Maria Butyrskaya 🥇 first European title: 1998 European Figure Skating Free Skate 'Otonal'

HDp60fps format, Australian coverage (originating: British, commentators: Chris Howarth, Nicky Slater)
AP excerpt ('BUTYRSKAYA CAPTURES EUROPEAN TITLE', January 18 1998):
At long last, 25-year-old Maria Butyrskaya fulfilled her potential. What remains to be seen is if she can challenge the American teenagers at the Olys.
With a graceful free skate and some help from stumbling rivals, the five-time Russian champion moved up from fifth place to win the European title yesterday, giving her country a second straight sweep of the gold medals at the championships in Milan.
"It is difficult to say how much this medal means to me. These are my sixth Europeans, and I've always been so close," Butyrskaya said. "But I have always made mistakes before."
special thanks to Belinda Noonan
#figureskating #iceskating #eiskunstlauf #フィギュアスケート #фигурноекатание