U.S. Figure Skaters Dedicate Olympic Routine To Florida Shooting Victims
American figure skater Alexa Scimeca-Knierim broke down in tears following her routine at the Winter Olympics final in Pyeongchang, South Korea, on Wednesday, saying she and husband Chris Knierim skated for the victims of the Florida school shooting earlier in the day.
The couple, the only U.S. team among the 16 finalists in the pairs figure skating free skate competition, took to the ice mere hours after 17 children and staff were killed at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, about 15 miles northwest of Fort Lauderdale.
“We wanted to skate for the 17 children that died in the Florida shooting. And today was much more than about us,” Scimeca-Knierim said in an interview following her performance, Time reported.
💘 #ValentinesDay #WinterOlympics pic.twitter.com/r4UfmqfeaD
— NBC Olympics (@NBCOlympics) February 15, 2018
“We are so privileged and lucky to be doing what we are doing, and it’s so sad that 17 people died in the United States. I told Chris today he’d need to be so much stronger than me.”
The pair won bronze medals as part of the U.S. figure skating team event. On Wednesday, the pair scored 185.82 in the pairs competition, placing them toward the bottom of the field.
“I am disappointed with the way we performed today, but so many people at home are hurting because their children have died,” she said, according to The Associated Press.
“I was not focused on it while we were skating, but now that we are done, after we’ve skated, there’s an emotional hurt. I am overwhelmed.”
Scimeca-Knierim also published a tweet about the Florida shooting, sending sympathy to the victims and their families.
May the hearts of those who are mourning the loss of victims in the shooting today be lifted up. You are on my mind and on my heart. God bless you all.
— Alexa ScimecaKnierim (@alexa_knierim) February 15, 2018
Her husband later retweeted it on his own Twitter account.
Despite saying they were affected by the sad news from back home, the pair managed to pull off an Olympic first, according to U.S. Figure Skating.
THERE IT IS. @alexa_knierim and @ChrisKnierim become the first U.S. pair to do a QUAD TWIST at the Olympics. pic.twitter.com/DZAPRc3VGz
— U.S. Figure Skating (@USFigureSkating) February 15, 2018
A snapshot of @alexa_knierim and @ChrisKnierim's journey to the biggest stage. They've been through more than we could ever fit in one video. Congratulations on your first Olympics, champs. pic.twitter.com/yD45xwUKT5
— U.S. Figure Skating (@USFigureSkating) February 15, 2018
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This article originally appeared on HuffPost.