Władimir Samojłow finished 21st in the Olympic singles competition, marking the best result for a Polish figure skater at the Games in 34 years. The event saw a surprising upset as Ilia Malinin faltered.
Grzegorz Filipowski was once among the elite in the sport. He placed fifth at the 1988 Olympics and followed that with an 11th-place finish at the 1992 Games in Albertville.
In subsequent years, Poland struggled to contend in Olympic figure skating. Przemysław Domański competed in Vancouver in 2010, finishing 28th and failing to qualify for the free skate program.
That drought ended with Władimir Samojłow. On Tuesday, the 26-year-old Polish representative advanced through the short program, scoring over 77 points and securing the 21st position, earning him a spot in Friday’s singles competition.
Samojłow’s performance began with a fall on a quad Lutz, but he quickly recovered with a successful quad Salchow. His triple Axel was likewise cleanly executed. The latter half of the 23-year-old’s routine was stronger, adding a triple Lutz and triple Toe loop. He ultimately received a score of 144.68 for the performance.
Samojłow ultimately finished in 21st place. Mikhail Shaidorov of Kazakhstan claimed the gold medal, with Yuma Kagiyama taking silver and Shun Sato earning bronze. Ilia Malinin was considered the favorite for gold, but several errors and unsuccessful landings relegated him to eighth place – one of the biggest surprises of this year’s Games.
