A ‘W’ for Team Asia Medvedeva, Uno star on opening night


By Troy Schwindt World champion Evgenia Medvedeva of


Russia and Japanese sensation Shoma Uno cap- tivated the crowd on the opening night of the KOSÉ Team Challenge Cup, both winning over- all singles titles and individual bonus checks of $5,000.


Te two teens — Medvedeva is 16 and Uno


is 18 — grabbed the spotlight at Spokane Arena with their bold and technically sound offerings, as well as their unequaled performance qualities. Uno’s staggering 105.74-point short pro-


gram — which included credit for landing the first quadruple flip ever recorded in competition — helped lift Team Asia to the singles title with 64 points. Tree groups of three ladies and three groups


of three men competed for points assigned on a 12-10-8 scale within the respective groups. Team North America, behind strong show-


ings from U.S. World silver medalist Ashley Wag- ner, 2015 U.S. champion Jason Brown, and reign- ing U.S. titlists Adam Rippon and Gracie Gold, finished second with 62 points. Team Europe, led by Medvedeva, placed third with 54 points.


Shoma Uno, waving to the crowd, not only earned the highest short program score of the night, but landed the first-ever quadruple flip in competition during his performance.


Team Asia received $60,000 for winning the head-to-head singles competition on the openign night of the Team Challenge Cup.


SKATING 23


JAY ADEFF/U.S. FIGURE SKATING


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