2019 Worlds: our highlights

What are these? Dewdrops to make you remember the Worlds in Saitama.

NO ONE LIKE THEM

Embed from Getty Images
Knowing this was a bumpy road for them this season, you’re both excited and emotional to see Wenjing Sui and Cong Han skate in Saitama. And you’re expecting the worst – and they give you the best. And some of us might have even shed a tear or two while watching them skate to “No One Like You”.

And Lori Nichol is definitely all of us while waiting for Wenjing and Cong at the boards: “So beautiful, I’m so happy for you. All your hard work and courage…”

And we’re so spoiled, and so lucky to have them.

Eric Radford will summarize it beautifully on twitter: “Sui and Han = Simply brilliant”.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Cheng Peng and Yang Jin have had a great season heading to Worlds, and they continued to amaze us in Saitama. They’re cheeky, and playful, and flirtatious in this “Ophelia” short program – and they have become such a reliable team. Plus: talent to the roof.

Loads of personality as well. Have you seen Ophelia blowing a kiss to the judges? 🙂

***

With Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov’s Rachmaninov short program it seems we travelled back in time, to the Olympic year. And this music highlights their qualities like no other. Great response from the audience following their performance.

Not to mention that was a redemptory skate, one they needed like they needed the air. And one that clearly restored their confidence – in them, and in their coaching team.

***

A warrior-type of short program from Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert at Worlds, and different from everything else we had seen in the pairs event this season. And different from everything they’d skated in their career so far.

And they nailed it.

PETALS INTO THE SUN

We have such a soft spot for Eunsoo Lim and for her skating lighter than air. Don’t be fooled by this airy presence though – that stunning Lutz-Toe combo at the start was breathing power and determination.

Surely, that was a big moment of the Worlds in Saitama, Eunsoo’s impressive skate to “Somewhere in Time”.

***

This short program to Celine Dion’s “To Love You More” makes Mariah Bell shine. Literally. And she’s been a joy to watch while skating to it from the beginning of the season. “Molodetz”, Rafael Arutyunyan greets her at the boards.

***

Such an intricate, embroidered skate from Elizabet Tursynbaeva at Worlds. Light as a feather – but also exuding confidence. She seems a totally new skater this season, she definitely thrives in the new coaching environment.

And the audience gives her a standing ovation. Deservedly so.

***
Embed from Getty Images
We are spoiled: Kaori Sakamoto is a flower, petals into the sun. So, so moved by her performance at Worlds on home ground. And we love her to the sun and back.

Plus, she learned her lessons well: “During summer, when I worked with my choreographers, I learned that a mature performer doesn’t need to say anything, or put everything on her face – yet, she can deliver the message by the movements of fingertips”.

***
Embed from Getty Images
The white little sparrow flies and takes us with her. And the sky welcomes her with open heart – and by sky we mean the generous audience in Saitama Super Arena and people all around the world watching. Serene, beautiful skating from Satoko Miyahara at 2019 Worlds.

And her jumps might look small, but her skating is big. Big, emotional, addictive.

***

Two-time World champion Evgenia Medvedeva is back in full force and owning that performance in Japan. We missed her competitive fire – and we can’t wait to enjoy it as much as possible.

***

Rika Kihira’s short program is a carbon-copy of the one in Anaheim – and you all know how 2019 Four Continents ended: she’ll be back to fight. Apart from the popped triple Axel, that was an exquisite skate from Rika in her World debut.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

Alina Zagitova is an amazing athlete, power, strength and all. She kept her focus – and skated her best short program this season. And this SP is not easy to skate, that you know already. She can make it work – but she has to be on.

And she was on in Saitama.

CAPTION THIS: MASTERPIECE

These two were born to fly and give us goose bumps. Amazed with Vanessa James and Morgan Ciprès’ season, and though 2019 Worlds started rather unexpectedly, with a collision in the warm-up, they finished the competition with a stunning free skate and a well deserved standing ovation.

