Women's Figure Skating Long Program Costumes at the 2022 Beijing Olympics

Anna Shcherbakova of ROC

Leaving aside all our questions about whether it's likely that Kamila is the only one of Eteri's skaters who is allegedly taking sketchy heart meds: I do think Anna is obviously very good, and she deserved to win this, all things being equal. To me, her overall performances were just better than Trusova's, who apparently has made it clear that she really doesn't care about the artistic component even though that is a big part of the score. (She also had that bobble in the short!) Anyway, this costume is pretty. I feel bad for her that this gold medal-winning experience was definitely not ideal. There were ages when her other two teammates were losing it emotionally backstage and no one from her team was hugging her or congratulating her! She just won the gold medal! (Kaori Sakamoto did congratulate her very sweetly.)

Aleksandra Trusova of ROC

Mandatory Credit: Photo by MATSUO K/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811074ax) Alexandra TRUSOVA (ROC) - Figure Skating : Women's Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Beijing Olympic Winter Games 2022 FS, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

I have to think that all the Russian women are at the very end of all of their ropes right now. This skate was sort of punk/metal in a way that I think works for her style. "She really makes zero effort at the artistry," Johnny said, and I can see what he means, even though clearly she can jump beautifully. I appreciate that her choreographers were like, "well....you tend to go a bit blank-faced so let's see if we can do a routine for you where you just act really tough?" Costume-wise, this might actually be my favorite of the Russian women's offerings.

Kaori Sakamoto of Japan

Mandatory Credit: Photo by MATSUO K/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811074f) Kaori Sakamoto (JPN) - Figure Skating : Women's Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Beijing Olympic Winter Games 2022 FS, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

I PERSONALLY thought this was the best-performed routine, and I love this costume. I understand that it is not as difficult as Anna Shcherbakova's routine, but Kaori edges her for me in terms of being the most well-rounded of the top three skaters. Tara also explained that she comes out of her jumps at 15 miles an hour (!) when most skaters are only at 10, so she is also FAST. I'm really happy she got to have a medal ceremony. She SOBBED at the end, when she realized she was going to be on the podium.

Kamila Valieva of Russia

Mandatory Credit: Photo by MATSUO K/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811074m) Kamila VALIEVA (ROC) - Figure Skating : Women's Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Beijing Olympic Winter Games 2022 FS, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

My feelings about this costume are well documented and feel like piling on at this point. This was a real meltdown, both physically and emotionally, and of course it was. Tara, Terry, and Johnny said MULTIPLE times that she should not be skating, and that she was failed by the adults in her life. "I have to reassess everything I've ever said about her on television," Johnny even said. And, like, no kidding she couldn't hold it together for this skate. Making her do this was unethical on multiple levels, including to her emotionally, and it was hard to watch. Eteri should be drummed out of skating, but I'll believe it when I see it.

Wakaba Higuchi of Japan

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Enrico Calderoni/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811030dk) HIGUCHI Wakaba (JPN) Figure Skating, Women Single Skating, Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China. Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

This routine is to The Lion King and she looks so pretty, and it is such a fun skate. (I love the headpiece!) The Japanese team is so talented and charming and they have to be privately thinking that if ALL the Russians had been expelled, they would have finished One/Two.

You Young of South Korea

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811029dg) You Young (KOR) - Figure Skating : Women's Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Beijing Olympic Winter Games 2022 FS, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

This is skated to a Les Mis medley, which is all I want in my skating (although personally I would have put "On My Own" in place of "I Dreamed a Dream"). Can we please get an ice dancing routine to "Confrontation," where one skater skates as Javert and the other as Jean Valjean? Anyway, this was lovely, I thought. She cried at the end!

Alysa Liu, of the United States

ALYSA! She did so well, and she looks so pretty. She's only 16, so it seems to me she could certainly hang on for the next Olympics. (She also seems to be having a blast.)

Loena Hendrickx of Belgium

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Enrico Calderoni/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811030ck) HENDRICKX Loena (BEL) Figure Skating, Women Single Skating, Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium, Beijing, China. Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

I enjoy her as a skater so much; Tara compared her to a great character actor and I can see that. I just wish that were more rewarded. This costume is beautiful, but the bottom of her leotard is flesh-colored (or she might have tights pulled up over it?) and it made for sort of DRAMATICALLY SCANDALOUS looking spins and jumps.

Kim Ye-lim of South Korea

Mandatory Credit: Photo by Yohei Osada/AFLO/Shutterstock (12811029ax) Kim Yelim (KOR) - Figure Skating : Women's Free Skating during the Beijing 2022 Olympic Winter Games at Capital Indoor Stadium in Beijing, China. Beijing Olympic Winter Games 2022 FS, Beijing, China - 17 Feb 2022

UGH, this costume is SO PRETTY to me; the skirt is perfect. It flutters absolutely gloriously.

Mariah Bell of the United States

And finally, Mariah, who did GREAT, and seemed so happy and proud of herself, as she should be. (I laughed when she came off the ice and her coach Adam Rippon said, "I need a drink!") I like how simple and relatively restrained her costumes are, too.