American Figure Skater Ilia Malinin Lands 1st Quad Axel Ever in Competition
Sep 15, 2022
TALLINN, ESTONIA - APRIL 16: (EDITORS NOTE: Image has been digitally enhanced.) Ilia Malinin of the United States competes in the Junior Men's Free Skating during day 3 of the ISU World Junior Figure Skating Championships at Tondiraba Ice Hall on April 16, 2022 in Tallinn, Estonia. (Photo by Joosep Martinson - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Ilia Malinin wrote his name into the record books Wednesday.
The 17-year-old landed a quad axel in the U.S. International Figure Skating Classic, becoming the first to do so in competition.
"When I’m practicing it, it's pretty easy for me to figure out how to get the right timing and everything to have it be a good attempt," Malinin said of the difficult jump. "To do it in competition is a different story, because you have nerves and pressure that can get in the way of that. So I have to treat it like I'm at home, and it feels pretty good."
Malinin finished with an overall score of 257.28 to coast to a gold medal. France's Kevin Aymoz won silver, with American Camden Pulkinen rounding out the podium.
Malinin is among the U.S. representatives for this year's Grand Prix of Figure Skating Series, which kicks off Oct. 21 with the Skate America. There, the Virginia native will have an opportunity to test himself against the best in the world ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics.
Shoma Uno of Japan celebrates his gold medal during the men's victory ceremony at the Figure Skating World Championships in Montpellier, south of France, Saturday, March 26, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The 2022 World Figure Skating Championships concluded from Montpellier, France, on Saturday with the free portions of the men's and ice dancing competitions.
Shoma Uno, who took silver in the 2017 and 2018 World Championships, found the top of the men's podium for the first time with an excellent performance. Uno is also a two-time Olympic medalist who won silver in 2018 and bronze in 2022.
In ice dancing, France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron continued their amazing career with another gold medal. The 2022 Olympic champions, who cruised to the top of the Beijing podium, finished first in the rhythm dance and free dance.
Here's a look at the scores, some notes and highlights for the day.
Men's Top 5
1. Shoma Uno (Japan): 312.48 Overall: 109.63 Short Program, 202.85 Free Skate
Yuma Kagiyama, the 2022 Olympic silver medalist, wasn't happy with his performance. However, he still fared well and finished second to maintain his position as one of the top skaters in the world.
Yuma Kagiyama 🇯🇵: "Today it didn’t go well as at the Olympics. Emotionally I was really nervous and that’s the reason why I couldn’t do well. Tension was because maybe I might have a great opportunity(to win) and I was trying to put on a perfect performance." #WorldFigure
Vincent Zhou was the top American in the field after his third-place showing. Zhou was unable to compete in the Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19, but he's emerged with a medal on the world stage after taking the bronze.
As Jackie Wong of Rocker Skating noted, Morisi Kvitelashvili shined during the free skate.
Morisi Kvitelashvili GEO 4S3T(q?), 3A(hangs on), 4T2T, 3Lo, 4T, 3F1Eu3S, 3F(step) - puts down one of his best skates ever, should put him into 3rdhttps://t.co/SBKWbJCG17#Worlds2022#WorldFigure
He fell just short of the podium on this day, but the 2020 European Championships bronze medalist is hitting his peak.
Camden Pulkinen celebrated his 22nd birthday by finishing third in the free skate to take fifth overall. He felt confident going into the event thanks to some good training, and the practice paid off.
Camden Pulkinen 🇺🇸: "I think I'm still processing the fact that I'm actually at Worlds, honestly. When I skated that program, I knew that I was well trained for it & I am just very thankful that happened & I was happy that I could give myself a nice 22nd birthday gift."
