You Young delivers brilliant free skate for gold at Lausanne 2020

You Young saved the best for last. The final competitor in the free skate, the Korean ended the Russian stranglehold on Youth Olympic gold in women’s figure skating. You is the first non-Russian to win the ladies' figure skating competition at the Youth Olympic Games and just the second Korean skater to claim gold at an Olympic or Youth Olympic Games in the event.

Her opening triple Axel jump lifted her to a free skate score of 140.49 and total of 214.00, more than 10 points clear of silver medalist Kseniia Sinitsyna of Russia. Sinitsyna earned a total score of 200.03.

"I didn’t do everything I wanted to," Sinitsyna admitted afterward.

Anna Frolova of Russia fell on two jumping passes in her free skate set to music from the Notre Dame de Paris soundtrack. She earned a total score of 187.72 for bronze.

Big shoes to fill

You’s victory comes in a season dominated by the Russians at both the junior and senior ranks. Of the seven senior and seven junior ISU Grand Prix series events, only two non-Russians have topped the standings: USA’s Alysa Liu and Korea’s Lee Hae-in.

A four-time Korean champion, You found her inspiration to skate after watching the 2010 Vancouver Olympic Games where compatriot Yuna Kim skated to gold.

“I feel like she’s a really big sister to me,” You told Olympic Channel earlier this week in Lausanne. “She’s really amazing. Every time when I see her, I cannot say a lot in front of her.”

“She’s very good to me,” she added.

But despite her shyness around her idol, You was bold on the ice in Lausanne, skating to the music of ‘Evita.’ The 15-year-old executed a triple Axel and seven other triple jumps on her way to gold.