Youth was served in Friday's women's figure skating finale in South Korea, with Alina Zagitova, just 15 years old, winning a gold medal for Russia with a combined score of 239.57, even if Russia can't win gold medals at these Winter Olympics. Evgenia Medvedeva, Zagitova's friend and fiercest rival, settled for the silver (238.26) after both skaters made the judges squirm by turning in near-flawless long programs.
Medvedeva, according to the New York Times, did her triple-triple combination at the top of the program, meaning her degree of difficulty was lower, giving her a lower technical sore that proved to be the difference. Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond took the bronze. Zagitova, according to the Times, reversed the order of a triple and a combo from what she originally had planned. Regardless if it was planned, or spur of the moment, she was electric on the ice.
It was so close, there's certain to be a debate about who deserved the gold more, but it's clear that the Russians were in a class of their own. Here are some of the highlights, and the final scores below, as well as the medal tracker.
The apprentice has surpassed the master! Alina Zagitova edges out training partner Yevgenia Medvedeva for figure skating #gold. pic.twitter.com/d00r908NMD
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 23, 2018
Has the apprentice become the master?
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 23, 2018
Alina Zagitova was absolutely flawless in her free skate to take the lead! #WinterOlympics https://t.co/u8KIboJbbw pic.twitter.com/8jHKgxrQjm
.@JannyMedvedeva was stunning in the free skate, a performance that earned her silver. #WinterOlympics https://t.co/fmMl0BMYXF pic.twitter.com/mZFRNI25mO
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 23, 2018
A well-earned #silver for @JannyMedvedeva pic.twitter.com/99DQtBqxc3
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 23, 2018
Friends. No matter what. #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/WCDv5SSTPd
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 23, 2018
Women's figure skating final
Short program | Long program | Total | |
1. Alina Zagitova, (OAR) | 82.92 | 156.65 | 239.57 |
2. Evgenia Medvedeva, (OAR) | 81.61 | 156.65 | 238.26 |
3. Kaetlyn Osmond, (Canada) | 78.87 | 152.15 | 231.02 |
|
Country
|
|
|
|
TOTAL
|
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
14 | 14 | 11 | 39 |
|
14 | 10 | 7 | 31 |
|
11 | 8 | 10 | 29 |
|
9 | 8 | 6 | 23 |
|
8 | 6 | 6 | 20 |
|
7 | 6 | 1 | 14 |
|
5 | 8 | 4 | 17 |
|
5 | 6 | 4 | 15 |
|
5 | 4 | 6 | 15 |
|
5 | 3 | 6 | 14 |
|
4 | 5 | 4 | 13 |
|
3 | 2 | 5 | 10 |
|
2 | 6 | 9 | 17 |
|
2 | 2 | 3 | 7 |
|
2 | 1 | 0 | 3 |
|
1 | 6 | 2 | 9 |
|
1 | 2 | 0 | 3 |
|
1 | 1 | 4 | 6 |
|
1 | 0 | 4 | 5 |
|
1 | 0 | 1 | 2 |
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
1 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
|
0 | 2 | 1 | 3 |
|
0 | 1 | 1 | 2 |
|
0 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
|
0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
