The capacity crowd awaits the final group of ladies at the 2016 World Championships. The audience rewarded every skater and team with thunderous applause.


Boston’s TD Garden has hosted its share of blockbuster events and games, with


championship banners of the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins hanging proudly from its rafters.


Te 2016 ISU World Figure Skating Championships, held March 30–April 3, added


to the building’s glorious history as an epic competition that will undoubtedly rank as one of the best sporting events in Beantown. More than 108,000 people walked through the turnstiles at TD Garden to witness and celebrate the talents of the best figure skaters on the planet. From the first ice dance team on Wednesday morning to the exhibition gala on Sun-


day afternoon, the crowd showed its appreciation for each skater and team with deafening applause and cheers. “It was one of the greatest skating events — maybe even sporting events — I have


ever been to,” U.S. Figure Skating President Samuel Auxier said. “It was so well organized. Te crowds were just amazing and really made it special as they supported every skater no matter what country they were from. Tere were countless standing ovations. “I also have never seen an event where there were so many incredible personal- and


season-best scores in every discipline. And we are still two years from the Olympics.” Te Skating Club of Boston, under the guidance of Executive Director Doug Ze-


ghibe and President Joe Blount, shone brightly as the local organizing committee. Tis veteran team had all the right answers and was in all the right places for this large-scale, international competition. “We are confident the international athletes, coaches, officials, staff and, most impor-


tantly, fans had an overwhelmingly positive experience in Boston,” U.S. Figure Skating Ex- ecutive Director David Raith said. “Crowds throughout the week created an enthusiastic backdrop for great skating and athletes from around the world commented on the energy inside TD Garden.” Te performances delivered from athletes in each of the four disciplines are still being


talked about today. Te United States led all nations in the medals count, earning three. Silver medalist Ashley Wagner collected the first U.S. ladies medal since 2006, while ice dance teams Maia Shibutani and Alex Shibutani, and Madison Chock and Evan Bates earned silver and bronze, respectively. “Tere were so many great moments,” Auxier said. “Our dance teams skated so well,


and the French team [Gabriella Papadakis and Guillaume Cizeron] was just mesmerizing to watch the way they moved across the ice. “Our men rose to the occasion. Grant’s [Hochstein] program just kept building


throughout. Max’s [Aaron] speed and impressive jumps, and Adam’s [Rippon] dynamic Beatles program were all amazing. Javier [Fernandez of Spain], though, owned that free skate. His quads were huge and his ease moving across the ice and connection with the audience were incredible. “Te Canadian pairs team [Meagan Duhamel and Eric Radford] delivered a flawless


free program when they needed it most — what incredible competitors. “And of course, the ladies were simply sensational. Russia’s Evgenia Medvedeva


seemed to float across the ice, and her triple-triples were all huge and yet so easy for her. And Ashley [Wagner] finished the whole competition with such an exciting program to get the silver. Tat was a fantastic finish to a truly incredible event.” Te 2016 event marks the 13th time the United States has hosted the World Cham-


pionships. Boston’s 108,264 total attendance mark eclipsed both the 2009 event in Los Angeles (101,679) and 2003 in Washington, D.C. (106,851), the last two times the U.S. played host.


14 MAY 2016


Right, Adam Rippon solicits even more applause following his entertaining free skate to a Beatles medley. Below, World ice dance silver medalists Maia and Alex Shibutani answer questions from the media.


JAY ADEFF/U.S FIGURE SKATING


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