Olympics-Determine skating-Skaters bid farewell to Beijing Video games with sparkle-filled present

By Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Chang-Ran Kim

BEIJING (Reuters) – The world’s finest determine skaters put apart competitors nerves and considerations about scores on Sunday as they let free on the ultimate day of the Beijing Olympics at a gala that bade farewell to a contest marked by greatness and controversy.

The medallists in every self-discipline and a handful of different prime skaters took half however a notable absentee was 15-year-old Kamila Valieva, a gold medal favorite within the girls’s singles who tumbled to fourth place after being embroiled in a doping scandal.

The gala gave U.S. skater Vincent Zhou, who was compelled to withdraw from the lads’s singles after testing optimistic for COVID-19, one other likelihood to be below the highlight on Olympic ice — albeit out of competitors.

His face painted gentle blue, Georgia’s Morisi Kvitelashvili barged onto the ice carrying a blue genie costume, pretending to have materialised from Aladdin’s lamp.

Loyal to her typical high-octane programmes, Russian silver medallist Alexandra Trusova embodied Marvel Lady, the American comedian e book heroine, furiously spinning as her braided, waist-length crimson hair brushed in opposition to the ice.

Spanish ice dancers Olivia Good and Adrian Diaz raised the vitality degree with neon latex outfits seen in train movies from the Eighties and had the group roaring with the music “She’s A Maniac” from Flashdance.

Keegan Messing, who might be seen working up and down the aisle waving a large Canadian flag to cheer on his staff mates throughout competitors, was additionally a crowd favorite, exhibiting off a backflip in blue denims and a lumberjack’s flannel prime.

When Japan’s Yuzuru Hanyu took the stage in a glittery, lacy white prime, photographers as soon as once more obtained busy, clicking their shutters whereas followers squealed within the stands.

Many Olympic determine skaters are anticipated to compete on this planet championships subsequent month in France.

(Reporting by Gabrielle Tétrault-Farber and Chang-Ran Kim; Enhancing by Ken Ferris)