2008 Worlds women’s free | Asada overcomes fall to win title 🇯🇵🥇, 🇮🇹🥈, 🇰🇷🥉
So, here we go. Hang on to your hats. It’s going to be, let’s hope, a smooth ride, but it’s h certainly going to be a noisy one. She goes into this free program in 16th place. Two times the Swedish national champion, 18th in the Europeans this year, her first world championships. And what a place for a debut. You can’t get a seat in here. And they’ve all come to see Victoria Helgusen. [Music] Lovely speed. [Music] A little bit of swing on that flip. [Music] I think if she did a three jump out there, they’d scream in this arena. Triple loop. First part of that combination. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Popping the nuts. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, that’s a jump, isn’t it? Beautiful triple leaf. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] South. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] just made the double axle wrapping into [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Oh wow. Wasn’t quite as good as the short program where she held it all together with a a triple flip, double toe combination. Beautiful triple loop and a double axle. A few mistakes creeping into the long program, but goodness me, she gave it her best shot. And for me, the highlight without any doubt was that second triple loop. It was an absolute cracker. You won’t see a better one tonight. That’s for Deadshore. She looks so elegant out there. Sometimes it can be so difficult when your home crowd is cheering you on. She’s probably not experienced anything quite this level before. She might never again, actually. I mean, this sort of atmosphere when they’re all rooting for you. I’ve not seen so many flags, I don’t think, for a long time in a building just for one skater. Great to see. So, a new season’s best for Victoria Helgusen. And what a place to do it. Seventh place for her in behind Doranina for Russia and ahead of Na Yong Kim. Okay, we’re underway. The warm-up’s over. Down to the nitty-gritty. Can any of these skaters possibly get in amongst the medals? It’s not out of the realms of possibility. Unlikely, but uh the great thing with the system now is you can move about. Things can change. Well, two years ago, she won gold. goes into this free program down in ninth place from the USA. This is 18-year-old Kimmy Mesner. [Music] Beautiful program taking a breath here. The music Nessen Dorma and we wish her well. Now on the warm up, most of the girls were having problems popping jumps. The ice a little softer because of the number of people in the building, and that can make a difference. Not on that though. Oh yes, good start. Triple flip, triple toe loop. That’s good. [Music] Good girl. Triple double toe. [Music] [Music] Lovely axle. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh, I thought she got it. That was the looks. [Music] Clean on the loop. Quality in the running edge on the ending of the jump. Heat up [Music] here. [Music] Heat up here. [Music] The double axle timing combination. [Music] Oh, she’s a gutsy girl. All right, shrug of the shoulders. Gave it a best shot down on the looks, which was a shame. And that’s Sco towards the end of the program. So, we’re going to get two deductions on that. But, goodness me, so much to admire. It’s been such a tough season for her. Yeah, just looking down at the triple looks, she ended up with 1.09 for that. [Applause] So, 92.46 46 her to total score and 149.74 the combined score. So Kimmy at the top of the moment [Applause] which been in great form in practice. Carl Fifer looking on who coaches her in Oberdorf lying in 12th place. She was 12th in the Europeans this year. thought she looked sensational this morning in practice. Let’s hope she can hold her nerve. A stern look from 24 year old Annette [Music] [Applause] [Music] Triple threat double toe loop. Well, that was beautiful. That’s a sign of things to come. We’re in for a treat. Good girl. Hips were a bit far forwards, but she hung on in there. [Music] Got it all wrong on the Sco [Music] double axle. Not as tight as it could be, but well landed. [Music] triple loop. Close on the landing. Yeah, it looks as though the left foot touched, but the rotation was key. She made that and a lovely buildup of speeds swooping into the spiral step sequence. [Applause] Oh, she’s on fire. Triple toe, double toe. [Music] Still the SO eludes. [Music] Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Thank you. Well done. She’ll take that. Couple of mistakes creeping in there. Couldn’t find the timing for the triple Salo, but two cracking triple flips at the beginning of the program. No triple looks, but uh a very very good skate from Germany’s Annit D. Okay, let’s have a look see where they put her. 93.32 new season’s best for her on the free program. So, well done for that. And uh that combined with a short program score puts her in fourth place at the moment in behind Julia Sebastian for Hungary ahead of Valentina Mar for Italy. But remember, Sebastian skated an absolute blinder today as did Laura Leisto who’s in second. So