Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Polina Edmunds have completed their competition season, grabbing top 10 spots during the 2014 ISU World Figure Skating Championships at Saitama Super Arena on Saturday night (March 29) in Saitama, Japan.
The three Team USA figure skaters maintained their three spots for next year’s competition, placing 5th, 7th, and 8th, respectively.
So, who took home the title for a third time? Japan’s Mao Asada!
“I was able to control myself and I have done what I had to do,” Mao shared with reporters afterward. “I was much more nervous than I was for the short program but the cheering from the fans was with me and made me relax.”
Mao also won the title in 2008 and 2010. Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya and Italy’s Carolina Kostner took home the silver and bronze.
Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Italy’s Carolina Kostner glide across the ice during the short program at the 2014 ISU World Figure Skating Championships held at Saitama Super Arena on Thursday afternoon (March 27) in Saitama, Japan.
Currently, Japan’s Mao Asada sits on top of the leaderboard with 78.66 points, followed by Carolina earning 77.24 and Russia’s Yulia Lipnitskaya, with 74.54.
Gracie, 18, is in 5th at the moment, with Ashley, 22, in 7th and Polina Edmunds in 12th.
Remember, the top two U.S. finishes must add up to 13 or less to keep the three spots at the world championships for next year.
“There is. . .a lot of pressure for the United States to keep the three spots we already have,” Ashley shared. “It’s one of those times where maybe I’m tired but I’m not going to be selfish. I’m thinking about everybody else who might be going to worlds next year.”
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Russia’s Adeline Sotnikova wraps herself in her country’s flag alongside Korea’s Yuna Kim and Italy’s Carolina Kostner, after winning the gold medal during the ladie’s free skate at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics held at Iceberg Skating Palace on Thursday night (February 20) in Sochi, Russia.
Adelina, 17, was passed over for the team event where Russia won gold with sensation Yulia Lipnitskaya — she ended up 5th, overall.
“I really wanted to participate in the team competition because I understood that we would win a medal because our team is so strong,” Adelina shared with press afterwards. “When I found out I was not in the team, I felt so sorry and I felt offended. I felt so cheated in a way. Anyway, I still had my goal to show this skating, the one that I did today. Maybe it is all for the best that I didn’t compete in the team competition and it was an advantage for me that it made me so mad to win the gold medal.”
Team USA’s Gracie Gold, Ashley Wagner and Polina Edmunds were strong on the ice, with only a few falls on jumps between them. They all ended up in the top ten — Gracie, 4th, Ashley, 7th and Polina, 9th.
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Queen of Figure Skating, Yuna Kim stuns the crowd silent up until the very end of her performance during the Figure Skating Ladies’ Short Program at the 2014 Sochi Winter Olympics held at Iceberg Skating Palace on Wednesday night (February 19) in Sochi, Russia.
The reigning Olympic gold medalist, who hasn’t competed in a major competition for two years, came back and claimed the top spot ahead of Russia’s Adelina Sotnikova and Carolina Kostner of Italy, who are 2nd and 3rd.
Russia’s upcoming superstar Yulia Lipnitskaya placed 5th after a fall during her triple flip.
Japan’s Mao Asada, who claimed silver at the 2010 Vancouver Winter Olympics, currently sits in 16th place after she fell on her opening jump, a triple axel.
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