TRENDING FIGURE SKATING | ALPINE SKIING | TOKYO 2020

Mikaela Shiffrin wins third reindeer in Levi

By Nick ZaccardiNov 17, 2018, 9:06 AM EST
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Alina Zagitova wins Rostelecom Cup; Gracie Gold withdraws Yuzuru Hanyu wins Rostelecom Cup, hops on crutch to press conference Brittany Bowe gets first World Cup win since concussion

Mikaela Shiffrin overcame strong winds, nerves and a testy gate in her second run to claim the first World Cup slalom of the season, her 33rd career slalom victory and her third reindeer in Levi, Finland on Saturday.

Shiffrin prevailed by .58 of a second over Slovakian Petra Vlhova after the race was delayed 45 minutes and the start moved down due to winds, a much more common alteration in speed events than slalom. She had the fastest first run by .14 over surprise Olympic gold medalist Frida Hansdotter of Sweden.

“I had a little bit of a scary moment on the top of the pitch but kept fighting,” Shiffrin said of her second run, where she was clearly late on one early gate. “It’s the first race of the season, so there’s some nerves, there’s some excitement. Nobody knows how fast they are. It’s always a really nice challenge.”

Levi winners receive a reindeer. Shiffrin named her first two Rudolph and Sven from wins in 2013 and 2016. She named her third Mr. Gru, after the “Despicable Me” character,” at a friend’s suggestion.

MORE: Full Levi Results | Alpine TV Schedule

Shiffrin moved two World Cup slalom wins shy of retired Austrian idol Marlies Schild‘s record. If you include Shiffrin’s three parallel slalom wins, then she broke Schild’s record on Saturday. The American now has 44 World Cup wins overall, two shy of retired Austrian Renate Götschl, who is fourth on the women’s all-time list.

It’s also Shiffrin’s third straight slalom win since shockingly finishing fourth at the Olympics, between her giant slalom gold and super combined silver.

The men race in Levi on Sunday, featuring double Olympic gold medalist Marcel Hirscher, in their season debut. Both runs stream live on NBC Sports Gold at 4:15 and 7 a.m. ET, with Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA airing the second run live.

Shiffrin heads to Killington, Vt., next week for a giant slalom and slalom. Lindsey Vonn makes her farewell season debut the following weekend with speed races in Lake Louise, Alberta.

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Alina Zagitova wins Rostelecom Cup; Gracie Gold withdraws

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By Nick ZaccardiNov 17, 2018, 3:20 PM EST
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Yuzuru Hanyu wins Rostelecom Cup, hops on crutch to press conference Brittany Bowe gets first World Cup win since concussion Mikaela Shiffrin wins third reindeer in Levi

Olympic champion Alina Zagitova dominated the Rostelecom Cup, while Gracie Gold withdrew before Saturday’s free skate at her first competition in 22 months.

Zagitova skated a flawed free, but still totaled 222.95 points and prevailed by 24.94 over countrywoman Sofia Samodurova. Zagitova qualified for December’s Grand Prix Final, the second-biggest annual international competition, which takes the top six skaters from the fall Grand Prix Series.

Gold, coming back from treatment for anxiety, depression and an eating disorder, was in last place of 10 skaters after struggling with jumps in Friday’s short program.

Gold, a Sochi Olympian and two-time U.S. champion, later tweeted that she withdrew because competing in the free skate would be damaging to her mental health and confidence.

The Grand Prix season continues next week with Nathan Chen headlining Internationaux de France, the last event before the Grand Prix Final.

ROSTELECOM CUP: Results | TV/Stream Schedule

Zagitova, 16, is undefeated in three events this season and owns the world’s top overall score (238.43) by a whopping 14.12 points. However, Japanese 16-year-old Rika Kihira has the highest total on the Grand Prix of 224.31.

Zagitova struggled Saturday with the difficult triple Lutz-triple loop combination and doubled a flip at the end of her free skate.

Her primary rival last season, countrywoman Yevgenia Medvedeva, has finished second or third in her four competitions in the last year and likely must reach the podium next week in France for a chance at the Grand Prix Final and her first matchup with Zagitova since PyeongChang.

It’s likely that no U.S. woman makes the Grand Prix Final for a third straight year, after never previously going back-to-back years without a qualifier. U.S. champion Bradie Tennell likely must win in France to reach the Final.

