South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito lands just off the podium, finishes fourth at World Figure Skating Championships

Fourth place is a hard spot to finish in figure skating. It’s so close to the podium that if you could go back in time and erase one mistake, you’d probably be on it. In fact, in the United States (but not internationally), it also is considered a medal position, the pewter.

Fourth place is where U.S. champion and South Jersey skater Isabeau Levito, 16, landed Friday after the conclusion of the women’s event at the World Figure Skating Championships, where most of the skaters struggled.

Levito, who lives in Mount Holly and trains in Mount Laurel, also placed fourth in Wednesday’s short program. But there, she received a personal-best international score of 73.03 and got a standing ovation. It wasn’t a perfect skate; the triple toe loop on the end of her triple lutz-triple toe combination was judged to be a quarter of a rotation short. But it put her within reach of the podium, and the difference between the skaters in the second and third places and Levito in fourth was just over a half point.

But she had an uncharacteristic mistake in Friday’s free skate, or long program.

“Technically sound skater, but boy can she deliver,” commentator Tara Lipinski said as Levito went into her opening jump combination, the triple lutz-triple loop — and then fell on the lutz.

“It’s shocking to see her fall,” Lipinski added. “She’s usually so consistent.”

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Indeed, the rest of the program was consistent. All other elements received positive grades of execution and Level 4 (the highest) on her step sequence and spins. But by then she had not only fallen on the the lutz but couldn’t jump the loop that should’ve been at the end of the combination.

“Ballerina-like precision throughout her choreography,” Lipinski said as the program went on. “We [along with fellow commentator Johnny Weir] called her a little hummingbird. She just floats across the ice in the lightest, airiest, most magical way.”

But when the scores came up, she had reversed positions with Belgian skater Loena Hendrickx. Still, she sat backstage with the other skaters in medal contention.

» READ MORE: South Jersey’s Isabeau Levito wins gold at the 2023 U.S. Figure Skating Championship

An opening still seemed possible after Japanese skater Mai Mihara, who had been in third place after the short program, watered down her program and had some under-rotations.

Then Haein Lee, from Korea, skated a powerful and nearly clean program and went on to win the free skate.

Last to skate was Kaori Sakamoto from Japan, the 2022 world champion and Olympic bronze medalist. She won Wednesday’s short program but has had ups and downs this year and looked nervous as she stepped onto the ice.

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Sakamoto’s program was clean until she popped an intended triple flip, completing only a single. But with experience behind her, Sakamoto thought quickly on her feet and immediately followed it up with a triple toe loop. She came off the ice upset and worried. But while Lee beat her in the free skate, Sakamoto’s nearly six-point lead in the short kept her on top.

Sakamoto won the competition, Lee earned the silver medal, and Hendrickx (who also had a fall but not on a combination, which is more costly) came away with the bronze medal. Levito placed fourth in the free skate and fourth overall.

But while fourth place is disappointing, especially after Levito finished on the podium at all other competitions and won the U.S. Figure Skating Championships, her scores and placement showed that the judges appreciate her skating and believe in her.

» READ MORE: South Jersey’s Levito named International Skating Union’s best newcomer

Shortly after the women’s event, the International Skating Union updated its standings of women’s figure skaters, and Levito was moved up to fifth in the world. Those rankings take into account the 2022 season, including the Winter Olympics, in which Levito was too young to compete.

The U.S. women needed the placements of its top two women’s skaters to add up to 13 or less at this competition to retain three spots in the 2024 world championships, which will be in Montreal. Or Levito would’ve had to win gold. But Amber Glenn placed 12th, and Bradie Tennell placed 15th. So next year, only two women will be able to compete.