The women's singles figure skating competition at the 2018 Winter Olympics was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena in Gangneung, South Korea, on 21 and 23 February 2018, and featured 30 skaters from 20 nations. Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva, both competing as Olympic Athletes from Russia, won the gold and silver medals, respectively; while Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada won the bronze. Zagitova and Medvedeva each set new world record scores in succession in the short program. While both Zagitova and Medvedeva were seen as equal contenders for the gold medal, each with a resume of championship wins to their credit, it was Zagitova who ultimately emerged victorious. Zagitova's strategy of performing all of her jumps in the back half of her programs so as to earn maximum bonus points led the International Skating Union to change their rules for the next season. The colloquially-named "Zagitova rule" now limits the number of jumps that skaters can do in the back half of their programs for extra points.
Background In 2016, an independent report commissioned by the World Anti-Doping Agency confirmed allegations that the Russian Olympic team had been involved in a state-sponsored doping program from at least late 2011 through February 2014, when Russia hosted the Winter Olympics in Sochi. On 5 December 2017, the International Olympic Committee announced that the Russian Olympic Committee had been suspended from the 2018 Winter Olympics. Athletes with no previous drug violations and a consistent history of drug testing were allowed to compete under the Olympic flag as an "Olympic Athlete from Russia" (OAR). Under the terms of the decree, neither the Russian flag nor anthem were to be used at the Olympics; the Olympic flag and Olympic Anthem were used instead.
The women's single skating event was one of five figure skating competitions contested at the 2018 Winter Olympics in Gangneung, South Korea. It was held at the Gangneung Ice Arena over two days: the short program took place on 21 February and the free skating on 23 February. The competition featured 30 skaters representing 20 nations. Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova, both of Russia, were seen as likely contenders for Olympic medals. Medvedeva was a two-time Russian national champion, two-time European champion, and two-time world champion, having won back-to-back titles at each competition in 2016 and 2017. She was the first woman to win consecutive world titles since Michelle Kwan in 2000 and 2001. She set new world record scores at the 2017 World Championships in both the free skate and overall total, and then beat those scores at the 2017 World Team Trophy, where she also set a new world record in the short program. However, Medvedeva fractured a bone in her foot in October 2017, which prevented her from competing in the Grand Prix of Figure Skating series or at the Russian Championships. She won the silver medal at the 2018 European Championships, behind Zagitova, thereby securing her spot at the Olympics. It was Medvedeva's first loss since 2015. In addition to being the reigning European champion, Zagitova was also the reigning world junior champion, reigning Russian national champion, and she won the 2017 Grand Prix of Figure Skating Final. Russia's third women's competitor, Maria Sotskova, was also seen as a contender, having finished fourth at the 2018 European Championships (behind Carolina Kostner of Italy), and second at the 2017 Grand Prix Final.
Qualification
Twenty-four quota spots in the women's event were awarded based on the results at the 2017 World Championships. An additional six quota spots were earned at the 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy.
+Qualifying nations in women's singles Event Skatersper Qualifying NOCs Totalskaters 2017 World Championships 3 24 2 1 2017 Nebelhorn Trophy 1 6 Total 30
Required performance elements Women performed their short programs on 21 February. Lasting 2 minutes 40 seconds (+/− 10 seconds), the short program had to include the following elements: one double or triple Axel; one triple jump immediately preceded by connecting steps; one jump combination consisting of a double jump and a triple jump, or two triple jumps; one layback spin, sideways leaning spin, camel spin, or sit spin without a change of foot; one spin combination with a change of foot; and a step sequence using the full ice surface.
The twenty-four highest-scoring skaters after the short program advanced to the free skating, which they performed on 23 February. Lasting 4 minutes (+/− 10 seconds), the free skate had to include the following: seven jump elements, of which one had to be an Axel-type jump; three spins, of which one had to be a spin combination, one a flying spin, and one a spin with only one position; a step sequence; and a choreographic sequence.
Judging
Skaters were judged according to the required technical elements of their program (such as jumps and spins), as well as the overall presentation of their program, based on five program components (skating skills, transitions, performance, composition, and musical interpretation/timing). Each technical element in a figure skating performance was assigned a predetermined base point value and scored by a panel of nine judges on a scale from −3 to +3 based on the quality of its execution. Each Grade of Execution (GOE) from –3 to +3 was assigned a value as indicated on the Scale of Values. For example, a triple Axel was worth a base value of 8.50 points, and a GOE of +3 was worth 3.00 points, so a triple Axel with a GOE of +3 earned 11.50 points. The judging panel's GOE for each element was determined by calculating the trimmed mean (the average after discarding the highest and lowest scores). The panel's scores for all elements were added together to generate a Total Elements Score. At the same time, the judges evaluated each performance based on the five aforementioned program components and assigned each a score from 0.25 to 10 in 0.25-point increments. The judging panel's final score for each program component was also determined by calculating the trimmed mean. Those scores were then multiplied by the factor shown on the chart below; the results were added together to generate a total Program Component Score.
+Program component factoring Discipline Short program Free skate Women 0.80 1.60 Deductions were applied for certain violations, such as time infractions, stops and restarts, or falls. The Total Elements Score and Program Component Score were then added together, minus any deductions, to generate a final performance score for each skater or team.
Results
Code key
Short program The women's short program was held on 21 February. Evgenia Medvedeva and Alina Zagitova, both of Russia, set new world record scores in succession in the short program. Medvedeva earned a world record score of 81.61 with her performance to Nocturne in C-sharp minor by Frédéric Chopin, beating her own previously-established world record. That score was quickly broken by Zagitova, who earned a score of 82.92 performing to music from Black Swan. Zagitova performed a slightly more difficult jump combination than Medvedeva – a triple Lutz-triple loop – and both skaters performed all of their jumps in their second half of their routines, earning a ten percent bonus for each jump.
