Javier Fernandez overtakes Yuzuru Hanyu for repeat World title

By Nick ZaccardiApr 1, 2016, 11:59 PM EDT

How did Spain’s Javier Fernandez repeat as World champion?

He only put down the best program of his career to erase the largest Olympic or Worlds lead ever and overtake the greatest skater of all time in Boston on Friday night. And he did it after being unable to skate the day before due to a heel injury.

Fernandez landed three quadruple jumps over a clean free skate, 13 minutes after training partner, Olympic champion and world-record holder Yuzuru Hanyu finished a shockingly error-filled performance.

Fernandez scored 216.41 points in the free skate, the second-highest since this system was implemented in 2005 behind Hanyu’s record 219.48 at the Grand Prix Final in December. Fernandez’s overall total: 314.93.

“I knew to have a chance to beat Yuzu, I need to do the best program of my life,” Fernandez said.

Hanyu was well off his best, scoring 184.61 in the free skate after flawed jump landings that included putting his hands down, turning out and even falling. His total: 295.17.

“I want to do it over,” Hanyu said after falling to silver behind Fernandez at Worlds for a second straight year.

And with that, Fernandez easily overcame a 12.04-point deficit after Wednesday’s short program. Hanyu’s lead going into the free skate was the largest-ever for any man, woman, pair or ice dance couple at an Olympics or Worlds under the 12-year-old system.

Jin Boyang took bronze, China’s first men’s medal at an Olympics or Worlds, after being in fifth place after the short program. The quadruple-jump prince is 18 years old and made his Worlds debut.

Three-time World champion Patrick Chan of Canada fell into the TD Garden boards and from third to fifth.

The U.S. trio of Adam Rippon, Max Aaron and Grant Hochstein all recorded personal-best free skates in international competition, finishing sixth, eighth and 10th, respectively, to thunderous standing ovations.

“I’ve never been to an Olympic Games, but if this is anything like the Olympic Games, I can’t tell you how much fun I would have out there if I can make it,” Aaron said.

It’s the first time three U.S. men finished in the top 10 at Worlds since 2005, but it wasn’t enough to keep the U.S. at three men’s spots for 2017 Worlds. The top two U.S. men’s finishes needed to add up to 13 or fewer to keep three spots. Rippon and Aaron added up to 14.

Back to the champion.

Last year, Fernandez said he believed Spain had nine ice rinks, not including the Madrid sheet on which he learned to skate, which became the site of a restaurant.

Now, Fernandez is a two-time World champion and four-time European champion. His first World crown last year knocked soccer off the Spanish sports newspaper Marca front page. He has become a hope for a nation with two Winter Olympic medals, both in Alpine skiing and the last in 1992.

“It’s out of your mind,” said Fernandez, who finished an agonizing fourth at the Sochi Olympics and felt like he let Spain down.

The World Championships conclude Saturday with coverage of the pairs and women’s free skates on NBCSN, NBC and NBC Sports Live Extra beginning at 2 p.m. ET. A full broadcast schedule is here.

MORE: Kimmie Meissner ready for U.S. to end women’s medal drought

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At the French Open, a Ukrainian mom makes her comeback

By OlympicTalkMay 31, 2023, 5:15 PM EDT

Ukraine’s Elina Svitolina, once the world’s third-ranked tennis player, is into the French Open third round in her first major tournament since childbirth.

Svitolina, 28, swept 2022 French Open semifinalist Martina Trevisan of Italy, then beat Australian qualifier Storm Hunter 2-6, 6-3, 6-1 to reach the last 32 at Roland Garros. She next plays 56th-ranked Russian Anna Blinkova, who took out the top French player, fifth seed Caroline Garcia, 4-6, 6-3, 7-5 on her ninth match point.

Svitolina’s husband, French player Gael Monfils, finished his first-round five-set win after midnight on Tuesday night/Wednesday morning. She watched that match on a computer before going to sleep ahead of her 11 a.m. start Wednesday.

“This morning, he told me, ‘I’m coming to your match, so make it worth it,'” she joked on Tennis Channel. “I was like, OK, no pressure.

“I don’t know what he’s doing here now. He should be resting.”

Also Wednesday, 108th-ranked Australian Thanasi Kokkinakis ousted three-time major champion Stan Wawrinka of Switzerland 3-6, 7-5, 6-3, 6-7 (4), 6-3 in four and a half hours. Wawrinka’s exit leaves Novak Djokovic as the lone man in the draw who has won the French Open and Djokovic and Carlos Alcaraz as the lone men left who have won any major.