In ice dancing, Papadakis and Cizeron became five-time world champions. They delivered on home ice as expected and earned a record score along the way:
World champions for a 5️⃣th time - and with a record score: 🇫🇷 Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron go golden again🥇
🥈 Madison Hubbell/Zach Donohue 🥉 Madison Chock/Evan Bates
The pairing put in hard work to stay atop the ice-dancing perch, and it resulted in yet another win:
"It couldn’t have been just anything, it had to be special, and we put a lot of our thoughts into creating something that we would be proud of", @GabriellaPks and @GuillaumeCIZ said about their Elegie free dance this season. And it was exactly that: special. As their partnership. pic.twitter.com/WhWU3pge6S
The duo now has three world championship medals after taking silver in 2015 and bronze in 2016.
Shoma Uno Wins Men's Gold at World Figure Skating Championships 2022 After Free Skate
Mar 26, 2022
MONTPELLIER, FRANCE - MARCH 24: Shoma Uno of Japan reacts in the Men's Short Program during day 2 of the ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Sud de France Arena on March 24, 2022 in Montpellier, France. (Photo by Joosep Martinson - International Skating Union/International Skating Union via Getty Images)
Japan's Shoma Uno dominated the
competition in the men's free skate Saturday to capture the
individual gold medal at the 2022 World Figure Skating Championships
in France.
Uno, who also finished first in the
short program on Thursday, posted a 202.85 total segment score in the
free skate, which was over 10 points better than his closest
competition, countryman Yuma Kagiyama (191.91).
Here's a look at the podium based on
the combined points from the two events:
Gold: Shoma Uno (JPN) — 312.48
Silver: Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) — 297.60
Bronze: Vincent Zhou (USA) — 277.38
Uno, 24, captured the bronze medal in the
men's individual event at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing last month after
winning silver at the 2018 Games.
His performance in France was a vast
improvement over his showing in China just six weeks earlier. He
improved by nearly four points in the short program and over 15
points in the free skate to easily pull away from the rest of the
field.
"I hadn't been able to skate the
kind of short program I could be proud of. But I always felt that if
I could just skate a really clean one, I could get a super score, and
I did," Uno told reporters after the short program.
He was even more impressive in the free
skate to clinch his latest major title. He previously won men's
singles gold at the 2015 World Junior Championships and the 2019 Four
Continents Championships.
Kagiyama, 18, matched the silver medal
he won in the Olympics despite a dip in the career-best score
(310.05) he posted in Beijing. He also earned silver in the 2021
World Championships and the 2020 World Junior Championships.
His best result is a gold from the 2020
Winter Youth Olympics.
Zhou, who was forced to withdraw from
the men's individual event at the Olympics because of a positive
COVID-19 test, returned to competition in strong form to win bronze.
The 21-year-old California native
equaled his best result in the worlds—he previously
finished third in 2019.
American Nathan Chen, who won the
Olympic gold medal in men's singles last month, announced last week
he would miss the World Championships because of a "nagging
injury."
His absence after an unparalleled
showing in Beijing opened the door for the rest of the contenders,
and Uno took full advantage of the opportunity to capture the spotlight.
Kaori Sakamoto Wins Women's Title at World Figure Skating Championships 2022
Mar 25, 2022
Kaori Sakamoto of Japan celebrates her gold medal during the women victory ceremony at the Figure Skating World Championships in Montpellier, south of France, Friday, March 25, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
Kaori Sakamoto was crowned the winner of the World Figure Skating Championships on Friday in Montpellier, France, after earning top scores in both the women's short program and women's free skate.
Sakamoto had career-best performances in both the short program and free skate. She scored an 80.32 in the short program and a 155.77 in the free skate for a combined score of 236.09.
The Olympic bronze medalist Kaori Sakamoto scores a 80.32 to take the lead in the women's short program and she can't believe it!
"It was all very difficult, but it was worth it," Sakamoto said to audience in the arena. "I want to thank all my coaches because without them it wouldn’t be possible. I like to think I managed to pay them back with this."
She added: "Four years ago, I didn’t compete at the worlds because I felt burned out. It wasn’t easy to get ready for this just a month after the Games, but I’m glad I did."
The 21-year-old is the first Japanese woman in eight years and the sixth woman from Japan overall to win the event. Asada Mao was the last Japanese woman to win when she did so in 2014. Ando Miki, Arakawa Shizuka, Sato Yuka, and Ito Midori are the other Japanese women to have captured gold.
