Skaters from Canada struck gold in figure skating’s team event at the 2018 Winter Olympics on Sunday evening, while the Olympic Athletes from Russia earned silver.
Canada’s team captains, Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir, tied the all-time record for most Olympic medals at four. They won gold in ice dance in 2010, plus a team event silver and an ice dance silver four years ago in Sochi.
For the second straight Olympics, Team USA captured bronze medals.
Here are Team USA’s new bronze medalists, and the phases of the team event they contributed:
- Nathan Chen (men’s short program)
- Adam Rippon (men’s free skate)
- Bradie Tennell (ladies’ short program)
- Mirai Nagasu (ladies’ free skate)
- Alexa Scimeca Knierim and Chris Knierim (pairs’ short program, pairs’ free skate)
- Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani (short dance, free dance)
After the action, don’t forget to check out the Olympic Ice Post-Show, featuring in-depth analysis from Kristi Yamaguchi, Charlie White and Ben Agosto.
Earlier in the ladies’ free skate part of the event…
Mirai Nagasu became the first U.S. lady to land a triple Axel at the Olympic Games. She finished second in the free skate portion of the team event, her first Olympic appearance since 2010.
Nagasu never had the chance to compete in a team event – it didn’t exist in 2010. Her second-place finish earned nine points for Team USA and widened the gap between the U.S. and Italy, both fighting for bronze.
Alina Zagitova, an Olympic Athlete from Russia, won the event with a technically sound free skate. The 15 year old trains alongside Yevgenia Medvedeva, and a showdown is expected between the two for the Olympic gold in the ladies event.
Gabrielle Daleman finished third to snag eight points for Team Canada.
The standings after the ladies’ free skate:
- CAN – 63
- OAR – 58
- USA – 53
- ITA – 49
- JPN – 44
Earlier in the men’s free skate part of the team event…
28-year-old Adam Rippon made his Olympic debut in figure skating’s team event, racking up eight points for Team USA on Sunday night.
Rippon executed a clean free skate to finish third in the five-man field. He was the number-one trend worldwide on Twitter after his performance, set “Arrival of the Birds/Exodus” by The Cinematic Orchestra and “O” by Coldplay.
“I’m so proud to be on this team,” Rippon said on the NBC broadcast. “I went out there and I did my job.”
Three-time world champion Patrick Chan of Canada won two silver medals in Sochi four years ago: a silver in the team event and an individual silver. No Canadian man has ever won gold, and Chan has his sights set on being the first.
He won the free skate phase and earned 10 points for the Canadian team, who looks to upgrade their Sochi silver to a PyeongChang gold.
Olympic Athlete from Russia Mikhail Kolyada finished second.
The standings after the men’s free skate:
- CAN – 55
- OAR – 48
- USA – 44
- ITA – 42
- JPN – 38
Catch the replay below.