still Kimmy Misner leads. So the leader backstage warming up just going through her routine. It’s of course Karolina Cosner leads by a Nats Whisker and that battle for their medals in the next group. So the stars and stripes are out now. Ken Conjimmyi applauds his protege and what a prodigy she is just 19 years of age. This her first world championships fifth in American nationals. This is BB Leang [Music] music from the sorcerers. Oh no it’s not. It’s yellow river. Sorry about that. [Music] Wow. Triple LS double toe loop. Quite a big change of edge going into that luds. [Music] [Applause] Deep knee bend going into the flip. Almost overcooked it. [Music] [Applause] [Music] eyes. [Music] [Applause] That was lovely out of nowhere. Beautiful [Music] spiral position. [Music] Shame trouble looks on its own. And down on the toe loop. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Well, I tell you what, this American team has got some courage again. A couple of falls, but it doesn’t matter. The head never goes down and they don’t let up. Little surprised at that. Although that’s the overall standings on the day. Still Julia Sebastian is second best and Laura Leisto still leading on the free itself. [Applause] [Music] She’s twice been a silver medalist in the European Championships, never got a medal at Worlds, though. It’s uh going to be a tall order, but there’s plenty of support for her, and she’s scaling really, really well. She was seventh at the Worlds last year, sixth the year before. We wish her well. It’s the Swiss National Champion Sarah. [Applause] [Music] sit down. [Music] It’s coming. [Music] Fantastic start. You could hear a pin drop. 9,000 people in this arena and not a little noise in the air. Triple loop. Triple to start. [Music] Oh, good stuff. And getting the toe loop on the end. That was a triple flip. [Music] Struggle with that this morning. No problem this evening when it counts. Triple C. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Sau this time with the double toe loop on the end. Every movement a joy. The presentation perfection. [Music] [Applause] [Music] double the lots. That could be key for her. [Music] Lovely toe loop [Music] [Applause] and the axle. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Love the choreography and the phasing with the music. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Absolutely beautiful. Not perfect, but a joy to watch. Now the cowbells are ringing. She’s thrown down the gauntlet. There’s no doubt about that. The Swiss here in force obviously to support Stefan Lombiel. Two times a world champion and a red hot favorite here to retain that title or regain that title that Juber took from him last year. What are your thoughts, Nikki, on that? It’s ladies figure skating as it should be. The music was a wonderful backdrop to the skating. The fact that she can hold the attention of the whole audience. It was an amazing performance from that respect. The technical quality of the spins is excellent. The jumps were good. Very, very good in part. Just pulled off the looks. But gosh, it was all the transitions, the way you just you could watch her skate all day. The arm movements, the straight line step sequence worked so well on the choreography. The change of edge in the spiral step sequence fitted the music, the accent of the music with just the change of edge. So beautiful. Yes. Just to uh put it in perspective, the triplets has got a bass value of six. the fact that she doubled it, the base value goes down to 1.9. So, it’s a big like that. It’s a big big loss. It can make a massive difference, particularly in the the competition where the girls seem to be skating so well. But, of course, she’s going to get she’s going to benefit because the level of the spins is going to be good. and the the makeup of the routine and the fact that everybody in here was just totally quiet. It was just a beautiful moment to be with her watching the skating. You could hear the skates, you know, she went from one one element to another just to hear the blades cutting the ice. And that’s we got 9,000 people here. It is just a wonderful wonderful to be ride and see that. We’re fans. We loved it. Let’s hope the judges go with it. Remember, Kimmy Mesner leading, Laura Le Pisto in second, Beatric Leang or BB Lang for the USA in third at the moment. And I can tell you that is going to change right now. 113 of season’s best. That is a good score. Very good score indeed for Sarah Mia. 112.39 will be the total for the free skating. And that will give her 71.88. So she leads by a long long way about 22 points between Misnap and Sarah Meyer. Still got a long way to go but looking good for the Swiss. [Applause] Well, 12 months ago, she was skating in the last group for the title and won. This season, it’s been a completely different story. It’s been a tough season for her. There’s no doubt about that. She was second in Japanese nationals, a bronze medalist in the four continents championships. Didn’t have a great skate in the short program, but here getting a few words of wisdom from Nikolai Morzoff. And