Valentina Plazas

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Valentina Plazas
Plazas/Fernandez at the 2023 Four Continents Championships
Born (2000-04-18) 18 April 2000 (age 24)
Bogotá, Colombia
HometownPembroke Pines, Florida, US
Figure skating career
Country United States
PartnerMaximiliano Fernandez
CoachJim Peterson, Amanda Evora, Lisa Kirby
Skating clubPanthers FSC

Valentina Plazas (born April 18, 2000) is a Colombian–American figure skater who currently competes in pairs. With her skating partner, Maximiliano Fernandez, she is the 2024 U.S. national bronze medalist, 2022 CS U.S. Classic bronze medalist and the 2023 CS Golden Spin silver medalist.

Personal life

Plazas was born on April 18, 2000, in Bogotá, Colombia, to parents Diego Plazas and Lina Medina. She has a younger sister, Natalia. Plazas immigrated to the United States from Colombia with her family when she was six years old.[1]

Plazas is a graduate of Charles W. Flanagan High School, and Florida International University with a degree in criminal justice.[2]

Career

Early years

Plazas began learning how to skate at age 12. Before transitioning to pair skating, she was a two-time national medalist on the U.S. collegiate level. For a time, she considered representing her native Colombia internationally as a single skater, but ultimately chose to partner with Fernandez for the United States in February 2020.[1]

2020–21 season

Plazas/Fernandez debuted together at the 2021 U.S. Championship Series on the junior level, winning the bronze medal. They went on to win the bronze medal at the 2021 U.S. Junior Championships.[3]

2021–22 season

Plazas/Fernandez began their season by winning the silver medal at both the 2021 USCS Nevada and USCS Massachusetts. Debuting as a senior pair team at the 2022 U.S. Championships, Plazas/Fernandez finished sixth.[3]

2022–23 season

Plazas/Fernandez began the season at the 2022 John Nicks Pairs Challenge and the 2022 CS U.S. Classic, winning bronze at both events. They then went on to place fifth at the 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy.[4]

Making their debut on the Grand Prix series, Plazas/Fernandez competed at 2022 Skate America, where they finished sixth. Additionally, following they were called up to compete at 2022 Skate Canada International following the withdrawal of U.S. pair team McBeath/Bartholomay. They placed fifth at the event.[4]

At the

Colorado Springs, Colorado, where they finished fifth, scoring a personal best combined total score in the process.[3][5][4]

Plazas and Fernandez during their free skate at the 2024 World Championships

2023–24 season

Beginning the season at the

Grand Prix, they were fourth at the 2023 Skate America.[6] They finished fourth as well at the 2023 Grand Prix de France.[7] At the 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb, Plazas/Fernandez placed second, earning their second ISU Challenger Series medal.[4]

In advance of the 2024 U.S. Championships, Plazas/Fernandez were preemptively named to the American team for the 2024 Four Continents Championships, which were to be held in Shanghai the weekend after the national championships.[8] At the national championships, they came fourth in both segments and won the bronze medal. Fernandez called it "surreal" and "a very humbling experience" to finally reach the national championship podium.[9] They were ninth at the Four Continents Championships.[10]

Plazas/Fernandez concluded the season by making their World Championship debut at the 2024 edition in Montreal. They finished thirteenth.[11]

Programs

With Fernandez

Season Short program Free skating Exhibition
2024-2025
2023–2024
[12][13]
  • Jim Peterson
 Top Gun: Maverick:
2022–2023
[14]
2021–2022
[3]
2020–2021
[3]

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

Pairs with Fernandez

International[4]
Event 20–21 21–22 22–23
23–24
World Championships 13th
Four Continents 5th 9th
GP France 4th
GP Skate America 6th 4th
GP Skate Canada 5th
CS Finlandia 5th
CS Golden Spin 2nd
CS Nebelhorn 7th
CS U.S. Classic 3rd
John Nicks Challenge 3rd 3rd
National[4]
U.S. Champs. 3rd J 6th 5th 3rd

Singles career

National
Event
18–19
U.S. Collegiate Champ. 2nd J
Levels: J = Junior

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

ISU personal best scores in the +5/-5 GOE System 
Segment Type Score Event
Total TSS 174.15 2024 World Championships
Short program TSS 61.64 2024 World Championships
TES 34.45 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy
PCS 29.22 2024 World Championships
Free skating TSS 114.44 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
TES 58.77 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy
PCS 55.94 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb

With Fernandez

Senior results

2023–24 season
Date Event SP FS Total
18–24 March 2024 2024 World Championships 13
61.64 		14
112.51 		13
174.15
30 Jan. – 4 Feb. 2024 2024 Four Continents Championships 9
57.38 		9
103.78 		9
161.16
22–28 January 2024 2024 U. S. Championships 4
63.18 		4
117.85 		3
181.03
6–9 December 2023 2023 CS Golden Spin of Zagreb 2
58.11 		2
110.03 		2
168.14
3–5 November 2023 2023 Grand Prix de France 4
58.46 		4
109.74 		4
168.20
20–22 October 2023 2023 Skate America 7
49.51 		4
107.57 		4
157.08
September 20–23, 2023 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy 7
54.93 		7
114.44 		7
169.37
2022–23 season
Date Event SP FS Total
7–12 February 2023 2023 Four Continents Championships 5
60.07 		6
109.02 		5
169.09
23–29 January 2023 2023 U. S. Championships 4
63.45 		6
112.89 		5
176.34
4–9 October 2022 2022 Skate Canada International 5
55.70 		5
108.44 		5
164.14
21–23 October 2022 2022 Skate America 8
47.32 		4
96.23 		6
143.55
4–9 October 2022 2022 CS Finlandia Trophy 4
60.40 		6
101.58 		5
161.98
12–16 September 2022 2022 CS U.S. Classic 3
56.20 		3
110.05 		3
166.25
8–9 September 2022 2022 John Nicks Pairs Challenge 4
57.20 		3
108.48 		3
165.68
2021–22 season
Date Event SP FS Total
3–9 January 2022 2022 U. S. Championships 7
49.80 		6
98.57 		6
148.37

Junior results

2020–21 season
Date Event SP FS Total
11–21 January 2021 2021 U. S. Championships 4
47.07 		3
90.22 		3
137.29

References

  1. ^ a b Cloutier, Claire (September 9, 2022). "Plazas and Fernandez take different path in skating". U.S. Figure Skating.
  2. ^ "2022–23 Figure Skating Roster: Valentina Plazas / Maximiliano Fernandez". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Valentina Plazas / Maximiliano Fernandez". US Figure Skating Fanzone. U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  5. ^ "2022-23 International Assignments and Results". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. ^ Slater, Paula (October 22, 2023). "Germany's Hocke and Kunkel secure pairs gold at Skate America". Golden Skate. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  7. ^ "Pereira/Michaud (CAN) claim first ISU Grand Prix crown at Grand Prix de France". International Skating Union. October 21, 2023. Retrieved November 4, 2023.
  8. ^ "Eighteen Athletes Named to Four Continents Team". U.S. Figure Skating. January 9, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  9. ^ Flett, Ted (January 28, 2024). "Kam and O'Shea snag gold at U.S. Nationals". Golden Skate. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. ^ Slater, Paula (February 3, 2024). "Stellato-Dudek claims Four Continents title". Golden Skate. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  11. ^ Schwindt, Troy (March 21, 2024). "Malinin third after short program at Worlds, with Brown close behind". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved April 1, 2024.
  12. ^ "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  13. ^ "2023-24 FP Announcement". Instagram. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  14. ^ "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 15, 2022.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Valentina_Plazas&oldid=1219985608"