ROCHESTER, N.Y. — After three days of competition and a stunning performance from “Quad God” Ilia Malinin, Team USA secured a gold medal in the figure skating team event. A Rochester native and former News10NBC employee was there to witness the action.
Gina Capellazzi, who has been reporting on figure skating for about a decade, described it as a full-circle moment to watch these athletes succeed. On Sunday’s final day, Team USA was tied with Japan after seven of eight performances. During the final performance, 21-year-old Malinin stepped up, landing five quads and scoring 200.03 points to secure the Gold.
Before that, three-time U.S. national champion Amber Glenn placed third for the women’s free skate results, scoring 138.62 points. Pair Ellie Kam Danny O’Shea also contributed to the win, placing fourth for free skate pairs with a score of 134.42. Capellazzi said these athletes dedicate their lives to these opportunities.
“It’s really this is their life. They dedicate everything to this moment,” she said. “And in figure skating, they get two minutes and 30 seconds in the short program, in a four-minute program in the free and that’s it. I mean, it all comes down to like, two opportunities to be on the ice, and it’s yeah, it’s it’s a big commitment.”
Capellazzi is not just working during her trip t the Milan and Cortina Winter Olympics. She is also enjoying parts of Italy after reporting for ‘Figure Skaters Online’ and her podcast ‘This Week in Skating.’
Before Team USA’s win, Capellazzi attended the opening ceremony, saying it was magical to see the event in person after seeing opening ceremonies on TV all her life.
Capellazzi transitioned from producing at News10NBC to covering the Olympics by following her passion for figure skating. She now works at the Catholic Courier and freelances for ‘Figure Skaters Online’ while hosting her podcast.
Covering the Olympics is different from other events, Capellazzi explained. “I’ve covered a lot of skating events from world championships to national championships, and this is probably the most pressured event that I’ve been to,” she said. “You can see it with the athletes, on their faces and their demeanors.”
After Team USA’s victory, Capellazzi called the experience “absolutely magical.” The team is strong this year and they are not done yet. Madison Chock and Evan Bates are set to perform in ice dance rhythm on Monday.
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