Figure skating: Zagitova gives OAR first Pyeongchang gold
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[February 23, 2018]
By Gabrielle Tetrault-Farber and Elaine Lies
GANGNEUNG, South Korea (Reuters) -
Russian teenager Alina Zagitova edged compatriot Evgenia Medvedeva
with a stunning free skate on Friday that earned the Olympic
Athletes from Russia a first gold at the Pyeongchang Games.
The 15-year-old, who led Medvedeva by just over one point after a
record-setting short program on Wednesday, effortlessly executed
every element of her jump-packed free skate, earning 156.65 points
for the performance and 239.57 overall.
Skating to Don Quixote by composer Leon Minkus in a flashy red tutu,
Zagitova held on for her opening jump, a triple Lutz, and went on to
land another six triple jumps.
Medvedeva, who trains with Zagitova under the same coaches, won
silver with a spectacular skate that put her 1.31 points behind
Zagitova overall.
The training partners embraced after the competition, exchanging
congratulations.

"I'm very happy that I was able to win a medal for our team,"
Zagitova told reporters. "I think this is only the beginning.
Everything is still ahead."
Skating last, Medvedeva was visibly disappointed after her
second-place score was announced. But the 18-year-old said she had
been satisfied with how she had skated.
"I wanted to end these Olympics without any regrets. I was able to
do that," Medvedeva said. "A great sports life awaits me. And like
today, I will leave everything on the ice. I won't think of the
past."
Russian President Vladimir Putin has sent the skaters and their
coach Eteri Tutberidze telegrams congratulating them on "brilliant
results and very beautiful performances at the 2018 Games", the
Kremlin said in a statement.
The performances of Zagitova and Medvedeva in Pyeongchang reasserted
the dominance of Russian women figure skaters on the international
stage with third-placed Canadian Kaetlyn Osmond more than seven
points behind Medvedeva on 231.02.
"The Russian girls are impressive," said Osmond, who helped Canada
win gold in the team event. "They're consistent and do everything
that the sport is asking for. That's just something that everyone
else has to try to keep up with."
NARROWING THE GAP
The Russian Olympic delegation in Pyeongchang last week said they
were unhappy that Olympic gold had eluded Russian competitors in the
first half of the Games, stressing it expected one of its female
figure skaters to end the drought.
Russians in Pyeongchang are competing as neutrals, a penalty imposed
over allegations that the nation had systematically manipulated
anti-doping testing at the 2014 Sochi Games.
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Pyeongchang 2018 Winter Olympics - Women Single Skating free skating
competition final - Gangneung Ice Arena - Gangneung, South Korea -
February 23, 2018 - Alina Zagitova, an Olympic Athlete from Russia,
competes. REUTERS/Lucy Nicholson

Some of Russia's top athletes were not cleared to compete by the
International Olympic Committee (IOC).
With Friday's figure skating medals, the OAR now have one gold, five
silver and eight bronze medals and are 15th in the medals table with
two days of competition remaining.
A few months ago, it seemed that Medvedeva would easily clinch
Olympic gold as she repeatedly extended her winning streak.
But she suffered a foot fracture that sidelined her from the Grand
Prix Final in December and gave Zagitova, competing in her first
senior season, a chance to fill the void.
Zagitova last month spoiled Medvedeva's injury comeback at the
European championships in Moscow, handing her a first defeat since
November 2015 and establishing herself as a Pyeongchang gold medal
favorite.
In third after the short program, Osmond stepped out of her opening
triple Lutz but recovered to cleanly complete her free skate.
The 22-year-old Canadian said she has been trying to catch up with
the Russian skaters.
"I'm trying to close the gap as little as I can," Osmond said. "It
takes just doing what we can, pushing as hard as we can."

Italy's Carolina Kostner, who was competing in her fourth and final
Olympics and was sixth after the short program, stepped out of her
triple flip and put her hand down, finishing fifth overall.
The United States, long a figure skating powerhouse, did poorly,
with its skaters in ninth through 11th place despite Team USA taking
bronze in Pyeongchang. The country's women last won a figure skating
medal in 2006.
(Editing by Greg Stutchbury and Ed Osmond)
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