After the women’s figure skating short program, the race for the gold seems to be between two Russians, Alina Zagitova, 15, and Evgenia Medvedeva, 18.
PYEONGCHANG, South Korea — After the women’s figure skating short program, the race for the gold seems to be between two Russians, Alina Zagitova, 15, and Evgenia Medvedeva, 18. Stay here for live updates and analysis from Pyeongchang:
• Medvedeva has won the last two world championships, but in the unforgiving world of skating it appears she is on the verge of being surpassed by her younger countrywoman.
• Zagitova had the slightly higher score in the short program, led by stronger technical marks for her difficult program. But the judges still preferred Medvedeva in the more subjective categories, keeping it close.
• Both scores broke the world record for a short program.
• In the likely event that one wins, it will be the first gold medal of the Games for Russia, or rather the Olympic Athletes from Russia as the team is technically known because of sanctions against the country over a state-sponsored doping program.
• Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada stands third. The American women gave their worst collective performance since the short program was introduced to the Olympics in 1976. Mirai Nagasu (ninth) fell on her triple axel. Karen Chen (10th) put her hand to the ice while attempting her opening combination jump, while Bradie Tennell (11th) took a spill on her opening combination.
• Zagitova, Osmond and Medvedeva will be the last three skaters of 24. Their music choices are ballet music from Don Quixote (Zagitova), music from Swan Lake and the film Black Swan (Osmond) and the score from the 2012 film Anna Karenina (Medvedeva).
