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Olympic Results

Russia’s figure skating team wins gold in advance

Russian figure skaters won gold even before the competition was over

© AP Photo/Darron Cummings

SOCHI, February 9. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s figure skating team has won gold medal in advance. This is the first gold for the Russian team at 2014 Winter Olympics in Sochi.

Canadian Kaetlyn Osmond failed to secure the first stop in free skating program, and Canada’s team lost the chance to wrap up the team figure skating title.

Yulia Lipnitskaya was first in ladies’ team free skating, having scored 141.51, thus adding to Russia’s advantage. After seven events, Russia’s team has 67 scores. Its chief rivals, Canada’s team has 56 score and a guaranteed silver medal, and the USA team has 50 scores.

Lipnitskaya was first in ladies’ team short programme too, with 72.90 scores. Yevgeny Pluchenko represented Russian in both programs. He was second in men’s team short programme (91.39) and first in men’s team free skating (168.20). Tatyana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov were first in pairs short programme (83.79), and Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov were first in pairs free skating (135.09). Ice dancers Yekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Solovyev were third in ice dancing short programme. Yelena Ilyinykh and Nikita Katsalapov will replace Yekaterina Bobrova and Dmitry Solovyev in free skating.

This will be Russia’s third Olympic medal. Earlier on Sunday, Russian speed skater Olga Graf won the bronze medal in ladies’ 3000 meter race and biathlete Olga Vilukhina won the silver medal in women’s sprint.

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