In honor of the 2022 Winter Olympic Games, let’s take a look at some incredible achievements made in women’s figure skating we can’t stop thinking about!
The 2022 Bejing Olympic Games are almost over and so is women’s figure skating. The technical level is more competitive than ever, with various records being broken left and right. From gold medals to Guinness world records, to signature moves, let’s take a look at some of the most impressive Olympic figure skating moments of the past and present.
Mao Asada the Guinness World Record Holder
Anyone who knows figure skating knows the Axel jump and the level of hard work and talent it takes to achieve landing this skill. Currently, only four women have landed a triple Axel at the Olympic Games. Japan’s Mao Asada was one of them. During the 2010 Olympic Games, the former skater landed three triple Axel jumps during her short program and free skate performances. For that achievement, she received a Guinness World Record as the most triple Axel jumps landed by a female in a single competition.
Surya Bonaly’s Back Flip
Former French figure skater, Surya Bonaly was a three-time World silver-medalist and five-time European champion. She competed in three Olympic Games, where she placed in the top 10 each time. Bonaly is famously known as being the only Olympic figure skater to land a backflip with one blade. She landed this at her final Olympics in 1998, when the skill had been banned from competitions since 1976. Although Bonaly received deducted points for this skill, it was amazing to watch.
Kamila Valieva’s Quad Axel
15-year-old Russian, Kamila Valieva has recently become the 4th female to land a triple Axel jump at the Olympics. However, she has taken it a step further to become the first female to ever land a quad Axel jump in the Olympic games. Not once, but twice. Valieva is described as an “other-worldly” and a “once in a lifetime” talent and it is evident when watching her perform.
Dorothy Hamill Camel Spin
Dorothy Hamill is one of the most famous American Olympic figure skaters of all time. Her greatest successes go all the way back to the 70s, winning the 1976 Olympics and World Championship in ladies’ singles. In her routines, Hamill performs an alternate version of the traditional “camel spin” where she follows with a sit spin. The “Hamill Camel Spin” became her signature move that would carry her legacy onward for years to come.
Peggy Fleming’s Gold Medal
Last but not least, former American figure skater Peggy Fleming was a three-time World Champion and Olympic Champion in ladies’ singles. Most know her as the one with the iconic chartreuse dress created by her mother and now featured in the U.S Olympic and Paralympic Museum in Colorado. However, one of Fleming’s greatest achievements as a skater was being the only American to bring home a gold medal at the 1968 Olympics in Grenoble, France. With this accomplishment, Fleming became a household name.
We can’t wait to see what historic moments are still to come in this amazing sport!
