Finlandia Trophy 2024: Yoshida Hana shows character to secure women's singles triumph
The Japanese skater made a bold attempt at a triple Axel as she put it all on the ice to overtake teammate Matsuike Rino and Italy's Lara Naki Gutmann. The effort earned her a place in December's Grand Prix Final.
Figure Skating
The narrowest of margins separated the women's singles medallists at the 2024 Finlandia Trophy with Yoshida Hana managing to seal the win – and a place in December's Final – after a gutsy free skate on Saturday (16 November).
The leader after the short program, Yoshida went on the ice last and knew she needed to show something special to keep Japanese teammate Matsuike Rino and Italy's Lara Naki Gutmann at bay. Her challangers had just put down two solid skates to narrow her lead, so Yoshida made the bold decision to start her skate with a risky triple Axel.
While that decision did not pay off on the scoreboard as Yoshida fell on the attempt, it seemed to fire her up for the rest of the figure skating program, which she delivered with panache, scoring 131.59 points to bump her total to 199.46. It was enough to overtake Matsuike by 0.26 points.
"I'm so happy about winning the gold medal but I know I can do more so I want to show much better programs in the (Grand Prix) Final," Yoshida said afterwards in her very good English, which she learned at international school. "I knew that I was OK if I landed all the other jumps so I focused on them and didn't give up until the last - I think that made the difference."
The win is Yoshida's second of her career, after a gold medal at last season's Cup of China. "Last year in China I didn't really expect to win and I was really surprised, but this year [here] I skated last and I knew there was a chance so I was pretty nervous and I tried not to think about it, but it was at least somewhere in my mind," she said.
"It was the first time I was the last to see where I am in the kiss-and-cry [skating last after leading the short program], so when I saw the result I was really happy and couldn't believe it."
With her spot in December's Final in Grenoble, France, now secured, Yoshida said working on cleaning up her mistakes would be her immediate goal.
"I have much more room to improve, but I can also improve more with my emotions and my skating skills so I think I have to work on that. I want to show much better programs (in the Final)," she said.
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Matsuike bounces back to make podium, Gutmann breaks new ground
Fourth after the short program, 20-year-old Matsuike put down a tremendous free skate, including a triple Lutz-triple toeloop-double toeloop combination, to earn the highest free skate program score in Helsinki at 134.38 points.
The two Japanese skaters had gone two and three at Skate Canada in October, where Matsuike took the higher spot, with Yoshida flipping the standings in Finland.
Despite outscoring Yoshida in the free skate, Matsuike was modest afterwards.
"Today was just OK, I was very nervous," she said in the mixed zone, later adding via a translator during the press conference: "I'm happy to have the silver medal but it wasn't perfect, there is much to improve and I want to work on it."
Meanwhile, Gutmann celebrated her first career Grand Prix podium as she scored 131.43 points for her free skate, which put her third overall with 198.49 points. The Italian skater stepped out on her triple flip, but otherwise looked confident on the ice and managed to hang on to a final triple loop to finish off the program.
"I'm so emotional right now. I'm so happy," Gutmann said. "I was a little bit nervous for this because it was my first time being on the podium after the short and being on the podium ever in a Grand Prix. It's amazing. I really wanted to just not think about anything and try to do my best.
"I feel stronger this year, physically I did a lot of work with a new trainer I have. And I'm always working on the mental aspect. I always have to convince myself to believe in myself fully, so that's work I've really had to do my whole career. I feel I'm finding the right way."
Meanwhile, U.S. skater Sarah Everhardt finished fourth overall, having been third after the short program, after being called for four jumps each being a quarter under-rotated.
A disappointed Everhardt, who celebrated her 18th birthday last Tuesday (November 12), said: "I'm a little upset but I'll get over it. I feel like there may be a bit more technical mistakes in today's program. I'm just hoping to gain experience and do better next season."
Everhardt, who finished fifth at Grand Prix of France before fourth in Helsinki, said she took a lot from her maiden season on the Grand Prix circuit, having been a late call-up to compete at the Finlandia Trophy.
"I really wanted to get [to compete] in two Grands Prix… if at the beginning of the season you told me I'd get two Grands Prix and almost a medal in both of them, I would have thought you were joking because I really just wanted one," she said. "I'm glad I was able to go to both and deliver in both competitions."
Finlandia Trophy 2024 women's final results
- Yoshida Hana (JPN) 199.46
- Matsuike Rino (JPN) 199.20
- Lara Naki Gutmann (ITA) 198.49
- Sarah Everhardt (USA) 191.17
- Yun Ahsun (KOR) 187.68
- Lorine Schild (FRA) 182.36
- Niina Petrokina (EST) 178.66
- Mihara Mai (JPN) 174.74
- Lindsay Thorngren (USA) 170.64
- Janna Jyrkinen (FIN) 157.44
- Nella Pelkonen (FIN) 155.22
- Olivia Lisko (FIN) 153.67
Life's a beach for Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier
Canada's Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier channelled the spirit of 1960s California to lead the ice dance competition after the rhythm dance, with their energetic routine set to music from The Beach Boys.
Gilles and Poirier are one of two teams in Helsinki, alongside Great Britain's Lilah Fear and Lewis Gibson, to have already won on the Grand Prix this season and are searching for a second win. It is the Canadians who hold the upper hand, scoring 84.65 to Fear and Gibson's 82.03.
The home crowd also had something to cheer, with Finland's Juulia Turkkila and Matthias Versluis sitting in podium position on 78.31, nearly three full points clear of their nearest rivals, the Czech siblings Natalie Taschlerova and Filip Taschler.
Finlandia Trophy 2024 rhythm dance results
- Piper Gilles/Paul Poirier (CAN) 84.65
- Lilah Fear/Lewis Gibson (GBR) 82.03
- Juulia Turkkila/Matthias Versluis (FIN) 78.31
- Natalie Taschlerova/Filip Taschler (CZE) 75.50
- Oona Brown/Gage Brown (USA) 73.35
- Emilea Zingas/Vadym Kolesnik (USA) 72.72
- Eva Pate/Logan Bye (USA) 72.58
- Orihara Yuka/Juho Pirinen (FIN) 72.56
- Hannah Lim/Quan Ye (KOR) 69.00
- Mariia Pinchuk/Mykyta Pogorielov (UKR) 54.39