Yuzuru Hanyu regains his world records en route to a win at Grand Prix Helsinki
Michal Brezina makes a good case for the Grand Prix Final with the silver medal, and Junhwan Cha wins the second-ever Grand Prix medal for South Korean men
Two-time and reigning Olympic Champion Yuzuru Hanyu of Japan won his season debut Grand Prix event for the first time this weekend. He did so in commanding fashion at the inaugural Grand Prix Helsinki, with world records in the short program, free skate, and the combined total score.
His short program earned 106.35 points, which was 2.2 points higher than the previous record held by countryman Shoma Uno. Uno had earned the score at the Lombardia Trophy earlier this year. Hanyu's free skate score ousted the previous record, held by American Nathan Chen, by 0.42 points. His total combined score, however, maintains a 16.55 lead over the previous record, also held by Nathan Chen since Skate America earlier this season.
Since the scoring system was revamped earlier this summer, all of the old records were penned into the history books and shelved when the 2017-2018 season ended. Hanyu owned all three records in the previous scoring system.
The two-time Olympic champion skated his short program to "Otoñal" by Raul DiBlasio and his free skate to selections from violinist Edvin Marton. He chose his short program music as a tribute to his idol, Johnny Weir, and his long program music as a tribute to another idol, Evgeni Plushenko.
Hanyu became the first skater to land a quadruple toe loop-triple axel sequence in competition. He landed the sequence, which is worth only 80% of the sum of the base value of the separate jumps, with just a slight stumble on the landing. Hanyu did not fall or pop a jump in this competition, but he did have several tight landings and two under-rotation calls on a quadruple loop and a quadruple toe loop. It is Hanyu's most successful Grand Prix season debut to date: out of nine senior seasons, he had never before won his first Grand Prix event.
Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic continues to shine by placing second in both segments and winning the silver medal. After a few disappointing seasons with no medals at any major events, Brezina bagged his second silver medal at this weekend's Grand Prix Helsinki to match the silver medal he won at Skate America two weeks ago. If he qualifies for the Grand Prix Final this season, it will be his first return to the event in seven years.
Brezina's short program was set to "Who wants to live forever" by Queen, and his free skate was set to a rock 'n roll medley. His only mistakes this weekend were falling on a triple axel and jumping an invalid third double toe loop in his free skate, which was given zero points.
Junhwan Cha of South Korea also continued a winning streak by taking the bronze medal. The bronze medal was his second Grand Prix bronze of this season and the second Grand Prix medal ever won by a Korean man.
He skated to Prokofiev's Cinderella in the short program and to selections from Romeo + Juliet in the free skate. He received six under-rotation calls in the competition, but landed a clean quadruple salchow in the short program and a clean quadruple toe loop in the free skate.
The third place finish gives him a decent, but not guaranteed, chance at qualifying for the Grand Prix Final to be held in Vancouver this December.
His short program earned 106.35 points, which was 2.2 points higher than the previous record held by countryman Shoma Uno. Uno had earned the score at the Lombardia Trophy earlier this year. Hanyu's free skate score ousted the previous record, held by American Nathan Chen, by 0.42 points. His total combined score, however, maintains a 16.55 lead over the previous record, also held by Nathan Chen since Skate America earlier this season.
Since the scoring system was revamped earlier this summer, all of the old records were penned into the history books and shelved when the 2017-2018 season ended. Hanyu owned all three records in the previous scoring system.
The two-time Olympic champion skated his short program to "Otoñal" by Raul DiBlasio and his free skate to selections from violinist Edvin Marton. He chose his short program music as a tribute to his idol, Johnny Weir, and his long program music as a tribute to another idol, Evgeni Plushenko.
Hanyu became the first skater to land a quadruple toe loop-triple axel sequence in competition. He landed the sequence, which is worth only 80% of the sum of the base value of the separate jumps, with just a slight stumble on the landing. Hanyu did not fall or pop a jump in this competition, but he did have several tight landings and two under-rotation calls on a quadruple loop and a quadruple toe loop. It is Hanyu's most successful Grand Prix season debut to date: out of nine senior seasons, he had never before won his first Grand Prix event.
Michal Brezina of the Czech Republic continues to shine by placing second in both segments and winning the silver medal. After a few disappointing seasons with no medals at any major events, Brezina bagged his second silver medal at this weekend's Grand Prix Helsinki to match the silver medal he won at Skate America two weeks ago. If he qualifies for the Grand Prix Final this season, it will be his first return to the event in seven years.
Brezina's short program was set to "Who wants to live forever" by Queen, and his free skate was set to a rock 'n roll medley. His only mistakes this weekend were falling on a triple axel and jumping an invalid third double toe loop in his free skate, which was given zero points.
Junhwan Cha of South Korea also continued a winning streak by taking the bronze medal. The bronze medal was his second Grand Prix bronze of this season and the second Grand Prix medal ever won by a Korean man.
He skated to Prokofiev's Cinderella in the short program and to selections from Romeo + Juliet in the free skate. He received six under-rotation calls in the competition, but landed a clean quadruple salchow in the short program and a clean quadruple toe loop in the free skate.
The third place finish gives him a decent, but not guaranteed, chance at qualifying for the Grand Prix Final to be held in Vancouver this December.
Comments
Post a Comment