Olympic Falls and Remarkable Recoveries on Ice
American skaters Ellie Kam and Danny O'Shea experienced a fall during their team pair short program at the Milan Olympics. Kam, 21, fell but quickly recovered to continue the performance with O'Shea, 34.
O'Shea noted Kam's immediate recovery, stating, "She got up and went after the next thing."
Skaters attribute their ability to recover from falls to extensive practice, which prepares them to react without hesitation during competition. Communication between partners is also a key factor, involving visual cues and verbal prompts during the routine.
Notable Moments of Olympic Resilience
Falls are a part of high-stakes competition, and several athletes have demonstrated incredible resilience:
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Sui Wenjing and Han Cong (China, 2022 Beijing Winter Olympics): The pair, gold medalists, fell during their team pair skating program. They stated plans to use preparation time for recovery and practice following the incident.
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Zhang Dan and Zhang Hao (China, 2006 Torino Winter Games): Zhang Dan sustained an injury after a fall during a risky throw attempt. The pair returned to the ice shortly after and secured a silver medal. Zhang Dan described their determination to continue despite the fall.
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Nathan Chen (USA, 2018 Winter Games in South Korea): After multiple falls, Chen completed six quadruple jumps in a single free skate program, a historical achievement. He commented that having nothing to lose after repeated falls allowed him to take risks.
Recent Resilience in Milan: Alysa Liu
More recently, American Alysa Liu, 20, made a small error during her team women's single skating competition in Milan, landing awkwardly. Liu recovered quickly, describing the incident as a "whoopsies." She completed her routine strongly, contributing to the U.S. team's first-place standing in the overall team skating competition.