Gisela Norton, 14, and Larena Norton, 12, of Cortlandt Manor, competed at the Eastern Synchronized Skating Sectional Championships in Norwood, Massachusetts on Jan. 28, 2022, as part of Image Synchro, earning them a trip to the 2022 U.S. Synchronized Skating Championships, in Colorado Springs, Colorado March 2-6.
Skating on the Juvenile line, Gisela and Larena performed a “hero” routine, receiving their highest score of the season and a 3rd place bronze medal finish. Gisela also skated on the Intermediate line, and performed to a Michael Jackson medley, finishing in first place out of 13 teams, and earning a gold medal and the title of Eastern Sectional Intermediate champions.
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Synchronized skating (“synchro”) is a discipline where a group of skaters perform together as a team, moving over the ice at high speed, performing intricate footwork and elements, while maintaining precise formations and timing. Synchro is a fast-growing sport and has been reviewed recently for Olympic eligibility.
Gisela and Larena train their individual freestyle skating before or after school during the week at the Westchester Skating Academy in Elmsford, and train with Image Synchro on the weekends at Ice House in Hackensack (N.J.).
The sisters come from a family of ice skaters. Their mother, Cortlandt Town Justice Maritza Fugaro-Norton, was a competitive pairs skater, their aunt was a synchro skater, their grandfather was an ice dancer, and their younger brother is a hockey player with the Westchester Vipers.