China's reigning world champions Sui Wenjing and Han Cong won the pairs short program at the NHK Trophy figure skating competition kicked off on Friday.
Skating to the music of Hallelujah, Sui and Han scored 79.43 points with level-four moves which included a huge throw triple flip, a side by side triple toeloop and triple twist.
Last week, the pair won a championship at the Audi Cup of China stage of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating.
Chinese pairs Sui Wenjing and Han Cong perform during the exhibition event in the Audi Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017 at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
"The back-to-back competition is not a problem for us – We don't feel tired," Han told reporters, adding that there is not a big time difference between Japan and Beijing and they are used to "back-to-back" training programs.
Russia's Olympic silver medalists Ksenia Stolbova and Fedor Klimov came second while their teammates Kristina Astakhova and Alexei Rogonov placed the third.
In the women's short program, Russia's two-time world champion Evgenia Medvedeva pulled off a clean program and scored 79.99 points.
Five-time European champion Carolina Kostner of Italy came in the second at 74.57, followed by 16-year-old Polina Tsurskaya of Russia who shined at her debut in the senior-level competition and scored a personal best of 70.04 points.
Chinese pairs Sui Wenjing and Han Cong perform during the exhibition event in the Audi Cup of China ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating 2017 at the Capital Gymnasium in Beijing, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2017. (AP Photo/Andy Wong)
In the men's short program, Russian veteran Sergei Voronov took the lead with 90.06, while Israel's Alexei Bychenko came in second, followed by Jason Brown of the United States.
Japan's Yuzuru Hanyu, defending world and Olympic champion, withdrew from the competition on Friday due to injuries to his right ankle ligament during official practice.
The NHK Trophy is the fourth of the six events of the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating series 2017/18.
Top six finishers in each figure skating discipline will qualify for the Grand Prix Final in Nagoya in December.
BAGHDAD (AP) — Car bombs and militant attacks are no longer a daily concern in the streets of Baghdad as they were in the chaotic years after the fall of Saddam Hussein or at the height of the battle to push back the Islamic State group.
But while violence has decreased, many young Iraqis say their opportunities remain limited.
Baghdad, a city of nearly 9 million, has seen some efforts to restore public parks and cultural spaces, but urban planning has largely overlooked youth-focused projects.
That may be starting to change.
The capital inaugurated its first skate park this weekend at a ceremony attended by foreign diplomats, sports officials and young athletes, in what many hope will be the beginning of a drive to build more spaces for recreation and creative expression.
“I have been waiting for this moment for five years,” said Mohammed Al-Qadi, 19, one of the park’s first visitors on Saturday.
Al-Qadi, like many skateboarders in Baghdad, used to practice in public spaces such as Al-Zawraa Park and Abu Nawas Street, where skaters were often chased off by authorities, risked colliding with cars and faced safety risks due to uneven terrain and lack of designated areas.
“Before, we were often forced to move or got injured because there were no proper places for us,” he said. “Now, we have a safe space, and I hope this is just the beginning.”
The facility, located within the Ministry of Youth and Sports complex near Al-Shaab International Stadium, was completed in three weeks with support from the German and French embassies.
The project underscores growing international interest in developing Iraq’s sports infrastructure, particularly for activities beyond the country’s traditional focus on soccer.
Al-Qadi and other enthusiasts are now pushing for the formation of a national skating federation that could pave the way for participation in international competitions, including the Olympics.
“We have 25 male and female skaters now, but with this park, that number will definitely grow,” Al-Qadi said.
The skate park also sparked enthusiasm among female skaters, despite lingering societal resistance to girls participating in the sport seen as rough and sometimes dangerous.
“I hope to compete internationally now that we finally have a place to train,” said Rusul Azim, 23, who attended the opening in sportswear and a hijab.
Skating remains far less popular in Iraq than soccer and other mainstream sports, but Azim said she believes the new facility will encourage more young people — especially women — to take up the activity.
Zainab Nabil, 27, also came to the opening of the park despite the fact that her family disapproves of her skating.
“I am here to show that women belong in this sport too,” she said, adding, “I hope there will be separate days for women and men, so more girls feel comfortable joining.”
For now, the skate park stands as a small but significant step toward providing Iraq’s youth with a place of their own. Many hope it will be the first of many.
“We need more places like this — safe spaces where young people can be active, express themselves, and dream of something bigger,” Al-Qadi said.
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Martany reported from Irbil, Iraq.
A girl practices skateboarding in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Youth Iraqis hold their skateboards as they practice in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
A girl practices skateboarding in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Two girls rollerblade in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
A skateboarder practices in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Skateboarders practice in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Skateboarders practice in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Skateboarders practice in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)
Skateboarders practice in the first skatepark of Baghdad, Iraq, Saturday, Feb. 1, 2025. (AP Photo/Ammar Khalil)