A first for Singapore in figure skating
Teenagers Shuran and Chloe clinch a 1-2 finish to win Republic's first winter sports medals at SEA Games
By her own admission, she did not perform at her best.
So one can imagine figure skater Yu Shuran's relief when she found out that she had scored enough to secure Singapore's first winter sports gold at the SEA Games yesterday.
Winter sports is making its SEA Games debut in Kuala Lumpur. Besides figure skating, ice hockey and short track speed skating are among the 38 sports offered in Kuala Lumpur.
Shuran, 17, led a Singaporean one-two finish when she won the women's figure skating competition at the Empire City Ice Arena in Damansara. Compatriot Chloe Ing took the silver.
Shuran had led a field of nine with a score of 53.28 points in the short programme - one of two routines in a figure skating competition - on Saturday.
She then scored 82.24 points in yesterday's free programme to win the gold medal with a combined score of 135.52.
The short programme is the shorter of two routines in a figure-skating competition.
It features seven required elements and lasts not more than 2min 40sec.
A free skate is four minutes for women at the senior level and can be made up of any combination of elements.
Chloe won silver with a total of 128.61 points (short programme 45.68, free skate 82.93) and the Philippines' Alisson Perticheto took bronze with a total score of 113.40 points.
Shuran, who is studying at an international school in Beijing, said: "I was a little nervous about the score, but I knew I had a good lead from the short (programme).
"So I was just anticipating the scores and... after (they) came out, I was just relieved with the result."
The talented skater, who finished a creditable sixth at the Asian Winter Games in Sapporo earlier this year, said that she was not happy with her "popping" - a term in figure skating which means not completing the intended number of revolutions during a jump - during her routine yesterday.
"I am pretty disappointed with my free skate today," said Shuran.
"I popped two times and that's probably my worst habit, it definitely negatively affects my score.
"So there's a lot to improve on for my free skate, and my short, too. I'm not entirely thrilled with my performance today."
Her display might have fallen short of the high standards she set for herself, but the teenager was still happy to have delivered a historic SEA Games gold medal for Singapore.
"It's what I came here to do," said Shuran, who became the first Singaporean to qualify for the World Figure Skating Championships in Helsinki, Finland, in March, when she finished 25th out of 37 competitors.
VICTORY TREAT
To celebrate her victory, Shuran said that she will deviate from her strict diet and treat herself to something "rich and chocolatey".
Chloe, who turns 19 next month, was extremely proud of contributing to a one-two finish for Singapore.
"When I found out we were first and second, it meant a lot," she said.
"In Singapore (and) South-east Asia, skating or winter sports, in general, isn't prominent.
"So coming out here and showing people we have skaters working hard and improving... and getting first and second at the SEA Games, is a good step to bring up the awareness of figure skating to Singapore and (the region)."
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