Embed from Getty Images
They managed to stay in their bubble, kept us all there as well – and they need to be proud of themselves, their season and their skating.

***

What a skate from Aleksandra Boikova and Dmitrii Kozlovskii in Saitama, and what a team they are already. And we love the freshness they bring on the world stage, and the little nuances here and there – saw the (almost full) circle they made after landing a jump? Eyes are pleased.

And they are fierce, and fearless, and they made a name for themselves in the first senior season of their career.

***
Embed from Getty Images
That was such a big, heartwarming moment of 2019 Worlds: Cheng Peng and Yang Jin taking us with them in their mauve bubble of emotion. For a couple of minutes, we were in their world – and their world only. A world of emotions and butterflies. And we love the team they became.

***

Long, beautiful lines, emotional skate – Natalia Zabiiako and Alexander Enbert are having the best season of their career. And the audience in Saitama was surely lucky with such performances in the final group of competitors.

***

Evgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov’s free skate this season highlights their aces up their sleeves, their strengths as a pair. And they might have found the winning formula with this type of music, program. Plus: they seem thrilled to have Nina Mozer again with them at the boards.
Embed from Getty Images
And they don’t take winning for granted anymore – and that makes them genuinely happy after a good performance.

***

We have captions and we’re not afraid to use them: Wenjing Sui and Cong Han’s free skate, to “Rain, In Your Black Eyes”, is a MASTERPIECE. And they are MAJESTIC skating to it.

Imagine, after the season they had, to put this kind of performance at Worlds. Utterly incredible – and our personal highlight.
Embed from Getty Images
And Ezio Bosso’s music is a winner, with all the contrasts in it, and how they managed to portray it: the silence at the beginning, them swimming their way into the story, and then the joy, the triumph at the end, with all the layers of emotions and all layers of movements to render the triumph, the rebirth.

They can skate like that, with so little time of training, with worrying remarks from Hongbo Zhao – they can put themselves out there, take our hearts with them in their journey, and then be happy, and thrilled, and relieved.

And Wenjing’s laughter – we can’t think of a better ending of the pairs event in Saitama, we can’t think of a better image of these Worlds.

That’s the very definition of champions – made of steel, and source of incredible emotions.

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

SWEET AUTUMN

Stunning quad Toe to begin with, followed by a flying triple Axel. We’ll call it now: Vladimir Litvintsev is champion material. He already is a champion – he skated a lights out program at Worlds, followed by a standing ovation in Saitama. Japanese audience sure knows to recognize a talent when they see it.

Hands above his head, kneeling on the ice, at the end of his “Abbey Road Blues”, Vladimir is happy. And we’ll surely hear more about him in the not so distant future.

***

Performance-wise, that might have been Kevin Aymoz’s best skate this season. At the right place: where they just love skating, in Japan, and at the biggest event of the season. And Silvia Fontana told him in Minsk, at Europeans, to save something for Worlds. Which he did. And he needs to be proud of himself.

***

Can we put that glorious quad Lutz Boyang Jin landed in practice in the actual program, where it belonged? We sure would. And Boyang erased the disappointment quickly, to land a quad Toe-double Toe, and then a flying triple Axel. Not the short program he wanted, surely, but he made the most out of it after the error in the start.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Matteo Rizzo is not skating, he is flying. And, season by season, he shows wonderful progress. The European bronze medalist skated beautifully in Saitama, enjoying a heartwarming standing ovation. “Grandissimo”, “bellissimo”, reactions come almost instantly. “Molto bene”, Matteo summarizes with a smile after seeing the scores; and the scores have him on first place at this point of men’s SP.

A champion that wears not only his heart, but his modesty too on his wavy, white sleeve.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

There’s this beautiful serenity in Vincent Zhou’s skating. And we love that about him – and the way he puts himself out there. A heart on skates. And a standing ovation, just like a statement of love, from the audience in Saitama. Beautiful, beautiful skate.

“I am really proud of you”, Lori Nichol says. And “you can breathe now”.

