He trained on shopping mall ice rinks. Now, this Mexican skater is creating history

For Donovan Carrillo, his journey to the Olympics has been nothing if not winding.

Born in football-mad Mexico, figure skating wasn’t the go-to sport for kids. But even in the face of opposition, Carrillo chose to stick it out.

“As a kid, I got bullied in school for practicing figure skating because other kids say that this was a sport just for girls,” the 22-year-old explained after finishing 22nd in the men’s free skating program on Thursday.

“Because we don’t have many boys practicing or competing; now, we have one. But before, it was something very unusual. But I always knew I liked it, so I decided to not listen to them and focus on my skating.”

As a 13-year-old, Carrillo chose to leave his family in Guadalajara because the rink closed.

Living in León, the only available place Carrillo train could was the local ice rink, and the venue wasn’t shut off to regular patrons while he took to the ice. He had to practice his toeloops and jumps while others skated around him.

At the 2022 Winter Games in Beijing, Carrillo became the first Mexican male figure skating Olympian since Albertville 1992, when Riccardo Olavarrieta took to the ice in the short program.

But after entering the rink at the Capital Indoor Stadium on Thursday, Carrillo says competing at the Winter Olympics for Mexico is a “dream.”

“Everything began with a dream. When we are kids, we always watch the Olympics on TV. As I was a lover of sports, I always wanted to represent my country in one of (the) Olympics. I made it with figure skating. So for me, the Olympics, it’s just a proof that dreams come true.”

Carrillo continued: “Representing my country in the Winter Olympics with the best athletes all over the world in figure skating is something really inspiring for me and I think, not just for me, but for my whole country.

“Now, after my performance in the short program, I received a lot of messages from them to tell me they were super proud of me. I’m just grateful for that and also motivated to do my best and keep fighting for more dreams, more goals.

“I hope my performance here in Beijing can inspire more kids and (the) young to develop and practice winter sports. In my country, we don’t have ski, we don’t have snowboard. But, at least, we have figure skating and hockey, so I would like to invite them to try because maybe they can find their passion and also their self, just like I did with figure skating.”

Nathan Chen was quick to pay tribute to two of his heroes following his first Olympic gold medal: Michelle Kwan and his mom.

The 22-year-old ‘quad king’ delivered two masterful performances – breaking the short program world record on Tuesday – to carve his name into history as the eighth US athlete to win a medal in the discipline, according to the Olympic website.

To achieve that lifelong dream in Beijing – the city where his mother grew up and where his parents met before emigrating to the US – only sweetened the satisfaction.

“It means the world to be able to be here,” Chen told CNN’s Selina Wang.

“I know that they did everything that they could to give us – I’m the youngest of five – to give all of us… opportunities to pursue (our dreams), without having many resources themselves.”

Chen reflected on his mother’s selfless efforts to support his early training, accompanying him to rinks and helping to fund coaching despite money being tight.

“Certainly, that’s not super conventional,” Chen said of his mother’s attendance at the rinks. “People wanted me to be with the coach and my parents somewhere else.

“She faced a lot and sheltered a lot from me, so I don’t even know a lot of the details, but when I asked her, she always just gets very upset.”

Having grown up in Salt Lake City – host of the 2002 Games – Chen was captivated by the Olympics from a young age, helped by the “inspirational” performances of Michelle Kwan.

A five-time world champion and one of the most decorated figure skaters in US history, Kwan won bronze at Nagano 1998 before adding silver at Salt Lake City four years later.

“Having a face like Michelle Kwan was really inspirational,” Chen said.

“Having athletes that look like you certainly gives you the hope that you can do the same.

“I’ll never really reach Michelle Kwan stature but just to be able to have someone like that when I was growing up is really powerful. That goes back to the power of representation.”

Norway’s Therese Johaug produced a stunning late comeback to clinch the gold medal in the women’s 10km cross-country classic at the Winter Olympics on Thursday. 

The 33-year-old had built up an early lead but was soon reeled in by the Finnish pair of Krista Parmakoski and Kerttu Niskanen.

Niskanen looked on course for gold after breaking away from the pack and at one stage held a lead of 11 seconds over her rivals.

But Johaug fought back to claim a dramatic gold – edging out Niskanen by just 0.4 seconds.

Parmakoski finished in the bronze medal position.

After the race, Johaug said: “I cannot find words for it. It’s so good and it’s so big for me. Today, it was a close race with the Finnish girls, but I was feeling really well at the end of the race and I had a lot of power in the last hill.

“It’s so much more fun to stand at the top of the podium when you know that you have won a big fight out there, so I was giving my best and I’m so happy now.”

It was Johaug’s second individual gold at Beijing 2022 after she claimed top spot in the women’s 7.5km + 7.5km skiathlon on Saturday.

