth at the 2016 U.S. Championships in the intermediate division.[3][4] She teamed up with Howard Zhao in the 2016–17 season. Coached by Anjelika Krylova and Pasquale Camerlengo, Wolfkostin/Zhao were the 2017 U.S. national intermediate champions, and the 2018 U.S. national novice champions, in ice dance.[5] Wolfkostin/Zhao placed fourth in the advanced novice division at the 2018 Mentor Toruń Cup.[6]

2018–2019 season

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Wolfkostin/Zhao placed tenth at their first-ever Junior Grand Prix event, 2018 JGP Czech Republic. They won the bronze medal at the 2018–19 Pacific Coast Sectionals to advance to the 2019 U.S. Championships, where they finished ninth. Wolfkostin/Zhao split following the end of the season.

2019–2020 season

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Wolfkostin began skating with Jeffrey Chen in 2019, and he moved to train with her coaches, Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo, in Novi, Michigan.[1] They placed fifth in their international debut at 2019 JGP France. Wolfkostin/Chen improved to fourth at 2019 JGP Russia after placing second in the free dance. They won the inaugural U.S. Ice Dance Final to qualify for the 2020 U.S. Championships.[1] Wolfkostin/Chen won their first international medal at the 2019 Golden Spin of Zagreb, earning the silver medal behind Ushakova/Nekrasov of Russia.

Wolfkostin/Chen were named as the sole ice dance entrant on the U.S. team for the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.[7] They were fifth after the rhythm dance, before placing third in the free dance, to win the bronze medal overall behind Russian dancers Khavronina/Cirisano and Tyutyunina/Shustitsky.[8] Their medal was the first won by Team USA at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics.[9][10] Wolfkostin/Chen were drawn as part of Team Determination for the team event, alongside singles skaters Cha Young-hyun of South Korea and Nella Pelkonen of Finland and pairs skaters Brooke McIntosh / Brandon Toste of Canada. They placed fourth in the free dance segment to help Team Determination finish fourth after losing the tie-breaker.

Wolfkostin/Chen placed fourth in the rhythm dance and second in the free dance to win the silver medal at the 2020 U.S. Championships, behind Nguyen/Kolesnik.[11] Assigned to compete at their first World Junior Championships, they placed seventh.[12]

2020–2021 season

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The season was shortened due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with domestic competitions initially changed to a virtual format, leading up to the 2021 U.S. Championships. Wolfkostin/Chen placed first in the rhythm dance and first in the free dance in both rounds of the 2020 Virtual ISP Points Challenge,[13][14] and second in the free dance at the 2020 Virtual U.S. Championship Series.[15] Wolfkostin/Chen then competed at the 2021 U.S. Championships, after Chen was medically cleared to skate after a second opinion was obtained following a knee injury, originally thought to be an incapacitating ACL tear. Despite the injury, they placed first in both the rhythm and free dance, earning them the gold medal for the national title.[16][17][18]

2021–2022 season

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Returning to international competition for the first time in over a year, Wolfkostin/Chen began on the Junior Grand Prix by competing at the first French JGP of 2021, in Courchevel. They placed first in both segments, easily winning the gold medal.[19] At their second event, 2021 JGP Slovenia, they placed third in the rhythm dance but made up ground in the free dance, placing second in that segment and placed second overall.[20] Assigned to their first senior event just a few weeks later, Wolfkostin/Chen placed ninth at the 2021 CS Cup of Austria.[21] Their JGP results had qualified them for the 2021–22 Junior Grand Prix Final, but it was subsequently canceled as a result of travel restrictions prompted by the COVID-19 Omicron variant.[22]

Rather than seeking to defend their national junior title, Wolfkostin/Chen opted to compete as seniors at the 2022 U.S. Championships. They finished in sixth place overall, notably beating former national pewter medalists Carreira/Ponomarenko.[23] When the U.S. team was announced for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, Wolfkostin/Chen were named as alternates.[24]