***
Embed from Getty Images
If there was a way to describe group six’ warm-up, it might be this one: hungry eyes trying to fill the void of Yuzuru Hanyu’s absence from the competitive word in the last 120 days or so. And anxiety, a lot of it – but, atop of everything, Brian Orser’s confident words to his student: “You know what to do, you’re ready”.

***
Embed from Getty Images
People in the arena, hands at their mouths, as if it were a prayer, during Yuzuru Hanyu’s skate in Saitama. The wait has been long, very long – for Yuzuru too, and doubts might have crept in, making him pop the quadruple Salchow at the start. But he was flying in the rest, he was – and tens of hearts, ours included, might have popped of tens of chests. That much we missed him.

With 94.87 points, he went into the lead, and looked surprised.

He shouldn’t have. Apart from the jump that failed him, everything he showed was text book-material.

***
Embed from Getty Images
The pressure took its toll in Shoma Uno’s case as well – almost kneeling when landing the quad Flip. But all the elements remaining were just superb – and you can’t resist being amazed with the presence and the talent this young man has. The Axel was a thing of beauty. And those drums? Our hearts, no doubt about it.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Jason Brown’s short program is pure quality, and the very definition of skating. Smoothness, softness – as if he were cutting butter. As if he were drawing arabesques.

And his reaction in the Kiss and Cry while seeing the scores – and scores have him in first – is gold.

“WHAT?!”

No wonder, the program is a masterpiece, and it was skated like one.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

The current World champion wins the short program at 2019 Worlds with a party-themed program, full of energy (and Romanian lyrics – hurray). “That was fun, that was fun”, Rafael kept repeating in the Kiss and Cry.

And that was fun, it was – and Nathan Chen started the campaign of retaining his World title.

“MERCI POUR VOTRE SPECTACLE”

This is, this truly is one of the most exquisite, intricate tangos of the season, we’ve said this all along, and hats off to Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov for pulling it through when it most counted – at Worlds.

So many details, nuances, and tension in the movements. And, yet, so much control.
Embed from Getty Images
We’ve been in awe of this dance from the very beginning of the season – and we’re thrilled to see it complete, mature, like a full circle, here, in Japan.

And they do look relieved – in a sense, more than half of the work (to win a World medal) is done. Now they can be lighter than air in their free dance to Bach and Kreisler.

***

With every program they have, Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier tell a story – and not only that, they become one with the story. And we found ourselves glued to them, their tango, their costumes, the mood they set in Saitama – didn’t escape the story for a second.

Actors? Figure skaters? Who knows? Who cares? The thing is, we are lucky.

***
Embed from Getty Images
The class itself – these two are unique. Caressing themselves, caressing the air, and giving us goose bumps. A stunning tango from Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje in Saitama, in their 11th Worlds.

***

Charlene Guignard and Marco Fabbri belong to the big teams – because they are, indeed, a big team. They have been for a while – but only getting recognized this season. Their speed, their power are great assets. And we love to see them (finally) thriving on the big scene.

***

Make way. The lioness is here – and you don’t wanna mess with her. And the truth is Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ tango this season is almost like a show, so thrilling, so captivating, so enjoyable to watch.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

Ahora – now it’s time for a statement of power, of intent, from Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue – and they did just that in Saitama. And Madison, aka Maria de Raval, was shining, as you would expect from her.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Oh, are we in for a treat or what? What an exhibition of power and skills from Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin at Worlds – and a rhythm dance that you watch from the edge of your chair. It’s surely difficult to keep up with the level of (ascending) energy in the program, but they do it impeccably.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

This tango, Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron’s tango, you feel it through your skin. Electrifying might be the word you’re looking for.

And they don’t need any additional embellishments – they have themselves to keep you glued. And you wanna watch this on a loop, but you’re afraid your poor little heart won’t take it. (Yes, we love them. Can you tell? But, most of all, can you blame us?) And are they aware of this power, almost palpable power, they have over us?

