Post by Admin on Mar 31, 2019 18:36:06 GMT
On top of all that, these skaters faced competition on the international level that was as intense as ever. Their Japanese opponents seemed especially threatening: any one of the three athletes Japan sent to the World Championships was a medal contender, and Rika Kihira or Kaori Sakamoto could certainly have earned the gold. Kihira was the skater who beat Zagitova in this year’s Grand Prix final despite making errors in her skating. In the end, not a single Japanese skater made it into the top three, and that can without exaggeration be called the biggest sensation of these World Championships.
How were these skaters chosen for the World Championships in the first place?
Because this season was such a tough one for Russian women’s skating, the athletes who competed for spots on the worlds team were very strong but not entirely consistent. To select three skaters for the team, the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FFKR) had to make a set of difficult decisions. Zagitova and Samodurova earned their places on the worlds team without a doubt, but the FFKR had to use the results of the Russian Cup to make an additional round of cuts. In the end, they chose Evgenia Medvedeva, who narrowly beat out Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva, to round out the team. Tuktamysheva, who has had her best season in several years, spoke publicly about her disappointment in the FFKR’s decision-making.
The World Championships clearly displayed why Medvedeva was the FFKR’s final choice. Her star status, her mass of major titles, and her reputation as one of the best women’s skaters in the history of the sport give her an advantage over other competitors. When Evgenia performs without making major errors, which is what she did in Saitama, those factors make for a kind of trump card, and the judges tend to be generous with their component scores and their bonuses for individual elements. In her free skate at the World Championships, only Zagitova and Kaori Sakamoto exceeded Medvedeva’s component scores. After that performance, Medvedeva said she had pulled a thigh muscle during her warmup and skated through the pain.
Does this mean Zagitova is in the clear after an unlucky stretch?
Only one thing can be said for certain: Alina Zagitova was able to pull herself together at the most important moment of the season. Her performance at the World Championships, with two error-free skates, was undoubtedly her best this year. Despite the difficulties she faced, Zagitova decided to perform the most challenging version of her free skate, with two jump sequences in the program’s second half (which earned her bonus points).
We may only discover at what cost Zagitova earned that victory in the course of next year’s season. After mobilizing all their strength and resources on such a scale, skaters often require an extended period of time to recover. But for now, there is reason for celebration: Zagitova has won the World Championships for the first time in her career, and that was the only major medal that had previously been absent from her already impressive collection.
How were these skaters chosen for the World Championships in the first place?
Because this season was such a tough one for Russian women’s skating, the athletes who competed for spots on the worlds team were very strong but not entirely consistent. To select three skaters for the team, the Figure Skating Federation of Russia (FFKR) had to make a set of difficult decisions. Zagitova and Samodurova earned their places on the worlds team without a doubt, but the FFKR had to use the results of the Russian Cup to make an additional round of cuts. In the end, they chose Evgenia Medvedeva, who narrowly beat out Yelizaveta Tuktamysheva, to round out the team. Tuktamysheva, who has had her best season in several years, spoke publicly about her disappointment in the FFKR’s decision-making.
The World Championships clearly displayed why Medvedeva was the FFKR’s final choice. Her star status, her mass of major titles, and her reputation as one of the best women’s skaters in the history of the sport give her an advantage over other competitors. When Evgenia performs without making major errors, which is what she did in Saitama, those factors make for a kind of trump card, and the judges tend to be generous with their component scores and their bonuses for individual elements. In her free skate at the World Championships, only Zagitova and Kaori Sakamoto exceeded Medvedeva’s component scores. After that performance, Medvedeva said she had pulled a thigh muscle during her warmup and skated through the pain.
Does this mean Zagitova is in the clear after an unlucky stretch?
Only one thing can be said for certain: Alina Zagitova was able to pull herself together at the most important moment of the season. Her performance at the World Championships, with two error-free skates, was undoubtedly her best this year. Despite the difficulties she faced, Zagitova decided to perform the most challenging version of her free skate, with two jump sequences in the program’s second half (which earned her bonus points).
We may only discover at what cost Zagitova earned that victory in the course of next year’s season. After mobilizing all their strength and resources on such a scale, skaters often require an extended period of time to recover. But for now, there is reason for celebration: Zagitova has won the World Championships for the first time in her career, and that was the only major medal that had previously been absent from her already impressive collection.