Uploaded May 2020 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
After Toller's success in winning the free skate in Calgary in 1972, it was another Canadian, Ron Shaver, who stole the show in Bratislava, despite finishing only fourth in the free behind Nepela, Chetverukhin and Ovchinnikov, despite attempting four triple jumps and landing three different triples (loop, sal and toeloop) in the second half of his program. This was by far the most technical content performed by anyone in the competition and other than the overrotated first triple sal, all executed with beautiful flow and great speed. I think it would be easy to make an argument for Shaver to have won the free skating here, however in an event where John Curry's equally excellent freeskate was marked as only seventh best on the night, it's safe to say that perhaps politics had something to do with Ron's fourth place freeskate placement. ;)
After Toller's success in winning the free skate in Calgary in 1972, it was another Canadian, Ron Shaver, who stole the show in Bratislava, despite finishing only fourth in the free behind Nepela, Chetverukhin and Ovchinnikov, despite attempting four triple jumps and landing three different triples (loop, sal and toeloop) in the second half of his program. This was by far the most technical content performed by anyone in the competition and other than the overrotated first triple sal, all executed with beautiful flow and great speed. I think it would be easy to make an argument for Shaver to have won the free skating here, however in an event where John Curry's equally excellent freeskate was marked as only seventh best on the night, it's safe to say that perhaps politics had something to do with Ron's fourth place freeskate placement. ;)