Their reactions to the scores are priceless: “On a jamais vu ça”.

Neither did we: with 88.42 points, a brand new World record, they (expectedly) go into the lead.

And Marie-France, their coach, is all of us: “Merci pour votre spectacle”.

WORLD TITLE WON IN OLYMPIC FASHION – AND A REVELATION

In her free skate at Worlds, Gabrielle Daleman embodies a powerful woman, Delilah – and her hair is up while skating, maybe a hint to Samson losing his.
Embed from Getty Images
And she is a powerhouse, she is, and though the first jumps are somehow on the edge, she makes them work. She makes the program work, and the step sequence is a work of art, Gabby thrusting herself in the air and highlighting every accent of the music.

And this is a personal victory – this right here, her program at Worlds, at the end of a troubling season – and we hope she’ll take the free skate to the next one.

It suits her to the hairs.

***

Bradie Tennell brought the house down with her “Romeo and Juliet” free skate in Saitama – and, performing to Prokofiev, she looked like a completely changed skater.

You just couldn’t take her eyes off her – she was powerful, she was emotional, she was magnetic. And this free skate at Worlds was her best performance ever, in our honest (and impressed) opinion.
Embed from Getty Images
She put herself out there, impersonating the character, the story, but mostly impersonating herself. That’s the way you skate when no one’s watching, that’s the way you imagine yourself skating – and Bradie did just that, she brought the best version of herself under the limelight, with 18.000 in the room to see it.

Welcome, Bradie Tennell, we like this new (improved) you.

And that standing ovation was so rewarding, and so deserved, for the butterfly that left the cocoon.

***

There were plenty of opportunities this season to see that Sofia Samodurova is reliable.

She really is – and from Skate Canada until her last event this season, she was exactly that, reliable, with a peak at the Europeans, where she also took the crown.

And so you could understand her tears of relief, her burst of cry even before the ending pose of her free skate in Saitama. She made the most out of her first international season, and she just couldn’t stop the tears flowing from her eyes.

And she was grateful to receive the standing ovation of the audience – Japanese people love skating and they surely know Sofia’s journey this season, and decided to thank her.

She barely has the power to acknowledge the welcome – she is exhausted. But happy.

***
Embed from Getty Images
I will only say this: Satoko Miyahara, you are a gift to skating – and I am so lucky to understand that gift, to fully comprehend it and enjoy it. And, in my mind, I was one of the thousands in the arena, holding a flag, be happy, show gratitude at the end of your skate.

And in a perfect world, you would receive the Components Scores that you deserve – in our mind, you already did, we gave them to you.

This ability, quality to catch everyone’s attention and never let go is just fabulous.

Satoko, The Great Master of Emotions, you’ll be called. The dreams’, the emotions’ catcher.

***

Rika Kihira jumps a gorgeous triple Axel in the warm-up, easy as can be, as if she were a feather twirling in the wind. And then another one. And another one – judging by the enthusiast gasps in the audience, and the applause.

She seems ready. She IS ready.

And this easiness of everything she does is so very obvious during her free skate: she starts with a triple Axel-triple Toe out of nowhere, she can’t hold the landing of her second triple Axel, but, seconds after, she comes back to her winning self, and a wave of beautiful jumps follow, throughout the layers of the storm she portrays.
Embed from Getty Images
And we might have told you that already – this is an intricate program, in nuances and layers – but we need to tell it again, and highlight the beautiful skater Rika is. And she gathers more than 80 points for technical elements – and that is huge – and she needs to wait a whole group to see if that’s enough for a medal. And we’ll wait alongside her.

And you know what? That “Rika-san, ganbaaa!”, in the audience, at the start, it was me!

No, the truth it wasn’t – but I might have screamed just like that, like an echo, in front of my computer screen in Bucharest.

***

A year ago in PyeongChang, Evgenia Medvedeva was taking the silver at the Olympics – a big medal, but one that she saw as a defeat.