Due to the pandemic, the 2022 World Junior Championships could not be held as scheduled in Sofia in early March and, as a result, were rescheduled for Tallinn in mid-April.[25] Due to Vladimir Putin's invasion of Ukraine, the International Skating Union (ISU) banned all Russian and Belarusian athletes from participating, which had a significant impact on the field of figure skating and ice dance.[26][27] Wolfkostin/Chen were considered frontrunners for the title, however, following a fall at the beginning of the rhythm dance, they placed ninth in that segment, 6.40 points behind third place Bashynska/Beaumont of Canada.[28] Wolfkostin/Chen mounted a comeback in the free dance, placing second in that segment with a score within 0.04 points of their personal best, which raised them to fourth place overall. They finished 0.37 points back of bronze medalists Bashynska/Beaumont.[29]

2022–2023 season

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Despite their disappointing result at the World Junior Championships, it did not alter Wolfkostin and Chen's plans to move up to the senior level for the following season. Chen would later explain their reasoning that "we had already competed a bit in seniors last year, and we were excited to move into seniors. We feel that it's inspiring and helps us grow faster. It also relieves a bit of pressure; being the ones who chase after people, instead of being targeted."[30] In addition, Wolfkostin and Chen announced in May that they would be leaving coach Igor Shpilband to train at the new Michigan Ice Dance Academy in Canton, Michigan, under coaches Greg Zuerlein, Tanith Belbin White, and Olympic champion Charlie White.[31] This also aligned with their mutual decision to attend the nearby University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.[30]

The team debuted new senior programs at the 2022 Lake Placid Ice Dance International, where they won the bronze medal. Shortly afterward, they appeared on the Challenger series at the 2022 CS U.S. Classic, finishing sixth.[32] At their second Challenger, the 2022 CS Budapest Trophy, Wolfkostin/Chen won the bronze medal, setting three new personal bests in the process.[33] In November, they were invited to make their senior Grand Prix debut, finishing in eighth place at the 2022 Grand Prix de France.[34] They were tenth at the 2022 NHK Trophy, struggling with level issues on several elements.[35] Chen later said that illness and a training injury had hindered them during the Grand Prix.[30] At the 2023 U.S. Championships, they placed tenth in the rhythm dance and fifth in the free dance, resulting in a seventh-place finish overall.[21]

On February 8, 2023, Wolfkostin and Chen announced the end of their partnership, with Wolfkostin stating that she would look for a new partner. She said that "last year had many ups and downs and I'm still trying to figure everything out."[36] Months later, she would add that "we had different goals in mind, and just a couple things that weren't going to work out."[37]

2023–2024 season: First season with Tsarevski

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On May 16, 2023, Wolfkostin announced a new ice dance partnership with Dimitry Tsarevski, who moved from Colorado to Michigan to train.[38] Wolfkostin/Tsarevski started their season with successful summer competitions in Dallas and Lake Placid, where they placed first in all events at the senior level.[39] They were then given their first senior international assignment, the 2023 CS Autumn Classic International,[37] where they placed fifth. They again placed fifth at the 2023 CS Budapest Trophy.[40][41] The following month, they placed first in both segments of the senior level of the 2024 U.S. Ice Dance Final,[42] easily winning the gold and qualifying them for the 2024 U.S. Championships. There, they placed eighth in the rhythm dance, seventh in the free dance, and ninth overall, finishing 1.38 points behind sibling team Brown/Brown.[43]

2024–2025 season

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In June 2024, a new ruling of the ISU Congress resulted in a change of age limit for junior pairs and ice dance teams,[44] and Wolfkostin, 19, and Tsarevski, 20, opted to start the year in the junior division. Wolfkostin reported being off the ice for several months while recovering from a leg fracture, and they waited until July to begin their season.[45] At the 2024 Lake Placid Ice Dance International, they placed second overall.[40] They were then assigned to the JGP Czech Republic, where they clinched the silver medal.[46][47] A few weeks later at the JGP Poland, they won the gold medal, scoring new season's bests and qualifying them for the JGP Final in Grenoble, France. [48][41]

Programs

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Ice dance with Dimitry Tsarevski

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2023–2024
[49]

Ice dance with Jeffrey Chen

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2019–2020
[2]
2020–2021
2021–2022
[50]
  • Rain, In Your Black Eyes
    by Ezio Bosso
    choreo. by Igor Shpilband and Pasquale Camerlengo
2022–2023
[51]

Ice dance with Howard Zhao

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Season Rhythm dance Free dance
2016–2017
2017–2018
2018–2019
[52]

