Figure skaters look forward to PyeongChang medals
Feb 19,2017
Mihara Mai of Japan (center), Gabrielle Daleman of Canada (left) and Mirai Nagasu of the U.S., who finished in first, second and third place, respectively, at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 on Feb. 18, celebrate their victory, holding their respective national flags during the awards ceremony.
Figure skaters who took to the ice at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, one of the main venues for next year’s PyeongChang 2018 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games, beamed with confidence after a recent Olympic test event.
“I did my best today, thinking that it’s a rehearsal for next year’s Winter Olympic Games which will take place here at the same venue,” said Mai Mihara, a Japanese figure skater, after she won the gold medal in the ladies’ free skating event at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 on Feb. 18. “My goal was to clear all the elements without any mistakes and I did. I'm so happy now,” she smiled. “But I think I'm still behind other European competitors in terms of both artistic and technical skills. I will continue to work hard to compete perfectly next year,” she said.
Mihara Mai of Japan, the gold medalist at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017, smiles as she enters the rink during the awards ceremony at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 18.
Mirai Nagasu of the U.S. rejoices after she cleared all the elements in the ladies’ free skating competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 18.
Gabrielle Daleman of Canada, the silver medalist, too, looked confident in the run up to next year's Winter Olympic Games. “I’ve worked very hard for today’s competition. I feel a bit sorry that I finished in second place, but it’s great taking part in today’s competition.” The Canadian figure skater continued to say that, “I will train more to make up for today’s mistakes and to achieve a better outcome in future competitions.”
Mirai Nagasu of the U.S., who took third place, said, “Today’s bronze medal means more to me because the performance I put on tonight was amazing. It felt, like, magical to me.”
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China perform in the pairs’ free skating competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 18. The Chinese pair won the gold medal in their event.
Prior to the ladies’ free skating competition, the pairs’ free skating competition took place, putting Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China in first place. The winning couple looked forward to next year's PyeongChang Winter Olympics, saying, “We're so happy for today’s victory. It was great to experience in advance the atmosphere at the Olympic venue. We hope that we'll gain good results next year in the Olympics, too.”
Canada’s Eric Radford, part of the silver medalist pair, said, “We are both very proud of ourselves that we fought through and managed to stay on our feet and do some really good things. We'll take this as a step-up for the next competition.” He and Meagan Duhamel took second place with an outstanding performance.
Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, who took second place in the pairs’ free skating competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017, put on a graceful performance at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, Gangwon-do Province, on Feb. 18.
Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovich of Canada glide gracefully on the ice in the pairs’ free skating competition at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 at the Gangneung Ice Arena on Feb. 18. The Canadian pair won the bronze medal.
By Sohn JiAe
Korea.net Staff Writer
Photos: Jeon Han Korea.net Photographer
jiae5853@korea.kr
Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China (right), Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada (left) and Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovich of Canada -- the gold, silver and bronze medalists at the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 -- smile as they hold up their respective national flags during the awards ceremony on Feb. 18.
The winners of the ISU Four Continents Figure Skating Championships 2017 pose for a commemorative photo during the awards ceremony on Feb. 18. From left: Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford of Canada, Wenjing Sui and Cong Han of China and Liubov Ilyushechkina and Dylan Moscovich of Canada.
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