A year of changes followed – and we have Evgenia skating (almost) her very best at the 2019 Worlds, at the end of a season that started badly and continued badly; and only through her continuous efforts, and a win at Cup of Russia, she was given the World spot.

In Saitama, Evgenia looked secure in practice, skated a good short program, and now she made herself proud with a courageous free skate, to her relief, to our relief. Hence the animal-like, redemptory scream at the end.

And Brian shows her some imaginary claws in the Kiss and Cry, and they all laugh. They’re a good team, Evgenia, Brian, Tracy. And the scores tell them exactly that: they’re on the right track.
Embed from Getty Images
***

Mariah Bell has had her share of hectic days in Saitama, but she found unimaginable resources to stay at the surface – and not only that: she mobilized all energy, all feelings, and their contrasting emotions, into her free skate in Saitama, which is called exactly that, after Ludovico Einaudi’s music: Experience.

That was Mariah’s experience with these Worlds – part of which she would surely want to forget – but a part that also led her to search for infinite resources in herself.

And she found them, and she fought – and she never fought like that for (some) landings, she never emphasized so much the movements of her free skate. She (literally) showed how an experience, or a sum of experiences, can shape you, almost on the spot, almost not wanting it.

And then she shouted, and threw her little fists in the air at the end.

She never skated like that, we’ve never seen her like that.

***

Eunsoo Lim’s “Chicago” free skate lacked the usual spark, the usual charisma, easiness – her days at Worlds have been chaotic, but hurray to her for putting everything aside and trying to show the best version of herself under the circumstances.

And you surely didn’t see in Eunsoo someone who just turned 16 – she showed maturity and class, and skated to the best of her current abilities (and mood) in Saitama. ’Cause for a 16 year old to go through such a hassle, and still skate like that, well, that showed guts. And these Worlds were a growing experience for her as well.

***
Embed from Getty Images
A pat on the back, and she is ready to go, ready to fly.

Fly, Kaori Sakamoto, fly – and she does just that, and we’re there with her, following her every feather of the way. And some of the landings she has to fight for, and she singles the Flip – only to come back in the game with an additional set of wings, and a double Toe added to the Loop.

But what game, what fight? Watching Kaori is an emotional experience, nothing mathematical. We are just thrilled with her, and her flying, and us watching.

And though she’s disappointed in the end, we could never be disappointed with the way she skates – the calmness, the soothing quality her skating has, the waves, the sky, the seagulls.

***
Embed from Getty Images
The Olympic champion took the only title that she was missing in Olympic fashion.

True, there were a couple of glitches here and there, but the very fact that the 16-year-old Alina Zagitova is able to pull through such a (worryingly) difficult program is in itself medal-worthy.

So many things she has to do throughout the program, arms moving, feet moving, head moving in all directions, and then in opposite directions, that you have to say hats off to her for being able to cope with it, with the hectic rhythm of it, under the immense pressure of being the Olympic champion (who failed to have a successful post-Olympic Worlds), under thousands of eyes and being scrutinized by so many.

That kind of program, overloaded with difficulties, shows the champion-material she is made of. Others would have crumbled under the weight of it, under the expectations. She did not. And, at the end of the day, she made this program hers – she became Carmen.

For all the reasons above, but mostly because she shows this incredible resilience, and works incessantly to have this type of program skated to (almost) perfection, Alina Zagitova’s gold medal is deserved 100%.

And they love her here in Japan – and while the audience is still giving her a standing ovation, Alina catches her breath in between Eteri and Daniil at the boards.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

This is an Elizabet Tursynbaeva that we have never seen before. And we have been fans of her ever since her junior years – but we have never seen her skate like that.

With so much confidence – confidence that she can move mountains –, with so much grit, so much involvement. And that quad Salchow – landed at the very start of the program, landed! – was the rightful sign this was going to be a memorable performance.

Which definitely was – Elizabet skated her heart out, and she now has the best in both schools she was trained in: the skating skills acquired in Toronto make her glide like a feather, almost no noise at all, and the load of work in Moscow, and the confidence she was instilled with, made her a new person this season.

