As Zhang Junbao had said, the veterans at this World Championships were indeed determined to give it their all.

In the final group of the free skate were Zhang Jue, Martin, Vasily, Hayato Teraoka, Maquen, and Ilya.

Three young skaters and three veterans.

Figure skating was inherently a high-risk sport. The technique was difficult to master, and any injury could significantly impact one’s performance. The peak of a male skater’s career was typically between 18 and 22 years old; beyond this stage, they were considered veterans.

Among the veterans, the oldest was Martin, who was 25 this year. In other professions, he would be considered a young man, but in figure skating, he was practically a grandfather. At the same time, he was also the most injured of them all, more so than Zhang Jue. After all, his injury was not just any other injury but a spinal injury, which could potentially lead to paralysis if luck was not on his side.

Vasily and Maquen were the same age, 24, and they were both dealing with chronic injuries. Maquen’s issue was a knee injury, while Vasily’s problem was concentrated in his ankle.

Zhang Jue was in so much pain from just a ligament strain that the doctor had advised him to give up the competition and opt for conservative treatment over the next few years. In contrast, Vasily’s ligament damage was severe enough to require surgery, which he had undergone last year.

According to his tweet, the doctor had cut a piece from his bone to secure the ligament and prevent it from moving around.

Zhang Jue didn’t know how others felt when they saw this tweet, but when he scrolled through his competitors’ tweets, he couldn’t help but feel his own ankle grow cold.

Even though the younger generation of three superstars was full of energy, a few years ago, they were the promising stars that fans hoped would continue the legacy of men’s singles.

But as they aged, their physical condition began to decline, and their injuries worsened. The days when they could skate effectively were drawing closer, which was a very real problem.

Their time as top competitors was limited to the Sochi cycle, from 2010 to 2014. After Sochi, in order to avoid ending up in a wheelchair for the rest of their lives, they would need to retire.

Thus, whether driven by a desire to secure more Winter Olympics spots for their country or to pave the way for younger skaters, they all planned to give their best in the free skate.

Before the final group’s performance began, they had a six-minute warm-up on the ice together.

Zhang Jue appeared somewhat sluggish. He didn’t attempt any jumps but skated around the rink to determine where he would execute each jump during the competition.

Hayato Teraoka and Ilya practiced their jumps from a distance. When they landed their jumps successfully, they received applause from the fans. Meanwhile, the three veteran skaters, like Zhang Jue, remained calm and did their own thing.

They had had their moments of showing off during the six-minute warm-ups in their younger days, but those days were long gone.

If Zhang Jue hadn’t been injured, he would have definitely attempted some jumps when others received applause for their impressive performances.

After all, he was the type who enjoyed being in the spotlight.

But, realistically, as long as he wanted to, he could completely block out all external noise and distractions, displaying an exceptional ability to resist interference.

Until the end of the practice, Ilya, the first to perform, stayed on the ice while Zhang Jue got off, leaning on Shen Liu’s shoulder and giving his right foot a nudge.

Shen Liu asked: “How does it feel? Are you okay?”

If he wasn’t okay, withdrawing from the competition was also an option. The withdrawal application had been prepared and was ready to be submitted to the event organizers.

Zhang Jue said: “I want to sit down for a moment.”

Then he sat down, and Yang Zhiyuan quickly began to massage his legs.

The event organizers had good commercial sense; at the venue entrance, there were shops selling merchandise, including iconic figurines of the athletes, plastic-wrapped bouquets, and even green crocodile hats. The well-made and warm products sold quite well.

Blonde girl Bella, wearing a small crocodile hat, anxiously watched the waiting area.

“He really looks so uncomfortable. Even like this, he hasn’t given up the competition?”

Marissa, also a North American crocodile fan, wore the same hat and held a support fan, biting her lower lip.

She silently wished: Withdraw, withdraw, you’re only 15. Withdrawing now is for a longer-term future.

But until Ilya’s performance was over, Zhang Jue showed no signs of withdrawal. Even when Ilya’s score was announced, he happily clapped for his friend and then turned to whisper to his coach.

“After this competition, I want to eat some fried rice noodles.”

He had recently seen a video on how to make fried rice noodles while shopping for hamster food online, and he was craving it.

Ilya waved to the audience, and upon seeing Zhang Jue, he gave him a fist bump and a supportive expression.

Although he made mistakes during the competition and his final score was not satisfactory, which might not secure him a medal if others performed well, the earnest Russian skater still wished his friend a great performance.

The second skater, Maquen, once again performed the classic opera “Turandot” with grandeur. Despite showing clear disappointment when he saw his short program score was lower than Hayato Teraoka’s and lamenting about getting older, he had previously made a name for himself by overcoming challenging positions and turning the tables in competitions.