Competitive highlights

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Ice dance with Dimitry Tsarevski

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Competition placements at senior level [53]
Season 2023–24 2024–25
U.S. Championships 9th
CS Autumn Classic 5th
CS Budapest Trophy 5th
CS Tallinn Trophy TBD
Competition placements at junior level [53]
Season 2024–25
Junior Grand Prix Final TBD
JGP Czech Republic 2nd
JGP Poland 1st
Lake Placid Ice Dance 2nd

Ice dance with Jeffrey Chen

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Wolfkostin/Chen (right) on the podium at the 2020 Winter Youth Olympics
Competition placements at senior level [54]
Season 2021–22 2022–23
U.S. Championships 6th 7th
GP France 8th
GP NHK Trophy 10th
CS Budapest Trophy 3rd
CS Cup of Austria 9th
CS U.S. Classic 6th
Lake Placid Ice Dance 3rd
Competition placements at junior level [54][21]
Season 2019–20 2020–21 2021–22
Winter Youth Olympics 3rd
Winter Youth Olympics (Team event) 4th
World Junior Championships 7th 4th
U.S. Championships 2nd 1st
JGP France 5th 1st
JGP Russia 4th
JGP Slovenia 2nd
Golden Spin of Zagreb 2nd
U.S. Ice Dance Final 1st

Ice dance with Howard Zhao

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Competition placements at junior level [55]
Season 2018–19
U.S. Championships 9th
JGP Czech Republic 10th

Detailed results

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Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

Ice dance with Dimitry Tsarevski

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Senior level

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Results in the 2023–24 season [53]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 14–17, 2023 Canada 2023 CS Autumn Classic International 5 66.43 4 96.91 5 163.34
Oct 13–15, 2023 Hungary 2023 CS Budapest Trophy 5 68.92 5 103.96 5 172.88
Jan 22–28, 2024 United States 2024 U.S. Championships 8 70.40 7 107.65 9 178.05

Junior level

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Results in the 2024–25 season [53]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Jul 30–31, 2024 United States 2024 Lake Placid Ice Dance International 3 57.03 2 92.71 2 149.74
Sep 4–7, 2024 Czech Republic 2024 JGP Czech Republic 2 55.98 3 88.96 2 144.94
Sep 25–28, 2024 Poland 2024 JGP Poland 1 65.85 1 101.03 1 166.88

Ice dance with Jeffrey Chen

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Senior level

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Results in the 2021–22 season [54]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Nov 11–14, 2021 Austria 2021 CS Cup of Austria 10 63.04 7 101.29 9 164.33
Jan 2–9, 2022 United States 2022 U.S. Championships 7 75.28 6 111.99 6 187.27
Results in the 2022–23 season [54]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Jul 26–29, 2022 United States 2022 Lake Placid Ice Dance International 1 71.92 4 103.50 3 175.42
Sep 13–16, 2022 United States 2022 CS U.S. Classic 6 60.69 6 103.38 6 164.07
Oct 14–16, 2022 Hungary 2022 CS Budapest Trophy 3 72.37 3 108.09 3 180.46
Nov 4–6, 2022 France 2022 Grand Prix de France 7 64.18 8 100.71 8 164.89
Nov 18–20, 2022 Japan 2022 NHK Trophy 10 64.94 10 83.07 10 148.01
Jan 21–29, 2023 United States 2023 U.S. Championships 10 69.05 5 114.00 7 183.05

Junior level

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Results in the 2019–20 season [54]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Aug 21–24, 2019 France 2019 JGP France 4 58.90 5 89.03 5 147.93
Sep 11–14, 2019 Russia 2019 JGP Russia 6 54.91 2 93.90 4 148.81
Nov 12–16, 2019 United States 2020 U.S. Ice Dance Final 1 66.23 2 94.68 1 160.91
Dec 4–7, 2019 Croatia 2019 Golden Spin of Zagreb 1 66.52 2 97.29 2 163.81
Jan 10–15, 2020 Switzerland 2020 Winter Youth Olympics 5 57.02 3 95.41 3 152.43
Jan 10–15, 2020 Switzerland 2020 Winter Youth Olympics – Team — — 4 90.41 4T
(4P) 		—
Jan 20–26, 2020 United States 2020 U.S. Championships (Junior) 4 60.93 2 100.46 2 161.39
Mar 2–8, 2020 Estonia 2020 World Junior Championships 7 64.77 7 94.43 7 159.20
Results in the 2020–21 season [54]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Jan 11–21, 2021 United States 2021 U.S. Championships (Junior) 1 68.81 1 98.41 1 167.22
Results in the 2021–22 season [54]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Aug 18–21, 2021 France 2021 JGP France I 1 64.75 1 100.26 1 165.01
Sep 22–25, 2021 Slovenia 2021 JGP Slovenia 3 62.99 2 100.26 2 163.25
Apr 13–17, 2022 Estonia 2022 World Junior Championships 9 57.05 2 100.22 4 157.27

