Elizaveta Tuktamysheva wins gold in ladies free program
Elizaveta Tuktamysheva of Russia won gold in the ladies free program at the world figure skating championships in Shanghai, China on Saturday.
Tuktamysheva earned 132.74 points for her performance and 210.36 in total to lock up first place.
Satoko Miyahara of Japan placed second with a total score of 193.60, while Elena Radionova, also from Russia, took bronze with a total score of 191.47
Tuktamysheva had a huge lead after landing a triple axel in the short program and extended it further in the free skate to finish more than 15 points out in front.
Canadians Alaine Chartrand and Gabrielle Daleman finished 12th and 20th, respectively in the free program. Overall, they were 11th and 21st, respectively.
Chartrand's accomplishment ensures Canada two spots at next year's world championships in Boston
Last season, Tuktamysheva finished a lowly 10th at the Russian national championships and had to sit at home while fellow Russian Adelina Sotnikova won the gold medal at the Sochi Olympics. Then she broke her foot and was off the ice altogether for three months.
"After the unfortunate last season, it was very tough for me, but my coaches helped me a lot and they believed in me even when I didn't believe in myself anymore," Tuktamysheva said. "I realized that I can go on, that this is not yet the end. I'm very glad I was able to overcome this difficult time and come back so strong."
Tuktamysheva showed such promise at a young age, she nearly won the Russian championships at 13 years old, falling just short to Sotnikova.
Her results have been inconsistent in recent years due to struggles with growth spurts and injuries, but this season has brought a dramatic turnaround. With Sotnikova on the sidelines with an ankle injury, Tuktamysheva has captured eight international events, including the Grand Prix Finals, European Championships and now the world championships.
It was Russia's first win in the women's event at worlds since Irina Slutskaya took the title 10 years ago.