After a whole season of struggles, the Italian skater nearly cleaned the free skate at this crucial World Championships!

Except for a poorly executed 3lo at the end of the program, he completed all other moves perfectly. However, his clumsy landing made many experts frown.

Zhang Jue stared at his performance in confusion: “Why does that landing position look so much like mine?”

He found his own self-created self-damaging landing technique quite difficult and demanding on body coordination. If mistakes occurred, the consequences could be quite severe, resembling a high-wire act.

How did Maquen learn this technique?!

Zhang Junbao calmly replied: “There are other exceptionally talented skaters besides you. Maquen has great coordination, and as he is nearing the end of his career, it’s understandable that he would push himself to win another honor.”

Maquen’s free skate score reached 185.6 points, setting a personal record. Combined with his short program score of 88.15, his total score was 273.75, a very impressive score, enough to compete for the championship.

When the music of “Turandot” ended, an older female fan at the very front of the audience leaned on the railing, holding a bouquet of roses and crying loudly, as if Maquen had already won the Olympic gold medal.

Maquen skated over, accepted the bouquet, and blew a kiss. Francis Miller, who could afford front-row tickets, watched from the side with a look of disdain.

As Zhang Jue’s short program choreographer this season, Francis complained inwardly: “How is this Italian’s marketing ability stronger than his figure skating skills? Why perform classical opera with such flair? Wouldn’t it be better to dance Latin instead?”

Actually, if the Italian skater truly let loose and performed Latin dance on the ice, showcasing mature male charm, his ailing crocodile might not stand a chance.

At that moment, Maquen happily blew a kiss to Francis: “Francis, thanks for coming to watch my performance. I want to have you choreograph for me next season. Can I get your phone number from Jue later?”

Francis replied: “… Go to the kiss & cry area! Can’t you see the Japanese boy is waiting to perform? Hurry up and make some space for him!”

Hayato Teraoka removed his blade cover and waited at the rink entrance for a while before Maquen finished. He gave Maquen an apologetic thumbs-up, and Maquen waved it off, heading towards the center of the ice.

Since moving into the senior category, many athletes have made an effort to challenge themselves with different styles compared to their junior years. This not only enhances their performance but also refreshes the judges’ impressions, ideally creating an image of being versatile and capable of handling various styles, which is beneficial for long-term development.

Hayato Teraoka had always been a mature man and had considered this aspect thoroughly. Thus, his free skate program this year was a tango.

“Forever Tango.”

Unlike Zhang Jue’s lyrical and melancholic “Goodbye Nonino,” Hayato Teraoka’s choreography focused more on making him look like a dancer.

The tango, with its advances and retreats, graceful movements, and emotionally entangled steps, depicted the interplay and strategizing in a romantic relationship.

Performing dance steps on ice required solid skating skills, and Hayato Teraoka not only met this requirement but excelled at it.

Zhang Jue watched for a while and noticed that his performance had improved significantly. Watching up close, he even felt like Hayato Teraoka was portraying a classic Hollywood romance film.

Had Zhang Jue not learned from the gossip that Hayato Teraoka had been single his entire life, he might have thought that Hayato had experienced a dramatic love affair during some unknown period.

Zhang Jue sighed: “His performance has improved a lot.”

Sun Qian responded: “As far as I know, he has enrolled in professional acting classes.”

As the competition intensified and Hayato Teraoka’s fundamentals remained solid, Zhang Jue’s competitiveness was indeed declining due to persistent injuries, unstable fundamentals, and overdevelopment.

The old coach agreed with Zhang Junbao’s view. Unless Zhang Jue was willing to accept remaining at the top level without progressing, if he wanted to continue competing for world championship titles, he would have to change his technique; otherwise, he would eventually be left far behind by his competitors.

But Hayato Teraoka, perhaps too focused on his performance, had two failed jumps in the latter part of his routine. Although he improved his performance score, his total score remained below Maquen’s.

With some luck, he might still secure a bronze medal, and with exceptional luck, he could even win a silver.

When Vasily took the ice, he delivered a clean performance and took first place, earning cheers from the entire audience.

The performance of the veterans showed one thing: no matter how eager the young skaters were, the veterans had not faded away!

Yang Zhiyuan shook his head and said: “It’s a pity. Hayato Teraoka can only hope for a bronze now.”

Zhang Jue was dissatisfied: “How can you say that? If Martin had delivered a clean performance, Hayato would be fifth. If Martin lost, Hayato would be fourth. There’s no medal for him in this World Championships.”

The others looked at Zhang Jue with strange expressions.

So, you think, even with your half-injured state that you can beat Hayato Teraoka?

 

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