Camden Pulkinen

Camden Pulkinen (born March 25, 2000) is an American figure skater. He is the 2017 Junior Grand Prix Final silver medalist, two-time JGP Austria champion (2017, 2018), and 2018 U.S. national junior champion. He finished within the top six at the 2018 World Junior Championships. He is the former world record holder for the junior men's short program.

Pulkinen was born on March 25, 2000, in Scottsdale, Arizona. His elder sister, Elena, has also competed in figure skating. He attended Hamilton High School in Chandler, Arizona.

Early career

Pulkinen began learning to skate in 2005. He competed on the juvenile level beginning in the 2010–2011 season. He moved up to the intermediate level in 2013–2014 and to the novice ranks the following season.

2015–2016 season

Pulkinen moved up to the junior level in the 2015–2016 season. He was coached by Karen Gesell at the Coyotes Skating Club in Scottsdale, Arizona.

After winning the Golden West Championships, he was nominated to represent the United States at the 2016 Winter Youth Olympics in Hamar, Norway. He placed seventh at the competition, held in February 2016.

2016–2017 season

Pulkinen relocated to Colorado Springs, Colorado in June 2016. Tom Zakrajsek, Becky Calvin, and Drew Meekins became his coaches.

His ISU Junior Grand Prix (JGP) came in October 2016 in Tallinn, Estonia; he finished ninth at the event. In January 2017, he won the junior silver medal at the 2017 U.S. Championships.

2017–2018 season

Making his senior international debut, Pulkinen placed eleventh at the Philadelphia Summer International in early August 2017. He then returned to the junior level, winning gold at a 2017 JGP competition in September in Salzburg, Austria. A month later, he took silver at a JGP event in Gdańsk, Poland, and qualified to the JGP Final in Nagoya, Japan. In Nagoya, Japan, he won the silver medal at the JGP Final. After the final, he won gold at the 2018 U.S. national in Junior men. In March, he competed at the 2018 World Junior Championships and placed sixth.

2018–2019 season

Pulkinen trained in Colorado Springs, Colorado, under Tom Zakrajsek, and also got help from Tammy Gambill and Christy Krall. He worked with Tom Dickson and Drew Meekins on choreography, Becky Calvin on basics, and Eddie Shipstead and Erick Schulz on jump and pole harness. Off ice, he worked with Anna Weslin on dance and Brandon Siakel for strength training.

In early August 2018, Pulkinen placed fourth in the senior ranks at the Philadelphia Summer International. Competing in the 2018–2019 ISU Junior Grand Prix series, he won gold in Linz, Austria.At his second JGP event he won the silver medal in Ostrava, Czech Republic, setting a world junior record in the short program in the process.His placements in Linz and Ostrava qualified him to the 2018–19 Junior Grand Prix Final in Vancouver, Canada.

Pulkinen next competed at the senior level at the 2018 CS Alpen Trophy, his debut on the Challenger series.He placed fourth in the short, sixth in the free, and sixth overall. At the 2018–19 Junior Grand Prix Final, Pulkinen placed first in the short program, but placed sixth in the free skate, with three falls and other jump errors. As a result, he dropped to fifth place overall. Pulkinen commented afterward that he believed he had not trained the free skate sufficiently.

In late January 2019, he finished twelfth at the U.S. national championships, placing eighth in the short program and fifteenth in the free skate.After attending the US junior camp, he was nevertheless named to the US team for the 2019 World Junior Championships. He placed first in the short program there, winning a gold small medal, but struggled once again in the free skate, where he placed ninth. He finished eighth overall.

In May 2019, Pulkinen announced that he had left coach Tom Zakrajsek to train under Tammy Gambill and Damon Allen.

2019–2020 season

Pulkinen began his first full senior season at the Philadelphia Summer International, where he placed fifth.He was fifth as well at the 2019 CS Autumn Classic International.

Pulkinen made his senior Grand Prix debut at the 2019 Skate Canada International, where he placed second in the short program, landing a ratified quad toe loop.He dropped to fourth place following the free skate, nevertheless setting a new personal best in that segment and in total score.Pulkinen had less success at the 2019 Cup of China, placing eighth.

Competing at the 2020 U.S. Championships, Pulkinen was seventh in the short program after errors on both his triple Axel and jump combination.Despite some difficult jump landings in the free skate, he remained in seventh overall.Pulkinen was assigned to compete at the 2020 Four Continents Championships in Seoul.

Junior world record scores

Pulkinen has set two junior world record scores under the new +5 / -5 GOE (Grade of Execution) system.

GP: Grand Prix; CS: Challenger Series; JGP: Junior Grand Prix

Junior and senior career

Juvenile, intermediate, and novice career

Senior level

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. Pewter medals (fourth place) awarded only at U.S. domestic events. Current ISU world bests highlighted in bold and italic. Personal bests highlighted in bold.

Junior level

Small medals for short and free programs awarded only at ISU Championships. Pewter medals (fourth place) awarded only at U.S. domestic events. Current ISU world bests highlighted in bold and italic. Personal bests highlighted in bold.