Europeans 2017 - The Grand Comeback (Ladies' Top 5 SP)
The ladies' competition has become one of the most exciting to watch in the past few seasons, but figure skating fans had an extra reason to watch it today. Carolina Kostner, one of the greatest European figure skaters, has returned to the competitive rink. She's done it in a time when nothing's sure anymore in the sport except that the one spot on the podium she probably still wants the most, the highest, is quite simply out of reach.
The reason it is out of reach, and not just for Carolina, is Evgenia Medvedeva. Russia's national champion is possibly the greatest storyteller we've ever seen in the ladies competition. And, as she usually does, she skated perfectly in Ostrava, earning a score of 78.92 points.
Anna Pogorilaya finished right behind her teammate. Despite not making any mistakes, she looked slightly uncomfortable, which resulted in a disappointing presentation for me. Whether it was the pressure of the Nationals result or something else, I hope it'll be gone by Friday. Her score: 74.39.
Carolina Kostner had to settle for the third place today, but she was nonetheless absolutely amazing. She's trying a different style of music than what we might have been used to, skating to God of Thunder and Bonzo's Montreux. Both songs together were basically a mini-concert of drums, which made this routine very difficult, but exquisite. Her step sequence might just be my favourite of the season. Some of the spins looked a bit slow, but that can be easily fixed. She earned 72.40 points.
Maria Sotskova, on fourth place, also finished her programme without error. Although I still like her routine, I noticed her transitions were a bit repetitive, especially when it came to her arm movements. Her score: 72.17.
I was waiting for someone I didn't quite know to excite me during these championships, and I think I found them today. Laurine Lecavelier absolutely aced her short routine, exceeding my expectations. I think there is something very real and relatable about her style - it's not embellished, it's not glamorous and it's just a bit rough on the edges. She earned 63.81 points.
Those were the top five performances of the day for the ladies. There is plenty of potential for change in the rankings after the final, with both second and third place being up for grabs for Anna, Carolina and Maria. This makes the final one you can't miss.
The reason it is out of reach, and not just for Carolina, is Evgenia Medvedeva. Russia's national champion is possibly the greatest storyteller we've ever seen in the ladies competition. And, as she usually does, she skated perfectly in Ostrava, earning a score of 78.92 points.
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| France's Laurine Lecavelier turned out to be the dark horse of the day |
Carolina Kostner had to settle for the third place today, but she was nonetheless absolutely amazing. She's trying a different style of music than what we might have been used to, skating to God of Thunder and Bonzo's Montreux. Both songs together were basically a mini-concert of drums, which made this routine very difficult, but exquisite. Her step sequence might just be my favourite of the season. Some of the spins looked a bit slow, but that can be easily fixed. She earned 72.40 points.
Maria Sotskova, on fourth place, also finished her programme without error. Although I still like her routine, I noticed her transitions were a bit repetitive, especially when it came to her arm movements. Her score: 72.17.
I was waiting for someone I didn't quite know to excite me during these championships, and I think I found them today. Laurine Lecavelier absolutely aced her short routine, exceeding my expectations. I think there is something very real and relatable about her style - it's not embellished, it's not glamorous and it's just a bit rough on the edges. She earned 63.81 points.
Those were the top five performances of the day for the ladies. There is plenty of potential for change in the rankings after the final, with both second and third place being up for grabs for Anna, Carolina and Maria. This makes the final one you can't miss.
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