Belgium's Loena Hendrickx won silver on Friday, while Alysa Liu of the United States finished with bronze.
Sakamoto entered the World Figure Skating Championships having won bronze at the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
France's Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron perform during the ice dance rhythm dance skating event at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships in Montpellier on March 25, 2022. (Photo by Pascal GUYOT / AFP) (Photo by PASCAL GUYOT/AFP via Getty Images)
The 2022 World Figure Skating Championships are in the home stretch, with Friday featuring the rhythm dance portion of the ice dance competition and the women's free skate that will determine the overall champion.
This year's event is being held in Montpellier, France.
The home crowd had plenty to cheer about thanks to Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron. The French pair, coming off a gold medal win at the 2022 Olympics, are in the top spot after posting a score of 92.73 in the rhythm dance.
Coming into the day, Japan's Kaori Sakamoto was leading the women's singles program. She had a score of 80.32 in the free skate Thursday. The 21-year-old won two bronze medals at the Olympics, including in the women's singles event.
Here are the scores and standings from Friday's action at Sud de France Arena.
Ice Dance Standings (Rhythm Dance)
1. Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron (France): 92.73
2. Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (United States): 89.72
3. Madison Chock and Evan Bates (United States): 87.51
4. Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri (Italy): 84.22
5. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier (Canada): 80.79
6. Olivia Smart and Adrian Díaz (Spain): 79.40
7. Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson (Great Britain): 78.89
8. Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen (Canada): 78.29
9. Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker (United States): 76.56
10. Allison Reed and Saulius Ambrulevicius (Lithuania): 74.06
11. Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler (Czech Republic): 72.55
12. Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis (Finland): 71.88
13. Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha (Canada): 70.39
14. Tina Garabedian and Simon Proulx-Senecal (Armenia): 68.50
15. Kana Muramoto and Daisuke Takahashi (Japan): 67.77
16. Oleksandra Nazarova and Maksym Nikitin* (Ukraine): 67.70
17. Maria Kazakova and Georgy Reviya (Georgia): 66.76
18. Sasha Fear and George Waddell (Great Britain): 66.69
19. Holly Harris and Jason Chan (Australia): 64.91
20. Solene Mazingue and Marko Jevgeni Gaidajenko (Estonia): 63.97
21. Shira Ichilov and Volodymyr Byelikov (Israel): 62.57
22. Mariia Ignateva and Danijil Szemko (Hungary): 62.12
23. Jasmine Tessari and Stephane Walker (Switzerland): 60.75
24. Charlotte Lafond-Fournier and Richard Kang-in Kam (New Zealand): 59.45
25. Maria Sofia Pucherova and Nikita Lysak (Slovakia): 58.27
26. Carolina Moscheni and Francesco Fioretti (Italy): 58.21
27. Ekaterina Mitrofanova and Vladislav Kasinskij (Bosnia and Herzegovina): 55.01
28. Anastasia Polibina and Pavel Golovishnikov (Poland): 50.73
29. Ekaterina Kuznetsova and Oleksandr Kolosovskyi (Azerbaijan): 49.14
30. Aurelija Ipolito and Luke Russell (Latvia): 46.00
31. Gaukhar Nauryzova and Boyisangur Datiev (Kazakhstan): 45.87
*Oleksandra Nazarova and Maksym Nikitin withdrew from competition after the rhythm dance.
Women's Free Skate (Total Score)
1. Kaori Sakamoto, Japan: 155.77 (236.09)
2. Loena Hendrickx, Belgium: 142.70 (217.70)
3. Alysa Liu, United States: 139.28 (211.19)
4. Mariah Bell, United States: 136.11 (208.66)
5. You Young, South Korea: 132.83 (204.91)
6. Anastasiia Gubanova, Georgia: 134.02 (196.61)
7. Lee Hae-in, South Korea: 132.39 (196.55)
8. Karen Chen, United States: 126.35 (192.51)
9. Ekaterina Ryabova, Azerbaijan: 122.98 (188.50)
10. Nicole Schott, Germany: 120.65 (188.42)
11. Wakaba Higuchi, Japan: 121.12 (188.15)
12. Madeline Schizas, Canada: 123.94 (188.14)
13. Ekaterina Kurakova, Poland: 124.51 (186.43)
14. Olga Mikutina, Austria: 120.84 (182.98)
15. Mana Kawabe, Japan: 118.76 (182.44)
16. Niina Petrokina, Estonia: 116.36 (176.60)
17. Lindsay van Zundert, Netherlands: 112.90 (171.39)
Papadakis and Cizeron came into this event as the favorite. They posted the high score in the rhythm dance and free dance at the Beijing Games last month.
