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Totmianina, Marinin clinch figure skating gold
(Reuters)
Updated: 2006-02-14 09:16
TURIN (Reuters) - Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin struck gold to capture
Russia's 12th successive Winter Olympics pairs title on Monday with a
breathtaking display of acrobatic jumps and synchronized spins.
Gold medal winners
Tatiana Totmianina and Maxim Marinin from Russia, silver medal winners
Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao from China (L) and bronze medal winners Shen Xue
and Zhao Hongbo from China (R) pose on the podium after the figure skating
Pairs Free Skating at the Torino 2006 Winter Olympic Games in Turin,
Italy, February 13, 2006. [Reuters] |
The
Russians dramatically pipped their main rivals China's Zhang Hao and Zhang Dan
-- who crashed heavily after an attempted throw quadruple Salchow went wrong --
with a personal best combined total of 204.48.
Four years after the event sparked one of the biggest judging scandals in
Winter Games history, Totmianina and Marinin became the first competitors to win
Olympic gold under the new scoring system introduced as a result.
China's Shen Xue and Zhao Hongbo settled for their second successive Olympic
bronze with a score of 186.91.
"It was the best performance of our whole lives," a tearful Totmianina told
reporters after she completed her collection of five European titles and two
world crowns with the Games triumph.
"It was perfect skating to end a perfect career. I can't explain the emotions
I feel right now."
Marinin added: "It was a great performance. We could feel it."
Zhang and Zhang had been expected to challenge the Russians for the gold but
their routine went horribly wrong 38 seconds into their performance.
The last competitors to take center stage, Zhang Dan crashed into the side
barrier and was left sprawled on the ice after she fell on their opening jump
and for a while it seemed the Chinese couple's medal bid had come to an abrupt
end.
STANDING OVATION
Zhang Hao helped his dazed partner to her feet before guiding her slowly to
the barrier and after consulting their coach, Zhang Dan, bravely returned to the
ice more than five minutes later to finish their program.
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