Figure Skating Recap : Women Event Podium. (c) Sarah Barreiros.
Figure skating has never been so dramatic in a few decades at least! And the week was pretty intense on the ice to watch and unfortunately outside of the rink. But in a time of darkness, it is important to focus on the bright side and there were a lot of lights to talk about during this event. Indeed. The reigning world champion, Anna Shcherbakova, placed first for the cumulative score and so wins Olympic gold. The 17-year-old performed two beautiful programs without fault and two amazing quadruple flips in the free program. Her teammates Aleksandra Trusova also named the « Russian Rockets » as known as the quads queen tried everything to reach the top step of the podium. The Russian presented an outstanding historical technical free program with five quadruples. She got more than 100 points on the technical score. She had a very fierce routine « Cruella », but after placing 4th at the short program with a mistake on her triple Axel, she finished in second place. The Japanese national champion Kaori Sakamoto won the Bronze medal without quads but with the best components score of the event. She succeed to keep up her 3rd place obtain during the short program. Amazingly choreographed, her program was intense, powerful with incredible flow and speed on each element and nevertheless emotional to watch. She so became the first Olympic medalist since Shizuka Arakawa who won the gold in Torino in 2006.
Kamila Valieva, who courageously performed despite having the world, and a storm scandal, on her shoulder won the short program with a beautiful performance but a step out on her triple Axel. On the free program despite having very consistent practice the previous days, she ends up with a counter-performance very far from her usual technical and skating skills abilities. The teenager scored 141.93 on the free program, the fifth-best mark of the competition, for a total of 224.09 points and finished fourth."At least they won't cancel the ceremony now," Valieva relativized after the results were announced. While the skaters who won the top six places usually take part in a gala show, Valieva was not invited to take part.
Kamila Valieva, who courageously performed despite having the world, and a storm scandal, on her shoulder won the short program with a beautiful performance but a step out on her triple Axel. On the free program despite having very consistent practice the previous days, she ends up with a counter-performance very far from her usual technical and skating skills abilities. The teenager scored 141.93 on the free program, the fifth-best mark of the competition, for a total of 224.09 points and finished fourth."At least they won't cancel the ceremony now," Valieva relativized after the results were announced. While the skaters who won the top six places usually take part in a gala show, Valieva was not invited to take part.
The revelations of the games
The free program evening started very well with Ekaterina Kurakova, 24th and second to last in the short program, who did an incredible free program to the theme of Charlie Chaplin's film "Limelight". The 19-year-old Russian-born athlete, who skates for Poland, scored 126.76 points with her choreography for a total of 185.84 which finally allowed her to finish in 12th place.
The Japanese skater Wakaba Higuchi of Japan as she skated her heart out both on her very clean short program and her free to soundtrack from Disney’s The Lion King (1993).
The 2018 world silver medalist starts with a clean triple axel, then falls on her triple lutz-triple toe loop combo. Her score is 140.93 and she takes first (214.44 total). An emotional Anastasia Gubanova from Georgia has an Olympic moment of her own with a personal-best 135.58 points for her breathe taking performance. Alysa Liu seems to be loving every second of her two programs and the 16-year-old has made it official with her communicative smile that she is enjoying officially being an Olympian. Belgium's Loena Hendrickx, fifth at the 2021 World Championships, even far from the program she did at the European championships will have the highest Olympic figure skating finish by a Belgian woman. She also participate in the Olympics gala where she performed Dressed as a circus director to the tones of “Circus” by Britney Spears, she closed her Winter Games in beauty at the prestigious gala.
The Japanese skater Wakaba Higuchi of Japan as she skated her heart out both on her very clean short program and her free to soundtrack from Disney’s The Lion King (1993).
The 2018 world silver medalist starts with a clean triple axel, then falls on her triple lutz-triple toe loop combo. Her score is 140.93 and she takes first (214.44 total). An emotional Anastasia Gubanova from Georgia has an Olympic moment of her own with a personal-best 135.58 points for her breathe taking performance. Alysa Liu seems to be loving every second of her two programs and the 16-year-old has made it official with her communicative smile that she is enjoying officially being an Olympian. Belgium's Loena Hendrickx, fifth at the 2021 World Championships, even far from the program she did at the European championships will have the highest Olympic figure skating finish by a Belgian woman. She also participate in the Olympics gala where she performed Dressed as a circus director to the tones of “Circus” by Britney Spears, she closed her Winter Games in beauty at the prestigious gala.
Kiss and Cry
While Anna was undoubtedly happy, 17-year-old Alexandra Trusova was dissatisfied with the money. She couldn't handle the emotional tension and cried after the final results. "I hate sports, I will never go on the ice again," she yelled to her coaching staff. Trusova was mostly disappointed because, despite all her records and spectacular jumps, she never won gold in senior tournaments in her entire career - only silver and bronze medals.
At the press conference, Alexandra nevertheless managed to keep her emotions in check and did not blame the coaches or anyone else for her results. She also mentioned that it was mentally difficult for her to be alone for three weeks at the Olympics without her mother and dogs. Skater Evgenia Medvedeva, who won silver at the previous Winter Olympics and then also expected to win gold, comforted Trusova: "It was a great free program and you'll get your gold medals in the future," she wrote on Instagram, adding that although she has won a few gold medals in her career, she would be unable to repeat what Trusova can do.
For its part, the Olympic Committee announced earlier that if Valieva took one of the podium spots, there would be no awards ceremony, due to the doping scandal. "At least they won't cancel the ceremony now," Valieva relativized after the results were announced.
To resume, those Olympics for the women's event were a true rollercoaster. And this is a euphemism considering how much the skating world was shaken. But the most important is on the ice. And to see the bright side in each situations.The value of the Olympics is about world unity and support. Appreciation of all the athletes that no matter what work all their life to accomplish this amazing goal to be at this competition.
At the press conference, Alexandra nevertheless managed to keep her emotions in check and did not blame the coaches or anyone else for her results. She also mentioned that it was mentally difficult for her to be alone for three weeks at the Olympics without her mother and dogs. Skater Evgenia Medvedeva, who won silver at the previous Winter Olympics and then also expected to win gold, comforted Trusova: "It was a great free program and you'll get your gold medals in the future," she wrote on Instagram, adding that although she has won a few gold medals in her career, she would be unable to repeat what Trusova can do.
For its part, the Olympic Committee announced earlier that if Valieva took one of the podium spots, there would be no awards ceremony, due to the doping scandal. "At least they won't cancel the ceremony now," Valieva relativized after the results were announced.
To resume, those Olympics for the women's event were a true rollercoaster. And this is a euphemism considering how much the skating world was shaken. But the most important is on the ice. And to see the bright side in each situations.The value of the Olympics is about world unity and support. Appreciation of all the athletes that no matter what work all their life to accomplish this amazing goal to be at this competition.