"I saw him land his backflip at nationals last month, and twice in his first two Olympic skates this weekend. What strikes me every time is the effect it has on the crowd (see Snoop Dogg, for example). The collective roar shakes the room I could feel it in the seats on Sunday and seems to zap right back into Malinin's veins for the rest of his skate."
"Yesterday I briefly ventured out of the figure skating arena to the long-track speedskating rink (a totally different venue) to watch the women's 1000-meter race, eager to get a glimpse of Team USA stars Brittney Bowe and Erin Jackson in action. I did! It was thrilling to see their arms and legs move so fast that they almost seemed to be gliding slowly."
Ilia Malinin landed backflips at nationals and in his first two Olympic skates, producing a powerful crowd reaction that visibly energized his subsequent skating. The arena's collective roar physically shook the room and appeared to feed directly into Malinin's performance. Backflips were illegal in competition from the late 1970s until 2024, making their Olympic appearance notable. At the long-track speedskating venue, the women's 1000-meter featured Team USA skaters Brittney Bowe and Erin Jackson, while Dutch skater Jutta Leerdam won gold and set a new Olympic record. The Milano Speed Skating Stadium requires a lengthy walk from the metro, with long airport-style moving walkways lining the route.
Read at www.npr.org
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]