Starr Andrews made history at just 21 years of age on Saturday by becoming the first Black US figure skater to earn the ISU Grand Prix medal. This historic feat is a first in the seriesโ twenty-seven year history. It took place at Skate Canada in Mississauga, Ontario
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In 2010, Andrews went viral for her routine to Willow Smithโs โWhip My Hairโ when she was just 9 years old. She performed her second program of the tournament (a free skate to singer Lara Fabianโs remake of โJe Suis Maladeโ) on Saturday, which elevated her from fifth to second place.
Andrews executed six triple jumps, including a challenging double axel euler triple salchow. Her final score was 191.26. Rinka Watanabe (from Japan) won first with a score of 197.59 points, while Young You (South Korea) received the bronze medal with 190.15 points total.
After the program, Andrew wrote on Instagram: โI canโt even put into words how I feel right now!! I couldnโt be more proud of how I skated in Canada. Thank you to all the support Iโve gotten even on the skates that werenโt my best. This is a dream come true.โ
In the past, Andrews has enchanted audiences with breathtaking performances to Mickey Guytonโs โBlack Like Meโ and her own rendition of โAt Lastโ by Etta James at Skate America just last year.
โI think itโs a huge deal, to be a woman of color in figure skating,โ Andrews told Team USA after her accomplishment. โIโm so proud I could represent. [It makes] bringing home a medal even more special . . . I actually still feel like itโs a dream.โ
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