Valentina_Plazas

Valentina Plazas

Valentina Plazas

Colombian-American pair skater

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.

Quick Facts Born, Hometown ...

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 2023 U.S. Championships, Plazas/Fernandez placed fifth. Plazas/Fernandez were then selected to compete at the 2023 Four Continents Championships in 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 2023 CS Nebelhorn Trophy, Plazas/Fernandez were seventh.[4] On 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

More information Season, Short program ...

Competitive highlights

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series

Pairs with Fernandez

More information International, Event ...

Singles career

More information National, Event ...

Detailed results

Current personal best scores are highlighted in bold.

More information Segment, Type ...

With Fernandez

Senior results

More information 2023–24 season, Date ...

Junior results

More information Date, Event ...

References

  1. [1]
    Cloutier, Claire (September 9, 2022). "Plazas and Fernandez take different path in skating". U.S. Figure Skating.
  2. [2]
    "2022–23 Figure Skating Roster: Valentina Plazas / Maximiliano Fernandez". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  3. [3]
    "Valentina Plazas / Maximiliano Fernandez". US Figure Skating Fanzone. U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  4. [4]
    "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: Competition Results". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
  5. [5]
    "2022-23 International Assignments and Results". U.S. Figure Skating. Retrieved 29 July 2023.
  6. [6]
    Slater, Paula (October 22, 2023). "Germany's Hocke and Kunkel secure pairs gold at Skate America". Golden Skate. Retrieved October 24, 2023.
  7. [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. [8]
    "Eighteen Athletes Named to Four Continents Team". U.S. Figure Skating. January 9, 2024. Retrieved February 5, 2024.
  9. [9]
    Flett, Ted (January 28, 2024). "Kam and O'Shea snag gold at U.S. Nationals". Golden Skate. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  10. [10]
    Slater, Paula (February 3, 2024). "Stellato-Dudek claims Four Continents title". Golden Skate. Retrieved February 6, 2024.
  11. [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. [12]
    "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: 2023/2024". International Skating Union. Retrieved 20 August 2023.
  13. [13]
    "2023-24 FP Announcement". Instagram. Retrieved 25 April 2023.
  14. [14]
    "Valentina PLAZAS / Maximiliano FERNANDEZ: 2022/2023". International Skating Union. Retrieved September 15, 2022.
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