Skip to content
CapRadio

CapRadio

signal status listen live donate
listen live donate signal status
listen live donate signal status
  • News
    • beats
    • State Government
    • Environment
    • Health Care
    • Business
    • Arts and Lifestyle
    • Food and Sustainability
    • PolitiFact California
    • California Dream
    • Videos
    • Photos
  • Music
    • genres
    • Classical
    • Jazz
    • Roots
    • Eclectic
    • Videos
    • Daily Playlist
  • Programs + Podcasts
    • news
    • Morning Edition
    • All Things Considered
    • Marketplace
    • Insight
    • California State of Mind
    • The View From Here
    • music
    • Acid Jazz
    • At the Opera
    • Classical Music
    • Connections
    • Excellence in Jazz
    • Hey, Listen!
    • Insight Music
    • K-ZAP on CapRadio
    • Mick Martin's Blues Party
    • Programs A-Z
    • Podcast Directory
  • Schedules
    • News
    • Music
    • ClassicalStream
    • JazzStream
    • Weekly Schedule
    • Daily Playlist
  • Community
    • Events Calendar
    • CapRadio Garden
    • CapRadio Reads
    • CapRadio Travels
    • Ticket Giveaways
  • Support
    • Evergreen Gift
    • One-Time Gift
    • Corporate Support / Underwriting
    • Vehicle Donation
    • Stock Gift
    • Legacy Gift
    • Endowment Gift
    • Volunteering
    • Benefits
    • Member FAQ
    • e‑Newsletter
    • Drawing Winners
    • Thank You Gifts
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
  • Close Menu
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 
 We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter 

Female Figure Skaters Compete For Gold — And The Sport's Future

By Sonari Glinton | NPR
Wednesday, February 19, 2014

Listen
/
Update RequiredTo play audio, update browser or Flash plugin.

Yuna Kim, of South Korea, won gold in Vancouver. She's leading the field after Wednesday's short program.

Adrian Dennis / AFP/Getty Images

If there is such a thing as a home rink advantage, that makes the competition in the women's figure skating program fierce. Russian fans erupted with glee for Adelina Sotnikova on Wednesday. And then there's Yulia Lipnitskaya, a 15-year-old Russian phenom who has thrilled Russian fans and stunned the figure skating world.

Scott Hamilton, a 1984 figure skating gold medalist, has been watching Lipnitskaya closely.

"She's beyond her years. Like, you look at her and she qualified [to be age-eligible] for the Olympics by days," he says.

"I'm looking at her through very critical skating eyes, but the world's looking at her as something to behold, and something to be appreciated," Hamilton says. "And like a great work of art, everybody's going to look at it in their own way, but she's been universally appreciated."

Lipnitskaya is just one of the young upstarts. There's also the defending Olympic champion Yuna Kim from South Korea, who has performed flawlessly, coming first in the short program with a lead that will be difficult to catch. Then there's Italian Carolina Kostner, a contender who finished Wednesday in the top three.

Behind those formidable women are the Americans: One is two-time national champion Ashley Wagner, who stumbled and fell twice during the U.S. Figure Skating Championships last month. It was seen universally as a disaster, including by Wagner herself.

"It was a horrible, horrible, horrible event for me," she says. "I was really shaken after that, just because I want to be known as a skater who can perform well under pressure, and that skater did not show up at my national championship."

Despite that devastating and controversial performance, Wagner was picked to compete for the U.S.

"Having my federation pretty much tell me that they thought I deserve to be on this team, that definitely kind of boosted my confidence a bit, especially after such a disappointing nationals."

At 22, Wagner is the most senior of the women. She says she's more than able and ready to get on the podium, and after a safe program with no real problems — but no real thrills — she's in striking distance in sixth place. Gracie Gold, 18, is leading the Americans in fourth place.

The U.S. also has its own 15-year-old phenom. Polina Edmunds is in seventh, and she says she's not going down without a fight.

"In skating, it is about your performance, but competing with the others; and it is a competition," she says. "And so when you get out there, you know, you have to throw down the gauntlet and say, 'This is what I can do; beat it.'

"That's sometimes that part that is really easy — just to, you know, focus on yourself, do your job, get off the ice with that little fire in your belly," she says. "That competition with other people is something that I really enjoy."

Hamilton says it's not just a medal that's riding on the competition — it's the future of the sport.

"We need a skater that's compelling, magnificent and knows how to draw a crowd, to step up and say, 'I'm rebuilding the professional ranks,' " he says. "And you'd see hands go up and say, 'Hallelujah.' "

No pressure ladies, no pressure. The women complete their competition Thursday.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

View this story on npr.org
Follow us for more stories like this

CapRadio provides a trusted source of news because of you.  As a nonprofit organization, donations from people like you sustain the journalism that allows us to discover stories that are important to our audience. If you believe in what we do and support our mission, please donate today.

Donate Today  

Coronavirus Newsletter

Get answers to your questions, the latest updates and easy access to the resources you need, delivered to your inbox.

 

Want to know what to expect? Here's a recent newsletter.

Thanks for subscribing!

We'll send you weekly emails so you can stay informed about the coronavirus in California.

Browse all newsletters

Most Viewed

California Coronavirus Updates: Global COVID-19 Deaths Surpasses 3 Million

How To Get A Vaccine Appointment In California, And Other Things To Know About The Vaccine

5 Things You Need To Know About Federal Drought Aid In California

Rattlesnake Season Has Arrived In Northern California: Here's How To Stay Safe.

With Barrett On Supreme Court, California’s Church COVID Limits Are Being Overturned

We Get Support From:
Become a Supporter

Back to Top

  • CapRadio

    7055 Folsom Boulevard
    Sacramento, CA 95826-2625

    • (916) 278-8900
    • Toll-free (877) 480-5900
    • Email Us
    • Submit a News Tip
  • Contact Us

  • About Us

    • Contact Us / Feedback
    • Coverage
    • Directions
    • Jobs & Internships
    • Mission / Vision / Core Values
    • Press
    • Staff Directory
    • Board of Directors
  • Listening Options

    • Mobile App
    • On Air Schedules
    • Smart Speakers
    • Playlist
    • Podcasts
    • RSS
  • Connect With Us

    •  Facebook
    •  Twitter
    •  Instagram
    •  YouTube
  • Donate

  • Listen

  • Newsletters

CapRadio stations are licensed to California State University, Sacramento. © 2021, Capital Public Radio. All Rights Reserved. Privacy Policy | Website Feedback FCC Public Files: KXJZ KKTO KUOP KQNC KXPR KXSR KXJS. For assistance accessing our public files, please call 916-278-8900 or email us.