2022 Winter Olympics qualifier: Indian figure skater Tara Prasad 34th after short program at Nebelhorn Trophy
The three-time national champion scored 37.51 points in the women’s singles short program and is 34th among 37 figure skaters. Only six will qualify for the Winter Games.
Indian figure skater Tara Prasad put up a spirited performance in the short program of the women’s singles event at the Nebelhorn Trophy 2021 in Oberstdorf, Germany on Thursday but still has a mountain to climb to qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing.
The 21-year-old Indian amassed 37.51 points for her routine and is currently placed in 34th position in a 37-member field.
Performing to the tunes of Danse Macabre by Camille Saint-Saens, the USA-based figure skater began with a big double axel, though under-rotating slightly during her landing.
Tara Prasad, a three-time Indian national champion, followed up with a few controlled spins and put up a decent display, even drawing occasional applause from the crowd in attendance.
However, it was just enough to bag her the 34th position in the short program and left her with a lot to do in the free skate segment on Saturday. USA’s Alysa Liu topped the charts after the short program segment with 70.86 points followed by Alexia Paganini of Switzerland, who scored 65.65 points.
Singles figure skating events on the international stage consist of two segments -- short program and free skating.
In the short program, a skater is required to include a set of jumps, twirls and steps in their set which last for two minutes and 40 seconds.
Meanwhile, in free skating, the competitor can choreograph their set as per their wish and are graded accordingly. In free skating, a set lasts for four minutes.
In figure skating, athletes are scored on their skating skills, transitions, overall performance, the composition of the set and the interpretation of the music.
Scores from both the short program and free skating are tallied to draw up the final standings.
A total of six women’s singles quota places for the 2022 Winter Olympics are on the offing at the Nebelhorn Trophy 2021. This will be the participants’ final chance to secure a spot at next year’s Winter Games.