Sotnikova upsets Kim Yuna, takes Olympic figure skating gold

MANILA, Philippines –  The thing about Olympic ladies figure skating is that it doesn’t always end up the way you expect it to. 

In 1998 a budding 15-year-old Tara Lipinski stole Olympic gold from the favorite Michelle Kwan. In 2002 it was 16-year-old Sarah Hughes, not even a national champion, who jumped from 4th to 1st to take home the title.  

In 2014 the story had been written even before the games begun, Olympic gold would go to defending champion Kim Yuna of South Korea. In Vancouver, Yuna won her 2010 Olympic title in world record setting form and following the slimmest of leads during Wednesday’s short program, was on her way to becoming only the 3rd woman in history to defend her Olympic title.

But that wasn’t to be in Sochi.

On figure skating’s biggest stage, when it mattered most, Adelina Sotnikova stepped into the spotlight delivering the best program of her life to win the Olympic ladies event on Thursday, February 20 (February 21 in Manila) – a first for her native Russia. 

The 17-year old skater has 4 times been Russian National Champion but has only placed as high as 5th on the world stage. She was 5th at last year’s Grand Prix Final, 9th at the 2013 World Championships and 2nd at last month’s European Championships.

With one of the night’s most technically difficult programs Sotnikova scored a massive149.95, over 18 points higher than she has scored in her life, and the second best free program score in history. Sotnikova landed 7 triple jumps, 5 in combination. Her only mistake was a two footed landing on the end of her triple flip-double toe-double loop combination.

Defending Olympic Champion Yuna skating with much more intensity and passion landed all her planned 6 triple jumps but could only manage a 144.19, almost 6 points off the world record 150.06 she set at the Vancouver games. Her combined total (219.11) was 5.48 points below Sotnikova’s winning score (224.59). 

Italy’s Carolina Kostner was third with a personal best score, 142.61. She ends her career overcoming a series of Olympic disappointments.

All top three ladies skated clean programs, unlike the men’s event where the top 2 men fell at least once in the free skate. 

Russia’s Julia Lipnitskaya, whose two breakthrough performances in the inaugural Olympic team event made her an overnight favorite for the title had two big mistakes including a fall on her triple salchow. Her scores were only good enough for 5th place. 

2010 Olympic silver medalist Mao Asada skated the best free program of her life to come back from a disastrous 16th place finish in the short program. The Japanese skating great opened her program with a clean triple axel and scored a personal best of 142.71, the third highest score of the night. She finished 6th overall. 

American’s strong 3-woman team finished just out of the medals. Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner, and Polina Edmunds all skated impressive programs, finishing 4th, 7th and 9th respectively. – Rappler.com