you can bet your bottom dollar she’ll give it her best shot. She’s a beautiful skater. And here she goes. The music for her free program is Carmon. She’s a massive star in Japan and plenty of support for her here. The Japanese skating fans are here in their droves. The skater, 20-year-old Mickey Ando. [Music] holding the end of the looks. Well, should have been looking for a combination on that. [Music] Just a little hesitant with a free leg. [Music] down on the south coat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Now she’s definitely got a problem and I think it could be all over for Mickey Ando. [Music] [Applause] [Music] You can see she’s got a strapping on her leg and we have to wait and see what happens. Is it shoulder or she’s been plagued with injury and it has been a tough tough season and it looks like [Applause] is that it? [Music] Oh. [Applause] Now she’s going to try and pick it up. What a good kid. And no, it’s the end. [Music] Well, a brave effort and a sad end to a tough season for Mickey. Sometimes it’s harder not to come to the event and it’s it’s hard to to stop at such a position as that with such expectation of you all the teams with you. [Music] Devastating. But if you can’t do it, if it’s dangerous, you need to stop. [Applause] Well, thankfully you’re back with us. We had a bit of a technical problem there. Perhaps you thought Nikki and I had gone away, but no, we uh we lost the line. So, uh we’re back with you just in time as Ashley Wagner takes to the ice, lying in 11th place after the short program. Ashley skating to a tango for the first part of her free program and then some mambo. [Music] Not the back two feet on the landing. [Music] Beautiful solid double axle. [Music] [Applause] gorgeous bement position in that. [Music] Ooh, that could have been very nasty. She got away lightly. The right foot completely slipped away on the entry to the Salo. [Applause] [Music] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] again. A doubleed landing this time on the loop. [Music] A little movement there to favor the choreography, but there isn’t that much within the routine. And it’s not going well at all. Down on the flip. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] the loop again. Possibly catching the foot down. [Music] Looks again done in combination keeps catching the set the free foot. [Music] Well, it’s not a great day for the American ladies. So those marks there, you see the one point deduction for the fall, 85.91 for the free skating and uh that is going to be good enough to put her into 10th place. So the Americans fourth, [Music] in fact, second, fourth, and 10th at the moment. And we’ve still got six to go. And there they are. So, we’re just about ready to get underway with the final group. That’s the standings going into the final group. Sarah Meer from Switzerland with a beautiful skate leads the way. Kimmy Mesner with a courageous skate in second place and Laura Leisto for Finland with an inspirational skate in third. Welcome back. you rejoin us just in time for the final group. Few minute last minute adjustments there from Joanie Roshchett in the final seconds of this warm-up. And what a warmup it’s been. I can tell you there have been triple jumps all over the place. Interestingly, uh Ma Osada, who performed some wonderful triple axles this morning in practice, she fell on the first one that I’ve uh seen her miss. actually in this six-minute warm up. But uh on the whole, very very few mistakes by these ladies and we’re just about ready to start this final group. Remember it’s Kosna leading for Italy by the skin of her teeth. She’s got Ma Assad hot on her heels for Japan. Ukari Nakano for Japan in third place. Kira Corby for Finland a surprise for us in fourth. Yuna Kim who can really make up some ground in fifth and Jolie Rochett in sixth. And here she is the 22year-old from Montreal in Canada. [Applause] Well, she was 10th in the World Championships last year, runner up in the four continents, lying in sixth place, Canada’s Joanie Rashette. [Music] Triple locks double toe loop. [Music] It goes a hand down on the looks. Very good presence on the ice. Lovely flip. [Music] Oh dear. Just pop that loop. [Music] like the arms catching the Spanish interpretation. [Music] She needed that pristine clean on the triple. [Applause] [Music] And lovely triple sa [Music] Heat up here. [Music] [Music] Good girl. Triple toe, half loop, triple scalco. Big combination. [Music] Yeah. [Music] Heat. [Music] Well, she was running on empty at the end. That really was a courageous skate. A program of two halves. Really didn’t start off too well, but uh goodness me, she really threw everything at it. And that triple toe, half loop, triple Salo right at the end worth 8.5 and she’s going to get a 10% bonus because it’s in the second half of the program as well. So really, really worked hard. I had six major jump elements on my count. Spins were good. the interpretation of the music with that punctuation of the with the arm movements capturing the Spanish feel again that the music to me so important the