British figure skater Kristen Spours finished 22nd in the women's short program at the European Figure Skating Championships, securing a spot in the free skate. Despite her injury and mental health struggles, Spours expressed gratitude to have performed for her father one last time before his retirement from competitive skating.
Spours' performance was affected by her ongoing spinal injury, which limited her ability to execute some skills. However, she praised herself for managing her nerves during the event and said she felt happy with her overall performance. The 25-year-old British champion will now compete in the free skate, where the final scores from both events will determine the winner.
Spours' situation serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that figure skaters make to pursue their passion. Competing at the highest level requires a great deal of physical and mental toughness, and Spours has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
In other news, Luke Digby and Anastasia Vaipan-Law are fifth in the pairs event after the short program, with a score of 63.98 points. The British pair's performance was notable for its technical skill and artistry, and they have put themselves in contention for their best European result in years.
The current leaders are Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who performed to Bolero and secured a strong score of 75.96 points. Their Georgian team only landed in the UK on Tuesday due to visa issues, making their impressive showing all the more remarkable.
Spours' performance was affected by her ongoing spinal injury, which limited her ability to execute some skills. However, she praised herself for managing her nerves during the event and said she felt happy with her overall performance. The 25-year-old British champion will now compete in the free skate, where the final scores from both events will determine the winner.
Spours' situation serves as a reminder of the sacrifices that figure skaters make to pursue their passion. Competing at the highest level requires a great deal of physical and mental toughness, and Spours has demonstrated remarkable resilience in the face of adversity.
In other news, Luke Digby and Anastasia Vaipan-Law are fifth in the pairs event after the short program, with a score of 63.98 points. The British pair's performance was notable for its technical skill and artistry, and they have put themselves in contention for their best European result in years.
The current leaders are Georgia's Anastasiia Metelkina and Luka Berulava, who performed to Bolero and secured a strong score of 75.96 points. Their Georgian team only landed in the UK on Tuesday due to visa issues, making their impressive showing all the more remarkable.
she's literally been open about everything with her fans and I love how supportive her dad was 
watching figure skating can be super intimidating but seeing someone perform for the last time b4 their retirement is just emotional 
and on a totally different note Luke Digby & Anastasia Vaipan-Law did a great job in pairs event too! 
I'm literally SHOOK by Kristen Spours' determination & mental toughness 
She's been through so much (injury + mental health struggles) and still managed to put out an amazing performance 
I mean, who can even? Her love for skating is INSPIRING 
And btw Luke Digby & Anastasia Vaipan-Law are on fire too 
They deserve some major props for their technical skills & artistry 
I'm rooting for Spours in the free skate, she's gonna bring home that gold medal 
Fingers crossed! 
I'm so impressed with Kristen Spours' attitude about her injury and mental health struggles! It's amazing how she can still manage to show up and compete despite having a spinal injury that's got her skills limited 
. She's an absolute rockstar for keeping it together under pressure 
. And can we talk about Anastasia Vaipan-Law and Luke Digby for a sec? They're absolutely killing it in the pairs event, and I'm loving their technical skill and artistry 
. But what's even more impressive is that they're putting themselves in contention for a top European result - that's the definition of perseverance 
I'm curious how much of an impact Kristen Spours' injury really had on her performance, because it sounds like she was still able to manage some pretty tough nerves... like, 25 and dealing with spinal injuries is already a big deal, so I guess you could say she's even more impressive than the score? 
She's been through so much with her injury and mental health struggles, but she still manages to put on an amazing show for her dad on his last competition 
. It's not easy competing at that level, physically and mentally, but she's a total rockstar 
They're like the ultimate British skating duo! Their technical skill and artistry are insane 
! Who knew they'd bring the house down with their Bolero performance? 
they've got some stiff competition tho from georgia 
but kristen's determination is giving me LIFE 
she still managed to skate tho and be happy about it which is cool, i guess it's not easy being a pro athlete... u know? 
so her spinal injury was holding her back kinda, but she said she handled her nerves well which is pretty impressive imo 
. I mean, I know figure skating is tough, but doesn't everyone deserve a better chance to shine? 
Still, you've got to hand it to her for staying positive and grateful for her dad's support 
.
can't even imagine performing w/ an injury 
but u gotta respect her for keepin it together 
how do u even prepare for a comp w/ that kind of uncertainty? 
.
️. and I love that they're making an effort to compete despite the odds, you know, like we all have to deal with our own version of visa issues in life (like, trying to adult or something) 
.
... just that it's really cool how she can still skate after all the drama. I mean, who wouldn't want to perform in front of a crowd while dealing with pain and anxiety? 
️ but happy at the same time