Rather than rest on their laurels, tough, the French duo took their performance to another level in Montpelier. They broke their own world-record score in the rhythm dance that they previously set at the Olympics.
"It was magic," Papadakis said, via NBC Sports. "It was even better than the Olympics."
Right behind the French pair was Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue from the United States. Their score of 89.72 was more than two points better than what they did at the Winter Olympics (87.13).
Hubbell and Donohue missed out on a silver medal in Beijing because of a one-point deduction in the free dance. They are in prime position to at least take second place at the World Championships, with a two-point edge over the U.S. duo of Madison Chock and Evan Bates (87.51).
There is a clear divide between the top four pairs and everyone else coming out of the rhythm dance. Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier of Canada are almost 3.5 points behind Charlène Guignard and Marco Fabbri of Italy for the fourth spot.
But all eyes will be on Papadakis and Cizeron as they look to cap off a fantastic six-week run with gold at the Olympics and World Championships.
Sakamoto was able to finish off her incredible two-day run by winning gold in the women's singles competition. Her score of 155.77 in the free skate dwarfed the rest of the field.
Belgium's Loena Hendrickx finished a distant second in the free skate (142.70) and overall (217.70). The gap between Sakamoto in first place and Hendrickx in second place was greater than the distance between Hendrickx and You Young in fifth place (204.91).
Sakamoto is the sixth Japanese woman to win the women's gold at the ISU World Championships. She is the first woman from the country to do since Mao Asada in 2014.
Hendrickx's second-place finish is an even more impressive achievement considering she has been dealing with a groin injury. This marks her first major medal in competition. The Belgian skater finished eighth overall in Beijing four years after finishing 16th in her first appearance at the Winter Olympics.
Taking home the bronze medal was rising U.S. star Alysa Liu. The 16-year-old made her Olympic debut last month, finishing seventh overall in the women's competition.
Liu was fifth in the standings after the short program, but she posted the third-highest score in the free skate to win her first medal in a major event since the 2020 Junior World Championships.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 25, 2022
Looking ahead to Saturday, the final two events on the schedule are the men's free skate and the free dance portion of the ice dance competition. The top 20 teams from today's rhythm dance advance to the free dance.
Japan holds the top three spots in the men's standings after the short program. Shoma Uno leads the way with a score of 109.63. Yuma Kagiyama is in second place (105.63) followed by Kazuki Tomono (101.12).
ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022: Men's Short Program, Pairs Results
Mar 24, 2022
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier, of the U.S, perform in the pairs free program at the Figure Skating World Championships in Montpellier, south of France, Thursday, March 24, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
For the first time since 1979, the United States is a world champion in pairs figure skating.
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier turned in a dominant performance in Thursday's free skate to win the gold at the 2022 ISU World Figure Skating Championships. The American pair posted a total score of 221.09, which gave them a 21.54-point advantage over Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara of Japan.
Canada's Vanessa James and Eric Radford earned bronze to round out the medalists.
Pairs Skating Results
Gold: Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier (USA): 221.09 Silver: Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (JPN): 199.55 Bronze: Vanessa James and Eric Radford (CAN): 197.32
“I couldn't ask for a better way to end the season,” Frazier said. “For Alexa and I, this was such a personal journey. To finish the season on this kind of program—I've dreamed of this moment so many times, but this is even better.”
The duo previously earned a silver medal as part of the team skating portion of the 2022 Olympic Games.