the way that the spiral step sequence just kicked in and the change of the music worked perfectly [Music] looks at the beginning didn’t really get the weight over that right foot to start that off but did well to get double toe on the end. Not sure she was fully rotated on the first part of the jump. Here’s the flip. Lovely elevation on that. And she’s got a great knee bend on the way out. Nice and deep. Beautiful on the Sco. Kept the speed going and then straight into the spin. And the technique shows, doesn’t it, with the being able to do the jump elements late on in the program. Yeah, certainly with that second double axle right at the end of the program, she was completely out of fuel by then, but she’ll be pleased with that. On the whole, I think she’s had a pretty good championships. Short program, it was clean. A little shaky on the triple luts, but apart from that, she skated a very, very good short as well. Seventh best result in the world championship. She achieved that a couple of years ago, 10th last year. [Music] competed in two of the Grand Prix events. The uh Skate Canada, she was third. She was third in the Cup of Russia as well. Now, not too bad. 60.52. She’s going to get a total segment score of 114.59. That’s the score for the freekate. And that will put her at the top of the pile with 174.12. [Music] She leads on the evening and overall. So the Canadians love it. [Applause] Well, Italy have never won a gold medal in the ladies event in a world championships. Could that all change today? First, after the short program, by the skin of her teeth, it’s this lady, just 21 years of age. There’s her coach, Michael Hook, and what a great job he’s done with her. We wish her all the very, very best. Here skating to Dum Dumsky Trio. It’s Karolina Cosner. [Music] Hang on to your hats. This is the big one. Triple flip. Triple toe loop. Double loop. [Music] [Applause] So much speed as ever. Well, it’s the Lutz that’s been a nemesis all season. And again today, just a hand down. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Triple flip. Then a triple loop. She’s flying over the ice. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] but it was a big combination. Double axle, triple toe loop, but you can see the hand down again. [Music] God, she’s working hard. Come on, Carolina. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] Beautiful [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] edge on the spark. tomorrow. [Applause] [Music] Oh god. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, goodness me. Well, it wasn’t a great skate, but it was gutsy. As gutsy as anything I’ve seen. I can tell you that some of those jumps will have felt awful. She was jumping at all kinds of angles, wasn’t she? and still able to find that left foot. Magnificent combination right at the beginning of the program and then after that everything was a struggle. But did she give in? None of it. She fought right to the last note of the music. And to be honest, I loved it. I really loved it because she was fighting. I just love to be ringside and see her skate. the skating quality she has the ability to generate such speed to accelerate so quickly and have a freedom about her skating it’s but in the past I’ve seen that freedom and then I’ve seen the elements working within it and there’s just a touch of doubt now that you don’t know if the jumps are quite going to be landed but she never pulls back so beautiful to watch the graceful lines the arm movements, but it is the speed and the lightness and the flow over the ice that adds so much to the enjoyment of watching her skate. You ever seen anybody smiling their way through a combination like this? She knew she was going to do it. There was no doubt in her mind. And that really is a trademark. Now, this was a different ball game. It’s been a problem. And that was a confidence thing really. She’d made the rotation, didn’t get down in the knee on the landing. Double axle there. Checks that right arm. Triple toe on the end. Squeezes it tight. And again, just a little late with her left knee bent. She is a master technician and she’s got the grace and getting the confidence. She’s getting ahead in the game, being able to handle the pressure. [Music] [Applause] [Music] So much easier to commentate than do it, I often think. But you know, it’s you come in and you’re young, fresh, there’s nothing to lose. You get a little older and the Olympics happen and things like that and there’s a lot of people around you and you become more aware of what there is to lose. Yes, remember that Olympic year she was bronze medalist in the European Championships. She finished ninth in the Olympics and uh there was so much pressure on her there. She was on every billboard everywhere. So, she cut herself on the possibly on that last spin. I don’t know. But the marks are going to be good. 61.88. Good first set of marks. 