Earlier Saturday, double Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu won the men’s event, hours after twisting his right ankle in a hard practice fall. Hanyu hopped on a crutch backstage and said he is uncertain for the Grand Prix Final and Japanese Nationals later in December. More here on Hanyu’s day.

Russian favorites Yevgenia Tarasova and Vladimir Morozov and Alexandra Stepanova and Ivan Bukin won the pairs’ and ice dance titles, respectively, qualifying for the Grand Prix Final.

Tarasova and Morozov, two-time world medalists, posted 220.25 points, moving up to No. 2 in the world behind French Vanessa James and Morgan Cipres, who were not in the Rostelecom field. None of the Olympic pairs’ medalists are competing this fall. Earlier Saturday, Tarasova received five stitches after cutting her chin in a practice crash into the boards.

In dance, Stepanova and Bukin tallied 199.43, keeping them close to U.S. champions Madison Hubbell and Zach Donohue in the world rankings. Those two couples face off for the first time this season at the Grand Prix Final.

The top returning couple this season, French Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron, competes next week at the top international level for the first time since winning a third world title in March. They are not eligible for the Grand Prix Final after withdrawing from last week’s NHK Trophy due to Cizeron’s back injury.

As a reminder, you can watch the ISU Grand Prix Series live and on-demand with the ‘Figure Skating Pass’ on NBC Sports Gold. GO HERE to sign up for access to every ISU Grand Prix and championship event, as well as domestic U.S. Figure Skating events throughout the season…NBC Sports Gold gives subscribers an unprecedented level of access on more platforms and devices than ever before.

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MORE: Ashley Wagner on her competitive future, coaching

Yuzuru Hanyu wins Rostelecom Cup, hops on crutch to press conference

By Nick ZaccardiNov 17, 2018, 9:40 AM EST
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More: Olympics

Alina Zagitova wins Rostelecom Cup; Gracie Gold withdraws Brittany Bowe gets first World Cup win since concussion Mikaela Shiffrin wins third reindeer in Levi

Yuzuru Hanyu won Rostelecom Cup by nearly 30 points, then hopped on a crutch backstage.

The double Olympic champion twisted his right ankle in a hard practice fall Saturday morning, then several hours later had the highest-scoring free skate with three quadruple jumps.

Hanyu said he is uncertain for the Grand Prix Final in three weeks — and a showdown with Olympic silver medalist Shoma Uno and, likely, world champion Nathan Chen — according to The Associated Press.

“It really hurts,” Hanyu said, according to Olympic Channel: Home of Team USA. “This injury made me change my program, and sadly I couldn’t perform the way I wanted. I could have done better.”

ROSTELECOM CUP: Results | TV/Stream Schedule

Hanyu apologized to a TV camera following his free skate, after falling and popping an Axel on his last two jumps.

Last November, Hanyu damaged right ankle ligaments in a practice fall, forcing him off the ice for more than a month. He said this injury is not as bad. Still, coach Brian Orser said “it was a big question” whether Hanyu would withdraw before the free skate, according to Olympic Channel.

Hanyu endured, taking out the quadruple loop that he fell on in practice but still adding 10 points to his lead from Friday’s short program. For the first time in nine seasons, Hanyu won his two Grand Prix Series qualifying events, cruising into December’s exclusive, six-skater Grand Prix Final.

Georgian Morisi Kvitelashvili took second, followed by Japanese Kazuki Tomono.

Two other men who came to Moscow with Grand Prix Final hopes — Russian Mikhail Kolyada and Canadian Keegan Messing — struggled in Friday’s short program and could not get onto the podium, placing fourth and fifth. They won’t be at the Final, assuming Chen finishes in the top six at next week’s event in France.

Rostelecom Cup continues later Saturday with the free programs for ice dance, pairs and women, streaming live on NBC Sports Gold.

As a reminder, you can watch the ISU Grand Prix Series live and on-demand with the ‘Figure Skating Pass’ on NBC Sports Gold. GO HERE to sign up for access to every ISU Grand Prix and championship event, as well as domestic U.S. Figure Skating events throughout the season…NBC Sports Gold gives subscribers an unprecedented level of access on more platforms and devices than ever before.

OlympicTalk is on Apple News. Favorite us!

MORE: Ashley Wagner on her future, role as coach