Since coming home from Sochi, Olympic figure skaters have kept pretty busy. Take a look at what the international stars have been up to.
Women
Adelina Sotnikova said she “grew up” since winning a controversial gold at home, becoming the first Russian Olympic women’s figure skating champion. She’s entered in two Grand Prix season events this fall. (notable Grand Prix assignments here)
The Korea Skating Union’s complaints about judging bias – filed on behalf of silver medalist Yuna Kim – were rejected by the International Skating Union.
Kim, remembered also for her Vancouver gold, retired. She recently attended a coaching workshop, and South Korean media reported she also applied to graduate school.
Italian bronze medalist Carolina Kostner will sit out the upcoming season but hasn’t retired.
Yulia Lipnitskaya, who helped Russia to gold in the Sochi team event, received a letter from director Steven Spielberg that read, “I am writing to tell you how moved I was by your gold medal performance as the little girl in red and accompanied by John Williams’ music from my film Schindler’s List… You are the best discovery of the Sochi Olympics and we will be watching you in PyeongChang in 2018.”
Mao Asada bounced back from her sixth-place showing in Sochi to win the World Championship in Saitama, Japan, in March. She will sit out the upcoming season, but like Kostner, hasn’t retired yet.
Six months since Sochi: U.S. figure skaters
Men
Japan’s first men’s gold medalist, Yuzuru Hanyu, also captured World Championship gold at home. He’s slated to compete this season.
Two-time Sochi silver medalist Patrick Chan of Canada skipped the World Championships and will sit out the Grand Prix season, but he’s on the Canadian National Team.
Denis Ten, Kazakhstan’s bronze medalist, is entered in two Grand Prix events, including Skate America.
Yevgeny Plushenko, who infamously withdrew moments before he was scheduled to perform in the Sochi singles competition, has since retired, unretired, had back surgery and said he hasn’t ruled out competing at the 2018 Olympics.
Pairs
Tatyana Volosozhar and Maksim Trankov will compete this season after winning double gold in Sochi.
Rival German pair and bronze medalists Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy split with Szolkowy’s retirement. Savchenko partnered with France’s Bruno Massot, but the pair is still deciding which country they will represent internationally.
Ice Dance
Sochi silver medalists Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir are, like Chan, on the Canadian National Team yet not entered in Grand Prix season events. It’s unknown if or when they will perform again.
Elena Ilinykh and Nikita Katsalapov, who won ice dance bronze and team gold, split in April. Ilinykh since partnered with Ruslan Zhiganshin, and Katsalapov will skate with Zhiganshin’s former partner, Viktoria Sinitsina.
Yuna Kim: ‘The classification I received was what I deserved’
