Page 32 - bon-dia-aruba-20220326

A32 sports
Diasabra 26 Maart 2022

Papadakis, Cizeron shatter rhythm dance record at worlds

moment. I was really just cel- to the free dance Saturday.
ebrating.”
“The bigger point is to tell
Hubbell and Donohue’s the truth about what is hap-
close friends, Madison pening in Ukraine,” Nikitin
Chock and Evan Bates, were said, “and I hope this will
third with 87.51 points from help people in Ukraine who
their rhythm dance, while It- are now not safe — they are
aly’s Charlène Guignard and still in danger and lose their
Marco Fabbri were fourth houses. I hope we can help all
and Piper Gilles and Paul Po- people in the world to under-
irier of Canada in fifth. stand what really happens be-
cause we saw it. Just six days
Victoria Sinitsina and Nikita ago we were in Ukraine.”
Katsalapov, the silver medal-
ists in Beijing, are among the The pair had to travel through
many Russian skaters barred military checkpoints to reach
from competing in France. Poland, then headed from
They also are two of several there to France.
Olympic medalists facing a
worldwide backlash after ap- “For us it’s not just a com-
pearing at a rally to support petition. It’s something big-
President Vladimir Putin and ger,” said Nazarova, whose
(AP) - Olympic ice dance the invasion of Ukraine. hometown of Kharkiv in the
champions Gabriella Pa- It’s going to be difficult to get “We had the goal of staying northeast part of Ukraine has
padakis and Guillaume too much better. focused but really letting the Meanwhile, the Ukrainian been overrun with troops.
Cizeron shattered their moment sink in a little bit ice dance team of Oleksan- “We saw the tanks, heard the
own rhythm dance world “There was a little bit of pres- more than at the Olympics,” dra Nazarova and Maksym shooting. My house doesn’t
record on Friday to take sure that we did have because Hubbell said. “Really living Nikitin received a huge ova- have windows anymore. It is
the lead over two Ameri- of the audience,” Papadakis the joy of it and especially tion from the crowd at Sud horrible running to the shel-
can teams at the world said, “but at the same time, it for myself, at the very end de France Arena for their ter holding a kid in your arms
championships in Mont- was wonderful and was lift- — from end of twizzles until rhythm dance. They even and I will not wish to anyone
pellier, France. ing us, too. It was very dif- the end — I had quite a fun fared well enough to advance to live through it.”
ferent, but definitely easier
With the backing of their (than in Beijing).”
home crowd, Papadakis and
Cizeron scored 92.73 points The competition continues
to their program set to mu- later Friday with the women’s
sic by John Legend to beat free skate, where Olympic
their score from the Beijing bronze medalist Kaori Saka-
Games by nearly two points. moto leads Loena Hendrickx
It also left Papadakis and Ciz- of Belgium and Mariah Bell
eron more than three points of the U.S. following their
ahead of Madison Hub- short programs.
bell and Zachary Donohue
heading into Saturday’s free Hubbell and Donohue, the
dance. Olympic bronze medalists
who train with Papadakis and
“I think it was better than at Cizeron in Montreal, scored
the Games. We were a little a career-best 89.72 points in
bit more relaxed, so I think the final competitive event
it appeared in our skating.” of their long and decorated
said Cizeron, who along career. The longtime stan-
with Papadakis is a four-time dard-bearers for America ice
world champ. “I think we’re dancing announced prior to
just getting better and better, the season that this would be
which is good.” their last together.

Murray State brings Prohm back as Racers men’s hoops coach

(AP) — Steve Prohm has focus forward as we begin a appearances.
returned to Murray State new chapter of Murray State Prohm had a 104-29 record
for a second stint as men’s basketball entering the Mis- during his first tenure with
basketball coach, taking souri Valley Conference,” he the Racers from 2011-15 and
over the program as the added. “I’m excited to take won two Ohio Valley Con-
Racers prepare to join the this journey with you!” ference regular season cham-
Missouri Valley Confer- pionships along with a first-
ence in July. Prohm will be formally in- round NCAA game in 2012.
troduced on Monday. He spent six years as a Mur-
The coach said in a release rary State assistant before tak-
Friday he was “excited and He replaces Matt McMa- ing over for Billy Kennedy.
grateful” for the chance to hon, his former assistant who
return to Murray State and guided MSU (31-3) to the Prohm left in 2015 for Iowa
noted its continued success second round of the NCAA State, going 97-95 in six sea-
after he left. Tournament as the No. 7 sons with Big 12 Conference
seed before leaving earlier Tournament titles in 2017
“Now is the time to shift our this week for LSU. and 2019 and three NCAA