Figure skating

THE BEST OF 2010: Yu-Na and Joannie sparkle in a night of tears and cheers

Published

4 weeks ago

13 de February de 2025

James Cartwright

Figure SkatingVancouver 2010

James Toney

CONTRARY to public opinion not all journalists think that ethics is a county in the south of England. While a hard-nose and thick skin is often as essential as your shorthand and a stack of blank taxi receipts, every now and then you can’t help but be swept up in the emotion of the moment you are witnessing.

SPARKLE: Gold medallist Kim Yu-Na and bronze medallist Joannie Rochette produced memorable figure skating performances at the Winter Olympics in Vancouver (Getty Images)

For more serious journalists this might be a famine, a war or something equally worthy rather than the women’s figure skating free dance at the Winter Olympics but considering I welled up at Toy Story 3, I was pleased that I’d packed the Kleenex.

Effortlessly flawless, Kim Yu-Na ripped up the record books and earned herself a one million dollar bonus – every penny deserved – with a sensational gold in Vancouver, replacing forever in my affections Katarina Witt’s Carmen of Sarajevo with George Gershwin’s Piano Concerto in F.

She kept ice cool while back home in Korea millions were losing their heads – delivering performances for which there was no available superlative.

For just over four minutes I was transfixed while my frantic brain whirled desperately away in search of the words required to describe a performance that simply transcended brilliance.

But Yu-Na was not the only star of a storied night.

Four days after her mother had suddenly passed away, Canada’s Joannie Rochette took to the ice at the Pacific Coliseum and produced a performance that while far from perfect, moved the entire audience, a nation and the watching world.

And for exactly four minutes and seven seconds, a home crowd collectively held its breath and willed their national treasure through every lutz, axel, salchow and step sequence of the most public tribute possible to her beloved mother.

When is a gold worth as much as a bronze? When it’s worn by Joannie Rochette is the answer.

And if you thought her performance was amazing, you should have seen her press conference.

Athletes that storm past without a word – including a British men’s bobsleigh team that were pleased just to finish a run the right way up – should take note of Rochette, who bravely spent more than 90 minutes talking to the media, just four days after the loss of a woman she called her ‘best friend’.

She blinked into the flurry of blazing flashbulbs and answered questions with such class and humour that it got her second ovation of the night.

And no-one was clapping louder than me.

Figure skating

Leonova takes control at worlds as McCorkell equally impresses

Published

4 weeks ago

13 de February de 2025

James Cartwright

Figure SkatingWinter Sports

RUSSIAN Alena Leonova holds a surprise lead at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships after an impressive short program in the ladies competition in Nice.

DOWN THE ORDER: Mao Asada is placed fourth at the World Championships and Alena Leonova leads

The 21-year-old has been a regular feature on the podium this season, taking silver at the Cup of Russia and bronze at the NHK Trophy before the turn of the year.

She also finished third at the Grand Prix Final in Canada but couldn’t repeat the trick at the European Championships in January as she finished off the podium in seventh.

However on her fourth World Championship appearance, and having placed an agonising fourth last year, Leonova looks determined to claim a medal this time around in France.

She was awarded a score of 64.61 after the short program, giving her a slender advantage over former world junior champion Kanako Murakami of Japan.

Murakami recorded 62.67 for second overall as the big names failed to better them with European champion Carolina Kostner, who won bronze last year, posting 61.00.

Next up were Murakami’s teammates Mao Asada and Akiko Suzuki with there little to split the former world champion and the just-turned 27-year-old in Nice.

Asada, who won the world ladies title in 2010 and 2008, was placed fourth with a score of 59.49 with Suzuki, a Four Continents silver medallist two years ago, just behind with 59.38.

Meanwhile Britain’s Jenna McCorkell may have been a way behind the top five but she still impressed in her own right to place 12th and qualify through to Saturday’s free skate.

McCorkell was awarded a score of 50.42 and, having finished inside the top 20 just twice in six attempts previously, she could be on her way to career-best performance.

Figure skating

Savchenko and Szolkowy shine at worlds as Kemp and King go out

Published

4 weeks ago

13 de February de 2025

James Cartwright

Figure SkatingWinter Sports

ALIONA Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy began the defence of their ISU World Figure Skating Championship pairs title almost perfectly as Brits Stacey Kemp and David King failed to progress.

LEADING THE WAY: Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy are first after the pairs short program at the World Championships

Savchenko and Szolkowy have been in red-hot form this season and retained their pairs title at the Grand Prix Final however injury prevented them from doing so at the Europeans in January.

Savchenko aggravated a left thigh problem and was forced to pull out but it appears to have well and truly healed after the German duo posted the best score of the short program in Nice.

The reigning world champions were awarded 68.63 points for their routine, giving them a slender advantage over Chinese pairing Qing Pang and Jian Tong who scored 67.10 for second place.

Japan’s Narumi Takahashi and Mervin Tran are placed third a little further back with 65.37 with 16 now pairs next taking to the ice in France for the free skate on Friday.

However seven-time British champions Kemp and King won’t be one of them as they could only place 19th after scoring 39.33 – over eight points shy of progressing.

Kemp and King looked good in the preliminary round but their 19th-place finish is their lowest in seven appearances at the World Championships – their best a 13th in 2009.