𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐇𝐄𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐒: 𝐑𝐄𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐍𝐆 𝐋𝐎𝐕𝐄 𝐎𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐅𝐀𝐒𝐓 𝐓𝐑𝐀𝐂𝐊 | 𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐝𝐨 𝐧𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐬

[ 007 ]

'I've failed over and over and over again in my life and this is why I succeed.'
- Michael Jordan

Friday, April 1, 2022 was upon her faster than she would have liked. After she had celebrated extensively with the team and her family in a restaurant on Wednesday after this outstanding short program, yesterday it was the turn of the men's short program and the free program from the skating pairs, where she had cheered and supported the others with her family and the non-skating people. But unfortunately it had only been enough for eighth place for the French pair. In the men's program, on the other hand, it was not until Saturday that the second free skate was on, so nothing had been decided yet, but Kévin, Adam and Davide were able to secure fifteenth place, tenth place and seventh place after the short program.

Now, however, it was their turn again. After the ice dance pairs had skated in the morning, they had pulled the big lottery to be allowed to skate at eighteen o'clock in the evening. So she had slept longer not like she had on Wednesday and was less nervous because of her result on Wednesday. She was nervous, no question about it. After all, the pressure was now high to maintain this level as well. Especially because of the fans who were cheering for her after her performance. Dozens, even hundreds of pictures and videos had been seen of her on Instagram and TikTok, where fans were happy that she was in first place after the short program. They supported her and were happy that she had stepped on the ice anyway after the rumors. She herself had only uploaded an Instagram Story where she was happy about the first place after the short program and thanked the fans for their support.

Around 10:55 p.m. she was ready to go on the ice. After Léa had already been eliminated on Wednesday, due to a too low place. Because only the best twenty-four had the chance to participate in the free skate. Unfortunately for Léa it was only enough for twenty-ninth place. So she was the only one who could defend the Monegasque/French team.

Exhaling deeply and at the same time taking off her jacket because she saw that Kaori Sakamoto just stepped happily off the ice, she mentally got ready for the free skate. She was the last to get on the ice, since the order was the same as the qualification after the short program. Thus, the twenty-fourth place skated first and the first place skater skated last. On the one hand, of course, this was good, but on the other hand, it meant that she had to sit out the previous competition with her nervousness and the pressure inside her until it was her turn.

She took off her blade guards and got a hug from Florence.

"You do it like you did on Wednesday. You go out on the ice and show everyone what you can do, okay? You have the best starting position of anyone."

She nodded and took a deep breath. She got on the ice when she saw that Kaori was looking forward to her first place. Now she had to get so many points that she could outscore Kaori.

"Now the last one we see for Monaco is Luise Leclerc."

Again she skated in a semicircle and bowed and waved to the people before jumping a single jump and loosening up her muscles.

"She is ranked first after the short program and needs 152.74 points to win the world championships."

She tried to be as focused as she was Wednesday. Tried to be as confident as she was during the short program.

"If she manages to deliver the same way she did on Wednesday, she should be assured of the title."

The music started and she skated her Black Swan free skate. Four minutes of concentration, four minutes of just her free skate. No thoughts, no emotions. Four minutes of just her and the free program.

Four minutes later she did her final pose, the music stopped and the audience cheered. She had done it. Had done it again.

"Unbelievable. Clean jumps, clean spins. I'd almost go out on a limb and say the title is hers."