USA figure skating team maintains solid lead after Madison Chock/Evan Bates free-dance masterclass
Canada’s Marjorie Lajoie and Zachary Lagha were the only new additions to the team lineups, stepping in for world silver medallists Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier who competed in the rhythm dance.
They scored 120.90 points, getting lower points for their one-foot turns as compared to the teams from the USA and Italy, to place third overall.
While Yoshida Utana and Morita Masaya placed last in the free segment, it was a strong performance for the young Japanese ice dance team. They received top levels for their lifts and twizzles and pumped their fists at the end of the skate as their teammates cheered for them from the Team Japan box.
This included Kagiyama Yuma, who won the men’s short segment earlier that evening, and became extra motivation for the ice dancers to deliver their best.
“Watching Yuma from rinkside, he was so calm from beginning to end and I could tell he was having a blast out there,” Morita said. “The crowd really got into it because of him and we tried to catch the wave as we went into our program.
“Since we arrived in Milan, the goal for all of us has been to win the gold medal. Obviously we won’t know how things will turn out, but that is why we are here – to bring home that gold.”
Even with fewer points from the ice dance segment, Japan remains in strong contention for a medal with wins in the short program segments of the three other disciplines and those skaters set to compete back-to-back in Sunday’s finale.
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