Juni Marie Benjaminsen

Juni Marie Benjaminsen (born 21 March 1999) is a Norwegian former competitive figure skater. In 2015, she became the first Norwegian ladies' skater in 16 years to advance to the free skate at the World Junior Championships. She has competed in the final segment at two editions.

Juni Marie Benjaminsen
Born (1999-03-21) 21 March 1999
Oslo, Norway
Height1.60 m (5 ft 3 in)
Figure skating career
CountryNorway
CoachOleksandr Smokvin
Skating clubOslo Skøiteklub
Began skating2004
Retired10 May 2017

Personal life

Juni Marie Benjaminsen was born on 21 March 1999 in Oslo, Norway.[1] Her parents are Finnish orienteer Anne Benjaminsen and Norwegian orienteer Vidar Benjaminsen.[2] Orienteer Andrine Benjaminsen is her sister.[3]

Career

Early career

Benjaminsen started skating in 2004 at Oslo Skøiteklub. Benjaminsen won the Norwegian novice ladies' title during the 2012–13 season. The following season, she competed on the junior level, placing 10th at the 2014 Nordic Championships.[4]

2014–2015 season

Benjaminsen made her ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) debut in the 2014–15 season, placing 19th in Courchevel and 23rd in Tallinn. She placed 5th in junior ladies at the Tallinn Trophy, took the junior bronze medal at the 2015 Nordic Championships, and finished 13th at the 2015 European Youth Olympic Festival (EYOF). At the 2015 World Junior Championships in Tallinn, she scored her personal best in the short program and advanced to the final, finishing 22nd overall.[4] She was the first Norwegian in 16 years to qualify for the ladies' free skate at a World Junior Championships.[5]

2015–2016 season

During summer 2015 she trained in Oberstdorf, Germany and Richmond, Virginia, United States.[1] Benjaminsen began her season on the JGP series, placing 16th in Latvia and 14th in Spain. In Riga, Latvia, she became the first Norwegian woman to have successfully landed a triple-triple combination in competition.[6] Making her senior international debut, she finished 12th at an ISU Challenger Series (CS) event in November, the 2015 Tallinn Trophy. She won the silver medal at the 2016 Norwegian Junior Championships, and placed 6th at the 2016 Nordics after winning the short program. At the 2016 Junior Worlds she advanced to the final placing 20th in the short program, and finished 22nd overall.

2016–2017 season

Benjaminsen competed in Slovenia and Germany in the JGP season. She competed in the senior category for the first time at the 2017 Norwegian Championships, taking silver behind Jemima Rasmuss. She also competed at the 2017 Junior Worlds, but did not advance to the free skate. She announced her retirement from competitive skating on 10 May 2017.[7]

Programs

Season Short program Free skating
2015–2017
[1]
  • The St. Louis Blues
    by W. C. Handy
2014–2015
[8]
  • Gwendoline
    by Perez Prado
  • Norma la de Guadalajara
    by Perez Prado
  • Mambo No. 8
    by Perez Prado
2013–2014
  • Gwendoline
    by Perez Prado
  • Norma la de Guadalajara
    by Perez Prado
  • Mambo No. 8
    by Perez Prado
2012–2013
  • Korobushka
    by Bond

Competitive highlights

CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

International[4]
Event 12–13 13–14 14–15 15–16 16–17
CS Tallinn Trophy12th23rd
Nordics14th
International: Junior[4]
Junior Worlds22nd22nd43rd
Youth Olympics15th
JGP Estonia23rd
JGP France19th
JGP Germany29th
JGP Latvia16th
JGP Slovenia18th
JGP Spain14th
EYOF13th
Nordics7th N10th J3rd J6th J
Tallinn Trophy5th J12th
Dragon Trophy11th J
National
Norwegian Champ.1st N7th J3rd J2nd J2nd
Levels: N = Advanced novice; J = Junior

References

  1. "Juni Marie BENJAMINSEN: 2015/2016". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 28 May 2016.
  2. Fossheim, Kenneth (18 March 2012). "Juni Marie tok bronse i Haag". Akers Avis Groruddalen (in Norwegian). Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  3. "Benjaminsen vant kongepokal-drama". Nettavisen (in Norwegian). 12 September 2019. Retrieved 23 February 2021.
  4. "Competition Results: Juni Marie BENJAMINSEN". International Skating Union.
  5. Vik, Martin (13 March 2015). "Juni Marie imponerte mot verdenseliten" [Juni Marie among the world elite] (PDF). Akers Avis Groruddalen (in Norwegian).
  6. "Trippel + trippel" [Triple triple]. Norwegian Skating Association (in Norwegian). 7 November 2015.
  7. Juni Marie retires from competitive skating at Oslo Skating Club
  8. "Juni Marie BENJAMINSEN: 2014/2015". International Skating Union. Archived from the original on 22 May 2015.

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