The men's short program, by contrast, was dominated by Japan.
Three Japanese skaters led the pack after their first run on the ice, led by Shoma Uno. He's followed by Yuma Kagiyama and Kazuki Tomono.
Men's Short Program Results
1. Shoma Uno (JPN): 109.632 2. Yuma Kagiyama (JPN) — 105.693 3. Kazuki Tomono (JPN) — 101.124 4. Ilia Malinin (USA) — 100.165 5. Daniel Grassl (ITA) — 97.62
Uno, a 2018 silver medalist and 2022 bronze medalist, is looking for his first gold on any world stage. Kagiyama, the 18-year-old who took silver behind Nathan Chen in Beijing, remained in stellar form and is well within striking distance of winning his first worlds gold.
Ilia Malinin put together the best short program of his young career to be the top-ranking American heading into the free skate. The 17-year-old is competing in his first World Championships and is coming off a gold at the International Challenge Cup.
ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022: Women's, Pairs Short Program Results
Mar 23, 2022
Kaori Sakamoto, of Japan, performs in the women short program at the Figure Skating World Championships in Montpellier, south of France, Wednesday, March 23, 2022. (AP Photo/Francisco Seco)
The 2022 ISU World Figure Skating Championships kicked off Wednesday from Montpellier, France with the women and pairs beginning their competitions.
Japan's Kaori Sakamoto posted the best score during the women's short program and will look to secure a gold medal during the free skate on Friday. Two American teams lead the pairs event after the short program as Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier hold a small advantage over Ashley Cain-Gribble/Timothy Leduc.
The final session in pairs will take place Thursday, resulting in the first medals of the week.
Here is the latest from Day 1 at Sud de France Arena.
There are no Russian competitors at the world championships after a ban from the International Skating Union, which significantly shakes up the women's competition. At the Beijing Winter Olympics, Anna Shcherbakova took gold, Alexandra Trusova earned silver and Kamila Valieva finished fourth as part of the Russian Olympic Committee, but none are in France.
It leaves Kaori Sakamoto as the biggest name remaining after taking bronze last month in China.
The 21-year-old lived up to expectations early on with a score of 80.32 in the short program:
"Over the moon" Sakamoto Kaori 🇯🇵 has saved her best-ever short program for #WorldFigure.
The Olympic bronze medallist leads the women's event, with Loena Hendrickx 🇧🇪 and Mariah Bell 🇺🇸 sitting second and third ⬇️https://t.co/RxxhAzwVo9
Sakamoto easily led the field in both the technical element score and program component score, giving her more than a five-point cushion over Loena Hendrickx entering the free skate.
American Mariah Bell also put herself in good position, sitting in third place after scoring 72.55 on Wednesday:
In her first competition since the 2022 Winter Olympics, @MariahBell96 leads the Americans in third after the women’s short program at the 2022 #WorldFigure Skating Championships. pic.twitter.com/YRUP8kcqYn
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 23, 2022
The personal best was a relative surprise going into the competition:
Mariah Bell tells us in the mixed zone that she wasn't sure if she'd do the 3F3T combination until this morning. "Adam told me it was my decision... I couldn't be happier right now."
Will be at least among the top 8 headed into the free #WorldFigure
With no Russian or Chinese competitors in the pairs event, the field is without the top five finishers at both the 2022 Winter Olympics and 2021 Figure Skating World Championships.
It opens the door for several top teams to potentially win gold, and it was Americans who took advantage in the short program.
— NBC Olympics & Paralympics (@NBCOlympics) March 23, 2022
📺 What a performance! With a flawless skate Alexa Knierim & Brandon Frazier lead Team 🇺🇸 to the top after the Pairs Short Program at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022 in Montpellier, 🇫🇷 #FigureSkating#WorldFigurepic.twitter.com/CIRYOKd5JL
The technical element score was the best of the 14 groups, which helped put them in position to earn their first medals in the pairs competition. The duo did help the United States earn silver in the team competition at the 2022 Olympics.
