Russian figure skater Pyotr Gumennik produced one of the most powerful performances in men's single skating at the Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, performing five quadruple jumps cleanly. In the final protocol, the Russian finished sixth, but his free program caused a strong reaction from the fans.
The representative of Kazakhstan, Mikhail Shaydorov, sensationally became the Olympic champion, and the main favorite of the tournament, Ilya Malinin, finished the competition only in eighth position, writes xrust.
Expectations were restrained
Before the start of the Olympics, there was no excitement around Gumennik. The situation with the emergency replacement of the musical accompaniment in the short program forced the team to make adjustments literally in the last days. In such conditions, it was difficult to count on ideal form. After the short program, the Russian scored a little over 86 points and took intermediate 12th place.
For a wide audience it looked like a failure, but experts noted: the main bet was placed on the free program. It is there that Peter traditionally reveals his maximum technical potential. Exiting in the penultimate warm-up gave an additional chance to be noticed by the judges and the public.
Five quads as a medal bid
The content of Gumennik’s free program was one of the most difficult at the tournament. The entry includes five quadruple jumps: a flip, a Lutz, a loop and two Salchows. In terms of complexity, only the American Ilya Malinin had a comparable set.
During training in Milan, the Russian looked confident. The last test test, practically without errors, confirmed the readiness for the “five-quad”. The team wisely distributed the load, avoiding unnecessary risks before the main start of the four-year anniversary.
On the day of the competition, Gumennik opened his warm-up. The quadruple flip is clean, the lutz is flawless, the loop is stable. The cascades and triple axel are performed without any gross blots. The show turned out to be solid and emotionally balanced. The final amount is 271.21 points based on the sum of the two programs.
Judging factor
Despite the high technical level, the Russian’s components again turned out to be modest. In the short program, presentation scores were significantly below expectations. In the free program, the technical team noted under-rotation and lowered the level of one rotation.
For his free skate, Gumennik received 184.49 points. According to a number of Russian experts, with comparable quality of skating within the country, the ratings could be higher. However, on the international stage, much depends on the athlete’s status and previous titles.
Rivals and unexpected results
Canadian Steven Gogolev and Japanese Shun Sato, who performed three quadruples each, beat Russian in the protocol. Korean Cha Jung Hwan also ended up higher, despite the fall.
The first of the real competitors to beat Gumennik in the case was Mikhail Shaidorov. The Kazakhstani skater, who trains in Sochi with 1994 Olympic champion Alexei Urmanov, performed five quadruples and showed an almost error-free skate. His result approached the 200 point mark for the free program and brought Olympic gold.
The favorites faltered
Italian Daniel Grassl and Frenchman Adam Xiao Him Fa could not withstand the pressure and rolled back lower than expected. Japanese Yuma Kagiyama, who was considered a contender for victory, made a number of mistakes, but thanks to the components he took second place.
The main sensation occurred in the final release. Ilya Malinin, to whom most experts had given the gold in advance, suffered a series of failures. Of the seven quadruples announced, only three turned out clean. As a result, the American finished the Olympics in eighth place.
Result for Russia
The sixth place of Pyotr Gumennik was not formally a medal, but in terms of the quality of the free program, the Russian confirmed his status as one of the most technically strong figure skaters of the world. Five clean quads at the Olympics is a serious bid for future victories.
A separate reason for pride is the success of the coaching school. Alexey Urmanov, the first Olympic champion of modern Russia in men's single skating, led his student to gold. Thus, the Russian training methodology has again proven its effectiveness at the main start of the four-year period.
The Milan Olympics showed: men's single skating has entered an era of highly complex technical content. And in this race, Petr Gumennik remains one of the key players capable of fighting for prizes at major international tournaments.
Xrust Russian figure skater morally beat his opponents: Gumennik’s triumph at the Olympics in Milan
