Latvian figure skater Denis Vasilyev qualified for the free program of the figure skating competition at the Olympic Games in Milan on Tuesday, while debutant Fedor Kulis's participation in the tournament ended after the short program, reports LETA.
Vasilyev's performance in the short program was scored at 82.44 points, securing him 17th place among 29 participants. 24 skaters with the highest scores advanced to the free program, which will take place on Friday.
Vasilyev expressed satisfaction with his performance:
“Considering all the pressure and how we got here, I feel very confident and grateful to my body, emotions, and skills. Honestly, I’m very pleased with what I executed.”
The figure skater noted that despite the positive emotions, he is not completely satisfied with the number of points received for the short program.
“I can’t say too much right now — only that I liked what I did. I’m very grateful to be participating in my third Olympic Games. Having come this far, I hope that through my skating and what I have shown over the years, I have inspired the youth to get on the ice and find positive emotions in it,” the athlete added.
He explained that at the moment he is performing quadruple jumps with great caution and is currently striving primarily for confident and stable performances.
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eQ3eX1YME1s?si=enkur_BR2ClfggHd" title="YouTube video player" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>“I got injured because I was doing too much, and considering all the challenges of this season, I can only thank the Latvian Olympic team for their support. I want more quadruple jumps and aim to transfer them from training to programs, but I also want to skate as accurately and enjoyably as possible. I want to get on the ice and be grateful to everyone who has supported me and convey positive emotions,” Vasilyev said.
Kulis attempted to perform a quadruple jump early in his program but landed unsuccessfully, which did not allow him to score high. In his Olympic debut, he scored 66.86 points and finished in 28th place, second to last.
The highest score of 108.16 points was received by the favorite Ilia Malinin from the USA. Second place went to Japanese skater Yuma Kagiyama with 103.07 points, while French skater Adam Siao Him Fa came in third with 102.55 points.
The closest skater to Vasilyev's score, Estonian Alexander Selevko, received 0.42 points less and finished in 18th place.
Vasilyev is competing in his third Olympic Games. In the previous ones, he placed 19th and 13th.
The Olympic Games in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo will last until February 22.
