2010 Olympics: Russia's Reign Comes Crashing Down

Chinese gold ends Russian pairs medal streak - Feb 16, 2010 -

For the first time since 1964, a Russian pair will not be atop the medal stand for pairs figure skating. In fact, the Russians were shut out of pairs medals completely, with the Chinese pairs of Xue Shen and Hongbo Zhao and Qing Pang and Jian Tong taking gold and silver, respectively, and Aliona Savchenko and Robin Szolkowy from Germany taking bronze.

The Russian teams began to fall apart early, with the young team of Vera Bazarova and Yuri Larionov falling on their first jump. In the next Russian couple's skate, Maria Mukhortova fell on her triple Salchow with her partner, Maxim Trankov.

The one pair left, Yuko Kavaguti (pictured above) and Alexander Smirnov, was Russia's last chance to keep a 12-Olympics streak going, but the pressure proved to be too much. Kavaguti put her hand down on their first throw, and the routine fell apart from there. Smirnov had a two-foot landing and then Kavaguti fell awkwardly on another throw. With the dominant performances by the Chinese teams and the difficulty-packed skate from the Germans, the Russians stood no chance. Kavaguti and Smirnov finished in fourth place.

The irony is that ice skating in China would not have hit this pinnacle without Russia. Yao Bin, the Chinese coach who handpicked Shen and Zhao to skate together, built the Chinese program by modeling it after the Russians'.

Category:

Sports

Tags:

• 2010
• Olympics
• Russia's
• Reign
• Comes
• Crashing
• Down
• feb
• 15
• 10
• chinese

[calvintoronto]

This isn't a video. It's a piece of crap.

No wonder the ratings are "disabled." This is a bunch of garbage and is part of the problem with youtube: you have to wade through shit like this to find something decent.

[ImagineThat1980]

This video is in bad taste. Bye.

[DeutscheRossiya]

2010 olympics cheated every good country. Russia is still the Ruling nation,China Cheated. China is awfull

[IcySasha]

bullshit. u just kept showing the same pictuer over and over again.

[wwwweldercvfi]

Удались с экрана урод, здесь ставят видио ( к автору )

[wwwweldercvfi]

Удались с экрана урод, здесь ставят видио.

[zenitrulit2]

Hm....and of course it's an american, who made this....

[yogasuen]

I don't like this music so harsh!

[Gloriihh]

was ist das bitte für ein scheiß...???

[markmahabag24]

she's so amazing

[amytbone]

worst piece of shit clip ever. what was the point? .. except wasting people's time.

[xanya15]

The Russian pairs are also amazing and deserving athletes. I doubt you can even imagine the amount of effort, discipline, and sacrifice they have to put forth to achieve the level of being elite Olympic athletes. I'm amazingly happy and proud of the couples that medalled (Shen and Zhao happen to be my favorites), but that does not mean the Russians deserve any less respect. Let's be proud of all them and congratulate them for their effort.

That picture is an terrible taste.