MONTREAL – Isabeau Levito, the 2023 U.S. champion, was deservedly thrilled by ending second with a close to flawless efficiency. Her compatriot, new U.S. champion Amber Glenn, was shocked by an error that left her ninth.
Belgium’s Leona Hendrickx was teary regardless of a dominant skate. And two-time defending world champion Kaori Sakamoto of Japan burst right into a bemusedly goofy smile after two errors left her fourth, a whisker behind second.
Such had been the highs and lows of the world championships girls’s brief program Wednesday night time on the Bell Centre.
Hendrickx had 76.98 factors to 73.73 for Levito, 73.55 for Lee Hae-In of South Korea and 73.29 for Sakamoto. Glenn had 64.53 after falling on her final of 4 jumps, a triple loop.
FIGURE SKATING WORLDS: Outcomes | Broadcast Schedule
The free skate is Friday night time.
“If I discovered something at nationals, it was that something might occur,” Glenn stated, referring to a victory that was extra a comedy of errors by her and Levito, who completed third at January’s U.S. Championships. “I’ve type of discovered to not simply throw within the towel. It’s simply which you can get so down on your self and so dissatisfied when you’ve gotten been coaching so nice, and then you definately go on the market and fumble on one thing you by no means miss.”
Coming off her unraveling within the nationals free skate, Levito was so excited after her sturdy worlds brief program she pounded the air repeatedly and smiled for a lot of the subsequent 5 minutes.
“I’m nonetheless smiling now,” Levito stated on the press convention almost an hour after she completed. “I’m simply actually blissful that I simply took how I skated at nationals, didn’t let (it) carry me down and simply centered on getting higher. And I really feel like I obtained quite a bit higher now.”
Hendrickx, a world silver and bronze medalist the final two years, was provoked close to tears by having carried out so whereas coping with a nagging hip harm.
“That was one of many massive issues,” she stated. “Additionally, it’s not straightforward to compete a full season. On the finish of the season, your physique is to drained, and mentally you’re simply as drained.”
Hendrickx’s brief program is excessive vitality and stuffed with actions that border on the lubricious. She’s going to go from a strong soar to flirting with the judges.
All of it match collectively Wednesday, when she appeared extra a world beater than an athlete overwhelmed down by harm and fatigue.
Philip Hersh, who has lined determine skating on the final 12 Winter Olympics, is a particular contributor to NBCSports.com/figure-skating.
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