The biggest fight for gold will come from fellow Americans Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy Leduc, who finished eighth in Beijing. The team's interpretation of music and composition especially stood out to the judges, leading to an impressive 34.98 program component score.
Japan's Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara is also still in the running for the top spot after posting a 71.58 score in the short program despite not having the most difficult routine. The duo can still skate as well as anyone in the field and could keep the pressure on the Americans in the free skate Thursday.
ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2022: Dates, TV and Live-Stream Schedule
Mar 21, 2022
Vincent Zhou, of the United States, competes in the men's team free skate program during the figure skating competition at the 2022 Winter Olympics, Sunday, Feb. 6, 2022, in Beijing. (AP Photo/David J. Phillip)
The 2022 ISU World Figure Skating Championships are set to take place between Monday and Sunday in Montpellier, France, and it's guaranteed that there will be some new champions crowned this year.
In 2021, the United States' Nathan Chen won the men's single event and Russia's Anna Shcherbakova won the women's singles competition. Neither will be on the ice this year. Fresh off winning Olympic gold, Chen withdrew because of injury, while no Russian skaters will be competing because the country was barred by the International Skating Union following its invasion of Ukraine.
Last year's pairs winners (Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov) and ice dance winners (Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov) were also from Russia, so there will be no repeat champions in 2022.
Here's everything else you need to know about this year's World Championships.
Broadcast Schedule
Wednesday, March 23
Women's short program, 5-7 p.m. ET, USA Network
Thursday, March 24
Pairs free skate, 2-4 p.m. ET, USA Network
Men's short program, 4-6 p.m. ET, USA Network
Friday, March 25
Women's free skate, 2-4 p.m. ET, USA Network
Saturday, March 26
Men's free skate, 4-6 p.m. ET, USA Network
Free dance, 6-8 p.m. ET, USA Network
Women's free skate, 8-10 p.m. ET, NBC
Events can be streamed on Peacock and the NBC Sports app.
Preview
It was shaping up to be a dominant year for Chen. The 22-year-old American won the U.S. Championships in January and then captured his first Olympic gold medal in Beijing in February. He's won gold at the past three World Championships, and considering his form and pedigree, it would have taken a brave person to bet against him claiming a four successive world title in Montpellier.
However, Chen won't get that opportunity.
"I am disappointed to have to withdraw from Worlds," Chen said in a USFS release (h/t NBCSports.com). "I have been training for this competition since returning from Beijing. I have a nagging injury that I've been dealing with, and I don't want to risk further injury by practicing and competing next week."
The last time Chen didn't win the men's world title was in 2017, when Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu captured gold. But injury means that he won't be competing, either.
Among the top men's skaters could be Vincent Zhou of the United States. Zhou didn't get to participate in the men's event at the 2022 Winter Olympics after testing positive for COVID-19. The 21-year-old could make up for it in France. His previous best showing at the World Championships came in 2019, when he won the bronze medal.
In addition to Zhou, the U.S. is sending a bunch of other talented skaters to the event. Mariah Bell, Karen Chen and Alysa Liu are all competing in the women's event, while Ashley Cain-Gribble and Timothy LeDuc (pairs), Madison Chock and Evan Bates (ice dance) and Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue (ice dance) could be duos to watch.
Japan's Shoma Uno won the silver in the men's event in 2017 and 2018. So it wouldn't be surprising to see him and Zhou battling it out for the gold in Montpellier.
Wakaba Higuchi of Japan was also a silver medalist in 2018, and she could fare well in the women's event.
With so many top skaters not participating in the 2022 World Championships, we could see plenty of fresh faces on the podium. And that unpredictability might make the competition even more exciting to watch.
Russia, Belarus Banned from International Ice Skating Events After Ukraine Invasion
Mar 1, 2022
Russian President Vladimir Putin listens to St. Petersburg's governor Alexander Beglov during their meeting in the Kremlin in Moscow, Russia, Tuesday, March 1, 2022. (Alexei Nikolsky, Sputnik, Kremlin Pool Photo via AP)
The International Skating Union has barred Russian and Belarusian athletes from competing in international competition amid Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
"The ISU Council reiterates its solidarity with all those affected by the conflict in Ukraine and our thoughts are with the entire Ukrainian people and country. The ISU Council reaffirms its full solidarity with the ISU Members in Ukraine, the Ukrainian Speed Skating Federation and the Ukrainian Figure Skating Federation," the ISU said in a statement.