A brand new skater, with the World at her feet, and a brand new historical World (silver) medal.

Truthfully, Elizabet is the revelation of these Worlds. She is.

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

A DANCE IN THE COLOUR OF SAKURA

A burgundy mantle surrounded us all during Laurence Fournier Beaudry and Nikolaj Sorensen’s free dance at Worlds. And that was surely captivating – as if watching a movie you just didn’t want to let go. They have this power to keep you glued, they do.
Embed from Getty Images
And remember: you have to be really on, and really fit, to skate with so much power and control.

***

Is this the best season of their entire senior career or what? Kaitlin Hawayek and Jean-Luc Baker thrive in their new coaching environment, that’s a sure thing, and it’s always a joy to watch them dance as one.

***

We love the contrast between the flirtatious smoothness in the first part and the power, energy in the second one – the mood is everything in Madison Chock and Evan Bates’ “Fever” free dance, and they impersonate their characters to the fingertips.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Starry Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier have been a highlight all season. And that was such an emotional, nuanced rendition of “Vincent” in Saitama. We’ll miss this dance, its magic, their magic – but, hey, that’s what “next seasons” are here for, and we can’t wait for another one of their trademark dances.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje’s free dance this season was just like a journey of discoveries: the more we watched it, the more we saw layers, movements, emotions we haven’t seen or felt at first. And this particular free dance is just like an invite into their timeless elegance.

***

This new ending of Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue’s “Romeo and Juliet”? It deserves all the standing ovation it could get. Brilliant idea to shift everything before Worlds.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin’s free dance is a tour de force, you know already – and what’s amazing is to see them being able to pull it through every time, at the right level of energy.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

Pure balletic style of skating – and the very essence of ice dancing, going to the roots, the core of it.

Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov’s free dance is a poetry, with a touch of modernity in the end. And they deserve all the good things happening to them this season. They improved tremendously, this is so very obvious, and they had some of the best programs in the business.

***
Embed from Getty Images
These two birds, feathers in the air, might just be the best thing that happened to ice dancing. And every time they go out there, the sky is theirs, and they create magic. How they do it? We don’t know. But we’re here to witness the greatness of Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron.

And breaking their own records might just be a thing with these two as well – Gaby and Guillaume’s very own trademark.

Plus a beautiful coincidence: Gabriella Papadakis, in the colour of sakura, in the season of sakura, at the very home of sakura.

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

A SOLITARY JOURNEY AND AN IMPRESSIVE TRIUMPH

You know what, Keiji Tanaka thrives on this type of music, this grandiose music [“William Tell Overture” by Rossini]. And for the ending part of his program, he purely skates to the sound of the applause. And the audience loves Keiji, and we do too – we just want him to have a perfect competition in the future, because his talent, his work, surely deserve it.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Vladimir Litvintsev has been our discovery at Europeans – and we’ll stick to it: he has tremendous talent. And he reminds us of Alexander Abt – his beautiful, balletic posture has something to do with it – and he had a great Worlds, Vladimir. And we’ll definitely keep an eye on him – so promising he is. So good already.

“And he could very well be a character in those beautiful Japanese anime, don’t you think? That elegant he is”, we write on twitter.

“Ouji-sama”, someone answers, where “ouji” means “prince”.

***

We have such a soft spot for Nam Nguyen and his skating qualities – it’s been a joy to have followed him ever since winning Junior Worlds in 2014. Nice hint at Four Continents as well, with Nam unbuttoning his shirt – except he moved the gesture at the end of the program, where nothing bad could happen.

***
Embed from Getty Images
Glorious quad Toe-triple Toe to begin his “Carmen” free skate – and Mikhail Kolyada is on a roll in Saitama. And this program has movements we haven’t seen before – but most of all it has Mikhail skate better than we have ever seen him skate. And a standing ovation follows his skate at Worlds.

