Young figure skaters become first Australians to perform throw triple lutz

AFTER just two weeks of practice, figure skaters Harley Windsor and Katia Alexandrovskaya are the first Australian pair to perform the throw triple lutz.

Rooty Hill indigenous skater Harley Windsor and Russian teenager Katia Alexandrovskaya have a lot to smile about after they landed two successful triple lutz manoeuvres. Picture: Britta Campion

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AFTER just two weeks of practice figure skating combination Harley Windsor and partner Katia Alexandrovskaya pulled off a difficult throw triple lutz at the Australian National Championships.

No Australian has ever attempted the jump and only a handful of senior skaters around the world can manage it, but Windsor said for them it was “comfortable”.

Their groundbreaking short program performed to Adele’s Skyfall also included a split triple twist and side-by-side triple toes.

Their seamless effort in the short program earned them an impressive score of 60.11, defeating defending champions Matthew Dodds and Paris Stephens.

Windsor, a 20-year-old indigenous Rooty Hill resident, said he and his 16-year-old Russian partner attempted the move for the first time just two weeks ago.

“It’s the hardest triple jump you can do,” Windsor said.

“It was quite comfortable for both of us.”

Despite their instant mastery of the jump they did not decide to put it in their program until a week ago.

Katia Alexandrovskaya and Harley Windsor at the Junior Grand Prix of Figure Skating in Ostrava, Czech Republic. Picture: Getty

The pair prepared an easier jump ready in case “it did not feel 100 per cent” when the time came.

“I just said to my partner, ‘If it works, it works. If it doesn’t work, it’s OK. We’ll just do it how we do it in practice.’” Windsor said.

“It was just another day at training for us.

“I was quite happy it worked.”

The young pair have had a stunning introduction to international skating in recent months. The world of figure skating stood still as they finished 8th overall at the Junior Grand Prix in Ostrava, Czech Republic, in August after just seven months together.

Then they defeated three highly ranked Russian pairs in International Skating Union Junior Grand Prix in Tallinn­, Estonia, in September.

“We both have similar skating styles and we work really well,” Windsor said.

“Everyone is really overwhelmed with what we’ve done in such a short time.”

The pair is now preparing for another “first” — the first Australian pair to attend the Junior Grand Prix final after the top Russian team pulled out.

It will be held in France on Thursday, December 8.