Meier lands gold to bow out on a high
Source: Agencies |
January 31, 2011, Monday
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SARAH Meier's career came to a perfect end winning gold at the European Championships in Bern, Switzerland, on Saturday. Florent Amodio's is just beginning.
Meier turned her last performance before retiring into a victory lap as the 26-year-old Swiss earned her first major title in front of adoring home fans.
A few hours later, the crowd rose again to acclaim Amodio, a 20-year-old French skater whose showman turn as an arrogant, strutting disco dancer won the men's European title at his first attempt. He had placed 12th at the Vancouver Olympics.
Born in Brazil but adopted as a toddler by a French couple, Amodio sang his anthem with gusto and right hand over his heart before jumping up and down on the top step of the podium with both arms in the air.
Amodio brought a teenager's verve on to the rink, showing no tension while defending his lead from Thursday's short program.
He concluded his routine, which did not include a quadruple jump, with moves to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."
"It's a dream that has become reality," said Amodio, who thanked the audience for its support. "Sometimes I couldn't hear the music because they were so loud."
The individual events provided an emotional end to an otherwise low-key week in which Russia was shut out of the gold medals - one year after going 3-for-4.
Meier's victory was reward for returning after a disappointing Olympic season, and yet more injuries, for a final farewell at home.
Sitting third after Friday's short program, Meier was the last to skate. She dealt calmly with rising tension in the arena, as expectations of a Swiss victory grew when each of her main rivals fell.
Meier skated error-free to score a total of 170.60 points, edging defending champion Carolina Kostner of Italy by just over two points. Kiira Korpi of Finland took bronze on 166.40.
"It was so hard for me because it was so emotional," said Meier, who buried her face in her hands on completing her career-defining routine. "Before the free skate I was no nervous. I tried to concentrate and now all the emotions come out."
After landing her opening combination of jumps, triple lutz-double toeloop-double loop, Meier never faltered in an expressive routine set to music from the film "Love in the Time of Cholera."
Meier turned her last performance before retiring into a victory lap as the 26-year-old Swiss earned her first major title in front of adoring home fans.
A few hours later, the crowd rose again to acclaim Amodio, a 20-year-old French skater whose showman turn as an arrogant, strutting disco dancer won the men's European title at his first attempt. He had placed 12th at the Vancouver Olympics.
Born in Brazil but adopted as a toddler by a French couple, Amodio sang his anthem with gusto and right hand over his heart before jumping up and down on the top step of the podium with both arms in the air.
Amodio brought a teenager's verve on to the rink, showing no tension while defending his lead from Thursday's short program.
He concluded his routine, which did not include a quadruple jump, with moves to Michael Jackson's "Don't Stop 'Til You Get Enough."
"It's a dream that has become reality," said Amodio, who thanked the audience for its support. "Sometimes I couldn't hear the music because they were so loud."
The individual events provided an emotional end to an otherwise low-key week in which Russia was shut out of the gold medals - one year after going 3-for-4.
Meier's victory was reward for returning after a disappointing Olympic season, and yet more injuries, for a final farewell at home.
Sitting third after Friday's short program, Meier was the last to skate. She dealt calmly with rising tension in the arena, as expectations of a Swiss victory grew when each of her main rivals fell.
Meier skated error-free to score a total of 170.60 points, edging defending champion Carolina Kostner of Italy by just over two points. Kiira Korpi of Finland took bronze on 166.40.
"It was so hard for me because it was so emotional," said Meier, who buried her face in her hands on completing her career-defining routine. "Before the free skate I was no nervous. I tried to concentrate and now all the emotions come out."
After landing her opening combination of jumps, triple lutz-double toeloop-double loop, Meier never faltered in an expressive routine set to music from the film "Love in the Time of Cholera."
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