Nina Pinzarrone (13th) overtakes Loena Hendrickx (14th) after free freestyle, American Alysa Liu takes gold
Nina Pinzarrone finished in 13th place in figure skating in her Olympic debut, just ahead of Loena Hendrickx. The gold went to the American Alysa Liu who surpassed the Japanese favorites in the free freestyle.
Both came to Milan with doubts after injuries, and both stepped off the Olympic ice “proudly”. Symbolically next to each other on the 13th and 14th places.
Nina Pinzarrone recorded her fourth best score of her career with 131.33 in the free freestyle. She could only surpass her total score (200.30) at the 2024 European Championships.
For example, our 19-year-old compatriot finished just ahead of Loena Hendrickx on her Olympic debut, whose mistake was severely punished by the jury. There was no shame in the fact that she could not perform the jump, in which she injured her ankle before the Games.
Hendrickx received 128.72 for her free freestyle, which dropped her from 7th place to 14th. She herself had expected a higher score, she admitted, but it could not overshadow her proud feeling.
Alysa Liu captures gold
Table of Contents
- Alysa Liu captures gold
- Related:
- Ami Nakai also cannot match Liu’s performance: “She only now realizes that she has bronze”
- Gold for Alysa Liu
- Kaori Sakamoto makes just too many mistakes: “She knows, this is not gold”
- Sakamoto is no better
- Great freestyle by Alysa Liu: “People jump straight into the stands”
- The bar is high
- Mone Chiba in the lead
- Hendrickx: “I know that this was not my level, but I am still very proud of myself”
- Loena Hendrickx also skates beautifully, but not flawlessly, freestyle: “Still so beautiful to look at”
- Hendrickx just below Pinzarrone
- There’s Loena Hendrickx
- Pinzarrone: “Happy to achieve such a performance, with all the pressure that comes with it”
- Watch Nina Pinzarrone’s freestyle
- The provisional top 5
- Pinzarrone provisionally 4th
- There is Pinzarrone
- Mother of Loena Hendrickx: “The most important thing is that I see her shine again”
- Mother of Nina Pinzarrone: “I’m very proud of her, because it was a difficult year”
- Belgian action from 9.20 pm
American Amber Glenn had set the bar high with a free freestyle that took her from 13th place to 5th place, but the top favorites were able to improve her score.
Yet it was not the Japanese favorites Ami Nakai and Kaori Sakamoto, numbers 1 and 2 after the short freestyle, who won the title. The American Alysa Liu achieved a strong score of 150.20, which no one could match.
Three-time world champion Kaori Sakamoto wanted to complete her impressive list of achievements with Olympic gold, but ended in tears with silver. Not the Olympic farewell she had hoped for.
Her 17-year-old compatriot Ami Nakai had surprised in the short freestyle, but could not continue that line. She did not expect that she would end up with bronze after her debut.
Ami Nakai also cannot match Liu’s performance: “She only now realizes that she has bronze”
Gold for Alysa Liu
American Alyse Liu has won the Olympic figure skating title after a fantastic free freestyle. 17-year-old Ami Nakai, the surprise of the short freestyle, makes some mistakes and has to settle for the bronze. The retiring Kaori Sakamoto finishes with silver and bursts into tears.
Kaori Sakamoto makes just too many mistakes: “She knows, this is not gold”
Sakamoto is no better
Kaori Sakamoto has missed two combinations and the three-time world champion immediately realizes that that will not be enough for gold. The Japanese was 2nd after the short freestyle and she remains there after the free freestyle. That gold medal that she was missing from her impressive list of achievements will not happen.
Great freestyle by Alysa Liu: “People jump straight into the stands”
The bar is high
The American Alysa Liu has set the bar very high. Her brilliant exercise also yielded an appropriate score: 150.20. With a total score of 226.79, the 20-year-old is certain of a medal, but what color will it be? Two more Japanese competitors can go above and beyond.
Mone Chiba in the lead
Japan’s Mone Chiba takes the lead. Her free freestyle (143.88) scores lower than that of Amber Glenn (147.52), but thanks to her short freestyle, Chiba can take the throne. Three more competitors to go.
Hendrickx: “I know that this was not my level, but I am still very proud of myself”
The Russian Adeliia Petrosian also grit her teeth on Amber Glenn’s strong performance and ends up in provisional 2nd place. Four more medal candidates to go.
