Meier in ninth place ahead of free programme
The Swiss figure skater, Sarah Meier, has finished ninth in the short programme of the Olympic competition in Salt Lake City, ahead of Thursday's all-important free skate.
The 17-year-old from Bülach said she was pleased that she had improved on her disappointing performance at the European Championships in Lausanne, where she finished in 13th place.
“I never thought I would finish the short programme in such a good place. I felt much better than in Lausanne – physically and mentally.
“In Lausanne, I was concentrating on my jumps during the whole programme. Here, I felt absolutely free,” she continued.
The head of the Swiss team, Georg Krummenacher, who was hoping to see her finish between 13th and 15th, was very satisfied with Meier’s performance.
“She came in ninth because of her beautiful performance and the fact that she didn’t get any mark below 5.0 was a justified reward for her faultless presentation,” Krummenacher said.
Meier, who suffered a foot injury shortly before the European Championships in Lausanne, said she did not mind being the last performer on the ice.
“The wait was very long, but it also helped me,” she said. “I knew how difficult it would be and I didn’t want to think about my placement. All I wanted to do is concentrate on my programme.”
Meier will now enter Thursday night’s free skate in the top ten. The free skate is more important than the short programme and is worth two-thirds of the total score.
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