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Aran jumper on ice Olympic debut
19.02.14
WE may have no Olympic
skaters among our 'rinks' but the Irish seem to be
taking over on the ice nonetheless.
First, Chicago skater Jason Brown (19) wowed
audiences and went viral last month with his
Riverdance on Ice routine at the US figure skating
championships. |
Now a top Russian
skater has taken to the ice at the Winter Olympics
in Sochi wearing an “outrageous” Aran jumper.
Demitri Soloviev (24) ditched the chiffon, glitter
and sequins and surprised audiences with the
everyday simplicity of a collarless grey Aran-knit
sweater paired with plain black trousers. |
His blonde-haired
partner Ekaterina Bobrova (23) also shunned the
sport’s signature sparkle at Monday night’s pairs
dance final, wearing a plain, flowing little black
dress.
Their ice dance routine told of Bobrova's
character's descent into madness as she tries to
heal her partner from a mental illness. This is only
achieved at the expense of her own sanity.
Demitri’s Aran sweater on ice featured all the
traditional stitches including cable - said to
symbolise the fisherman's rope; braiding, believed
to represent the interweaving strands of life and
the honeycomb stitch – signifying luck for a good
fisherman’s catch. |
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Demitri Soloviev. |
But the Russian’s
sartorial choice to go for gold in a Gaelic
fisherman's jumper didn’t win over all commentators.
Writing in 'The Washington Post', Missy Khamvongsa
commented: "Russia’s Dmitri Soloviev’s costume
seemed outrageous for its simplicity. The gray
cable-knit sweater seemed more suited for a stroll
through Olympic Village than in the medal round of
competition."
Unfortunately, the luck of the Irish did not help
the couple net a medal on the night. They placed in
fifth position overall.
US duo Meryl Davis and Charlie White made figure
skating history in the competition by becoming the
first Americans to win Olympic gold in the ice dance
routine. |
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