Loena Hendrickx also skates beautifully, but not flawlessly, freestyle: “Still so beautiful to look at”
Just to be clear: the golden bar is currently 214.91, in the name of Amber Glenn.
Hendrickx just below Pinzarrone
Loena Hendrickx shrugs when she sees her score. Her single flip, which should have been a triple, is included in her score. With 128.72 for her free freestyle, she ends up just behind Nina Pinzarrone in the provisional rankings. The Belgians are provisionally 7th and 8th, but the top 6 are still in action.
Loena Hendrickx steps off the ice with a broad smile. She’ll just be bummed about that one missed jump. But after all the physical suffering, this will still feel like a personal victory.
Loena excels in the artistic realm.
Katrien Pauwels
One jump from Loena Hendrickx does not work out. A mistake in her series of jumps, but Hendrickx perseveres.
The triple lutz and the triple toe loop work excellently. What a start from Loena Hendrickx.
There’s Loena Hendrickx
Will Loena Hendrickx do even better than her 7th place? She now starts her free freestyle.
The American Isabeau Levito fell and that also translated into her score in the free freestyle. She ends up in 6th place, just ahead of Nina Pinzarrone.
Pinzarrone: “Happy to achieve such a performance, with all the pressure that comes with it”
Watch Nina Pinzarrone’s freestyle
The provisional top 5
|
Land |
Surname |
First name |
Korte Cure |
Vrije Kür |
Total |
|
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
United States |
GLENN |
Amber |
67.39 (13) |
147.52 (1) |
214.91 |
|
2 |
Kazakhstan |
DIY model |
Sofia |
68.47 (12) |
138.99 (3) |
207.46 |
|
3 |
South Korea |
SHIN |
Jia |
65.66 (14) |
141.02 (2) |
206.68 |
|
4 |
Belgium |
PINZARRONE |
Nina |
68.97 (11) |
131.33 (5) |
200.30 |
|
5 |
Italy |
GUTMANN |
Lara Nack |
61.56 (18) |
134.19 (4) |
195.75 |
Pinzarrone provisionally 4th
Nina Pinzarrone sets her best score of the season (131.33), but still looks a bit disappointed. With a total score of 200.30 she is currently 4th. So 3 competitors have already surpassed her. And ten more figure skaters are coming up.
She has to take a breather on the ice, but Nina Pinzarrone has performed an excellent exercise. What score will she be rewarded with?
There is occasionally a little inaccuracy in her jumps, but for now Pinzarrone is doing a very strong exercise. The judges will love to see her pirouettes.
Her triple lutz and triple toe loop are flawless. An excellent start for our 19-year-old compatriot.
There is Pinzarrone
Nina Pinzarrone starts her free freestyle.
Kazakh Sofia Samodelkina opens the Belgian group. Then it is Nina Pinzarrone’s turn. For the time being, the top score (214.19) is in the name of the American Amber Glenn, who skated a very strong freestyle (147.52). Who will push her off the throne?
There is also Loena Hendrickx. With great enthusiasm she leaves the catacombs and enters the ice. Hendrickx is the last of this group to take his turn and therefore has to wait a while after warming up.
It’s almost up to Nina Pinzarrone. Our compatriot comes onto the ice with a big smile for her short warm-up.
For me, the most important thing is that I can see her shine again, like she did on Tuesday. I hope she can perform a flawless freestyle today and that she can keep her place.
mother Loena Hendrickx
Mother of Loena Hendrickx: “The most important thing is that I see her shine again”
The first women are already on the ice for the free freestyle. They are divided into four groups of six skaters. Hendrickx (9:20 PM) and Pinzarrone (9:52 PM) are up in the third group.
She performed a very nice short freestyle. We are very proud. During the difficult year I tried to make it clear to her that there was time and that everything was possible.
mother Nina Pinzarrone
Mother of Nina Pinzarrone: “I’m very proud of her, because it was a difficult year”
I think the penultimate group is an ideal starting position. You’re safe there. I think the pressure is higher when you are in the best group.
analyst Katrien Pauwels
Belgian action from 9.20 pm
We have to look forward to the third (and penultimate) group, because then it is up to the Belgians. Nina Pinzarrone’s turn is at 9:20 PM, Loena Hendrickx at 9:52 PM.
Hendrickx is seventh after the short freestyle. That was also her end result at the previous Winter Olympics. Is she doing better? Then she will have to be almost flawless again.
For Pinzarrone it is her Olympic debut. She starts the free freestyle in eleventh place.
