Historic finish for Canadian women
Kaetlyn Osmond wins silver medal, Gabrielle Daleman takes bronze
HELSINKI — Kaetlyn Osmond’s story is one of a remarkable comeback, and doubts of recovery so deep that she wondered if she’d ever skate again.
Gabrielle Daleman’s is of a teenager riding a meteoric rise, pitting herself against the world’s best with the steely nerves of a veteran.
Together, they wrapped themselves in the Maple Leaf on Friday, and the future of women’s skating in Canada never looked brighter.
Osmond roared to a silver medal at the world figure skating championships while Daleman captured bronze, marking the first time Canada has had two women on the podium at the event.
“It was such an incredible feeling,” Osmond said. “To be able to stand on the podium and see one Canadian flag raised is one thing, but to see two? It feels like you’re not alone. Figure skating is such an individual sport, but to have a teammate on the podium with you is unbelievable.”
The result is particularly remarkable for Osmond, who broke her leg in 2014 when she swerved to avoid someone in practice.
“When I broke my leg, I never thought I’d ever be skating again, let alone be standing on a world podium,” said the 21-year-old from Marystown, N.L.
“I had to relearn how to skate, relearn how to even stand on one foot again. I had to relearn all my technique.”
Skating to La Boheme and wearing an off-the-shoulder red dress, Osmond confidently reeled off seven triple jumps to finish with a combined score of 218.13 points, setting a Canadian record. Daleman, a 19-year-old from Newmarket, Ont., collected 213.52 points, while Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva shattered world records for both the short and long program en route to 233.41 points.
The medals were Canada’s first in women’s singles since Joannie Rochette captured silver in 2009. Rochette’s medal ended a dry spell that went back to Elizabeth Manley’s silver in 1988.
“Knowing I wanted to be like Joannie since I was a little girl, and now that it’s all come to reality, I’m just starstruck, I don’t even feel like this is real life. I’m unbelievably happy right now,” said Daleman, who landed seven triples in her program to George Gershwin’s Rhapsody in Blue.
Daleman was the next skater after Medvedeva’s historic performance, and looked completely unflappable. She even paused to applaud the Russian star’s score.
“She’s an absolute breathtaking skater, and I’m going to applaud her because I respect her so much,” Daleman said. “And it makes you hungrier, it makes you want that more.”
The results also mean Canada will have three spots in the Pyeongchang Olympics for the first time in 50 years.
“To have Kaetlyn on the podium with me, my teammate, now we get three spots for the Olympics, it’s just such an unbelievable feeling,” Daleman said. “I’m only 19 and I’m still learning things and I’m still growing, so just to have that is so unbelievable.”
Earlier in the day, ice dance darlings Tessa Virtue and Scott Moir put themselves in the driver’s seat heading into the free skate after roaring to 82.43 points, breaking their own world record in the short dance.
Two-time defending champions Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron of France are second with 76.89, while Americans Madison Hubbell and Zachary Donohue are third at 76.53. All three teams train in Montreal with Canadian coaches Marie-France Dubreuil and Patrice Lauzon.
Kaitlyn Weaver and Andrew Poje of Waterloo, Ont., are sixth while Toronto’s Piper Gilles and Paul Poirier are ninth.