The top seed Alcaraz beat 112th-ranked Taro Daniel of Japan 6-1, 3-6, 6-1, 6-2. The Spaniard gets 26th seed Denis Shapovalov of Canada in the third round. Djokovic, the No. 3 seed, swept 83rd-ranked Hungarian Marton Fucsovics 7-6 (2), 6-0, 6-3 to reach a third-round date with 29th seed Alejandro Davidovich Fokina of Spain.

FRENCH OPEN DRAWS: Women | Men | Broadcast Schedule

Svitolina made at least one major quarterfinal every year from 2017 through 2021, including the semifinals at Wimbledon and the U.S. Open in 2019. She married Monfils one week before the Tokyo Olympics, then won a singles bronze medal.

Svitolina played her last match before maternity leave on March 24, 2022, one month after Russia invaded her country. She gave birth to daughter Skai on Oct. 15.

Svitolina returned to competition in April. Last week, she won the tournament preceding the French Open, sweeping Blinkova to improve to 17-3 in her career in finals. She’s playing on a protected ranking of 27th after her year absence and, now, on a seven-match win streak.

“It was always in my head the plan to come back, but I didn’t put any pressure on myself, because obviously with the war going on, with the pregnancy, you never know how complicated it will go,” she said. “I’m as strong as I was before, maybe even stronger, because I feel that I can handle the work that I do off the court, and match by match I’m getting better. Also mentally, because mental can influence your physicality, as well.”

Svitolina said she’s motivated by goals to attain before she retires from the sport and to help Ukraine, such as donating her prize money from last week’s title in Strasbourg.

“These moments bring joy to people of Ukraine, to the kids as well, the kids who loved to play tennis before the war, and now maybe they don’t have the opportunity,” she said. “But these moments that can motivate them to look on the bright side and see these good moments and enjoy themselves as much as they can in this horrible situation.”

Svitolina was born in Odesa and has lived in Kharkiv, two cities that have been attacked by Russia.

“I talk a lot with my friends, with my family back in Ukraine, and it’s a horrible thing, but they are used to it now,” she said. “They are used to the alarms that are on. As soon as they hear something, they go to the bomb shelters. Sleepless nights. You know, it’s a terrible thing, but they tell me that now it’s a part of their life, which is very, very sad.”

Svitolina noted that she plays with a flag next to her name — unlike the Russians and Belarusians, who are allowed to play as neutral athletes.

“When I step on the court, I just try to think about the fighting spirit that all of us Ukrainians have and how Ukrainians are fighting for their values, for their freedom in Ukraine,” she said, “and me, I’m fighting here on my own front line.”

Svitolina said that she’s noticed “a lot of rubbish” concerning how tennis is reacting to the war.

“We have to focus on what the main point of what is going on,” she said. “Ukrainian people need help and need support. We are focusing on so many things like empty words, empty things that are not helping the situation, not helping anything.

“I want to invite everyone to focus on helping Ukrainians. That’s the main point of this, to help kids, to help women who lost their husbands because they are at the war, and they are fighting for Ukraine.

“You can donate. Couple of dollars might help and save lives. Or donate your time to something to help people.”

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2023 French Open women’s singles draw, scores

By OlympicTalkMay 31, 2023, 5:10 PM EDT

At the French Open, Iga Swiatek of Poland eyes a third title at Roland Garros and a fourth Grand Slam singles crown overall.

The tournament airs live on NBC Sports, Peacock and Tennis Channel through championship points in Paris.

Swiatek, the No. 1 seed from Poland, can join Serena Williams and Justine Henin as the lone women to win three or more French Opens since 2000.

Turning 22 during the tournament, she can become the youngest woman to win three French Opens since Monica Seles in 1992 and the youngest woman to win four Slams overall since Williams in 2002.

FRENCH OPEN: Broadcast Schedule | Men’s Draw

But Swiatek is not as dominant as in 2022, when she went 16-0 in the spring clay season during an overall 37-match win streak.

She retired from her last pre-French Open match with a right thigh injury and said it wasn’t serious. Before that, she lost the final of another clay-court tournament to Australian Open champion Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus.

Sabalenka, the No. 2 seed, and Elena Rybakina of Kazakhstan, the No. 4 seed and Wimbledon champion, are the top challengers in Paris.

No. 3 Jessica Pegula and No. 6 Coco Gauff, runner-up to Swiatek last year, are the best hopes to become the first American to win a Grand Slam singles title since Sofia Kenin at the 2020 Australian Open. The 11-major drought is the longest for U.S. women since Seles won the 1996 Australian Open.

MORE: All you need to know for 2023 French Open

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2023 French Open Women’s Singles Draw

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