Keegan Messing holds on for win at ISU Challenger Series event in Croatia
Places 5th in Saturday's free skate for narrow victory over Russia's Andrei Mozalev
A clean, fifth-place performance in Saturday's free skate was enough for Canada's Keegan Messing to hold off Russia's Andrei Mozalev for the win at figure skating's Golden Spin of Zagreb in Croatia.
Messing, who lives in Girdwood, Alaska, just outside Anchorage and has dual citizenship, earned 255.07 points overall to edge Mozalev (252.15) and American Jimmy Ma (250.97) at the ISU Challenger Series circuit competition.
Keegan Messing wins gold at the Golden Spin of Zagreb.<br><br>1. Keegan Messing 🇨🇦 - 255.07<br>2. Andrei Mozalev 🇷🇺 - 252.15<br>3. Jimmy Ma 🇺🇸 - 250.97 <a href="https://t.co/cKrzOw2UfG">pic.twitter.com/cKrzOw2UfG</a>
—@theskatingtimes"It was a fantastic week, I'm confident and more motivated than ever'' said the 29-year-old Messing, who led after Thursday's short program and was sixth at the world championships this past spring. "We're going home happy. The season started slow, and it is still not perfect but no we're on the up and up and hopefully towards the Olympic Games.."
Conrad Orzel of Woodbridge, Ont., was 10th and Joseph Phan of Laval, Que., climbed to 16th from 24th.
Three weeks ago, Messing finished sixth in the men's event at the ISU Grand Prix in Grenoble, France.
He slipped from medal contention to finish fifth in the men's program at Skate Canada International in late October in Vancouver. He was fourth earlier in the month at the Finlandia Trophy event, Messing's first international competition of the season.
WATCH l Messing 5th at Skate Canada International:
On Friday, Canadians Vanessa James and Eric Radford were fourth in pairs with Kirsten Moore-Towers of St. Catharines, Ont., and Michael Marinaro of Sarnia, Ont., eighth and Evelyn Walsh of London, Ont., and Trennt Michaud of Trenton, Ont., in ninth.
There were no Canadian entries in women or ice dancing.