Ice dance with Howard Zhao

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Results in the 2018–19 season [55]
Date Event RD FD Total
P Score P Score P Score
Sep 26–29, 2018 Czech Republic 2018 JGP Czech Republic 10 50.80 10 76.78 10 127.58
Jan 18–27, 2019 United States 2019 U.S. Championships (Junior) 9 50.07 8 77.56 9 127.63

References

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  1. ^ a b c "Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen". U.S. Figure Skating.
  2. ^ a b "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Jeffrey CHEN: 2019/2020". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on May 4, 2020.
  3. ^ "Interview: Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen". In the Loop. August 21, 2019.
  4. ^ "Katarina Wolfkostin & John Carlson". Stats on Ice.
  5. ^ "Local teens named National Novice Ice Dance Champions". The Oakland Press. January 27, 2018.
  6. ^ "Katarina Wolfkostin & Howard Zhao". Stats on Ice.
  7. ^ Edmonds, Jamie (January 7, 2020). "Meet this Metro Detroit ice dancing duo with big dreams that are starting to come true". WDIV-TV.
  8. ^ "The future of figure skating is now". International Olympic Committee. January 17, 2020.
  9. ^ Truby, Olivia (January 13, 2020). "Katarina Wolfkostin and Jeffrey Chen skate to bronze for Team USA's first medal at Youth Olympic Games". United States Olympic & Paralympic Committee. Archived from the original on January 13, 2020.
  10. ^ Wickliffe, Greg (January 13, 2020). "Ann Arbor-based ice skaters earn Team USA's first medal of 2020 Youth Winter Olympics". Michigan Live.
  11. ^ "First Junior Champions Crowned at U.S. Championships". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. January 22, 2020.
  12. ^ Slater, Paula (March 7, 2020). "Nguyen and Kolesnik dance to Junior World title". Golden Skate.
  13. ^ "International Selection Pool (ISP) Points Challenge Competition Central". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. September 8, 2020.
  14. ^ "Wolfkostin and Chen Strive for Continued Success in Second Season Together". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. September 17, 2020.
  15. ^ "2021 U.S. Championship Series Presented by Toyota Competition Central". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. December 18, 2020.
  16. ^ "Junior Champions Crowned as the 2021 Toyota U.S. Figure Skating Championships Conclude". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. January 21, 2021.
  17. ^ Ellis, Drew (February 15, 2021). "Chen and Wolfkostin Building Off of Junior Figure Skating Championship". The Oakland Press.
  18. ^ Gay, Colin (February 18, 2021). "Katarina Wolfkostin Jeffrey Chen Win 2020 U.S. Figure Skating Title". Hometown Life.
  19. ^ "American Juniors Golden in Courchevel". International Figure Skating. August 23, 2021.
  20. ^ "Russia sweeps gold medals at ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ljubljana (SLO)". International Skating Union. September 27, 2021.
  21. ^ a b c "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Jeffrey CHEN: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
  22. ^ "Figure skating Grand Prix Final cancelled over travel rules". CBC Sports. December 2, 2021.
  23. ^ Slater, Paula (January 9, 2022). "Chock and Bates edge out teammates for U.S. title". Golden Skate.
  24. ^ "2022 U.S. Olympic Figure Skating Team Nominated". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. January 8, 2022.
  25. ^ "ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships 2022 allotted to Tallinn (EST)". International Skating Union. March 4, 2022.
  26. ^ "ISU Statement on the Ukrainian crisis – Participation in international competitions of Skaters and Officials from Russia and Belarus". International Skating Union. March 1, 2022.
  27. ^ "2022 World Junior Championships". International Figure Skating.
  28. ^ Slater, Paula (April 15, 2022). "Siblings Brown and Brown dance to lead at 2022 Junior Worlds". Golden Skate.