58.52. That’ll give her 120.40. So, that’s a new season’s best for her and a total of 184.68. So Carolina Cosner leads now. That’s the target. Four skaters to go. Cosner 184.68. [Applause] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] But we take a breath and as you can imagine, loads of support for the Finnish national champion. Two times Finnish national champion. She was fifth in the Europeans this year. Bronze medalist of a year ago. Never been inside the top 10 in a world championships though and she goes into this free program lying in fourth place. The music is going to be Andrew Lloyd Weber’s Fantasia the skater 19year-old Kira Corpy for Finland. [Music] Oh, that’s a shame. She was looking for a triple triple combination there. Hand down to on the triple toe. [Music] Oh no. Great encouragement from the crowd. [Applause] [Music] That’s better. Wonderful entry and exit on the triple loop. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh dear. Not quite what happened there. Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] Nothing. Nothing quite working. Doubling the loop. Such a shame because beautiful to watch. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] Oh dear. It’s a long four minutes, wasn’t it? It was. Yeah. Longest four minutes of her life. Not what she was hoping for at all. and she gave it her best shot. You have to you have to give her credit for that. But a disappointing skate and she want to put that one right to the back of her mind. Good good effort and taking it gracefully. [Music] So many fans. She’s a fashion model in Finland. [Applause] The technical mark is going to be absolutely clobbered. Yeah, it is. Oh dear. So, so tough. [Music] That’s the realization when you step off the ice that uh it could have been so so much different. This was the highlight. That’s the sort of quality that we’re used to seeing from her. And in the six-minute warm-up, that’s what what it was like. But, uh, that stumble there really shook her up, I think. And from then on in, there was no way back. Even double axle, which is a comparatively easy jump for her. She puts double toe on the end. But that’ll get downgraded as well because she turned at the beginning and at the end of the jump. and so many mistakes just take away from the overall flow of the routine. That just a great shame. I think even on the last circular step sequence, she just really run out of steam completely. Hey, keep your chin up, kid. It’s a great effort to be where you are in the last group at a world championships. Fourth on the short program. Take that. It’s a tremendous achievement in its own right. It certainly is. Take that fourth fourth place after the short back home to Tempair with you and come back and fight again next season. The scores are not going to be pretty. The placing is not going to be pretty either. Sorry, we won’t have much time to just cover some of your mails to us tonight, but just be assured we are reading them all and we do thank you. Elias Rodriguez from Hacker in Spain. We just say hello to you. Carmen and Carlos, hi from Spain as well. And Christine from Latvia and uh Katina from Slovenia, thank you very much for mailing in. And everybody else on the message board. It’s great to get your your comments and questions and we’ll try and address them uh as we carry on tomorrow. Well, here we go. The marks 85.15 the segment score. One-point deduction there for the four. She can scarcely look at it. Where does it put her? Sixth place. Could have been worse to be honest with you. It could have been much worse. There’s going to be another three in front of us. So, it’s going to be ninth. Oh dear. You have to feel for it. [Music] [Applause] Okay, now hang on to your hats. Bronze medalist in the World Championships last year. winner of the Grand Prix finals, winner in Moscow and in Beijing in the Grand Prix this year. She’s been unstoppable, but she goes into this free program in fifth place. It’s Korea’s Yuna Kim. Now she’s only 4.43 of a point behind the leader Karolina Costner. And Cosner made mistakes. [Music] Beautiful arms. Lovely flow over the ice. What about the speed? Triple flip. Triple toe loop. Costner put a double loop on the end of that [Music] double axle. Looking for triple toe on the end of that. Beautiful [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] into The triple looks [Applause] [Music] heat. [Applause] [Music] [Applause] [Music] There it is. Double axle triple toe loop. What a competitor this girl is. Oh, that’s gorgeous. [Music] Heat. [Music] Heat. [Music] [Music] digging out the triple south cow. [Music] Heat. Heat. [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Heat. Heat. [Applause] [Music] Well, that has thrown the cat amongst the pigeons. To be honest, I thought after Karolina Cosner’s performance that Yuna Kim could pull back that 4.43. She may well do. It’s almost impossible to work out, but singling out on the LS could be crucial because that will cost her four points. Virtually the whole of the margin could be lost on that one element. Nikki is trying to do the maths here looking at the different elements. It is almost impossible, isn’t it? It couldn’t be closer. Again, a good performance. Not a great performance by her standards. [Applause] [Music] The quality of