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I always enjoy the World Figure Skating Championships just following the Olympics because the Olympic champions typically drop out and there tends to be a surprise winner in Olympic years. In 2006, American Kimmie Meissner came from a 6th place finish in Torino and won Worlds. This year, Worlds was back in Torino following the Vancouver games, unusually with all of the top ladies from the Olympics except Joannie Rochette contending for gold. I expected Yu-Na Kim to be done with amateur competitions, but she and Mao Asada were back, and the event again managed to be full of surprises.
In the short program, Mao Asada skated a beautiful program, but she didn't earn full credit on her triple axel, putting her in second place after Mirai Nagasu, who was inspiring, with a triple lutz-triple toe. Nagasu had so much more maturity on the ice than I've seen in her - real grace, style and attack. Her layback in itself was a sight to behold.
The big news - Yu-Na Kim shockingly had three uncharacteristic errors in the short, standing in 7th place going into the Free Skate. Another surprise - Miki Ando was in 11th after the Short Program. She was a favorite to be on the Olympic podium who did not skate her best in Vancouver. Then Rachel Flatt didn't go for her triple-triple (instead did a triple-double), ending up in 6th after the short. In a nutshell, no one was at their best in the short except Nagasu.
Laura Lepisto of Finland was in third after the short, a strong jumper with clean lines and beautiful posture on the ice. Carolina Kostner, the Italian favorite, in fifth. I must say the judges in both events were strict on marking spins, jumps and other details, but I never could've predicted the results at that point. A new Russian skater on the scene, Ksenia Makarova, skated very well in the Short Program moving into 5th.
Of course everyone was speculating about Kim going into the Free Skate - whether she could still win. She came out and skated flawlessly the first two minutes, recreating the aura of perfection but then fell on a triple salchow. Lucky for her it was a lower scoring move. But then, oddly at the very end of the program, she popped a double axel into a waltz jump. It was as if she just wasn't completely present in Torino. She looked tired, but she still scored a total of 190.79.
Canadian Cynthia Phaneuf skated well, placing 5th and reserving two spots for Canadian ladies for next year's Worlds. Carolina Kostner skated a beautiful free program with the exception of a step out on her triple loop. Unfortunately her scores weren't enough to get her to the podium. She finished in 6th.
Mao Asada brought her A game to the Free Skate event, landing two powerful triple axels and sailing through with energy, determination and intensity. She earned 197.58 total, pulling ahead of Kim. But at that point, the Americans were still to skate.
Rachel Flatt, the only woman to beat Kim this season in the Free Skate, took the ice looking focused, but she must've had something going on because she wobbled on her triple flip, doubling her triple-triple combination and popping her triple lutz toward the end. Still, she had an exciting skate and her smile always lights up the arena.
Laura Lepisto performed a light, flowing and clean program. She doubled one triple-double combination, but otherwise her skating was pure and she held up well throughout. She held onto third place.
Once Mirai Nagasu took the ice in the Free Skate, she clearly looked nervous, and she slipped on her triple lutz landing, unable to turn it into a combination. After that, she looked good until her next triple lutz, two-footing and stepping out of the landing, and she fell on a double axel. Most likely the pressure of being in first place going into the final event was too much for her. She moved down to 7th.
Ksenia Makarova performed a nice free program until the end when she fell on a triple salchow. Her skating style reminds me of Maria Butyrskaya, former World Champion from Russia. Coached by Viktor Petrenko, Olympic gold medalist, she finished 8th.
So after an event full of mistakes, Mao Asada, who most think should have been allowed to compete in Torino in 2006 where she likely would have won, finally stood atop the podium there at the 2010 World Championships,
