Update March 29:
Guillaume Cizeron and Gabriella Papadakis won gold in the ice dance competition at the International Skating Union World Championships in France. This followed up their gold medal at the Beijing Winter Olympics, capping off an incredible season for the duo.
Jorik Hendrickx, the gay skater who competed in two Olympics, coached his sister, Loena Hendrickx, to a silver at the World Championships. Adam Rippon coached American Mariah Bell to a fourth-place finish in the women’s singles category
Original:
Eric Radford and Vanessa James took bronze in pairs figure skating at the World Championships, cementing a comeback for Radford that just a couple years ago seemed impossible.
Radford had previously won the Olympic Games medal trifecta — gold, silver and bronze — with then-partner Meagan Duhamel. The two had also won two golds and two bronze medals at previous World Championships.
The duo of Radford and James finished 12th overall in the pairs competition at the Beijing Winter Olympics. The bronze at Worlds is redemption and validation of both Radford’s return from retirement and the work the two have put in over the last year.
“It was amazing to have that skate,” Radford said after the event, according to the CBC. “It was an incredible and unforgettable experience for us even as experienced competitors that we are.”
As the CBC pointed out, Radford is, at 37, the oldest competitor at the event.
Also of note is the pair of Timothy LeDuc and Ashley Cain-Gribble. The pair was second overall after the short program, but several falls by Cain-Gribble forced the two to withdraw from the competition. Certainly a disappointment.
Still, Americans have something to celebrate as Alexa Knierim and Brandon Frazier brought home a gold medal for the USA.
In other World Championships news, Kevin Aymoz of France was 15th after his short program in the men’s competition. In the women’s competition, two athletes coached by gay Olympic figure skaters were in the top three: Leona Hendrickx, who is coached by brother Jorik Hendrickx; and Mariah Bell, whose coach is Adam Rippon.