her arm movements and the overall depiction of parts of the program just takes your breath away. The softness of them and the way she stands, but it you know, here at Worlds is the first time I’ve seen her live and and it starts off so assured and then injury been away on injury, not had the run up, just not got that stamina perhaps to keep it going cuz it’s a packed program. Oh, it certainly is so demanding. Such a wonderful combination at the beginning. [Music] There’s the looks double toe. Remember Carolina Karolina and down on the triple that’s managed to get couple of jumps in there and that could be crucial. He knows it. Brian Osa living the program. Lovely position on the layback. Maintaining the rotation, keeping it centered. [Music] Double axle right at the end. Difficult entry from this from the Inabower. We’re on the free skate. Karolina Costa got 120.4. So you’re looking at 124.43 to win. on the free and at the moment if we look at the the scores last year Carolinas would have had a probably in fourth place just off the podium. So it shows that there’s been mistakes this year. Here we go then. 64.82 it’s good. And 58.56 123.38 Oh, it’s so close. But she hasn’t done enough. That won’t be enough. Looking down, she’s second place with 183.23. Oh, it couldn’t have been closer. And that looks did it. If she’d done the triple luts, then she’d be in first. Now we got two skaters to go. What a competition this is turning out to be. Cosner leading. Kim for Korea second, Rashett for Canada third at the moment. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, don’t know if I can take any more. The last two skaters representing Japan on the ice now. The Japanese national champion. Last year, she won the silver medal. Could it possibly be gold here in Sweden for 17-year-old Mao Assada? [Music] Here’s [Music] the big element. Oh, dear me. That should have been triple axle. Now that’s going to take some coming back from [Music] [Music] What about that? Triple flip, triple toe. [Music] [Music] Gorgeous looks. She’s back on track. It’s just as if the big fault hadn’t happened. The mark of a champion. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Not the shoress on the spirals that we’ve seen. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Lovely on the loop. [Applause] [Music] Oh, big combination. Triple flip, triple loop. [Applause] [Music] Goodness. Difficult entry into the double axle. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Oh, this is gorgeous. Getting the upper body movement. Very fast turns. Good edge work. [Music] [Music] [Applause] [Music] [Applause] Wow. Oh, that was beautiful. Well, we said before that some of the programs have had everything that had everything, including a horrific fall. How she got up from that at the beginning of the program and then from then on put it to the back of her mind and didn’t put a foot wrong and delivered quality absolutely quality jumps, quality steps, the quality in the choreography. [Applause] Wow, what a skate. Well, the triple axle was worth 7.5 if she’d done it. And she this morning she didn’t miss one. She missed one on the warm up here and then it looked like she gave it too much and just caught the side of her boot and uh down she went out there. She’s going to lose a mark for the fall as well. But she packed the content into the program. She did from then on. I’m I counted at least Well, I counted six triples. So, but they were all quality triples. The other girls have not been able to deliver with the quality of jump that she did. No, that’s right. Yeah, because Karolina had a hand down. She was fighting all the way through just making everything. And goodness, you would not have been able to write it that after that she could create that type of performance. If you just watched it from then on, you wouldn’t dream that that’s what happened. I can never tell whether she’s doing lites or flips to be honest with you because everything’s off an inside edge and that for me could be key. Little wobble on the start of the spiral sequence, but the straight line steps step sequence was lovely. Packed with content. This was a big big combination. Just about round on that loop at the end of it. Triple loop at the end of the flip. Lovely piece of footwork and two triple combinations within the program. Yeah, here’s that the step sequence getting the upper body movement, working the edges as well and those wonderful twizzly turns that she puts in so quickly. Well, just to remind you, she’s 18100s of a point behind. So, literally, there’s nothing in it. And I and one element. And I was watching her just at the back of Brian also, and she was just focused, warming up before she was about to come on. And I thought, you’re not taking any notice of anybody else, what they’re doing. You’re just focused on what you’re going to do. And you had this look of confidence about her. And that’s what she’s delivered. But here she goes. I fear that she’s done enough. But we’ll see. Hold your breath. You can hear a pin drop in here. The marks are good. 61.89. She’s got a point deduction, remember? 