Paul Fentz’s quiet hopes for a top ten position at the World Figure Skating Championships in Milan have not been fulfilled. After a good but not outstanding freestyle routine, the German champion dropped back to 15th place in the final standings.
The gold medal went to Nathan Chen. The US Champion came through his freestyle program best by far, clearly distancing the competition with 321.40 points. The Japanese Shoma Uno (273.77) and Mikhail Kolyada from Russia (272.32) came closest to the Olympics fifth.
However, the new world champion benefited from the absence of Olympic champion Yuzuru Hanyu from Japan. The gold medal winner from Pyeongchang cancelled his start because of a foot injury. Also the name of the Olympic third and six-time European champion Javier Fernandez from Spain was not on the list of participants.
Fentz, a sports soldier from Berlin, got up the fourfold toe-loop perfectly, but tore up the triple axel. At the end of the program, the 25-year-old was a little slow, with a shy smile and 230.92 points from the ice.
“This was the conciliatory end to a hard and difficult season. I know more than ever what I have to work on in the summer,” said Fentz, who had surprised the audience after the short programme with twelfth place in the intermediate standings, on ARD. After all: Romy Oesterreich’s protégé was 22nd at the Olympics. At this year’s European Championship he was 16th.