The organization says it plans to "evaluate possibilities for swift humanitarian assistance to its Ukrainian ISU Members."
Russia President Vladimir Putin ordered a military attack on Ukraine last Thursday in what's been called the largest military action in Europe since World War II. The move has been widely condemned worldwide, with the United States and its allies placing heavy sanctions on Russia and other European countries stepping in to help Ukraine.
Belarus joined the fight in Ukraine in support of Russia on Tuesday, becoming its first major ally.
The fallout has made several ripples in the sporting world. Boxing legends Wladimir and Vitali Klitschko will fight for Ukraine, and multiple international sport governing bodies have banned Russian athletes.
FIFA announced a ban of Russia and expelled the country from World Cup qualifying, and the International Olympic Committee released a statement suggesting the ban of athletes from Belarus and Russia on Monday.
"The current war in Ukraine, however, puts the Olympic Movement in a dilemma," the IOC said in the statement. "While athletes from Russia and Belarus would be able to continue to participate in sports events, many athletes from Ukraine are prevented from doing so because of the attack on their country."
Skating is one of the most popular sports in Russia. Russian athletes won six medals in figure skating and another pair in speedskating at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
No timetable has been given for the length of the ban. The World Figure Skating Championships are set to take place March 21-27.
Pairs Figure Skating Results 2022: China Sets Record in Short Program; USA in Top 3
Feb 4, 2022
BEIJING, CHINA - FEBRUARY 04: Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of Team China skate in the Pair Skating Short Program Team Event during the Beijing 2022 Winter Olympic Games at Capital Indoor Stadium on February 04, 2022 in Beijing, China. (Photo by Justin Setterfield/Getty Images)
Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier helped the United States figure skating team maintain a lead in the team competition at the 2022 Olympics with a third-place finish in the pairs short program.
China's duo of Wenjing Sui and Cong Han took the top spot with a world-record score of 82.83. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galiamov of the Russian Olympic Committee were a close second (82.64).
Team USA currently has 28 points overall through three of eight segments. Knierim and Brandon Frazier placed third with a score of 75.00.
Final Scores
1. Wenjing Sui and Cong Han (China) - 82.83
2. Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galiamov (Russian Olympic Committee) - 82.64
3. Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier (United States) - 75.00
4. Riku Miura and Ryuichi Kihara (Japan) - 74.45
5. Kirsten Moore-Towers and Michael Marinaro (Canada) - 67.34
6. Karina Safina and Luka Berulava (Georgia) - 64.79
7. Nicole Della Monica and Matteo Guarise (Italy) - 60.30
8. Elizaveta Zukova and Martin Bidar (Czech Republic) - 56.70
9. Sofia Holichenko and Artem Darenskyi (Ukraine) - 53.65
Mishina and Galiamov had the highest technical score of any pair in the competition (45.22), but they finished .44 points behind Sui and Han in the component score (37.86 to 37.42) to finish in second place overall.
Knierim and Frazier were competing for the first time in nearly three months. They had to sit out the U.S. Championships in January when Frazier announced he tested positive for COVID-19.
Despite not being able to take part in that event, Knierim and Frazier were named to the U.S. Olympic team. They didn't show any rust in their routine set to "The House of the Rising Sun."
The score of 75.00 was a personal best for the Knierim-Frazier tandem since they paired up in April 2020. Knierim placed fourth in the pairs competition four years ago with a score of 69.75 when she was partnered with Chris Knierim.
Sui and Han are taking part in the team competition for the first time. They won silver in the individual pairs event in 2018 and posted the high score in the short program. They have put together a fantastic routine over the past six months, winning the Asian Open and Grand Prix at the Skate Canada International.
Based on the early returns, Sui and Han are still in peak form as they look to win their first Olympic gold medals.
