Two-time United States national champion Alysa Liu celebrated a third victory, at the 2021 Nebelhorn Trophy, in her debut international senior level season and completed her task of securing a third spot for her country, in the women’s discipline, at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
The 16-year-old Californian popped her opening axel attempt but completed the following triple Lutz, triple loop, and double axel-Euler-triple Salchow combination. Liu’s final three jumping sequences – a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination, a triple flip-double toe loop combination, and a triple flip – were not ideal but the figure skater completed what she needed to. Liu received a score of 136.54 points for the free skate performance and earned a total competition score of 207.40 points.
Sixth after the short program, Ekaterina Kurakova earned Poland, and likely herself, a spot at the 2022 Winter Olympics. The three-time Polish national champion finished second behind Liu at this month’s Lombardia Trophy and claimed silver in Oberstdorf as well. The 19-year-old began her free skate with a triple Lutz-Euler-triple flip combination and then another triple Lutz. She also completed a triple toe loop and a double axel in the first half of the routine. Kurakova avoided any under-rotations which have haunted her in the past and received only positive grades of execution; her final jumping sequences were a triple Salchow-double axel combination, a triple loop-double toe loop combination, and a triple loop. The Pole received a score of 132.54 points for her performance and earned a total competition score of 193.58 points.
Belarussian representative Viktoria Safonova was third after the short program and maintained the bronze medal position after the free skate event. The 18-year-old landed a triple Lutz-triple toe loop combination to start her performance and then landed two double axels and a triple flip. Later, the former trainee of Eteri Tutberidze landed a triple Lutz-Euler-triple Salchow combination, a triple loop, and a triple loop-double toe loop combination. Safonova received a score of 128.27 points for the performance and earned a total competition result of 190.29 points.
All in all, the United States earned a third spot at the Olympics while Poland, Belarus, Switzerland, Ukraine, and Australia earned one spot each.
Final results
- Alysa LIU (USA) – 207.40 – qualified for Olympics
- Ekaterina KURAKOVA (POL) – 193.58 – qualified for Olympics
- Viktoriia SAFONOVA (BLR) – 190.29 – qualified for Olympics
- Alexia PAGANINI (SUI) – 180.48 – qualified for Olympics
- Anastasiia SHABOTOVA (UKR) – 177.70 – qualified for Olympics
- Josefin TALJEGARD (SWE) – 166.05 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Kailani CRAINE (AUS) – 165.35 – qualified for Olympics
- Lara Naki GUTMANN (ITA) – 164.60
- Emilea ZINGAS (CYP) – 158.16
- Tzu-Han TING (TPE) – 157.21
- Oona OUNASVUORI (FIN) – 155.67 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Dasa GRM (SLO) – 148.79
- Taylor MORRIS (ISR) – 148.34
- Lea SERNA (FRA) – 146.52
- Jocelyn HONG (NZL) – 146.41
- Julia LANG (HUN) – 145.64
- Anete LACE (LAT) – 145.17
- Nicole RAJICOVA (SVK) – 143.00
- Sophia SCHALLER (AUT) – 138.75
- Julia SAUTER (ROU) – 136.49
- Joanna SO (HKG) – 135.78
- Eugenia GARZA (MEX) – 135.29
- Gerli LIINAMAE (EST) – 133.83 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Sofia Lexi Jacqueline FRANK (PHI) – 128.78
- Nathalie WEINZIERL (GER) – 127.99 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Antonina DUBININA (SRB) – 127.97
- Maia SORENSEN (DEN) – 127.32
- Aleksandra GOLOVKINA (LTU) – 125.33
- Yae-Mia NEIRA (CHI) – 122.34
- Tara PRASAD (IND) – 122.27
- Sinem PEKDER (TUR) – 122.12
- Aldis Kara BERGSDOTTIR (ISL) – 118.09
- Bagdana RAKHISHOVA (KAZ) – 104.18
- Romana KAISER (LIE) – 92.39
- Dimitra KORRI (GRE) – 91.89
- Thita LAMSAM (THA) – 90.13
WD – Isadora WILLIAMS (BRA) – 32nd after short program (38.52)
Ice dance, final results
- Juulia TURKKILA / Matthias VERSLUIS (FIN) – 181.19 – qualified for Olympics
- Katharina MUELLER / Tim DIECK (GER) – 173.74 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Maria KAZAKOVA / Georgy REVIYA (GEO) – 173.20 – qualified for Olympics
- Tina GARABEDIAN / Simon PROULX SENECAL (ARM) – 173.03 – qualified for Olympics
- Natalie TASCHLEROVA / Filip TASCHLER (CZE) – 172.98 – qualified for Olympics
- Anna YANOVSKAYA / Adam LUKACS (HUN) – 160.42
- Yura MIN / Daniel EATON (KOR) – 158.54
- Carolina PORTESI PERONI / Michael CHRASTECKY (ITA) – 157.74
- Holly HARRIS / Jason CHAN (AUS) – 157.21
- Shira ICHILOV / Laurent ABECASSIS (ISR) – 154.76
- Sasha FEAR / George WADDELL (GBR) – 154.24
- Charlotte LAFOND-FOURNIER / Richard Kang In KAM (NZL) – 146.18
- Lara LUFT / Maximilian PFISTERER (GER) – 144.21 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Yuliia ZHATA / Berk AKALIN (TUR) – 140.66
- Viktoriia LOPUSOVA / Asaf KAZIMOV (GER) – 132.00 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Anne-Marie WOLF / Max LIEBERS (GER) – 129.80 – not competing for Olympic qualification
- Ekaterina KUZNETSOVA / Oleksandr KOLOSOVSKYI (AZE) – 123.97
- Maria Sofia PUCHEROVA / Nikita LYSAK (SVK) – 120.51
- Chelsea VERHAEGH / Sherim van GEFFEN (NED) – 118.68
- Ekaterina MITROFANOVA / Vladislav KASINSKIJ (BIH) – 113.98
The Skating Times 