The first competition was to determine whether 15-year-old Zagitova or her friend and training partner, the 18-year-old Medvedeva, would glide off with gold. The second was for bronze and the ability to say they had lived an Olympic dream. Americans Mirai Nagasu of Arcadia, Bradie Tennell and Karen Chen were never in the first competition and lost the second badly, citing the adverse effects of fatigue and pressure. This was the third straight Olympics in which U.S. women didn't win a singles medal; the last was Sasha Cohen's silver at the 2006 Turin Games.

Source: Los Angeles Times February 23, 2018 07:38 UTC