"Of course, it's not the only part of skating."
Sophie Joline von Felten strives for more than quadruple jumps.
Sophie Joline von Felten, the 2025 US junior women’s champion and winner of the 2024 Junior Grand Prix Slovenia, showed the social media world her quadruple flip this week. Of course, fans and followers on social media had opinions varying from amazement to disdain. Those in the latter camp raised a few questions. Should von Felten, who turns 16 next week, even be trying quadruple jumps and triple Axels? Shouldn’t she be working more on components and choreography?
In late February, I spoke to von Felten in preparation for a pre-World Championships look at the increased depth in the US women’s field for the Boston Globe. Without even being asked, von Felten quickly addressed the feedback she has often received from others.
“Jumps are my favorite part of skating but of course it is not the only part of skating,” said von Felten, who landed a quadruple Salchow and two triple Axels in the free skate at Nationals. “I’m trying to improve on everything. I am learning to perform and show the story, the feeling of the program.”
von Felten, who finished 18th at the 2025 World Junior Championships (held after our interview), is also not trying to rush her skating journey. She does not want to burn out or become severely injured.
“I train only how much I need,” said von Felten. “I don’t want to get injured before seniors. I don’t overtrain. For a lot of people, that’s their thing, but I really want to stay healthy.”
Helping pace her training is coach Olga Ganicheva, who von Felten began working over two seasons ago. von Felten believes that Ganicheva’s coaching will help her become a more well-rounded skater.
“We came to Olga when I was still competing for Switzerland,” said von Felten. “She can help me with everything. She is very artistic and can help with my components and skating skills.”
Also helping von Felten is choreographer Adam Solya, who she recently visited to get new programs.
Training at The Skating Club of Boston is also a benefit to von Felten’s career. The facility directly impacted her skating right off the bat for two reasons: she trains mostly in the arena-size Performance Rink, and it is warm.
“The environment is great and you’re training in an arena,” said von Felten. “You aren’t scared to go to another arena (for a competition.) It was like that for me before. I would be really nervous to compete on the Junior Grand Prix. I would go to a bigger rink than what I was (previously) training in and get nervous. Now the Junior Grand Prix rinks aren’t as nice as (what I’m training in.)"
“I also like that it is warm. I didn’t have that before. When it’s warm, the muscles aren’t stiff and it helps prevent injuries. In cold, the muscles get stiff and you have to warm up a lot more.”
While internationally, her age will keep her in juniors next season, domestically she plans on competing on the senior level.
“I will probably do seniors nationally next year,” said von Felten. “It helps when you compete with the stars. It helps you improve yourself. Seniors have a lot of experience.”
von Felten acknowledges that there was little pressure on her at Nationals, but knows that time is behind her now. But she insists that she is approaching her skating steady and smart.
“(My goal is) to stay healthy before seniors,” said von Felten.
Jason Brown on going viral and what happens after
A few months back, I teased a story that I was working on that I was very excited about. It finally ran during the World Championships, and I’d love if you read it if you are able.
I spoke at length with Jason Brown about the 11 years since he went viral with his Riverdance performance at Boston’s TD Garden. He was thoughtful and amazing. Here is my piece that ran in the Boston Globe. It truly is one of my favorite things I’ve ever written.
(No subscription? Many public libraries have online access to the Globe via their newspaper databases. If you have a library card, you can often access it through the library’s website but just entering your card number. Though I would love it if you subscribed, I recognize we are not all in the financial position to do so.)
Outtakes from my interview with Brown and his coach Tracy Wilson, as well as other great snippets and interviews I’ve collected at Worlds and other places are coming to this newsletter in the near future, so stay tuned.