Last night was a decidedly thrilling finish to the figure skating competitions in Vancouver, and I couldn't be more pleased with the results. Kim Yu-Na of Korea, who has proven time and again that she is the one of best female figure skaters in history, finally capped it off with an Olympic gold medal. And she did it in commanding fashion, smashing her previous world records and besting her closest competitor by over 20 points. It was a night to remember.
From the moment she stepped onto the ice, Yu-Na was perfect. She put to rest any doubts as far as her consistency in the free skate, conquered her nemesis the triple flip and, while racking up the points with huge jumps, managed to remain an artist and interpret her music beautifully (something that top competitors often struggle with). She was the perfect package, and is literally unbeatable.
She also scored big in my book by wearing two of the best skating dresses in the competition. Her free skate gown was a striking sapphire blue, embellished with hundreds of shimmering beads and rhinestones. I particularly liked the lovely "collar" that finishes off the halter neckline. Truly the perfect dress, and one that would make a lovely full-length evening gown.
Kim Yu-Na's short program (which took place on Tuesday) was also a force to be reckoned with. She managed to break her own short program record for the third time this season, and did it in stylish fashion. Her dress was very simply structured - just a straight one-shouldered sheath with a slight slit up the sides. But the embellishments were anything but simple, creating a series of heavy, striking squares showering down the bodice, and turning the dress into a piece of art. The choker added some drama and flair to the look and made this one killer costume.
Mao Asada of Japan, while breaking her own records along the way and making history by becoming the first woman to land three triple axels in Olympic competition (huge), just wasn't of the same caliber as Kim Yu-Na. While her performances were quite strong, she lacked the artistic strengths of Yu-Na and failed to pull me into her performances (probably in part to the really awful music).
Although she walked away with the silver medal, she also took my award for the worst dressed of the top competitors. There were some other terrible gowns in the event, but you'd think with the star power, highly respected coach, and undoubted millions that Mao Asada posesses, that she'd invest in some good costumes. These two, while actually not as bad as some sported earlier this season, are completely unacceptable. What do you think?
Joannie Rochette of Canada was the most inspiring story of the week, taking to the ice for the short program on Tuesday... just two days after her mother suddenly passed away. After an extremely rough season, it was beautiful to see her quiet strength as she turned in two solid performances for the bronze medal.
Seeing her cry with relief after the short program, and then again on the podium, with her father watching her in the audience (and shedding his own share of tears)... I think it put a lump in everyone's throat. Although neither of her costumes were show-stoppers, I was thrilled with her finish. Joannie has worked hard and deserves the success.
Mirai Nagasu, the 16 year old American, was the USA's biggest hope after Rachael Flatt skated brilliantly and was, in my opinion, very much underscored (she wound up seventh). Mirai managed to skate a fabulous, clean program with flair and personality - and finished fourth. Yes, it was the first time since 1964 that a US lady was unable to make the podium, but considering the struggle that the US women have faced over the past 3 years, it was a triumph.
I already posted on Mirai's lovely short program dress during the US Championships recap, but this competition was the first time I ever appreciated her costume for the free skate. Performing to "Carmen," it was a delightful and age-appropriate choice. I think we will be seeing more great things from this girl in the future. :)
To finish off, I'll just give a nod to two other nice costumes. Akiko Suzuki of Japan had a delightful short program dress, in black with red accents and a striking choker design. Kiira Korpi of Finland wore a rather unusual costume, but one that I find interesting and liked, none the the less. With the sparkly blue top (which closes up the front with a stylish zipper), red undersleeves and black skirt, this dress looks very retro mod.
So... who were your favorite skaters last night? Were you pleased with the placements? And who were the best and worst dressed in your opinion? I, for one, was really bummed that NBC showed so little coverage of the skating. This is the Olympics, people! You're supposed to show everyone, not just the final group! Grr... it was a disappointment. :(
I hope you all have a great weekend! I will try my best to get out posts on the usual Tuesday and Friday, but my mum is going to on a cruise for the week, so we'll be having a crazy time in her absence (and may delay my replies to email/comments. If you want to pray that we are able to manage things and keep our sanity, I certainly wouldn't mind. ;)
God bless...
Images: Zimbio.com
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