Czisny wins Skate Canada

ST. JOHN’S, Newfoundland – Everybody knows who Alissa Czisny is now.

The American figure skating sensation won her first gold medal at the senior level by winning Skate Canada on Saturday.

Top-seeded Carolina Kostner of Italy, the 2005 world bronze medalist, was the flop of the event in winding up seventh.

Canada’s Emanuel Sandhu, sixth after the short program Thursday, blew away his rivals with a stellar free-skating routine to take the men’s event.

Czisny was seventh at the U.S. nationals last winter, which brought her little attention. Canadian fans first got a look at her at the world junior championships in Kitchener, but she got little media play in finishing sixth.

The spotlight found her last week when, as a substitute for the injured Sasha Cohen, she won silver at Skate America in Atlantic City, N.J. Now this.

“I’m accomplishing what I set out to do, and I guess people might know who I am now,” said the 18-year-old native of Bowling Green, Ohio.

She cleanly landed six triple jumps, and her total score of 168.32 was a personal best, nine points better than her Skate America total when she finished behind Elena Sokolova of Russia. She also earned $18,000 with her victory.