Kostner with shot at becoming figure skating's oldest world champion

BySportsbeat

Published 22/03/2018 at 07:45 GMT

Carolina Kostner can become the oldest women's world champion in figure skating history, as she leads the short programme heading into Thursday.

Eurosport

Image credit: Eurosport

The 31-year-old Italian compiled a personal best 80.27 yesterday to lead Olympic champion Alina Zagitova by 0.76 in Milan.

Kostner, who is rumoured to be considering retirement, is seeking a second world title after her previous success six years ago.

"If I think back 15 years ago, when I started skating internationally, nobody in Italy followed figure skating," said Kostner.

"Now, there's a venue full of people sharing this passion with me."

However, she has a real task to keep Zagitova behind, with the 15-year-old in fine form until a nervous triple-triple jump.

"I felt, somehow, tight in my body," Zagitova said. "I think it was nerves, but I don't know why.

"I was more nervous here than at the Olympic Games."

Japan's Satoko Miyahara is third, just ahead of Canada's Kaetlyn Osmond.

Sportsbeat 2018

24/03/2024 at 12:52

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