Olympic Figure Skating 2014: Top Competitors to Watch After Day 1
One day of Olympic figure skating is in the books, but the action has only begun in Sochi.
The events started strong, with the host Russia living up to the hype on Friday. Tatiana Volosozhar and Maxim Trankov set the bar in the pairs' short program, leading the pack with a score of 83.79.
Evgeni Plushenko dazzled the home audience, putting on a rousing display in hopes of adding another Olympic medal to his collection. His performance would have stolen the show on most days, but Yuzuru Hanyu exited as Day 1's big winner.
.jpg?w=256 "Colts Jaguars Football")
The two-time Japanese national champion earned a nearly perfect score in the men's short program, setting up a tremendous competition for the rest of the Olympics.
These young skaters can all establish themselves as the world's best this month in Sochi.
Yuzuru Hanyu, Japan
On a day when Plushenko and three-time world champion Patrick Chan took the ice, the 19-year-old Hanyu finished in the top spot.
Representing Japan in the newly instituted team competition, Hanyu gave his country a head start with an eye-popping 97.98 score. He gracefully landed a quadruple toe loop with little difficulty, moving on to perform a triple Axel with ease.
En route to Sochi, he lost twice to Chan in 2013 Grand Prix series meets. According to a Reuters report (via NBCOlympics.com), Hanyu said the defeats helped prepare him to tackle the big stage: "'Confidence in carrying out my own performance has really grown within me. I'm very grateful to him,' he told Japanese national broadcaster NHK. 'If I hadn't had the experience of those two meets, I wouldn't be where I am today.'"
The bar is set high now that Hanyu has emerged as a legitimate threat to become Japan's first men's figure skater to win gold.
Kim Yuna, South Korea
Four years ago, Kim Yuna earned a record high score in Vancouver to give South Korea its first figure skating champion.
Now she enters her second stab at the Olympics with more experience underneath her skates. At the ripe old age of 23, she is looking to capture back-to-back gold medals. No woman has accomplished that feat since Katarina Witt in 1984 and 1988.
Mao Asada, who took home silver in 2010, still lurks as Kim's fiercest adversary, but "Queen Yuna" has dominated their rivalry. Gracie Gold and Ashley Wagner will strive to bring the United States a medal, but Gold remains untested, while Wagner stumbled at nationals.
After earning 228.56 points during her last Olympic title, all eyes should be on Kim's encore in Sochi.
Yulia Lipnitskaya, Russia
Hanyu and Kim represent lone stars for nations that don't figure to pose a serious threat in team play. As for Russia's Yulia Lipnitskaya, she is part of a loaded grouping that could allow her to win multiple medals.
A few weeks ago, she put herself on the map by upsetting Carolina Kostner to win the European figure skating championships in Budapest.
Now the 15-year-old enters the Olympics as a viable threat to win an Olympic medal, shaming non-Olympic athletes everywhere who did nothing meaningful at such a young age.
Russia is looking to regain its stranglehold over the sport, and Lipnitskaya leads a young batch of skaters who could dominate for years.
.jpg?w=480 "Colts Jaguars Football")