That was a big moment for us – but especially a big moment for Mikhail. He needed the confidence it brought.

***

Boyang Jin had us under his spell all throughout his flamenco free skate – artistically, he’s like a totally new skater. And, technically, you know already: his trademark quad Lutz is a beauty.

***
Embed from Getty Images
After 4CC, Vincent Zhou knows he’s among the very best – and he skates with that kind of conviction. And he doesn’t want to let any stone unturned in his free skate in Saitama. And so no power is left in the tank at the end, but he knows he has done it, he has proven himself.

***

Is it as if Shoma Uno didn’t even want to start his free skate in Saitama – that much he seemed to (have wanted to) delay it. And after stepping out of his first two quads, he had a lot to make up for. And he knew it – and you (literally) heard him gasping for air before the second part started. And the second part was definitely better for Shoma at Worlds.

But his “Moonlight Sonata” lacked the usual silence and serenity – because Shoma Uno lacked them as well.

Still, what an effort, a palpable effort – and thousands of hearts might have stopped for a while in Saitama Super Arena. So big were the expectations he’d placed upon himself, so big the disappointment.

***

Matteo Rizzo seemed tense at the beginning of his Queen free skate – but all tension was soon gone, when he decided to have the time of his life at Worlds. And the final part of his program was a joy.

***
Embed from Getty Images
The tension in Saitama Arena? You could have cut it with a knife.

And those ankles might have failed Yuzuru Hanyu on some occasions, but this time they saved him big time. And he is a fighter. He is Yuzuru Hanyu. And his “Origin” free skate reminded us of our own love for skating, in which Evgeni Plushenko plays such an important part. Hence the goose bumps while listening to Edvin Marton’s violin, hence the emotions while watching Yuzuru creating his own story with the music.

And proving once again (if proofs are actually still needed) that he is a natural born competitor.

***

Others would have crumbled after such a display of fearlessness.

[plus, as someone jokingly and warmly wrote on twitter: “I have no idea how Nathan skated after the Rain of Pooh. I would have just laid down on the ice and started cuddling”].

Well, not him. Not Nathan Chen.
Embed from Getty Images
And there you had him at his very best – imperial best – in Saitama, winning his second World title, after the one in Milan, in 2018. Nathan Chen’s skate to the “Land of All” by Woodkid has been beyond belief – and one of the greatest moments of these Worlds.

The quads, the quality of everything and the consistency, leaving no doubt he’d win the competition – a remarkable performance to put an end to the event.

Surely, this whole year made him better. This time with himself made him better. Him focusing on other things than skating and competitions made him better. Him working on his own a lot – improving, performance-wise, when no one was watching.

It has been more of a solitary journey this season for Nathan Chen, but, boy, oh boy, it did him good.

***

There’s this soothing quality in Jason Brown’s skating – we could watch him all day, in spite of him doubting himself in Saitama and getting back, here and there, to his old habits.

But there’s so much he accomplished this season already. And coming to Worlds was a history in itself – as it was his SP small medal here. The only way for him is up. He knows it, his coaches know it.

***

Photo by Atsushi Tomura – International Skating Union (ISU)

And the camera man enlarging the scene as to place a Pooh in it during the victory ceremony?

That was not at all coincidental. That was a thing of a beauty – and a heartwarming proof of love to the Japanese champion.

[Selection of highlights by Florentina Tone]

2018-2019 SEASON IN STORIES. Inside Skating Stories.

Through the lens: Yuzuru Hanyu in Helsinki. A season that started like no other

Brian Orser: “As a mature skater, you’re not gonna win every competition. Pick your battles”

Evgenia Medvedeva: “I want to reach my full potential and become the best possible version of myself”

Kaori Sakamoto: the coming of age

Jason Brown: “I’m still scratching the surface of my potential”

Boyang Jin: “I aim to transform myself this season”

Javier Fernández’s farewell – and the other big moments of the Europeans

2019 Four Continents. A journey through emotions