Russian rivals almost certain to decide women's gold medal

GANGNEUNG, South Korea (AP) — A true figure skating rivalry requires surpassing skills, intriguing back stories, and significant rewards on the line. Throw in a friendship, and Russians Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova hit all the marks — just as they do on the ice.

The teenagers stood 1-2 after the women's short program at the Pyeongchang Olympics. Barring a collapse by one of them, something that would be tantamount to the New England Patriots going winless, they will finish with gold and silver after Friday's free skate.

Indeed, this could be a skating showdown for the ages, better even than the Battle of the Brians in 1988, or Lipinski-Kwan in 1998. Or the ice-melting classic in the free dance earlier this week.

Don't expect the 15-year-old Zagitova or the 18-year-old Medvedeva to back off an inch.

"We are friends first and rivals second, because you have to have competitiveness in sport," says Zagitova, who has called Medvedeva an inspiration for her career. So much of an inspiration, apparently, that Zagitova handed "Zhenya" her first defeat in two years at the European Championships.


Source : Yahoo News