Boston / United States

The competition at the ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016 concluded in Boston, USA Saturday with the Ladies Free Skating.

Evgenia Medvedeva (RUS) skates off with gold

Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva skated off with the Ladies gold medal. Ashley Wagner (USA) pulled up from fourth to claim the silver medal and Anna Pogorilaya of Russia earned the bronze.

Performing to the “W.E.” soundtrack by Abel Korzeniowski, Medvedeva reeled off seven triple jumps including a triple flip-triple toe combination and triple Salchow-triple toe combination as well as level-four spins and footwork. The European Champion set a new highest score of 150.10 points, slightly surpassing Yuna Kim’s 150.04 points from the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Winter Games. “Right now I don’t have any emotions. I left everything on the ice in my performance. I think I won’t realize soon that I won. One year ago I was still skating in juniors”, the 16-year-old commented. “Today I was actually less nervous than usual and I felt very comfortable out there. I was focused and took one element at a time”, the Grand Prix Final Champion continued.

Wagner’s program to the “Moulin Rouge” soundtrack was highlighted by a triple loop-single loop-triple Salchow combination, three more clean triples and intricate footwork. However, the 2012 Four Continents Champion underrotated a triple toe and a triple flip. The three-time U.S. Champion collected 142.23 points, a personal best, which added up to 215.39 points overall. “This was my favorite performance of all time, this program speaks to me on so many levels, it’s very true to my heart. To be able to skate like this in front of an audience that is so supportive, I can’t even find the words. Here I am, the silver medalist in the entire world, it’s insane”, Wagner said.

Pogorilaya completed seven clean triples and excellent spins in her program to “Sheherazade” to score 139.71 points. The European bronze medallist was ranked fourth in the Free Skating and  slipped from second to third at 213.69 points. “I’m boiling with emotions right now inside and I haven’t yet understood what happened. This competition is over, the season is over and I finished on a high note. I’m incredibly happy”, the 17-year-old explained.

Gracie Gold (USA), who had won the Short Program, dropped to fourth after making two mistakes (211.29 points). 2015 World silver medallist Satoko Miyahara (JPN) finished third in the Free Skating and moved up from sixth to fifth overall (210.61 points). 2015 World bronze medalist Elena Radionova (RUS) placed sixth (209.81 points).

The ISU World Figure Skating Championships 2016 conclude Sunday with the Exhibition Gala. For more information and full results please see: www.isu.org and www.worlds2016.com.