60.57. That’s good. 121.46 for the segment. And that will nip her ahead of Carolina Costa. That’s just enough to do it. She hasn’t seen it yet, but we have. And there it is. She can’t believe it. What a wonderful shot. One skater to go. At worst, Cosner’s got a bronze medal. Assad sets the standard at 185.56. [Applause] Well, it’s going to be a Japanese gold, but in which direction is it going to go? We think we know, [Applause] but there still could be another chapter to the story. Lying in third place, this is Yukari Nakano. She’s been fifth in the World Championships for the last two years, fifth in the Grand Prix finals as well. Rank number three in Japan. She needs to escape out of her skin here. [Music] Wa! Yes! Beautiful triple axle 7.5 in the bank. [Music] Triple flip. A double toe on the end. [Music] [Applause] [Music] Load of content in that spin. Good speed throughout it. [Music] Loads of height on the triple. Looks She doesn’t have a great position in the air, but it works for her. S out. [Music] Again, [Music] clean and clear on the transition points on those on that spin. [Music] Of [Music] course, she can’t miss, can she? [Music] [Applause] So looking combination [Music] [Applause] [Music] Goodness me. So I go right at the end and again superb spin. [Music] It’s a champions performance. [Applause] Well, what a magnificent end to a fantastic evening. I’m looking around here. I can see a sea of people stood on their feet. Loads of Japanese flags all around the stadium. [Music] You can’t believe that she’s not going to win the gold medal with that performance. She’s 3.18 behind. That’s one element. Six triples, seven triples including the axle. Sorry, just at that triple axle at the start. Yeah, that’s worth 7.5. And you know, when she stood there to start, you looked in her eyes, I thought it’s not over yet. It’s not over till it’s over. Wonderful. Wonderful skate. Tremendous. Wow. I’ve got to be honest, I didn’t expect it. I didn’t think we were going to be treated to something like that. Here’s that axle at the beginning. Look at it. She doesn’t great get great elevation. I can tell you what, that was close. Now they’ll really take a good long look at that. Was it fully rotated? I’d like to see that again to be honest. It’s close. Could be key. It could be key. The rest of the elements, she’s got a loose free leg compared to some of the other girls, but lands clean. Yeah, style. She wraps the free leg. But again, the quality of all the elements, you know, she’s getting plus ones and plus twos all the way through. Spins, the levels on the spins look good to me. Spiral sequence was good. Footwork was good. Here you can see a spinning on the forward inside edge. Fast on that camel position into the donut position. Look at the acceleration of the spin there. Very, very good indeed. [Music] God, what a night. Thank you ladies. It’s got to be sensational. Got to be enough to take it, hasn’t it? I for me. A performance of character to go on at the end and deliver. You’ve seen what everybody else has done. Some of it you might take take in cuz you have to, cuz you there. Others you just can put out your mind. Just concentrate on your own preparation. So 3.18 is impossible to work out, isn’t it? [Music] [Applause] He’s got the sheets in front of him here with all the deductions and the pluses and minuses against the jumps. I can hear your brain working, Chris. Yeah, it doesn’t it doesn’t happen any very often. She’s going to need I reckon around 126. No, maybe 7. 127 [Music] to take it. I think she will. No, it might be more than that actually. I can’t work it out. Goodness me. That’s why the judges too late in the day working. I know. Two poor English commentators trying to work it out. It’s impossible. Okay, here we go. Come on. [Music] Ooh. No. Ooh. 56.98 59.32. I don’t think that axle counted. That is going to have her in fourth place. No. Wow. Let’s just have a look. Plays a four. Yeah, they downgraded the triple axle at the beginning. Just made it a double. So, she lost it. Ah, wow. They’re booing. They don’t know in the auditorium why that happened, but that’s the situation. They downgraded the triple axle and that cost her the title. Well spotted, Chris. Gosh. So, on a knife edge, it changed. It certainly did. And that’s the sport of figure skating now. So Ma Assada for Japan wins the gold medal. Karolina Costner so close to being the first Italian lady to win the gold. She’s has to settle for silver here. And Yuna Kim for Korea takes the bronze. There’s confirmation. Yukari Nano for Japan in fourth place. And Jon Rashett in fifth. Sarah Meyer in sixth place there. She did well. Pulled up from that seventh place after the short program. Kimmy Misner pulling up a couple of places there as well. Laura Le Pisto in eighth place. Adel Sarah’s program still stands up as one of the best most beautiful to watch, should we say, today. But wow. I think the judging system, it’s working, isn’t it? You see it because you spotted that. They had to look again and take the time, work through it, and it’s delivering the right result.
