By Peter Omopo
German-born skater delivered Romania’s strongest performance in women’s Olympic figure skating history, finishing 17th at the in Milano Cortina.
Sauter posted a personal best of 127.80 points in the free program and a total score of 190.93 points, marking the highest overall result of her career.
Reacting after the event on Friday, February 20, the skater described the competition as an unforgettable experience.
“I am still speechless about the memories I created with my team. It was a wonderful and emotional experience. Thank you all for the support, I am only grateful and blessed,” she wrote.
In her free program, Sauter opened with a confident triple Lutz and followed up with triple-double combinations. She executed six triple jumps in total, earning 66.28 points in technical elements. Her step sequence and spins received level 4 grading, while her artistic components were highly rated for composition (7.54), presentation (7.86), and skating skills (7.64), giving her 61.52 points in that segment.
Coached by , Sauter surpassed her mentor’s previous Olympic result — a 23rd-place finish at the — setting a new benchmark for Romania in the women’s competition.
The Olympic gold medal was claimed by reigning world champion of the United States. Japan secured the remaining podium spots, with silver going to multiple world champion and bronze to teenager .