Kaetlyn Osmond of Canada, performing to music from Édith Piaf, finished in third place. Osmond credited her performance from the earlier team event as a warmup for the women's individual event. Gabrielle Daleman, the reigning Canadian national champion, finished in seventh after she had an error with her triple loop. The American skaters gave the worst collective performance of any American women since the short program became part of the Olympic program in 1976. Mirai Nagasu and Bradie Tennell finished ninth and eleventh, respectively, after they both fell; while Karen Chen finished tenth when her hand touched the ice during her combination jump.
+Women's short program results Skater Nation 1 Alina Zagitova 82.92 45.30 37.62 9.36 9.18 9.64 9.43 9.43 0.00 2 Evgenia Medvedeva 81.61 43.19 38.42 9.54 9.39 9.71 9.68 9.71 0.00 3 Kaetlyn Osmond 78.87 41.83 37.04 9.32 9.00 9.36 9.29 9.32 0.00 4 Satoko Miyahara 75.94 40.25 35.69 8.96 8.75 9.00 8.86 9.04 0.00 5 Kaori Sakamoto 73.18 40.36 32.82 8.43 7.96 8.29 8.18 8.18 0.00 6 Carolina Kostner 73.15 35.06 38.09 9.46 9.32 9.54 9.61 9.68 0.00 7 Gabrielle Daleman 68.90 35.90 33.00 8.32 8.04 8.18 8.25 8.46 0.00 8 Choi Da-bin 67.77 37.54 30.23 7.75 7.29 7.68 7.50 7.57 0.00 9 Mirai Nagasu 66.93 37.24 30.69 8.04 7.36 7.61 7.68 7.68 1.00 10 Karen Chen 65.90 33.53 32.37 8.07 7.89 8.14 8.11 8.25 0.00 11 Bradie Tennell 64.01 35.50 29.51 7.57 7.25 7.25 7.43 7.39 1.00 12 Maria Sotskova 63.86 31.47 33.39 8.46 8.21 8.21 8.46 8.39 1.00 13 Nicole Rajičová 60.59 32.36 28.23 7.18 6.82 7.21 7.00 7.07 0.00 14 Nicole Schott 59.20 31.62 27.58 6.96 6.61 7.07 6.86 6.96 0.00 15 Elizabet Tursynbaeva 58.82 29.14 29.68 7.46 7.18 7.50 7.43 7.54 0.00 16 Kailani Craine 56.77 30.36 26.41 6.61 6.32 6.71 6.57 6.79 0.00 17 Isadora Williams 55.74 29.83 25.91 6.54 6.29 6.64 6.46 6.46 0.00 18 Emmi Peltonen 55.28 28.48 27.80 7.00 6.64 6.96 7.07 7.07 1.00 19 Alexia Paganini 55.26 29.99 25.27 6.39 6.14 6.39 6.39 6.29 0.00 20 Loena Hendrickx 55.16 27.79 27.37 7.04 6.64 6.82 6.82 6.89 0.00 21 Kim Ha-nul 54.33 29.41 24.92 6.36 6.00 6.32 6.29 6.18 0.00 22 Maé-Bérénice Méité 53.67 28.24 25.43 6.57 6.14 6.46 6.29 6.32 0.00 23 Ivett Tóth 53.22 27.60 25.62 6.54 6.18 6.43 6.39 6.50 0.00 24 Li Xiangning 52.46 27.27 26.19 6.64 6.29 6.54 6.64 6.64 1.00 25 Larkyn Austman 51.42 25.93 26.49 6.71 6.32 6.61 6.71 6.75 1.00 26 Diāna Ņikitina 51.12 26.35 24.77 6.29 5.93 6.18 6.32 6.25 0.00 27 Giada Russo 50.88 25.90 25.98 6.57 6.25 6.50 6.54 6.61 1.00 28 Anita Östlund 49.14 25.35 23.79 6.14 5.82 5.93 5.93 5.93 0.00 29 Anna Khnychenkova 47.59 26.66 22.93 5.86 5.54 5.61 5.82 5.82 2.00 30 Aiza Mambekova 44.40 21.29 23.11 5.71 5.46 5.82 5.89 6.00 0.00
Free skating The women's free skating was held on 23 February. Alina Zagitova and Evgenia Medvedeva won the gold and silver medals, respectively. Zagitova's gold medal was the first gold medal win for a Russian athlete at the 2018 Winter Olympics. She and Medvedeva earned identical scores in the free skate, but since Zagitova had a higher score in the short program, she edged out Medvedeva for the gold medal. Zagitova's free skate was set to music from Don Quixote, while Medvedeva's was set to music from Anna Karenina. Zagitova became the second-youngest gold medalist in the women's event, behind Tara Lipinski of the United States. When asked about her competition with Medvedeva, Zagitova explained that she and Medvedeva were friends, and that any rivalry in competition was not malicious.
Kaetlyn Osmond maintained her third place position and won the bronze medal. Her performance to music from Swan Lake was described by Dan Barnes of the Vancouver Sun as elegant and powerful, and won Canada its 27th medal at the 2018 Winter Olympics, which set a new record for Olympic medals won. Osmond had been part of the Canadian team that had earlier won the team event, so she went home with two Olympic medals. Gabrielle Daleman fell three times during her free skate, ultimately finishing in fifteenth place. Meanwhile, the American team had their worst collective showing since 1948. Bradie Tennell finished in ninth place, Mirai Nagasu finished in tenth, and Karen Chen in eleventh.