The Russian team under neutral flag, worn by Kamila Valieva, was crowned Olympic champion in the figure skating team event on Monday in Beijing.
After four short programs and four free programs, the Russians totaled 74 points and edged the United States of Nathan Chen (65 pts) and Japan of Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno (63 pts).
Valieva, history
Valieva, just 15 and so far undefeated in her first senior winter, topped Monday’s free program with 178.92 points, as she had already topped the court the day before. The young Russian became on this occasion the first skater in history to achieve a quadruple jump – and even two – on Olympic ice.
During this last of the three days of competition, the Russians also imposed themselves in the short program pairs, with their reigning world and European champions Anastasia Mishina and Aleksandr Galliamov, and took second place in the free dance with Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov, yet they are also reigning world and European champions.
Americans Madison Chock and Evan Bates finished first in the free dance.
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Russia had won the title for the first time in this team event when it entered the Olympic program in 2014 in Sochi. Canada won gold four years ago in Pyeongchang, South Korea.
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