The Art of Figure Skating

TRENTO – When Stephane Walker took to the ice in the men’s short program figure skating competition, the art of figure skating was on full display.

Dressed in a warrior outfit, Walker sped round the ice where he pulled off an impressive array of dance moves.

His on ice performance matched the intensity of his outfit that made him stand out above other competitors.

“The music was picked by my dance teacher and it’s Japanese and my outfit is samurai,” he said.

The song was Strobes Nanafushi by the band Kodo.

Walker finished 13^th with a score of 64.48 which qualified him for the final. The competition had 33 competitors.

Qualifying for the final means Walker’s hard work has paid off, as he says he has a rigorous training.

“Everyday I have to do something, like muscle training in the fitness room or some conditioning, like running, and on the ice I train in cardio,” he said, adding that he spends at least two hours working out plus an additional hour in the fitness room or attending dance lessons.

The 22-year-old studies economics at the University of Neuchatel in Switzerland. It was his sister though that got him into figure skating.

“My sister started skating and I watched her train and I liked it so I started to train too.”

Matt Tidcombe, FISU Young Reporter