BEIJING, February 7. /TASS/. Russian figure skaters won gold on Monday in the team competition at the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing.
Russia’s Kamila Valieva scored 178.92 points, taking the top prize in women’s free skate, which was the closing event of the team competition. Team ROC (the Russian Olympic Committee) ended the team competition with an aggregate sum of 74 points to take the gold.
Team USA took the silver with judges awarding them an aggregate of 65 points, only two points ahead of the bronze winners from Japan (63 points).
Russia’s Mark Kondratyuk represented the team in men’s singles, and Valieva in women’s singles. Anastasia Mishina and Alexander Galliamov skated in pairs competitions and Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov in ice dance.
Valieva won the short and free skating events. Kondratyuk came in third in the short event and second in the free event. Mishina and Galliamov won in the free skating and were runners-up in the short event. Sinitsina and Katsalapov finished second in both events.
Speaking to journalists after the competitions, Sinitsina said: "We have a very strong team and we are very confident. We all did a great job."
Galliamov said in turn: "We were fighting for the first place, gained the lead and then widened the gap."
Russia’s 15-year-old Valieva said she was happy that she coped with the most of her program and that "the team won the gold medal."
"I want to congratulate all members of our team with this victory," she said adding that it was her childhood dream to win the Olympic gold.
"I watched the Olympic Games for the very first time in 2014, when Yulia Lipnitskaya skated for our team. I remember very well her free skate program" Valieva continued. "I have always rooted for our girls. In 2018 I watched Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva skate."
"It was my dream since my childhood to become an Olympic champion and now this dream came true," she added.
Team ROC is now at the top of the overall medal standings of the Olympics (two gold, two silver, two bronze medals). Team Norway is 2nd (two gold, one bronze medals) and Team Sweden is 3rd (two gold medals).
The 2022 Winter Olympic Games in the Chinese capital of Beijing are held between February 4 and 20. During the 128th IOC session in Kuala Lumpur on July 31, 2015, Beijing was chosen to host the 2022 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games making the Chinese capital the first city ever to host both the Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2008) as well as the Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games (in 2022).
Russian athletes at Beijing-2022
Due to international sanctions against Russian sports, athletes from Russia are competing in the 2022 Winter Olympic Games in Beijing under the flag and logo of the Russian Olympic Committee (ROC) instead of the Russian national flag and state emblem.
The national anthem of Russia is also under sanctions at the Olympics in China. The First Piano Concerto by Pyotr Tchaikovsky was selected to be played at awarding ceremonies for Russian Olympians in Beijing.