Six-minute warm-ups tend to be a figure skater’s best friend, but on rare occasions they can become their worst enemy.
Two of the best ice dance teams in the world – Americans madison hubbell and Zachary Donohue and the Russians Viktoria Sinitsina and Nikita Katsalapov — were able to narrowly avoid disaster on Friday morning at the 2022 Winter Olympics.
Skaters are separated into competing groups – usually of five or six individuals/pairs – and each skater in that group warms up together on the ice just before the first individual/team in the group competes.
The six-minute warm-ups give skaters the chance to practice jumps, lifts or other elements near their competition time, but it’s impossible to know which direction each athlete is about to take. Sometimes accidents happen.
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SEE MORE : USA’s Hubbell/Donohue Score Best Rhythm Dance in Team Event
from Japan Yuzuru Hanyu – now a two-time Olympic gold medalist – had a collision with China Yan Han in a 2014 Grand Prix event that left him bleeding and with a bandage wrapped around his head during his free skate. Hanyu suffered bruises to his head, chin and thigh, sprained his ankle and received stitches in his chin.
American Mariah Bell and training partner Eunso Lim of Korea had an encounter at the 2019 World Figure Skating Championships that left Lim with a calf cut and caused an international incident.
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During the Olympic team event this week, Donohue appeared to get his hands on Sinitsina’s back as the two teams – who finished the rhythm dance first (US) and second (ROC) – approached the course on the other, with Hubbell/Donohue skating forward and Sinitsina unable to see as she skated backwards with her partner Katsalapov facing the Americans.
SEE MORE : ROC’s Sinitsina/Katsalapov second in team rhythm dance
2006 Olympic ice dance silver medalist and NBC commentator White Tanit said she “just got a chill” from the look on Katsalapov’s face after the near-collision.
“It also felt like a fruity tongue twist in English from Nikita,” the two-time Olympian said. Johnny Weier added during slow replay.
“Obviously worried about his partner there, but it’s really nobody’s fault, everyone is trying to get those elements in, vent those nerves and it’s hard to predict where each team is heading,” said White said. “But it can shake you up in the warm-up, so we’re glad everyone is okay first and foremost.”
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“It happens,” said Terry Gannon.
“It does, it absolutely does,” White said.
“But you can never show fear in an ice dance warm-up, it’s all about dominance,” Weir concluded.
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