  29. ^ Slater, Paula (April 17, 2022). "USA's Oona Brown and Gage Brown 'overjoyed' with Junior World title". Golden Skate.
  30. ^ a b c Cloutier, Claire (December 26, 2022). "Wolfkostin and Chen Finding Their Niche in the Senior Ranks". U.S. Figure Skating.
  31. ^ Wolfkostin, Katarina (May 9, 2022). "We want to share the news with everybody that we left Novi. There's so much I could say but I'll just say I'm so thankful for all that I learned!" (Instagram).
  32. ^ Sausa, Christie (September 15, 2022). "Pate and Bye, McNamara and Spiridonov Capture Silver and Bronze in Lake Placid". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
  33. ^ Sausa, Christie (October 16, 2022). "Ziegler wins gold, Wolfkostin and Chen earn bronze at the 2022 Budapest Trophy". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
  34. ^ "Team USA Earns Two Top Five Finishes to Close the Grand Prix de France". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone. November 5, 2022.
  35. ^ Lutz, Rachel (November 19, 2022). "U.S. Earns Two Ice Dance Medals, One Pairs Medal at NHK Trophy with Spots at the Grand Prix Final on the Line". U.S. Figure Skating Fan Zone.
  36. ^ Wolfkostin, Katarina (February 8, 2023). "I want to announce that Jeffrey and I have parted ways. We have achieved a lot in the last four years, and I have many great memories, but it is time for us to move in different directions. I don't really know what else to say other than a sincere thank you for the past years, be healthy, and good luck" (Instagram). Archived from the original on February 8, 2023.
  37. ^ a b Cloutier, Claire (September 13, 2023). "Wolfkostin and Tsarevski: Off to a Fast Start". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  38. ^ Wickliffe, Greg (May 17, 2023). "Ann Arbor's Katarina Wolfkostin announces new ice-skating partnership". Michigan Live. Retrieved September 22, 2023.
  39. ^ "2023-24 National Qualifying Series Competition Central". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved September 1, 2024.
  40. ^ a b "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Dimitry TSAREVSKI: Competition Results". International Skating Union.
  41. ^ a b "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Dimitry TSAREVSKI: 2023/2024". International Skating Union.
  42. ^ "2024 Midwestern Sectional Singles and U.S. Ice Dance Final". U.S. Figure Skating.
  43. ^ "2024 US Nationals: Ice Dance Final Results". Skating Scores. Com. Retrieved January 28, 2024.
  44. ^ "ISU Congress votes in favor of significant modernization for ice-skating sports". International Skating Union. June 12, 2024.
  45. ^ Calder, Anne (August 6, 2024). "Recap: 2024 Lake Placid IDI (Junior & Senior)". Ice Dance. Com.
  46. ^ "Newcomers and Junior stars set highlights at ISU Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava". International Skating Union. September 9, 2024. Retrieved September 15, 2024.
  47. ^ "Blackwell, Wolfkostin, and Tsarevski Clinch Silver at JGP Czech Republic". U.S. Figure Skating. September 9, 2024.
  48. ^ "Wolfkostin and Tsarevski Win in Poland, Qualify for JGP Final". U.S. Figure Skating. September 30, 2024.
  49. ^ "2023–24 Figure Skating Roster: Katarina Wolfkostin and Dimitry Tsarevski". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved September 16, 2023.
  50. ^ "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Jeffrey CHEN: 2021/2022". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on August 17, 2021.
  51. ^ "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Jeffrey CHEN: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 1 November 2022.
  52. ^ "Katarina WOLFKOSTIN / Howard ZHAO". International Skating Union.
  53. ^ a b c d "USA–Katarina Wolfkostin/Dimitry Tsarevski". SkatingScores.com.
  54. ^ a b c d e f g "USA–Katarina Wolfkostin/Jeffrey Chen". SkatingScores.com.
  55. ^ a b "USA–Katarina Wolfkostin/Howard Zhao". SkatingScores.com.
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