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Gold and Silver Medals in Skating Championships

In a medal bonanza for Finland at the World Synchronized Skating Championships, Finland won both the gold and the silver medals. This is the first time in athletics history that Finnish teams have won both the silver and the gold medal at the same world championships in any sport.

The championships were held over the weekend in Colorado Springs, America.

The Rockettes, a skating squad based in Helsinki, won a gold medal after finishing first in both the short and the free skate programmes. They racked up a whopping 223.90 points overall.

"The victory felt particularly great because it was such a clear-cut victory," enthused Rockettes coach Kaisa Nieminen. "After the free programme our confidence was pretty high, even though there were two teams left to compete."

"We've been so determined and hard-working and now we've been rewarded with a gold medal. I’m especially proud of how the girls showed what they can do under such pressure."

Silver Medal for Marigolds

Finland also captured the silver medal, thanks to a stunning comeback for another Finnish skating team, the Marigold Ice Unity squad. They were ranked fifth after the short programme, but shone in the free skate, scoring just a single point behind the first-place Rockettes.

Marigold coach Anu Oksanen says she's pleased with the result, even though they did come to compete for the gold.

"The girls fought to the end of their programme, even though there were some collisions in the beginning. I would have rather had a win in the free skate," says Oksanen. "But a silver medal in the World Championships, and a rise from fifth place to second is a superb achievement."

Sources: YLE