– HD format, British coverage (commentators: Nicky Slater, Chris Howarth)
– Women’s/ladies’ free skate, 2008 World Figure Skating Championships (Goteborg, Sweden), featuring performances from Groups 3 and 4 (+ Helgesson, and Miki Ando’s withdrawal):
Final Rank Name Nation Total points SP FS*
1 Mao Asada 浅田 真央 Japan 185.56 2 64.10 2* 121.46 (“Fantaisie Impromptu”)
2 Carolina Kostner Italy 184.68 1 64.28 3* 120.40 (“Dumky Piano Trio”)
3 Kim Yuna 김연아 South Korea 183.23 5 59.85 1* 123.38 (“Miss Saigon”)
4 Yukari Nakano 中野 友加里, Japan 177.40 3 61.10 4* 116.30 (“Capriccio Espagnol”)
5 Joannie Rochette Canada 174.12 6 59.53 5* 114.59 (“Don Juan”)
6 Sarah Meier Switzerland 171.88 7 59.49 6* 112.39 (“La Folia in Black / Autumn Red”)
7 Kimmie Meissner United States 149.74 9 57.25 12* 92.49 (“Nessum Dorma”)
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9 Kiira Korpi Finland 145.73 4 60.58 17* 85.15 (“Phantom of the Opera”)
10 Beatrisa Liang United States 145.29 10 52.81 13* 92.48 (“Yellow River Piano Concerto”)
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12 Annette Dytrt Germany 144.31 12 50.99 11* 93.32 (“Scheherazade”)
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16 Ashley Wagner United States 137.40 11 51.49 15* 85.91 (“Jalousie/Mambo Jambo”)
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18 Viktoria Helgesson Sweden 127.96 16 49.68 20* 78.28 (“Assassin’s Tango”)
WD Miki Ando 安藤 美姫, (“Carmen”)*
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Asada overcomes fall to win title at World Figure Skating Championships
Associated Press
Mar 20, 2008, 06:08 PM ET
GOTEBORG, Sweden — Mao Asada’s opening move was heart-stopping — and not in a good way.
As she went to take off for a triple axel, a jump so hard few women even try it, she slipped and slid across the ice.
“I was surprised myself,” Asada said.
But the two-time Japanese champion rebounded with a huge triple flip-triple toe loop combination, righting her long-program fortunes and capturing the gold medal at the World Figure Skating Championships on Thursday. She finished with 185.56 points, winning by almost a point.
“I learned that I still can make up for the mistake if the other elements are good,” Asada said. “Never give up. That’s what I learned this year.”
Two-time European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy won the silver [184.68 points] and South Korea’s Kim Yu-na finished third [183.23].
As expected, the Asian women dominated this year in Goteborg, taking three of the top four positions. And, for the second year in a row, the bronze went to Kim.
The Grand Prix final winner had been shaken by a hip injury that kept her out of a competition last month, but she showed no signs of the lack of confidence she’d been confessing all week. Hers was the best long program of the bunch, with mesmerizing spins that defy both gravity and description as she appeared to lean both sideways and upwards at once.
“I thought I might have to give up,” Kim said, referring to how she felt after her fifth-place finish in the short.
Instead, she took the pressure off by treating the long program as a practice. “Considering my bad condition, I think a bronze is not a bad result,” Kim said.
Asada’s was by far the most spectacular fall of the evening, with the crowd of 9,431 groaning in unison.
Kostner came into the night with the slightest of leads after edging Asada in the short program, but lost it with a couple of shaky landings.
“Going into my program, I felt this responsibility that I actually have never felt before,” Kostner said. “I’m a little bit angry about the landings, they could have been better. But I had a lot of fun and that’s what matters most, right?”
It was certainly better than Miki Ando’s heartbreak.
Last year’s world champion withdrew two elements into her program after missing a combination and falling on a triple lutz. Cameras showed tears streaming down her face as she made the decision to quit. Ando said she decided to try to compete despite muscle strain on her left leg.
“Even if I didn’t win, it was important for me to try,” Ando said.
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