He has been coined ‘Iron Man’ for his choice of helmet, and South Korean skeleton star Yun Sung-bin will require a superhero fightback befitting of his nickname to claw back a disappointing start to Beijing 2022.

The South Korean became a global star four years ago in Pyeongchang when he slid to his country’s first ever skeleton gold, becoming the first athlete from outside Europe and North America to win a medal in a sliding event.

His acclaim was heightened by his iconic helmet, yet like Samson and his hair, it would seem that Yun’s headwear was the source of his strength.

After his request to wear his signature helmet was allegedly denied by the International Olympic Committee (IOC), two disappointing heats on Thursday have left the 27-year-old needing a miracle to defend his crown, or even make the podium.

“I trained about seven to eight years wearing that helmet,” Yun told a reporter. “It doesn’t feel like I’m competing.”

Yun did not explain the IOC’s reasons for denying his request.

Having placed 13th after the first heat — 1.26 seconds slower than German pace-setter Christopher Grotheer — Yun could only climb one place to 12th after the second of four total heats.

Grotheer leads compatriot Axel Jungk by 0.7 seconds at the summit, with Yun trailing the leader by 2.1 seconds heading into Friday’s final two heats at the Yanqing National Sliding Centre.

“I made so many mistakes, so much lost time,” Yun said.

“I’m not really happy, but I hope tomorrow will be good.

“Very difficult training season with the virus, Covid, so I couldn’t train really much and make this result maybe.”

Chinese slider Yan Wengang holds onto the bronze medal place ahead of Friday’s finale, 0.75 seconds off the top pace.

Team USA’s Andrew Blaser is 21st after the first two heats, his combined time of 2:03.88 leaving him 3.55 seconds behind Grotheer.

After successfully defending her Olympic title in the snowboarding halfpipe, Chloe Kim discusses the pressure she previously put on herself to be “perfect” and how she came to realize, “It’s okay to have a bad day.”

Read more about Kim’s defense of her halfpipe gold here.

Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu, who finished in fourth place at this year’s Winter Games, may not have clinched a medal, but his legions of fans still think he’s a winner.

“Yuzuru Hanyu, you are a true warrior, a master; what you do on the ice comes from heaven, unable to be measured by mortals.

“You fought so hard on that ankle, fought hard against fate; you are nothing short of incredible. 

“You are the GOAT, the KING, an EMPEROR, a GOD!” tweeted one social media user.

The official Twitter account for Beijing 2022 also posted a message supporting Hanyu, saying: “We are so touched and inspired by his devotion and commitment. He is a true Ice Prince!”

Yuzuru Hanyu’s most ardent fans — known as “fanyus” — transcend borders and geopolitical tensions. Despite the historic rivalry between Japan and China, in October 2021, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying tweeted that Japanese Hanyu fans could count on their Chinese counterparts to cheer on the skater. 

“I spotted Japanese fans saying they’d trust in fans here to cheer on Yuzuru Hanyu. Leave it to us! Thanks for understanding China’s Covid-19 measures,” Hua wrote.

After the free skate program, Hanyu told reporters in a trembling voice that he felt like he had given his performance his all. 

“I tried really hard. To be honest, I think I worked harder than ever … There were many things that didn’t go well from the short program … but I did my best,” said Hanyu. 

Austria’s gold medalist Johannes Strolz said it was a “dream coming true” to win the same event that his father — also an Olympic champion — once won.

His father, skier Hubert Strolz, won the men’s alpine combined 34 years ago.

“When I think about it, all the pictures and the gold medal of my father, it’s hard for me not to cry. It’s just a dream coming true.”

He thanked his family and those who had supported him, saying he reached his win by trusting his coaches, his own abilities and the training he had done over the years.

Chinese fans of the Japanese skater Yuzuru Hanyu flocked to the perimeter of the Olympic bubble on Thursday.

Many carried Winnie the Pooh toys and waved signs saying “You are the best!!!”

Hanyu has a big following in China, where he is known as the “Ice Prince.”

And since he began carrying a tissue box in the shape of the much loved A.A. Milne character back in 2010, fans have regularly carried the bear as a mascot, as well as showering the rink with Winnie-the-Pooh toys after he skates.

The 27-year-old finished in fourth place in the men’s figure skating competition today, behind Team USA’s Nathan Chen and fellow Japanese skaters Yuma Kagiyama and Shoma Uno.

It needed a photo to separate the winners in the men’s snowboard cross big final Thursday as Austria’s Alessandro Haemmerle crossed the line just inches ahead of Canada’s Eliot Grondin.

The official photo finish confirmed Haemmerle as the gold medalist, as Grondin was forced to settle for silver.

Italy’s Omar Visintin took the bronze.